Abstract: An image scanner section is disposed above a printer section. The image scanner section is supported by the printer section in such a manner as to be pivotable about a pivotal axis. The printer section has a lower housing having a substantially rectangular shape as viewed from above. The image scanner section has an upper housing having a substantially rectangular shape as viewed from above. The upper housing and the lower housing are configured such that a second upper corner portion, which is a corner portion of the upper housing, projects beyond a second lower corner portion, which is a corner portion of the lower housing and is located just under the second upper corner portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first housing, a second housing pivotable relative to the first housing in such a manner as to be located to an open position and a close position, a slider provided in one of the first and second housings configured to be slidable relative to the one in a slide moving direction, a connecting portion provided in the other of the housings; an arm member configured to connected each of the slider and the connecting portion to be pivotable relative to each of them, and an elastic member comprising a first engaging portion engaging with the slider and a second engaging portion engaging with the one of the housings. The elastic member applies, to the slider, a force in a direction in which the slider moves closer to the connecting portion, when the second housing is in the close position.

Abstract: In an image reading apparatus, cables may be used to connect reading units (e.g., scanning devices) to a controller or control circuit board configured to execute certain instructions and perform various functions. The cables may be routed between the reading units and the controller so as to reduce and/or eliminate noise. For example, the cables may be routed through contact prevention devices that may include ferrite cores. The cables may also be routed in a manner so as to maintain a predefined distance therebetween and to minimize interference. For example, the cables may extend downward from a corresponding reading portion, change course to a horizontal direction parallel to the rotation axis of an openable unit of the image reading apparatus and such that the cable extends toward the controller, and subsequently extend downward such that the flexible flat cable is insertable into a corresponding connector of the controller.

Abstract: An image processing device is provided with a first unit, a second unit attached to the first unit rotatably around a rotational axis, flat cables connecting elements in the first unit with elements in the second unit, and a guide member having wiring paths each defined between two of separations walls, the guide member guiding, from the first unit to the second unit, the flat cables laid through the wiring paths, respectively, in a state spaced apart from each other in a thickness direction thereof without contacting each other, at least one of the separation walls including a curving wall curving to surround the rotational axis, at least one of the flat cables guided to have a curving section along the curving wall, a first extension extending continuously from the curving section to the first unit, and a second extension extending continuously from the curving section to the second unit.

Abstract: An image scanner section is disposed above a printer section. The image scanner section is supported by the printer section in such a manner as to be pivotable about a pivotal axis. The printer section has a lower housing having a substantially rectangular shape as viewed from above. The image scanner section has an upper housing having a substantially rectangular shape as viewed from above. The upper housing and the lower housing are configured such that a second upper corner portion, which is a corner portion of the upper housing, projects beyond a second lower corner portion, which is a corner portion of the lower housing and is located just under the second upper corner portion.

Abstract: A processor is provided, the processor including: an obtaining unit that obtains abnormality information related to an abnormality from an image forming device in which the abnormality occurs; an abnormality information storing unit that stores the abnormality information obtained by the obtaining unit as history information; a failure position information storing unit that stores failure position information for each phenomenon related to the abnormality; an extracting unit that extracts the failure position information corresponding to the latest abnormality information and abnormality information similar to the latest abnormality information among the abnormality information stored in the abnormality information storing unit from the failure position information storing unit; and an output unit that outputs an extracted result extracted by the extracting unit as specific deciding information of a cause related to the occurring abnormality.

Abstract: In a printer, a scanner unit is formed into a taper shape having a thinner thickness on a side of a pick-up roller in a removing direction of a process unit, to allow the process unit to be removed from the printer. A part of a sheet feeding path is formed in an area between the process unit and a sheet cassette. An image forming position on the sheet feed path is set lower than an upper end of the pick-up roller. Thus, removal of the process unit can be readily performed. Further, the height of the printer at a position of the pick-up roller can be reduced as compared with a case where the scanner unit is not formed into a taper shape.

Abstract: An image-forming device includes: an image-forming unit; a sheet discharge unit; a sheet support unit; and a reading unit. The image-forming unit forms images on a recording sheet. The sheet discharge unit discharges, in a sheet discharging direction, a recording sheet formed with an image by the image-forming unit. The sheet support unit is disposed above the image-forming unit, and supports sheet discharged from the sheet discharge unit. The reading unit is disposed above the sheet support unit, with an underside surface of the reading unit opposing a top surface of the sheet support unit. The sheet discharge unit is configured to discharge the sheet diagonally upwardly so that sheet discharged by the sheet discharge unit contacts the underside surface of the reading unit.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus, which may be used in an image forming apparatus includes a document table including a flat surface for receiving a document, and a document cover that can be moved between a first position covering the flat surface and a second position exposing the flat surface. The image reading apparatus may further include an automatic document feeder disposed on the document cover that can automatically feed a document toward the flat surface. The automatic document feeder includes a gear train, and a gear cover covering a portion of the gear train, wherein the gear cover includes a protrusion that protrudes downward below the flat surface of the document table.

Abstract: An image forming device includes a scanner swingable between a closed position to close an upper side of a catch tray of a printer and an opened position to open the upper side of the catch tray, a positioning mechanism having a protruding section formed at one of the printer and the scanner and a recessed section formed at the other such that the protruding section is fitted thereinto in the closed position, and a lock mechanism configured with an engagement hole formed at one of the protruding section and the recessed section and an engagement portion formed at the other so as to hold the closed position by engagement therebetween. When the scanner is swung to the closed position, a contact portion of the protruding section contacts a contact portion of the recessed section before the engagement portion contacts the engagement hole or a region around the engagement hole.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus is configured to read an image of a document. The image reading apparatus includes a main body, a document receiving surface configured to receive a document to be read, an operation panel disposed on the main body and a document cover configured to move between a first position covering the document receiving surface and a second position exposing the document receiving surface. The operation panel has a first inclined surface inclined relative to the document receiving surface and operation keys arranged on the first inclined surface. The document cover has a second inclined surface inclined relative to the document receiving surface. When the document cover is in the first position, the second inclined surface may generally align with the first inclined surface, may be immediately adjacent to the first inclined surface, and may be inclined less than the first inclined surface relative to the document receiving surface.

Abstract: A document reader is provided, which includes side covers disposed to face each other to form side faces of a main body housing, each of the side covers including a protruding section formed with an upper portion of the side cover being protruded outward relative to the main body housing, the upper portion being higher than a predetermined position below a reading unit, the protruding section including a first finger-holding portion disposed on a lower surface of the protruding section, the first finger-holding portion being formed with a length in a longitudinal direction thereof as long as a length of a readable range for the reading unit in a main scanning direction, the first finger-holding portion being configured such that one or more operators put their fingers thereon from below, the first finger-holding portion including one or more ribs formed along the longitudinal direction of the first finger-holding portion.

Abstract: An image scanner section is disposed above a printer section. The image scanner section is supported by the printer section in such a manner as to be pivotable about a pivotal axis. The printer section has a lower housing having a substantially rectangular shape as viewed from above. The image scanner section has an upper housing having a substantially rectangular shape as viewed from above. The upper housing and the lower housing are configured such that a second upper corner portion, which is a corner portion of the upper housing, projects beyond a second lower corner portion, which is a corner portion of the lower housing and is located just under the second upper corner portion.

Abstract: An electronic device which displays a function setting menu for managing plural items by a hierarchical structure on a display and sets setting contents of various functions based on the function setting menu displayed on the display, comprising: a display control unit which displays each item in the function setting menu having the hierarchical structure on the display based on the hierarchical structure in accordance with an operation by a user; a function selection unit which selects and displays on the display the content of a desired function based on the items of the function setting menu displayed by the display control unit; and a hierarchical structure changing unit which changes the hierarchical structure of the function setting menu so to have the item, which is selected by the function selection unit and displayed on the display, positioned at the top of the hierarchical structure.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit and an image reading unit. The image forming unit may include a receiving portion disposed above an image forming part, and a pair of contacted portions disposed on opposite sides on the image forming part. The image reading unit may be disposed above the image forming unit and configured to open to expose the receiving portion and configured to close to cover the receiving portion. The image reading unit may include a pair of contacting portions disposed on opposite sides of an image reading portion, extending downward toward the image forming unit, and being configured to contact the contacted portions when the image reading unit is closed, and a first gripping portion horizontally protruding from the image reading portion and extending toward its opposite sides.

Abstract: An image scanner section is disposed above a printer section. The image scanner section is supported by the printer section in such a manner as to be pivotable about a pivotal axis. The printer section has a lower housing having a substantially rectangular shape as viewed from above. The image scanner section has an upper housing having a substantially rectangular shape as viewed from above. The upper housing and the lower housing are configured such that a second upper corner portion, which is a corner portion of the upper housing, projects beyond a second lower corner portion, which is a corner portion of the lower housing and is located just under the second upper corner portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus configured to prevent damage to an opening/closing member when external force is applied in a direction perpendicular to a direction where a scanner unit is opened or closed with respect to an image forming unit.

Abstract: An image formation device having a hierarchically structured function setting menu in which plural function setting items including a function setting item for an optional device are managed in a hierarchical structure, the hierarchically structured function setting menu being sequentially displayed according to the hierarchical structure to select a desired function setting item to perform a function setting, the image formation device including a detector that detects a connection of the optional device, and a changing unit that changes the function setting item for the optional device to a top level of the hierarchically structured function setting menu when the connection of the optional device is detected by the detector.

Abstract: In a printer, a scanner unit is formed into a taper shape having a thinner thickness on a side of a pick-up roller in a removing direction of a process unit, to allow the process unit to be removed from the printer. A part of a sheet feeding path is formed in an area between the process unit and a sheet cassette. An image forming position on the sheet feed path is set lower than an upper end of the pick-up roller. Thus, removal of the process unit can be readily performed. Further, the height of the printer at a position of the pick-up roller can be reduced as compared with a case where the scanner unit is not formed into a taper shape.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus may include a sheet conveyance path having a generally U-shaped portion. The U-shaped portion may be formed by inner and outer guides, and the guides may be arranged such that they may be sequentially removed from the apparatus in a common direction, and through a common opening in the apparatus. For example, to remove a fixing portion from within the apparatus, the outer guide may first be removed, followed by the removal of the inner guide, and then followed by the removal of the fixing portion. The guides may overlap one another when viewed from the common direction.