A recording apparatus includes: a recording mechanism unit; an opening/closing unit that opens and closes the top portion of the recording mechanism unit; and a support member that holds the opening/closing unit in an opening state. The support member includes a first link portion that is rotatably connected to the opening/closing unit, a second link portion that is rotatably connected to the first link portion and that is rotatably connected to the recording mechanism unit, a first locking mechanism that holds the opening/closing unit in the opening state at a first angle, and a second locking mechanism that does not hold the opening/closing unit in the opening state at a second angle which is smaller than the first angle.

An image reading apparatus includes a main unit having a document support surface configured to support a document on the document support surface, a reading unit accommodated in the main unit and configured to read an image of the document supported on the document support surface, and an openable unit coupled to the main unit and configured to pivot about a pivot axis between a closed position where the document support surface of the main unit is covered and a released position where the document support surface of the main unit is exposed. The pivot axis of the openable unit is located, in the main unit, below the document support surface and at a rear of the document support surface.

The present invention relates to a hinge device for opening and closing a cover of office equipment, and more particularly to a hinge device disposed at a cover which is rotatably opened and closed and having a multi-layered cam and a slider, so that a free stop section and a slow down section are performed in closing the cover, thereby reducing a noise in closing the cover and improving a sensibility of product. The hinge device for opening and closing a cover of office equipment of the present invention comprises: a housing (10) which is disposed at a main body (110) of an office equipment and having a pair of hinge holes (11) on the upper portion thereof; a rotational lever (20) which is fixedly disposed at a cover (120) and having hinge holes (21) at the rear thereof and being provided with a hinge connection part (22) inserted into the upper portion inside the housing (10) at the lower portion of the rear thereof; a hinge shaft (30) being inserted into the hinge holes (11) of the housing (10) and the hinge holes (21) of the rotational lever (20) and combined with them and supporting rotation of the rotational lever (20) and the cover (120); a compression coil spring (40) being disposed inside the housing (10); and a slider (50) being disposed on the upper portion inside the housing (10) and being elastically supported by the compression coil spring (40), and the upper end portion of which contacts with the lower end surface of the hinge connection part (22) of the rotational lever (20); wherein the hinge connection part (22) of the rotational lever (20) is located at the front of hinge holes (21), so that a multi-layered cam (23) is provided to the lower end surface of the hinge connection part (22) and a supporting surface (51) is formed on the upper end surface of the slider (50), the multi-layered cam (23) of the rotational lever (20) has a stop cam (23a) in the center and at both sides thereof, down cams (23b) which locate at the rear than the surface of the stop cam (23a) and are lower than the stop cam (23a), the supporting surface (51) of the slider (50) has an inclined plane that is getting higher toward the front, at the center of the front end, a stop surface (51a) which contacts with the stop cam (23a) of the rotational lever (20) and down surfaces (51b) which is protruded from both sides of the stop surface (<

In an image forming apparatus, when a pivot plate is at a closed position, a free end of the pivot plate is at a vertical level higher than first and second hinge portions which are arranged apart from each other in a width direction along a horizontal direction. A free end of the pivot plate moves in a space defined between first and second virtual vertical planes. The first virtual vertical plane is defined as a virtual vertical plane, on which a widthwise inner end of a first hinge portion is disposed, and which is perpendicular to a rotational center axis of the first hinge portion. The second virtual vertical plane is defined as a virtual vertical plane, on which a widthwise inner end of the second hinge portion is disposed, and which is perpendicular to a rotational center axis of the second hinge portion.

A multi-function apparatus includes a body, an image reading unit, a document cover and a locking member. The image reading unit is movable between a closed position and an opened position. The document cover is movable between a closed position and an opened position. The locking member is movable to a first position and a second position and includes a first engagement portion and a second engagement portion. In response to a movement of the document cover to the opened position, the locking member moves to the first position and locks the image reading unit to the closed position. In response to a movement of the image reading unit to the opened position, the locking member moves to the second position and locks the document cover to the closed position.

In an image forming apparatus, when a pivot plate is at a closed position, a free end of the pivot plate is at a vertical level higher than first and second hinge portions which are arranged apart from each other in a width direction along a horizontal direction. A free end of the pivot plate moves in a space defined between first and second virtual vertical planes. The first virtual vertical plane is defined as a virtual vertical plane, on which a widthwise inner end of a first hinge portion is disposed, and which is perpendicular to a rotational center axis of the first hinge portion. The second virtual vertical plane is defined as a virtual vertical plane, on which a widthwise inner end of the second hinge portion is disposed, and which is perpendicular to a rotational center axis of the second hinge portion.

A sheet conveyor includes: a sheet conveyor; a supporter including a movable guide and having a first and second end portions in a widthwise direction; and a first cover adjacent to the first end portion. The supporter has an upstream edge in the conveying direction. A first-end upstream end portion of the upstream edge is nearer to the sheet conveyor than a second-end upstream end portion of the upstream edge. The first cover has a first region and a second region. The first region has a height greater than or equal to that of the guide and extends to a position located upstream of an upstream, end portion of the guide. The second region is located upstream of the first region, and the second region is less in height than the first region. The first-end upstream end portion overlaps the first region when viewed in the widthwise direction.

An image processing apparatus locks a particular cover so as not to be opened based on a particular jam being detected, and displays a particular screen for notifying a user that the particular cover is locked.

An image reading apparatus (6) includes a document placing table (6a) to an upper surface of which a contact glass (25) is fixed, and a document pressing device (24) supported at an end of the document placing table (6a) to be openable/closable via a hinge portion, and having, on its back surface side, a document presser (30) that presses a document placed on the contact glass (25). The document pressing device (24) includes a light transmission window (31) transmitting light in a front-surface-to-back-surface direction of the document pressing device (24). The light transmission window (31) is disposed at a position not overlapping with the contact glass (25) when the document pressing device (24) is at the closure position, and when the document pressing device (24) has moved in an opening direction from the closure position, light that has passed through the light transmission window (31) reaches the contact glass (25).

An image reading apparatus (6) includes a document placing table (6a) to an upper surface of which a contact glass (25) is fixed, and a document pressing device (24) supported at an end of the document placing table (6a) to be openable/closable via a hinge portion, and having, on its back surface side, a document presser (30) that presses a document placed on the contact glass (25). The document pressing device (24) includes a light transmission window (31) transmitting light in a front-surface-to-back-surface direction of the document pressing device (24). The light transmission window (31) is disposed at a position not overlapping with the contact glass (25) when the document pressing device (24) is at the closure position, and when the document pressing device (24) has moved in an opening direction from the closure position, light that has passed through the light transmission window (31) reaches the contact glass (25).