JP2006126405A - Image processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image processing apparatus which allows a choice between the configuration, where usability is enhanced by making operating directions the same and the configuration where operability is improved and its installation area is reduced though the operating directions are different. <P>SOLUTION: In the image processing apparatus having an image reading device 8 on the image forming apparatus 1, the position of the image reading device 8 can be changed inside a plane that is almost parallel to the ground on which the image forming apparatus is installed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a configuration of an image processing apparatus that is based on an image forming apparatus main body and is multi-functionalized by mounting an image reading apparatus on the upper part.

  Image forming apparatuses have been widely spread and developed from business use to personal and from monochrome to color due to digitization of information and IT revolution. On the other hand, the development of digitalization has become a member who promotes the integration of printer functions. As a result, a printer that has been positioned as an output of an information terminal device such as a personal computer is now positioned as a central device that is a combination of conventional product functions such as copying and facsimile. This is also due to the development of a high-cost performance such as two and three roles, and a development technology base for new products that saves space. A typical product example of such a multifunctional image processing apparatus is MFC (multifunction copier) or MFP (multifunction printer) (Patent Documents 1 and 2).

JP 05-197225 A JP 05-207209 A

  However, the MFC and MFP have an important problem in operability in the apparatus configuration in order to combine single function technology. An example of an MFP based on a small printer will be described below.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a conventional MFP. In order to improve the print page alignment and operability, the printer is mainly in a form of face-down discharge stacking on the top of the printer. In the drawing, the right side of the apparatus, which is the sheet cassette drawer and sheet discharge direction, is the front.

  As shown in FIG. 7A, in the printer unit 100, an image is formed in an image forming process unit (hereinafter, cartridge 107). A latent image is formed on the image forming drum 107a of the cartridge 107 by the laser scanner unit 101 and developed to form a toner image. The sheets picked up by the feeding roller 103 from the feeding cassette 102 are fed one by one by the conveying roller 104a and the separation roller 104b, reach the registration roller 106 via the conveying path 105a, and are on the image forming drum 107a. The toner image is transferred. Thereafter, the sheet is fixed by the heat fixing unit 108 through the conveyance path 105b, then reaches the discharge roller 109 through the conveyance path 105c, and is discharged to the discharge trays 111 and 112. The discharge tray portion 112 can be opened and closed around the shaft 112a for taking out the cartridge or handling a jam. The conveyance paths 105a, 105b, and 105c indicate conveyance paths, respectively.

  A scanner unit 151 is mounted on the upper part of the printer unit 100. The scanner unit 151 mounts a CCD sensor unit 156 on a carriage 154 that moves along the guide rods 155a and 155b, and reads a document placed on the platen glass 153. A document pressing plate 157 is provided on the document table glass 153, and can be opened and closed rearward (on the left side of the apparatus in the figure) around the hinge 158.

  As shown in FIG. 7B, the scanner unit 151 is attached to the printer unit 100 by inserting a guide pin 152 provided on the bottom of the scanner unit 151 into a fitting hole 113 provided on the top surface of the printer body. Is positioned by.

  The composite form as described above needs to secure a loading / unloading space for the discharge trays 111 and 112, a mounting / removal space for the cartridge 107, an operation space for jam processing, and the like. On the other hand, the height of the platen glass 153 of the scanner unit 151 must be suppressed to some extent for operability. In view of this, a configuration has been proposed in which the scanner unit 151 is arranged so as to be shifted with respect to the printer unit 100 so that the upper portion of the printer unit 100 is opened while suppressing the height of the scanner unit 151 (see Patent Document 1). However, since the scanner unit 151 is forced to be placed behind the upper part of the printer unit 100 (on the left side of the device in the figure), the scanner unit 151 is moved away from the user, and for healthy people as well as non-healthy people, for example, users who use wheelchairs. It becomes very difficult to handle.

  Also, there may be a disadvantage in the installation area. The horizontal width of recent small A4 size medium to small printers is smaller than the horizontal width of A4 size scanners. Here, the horizontal width is the width in the depth direction shown in the figure, and is the user's operation direction, that is, the horizontal width when the apparatus is viewed from the right side in the drawing (in the configuration of this conventional example, when viewed from the user, in the printer, A4 The plate sheet is conveyed in the vertical direction and is read in the horizontal direction in the scanner). Therefore, in the configuration in which the front face of the scanner section and the front face of the printer section are matched, although the user's operation direction is the same, the scanner section protrudes from both sides of the printer, and a large installation space is required accordingly.

  As described above, the conventional configuration of the MFP based on the small printer is disadvantageous in terms of operability and installation area.

  Therefore, in view of the above problems, the present invention is capable of selecting a configuration in which the operation direction is aligned and the convenience is improved, and a configuration in which the operation direction is different but the operability is improved and the required installation area is reduced. An object is to provide an apparatus.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a typical configuration of an image processing apparatus according to the present invention is an image processing apparatus having an image reading apparatus on an upper part of an image forming apparatus, and the image reading apparatus is generally a The posture can be changed in the parallel plane.

  According to the present invention, the image reading apparatus provided on the upper part of the image forming apparatus is configured such that the posture thereof can be changed in a plane substantially parallel to the apparatus grounding surface, thereby improving the convenience by aligning the operation direction. However, it is possible to select a configuration that is different from the operation direction but has improved operability and reduced required installation area.

[First embodiment]
A first embodiment of the image processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an MFP according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a bottom surface of the image reading apparatus.

  An MFP (multifunction printer) as an example of an image processing apparatus shown in the figure is based on a printer unit 1 (desktop printer) as an example of an image forming apparatus, and a scanner unit 8 as an example of an image reading apparatus is disposed at the top. It is a thing. Since the internal configurations of the image reading apparatus and the image forming apparatus are the same as those in the conventional example, description thereof is omitted. The printer unit 1 and the scanner unit 8 are connected by a signal cable (not shown).

  FIG. 1A shows a state before the scanner unit 8 is mounted on the printer unit 1. The printer unit 1 includes a feeding cassette 2 and a cartridge opening / closing door 3 on the front side of the apparatus, with the downstream side in the sheet conveyance direction (the lower right side in the figure) as the front. On the upper surface of the apparatus, a discharge loading table 4 and a scanner loading table 5 are provided. Scanner positioning protrusions 6 and 7 are provided on the scanner loading table 5.

  The scanner unit 8 is provided with an automatic document feeder (hereinafter referred to as ADF 9) that also serves as a document pressure plate, and automatically feeds documents loaded on the document tray 10. The ADF 9 can be opened and closed like a position 9 ′ indicated by a two-dot chain line with a hinge (not shown) as the center, and can be opened toward the back side of the printer unit 1. An operation unit 11 is provided in front of the scanner. Here, when viewed from the front of the scanner, the set direction of the A4 sheet, which is the maximum size that can be read, is the horizontally long direction. That is, the ADF 9 document is conveyed in a direction orthogonal to the scanner front.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of sets of positioning holes 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 corresponding to the scanner positioning protrusions 6, 7 are provided on the bottom of the scanner unit 8. In this embodiment, the positioning projections 6 and 7 are a set of two, and by selecting a set of positioning holes to be inserted, the posture of the scanner unit 8 with respect to the printer unit 1 is selected in a plane substantially parallel to the apparatus grounding surface. be able to.

  In FIG. 1B, by inserting the positioning projections 6 and 7 into the positioning holes 21 and 22, the front of the printer unit 1 (downstream in the sheet conveying direction) and the front of the scanner unit 8 (sides including the operation unit 11). ) Are matched and fixed. At this time, the longitudinal direction of the largest A4 sheet that can be read by the scanner unit 8 and the longitudinal direction of the largest A4 sheet that can be conveyed by the printer unit 1 are orthogonal to each other. In this case, the resulting arrangement is the same as in the conventional example, and there is a problem that the operation unit 11 of the scanner unit 8 is far from the user and the required installation area is large because the width of the scanner unit 8 is wide. However, since the operation directions of the printer unit 1 and the scanner unit 8 coincide with each other, the configuration is highly convenient for a healthy person.

  FIG. 1C shows a state in which the positioning projections 6 and 7 are inserted into the positioning holes 23 and 24 to fix the front surface of the printer unit 1 and the front surface of the scanner unit 8 so as to be orthogonal to each other. At this time, the longitudinal direction of the largest A4 sheet that can be read by the scanner unit 8 and the longitudinal direction of the largest A4 sheet that can be conveyed by the printer unit 1 are the same direction. In this case, if the front surface of the scanner unit 8 (side where the operation unit 11 is located) is the front surface of the entire image processing apparatus, the user can dramatically improve the operability with respect to the scanner unit 8. For example, it can be easily handled for a user who uses a wheelchair. This is because the operation of the scanner unit 8 installed at a particularly high position becomes difficult as it moves away. In addition, since the extension of the scanner unit 8 to both sides of the printer unit 1 can be suppressed, the required installation area can be reduced.

  FIG. 1D shows a state in which the positioning projections 6 and 7 are inserted into the positioning holes 25 and 26 so that the front surface of the printer unit 1 and the front surface of the scanner unit 8 are orthogonally fixed. Compared with the case of FIG. 1C, the scanner unit 8 is further put on the discharge stacking table 4 of the printer unit 1. In this case, it may be difficult to take out the sheet from the discharge stacking table 4, but the required installation area can be minimized.

  The user can freely select each form of the arrangement configuration of the scanner unit 8 based on the use conditions. Therefore, it is possible to select whether to take convenience by aligning the front, or to operate the scanner unit 8 and reduce the installation area.

[Second Example]
A second embodiment of the image processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the MFP according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part for explaining the configuration of the turntable. The same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted.

  In the first embodiment, the scanner unit 8 is fixed to the printer unit 1 by inserting the scanner positioning projections 6 and 7 into the positioning holes 21 to 26, and the posture can be selected by selecting the set to be inserted. It was what. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the posture can be selected using the turntable 31.

  As shown in FIG. 3A, a turntable 31 is provided at the top of the printer unit 1. As shown in detail in FIG. 4, the turntable can rotate around a shaft center 31 a in a plane substantially parallel to the apparatus ground plane. Positioning projections 32 and 33 for fixing the scanner unit 8 are provided on the upper surface of the turntable 31.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a lock lever 35 is attached to the upper portion of the printer unit 1 so as to be rotatable about an axis 35 a, and a lock pin 35 b is attached to one end of the lock lever 35. The lock pin 35b can be swung in a direction away from the center of the turntable by the rotation of the lock lever 35, and is urged in a separation direction by a spring 36. On the other hand, the turntable 31 is formed with a guide groove 34 that fits with the lock pin 35b, and restricts the turning angle of the turntable to 90 °. Further, engaging grooves 34a and 34b cut out in the outer circumferential direction are formed at both ends of the guide groove 34, and the biased lock pin 35b enters and acts as a lock mechanism, and the turntable 31 is rotated. It is configured to be fixed.

  As shown in FIG. 3A, the scanner unit 8 first inserts the positioning protrusions 32 and 33 of the turntable 31 into the positioning holes 21 and 22 (see FIG. 2) on the bottom to Fixed. In this embodiment, it is only necessary to have positioning holes 21 and 22 on the bottom surface of the scanner unit 8, and it is not necessary to provide the positioning holes 23 to 26. However, even if present, it does not hinder the operation of this embodiment.

  In FIG. 3B, the lock pin 35b shown in FIG. 4 is engaged with the engagement groove 34a, whereby the front of the printer unit 1 (downstream in the sheet conveying direction) and the front of the scanner unit 8 (operation unit 11). And a side fixed with the same). FIG. 3C shows a state in which the lock pin 35b shown in FIG. 4 is engaged with the engagement groove 34b so that the front of the printer unit 1 and the front of the scanner unit 8 are fixed orthogonally.

  The user can select the state shown in FIGS. 3B and 3C by releasing the lock of the lock lever 35 based on the use conditions and rotating the turntable 31 on which the scanner unit 8 is mounted. is there.

[Third embodiment]
A third embodiment of the image processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the MFP according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part for explaining the configuration of the adapter. The same parts as those in the first or second embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

  In the second embodiment, the scanner unit 8 is mounted on the printer unit 1 via the turntable 31, but in this embodiment, the scanner unit 8 is mounted via the adapter 41. As shown in FIG. 5A, positioning protrusions 42 and 43 for fixing the scanner unit 8 and positioning protrusions 44 and 45 for fixing to the printer unit 1 are provided on the upper surface of the adapter 41. Although the positioning protrusion 42 is fixedly provided, the positioning protrusion 43 can be attached to and detached from the long holes 46 and 47 having a large diameter portion at one end, and can be selectively attached.

  As shown in FIG. 6, a set of positioning holes 27 and 28 corresponding to the scanner positioning protrusions 42 and 43 are provided on the bottom surface of the scanner unit 8. The positioning protrusions 42 are always inserted into the positioning holes 27, and the positioning protrusions 43 are always inserted into the positioning protrusions 43. However, the scanner unit 8 can selectively change the posture with respect to the printer unit 1 by selectively attaching the positioning projections 43 to the long holes 46 and 47.

  FIG. 5A shows that the front of the printer unit 1 (the downstream side in the sheet conveying direction) and the scanner are installed by mounting the positioning projection 43 in the elongated hole 46 and inserting the positioning projections 42 and 43 into the positioning holes 27 and 28. A state in which the front surface of the unit 8 (side including the operation unit 11) is aligned and fixed is shown. 5B shows that the positioning projection 43 is mounted in the elongated hole 47 and the positioning projections 42 and 43 are inserted into the positioning holes 27 and 28 so that the front of the printer unit 1 and the front of the scanner unit 8 are orthogonal to each other. Shows a fixed state. The user can select the state shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B by selecting the long holes 46 and 47 in which the positioning protrusions 43 are mounted based on the use conditions.

  On the other hand, positioning holes 51 and 52 corresponding to the positioning protrusions 44 and 45 are provided on the upper surface of the printer unit 1. In FIG. 6A, the positioning protrusions 44 and 45 have the same shape, and the positioning holes 51 and 52 also have a shape following this. Further, in FIG. 6B, the positioning projection 44a is different in shape from the positioning projection 45. For example, the positioning projection 45 is a plate-like projection, whereas the positioning projection 44a is a cylindrical pin. Corresponding to the shape of the positioning protrusions 44a and 45, the positioning hole 51a is a cylindrical hole, and the positioning hole 52 is a slit-shaped hole. This prevents erroneous user insertion and ensures work reliability.

  The present invention can be used as an image processing apparatus provided with an image reading apparatus on an upper part of an image forming apparatus.

2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an MFP according to a first embodiment. FIG. It is a figure explaining the bottom face of an image reading apparatus. It is a figure explaining the structure of MFP based on a 2nd Example. It is a principal part expansion perspective view explaining the structure of a turntable. It is a figure explaining the structure of MFP based on a 3rd Example. It is a principal part expansion perspective view explaining the structure of an adapter. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a conventional MFP.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Printer part 2 ... Feed cassette 3 ... Cartridge opening / closing door 4 ... Discharge stacking board 5 ... Scanner loading bases 6, 7 ... Scanner positioning protrusion 8 ... Scanner part 9 ... ADF
10 ... Document tray
11… operation part
21 to 29, 51 to 52 ... Positioning hole
31… turntable
31a ... axis
32, 33, 42 to 45 ... positioning protrusion
34… Guide groove
34a, 34b ... engaging groove
35… Lock lever
35a ... axis
35b ... Lock pin
36… Spring
41… Adapter
100 ... Printer section
101… Laser scanner section
102 ... Feed cassette
103… feed roller
104a ... Conveying roller
104b ... separation roller
105a to 105c ... transport route
106… Registration roller
107… cartridge
107a ... Image forming drum
108… Heat fixing device
109… discharge roller
111… discharge tray
112… discharge tray
112a ... axis
113… Mating hole
151… Scanner section
152… Guide pin
153 ... Original glass
154… Carriage
155a… Guide rod
155b ... guide rod
156 Sensor unit
157… Original holding plate
158… Hinge

Claims (8)

An image processing apparatus having an image reading device on top of an image forming apparatus,
An image processing apparatus characterized in that the attitude of the image reading apparatus can be changed in a plane substantially parallel to the apparatus ground plane. In the image reading apparatus, the longitudinal direction of the maximum size sheet that can be read by the image reading apparatus and the longitudinal direction of the maximum size sheet that can be conveyed by the image forming apparatus are in the same direction or orthogonal direction. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image processing apparatus can be selectively fixed. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image reading apparatus is detachable from the image forming apparatus. At least one of the upper part of the image forming apparatus or the bottom surface of the image reading apparatus is provided with a set of positioning protrusions or a plurality of sets of positioning holes corresponding to the positioning protrusions, thereby allowing the image reading apparatus to perform the image formation. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the image processing apparatus can be selectively fixed to the apparatus in a plurality of postures. The image processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the set of positioning protrusions have different shapes at least at two locations. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a turntable on an upper portion of the image forming apparatus, wherein the image reading device is mounted on the turntable. The image processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the image reading apparatus is detachable from the turntable. The turntable is selected at a position where the longitudinal direction of the maximum size sheet that can be read by the image reading apparatus and the longitudinal direction of the maximum size sheet that can be conveyed by the image forming apparatus are the same direction or orthogonal direction. 7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a lock mechanism that can be fixed in a fixed manner.

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