Cover support mechanism and image forming apparatus incorporating the same

• Main Authors: HASHIMOTO SUSUMU, OHKAWA YASUNOBU, NAGATA JINICHI, KANEKO HIDETOSHI
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 04.10.2011
• Subjects: CINEMATOGRAPHY; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS; ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE; ELECTRICITY; ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; HOLOGRAPHY; i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; LINING MACHINES; MAGNETOGRAPHY; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHOTOGRAPHY; PHYSICS; PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION; PRINTING; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS; STAMPS; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ARTCOLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TRANSPORTING; TYPEWRITERS

A cover support mechanism regulates an opening angle of an openable cover with respect to a chassis of an electronic device. The cover constitutes a portion of the chassis. The mechanism has a cord shaped or tape shaped stopper, and a support unit. The stopper has a first end portion and a second end portion, the first end portion being fixed to the cover. The support unit supports the second end portion of the stopper. The support unit is provided to the electronic device. The support unit has a receiving portion, a biasing member, and a braking unit. The receiving portion has a space for pulling in the second end portion of the stopper. The biasing member applies force to the stopper for pulling in the stopper into the receiving portion. The braking unit applies frictional force to the stopper when the cover is opened.