JP2001242562A - Image reader - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image reader in which pressing force to the original pressing plate can be obtained even in the case of being placed vertically with a simple configuration. SOLUTION: Because a magnet 7 hangs down with its dead weight and is located apart from the magnetic member 8 incorporated in the original pressing plate 3 when placed horizontally, attracting force by the magnet 7 and the magnetic member 8 do not work, but pressing force for holding down an original with the dead weight of the original pressing plate 3 is obtained. Because the magnet 7 hung down with its dead weight approaches to an original plant 5 when placed vertically, it approaches to the magnetic member 8 of the pressing plate 3 and pressing force for holding down the original with attracting by the magnetism of the magnet 7 and the magnetic member 8 is obtained when the original pressing plate 3 is closed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image reading apparatus for reading an image from an original, and more particularly, to an image reading apparatus such as a flatbed type scanner which sandwiches an original between an original pressing plate and an original platen.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a flatbed scanner as an image reading apparatus, an original is placed on an original platen, the original is pressed down from above by an original pressing plate, and the original is pressed by the original weight of the original pressing plate. Is read in close contact with the platen.

In this flatbed scanner, the occupied area of the flatbed scanner is particularly large compared to the sheet feed scanner, and the weight is 5 kg or more. It was always used in a posture.

[0004] Here, the image reading apparatus is used as a peripheral device of a personal computer at an extremely low frequency compared to an image forming apparatus such as a printer, and has a large occupying area on a desk as described above. It is usually an obstacle that occupies a large space, and may be buried in books or documents due to infrequent use.

[0005] In particular, in the case of a flatbed scanner, the plane size is determined by the adaptive document size.
For example, even in the case of an A4-adaptive machine, the peripheral size of A4 size + α becomes about A3 (440 × 290 mm ² ), and the installation occupation area is large.

However, the thickness of the flatbed scanner is about 90 mm regardless of the size of the corresponding original.
Degree and constant.

Therefore, in order to reduce the occupied area of the installation, it is desirable that the installation posture of the flatbed scanner is set vertically so that the flatbed scanner is installed at a thick portion, and furthermore, it is possible to operate the scanner vertically.

As a result, the installation area of the vertically placed flatbed scanner device is changed from 440 × 290 mm ² to 440 × about 90 mm ² . Therefore, space saving on a desk can be realized with an installation occupied area of 1/3 or less as compared with the horizontal installation.

[0009]

However, in the flatbed scanner of the prior art, a pressing force for pressing the original by the weight of the original pressing plate which can be opened and closed when the original is placed horizontally is obtained. In this case, the pressing force cannot be obtained by the original weight of the document pressing plate.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image reading apparatus which obtains a pressing force on a document pressing plate when vertically placed with a simple configuration. Is to provide.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, a document is sandwiched between a document pressing plate that can be opened and closed from the apparatus main body and a document table of the apparatus main body. An image reading apparatus for reading a document image by bringing a document into close contact with the platen with a pressing force for pressing the document with a pressing plate, wherein the document is placed on the platen and the document pressing plate is placed from above. In an image reading apparatus that can be installed in a horizontal position for holding down an original, and in a vertical position in which the original holding plate and the original platen are arranged upright and sandwiching the original therebetween, the image reading device is disposed on the apparatus main body and the original holding plate. In addition, a pair of magnetic attraction means for generating the pressing force at the time of vertical installation by a magnetic attraction force is provided.

Therefore, the pressing force for pressing the original against the original platen can be obtained by the pair of magnetic attraction means only when necessary, that is, only when the original is placed vertically.

The pair of magnetic attraction means is provided so that one of the magnetic attraction means is suspended by its own weight and is rotatable. When the magnetic attraction means is placed horizontally, the one of the magnetic attraction means is in contact with the other of the magnetic attraction means. It is preferable that the one magnetic attraction means is close to the other magnetic attraction means to generate an attraction force by a magnetic force when it is located far away and placed vertically.

With this configuration, it is possible to obtain a pressing force on the document pressing plate when the document is placed vertically with a simple configuration.

It is preferable that the center of rotation that allows the one magnetic attraction means to be rotatable is disposed closer to the other magnetic attraction means than the center of gravity of the one magnetic attraction means when vertically placed. is there.

Thus, the one magnetic attraction means can be brought closer to the other magnetic attraction means side by the rotational moment generated at one of the magnetic attraction means in the vertical installation.

It is preferable that the pair of magnetic attraction means is a magnetic member provided on the document pressing plate and a magnet provided on the apparatus main body.

Thus, there is no adverse effect such that another magnetic product (for example, a clip) is attracted to the magnet.

It is preferable that the pair of magnetic attraction means is provided at a position distant from the opening / closing fulcrum of the document pressing plate.

Thus, a large pressing force can be obtained even if the magnetic attraction of the pair of magnetic attraction means is weak.

[0021]

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the dimensions of the components described in this embodiment,
The materials, shapes, relative arrangements, and the like are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention only to them unless otherwise specified.

With reference to FIGS. 1 to 7, a flatbed scanner as an image reading apparatus according to the embodiment will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the flatbed scanner 1 has an outer cover 2, a document press plate 3 for pressing and holding a document on a document table 5, and an opening / closing fulcrum of the document press plate 3. And a platen 5 made of glass (a dotted line in FIG. 4) as a light-transmitting member that is opposed to the image surface of the document pressed by the document pressing plate 3 and is supported by the outer cover 2. ing.

Further, inside the apparatus, there is provided an image reading member 6 for reading an image on the image surface of the document placed on the document table 5 while moving along the document table 5 (dotted line in FIG. 5).

The image reading operation of a document is a known technique.
The image reading member 6 reads an image on the image surface of the document via the document table 5 while moving along the document table 5.

Then, the flatbed scanner 1
As shown in FIG. 1, a magnet 7 inside the apparatus, a magnetic member 8 provided on the original pressing plate 3 and attracted to the magnet 7 by the magnetic force of the magnet 7 to obtain an attractive force, and the magnet 7 can be rotated. And a hinge 9 for supporting the magnet 7 in a state of being suspended by its own weight.

In this embodiment, the magnet 7 and the magnetic member 8 constitute a pair of magnetic attraction means of the present invention.
In addition, if the attraction force by the magnetic force can be obtained, the magnet 7
Configurations such as one another may be used. Further, the arrangement of the magnet 7 and the magnetic member 8 may be changed between the inside of the apparatus and the document pressing plate 3.

As the magnet 7, for example, a permanent magnet or an electromagnet can be used.

The magnetic member 8 is made of a material such as iron, for example, and is incorporated in the concave portion 3 a provided on the original pressing plate 3.

The hinge 9 has a mounting portion 9a to which the magnet 7 is mounted, and a fixing portion 9 fixed inside the apparatus.
b and a rotation center 9c.

In this embodiment, the magnet 7 is rotatable by the hinge 9. However, in the present invention, for example, the magnet 7 is suspended by a cord-like member, or the rotation center is directly connected to the magnet 7. It also includes a configuration such as providing.

A fixing portion 9 of a hinge 9 is provided on a wall inside the device.
A fixing protrusion 10 for fixing b is provided.

With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, a method for obtaining a pressing force for pressing an original on the original table 5 with the original pressing plate 3 when the original is placed horizontally and vertically is described.

First, in the horizontal position shown in FIG. 2, the magnet 7 attached to the hinge 9 hangs down due to its own weight, and is separated from the magnetic member 8 incorporated in the original pressing plate 3. The suction force by the magnetic member 8 does not work, and the pressing force for pressing the document by the weight of the document pressing plate 3 itself is simply obtained.

Next, in the vertical position shown in FIG. 3, the magnet 7 attached to the hinge 9 hangs down due to its own weight and approaches the document table 5, so that it approaches the magnetic member 8 of the document pressing plate 3, and When the holding plate 3 is closed, a pressing force for holding down the document is obtained by the attraction force due to the magnetic force between the magnet 7 and the magnetic member 8.

In this case, the center of rotation of the hinge is located closer to the original pressing plate than the total center of gravity G of the magnet 7 and the hinge 9 in the vertical position (distance S).
, A rotational moment M in the direction of the arrow acts on the magnet 7.
Is further moved toward the document pressing plate 3 side, and the pressing force can be reliably obtained by the suction force.

The position where the magnet 7 and the magnetic member 8 generate the attraction force by the magnetic force is set as far as possible from the fulcrum plate 4. This is because the greater the distance from the fulcrum plate 4, the greater the pressing force can be obtained even if the attraction force by the magnetic force is weak.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the original is brought into close contact with the original table 5 by the original weight of the original pressing plate 3 when placed horizontally, and by the attraction force of the magnet 7 and the magnetic member 8 when placed vertically. The pressing force for causing the pressing force can be obtained.

Further, the structure for generating the pressing force in the case of the vertical installation is a simple structure comprising the magnet 7 and the magnetic member 8 attached to the hinge 9, and minimizes the cost increase and the increase in the number of manufacturing steps. Can be.

The magnetic attraction between the magnet 7 and the magnetic member 8 attached to the hinge 9 does not occur because the magnet 7 is not distant from the magnetic member 8 of the original pressing plate 3 when placed horizontally. It is possible to prevent the pressing force during the horizontal placing from becoming excessively large. For this reason, it is possible to avoid such a disadvantage that the pressing force at the time of horizontal placement is excessively large and it is difficult to use.

Further, by providing the magnet 7 inside the apparatus and the magnetic member 8 on the original pressing plate 3, the magnet 7 is not exposed to the outside so that another magnetic product (eg, a clip or the like) is attracted to the magnet 7. There is no evil.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the present invention is similarly applied to the case where the opening / closing direction of the document pressing plate 3 is different, and the effect can be exhibited.

[0043]

As described above, the present invention has a structure provided with a pair of magnetic attraction means, and has a pair of pressing forces for pressing a document to the document table only when necessary, that is, only when the document is placed vertically. Magnetic attraction means.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view illustrating an installation posture of an image reading apparatus according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing a state where the image reading apparatus according to the embodiment is placed horizontally.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view showing a state in which the image reading device according to the embodiment is placed vertically.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the image reading apparatus according to the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a side view showing the image reading apparatus according to the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a front view showing an installation posture of another image reading apparatus according to the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing another image reading apparatus according to the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 flatbed scanner device 2 exterior cover 3 document holding plate 3 a recess 4 fulcrum plate 5 document table 6 image reading member 7 magnet 8 magnetic member 9 hinge 9 a mounting portion 9 b fixing portion 9 c rotation center 10 fixing recess

Claims (5)

[Claims] An original is sandwiched between an original pressing plate that can be opened and closed from the apparatus main body and an original table of the apparatus main body, and the original is brought into close contact with the original table with a pressing force for pressing the original by the original pressing plate. An image reading apparatus for reading an original image by scanning the original platen, wherein the original is placed on the original platen and the original platen is pressed down from above, and the original platen and the platen are It is placed upright and the document is placed vertically,
An image reading apparatus which can be installed in an apparatus, comprising: a pair of magnetic attraction means disposed on the apparatus main body and the document pressing plate, the pair of magnetic attraction means for generating the pressing force at the time of vertical placement by a magnetic attraction force. Reader. 2. The pair of magnetic attraction means are provided in a rotatable state in which one magnetic attraction means hangs down by its own weight, and when placed horizontally, the one magnetic attraction means is provided with the other magnetic attraction means. 2. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the one magnetic attraction means is located far away from the magnetic attraction means, and the one magnetic attraction means approaches the other magnetic attraction means to generate an attraction force by a magnetic force. apparatus. 3. A method according to claim 1, wherein a center of rotation of said one magnetic attraction means which is rotatable is disposed closer to the other magnetic attraction means than a center of gravity of said one magnetic attraction means when vertically placed. The image reading device according to claim 2, wherein: 4. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pair of magnetic force attracting means is a magnetic member provided on the document pressing plate and a magnet provided on the apparatus main body. 5. An image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said pair of magnetic attraction means are provided at positions distant from an opening / closing fulcrum of said document pressing plate.