Open-close apparatus and image forming apparatus

1. An open-close apparatus comprising:

a first member provided with respect to an apparatus main body and movable between an open position and a close position thereof; and

a second member movable with respect to the first member, and movably provided with respect to the apparatus main body,

wherein when the first member moves from the close position to the open position:

when a movement of the first member is smaller than a predetermined amount from the close position, a moving speed of the first member is not limited, and

when the movement of the first member is the same as or larger than the predetermined amount from the close position, the moving speed of the first member is limited, and

wherein one of the first member and the second member has a groove, and the other of the first member and the second member has a projection, and the groove has a first end and a second end,

wherein when the first member moves from the close position to the open position, the moving speed of the first member is limited at a portion between the close position and the open position by the groove engaging the projection between the first end and the second end,

wherein the groove has a first portion that is linear and a second portion that is continuous with the linear portion and angled at a different angle as an angle of the first portion,

wherein when the movement of the first member is smaller than the predetermined amount, the projection is located in the first portion of the groove and the moving speed of the first member is not limited, and

wherein when the movement of the first member is the same as or larger than the predetermined amount, the projection moves along the second portion and the moving speed of the first member is limited.

2. The open-close apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second portion of the groove has a slope.

3. The open-close apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the groove and the projection limit the moving speed of the first member by a friction force caused between the groove and the projection.

4. The open-close apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first member has the groove and the second member has the projection.

5. The open-close apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the groove has a fixed height portion and a sloped height portion.

6. The open-close apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein:

when the movement of the first member is smaller than the predetermined amount, the projection is located in the fixed height portion of the groove and the moving speed of the first member is not limited, and

when the movement of the first member is the same as or larger than the predetermined amount, the projection moves along the sloped height portion and the moving speed of the first member is limited.

7. The open-close apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the height varying portion has a slope.

8. An open-close apparatus comprising:

a first member provided with respect to an apparatus main body and movable between an open position and a close position of the apparatus main body,

a second member movable with respect to the first member, and movably provided with respect to the apparatus main body;

a projection disposed on one of the first member and the second member; and

a energizing unit that energizes the projection in a direction that increases a contact pressure between the first member and the second member,

wherein when the first member moves from the close position to the open position, when a movement of the first member is the same as or larger than a predetermined amount from the close position, the contact pressure between the first member and the second member is larger than the contact pressure between the first member and the second member when the movement of the first member is smaller than the predetermined amount.

9. The open-close apparatus according to claim 8 ,

wherein the energizing unit includes a spring, and an amount of retraction of the spring when a movement of the first member is the same as or larger than the predetermined amount is larger than the amount of retraction of the spring when the movement of the first member is smaller than the predetermined amount.

10. The open-close apparatus according to claim 8 ,

wherein one of the first member and the second member has a groove, and the other member has a projection, and

wherein the groove and the projection limit the moving speed of the first member by a friction force caused between the groove and the projection by an energizing force of the energizing unit.

11. The open-close apparatus according to claim 8 ,

wherein one of the first member and the second member has a groove, and the other member has a projection, and

wherein when the movement of the first member is smaller than the predetermined amount, the groove and the projection are not in contact with each other.

12. The open-close apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the contact pressure increases relative to an amount of movement of the first member.

13. An open-close apparatus comprising:

a first member provided with respect to an apparatus main body and movable between an open position and a close position of the apparatus main body,

a second member movable with respect to the first member, and movably provided with respect to the apparatus main body; and

a spring that urges the first member or the second member in a direction that increases a contact pressure between the first member and the second member,

wherein when the first member moves from the close position to the open position, the spring increases the contact pressure between the first member and the second member when a movement of the first member is the same as or larger than a predetermined amount from the close position relative to when the movement of the first member is smaller than the predetermined amount.

14. The open-close apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein one of the first member and the second member comprises a sloped surface along which a part of the other of the first member and the second member slides, and when the first member moves from the close position to the open position, the spring increases the contact pressure as the part of the other of the first member and the second member slides along the sloped surface.

15. An open-close apparatus comprising:

a first member movably provided with respect to a apparatus main body between an open position and a close position; and

a second member movable with respect to a first member, and movably provided with respect to the apparatus main body;

a projection disposed on one of the first member and the second member; and

a spring which biases the projection toward the other of the first member and the second member,

wherein when the first member moves from the close position to the open position:

a friction force between the projection and the other of the first member and the second member caused by a movement of the first member being equal to or larger than a predetermined amount from the close position is larger than the friction force between the first member and the second member caused by the movement of the first member being smaller than the predetermined amount from the closed position.

16. The open-close apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the first member and the second member move about different supporting points with respect to the apparatus main body.

17. The open-close apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein one of the first member and the second member has a surface, and the other of the first member and the second member has a projection, and the surface has a first end and a second end, and

wherein when the first member moves from the close position to the open position, the moving speed of the first member is limited at a portion between the close position and the open position by the surface engaging the projection between the first end and the second end.

18. The open-close apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein the surface has a first portion that is linear and a second portion that is continuous with the linear portion and extends in a different direction relative to the first portion.

19. The open-close apparatus according to claim 18 ,

wherein when the first member moves from the close position to the open position:

when the movement of the first member is smaller than the predetermined amount from the close position, the projection is located along the first portion, and

when the movement of the first member is the same as or larger than the predetermined amount from the close position, the projection is located along the second portion.

20. The open-close apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein the second portion of the surface has a slope.

21. The open-close apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein the first member has the surface and the second member has the projection.

22. The open-close apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein the surface has a fixed height portion and a sloped height portion.

23. The open-close apparatus according to claim 22 , wherein when the first member moves from the close position to the open position:

when the movement of the first member is smaller than the predetermined amount, the projection is located in the fixed height portion, and

when the movement of the first member is the same as or larger than the predetermined amount, the projection is located in the sloped height portion.