This application is based on and claims priority under 35 USC 119 from Japanese Patent Application No. 2015-140167 filed Jul. 14, 2015.
The present invention relates to an operating device and an image forming apparatus.
According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided an operating device including a first light source that emits light; a second light source that emits light; a light transmission member that includes a light transmission portion through which the light emitted from the first light source and the light emitted from the second light source are transmitted; and an accepting unit which has a substantially quadrilateral shape, which has four corners, which is disposed between the first light source and the second light source, which is provided such that an extension line of a diagonal that connects two of the four corners to each other passes through the first light source and the second light source, and which accepts an operation to be performed on an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording medium.
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the following figures, wherein:
Exemplary embodiments according to the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings.
The image forming apparatus 1 according to the exemplary embodiment includes an apparatus body 10 and a sheet accommodating unit 20 that accommodates sheets, which are recording media. Although not shown, the inside of the apparatus body 10 includes an image forming mechanism, which is an example of an image forming unit that forms images on the sheets.
The image forming mechanism includes a photoconductor drum, and forms the images on the sheets by using a so-called electrophotographic system. An image forming system is not limited to the electrophotographic system. The image forming system may be other systems, such as an inkjet system.
A sheet discharge section 30 to which the sheets on which the images have been formed are discharged is provided at a top portion of the apparatus body 10. A user interface unit 100 (hereunder referred to as “UI unit 100”), which functions as an operating device that is operated by a user, is provided at the top portion of the apparatus body 10. The UI unit 100 displays information, and accepts an operation from the user.
The UI unit 100, which functions as the operating device, is provided with a box-shaped housing 110.
The UI unit 100 is also provided with a display panel 120 that is supported by the housing 110. The UI unit 100 is further provided with a power supply button 200.
The display panel 120 is a touch panel. The UI unit 100 displays information by using the display panel 120. The UI unit 100 accepts the operation of the user through the display panel 120.
As shown in
The light transmission member 210 has the shape of a quadrangular prism. As shown in
The light transmission member 210 also has the shape of a rectangular cylinder, with one end portion having an opening. In the exemplary embodiment, as shown in
The closing portion 212 is positioned on a front surface of the UI unit 100 (see
As shown in
As shown in
The light transmission portion 230 is substantially ring-shaped around a predetermined location as a center (this predetermined location is denoted by symbol 3B in
More specifically, the light transmission portion 230 is substantially ring-shaped and rectangular around the disposition center 3B as the center.
Since the light transmission portion 230 is substantially rectangular, as shown in
Here, the upper side portion 240U and the lower side portion 240B are formed parallel to each other and so as to extend in one direction. More specifically, the upper side portion 240U and the lower side portion 240B are formed so as to extend in the width direction of the UI unit 100 (see
The left side portion 240L and the right side portion 240R are formed parallel to each other. The left side portion 240L and the right side portion 240R are formed so as to extend in a direction that is orthogonal to the one direction. Additionally, the left side portion 240L and the right side portion 240R are formed so as to extend in the height direction of the UI unit 100.
As shown in
More specifically, in the exemplary embodiment, the user performs the on/off operation of the power supply by pressing the light transmission member 210. The tactile switch 260 accepts the on/off operation via the light transmission member 210.
Although not described above, as shown in
In the exemplary embodiment, as shown in
In the exemplary embodiment, the tactile switch 260 is provided between the first light source 81 and the second light source 82. A board 85 that supports the tactile switch 260, the first light source 81, and the second light source 82 is provided below the tactile switch 260, the first light source 81, and the second light source 82.
When the light is emitted from the first light source 81 and the light is emitted from the second light source 82, the emitted lights travel through the cylindrical light transmission member 210 and towards the substantially ring-shaped, rectangular light transmission portion 230.
In the exemplary embodiment, the first light source 81 is provided below the left side wall 211L (on an extension line of the left side wall 211L), and the second light source 82 is provided below the right side wall 211R (on an extension line of the right side wall 211R).
Therefore, as shown by arrow 4A, a portion of the light emitted from the first light source 81 travels towards the left side wall 211L and towards the light transmission portion 230 via the inside of the left side wall 211L; and, as shown by another arrow 4A, a portion of the light emitted from the second light source 82 travels towards the right side wall 211R and towards the light transmission portion 230 via the inside of the right side wall 211R.
The light that has reached the light transmission portion 230 leaks to the outside of the UI unit 100 through the light transmission portion 230. This causes an outer peripheral edge of the power supply button 200 to be bright, so that the user is capable of more easily perceiving the location where the power supply button 200.
Although not described above, in the exemplary embodiment, a supporting member 90 that supports the light transmission member 210 is provided around the light transmission member 210. The supporting member 90 includes a supporting-member body 91 and two elastic portions 92. The supporting-member body 91 is disposed around the ring-shaped light transmission member 210. The two elastic portions 92 connect the supporting-member body 91 and the light transmission member 210 to each other.
When the user presses the light transmission member 210, the light transmission member 210 moves towards the internal portion of the UI unit 100. At this time, the elastic portions 92 are elastically deformed.
When the user stops pressing the light transmission member 210, the elastic portions 92 are restored to their original states. This causes the light transmission member 210 to be restored to its original state.
Here, in the exemplary embodiment, as described above and as shown in
In the exemplary embodiment, the first light source 81 is positioned below the left side portion 240L of the light transmission portion 230, and the second light source 82 is positioned below the right side portion 240R of the light transmission portion 230.
As shown in
Further, in the exemplary embodiment, the tactile switch 260 is disposed between the first light source 81 and the second light source 82. The tactile switch 260 is provided such that an extension line 264B of a diagonal 264A that connects two switch corners 261 at diagonal positions passes through the first light source 81 and the second light source 82.
In the exemplary embodiment, as shown in
More specifically, in the exemplary embodiment, when the light-source midpoint and the switch midpoint are projected in the direction in which the user presses the light transmission member 210 (see arrow 4B in
Further, in the exemplary embodiment, as shown in
More specifically, when the light-source midpoint and the disposition center 3B are projected in the direction in which the user presses the light transmission member 210 (in the direction of arrow 4B in
Further, in the exemplary embodiment, the light transmission portion 230 and the tactile switch 260 are provided such that the upper side portion 240U (see
Additionally, in the exemplary embodiment, the light transmission portion 230 and the tactile switch 260 are provided such that, of the four side portions 240 of the light transmission portion 230, the upper side portion 240U and the lower side portion 240B that are disposed parallel to each other and that extend in the same direction are positioned along the diagonal 264A of the tactile switch 260.
In the structure according to the exemplary embodiment, as described above and as shown in
Therefore, as indicated by symbols 6A in
As indicated by symbols 6B in
In the comparative example, the first light source 81 and the second light source 82 are not positioned on the extension line 264B of the diagonal 264A of the tactile switch 260, that is, the diagonal 264A and the line segment that connects the first light source 81 and the second light source 82 to each other (not shown in
In the comparative example, a portion of light emitted from the first light source 81 and a portion of light emitted from the second light source 82 are blocked by the tactile switch 260, as a result of which the light emitted from the first light source 81 and the light emitted from the second light source 82 are less likely to reach the central portion of the upper side portion 240U and the central portion of the lower side portion 240B. In such a case, the central portions become dark, as a result of which the light quantity at the light transmission portion 230 tends to become uneven.
In contrast, in the exemplary embodiment, the amount by which the light emitted from the first light source 81 is blocked by the tactile switch 260 and the amount by which the light emitted from the second light source 82 is blocked by the tactile switch 260 are reduced, so that, compared to the comparative example, the unevenness in the light quantity at the light transmission portion 230 is reduced.
In this structure, as with the structure already described above, an extension line 264B of a diagonal 264A passes through a first light source 81 and a second light source 82.
However, in this structure, the first light source 81 is disposed below a lower left corner 250LB of a light transmission portion 230, and the second light source 82 is disposed below an upper right corner 250RU of the light transmission portion 230.
Further, a tactile switch 260 is provided such that side walls 262 of the tactile switch 260 are provided along side portions 240 of the light transmission portion 230.
Additionally, although, in the exemplary embodiment shown in
Here, in this structure according to the exemplary embodiment shown in
On the other hand, in the exemplary embodiment shown in
More specifically, of the separation distances between the first light source 81 and the light transmission portion 230 and the separation distances between the second light source 82 and the light transmission portion 230, greatest separation distances (that is, maximum separation distances) in the exemplary embodiment shown in
Here, in the exemplary embodiment shown in
In contrast, in the exemplary embodiment shown in
Here, the maximum separation distances in the exemplary embodiment shown in
As a result, in the exemplary embodiment shown in
In contrast, although, in the exemplary embodiment shown in
Next, the relationship between the disposition position 3B (shown in
In the exemplary embodiment, the disposition center 3B of the light transmission portion 230 and the midpoint (light-source midpoint) (see
Here, for example, if the disposition center 3B of the light transmission portion 230 and the light-source midpoint are not aligned with each other, that is, when the disposition center 3B of the light transmission portion 230 is disposed closer to either one of the first light source 81 and the second light source 82, unevenness in light quantity at the light transmission portion 230 occurs more often than when the disposition center 3B of the light transmission portion 230 is not disposed closer to either one of the first light source 81 and the second light source 82.
The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention has been provided for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obviously, many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in the art. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments and with the various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the following claims and their equivalents.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2015-140167 | Jul 2015 | JP | national |