JP2004085855A - Image reading apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image reading apparatus where the play part of a power source cable wired on a carriage is regulated to a given position and the electric cable is insulated and protected in order to prevent leakage or damage or the like. <P>SOLUTION: A light source 11 is installed on a full rate carriage 101 provided to scan along a guide rail 103, and the electric cable 107 is wired on the carriage 101 in order to supply power to the light source 11 or the like. A cable guide 109 is extended outside the guide rail 103. The play part 72 of the cable 107 is housed in the guide 109, whereby the position of the cable 107 following the scanning by the carriage 101 is regulated to prevent the play part 72 from freely moving. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an image reading apparatus in which a carriage is scanned with respect to a document and the reflected light from the document is read by an imaging unit, and in particular, an electric cable wired between the carriage and a power supply terminal is guided by a cable guide. Accordingly, the present invention relates to an image reading apparatus capable of preventing electric leakage and damage to a cable.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Scanners, facsimile machines, copiers, etc. scan an original such as paper placed on platen glass with a light source and a reflection mirror below the platen glass and scan the original with an imaging unit such as a CCD. Some are equipped with an image reading device for reading an image. As such a conventional image reading apparatus, for example, a full-rate carriage including a light source for irradiating the original with light and a reflection mirror for reflecting the reflected light from the original in a predetermined direction, and a reflection from the full-rate carriage A half-rate carriage having a reflection mirror for guiding light to an imaging unit such as a CCD is provided so as to be scannable along the guide rail, and a half-rate carriage that scans the full-rate carriage and the half-rate carriage by a wire driving mechanism is provided. is there.
[0003]
Between the full rate carriage and the power supply of the apparatus main body, an electric cable for supplying power to a light source and transmitting and receiving an electric signal is wired, and the electric cable is arranged so that the full rate carriage can scan. Have some play. For example, in the case of a band-shaped electric cable called a harness, one end is connected to a full-rate carriage, and the electric cable extending in the scanning direction from the connection end is turned downward by being bent downward, and is then turned to the opposite side. Is connected to a power supply or the like. The play portion curved in this manner is set to an appropriate length in accordance with the scanning distance of the full rate carriage, so that the horizontal portion of the full rate carriage can be stably connected via the power cable during scanning. Power can be supplied.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, when the play portion of the electric cable freely moves in the image reading apparatus, it interferes with the scanning of the full rate carriage and the half rate carriage, and the reflected light from the document is transmitted between the full rate carriage, the half rate carriage and the image forming unit. There is also a possibility that the light may enter the optical path and interfere. In addition, since a high voltage is applied to the electric cable, the electric cable may come into contact with other members of the image reading device, causing a leak and causing malfunction, damage to the electric cable, and damage to the platen glass. It may cause dirt and the like.
[0005]
The present invention has been made in view of these points, and regulates a play portion of a power cable wired to a carriage to a predetermined position, and insulates and protects an electric cable to prevent a leakage or damage. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image reading apparatus capable of performing the above.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In the image reading apparatus according to the present invention, in the image reading apparatus in which the carriage is scanned with respect to the original and the reflected light from the original is read by the imaging unit, the carriage can be scanned between the carriage and the power supply of the apparatus main body. The electric cable is provided with a play, and an insulated cable guide for guiding the play portion of the electric cable along the carriage scanning direction. The cable guide prevents the electric cable from floating in a direction other than the scanning direction, and prevents leakage from the electric cable due to its insulating property.
[0007]
The carriage of the present invention includes, for example, a light source and a reflection mirror, and a device that guides reflected light from a document to an imaging unit by the reflection mirror, and a light source and an imaging unit such as a CCD. In some cases, reflected light is read by the imaging unit. Further, when the imaging unit is mounted on the carriage, the electric cable may include a cable for transmitting and receiving a control signal and an image signal, in addition to the cable for supplying power. In such a case, it is possible to connect the electric cable to a power source and also to a terminal for transmitting and receiving each signal.
[0008]
Further, according to the present invention, the carriage is provided with a cable presser for restricting a play portion of the electric cable from expanding from the cable guide. When the electric cable has elasticity, the curved play portion may greatly swell outside the cable guide due to the elasticity, and that portion may move or contact a casing or the like disposed above the electric cable. However, the cable retainer prevents the electric cable from bulging out of the cable guide and coming into contact with the casing or the like. In addition, it is preferable that the cable retainer be provided on the carriage, since the expansion of the electric cable can be restricted regardless of the scanning position of the carriage, and does not hinder the carriage scanning. The extent to which the bulge is restricted from the cable guide is such that most of the play portion of the electric cable is accommodated in the cable guide, and the play portion does not move or come into contact with other members, and along the scanning direction. You only need to be guided.
[0009]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an image reading apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. Note that the image reading apparatus according to the present embodiment is merely an example of the present invention, and the configuration of the present invention is not limited to the image reading apparatus.
[0010]
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an external appearance of an upper part of a multi-function facsimile machine 1 including an image reading apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the copy / facsimile multifunction peripheral 1 includes a reading table 3 on which a platen glass 2 on which a document to be read is placed is arranged, and a document for pressing the document onto the platen glass 2 and fixing the document. A press cover 4 and an operation panel 5 for inputting the start of reading of a document and the like are provided. The image reading apparatus 100 described below is provided in the casing 6 of the reading table 3 and reads an image of a document from below the platen glass 2.
[0011]
Although not shown in the figure, the copy / facsimile multifunction peripheral 1 includes a paper feeding unit that supplies recording paper for recording a read image, an image recording unit that records an image on recording paper, and an image recording unit. The copy / facsimile multifunction peripheral 1 is also an example of a device including the image reading device according to the present invention, and the image recording unit and the like have an arbitrary configuration. Of course.
[0012]
FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing an external configuration of the image reading apparatus 100. As shown in the figure, the image reading apparatus 100 includes a full-rate carriage 101 and a half-rate carriage 102, which are scanned below the platen glass 2 in a direction parallel to the original reading surface, and a full-rate carriage 101 and a half-rate carriage 102. Guide rails 103 that support both ends of each of the upper and lower stages and guide them in the scanning direction, and a driving force that is provided inside the guide rails 103 to scan the full rate carriage 101 and the half rate carriage 102 Drive unit 104 for transmitting reflected light, an image forming unit 105 for converting reflected light from a document into an electric signal, a drive unit 106 for applying a driving force to the wire drive mechanism 104, and wiring between the full rate carriage 101 and the power supply 108 Electrical cable 107 and electrical cable 107 is made by and a cable guide 109 for guiding the.
[0013]
FIG. 3 is a front view showing a main configuration of a full rate carriage 101, a half rate carriage 102, and a wire drive mechanism 104. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the full rate carriage 101 is attached to the carriage body 10. A light source 11 for irradiating the original with light, and a reflection mirror 12 for reflecting the reflected light R1 from the original in the scanning direction and guiding the reflected light R1 to the half-rate carriage 102. The carriage main body 20 is provided with two reflection mirrors 21 and 22 for guiding the reflected light R2 from the full rate carriage 101 to the imaging unit 105. Although not shown in detail in the figure, the imaging unit 105 includes a converging lens that converges the reflected light R3 from the half-rate carriage 102, and a charge-coupled device (Charge Couple Device) that converts the converged light into an electric signal. , Hereinafter referred to as “CCD”).
[0014]
The full-rate carriage 101 and the half-rate carriage 102 move under the platen glass 2 in parallel with the original to scan the image of the original, and light is emitted from the light source 11 of the full-rate carriage 101 to the original. R1 is reflected by the reflecting mirror 12 as reflected light R2 in the horizontal direction, further reflected vertically downward by the reflecting mirror 21 of the half-rate carriage 102, and then reflected by the reflecting mirror 22 as reflected light R3 in the horizontal direction. Accordingly, the light is guided to the image forming unit 105, and the image is formed by the CCD.
[0015]
As shown in FIG. 2, the guide rail 103 is provided in a pair at both ends of the full-rate carriage 101 and the half-rate carriage 102. Each of the rate carriages 102 is guided in the scanning direction. The first support 30 for supporting the full-rate carriage 101 and the second support 31 for supporting the half-rate carriage 102 are configured in two upper and lower stages as shown by a dotted line in FIG. 30 is provided over substantially the entire area in the scanning direction, whereas the second support 31 is provided slightly longer than substantially half in the scanning direction.
[0016]
As shown in FIG. 2, a pair of wire driving mechanisms 104 are provided inside the guide rail 103 at both ends of the full rate carriage 101 and the half rate carriage 102, respectively. FIG. 3 shows a wire driving mechanism 104 on the front side of the pair, and as shown in FIG. 3, a wire 40 wound around the full rate carriage 101 and the half rate carriage 102 in the scanning direction. A loop is formed.
[0017]
More specifically, one end of a wire 40 is fixed to a clamp 41 provided at the base end in the scanning direction, and the wire 40 extends in the forward direction from the clamp 41 and is pivotally attached to the main body of the half-rate carriage 102. It is wound around the supported idler pulley 42 by a half turn and extends in the opposite direction. Further, the wire 40 is wound around the driven pulley 43 rotatably fixed below the clamp 41 by a half turn, and extends in the forward direction again. A driven pulley 44 is also rotatably fixed to the leading end in the scanning direction, and a driving pulley 45 is disposed diagonally below and in front of the driven pulley 44 and extends in a forward direction from the driven pulley 43. The wound wire 40 is wound around the driving pulley 45 for one turn or more, and then is wound around the driven pulley 44 for a half turn and extends in the opposite direction. Further, the wire 40 is wound around the idler pulley 42 again by a half turn, extends in the forward direction, and is tensioned by the wire tensioning mechanism 46 formed at the distal end of the second support portion 31. It is fixed at. That is, the hook provided at the other end of the wire 40 is locked by the connecting member 63, and the connecting member 63 is attached to the distal end of the second support portion 31 under the tension of the spring (tensile spring) 62. It is fastened with bolts and the like. Further, at a predetermined position between the driven pulley 44 and the idler pulley 42, the carriage main body 10 of the full rate carriage 101 is fixed to the wire 40 by a wire clamp mechanism 107.
[0018]
When a driving force is applied to the wire loop configured as described above by the rotation of the driving pulley 45, the driving pulley 45 rotates clockwise, so that the full-rate carriage 101 and the half-rate carriage 102 are scanned rightward. When the drive pulley 45 rotates counterclockwise, the full rate carriage 101 and the half rate carriage 102 are scanned leftward. The scanning of the half-rate carriage 102 is performed at approximately half the scanning speed of the full-rate carriage 101. As shown in FIG. 3, the scanning is performed from the base end in the scanning direction to the front end in the scanning direction. While the full-rate carriage 101 is scanned over the scanning distance L1, the half-rate carriage 102 is scanned by about half the scanning distance L2. Although not shown in the figure, the guide rail 103, the clamp 41, and the driven pulleys 43 and 44 are fixed to appropriate places such as the main body of the image reading apparatus 100 by fixing means such as bolts.
[0019]
The full-rate carriage 101 provided so as to be able to scan along the guide rail 103 is provided with the light source 11 as described above. The full-rate carriage 101 has a power supply to the light source 11 and the like as shown in FIG. An electric cable 107 for supply is wired. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the vicinity where the electric cable 107 is wired. As shown in the figure, the electric cable 107 has a strip shape in which a conductive material is coated with an insulating synthetic resin such as a film-like polyimide resin. The connection end 70 is fixed to the full rate carriage 101 and is electrically connected to the light source 11 and the like. The connection end 71 is fixed below the full rate carriage 101 and is electrically connected to the power source 108. It is connected to the.
[0020]
The electric cable 107 has a play so as to be sufficiently longer than the distance from the fixed portion of the connection end 70 to the fixed portion of the connection end 71 when the full rate carriage 101 is scanned to the scanning end. The play portion 72 is in a curved state as shown in the figure. That is, the electric cable 107 extends from the connection end 70 in the scanning direction and is inverted so as to curve downward, and extends to the opposite side in the scanning direction, and the connection end 71 is fixed. Thus, power can be supplied from the power supply 108 to the full-rate carriage 101 regardless of the scanning position of the full-rate carriage 101. Further, since the electric cable 107 is disposed outside the reading width of the image reading apparatus 100, that is, outside the guide rail 103, it does not hinder the scanning of the full rate carriage 101 and the half rate carriage 102, and the There is no interference with the optical path to the imaging unit 105.
[0021]
Note that the electric cable 107 does not need to be a belt-shaped and integral body as in the present embodiment as long as the electric cable 107 has flexibility so that the play portion 72 follows the scanning of the full rate carriage 101. It is preferable that the play portion 72 has an appropriate elasticity such that the play portion 72 does not hang down or get twisted and entangled. The electric cable 107 may include a cable for transmitting and receiving a control signal and an image signal in addition to a cable for supplying power. Of course, it may be connected to a control unit or the like for performing the above.
[0022]
A cable guide 109 extends outside the guide rail 103, as shown in FIGS. The cable guide 109 is formed by molding an insulating synthetic resin such as polypropylene into a box shape having an open upper surface, and has a length substantially equal to that of the guide rail 103 and can accommodate the electric cable 107 inside the same. Of wide width. In the vicinity of the center of the cable guide 109, an opening 90 is provided in the side wall for the convenience of work such as screwing for fixing the connection end portion 71 of the electric cable 107 and connection with the terminal of the power supply 108. ing. The vicinity of the end of the cable guide 109 opposite to the side where the play portion 73 of the electric cable 107 is curved is raised because the play portion 73 is not accommodated. If necessary, ribs or the like may be appropriately provided inside the cable guide 109 or the like to reinforce the cable guide. The cable guide 109 having such a shape is fixed to the guide rail 103 by screws or the like at fixing portions 91 at both ends thereof.
[0023]
Since the play portion 72 of the electric cable 107 is accommodated in the cable guide 109, the position of the electric cable 107 following the scanning of the full rate carriage 101 is regulated, and the play portion 72 is prevented from freely moving. This prevents the electric cable 107 from contacting other members such as the guide rail 103 to prevent leakage and damage. Further, since the cable guide 109 is made of an insulating material, the electric cable 107 contacts the cable guide 109. By doing so, there is no leakage. Further, since the electric cable 107 is housed in the insulated cable guide 109, there is no need to provide an extra space around the electric cable 107 in consideration of the idle width, and the space around the electric cable 107 can be reduced. Becomes possible.
[0024]
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, a plate-shaped cable holder 13 is provided near the fixed end 70 of the electric cable 107 of the full-rate carriage 101. The cable retainer 13 is formed by molding an insulating synthetic resin such as polypropylene, and presses down the electric cable 107 from above at a position away from the connection end 70 by a predetermined distance in a direction in which the electric cable 107 extends. Are located in
[0025]
FIG. 5 is a rear view for explaining the curved state of the electric cable 107, and mainly shows the full rate carriage 101, the electric cable 107, and the cable guide 109, and other members are omitted. As described above, since the electric cable 107 has an appropriate elasticity, when the cable presser 13 is not provided, the electric cable 107 is bent so as to be inverted downward as shown by the arc K1 at the position P1 and the arc K2 at the position P2. The play portion 72 expands in an arc shape from the connection end 70 to the bottom surface in the cable guide 109. The degree of the arc-shaped swelling varies depending on the scanning position of the full rate carriage 101, but increases as the distance from the connection end 70 to the reversal of the play portion 72 increases, and may contact the casing 6 like an arc K2. . Further, since most of the play portion 72 swells out of the cable guide 109, the swelling portion may move freely and come into contact with other members such as the full rate carriage 101. The provision of the cable retainer 13 prevents the electric cable 107 from being pushed down and the play portion 72 from bulging out of the cable guide 109. For example, even at the position P2, as indicated by the arc K3, the electric cable 107 is pressed down by the cable retainer 13, so that the electric cable 107 is prevented from bulging out of the cable guide 109, and the electric cable 107 is Or the full-rate carriage 101 or the like. In addition, since the expansion of the electric cable 107 is restricted, the height of the casing 6 can be further reduced, and the size of the image reading apparatus 100 can be reduced.
[0026]
The position of the cable retainer 13 is determined by taking the elasticity of the electric cable 107 and the distance to other members such as the casing 6 into consideration, and suppressing the bulging of the electric cable 107 to guide the play portion 72 in the scanning direction. It is preferable that the position be a position away from the connection end 70 in the direction in which the electric cable 107 extends, and a position that does not affect the scanning of the full rate carriage 101, so that the cable can be accommodated in the cable guide 109 as much as possible.
[0027]
Further, since the cable presser 13 is provided on the full-rate carriage 101 and is scanned together with the full-rate carriage 101, the swelling of the electric cable 107 can be restricted at each scanning position, and the obstruction of the scanning of the full-rate carriage 101 and the half-rate carriage 102 is prevented. It does not become. Further, by integrally molding the cable retainer 13 with other members disposed near the end of the full rate carriage 101, for example, the sensor detected portion 14, etc., the cost can be suppressed, the space can be saved, and the mounting work can be easily performed. It is preferable because it can be used.
[0028]
In this embodiment, the copy / facsimile multifunction peripheral 1 equipped with the image reading apparatus 100 has been described as an example, but the image reading apparatus according to the present invention can be applied to other apparatuses such as a scanner. It is. Further, in the image reading apparatus 100, the image forming unit 105 is fixed to the bottom surface of the main body, and reflects the reflected light from the original through the reflecting mirrors 12, 21, 22 of the full rate carriage 101 and the half rate carriage 102. Although the configuration has been described in which the image forming apparatus is guided to the document 105, for example, a configuration may be employed in which an image forming unit such as a CCD is provided along with a light source on a carriage that scans a document. In that case, the electric cable of the present invention can transmit and receive image data and control signals in addition to power supply to the light source and the CCD.
[0029]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the image reading apparatus of the present invention, the electric cable wired with a play between the carriage and the power supply of the apparatus main body so that the carriage can be scanned, and the play portion of the electric cable is formed by the carriage. Since the electric cable is provided with an insulative cable guide that guides along the scanning direction, the electric cable is prevented from floating in a direction other than the scanning direction, and the insulating property also prevents electric leakage from the electric cable. . Accordingly, damage to the electric cable and malfunction of the image reading device due to electric leakage can be prevented, and space saving around the electric cable can contribute to downsizing of the image reading device.
[0030]
Further, according to the present invention, since the carriage is provided with the cable presser for restricting the play portion of the electric cable from bulging out of the cable guide, the electric cable bulges out of the cable guide and the casing or the platen. Contact with glass or the like is prevented. Thus, damage due to contact with the electric cable and contamination of the platen glass can be prevented, the distance from the electric cable to the casing or the like can be shortened, and the image reading apparatus can be downsized.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an external appearance of a multi-function facsimile machine 1;
FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of the image reading apparatus 100.
FIG. 3 is a front view illustrating a configuration of a full rate carriage 101, a half rate carriage 102, and a wire driving mechanism 104.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view near the electric cable 107.
FIG. 5 is a rear view for explaining an expanded state of the electric cable 107.
[Explanation of symbols]
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100 Image reading device 101 Full rate carriage 102 Half rate carriage 103 Guide rail 104 Wire drive mechanism 105 Imaging unit 106 Drive unit (drive source)
107 Electric cable 108 Power supply 109 Cable guide 11 Light source 12 Cable retainer 72 Play part

Claims (2)

In an image reading apparatus in which a carriage is scanned with respect to a document and reflected light from the document is read by an imaging unit,
An electric cable wired with a play between the power supply of the carriage and the apparatus body so that the carriage can be scanned;
An image reading apparatus comprising: an insulating cable guide that guides a play portion of an electric cable along a carriage scanning direction. 2. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the carriage is provided with a cable retainer that restricts a play portion of the electric cable from expanding from the cable guide.

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