JP7658143B2 - Multifunction printer - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a multifunction device.

Patent document 1 discloses an image forming device, which is an example of a conventional multifunction device. This image forming device includes an image reading device, an inkjet recording device, an image forming device main body, and an automatic document feeder.

The automatic document feeder also serves as a document cover. The automatic document feeder is connected to the rear end of the image forming device body. The automatic document feeder can rotate around an opening/closing axis extending in the left-right direction between a closed position in which it covers the contact glass of the image reading device and an open position in which it opens the contact glass.

The automatic document feeder has a handle. The handle is located above the front wall of the image forming device body, in an area including the center of the automatic document feeder in the left-right direction, and is adapted for rotation.

The image forming device body has an operation panel. The operation panel protrudes forward from the front wall of the image forming device body. The operation panel is positioned so as to overlap the entire handle portion in the left-right direction.

JP 2013-118528 A

However, in the above-mentioned conventional image forming device, when a user places his/her hand on the handle to rotate the automatic document feeder, the hand is likely to hit the operation panel, and in some cases, the hand may get caught between the handle and the operation panel. As a result, this image forming device has the problem that it is difficult to improve the operability of rotating the automatic document feeder.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above-mentioned conventional situation, and aims to provide a multifunction machine that can improve the operability of rotating the document cover.

The multifunction machine of the present invention includes an image reading unit having an original support surface that supports an original and a reading sensor that reads an image of an original supported on the original support surface;
an image forming unit that is located below the image reading unit and forms an image on a sheet;
an upper housing that houses the image reading unit;
a lower housing that houses the image forming unit;
a document cover connected to a rear end of the upper housing and rotatable about an opening/closing axis extending in the left-right direction between a closed position for covering the document support surface and an open position for exposing the document support surface;
A multifunction peripheral comprising:
the upper housing has a front wall portion extending in the left-right direction and located forward of the rear end portion, and an operation panel protruding forward of the front wall portion,
the document cover has a handle portion that is located above the front wall portion of the upper housing and in a region including a center of the document cover in the left-right direction and that receives a rotation operation;
the operation panel is located on one side of the hand grip in the left-right direction,
The panel side end portion located on the other side of the left-right direction of the operation panel is characterized in that it is located in a position that coincides in the left-right direction with the hand handle side end portion located on one side of the left-right direction of the hand grip portion, or in a position that is away from the hand handle side end portion on one side of the left-right direction.

In the multifunction device of the present invention, the operation panel is located in a position that does not overlap with the handle portion in the left-right direction due to the positional relationship between the panel side end of the operation panel and the handle side end of the handle portion. Therefore, when a user places their hand on the handle portion to rotate the document cover, their hand is unlikely to hit the operation panel, and their hand is unlikely to be pinched between the handle portion and the operation panel.

In addition, the user can easily place their hands on the handle located in an area that includes the center of the manuscript cover in the left-right direction.

Therefore, the multifunction device of the present invention can improve the operability of rotating the document cover.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a multifunction peripheral according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a partial front view of the multifunction peripheral according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of the multifunction peripheral according to the embodiment, showing a state in which the document cover is in an open position. FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of the multifunction peripheral according to the embodiment, showing a state in which the upper housing is in a raised position. FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of the multifunction peripheral according to the embodiment, showing a state in which the upper housing is in a raised position. 2 is a partial perspective view mainly showing the lower surface of the upper housing, the panel lower surface of the operation panel, the contact/separation portion, and the groove. FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the AA cross section of FIG. 2. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the cross section BB of FIG. 7. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing an upper housing and a panel base of an operation panel. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a casing of an operation panel, a touch panel, a touch panel holder metal plate, an LCD panel, a touch panel holder, a shielding metal plate, a substrate, etc. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which a touch panel, a touch panel holder metal plate, and an LCD panel are attached to a casing of an operation panel. FIG. FIG. FIG. 13 is a partial front view showing a modified example of the arrangement of the operation panel.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

(Example)
As shown in Fig. 1, the multifunction machine 1 of the embodiment is an example of a specific aspect of the multifunction machine of the present invention. In Fig. 1, the side on which the operation panel 10 is arranged is defined as the front of the device, and the side to the left when facing the operation panel 10 is defined as the left, and the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions are displayed. The directions shown in Fig. 2 and subsequent figures are all displayed corresponding to the directions shown in Fig. 1. The left side is an example of "one of the left and right directions" of the present invention. The right side is an example of "the other of the left and right directions" of the present invention.

<Overall composition>
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the multifunction device 1 includes a lower housing 50, an upper housing 20, a document cover 30, an image forming section 5, and an image reading section 2. The image forming section 5 and the image reading section 2 are similar to those shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, the lower housing 50 is a generally box-shaped body. As shown in FIG. 4, the lower housing 50 has a discharge tray 55, a left support portion 57L, and a right support portion 57R on its upper surface. The discharge tray 55 is located in the center of the upper surface of the lower housing 50 in the left-right direction.

The left support portion 57L is located to the left of the discharge tray 55 on the upper surface side of the lower housing 50. The left support portion 57L protrudes above the discharge tray 55 and extends in the front-to-rear direction.

The left support portion 57L has an abutment portion 57L1 and a positioning recess 58. The abutment portion 57L1 is located on the upward-facing surface at the front end of the left support portion 57L and protrudes slightly above the top surface of the left support portion 57L.

The abutment portion 57L1 extends in the left-right direction at the front end of the left support portion 57L so as to surround the outer periphery of the front end side of the left support portion 57L, and is shaped like a rib that extends rearward from both ends of the portion extending in the left-right direction. The positioning recess 58 is recessed downward from the upward-facing surface at the front end of the left support portion 57L. The positioning recess 58 has a circular inner peripheral edge. The abutment portion 57L1 surrounds the positioning recess 58.

The left support portion 57L extends to the rear end portion 50B of the lower housing 50. The surface of the left support portion 57L facing left forms the upper portion of the left side surface of the lower housing 50.

The right support portion 57R is located to the right of the discharge tray 55 on the top side of the lower housing 50. The right support portion 57R protrudes above the discharge tray 55 and extends in the front-to-rear direction.

The right support portion 57R has an abutment portion 57R1. The abutment portion 57R1 is a surface that faces upward at the front end of the right support portion 57R. As shown in FIG. 5, the surface of the right support portion 57R that faces to the right forms the upper portion of the right side surface of the lower housing 50. The right support portion 57R extends to the rear end portion 50B of the lower housing 50.

Although not shown in the figure, the lower housing 50 has a rear wall that extends in the left-right direction and forms the rear end 50B. The rear wall connects the rear end of the left support part 57L and the rear end of the right support part 57R.

The lower housing 50 houses the image forming unit 5. The image forming unit 5 has a well-known configuration, so illustrations and explanations will be simplified. The image forming unit 5 forms an image on a sheet by an inkjet method, an electrophotographic method, or the like, and discharges the sheet onto a discharge tray 55.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the upper housing 20 is located above the lower housing 50. The upper housing 20 is a flat, roughly box-shaped body whose vertical length is significantly smaller than that of the lower housing 50.

As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the bottom surface 20D of the upper housing 20 is a substantially flat surface. The multifunction device 1 does not have legs that protrude significantly downward from the bottom surface 20D of the housing 20 toward the left support part 57L and the right support part 57R in order to prevent the user's hand from reaching the contact part 25 described below.

The upper housing 20 has a front wall portion 20F. The front wall portion 20F extends in the left-right direction and is located forward of the rear end portion 20B of the upper housing 20. The rear end portion 20B of the upper housing 20 is connected to the rear end portion 50B of the lower housing 50 via a hinge (not shown) that defines a rotation axis X20 extending in the left-right direction.

The upper housing 20 can rotate about a rotation axis X20 between the placement position shown in Figures 1 to 3 and 7 and the raised position shown in Figures 4 and 5.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the upper housing 20 is in the placement position, the front wall 20F of the upper housing 20 rests on the abutment portion 57L1 of the left support portion 57L and the abutment portion 57R1 of the right support portion 57R of the lower housing 50. In this state, the multifunction device 1 is capable of performing an image formation operation by the image forming unit 5.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, when the upper housing 20 is in the raised position, the front wall 20F is spaced upward from the left support portion 57L and the right support portion 57R and is higher than the placement position. In this state, the user can easily perform operations such as removing sheets discharged onto the discharge tray 55.

As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the lower surface 20D of the upper housing 20 has a positioning protrusion 28 and a contact portion 25. The positioning protrusion 28 protrudes downward from a position facing the positioning recess 58 on the lower surface 20D of the upper housing 20. The positioning protrusion 28 has a cylindrical base, and the portion below the base is approximately truncated cone shaped.

The contact portion 25 is located on the front wall portion 20F side and on the left end side of the underside 20D of the upper housing 20, and protrudes slightly downward from the underside 20D of the upper housing 20. The contact portion 25 is shaped like a rib that extends in the left-right direction forward of the positioning protrusion 28 so as to surround the positioning protrusion 28, and further extends rearward from both ends of the portion extending in the left-right direction. The amount of protrusion of the contact portion 25 is smaller than the amount of protrusion of the positioning protrusion 28.

As shown in FIG. 2, the contact portion 25 contacts the contact portion 57L1 of the left support portion 57L of the lower housing 50 from above when the upper housing 20 is in the mounting position. At this time, the cylindrical portion at the base of the positioning protrusion 28 fits into the circular inner peripheral edge of the positioning recess 58, thereby determining the position of the upper housing 20 in the front-rear and left-right directions relative to the lower housing 50. Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 5, the contact portion 25 moves upward from the contact portion 57L1 of the left support portion 57L of the lower housing 50 when the upper housing 20 is in the raised position.

As shown in FIG. 3, the upper housing 20 houses the image reading unit 2. In other words, the image forming unit 5 is located lower than the image reading unit 2. The front wall 20F covers the image reading unit 2 from the front. The image reading unit 2 is also a well-known configuration, so illustrations and explanations will be simplified. The image reading unit 2 has a document support surface 2A, a reading surface 2B, and a reading sensor 2S.

The document support surface 2A is the upper surface of a large-area platen glass located on the upper surface of the upper housing 20. One edge 2A1 of the rectangular document support surface 2A is located on the rear end 20B side of the upper housing 20 and extends in the left-right direction. The document support surface 2A supports the document to be read. The document to be read is a sheet of paper, an overhead projector sheet, a book, etc.

The reading surface 2B is the top surface of a platen glass that is elongated in the front-to-rear direction and located to the left of the document support surface 2A. The reading surface 2B is used when the transport unit 3, which will be described later, is operating.

When the image reading unit 2 reads an image of a document supported on the document support surface 2A, the reading sensor 2S moves left and right below the document support surface 2A, i.e., in the main scanning direction, while reading the image of the document in a line shape in the front and back direction, i.e., in the sub-scanning direction. When the transport unit 3, which will be described later, is activated, the reading sensor 2S moves below the reading surface 2B and comes to a standstill.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the manuscript cover 30 is located above the upper housing 20. The bottom surface of the manuscript cover 30 is a flat surface having approximately the same shape as the top surface of the upper housing 20.

The rear end 30B of the manuscript cover 30 is connected to the rear end 20B of the upper housing 20 via a hinge (not shown) that defines an opening/closing axis X30 extending in the left-right direction.

The manuscript cover 30 can be rotated around the opening/closing axis X30 between the closed position shown in Figures 1, 2, and 4 to 7 and the open position shown in Figure 3.

As shown in FIG. 1, when the document cover 30 is in the closed position, it covers the entire top surface of the upper housing 20, including the document support surface 2A. In this state, the document cover 30 presses the document supported on the document support surface 2A against the document support surface 2A, and prevents external light from reaching the reading sensor 2S.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, when the document cover 30 is in the open position, it moves upward from the top surface of the upper housing 20 to expose the document support surface 2A. In this state, the user can place a document on the document support surface 2A and remove the document.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the document cover 30 has a supply tray 31, a discharge tray 32, and a transport section 3. The supply tray 31 and the discharge tray 32 are located on the right side of the document cover 30.

The supply tray 31 is located above the discharge tray 32. The supply tray 31 supports the sheet-shaped documents to be read in a stacked state. The supply tray 31 has side guides 34A and 34B.

As shown in FIG. 1 by solid lines and two-dot chain lines, side guides 34A and 34B can slide in the front-rear direction. Side guides 34 slide toward and away from each other to position documents on supply tray 31 in the front-rear direction.

As shown in FIG. 2, the transport unit 3 is located inside the left portion of the document cover 30. The transport unit 3 is also a well-known configuration, so illustration and description will be simplified. The transport unit 3 transports the documents on the supply tray 31 one by one toward the reading sensor 2S that is stationary below the reading surface 2B, passes the document over the reading surface 2B so that the image of the document is read by the reading sensor 2S, and then discharges the document onto the discharge tray 32.

The center line C1 shown in FIG. 2 is an imaginary line that extends vertically and passes through the left-right center of the upper housing 20 and the left-right center of the manuscript cover 30. In other words, in this embodiment, the left-right center of the upper housing 20 and the left-right center of the manuscript cover 30 coincide with each other.

<Handle recess>
1 to 3, the document cover 30 has a handle recess 40. The handle recess 40 is an example of the "handle portion" of the present invention.

The handhold recess 40 is located above the front wall 20F of the upper housing 20. The handhold recess 40 is located in an area including the center of the document cover 30 in the left-right direction, that is, an area including the center line C1 shown in FIG. 2.

As shown in Figures 3 and 6, the handle recess 40 is recessed backward from the cover front end 30F of the document cover 30 so as to approach the opening and closing axis X30. The handle recess 40 is also recessed upward from the bottom surface of the document cover 30. The handle recess 40 defines a space that is elongated in the left-right direction by its inner wall surface and opens forward and downward at the cover front end 30F of the document cover 30.

The handle recess 40 has an upper handle inner wall surface 40U and a handle inner wall surface 40S. The upper handle inner wall surface 40U is an inner wall surface located at the top of the handle recess 40 and facing downward. The handle inner wall surface 40S is an inner wall surface located on the left side of the handle recess 40 and facing right. The handle inner wall surface 40S is an example of the "handle side end" of the present invention.

The user can insert his/her fingertips into the handhold recess 40 and place his/her hand on the upper handhold inner wall surface 40U of the handhold recess 40. The handhold recess 40 receives the user's rotational operation relative to the manuscript cover 30, that is, manual operation for rotating the manuscript cover 30 between the closed position shown in FIG. 1 and the open position shown in FIG. 3.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the handhold recess 40 is positioned so as to overlap the side guides 34A and 34B in the left-right direction. This allows the user to extend their hands in the same direction when placing their hands on the upper handhold inner wall surface 40U of the handhold recess 40 and when operating the side guides 34A and 34B.

<Operation panel>
3, the upper housing 20 has an operation panel 10. The operation panel 10 protrudes forward from a front wall portion 20F of the upper housing 20. An upper surface 10U of the operation panel 10 gently slopes downwardly forward from an upper end of the front wall portion 20F of the upper housing 20 to an upper end of a panel front end portion 10F of the operation panel 10.

The operation panel 10 has a panel side end 10S. The panel side end 10S is a side surface located on the right side of the operation panel 10. The panel side end 10S faces to the right and extends in a generally flat shape in the front-to-back and up-to-down directions.

As shown in FIG. 2, the operation panel 10 is located to the left of the center line C1 and further to the left of the handhold recess 40. As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 6, the panel side end 10S of the operation panel 10 is located in a position that coincides with the handhold inner wall surface 40S of the handhold recess 40 in the left-right direction.

The operation panel 10 has a touch panel 110 and a power button 170B. The touch panel 110 is located approximately in the center of the top surface 10U of the operation panel 10. The power button 170B is located to the right of the touch panel 110 on the top surface 10U of the operation panel 10.

The power button 170B is a button for switching the power of the multifunction device 1 on and off. When a user presses the power button 170B to turn on the power of the multifunction device 1, the image forming unit 5, image reading unit 2, conveying unit 3, etc. are powered on and become operable.

The touch panel 110 is a transmissive type and accepts operation instruction inputs made by the user to the image forming unit 5, the image reading unit 2, the conveying unit 3, etc.

As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the operation panel 10 has an LCD panel 150 inside. The LCD panel 150 displays images showing the operating status and settings of the image forming unit 5, image reading unit 2, conveying unit 3, etc., on a liquid crystal screen. The user can view the images displayed by the LCD panel 150 via the touch panel 110.

The user can also place his/her hand on the operation panel 10 to manually rotate the upper housing 20 between the placement position shown in FIG. 1 and the raised position shown in FIG. 4.

<Exterior configuration of the operation panel>
As shown in FIGS. 7 to 10, the operation panel 10 has a panel base 120 and a casing 100 as an exterior configuration.

As shown in Figures 7 and 9, the panel base 120 is molded integrally with the resin scanner base 20Z that forms the bottom wall of the upper housing 20. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the lower surface of the bottom wall of the panel base 120 forms the panel lower surface 10D of the operation panel 10. The panel lower surface 10D is connected to the lower surface 20D of the upper housing 20 with almost no step.

As shown in FIG. 9, the panel base 120 has an outer peripheral wall that protrudes upward from the outer edge of the bottom wall of the panel base 120, and lattice-shaped ribs, screw holes, engagement parts, etc. located on the inside of the outer peripheral wall.

As shown in FIG. 11, the casing 100 has an upper wall 101, a panel side wall 102, and an extension 103. The upper wall 101 has a panel opening 101A that exposes the touch panel 110, and a button opening 101B that exposes the power button 170B. The panel side wall 102 protrudes downward from the outer periphery of the upper wall 101. The extension 103 protrudes rearward from the rear end of the upper wall 101.

As shown in Figures 3 and 7, the casing 100 is attached to the panel base 120 from above, and screws (not shown) are inserted into the panel base 120 from below and screwed into the casing 100, thereby fixing the casing 100 to the panel base 120.

When the casing 100 is fixed to the panel base 120, the top surface of the top wall 101 forms the top surface 10U of the operation panel 10. The front surface of the panel side wall 102 forms the panel front end portion 10F of the operation panel 10. The right surface of the panel side wall 102 forms the panel side end portion 10S of the operation panel 10. The extension portion 103 forms a part of the top surface of the upper housing 20 on the front wall portion 20F side.

As shown in FIG. 7, the extension portion 103 of the casing 100 extends to a position where it is covered by the manuscript cover 30 in the closed position.

<Internal structure of the operation panel>
As shown in Figures 7, 8 and 10, the touch panel 110 is rectangular and is located on the upper surface 10U of the operation panel 10 with its outer peripheral edge 111 abutting from below against the peripheral edge of the panel opening 101A in the upper wall 101 of the casing 100 and being exposed inside the panel opening 101A.

As shown in FIG. 10, a frame-shaped spacer 110W made of a resin film is interposed between the outer peripheral edge 111 of the touch panel 110 and the periphery of the panel opening 101A in the upper wall 101.

The operation panel 10 has inside it a touch panel holder metal plate 130, a touch panel holder 140, a shield metal plate 160, a power switch shield metal plate 167, and a substrate 180.

The touch panel holder metal sheet 130 is a sheet metal member having a substantially rectangular frame shape. The inner peripheral edge of the touch panel holder metal sheet 130 is slightly larger than the outer peripheral edge of the rectangular LCD panel 150. The touch panel holder metal sheet 130 has a number of small pieces 135 that bend downward from the inner peripheral edge and can abut against the outer peripheral edge of the LCD panel 150.

The outer peripheral edge of the touch panel holder metal sheet 130 is larger than the outer peripheral edge 111 of the touch panel 110 by a margin. As shown in Figures 7, 8, and 11, the touch panel holder metal sheet 130 supports the outer peripheral edge 111 of the touch panel 110 from below. As shown in Figure 11, the area surrounded by the outer peripheral edge 111 is the area 110E where the touch panel 110 exists.

In addition, the touch panel holder metal plate 130 uses multiple small pieces 135 to position the LCD panel 150 located below the touch panel 110 in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions.

As shown in FIG. 10, the touch panel holder 140 is a resin molded product manufactured by injection molding of a thermoplastic resin or the like. The touch panel holder 140 integrally includes a holder body 141 and a power button support portion 147.

The holder body 141 is a generally rectangular frame that surrounds the LCD panel 150 in the front-rear and left-right directions. The power button support part 147 is connected to the right edge of the holder body 141.

The shield metal sheet 160 is a sheet metal member and is located below the holder body 141. The power switch shield metal sheet 167 is also a sheet metal member and is located below the power button support portion 147. The board 180 is located below the shield metal sheet 160 and the power switch shield metal sheet 167.

The touch panel holder metal plate 130, the touch panel holder 140, the shield metal plate 160 and the substrate 180 are fastened to the casing 100 by a number of screws, and the touch panel 110 and the LCD panel 150 are supported between them.

The holder body 141 of the touch panel holder 140 has a number of support ribs 142. Each support rib 142 protrudes upward from the outer periphery of the holder body 141 and extends along that outer periphery.

As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the holder body 141 supports the touch panel holder metal sheet 130 from below with a number of support ribs 142. In Figure 11, the areas where the multiple support ribs 142 abut against the touch panel holder metal sheet 130 are shaded.

The holder body 141 supports the touch panel holder sheet metal 130 from below by a number of support ribs 142 in an area that is outside the area 110E in which the touch panel 110 exists and adjacent to the outer periphery of the touch panel holder sheet metal 130.

As shown in FIG. 10, the operation panel 10 has a power switch 170. The power switch 170 has a power switch body 170A and the above-mentioned power button 170B. The power switch body 170A is located on a substrate 180 inside the operation panel 10.

The power button 170B is located inside the operation panel 10 except for the top surface exposed through the button opening 101B. The power button 170B is also located above the power switch main body 170A.

The power button support portion 147 of the touch panel holder 140 supports the power button 170B inside the operation panel 10. The power button support portion 147 allows the power button 170B to move downward when pressed by the user, and returns the power button 170B to its original position when the user no longer presses it. The power switch main body 170A makes and breaks the contacts when the power button 170B is displaced.

The touch panel holder 140 has a power button support portion 147, and therefore also serves as a power switch holder that supports the power button 170B and the power button 170B of the power switch main body 170A.

As shown in FIG. 7, the operation panel 10 accommodates the substrate 180 in an upwardly inclined position from the panel front end 10F side toward the contact portion 25 side.

<Operation panel groove>
6 and 7 , the panel lower surface 10D of the operation panel 10 has a groove 70. The groove 70 is integrally formed in the bottom wall of the panel base 120. The groove 70 is recessed upward from the panel lower surface 10D, and has a first groove 71 and a second groove 72.

The first groove 71 is located between the contact portion 25 and the panel front end portion 10F of the operation panel 10, and extends in the left-right direction. More specifically, the first groove 71 is located forward of the frontmost portion of the contact portion 25. The first groove 71 has a first surface 71A and a second surface 71B.

As shown in FIG. 7, the first surface 71A is a downward-facing inner wall surface located at the front of the first groove 71. The first surface 71A is inclined upward from the panel front end portion 10F side toward the contact portion 25 side.

The second surface 71B is a forward-facing inner wall surface located at the rear of the first groove 71. The second surface 71B faces the panel front end 10F at a position closer to the contact portion 25 than the first surface 71A.

The angle α2 of the second surface 71B relative to the panel bottom surface 10D is greater than the angle α1 of the first surface 71A relative to the panel bottom surface 10D. In this embodiment, as an example, the angle α1 is approximately 20° to 30°, and the angle α2 is approximately 80° to 90°.

As shown in FIG. 6, the second groove 72 connects to the right end of the first groove 71, extends rearward, and surrounds the contact portion 25 together with the first groove 71. More specifically, the second groove 72 is located to the right of the rightmost portion of the contact portion 25. The second groove 72 is located between the contact portion 25 and the panel side end portion 10S.

The panel underside 10D has a first edge 10D1 and a second edge 10D2. The first edge 10D1 extends in the front-to-rear direction on the left side of the panel underside 10D. The second edge 10D2 extends in the front-to-rear direction on the right side of the panel underside 10D. The contact portion 25 is biased toward the first edge 10D1 on the panel underside 10D.

The distance in the left-right direction between the first end 70M located on the left side of the groove 70 and the first edge 10D1 is defined as a first distance L1. The distance in the left-right direction between the second end 70N located on the right side of the groove 70 and the second edge 10D2 is defined as a second distance L2. The second distance L2 is greater than the first distance L1.

As shown in FIG. 12, the substrate 180 is positioned so as to overlap the groove 70 when the operation panel 10 is viewed from above. As shown in FIG. 9, the panel base 120 reinforces the area where the groove 70 exists with lattice-shaped ribs.

As shown in FIG. 7, when a user attempts to place a hand on the operation panel 10, the groove 70 prevents the user's finger from reaching the contact portion 25 because the fingertip, which moves while in contact with the panel underside 10D of the operation panel 10, enters the first groove 71 or the second groove 72 of the operation panel 10 just before the contact portion 25.

<Action and effect>
2, in the multifunction device 1 of the embodiment, the handhold recess 40 is located in an area including the center in the left-right direction of the document cover 30, i.e., an area including the center line C1. The operation panel 10 is located to the left of the handhold recess 40. The panel side end 10S located on the right of the operation panel 10 is located in a position that coincides in the left-right direction with the handhold inner wall surface 40S located on the left of the handhold recess 40.

Due to this positional relationship, the operation panel 10 is in a position that does not overlap with the handhold recess 40 in the left-right direction. Therefore, when a user places their hand on the upper inner wall surface 40U of the handhold recess 40 to rotate the document cover 30, the hand is unlikely to hit the operation panel 10, and the hand is unlikely to be pinched between the handhold recess 40 and the operation panel 10.

In addition, the user can easily place his or her hands on the upper inner wall surface 40U of the handle recess 40, which is located in an area including the center of the manuscript cover 30 in the left-right direction.

Therefore, the multifunction device 1 of the embodiment can improve the operability of rotating the manuscript cover 30.

In addition, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, in this multifunction device 1, the handle recess 40 is recessed from the cover front end 30F of the document cover 30 so as to approach the opening/closing axis X30, and the panel side end 10S is positioned so as to coincide with the handle inner wall surface 40S in the left-right direction, so that the user can easily determine the position of the handle recess 40 using the panel side end 10S as a reference. Also, with this configuration, the handle recess 40 does not protrude, making it easier to improve the design of the multifunction device 1.

Furthermore, in this multifunction device 1, the handle recess 40 is positioned so as to overlap with the side guides 34A and 34B in the left-right direction. This configuration allows the user to extend their hands in the same direction when placing their hands on the upper handle inner wall surface 40U of the handle recess 40 and when operating the side guides 34A and 34B. As a result, this multifunction device 1 can reduce the user's discomfort.

In addition, in this multifunction device 1, as shown in Figures 3 and 7, the extension 103 of the casing 100 of the operation panel 10 extends to a position covered by the document cover 30 in the closed position. With this configuration, even if the operation panel 10 is about to rattle when the user places their hand on the operation panel 10 to rotate the upper housing 20 or when operating the touch panel 110 or the power button 170B of the operation panel 10, the cover front end 30F of the document cover 30 in the closed position abuts against the extension 103 from above and holds down the operation panel 10, so the operation panel 10 is less likely to rattle.

Furthermore, in this multifunction device 1, as shown in FIG. 6, the lower surface 20D of the upper housing 20 has a contact portion 25. The panel lower surface 10D of the operation panel 10 has a groove 70 that is recessed upward. The groove 70 has a first groove 71 located between the contact portion 25 and the panel front end portion 10F of the operation panel 10. With this configuration, when a user tries to put his/her hand on the operation panel 10, the fingertip moving while abutting against the panel lower surface 10D of the operation panel 10 enters the first groove 71 of the operation panel 10 just before the contact portion 25, so that the hand can be restricted from reaching the contact portion 25. As a result, this multifunction device 1 can suppress problems such as the hand being pinched between the contact portion 25 and the abutment portion 57L1 of the lower housing 50. In addition, this multifunction device 1 does not have legs that protrude significantly downward from the bottom surface 20D of the upper housing 20 in front of the contact section 25 in order to prevent the user's hand from reaching the contact section 25, and there is no problem with such legs being bulky in the vertical direction. Therefore, this multifunction device 1 can achieve improved operability and a smaller size in the vertical direction.

In addition, in this multifunction device 1, the first groove 71 extends in the left-right direction between the contact portion 25 and the panel front end portion 10F. The groove 70 has a second groove 72 that connects to the first groove 71, extends rearward, and surrounds the contact portion 25 together with the first groove 71. With this configuration, when a user tries to place their hand on the operation panel 10 from various directions, their fingertip enters the first groove 71 or the second groove 72 just before the contact portion 25. As a result, this multifunction device 1 can reliably restrict the hand from reaching the contact portion 25.

Furthermore, in this multifunction device 1, as shown in FIG. 2, the operation panel 10 is located to the left of the center line C1. And, as shown in FIG. 6, the second groove 72 is located between the contact portion 25 and the panel side end portion 10S of the operation panel 10. With this configuration, the second groove 72, which is located on the side that is easily reachable by the user, surrounds the contact portion 25 together with the first groove 71 in a roughly L-shape. As a result, this multifunction device 1 can reliably restrict the contact portion 25 from being reached.

In addition, in this multifunction device 1, the contact portion 25 is biased toward the first edge 10D1 of the panel underside 10D. The second distance L2 between the second end 70N of the groove 70 and the second edge 10D2 of the panel underside 10D is greater than the first distance L1 between the first end 70M of the groove 70 and the first edge 10D1 of the panel underside 10D. With this configuration, this multifunction device 1 can suppress a decrease in strength due to the groove 70 in an area that is easily bent near the center in the left-right direction of the upper housing 20, opposite the side where the contact portion 25 is biased on the panel underside 10D of the operation panel 10.

Furthermore, in this multifunction machine 1, as shown in FIG. 7, the operation panel 10 accommodates the substrate 180 in a position that is inclined upward from the panel front end 10F side toward the contact section 25 side. As shown in FIG. 12, the substrate 180 is located in a position that overlaps with the groove 70 when the operation panel 10 is viewed from above. As shown in FIG. 7, the first groove 71 has a first surface 71A that is inclined upward from the panel front end 10F side toward the contact section 25 side. With this configuration, the multifunction machine 1 can reliably insert the user's fingertip into the first groove 71 of the operation panel 10 just before the contact section 25 while preferably securing the arrangement space for the substrate 180 within the operation panel 10 by the first surface 71A.

Furthermore, in this multifunction device 1, the first groove 71 has a second surface 71B that faces the panel front end 10F at a position closer to the contact section 25 than the first surface 71A. The angle α2 of the second surface 71B relative to the panel underside 10D is greater than the angle α1 of the first surface 71A relative to the panel underside 10D. With this configuration, this multifunction device 1 can stop the user's fingertip that has entered the first groove 71 of the operation panel 10 by the first surface 71A with the second surface 71B. As a result, this multifunction device 1 can more reliably restrict the user's hand from reaching the contact section 25.

Furthermore, in this multifunction machine 1, as shown in Figures 7, 8, 10 and 11, the touch panel holder sheet metal 130 supports the outer peripheral edge 111 of the touch panel 110 from below. The touch panel holder 140 supports the touch panel holder sheet metal 130 from below, outside the area 110E in which the touch panel 110 is present, by a plurality of support ribs 142. With this configuration, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, when an overload F1 acts on the touch panel 110 due to a user's press, the touch panel holder sheet metal 130 can bend together with the touch panel 110. As a result, this multifunction machine 1 can suppress localized bending of the touch panel 110, making the touch panel 110 less likely to be damaged.

In addition, in this multifunction device 1, as shown in FIG. 10, the touch panel holder 140 has a power button support portion 147, and therefore also serves as a power switch holder that supports the power button 170B and the power button 170B of the power switch main body 170A. With this configuration, this multifunction device 1 can reduce the number of parts and simplify the assembly work compared to a case in which the operation panel 10 has a touch panel holder 140 and a power switch holder separately, and as a result, can realize lower manufacturing costs.

(Modification)
13 shows a modified example of the multifunction machine 1 of the embodiment in which the position of the operation panel 10 is shifted to the left. In this modified example, the panel side end 10S of the operation panel 10 is located to the left away from the handle inner wall surface 40S of the handle recess 40. Even in this modified example, the operability of the rotation operation of the document cover 30 can be improved, as in the multifunction machine 1 of the embodiment.

Although the present invention has been described above with reference to examples, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above examples and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the embodiment, the groove 70 is L-shaped with a first groove 71 and a second groove 72, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the groove may have only a first groove. Also, the groove may be C-shaped with two second grooves connecting one end and the other end of the first groove.

In the embodiment, the handle portion is the handle recess 40, and the handle side end portion is the handle inner wall surface 40S, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the handle portion may be a handle protrusion such as a handle that protrudes forward from the front end portion of the document cover, and the handle side end portion may be an outer wall surface located on one of the left and right sides of the handle protrusion.

In the embodiment, the power switch 170 is a push button switch having a power button 170B and a power switch body 170A, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the power switch may be various switches such as a rocker switch, a slide switch, etc.

In the embodiment, the power button support portion 147 of the touch panel holder 140 supports only the power button 170B, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the touch panel holder may also serve as a power switch holder that supports the power button and the power switch body.

The present invention can be used, for example, in a multifunction device equipped with an image reading unit and an image forming unit.

1... multifunction device, 2A... original support surface, 2S... reading sensor, 2... image reading section, 5... image forming section, 20... upper housing, 50... lower housing, 20B... rear end of upper housing, X30... opening/closing axis, 30... original cover, 20F... front wall of upper housing, 40... handle section (handle recess)
10...operation panel, 10S...panel side end, 40S...handle side end (handle inner wall surface), 30F...cover front end, 31...supply tray, 3...transport section, 34A, 34B...side guide 100...casing, X20...rotation axis, 20D...lower surface of upper housing 25...contact and separation section, 10D...panel lower surface, 70...groove 10F...panel front end, 71...first groove, 72...second groove 10D1...first edge of panel lower surface, 10D2...second edge of panel lower surface 70M...first end of groove, 70N...second end of groove L1...first distance, L2...second distance, 180...substrate 71A...first surface of first groove, 71B...second surface of first groove α1...angle of first surface relative to panel lower surface α2...angle of second surface relative to panel lower surface 10U: upper surface of operation panel, 110: touch panel, 111: outer periphery of touch panel, 130: touch panel holder sheet metal, 110E: area where touch panel is present, 140: touch panel holder, 170B: power button, 170A: power switch body, 170: power switch

Claims (11)

an image reading unit having an original support surface that supports an original and a reading sensor that reads an image of the original supported on the original support surface;
an image forming unit that is located below the image reading unit and forms an image on a sheet;
an upper housing that houses the image reading unit;
a lower housing that houses the image forming unit;
a document cover connected to a rear end of the upper housing and rotatable about an opening/closing axis extending in the left-right direction between a closed position for covering the document support surface and an open position for opening the document support surface;
A multifunction peripheral comprising:
the upper housing has a front wall portion extending in the left-right direction and located forward of the rear end portion, and an operation panel protruding forward of the front wall portion,
the document cover has a handle recess located above the front wall of the upper housing and at a position intersecting a center line that is an imaginary line extending in a vertical direction and passing through the center of the document cover in the left-right direction, the handle recess recessed from a cover front end of the document cover so as to approach the opening/closing axis and recessed upward from a bottom surface of the document cover to receive a rotation operation ;
the entire operation panel is located on one side of the center line in the left-right direction,
A multifunction printer characterized in that a panel side end portion located on the other side of the left-right direction of the operation panel is located in a position that coincides in the left-right direction with a handle inner wall surface located on one side of the left-right direction of the handle recess, or is located away from the handle inner wall surface to one side of the left-right direction. 2. The multifunction machine according to claim 1, wherein the panel side end portion is positioned so as to coincide with the handle inner wall surface in the left-right direction. The document cover includes a supply tray for supporting a document to be read;
a conveying unit that conveys the document on the supply tray toward the reading sensor,
the supply tray is slidable in a front-rear direction and has a side guide for positioning the document in the front-rear direction;
3. The multifunction printer according to claim 1, wherein the handle recess is positioned so as to overlap with the side guide in the left-right direction. The multifunction device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the casing of the operation panel extends to a position covered by the document cover in the closed position. the upper housing has a rear end connected to the lower housing and is rotatable about a rotation axis extending in the left-right direction between a placement position in which the front wall portion is placed on the lower housing and a raised position in which the front wall portion is higher than the placement position,
a lower surface of the upper housing has a contact-separation portion that comes into contact with the lower housing when the upper housing is in the mounting position and that is separated from the lower housing when the upper housing is in the raised position;
The lower surface of the operation panel has an upwardly recessed groove,
5. The multifunction device according to claim 1, wherein the groove includes a first groove located between the contact portion and a front end portion of the operation panel. The first groove extends in the left-right direction between the contact portion and the panel front end portion,
6. The multifunction device according to claim 5, wherein the groove further comprises a second groove that is connected to the first groove, extends rearward, and surrounds the contact and separation portion together with the first groove. The panel lower surface has a first edge extending in a front-rear direction at one of the left and right directions;
a second edge extending in the front-rear direction at the other of the left-right direction,
the contact portion is biased toward the first edge side of the panel lower surface,
a first distance is a distance in the left-right direction between a first end portion of the groove located at one side in the left-right direction and the first edge,
When a distance in the left-right direction between a second end portion of the groove located at the other of the left-right directions and the second edge is defined as a second distance,
7. The multifunction device according to claim 5, wherein the second distance is greater than the first distance. the operation panel accommodates the substrate in an upwardly inclined position from the front end side of the panel toward the contact portion,
the substrate is located at a position overlapping with the groove when the operation panel is viewed from above,
8. The multifunction device according to claim 5, wherein the first groove has a first surface that is inclined upward from the front end side of the panel toward the contact portion. the first groove has a second surface facing the front end of the panel at a position closer to the contact portion than the first surface;
9. The multifunction peripheral according to claim 8, wherein an angle of the second surface relative to the lower surface of the panel is larger than an angle of the first surface relative to the lower surface of the panel. The operation panel includes a touch panel located on an upper surface of the operation panel;
a touch panel holder metal plate located within the operation panel and supporting an outer peripheral edge of the touch panel from below;
10. The multifunction peripheral according to claim 1, further comprising: a touch panel holder that is positioned within the operation panel and supports the touch panel holder metal plate from below, outside an area where the touch panel is present. The operation panel includes a power button located on an upper surface of the operation panel;
a power switch having a power switch body located within the operation panel and configured to connect and disconnect a contact by displacement of the power button;
11. The multifunction peripheral according to claim 10, wherein the touch panel holder also serves as a power switch holder for supporting at least the power button out of the power button and the power switch main body.

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