The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 12, 2004
Filed:
Oct. 25, 2000
Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha, Osaka, JP;
Abstract
A door opening/closing mechanism fitted on a door that closes and opens an opening formed in the body of an apparatus by being brought into and out of contact with the rim of the opening has cam mechanisms that permit the door to engage with and disengage from the body at either of the right and left sides of the door ( ). The cam mechanisms can be brought into a first lock position in which they lie symmetrically at both sides of the door and into a second lock position in which they lie symmetrically at both sides of the door, and each have a hinge pin ( ) that serves as a rotation axis in the second lock position and a groove cam ( ) that engages with the hinge pin ( ) in such a way as to be movable relative to the hinge pin. The groove cam ( ) has a slide portion ( ) on which a part of the innermost portion of the hinge pin slides when the cam mechanism is moved from the first lock position to the second lock position. When the door ( ) is closed, the cam mechanisms at both sides are kept in the first lock position and, when the door is opened at one side, the door ( ) slides and thereby causes the cam mechanism at the other side to be brought into the second lock position so as to be rotatably locked in the second lock position.