JP2003172977A - Hinge unit and image reader - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a hinge unit whose pivot being a rotational fulcrum part is slidable on a fitted part, and to provide an image reader which can read various documents including books by using the hinge unit as a flatbed image reader. <P>SOLUTION: The hinge unit characterized by that anchor parts to which the fitted part is anchored are coupled with both ends so that it can be opened and closed around the pivot as a base point is equipped with an elastic part which enables one anchor part to be slid on the fitted part within a specified range and inserted into and extracted from the fitted part. The flatbed image read is equipped with the hinge unit which has one end anchored to a document pressure cover and the other end anchored to a device frame so that the document pressure cover is slidable within a specified range at right angles to a glass plate. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a hinge unit and an image reading apparatus using the hinge unit, and more particularly to a hinge unit in which a pivot serving as a rotation fulcrum portion is slidable with respect to an attached portion. Further, the present invention relates to an image reading apparatus for fixing a document and reading the same, by using the hinge unit, it is possible to read various originals including a book and improve the image quality. Is.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view of an image reading apparatus. In the figure, for example, the image reading device 50 includes a document pressing cover 51 and an automatic paper feeding unit 52.
In some cases, the sheet feeding tray 53 and the discharge tray 54 are configured, and a reading unit including a reading optical unit (not shown) is configured. In such an image reading apparatus 50, the reading unit is fixed at a predetermined position, the original document mounted on the paper feed tray 53 is conveyed at a constant speed by the automatic paper feeding unit 52, is read by the reading unit, and the original document after reading is discharged. Both the so-called automatic paper feed mechanism method of discharging to the tray 54 and the so-called flatbed-type document fixing method of fixing the document with the document pressing cover 51 and sequentially reading the image while moving the reading unit at a constant speed are provided. It is an image reading device.

The document holding cover 51 is constructed so as to open and close in the direction of arrow A. Further, the image reading device 50 forms a frame of the image reading device 50 with the upper cover 55 and the base frame 56, and incorporates the reading unit.

FIG. 8 shows a diagram of the prior art. In the figure, when reading an original by the original fixing method, the original to be read is placed on a glass plate 61 fixed to a central opening in the upper part of a casing 57 constituting the frame of the image reading apparatus 50, and the original pressing cover 51 is placed. The original is fixed by pressing it toward the glass plate 61 with the fulcrum 58 provided at
The image is sequentially read while moving the reading unit 71 provided in the sub-scanning direction at a constant speed in the sub-scanning direction. The reading unit 71 moves on the carrier shaft 62 arranged in the housing 57 and moves in the sub-scanning direction. Also,
The reading unit 71 is provided with a driven roller 72, and is in contact with a driven rail 63 arranged in the housing 57.

FIG. 9 shows a diagram of the prior art. In the figure, when a document such as a book is read by the document fixing method, the read document is fixed to a glass plate 6 which is fixed to a central opening portion of an upper portion of a casing 57 which constitutes a frame of the image reading device 50.
Place the book on 1 and fix it with the document cover 51.
The image is sequentially read while moving the reading unit 71 provided in the housing 57 in the sub-scanning direction at a constant speed.

By the way, for a document to be read such as a book, the document pressing cover 51 cannot be brought into close contact with the glass plate 61 due to the thickness of the document placed on the glass plate 61. The original cannot be pressed. In this case, since the original cannot be pressed uniformly, it becomes impossible to ensure the reading surface by bringing the original into close contact with the original reading surface. Further, the document pressing cover 51 cannot cover the entire document, and external light leaks to the reading unit, thereby deteriorating the image quality.

[0007]

As described above, the conventional techniques have the following problems.

1) When a document such as a book is read by the document fixing method, the document cannot be pressed uniformly, so that the document cannot be brought into close contact with the document reading surface and the reading surface cannot be guaranteed. .

2) When reading an original such as a book by the original fixing method, the entire original cannot be covered with the original pressing cover, and external light leaks to the reading unit, which may deteriorate the image quality.

An object of the present invention is to ensure the reading surface of a reading original such as a book by bringing the original into close contact with the original reading surface without being affected by the thickness of the original.

Another object of the present invention is to improve the image quality of a read document such as a book by covering the entire document with a document pressing cover to prevent outside light from leaking to the reading section.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a hinge unit made of a synthetic resin which is openably and closably connected with a pivot as a base point so that a pivot serving as a rotation fulcrum is slidable with respect to an attached portion.

Further, the hinge unit is assembled to the mounted portion without any special tool or screw, and
An object is to make it easy to attach / detach the hinge unit to / from the attached portion by making it slidable and detachable with respect to the attached portion.

[0014]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention takes the following means.

In a hinge unit formed of a synthetic resin that is openably and closably connected with a pivot as a base point, the hinge unit is slidable with respect to the attached portion so that the pivot can slide with respect to the attached portion, Provided is a hinge unit configured to be removable.

By adopting the above-mentioned means, the hinge unit that makes the pivot serving as the rotation fulcrum part slidable with respect to the mounted portion can be assembled to the mounted portion without any special tool or screw. , The hinge unit can be easily attached to and detached from the attached portion.

Further, in a flat bed type image reading apparatus for fixing and reading an original, one end is attached to the original pressing cover so as to openably and closably connect the original pressing cover and the other end is covered with a glass. A hinge unit is attached to the device frame so as to be slidable within a predetermined range in the vertical direction with respect to the plate.

By adopting the above means, the original is uniformly pressed against the original to be read such as a book, so that the original can be brought into close contact with the original reading surface without being affected by the thickness of the original. Guarantee the reading surface. Further, since the original pressing cover covers the entire original, external light does not leak to the reading section, and the image quality is improved.

[0019]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The present invention has the following embodiments.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the hinge unit is a hinge formed of a synthetic resin in which engaging portions formed so as to engage the attached portions at both ends are openably and closably connected with a pivot as a base point. The unit is provided with at least one hook portion which is slidable with respect to the attached portion within a predetermined range and has an elastic hook portion which is configured to be detachable from the attached portion.

By adopting the above-mentioned form, the hinge unit can be assembled to the attached portion without any special tool or screw, and can be slidably attached to and detached from the attached portion. , The hinge unit can be easily attached to and detached from the attached portion. As a result, the pivot serving as the opening / closing fulcrum portion can be slid with respect to the mounted portion.

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the image reading apparatus includes a reading unit including a glass plate on which a reading original is placed, a reading optical system, and a mechanism for moving the reading unit in the sub-scanning direction. In an image reading apparatus comprising an apparatus frame provided and an original pressing cover for pressing an original placed on the glass plate, one end is attached to the original pressing cover so as to openably and closably connect the original pressing cover and the other. The document holding cover is provided with a hinge unit that is attached to the apparatus frame so that the document holding cover is slidable vertically within a predetermined range with respect to the glass plate.

By adopting the above-mentioned form, in the image reading apparatus for reading by the flatbed type document fixing system, for example, a document such as a book is read according to the thickness of the document placed on the glass plate. The holding cover slides in the direction perpendicular to the glass plate to press the document. As a result, the original is pressed uniformly,
The original is placed in close contact with the original reading surface without being affected by the thickness of the original to guarantee the reading surface. Further, since the original pressing cover covers the entire original, external light does not leak to the reading section, and the image quality is improved.

Further, the hinge unit is formed by synthetic resin molding and has an elastic hook portion that is configured to be detachable from the apparatus frame.

By adopting the above-mentioned configuration, when reading an original document that exceeds the projected area of the original document cover, the original document cover is removed and the original document is placed on the glass plate. Further, since the hook portion has elasticity, the work for attaching and detaching the document pressing cover is assembled without using any special tool or screw.

[0026]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A typical embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the following, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof may be omitted.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention. The figure shows an exploded perspective view of the hinge unit.

In the figure, the hinge unit has a hinge cam 2, a hinge case 3 and a hinge shaft 4 as main components, and the hinge shaft 4 connects the hinge cam 2 and the hinge case 3 so that they can be opened and closed. Note that, for example, the hinge plate 5 may move along the cam shape formed on the hinge cam 2.

Further, the hinge cam 2 and the hinge case 3 are formed by synthetic resin molding, and at least the hinge cam 2 is made of synthetic resin containing a lubricant so as to guarantee the life of the opening / closing mechanism without lubrication. You can also

The hinge cam 2 is formed with an elastic hook 8 which is slidable within a predetermined range with respect to the attached portion and is detachable from the attached portion.

Further, a hinge holder 6 having a hinge spring 7 made of a compression spring inserted therein may be attached to the hinge case 3 to regulate the rotational torque of the mounted portion to be opened and closed.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the hinge unit shown in FIG. 1 is assembled, and FIG.
In the hinge unit shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 described above,
The state where the hinge cam 2 is attached to the attached portion is shown.

With this structure, the hinge unit 1 can be assembled to the mounted portion without any special tool or screw, and can be slidably inserted into and removed from the mounted portion. The work of attaching and detaching the hinge unit 1 to and from the portion is facilitated. Further, the hinge shaft 4 serving as the opening / closing fulcrum portion can be slidable with respect to the mounted portion.

Next, an image reading apparatus using the above-mentioned hinge unit 1 will be described.

4 and 5 show schematic views of an embodiment of the present invention. This figure is a cross-sectional view taken from the arrow B in the perspective view of the image reading apparatus shown in FIG.

In FIGS. 4 and 5, when the document is read by the document fixing method, the image reading device fixes the read document to the central opening portion of the upper part of the housing 17 forming the frame of the image reading device 10. The original document cover 11 is placed on the plate 21, and the original document cover 11 is provided on the original document cover 11. The original document is pressed by pressing the hinge shaft 4 of the hinge unit 1 shown in FIGS. Fixed,
The image is sequentially read while moving the reading unit 31 provided in the housing 17 in the sub-scanning direction at a constant speed.

That is, the hinge unit 1 has one end fixed to the document pressing cover 11 so as to connect the document pressing cover so that the document pressing cover can be opened and closed, and the other end of the hinge unit 1 in the direction perpendicular to the glass plate 21. It is attached to the housing 17 so as to be slidable within a predetermined range.

The reading unit 31 moves on the carrier shaft 22 arranged in the housing 17 to move it in the sub-scanning direction. Further, the reading unit 31 is provided with a driven roller 32, and is in contact with the driven rail 23 arranged in the housing 17.

In FIG. 4, for a document to be read such as a book, the document pressing cover 11 is a glass plate 2.
According to the thickness of the original placed on the glass plate 1, the original is slid upward in the direction perpendicular to the glass plate 21 to press the original.

As a result, the original is pressed uniformly, so that the original is brought into close contact with the original reading surface without being affected by the thickness of the original, and the reading surface is guaranteed. Further, since the original pressing cover 11 covers the entire original, external light does not leak to the reading section, and the image quality is improved.

In FIG. 5, for example, for a thin original to be read, the original pressing cover 11 is attached to the glass plate 2 by its own weight.
The original is pressed by sliding downward in the vertical direction with respect to 1.

That is, as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG.
Since the original is pressed uniformly regardless of the original thickness,
The original is placed in close contact with the original reading surface without being affected by the thickness of the original to guarantee the reading surface. Further, since the entire document holding cover is covered with the document holding cover, external light does not leak to the reading section, and the image quality can be improved.

Next, details of the hinge portion will be described.

FIG. 6 shows a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure, the hinge unit 1 is formed by synthetic resin molding, and is constructed so that it can be inserted into and removed from the housing 17 in the vertical direction. Also, the hinge unit 1
The elastic hook 8 is formed so that it can slide in the vertical direction within a range where the housing 17 and the hook 8 are in contact with each other. This sliding causes the hinge shaft 4 to slide up and down. When detaching the document pressing cover 11 from the housing 17, the contact between the housing 17 and the hook 8 is released, and the original holding cover 11 is pulled out upward. Further, the document pressing cover 11 is attached to the housing 17
When the hinge cam 2 is attached to the housing 17, the hinge cam 2 may be pressed from above the housing 17.

With this configuration, when reading a read original that exceeds the projected area of the original pressing cover 11, the original pressing cover 11 is removed and the original is mounted on the glass plate. Further, since the hook 8 has elasticity, the work for attaching and detaching the document pressing cover 11 can be assembled without using any special tool or screw.

[0047]

According to the present invention, the following effects can be expected.

The hinge unit is assembled to the attached portion without any special tool or screw, and is configured to be slidable with respect to the attached portion and detachable so that the hinge unit can be attached to the attached portion. It is possible to easily attach and detach the unit. Further, the opening / closing fulcrum portion can be slidable with respect to the attached portion. By using a cam and a synthetic resin containing a lubricant for the hinge unit, the life of the opening / closing mechanism can be guaranteed without lubrication.

Further, in the image reading apparatus of the flat-bed type fixed original reading system, for a reading original such as a book, the original pressing cover has a glass plate depending on the thickness of the original placed on the glass plate. The original can be pressed by sliding in the vertical direction.
With this, since the original is pressed uniformly, the original is brought into close contact with the original reading surface without being influenced by the thickness of the original to guarantee the reading surface, and the entire original is covered with the original pressing cover. It is possible to improve the image quality by preventing external light from leaking to the reading unit.

Further, since the hinge unit for opening and closing the original pressing cover is formed by synthetic resin molding and the elastic hook portion is constructed so as to be freely inserted into and removed from the apparatus frame, reading over the projected area of the original pressing cover is performed. To scan a document, remove the document retainer cover,
The original document can be placed on a glass plate. Further, since the hook portion has elasticity, the work for attaching and detaching the document pressing cover can be assembled without using any special tool or screw.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of an example of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of an example of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of an example of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view of an image reading device.

FIG. 8 is a diagram of the prior art.

FIG. 9 is a diagram of the prior art.

[Explanation of symbols]

1: Hinge unit 2: Hinge cam 3: Hinge case 4: Hinge shaft 10: Image reading device 11: Document holding cover

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI theme code (reference) H04N 1/10 H04N 1/10 5C072 1/107 F term (reference) 2E030 AB04 BB08 EA01 EB01 2H012 CB11 CB12 2H071 AA46 3J105 AA02 AB11 AC06 DA23 5C062 AA02 AA05 AB02 AD02 AD06 5C072 AA01 BA15 DA15 DA21 LA04 LA08 XA01

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A hinge unit formed of a synthetic resin, in which engaging portions formed at both ends to engage with an attached portion are openably and closably connected with a pivot as a base point, and at least one engaging portion. The hinge unit is characterized by including an elastic hook portion configured to be slidable with respect to the attached portion within a predetermined range and to be detachable from the attached portion. 2. A device frame including a reading unit including a glass plate on which a document to be read is placed and a reading optical system, and a mechanism for moving the reading unit in the sub-scanning direction.
In an image reading device which constitutes a document pressing cover for pressing a document placed on the glass plate, one end is attached to the document pressing cover so that the document pressing cover can be opened and closed, and the other end is fixed to the document pressing cover. An image reading device, comprising: a hinge unit that is attached to the device frame so as to be slidable vertically within a predetermined range with respect to the glass plate. 3. The image reading apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the hinge unit is formed by synthetic resin molding and has an elastic hook portion that is configured to be removable from the apparatus frame. .