BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing the conventional support device on the multi-function peripheral (MFP);
FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing the support device according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a partial enlargement view of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing the support device according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing the support device according to the third preferred embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The present invention will now be described more specifically with reference to the following embodiments. It is to be noted that the following descriptions of preferred embodiments of this invention are presented herein for purpose of illustration and description only; it is not intended to be exhaustive or to be limited to the precise form disclosed.
The present invention discloses a support device for supporting the weight of an upper body of an electronic apparatus, so as to prevent the upper body from dropping down suddenly during the opening and closing processes of the upper body and to further protect the electronic elements in the upper body. The support device can be extensively applied to an office machine, such as a copy machine, a fax machine, a scanner, a multi-function peripheral or similar electronic apparatus in the similar field.
Please refer to FIG. 2, which is a schematic view showing the support device according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention. The electronic apparatus 20 comprises an upper body 201 and a lower body 202, and the upper body 201 can pivotally rotates relative to the lower body 202. The support device comprises a rotating element 21, a first gear 22, a second gear 23, a first resistant torque providing element 24 and a second resistant torque providing element 25. The rotating element 21 is a worm, for example, which is fixed to the lower body 202 of the electronic apparatus 20 and has a continuous thread surface. The first gear 22 is fixed to the upper body 201 of the electronic apparatus 20, and the second gear 23 meshes with the first gear 22 at one side and meshes with the continuous thread surface of the rotating element 21 at another side. The first resistant torque providing element 24 is disposed under the rotating element 21 and provides a first resistant torque toward a specific direction, and the second resistant torque providing element 25 is disposed under the first resistant torque providing element 24 and provides a second resistant torque toward a specific direction. For example, the first resistant torque providing element 24 and the second resistant torque providing element 25 are springs, such as clutch springs.
Please refer to FIG. 3, which is a partial enlargement view of FIG. 2. A control collar 27 is disposed between the first resistant torque providing element 24 and the second resistant torque providing element 25; the end of the first resistant torque providing element 24 close to the second resistant torque providing element 25 is fixed to the control collar 27, and the end of the second resistant torque providing element 25 close to the first resistant torque providing element 24 is fixed to the control collar 27. When the upper body 201 is to be closed and moved downwardly, the first gear 22 rotates in a counterclockwise direction and the second gear 23 rotates in a clockwise direction; meanwhile, the rotating element 21 is driven by the second gear 23 to rotate in a clockwise direction (as viewed from the top). In the mean time, the first resistant torque providing element 24 tightly wraps up the rotating element 21 and the control collar 27 under the first resistant torque providing element 24. The second resistant torque providing element 25 has a rotation direction counter to that of the first resistant torque providing element 24, so the second resistant torque provided by the second resistant torque providing element 25 is in a direction counter to that of the first resistant torque provided by the first resistant torque providing element 24. Thereby, the second resistant torque can counterbalance the rotating toque of the rotating element 21 and the first resistant torque, so that when the upper body 201 is moved downwardly, the huge torque generated from the heavy load on the first gear 22 will be reduced to a small torque through the continuous actions of the first gear 22, the second gear 23, the rotating element 21, the first resistant torque providing element 24 and the second resistant torque providing element 25. Accordingly, the support device can gradually dissolve the huge torque generated from the weight load of the upper body 201, so the upper body 201 can be stably supported and will not suddenly drop down.
On the contrary, when the upper body 201 is to be opened and moved upwardly, the rotating element 21 driven by the first gear 22 and the second gear 23 turns to rotate in a counterclockwise direction (as viewed from the top). Although the rotation directions of the first resistant torque and the second resistant torque provided by the first resistant torque providing element 24 and the second resistant torque providing element 25 are both counter to those in the closing process of the upper body 201, the first resistant torque and the second resistant torque still have counter rotation directions and can counterbalance to each other. Therefore, when the upper body 201 is to be opened, the support device can still support the upper body 201 stably.
In this embodiment, the first resistant torque providing element 24 and the second resistant torque providing element 25 are in a repellent conditions, no matter in the opening or the closing process of the upper body 201. As described above, in the closing process, the first resistant torque providing element 24 is in a lock status and the second resistant torque providing element 25 provides the resistant torque. While in the opening process, the second resistant torque providing element 25 is in a lock status and the first resistant torque providing element 24 provides the resistant torque. By a well mechanical design, the first and second resistant torques can be in different magnitudes. For example, a small resistant torque is provided during the opening process so that the user can easily open the upper body 201, and a large resistant torque is provided during the closing process so as to withstand the dropping force of the upper body 201.
Please refer to FIG. 4, which is a schematic view showing the support device according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 4, except the spring shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the first resistant torque providing element 31 and the second resistant torque providing element 32 can be friction disks, and the plural first resistant torque providing element 31 and the plural second resistant torque providing element 32 are superimposedly and alternatively disposed. One of the first resistant torque providing element 31 and the second resistant torque providing element 32 is fixed to the axis of the rotating element 21, and the other is fixed to a supporting frame 28. Using the first resistant torque providing element 31 fixed to the rotating element 21 as an example, when the rotating element 21 rotates in a clockwise direction, the first resistant torque providing element 31 is also rotates in a clockwise direction. Since the first resistant torque providing element 31 and the second resistant torque providing element 32 are both friction disks, the first resistant torque, i.e. the frictional force, provided by the first resistant torque providing element 31 will counterbalance the second resistant torque provided by the second resistant torque providing element 32. Accordingly, the support device can gradually dissolve the huge torque generated from the weight load of the upper body 201, so the upper body 201 can be stably supported and will not suddenly drop down.
During the opening and closing processes of the upper body 201, different rotation directions are generated, and the directions and the magnitudes of the resulted axial component force are also different. Due to the difference of the axial component force, the friction disk system generates different frictional resistances, which are kind of resistant torques. That is to say, the support device provides two different resistant torques during the opening and closing processes. The user only needs to provide little force to open the upper body 201, and the support device provides large resistance to support the upper body 201 and prevent it from dropping down suddenly during the closing process.
Please refer to FIG. 5, which is a schematic view showing the support device according to the third preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 5, the first resistant torque providing element 33 is a spiral spring and the second resistant torque providing element 32 is a general spring. Compared to the first resistant torque providing element 24 shown in FIG. 2, the first resistant torque provided by the first resistant torque providing element 24 shown in FIG. 2 is a constant force, but the magnitude of the first resistant torque provided by the first resistant torque providing element 33 in this embodiment is in linear relationship with the opening angle of the upper body 201. In other words, the first resistant torque is adjustable according to the opening or closing angle of upper body 201 and the weight load. Even when the opening angle of the upper body 201 is very small, the support device can still provides sufficient resistant torque to stably support the upper body 201 and prevent it from dropping down suddenly.
All the examples of the first resistant torque providing element and the second resistant torque providing element described in the above embodiments can be interchanged to have various modifications. The examples are not used to confine the present invention, and any component that can generate the resistant torque can be used as the first resistant torque providing element and the second resistant torque providing element. In addition, a supporting frame 28 is provided under the rotating element for fixing and supporting the rotating element, the first resistant torque providing element and the second resistant torque providing element. Certainly, the assembling manners of each component are not limited, and the positions of the first resistant torque providing element and the second resistant torque providing element can be exchanged; the only requirement is that the first resistant torque providing element and the second resistant torque providing element provide resistant torques in counter directions to counterbalance to each other for dissolving the weight load of the upper body so as to further support the upper body.
In the embodiments of the present invention, the upper body can be an auto document feeder (ADF), an image input device, a dust cover, or the combinations thereof.
In conclusion, the support device of the present invention includes a gear train and resistant torque providing elements to gradually dissolve the weight load of the upper body during the opening or closing processes, so as to stably support the upper body of the electronic apparatus. Moreover, regardless of the opening or closing angle of the upper body, the support device can provide sufficient resistant torque to support the upper body and prevent it from dropping down suddenly, and thus, the stability and safety are increased.
While the invention has been described in terms of what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention needs not be limited to the disclosed embodiment. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims which are to be accorded with the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structures.
Patent Application
20080034544
