Image forming apparatus having image reading device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9635201-B2
Application number	US-201615157926-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 18, 2016
Priority date	Mar 28, 2014
Publication date	Apr 25, 2017
Grant date	Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

In an image forming apparatus, when a pivot plate is at a closed position, a free end of the pivot plate is at a vertical level higher than first and second hinge portions which are arranged apart from each other in a width direction along a horizontal direction. A free end of the pivot plate moves in a space defined between first and second virtual vertical planes. The first virtual vertical plane is defined as a virtual vertical plane, on which a widthwise inner end of a first hinge portion is disposed, and which is perpendicular to a rotational center axis of the first hinge portion. The second virtual vertical plane is defined as a virtual vertical plane, on which a widthwise inner end of the second hinge portion is disposed, and which is perpendicular to a rotational center axis of the second hinge portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
an image forming portion configured to form an image on a sheet;
a housing configured to enclose the image forming portion therein, the housing having a sheet discharge tray at its vertically upper portion;
a discharge roller configured to rotate in a forward direction to discharge a sheet having an image formed thereon toward the sheet discharge tray and rotate in a reverse direction to convey a sheet having an image formed thereon along a re-conveying path that is arranged to convey the sheet back to an inlet port of the image forming portion;
a pivot plate configured to define part of the re-conveying path and configured to pivotally move relative to the housing between a first position, at which the pivot plate is closed relative to the housing, and a second position, at which the pivot plate is opened relative to the housing; and
an image reading device provided at a vertical level higher than the sheet discharge tray, the image reading device being connected to the housing such that the image reading device is pivotally movable relative to the housing between an open position and a closed position,
wherein the image reading device and the pivot plate are arranged relative to each other such that in a state that the image reading device is at the closed position and the pivot plate is at the first position, when the image reading device and the pivot plate are projected onto a virtual horizontal plane, at least part of the pivot plate is disposed at a position that is out of a scanning range of a reading element provided in the image reading device.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the image reading device and the pivot plate are arranged relative to each other such that in a state that the image reading device is at the open position and the pivot plate is at the second position, the pivot plate overlaps with the image reading device when the image reading device and the pivot plate are projected onto a virtual horizontal plane.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a pivot cover assembled to the housing such that the pivot cover is pivotally movable relative to the housing, the pivot cover being mechanically interlocked with the pivotal movement of the pivot plate.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the image forming portion is of an electrophotographic type.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a center axis of pivotal movement of the pivot plate is positioned at a vertical level lower than a center axis of pivotal movement of the image reading device.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the image reading device and the pivot plate are arranged relative to each other such that in a state that the image reading device is at the closed position and the pivot plate is at the first position, the image reading device and part of the pivot plate overlap with each other when the image reading device and the pivot plate are projected onto a virtual vertical plane that is parallel to a center axis of pivotal movement of the image reading device.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the image reading device and the pivot plate are arranged relative to each other such that when the pivot plate is at the first position and the image reading device is pivotally moved in a direction away from the closed position toward the open position, the image reading device contacts the pivot plate and causes the pivot plate to pivotally move together with the image reading device from the first position toward the second position.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the image reading device has a first wall, and
wherein in a state that the pivot plate is at the first position and the image reading device is at the closed position, both of the pivot plate and the first wall extend in the vertical direction, the scanning range of the reading element extends in a horizontal direction, and the first wall is interposed between the pivot plate and the scanning range of the reading element.

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Miwa Atsushi
• Sato Shougo

Classifications

• H04N1/00554 Primary

  Latches or hinges therefor · CPC title

• H04N1/00527 Primary

  Discharge tray at least partially sandwiched between image generating and reproducing components · CPC title

• G03G21/1623

  Means to access the interior of the apparatus · CPC title

• H04N1/04

  Scanning arrangements {, i.e. arrangements for the displacement of active reading or reproducing elements relative to the original or reproducing medium, or vice versa}(H04N1/387 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04N1/00

  Scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission; Details thereof · CPC title