Document reading apparatus and image forming apparatus including hinge mechanism that supports a document conveyance unit
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorRiki Miyakawa
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A document reading apparatus includes an image reading unit, a document conveyance unit, and a hinge mechanism. The document conveyance unit includes a first abutment portion and a second abutment portion. The document conveyance unit includes a first abutment portion and a second abutment portion. The hinge mechanism includes a first member, a first shaft, a second member, a second shaft, a third member, a third shaft, a fourth member, a first urging portion, a second urging portion. The fourth member has a first pair of side plates supported by the third shaft. The second spring is disposed outside the first pair of side plates in an axial direction of the third shaft.
Claims6
A hinge mechanism that supports a document conveyance unit such that the document conveyance unit can be opened and closed with respect to an image reading unit, the hinge mechanism comprising:
- a first member fixed to the image reading unit;
- a first shaft supported by the first member;
- a second member configured to rotate on the first shaft with respect to the first member;
- a second shaft disposed at a position different from a position of the first shaft and parallel to the first shaft, and supported by the second member;
- a third member configured to rotate on the second shaft with respect to the second member, the third member including a first pair of side plates and a first top plate connected to the first pair of side plates at a top side of the first pair of side plates;
- a third shaft disposed at a position different from the position of the second shaft and parallel to the second shaft, and supported by the first pair of side plates;
- a fourth member to which the document conveyance unit is fixed, and which is configured to rotate on the third shaft with respect to the third member, the fourth member including a second pair of side plates and a second top plate connected to the second pair of side plates at a top side of the second pair of side plates, and the fourth member being disposed such that the second top plate is positioned above the first top plate;
- a first urging portion that includes a first spring configured to apply torque in a direction in which the second member is opened with respect to the first member;
- and
- a second urging portion that includes a second spring configured to apply torque to the fourth member such that the fourth member rotates on the third shaft with respect to the third member;
- and
- wherein the second spring is disposed outside the second pair of side plates in an axial direction of the third shaft, below the first top plate, and above a lower edge of the second pair of side plates in a state where the second member is closed with respect to the first member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.