Platen cover open/close mechanism for image forming apparatus
AssigneeSharp Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsMasayuki Gomi, Takashi Kubo
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention provides a platen cover open/close mechanism for an image scanning device including platen glass, a platen cover for pressing an original against the platen glass and an optical scanning unit for scanning an image on the original. In one form of the invention, the platen cover is formed as a single piece and always held parallel to the platen glass. In another form of the invention, the platen cover is divided into at least two portions, of which one portion is always held parallel to the platen glass.
Claims16
A platen cover open/close mechanism for an image scanning device, said platen cover open/close mechanism comprising:
- a platen cover for pressing an original placed on an original loading plate thereagainst;
- a platen cover support supporting the platen cover in such a manner that the platen cover can be lowered onto and lifted up from the original loading plate;
- and
- a cover lowering mechanism for lowering the platen cover while holding it in a horizontal position with the aid of the platen cover support.
A platen cover open/close mechanism for an image scanning device, said platen cover open/close mechanism comprising:
- a platen cover for pressing an original placed on an original loading plate thereagainst, the platen cover being divided into at least two portions;
- a platen cover support supporting at least one of said divided portions of the platen cover in such a manner that the platen cover can be lowered onto and lifted up from the original loading plate;
- and
- a cover up/down mechanism for lowering and lifting up the platen cover while holding at least one of said divided portions of the platen cover parallel to the original loading plate with the aid of the platen cover support.
A platen cover open/close mechanism for an image scanning device, said platen cover open/close mechanism comprising:
- a platen cover for pressing an original placed on an original loading plate thereagainst, the platen cover being divided into at least two portions;
- a platen cover support supporting at least one of said divided portions of the platen cover in such a manner that the platen cover can be lowered onto and lifted up from the original loading plate;
- a joint interconnecting said divided portions of the platen cover in a stepped form while holding them parallel to the original loading plate;
- and
- a cover lowering mechanism for lowering the platen cover while keeping its divided portions in the stepped form and parallel to the original loading plate down to a position where original holding surfaces of the individual portions of the platen cover become flush with each other and press the original against the original loading plate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.