JP2005012246A - Image reading apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image reading apparatus for preventing an original from being fallen down from a gap between an original cover and an enclosure when the original cover is opened. <P>SOLUTION: An image scanner 10 for scanning the original and outputting image data representing an optical image of the original is provided with an enclosure 20 including a transparent original platen 22 on which the original is placed; an original cover 50 connected to the enclosure 20 in a freely rockable way and for covering the original platen 22; and a support member for hinges 60 for connecting an outer circumferential part 54 of the original cover 50 to a side of the enclosure 20 toward the original platen 22 at a prescribed interval and supporting the original cover 50 to the enclosure 20 in a freely rockable way, and the outer circumferential part 54 of the original cover 50 located between the hinges 60 is provided with an original fall-down preventing part 56 projected from the outer circumferential part 54 toward the rear side of the original cover 50. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an image reading apparatus that scans a document placed on a document table and outputs image data representing an optical image of the document.
[0002]
[Prior art]
A conventional flatbed image scanner shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 is known. The housing 202 of the image scanner 200 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 has a transparent document table 204 on which a document is placed. The outer peripheral portion 212 of the document cover 210 and the document table 204 side of the housing 202 are connected by a hinge 220 installed at a predetermined interval. The document cover 210 is supported by a hinge 220 so as to be swingable with respect to the housing 202. A document mat 214 that covers the document table 204 is mounted on the back side of the document cover 210.
[0003]
However, in the image scanner 200 configured as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, if the original 230 is thin and light, the original 230 is attracted to the original mat 214 when the original cover 210 is opened, and the original 230 is transferred from the original table 224. May leave. The original 230 adhering to the original mat 214 slides down along the original mat 214 due to its own weight as the original cover 210 is opened. It falls from the gap 300 formed therebetween.
[0004]
In contrast to the image scanners shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, Patent Documents 1 and 2 include a document fall prevention mechanism that prevents a document from dropping from a gap between the document cover and the housing when the document cover is opened. An image reading apparatus is disclosed. In Patent Documents 1 and 2, as in the image scanners shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the document cover is swingably supported by hinges installed at predetermined intervals.
[0005]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-20416 [Patent Document 2]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-75423
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, since the document placement side housing is provided with a configuration for preventing the document from dropping, the document cover is separated from the document cover while the document cover is opened by being sucked by the document cover. You can prevent the original from falling from the gap between the original cover and the case by locking the original with the original drop prevention mechanism. There is a possibility that the document falls from a gap formed between the hinges and the body. As shown in FIG. 1 of Patent Document 1 and FIG. 1 of Patent Document 2, even when the casing extends behind the document cover, if the document slides along the document cover while opening the document cover, the document cover There is a risk of the document falling from a gap formed between the case and the casing.
The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image reading apparatus that prevents a document from dropping from a gap between the document cover and the housing when the document cover is opened. And
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
An image reading apparatus according to the present invention is an image reading apparatus that scans a document and outputs image data representing an optical image of the document, and a housing having a transparent document table on which the document is placed; A document cover having a contact surface to be contacted and swingably coupled to the casing and covering the document table; an outer peripheral portion of the document cover and the document table side of the casing are coupled; And a supporting member that swingably supports the document cover with respect to the body, and protrudes to the back of the document cover on the document cover outside the contact surface located in the direction of gravity drop when the document cover is opened. An original dropping prevention member is provided. Here, the back side of the document cover means the side where the document cover faces the document table when the document cover covers the document table. The document fall prevention member is provided outside the contact surface of the document cover that is positioned in the direction of gravity drop when the document cover is opened, and protrudes from the back side of the document cover. When the document is sucked onto the surface and the document falls along the contact surface of the document cover, the document can be locked by the document fall prevention member. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the document from dropping from the gap between the document cover and the housing.
Furthermore, in the image reading apparatus of the present invention, the document fall prevention member protrudes from the contact surface to the back side of the document cover. Therefore, the original sliding down along the contact surface of the original cover can be reliably locked by the original fall prevention member.
[0008]
Further, in the image reading apparatus of the present invention, a document mat having a contact surface that contacts the document placed on the document table and having flexibility is provided on the back side of the document cover, and the document fall prevention member Is provided on the document cover outside the document mat positioned in the gravity drop direction when the document cover is opened. Since the flexible original mat contacts the entire original placed on the original table, the original mat can prevent movement of the original when the original cover is closed, while the original mat does not move when the original cover is opened. The document is easily removed from the document table. However, since the document fall prevention member is provided on the document cover outside the document mat located in the direction of gravity drop when the document cover is opened, it protrudes from the back side of the document cover. A document that slides along the contact surface can be locked by a document fall prevention member.
[0009]
Furthermore, in the image reading apparatus of the present invention, the document fall prevention member is provided on the outer peripheral portion located on the support member side of the document cover. Since the document fall prevention member can be separated as much as possible from the contact surface of the document cover that contacts the document, the document fall prevention member can be prevented from interfering with the document table when the document cover covers the document table.
[0010]
Furthermore, in the image reading apparatus of the present invention, the support members are spaced apart from each other to connect the outer peripheral portion of the document cover and the document stand side of the casing, and the document fall prevention members are separated from each other at least. A plurality of the support members are provided. Since a plurality of document fall prevention members are provided between the support members that swingably support the document cover with respect to the housing, a distance between the support member and the document fall prevention member and a gap between the document fall prevention members are provided. Becomes narrower. Therefore, even a small document can be locked by the document drop prevention member.
[0011]
Furthermore, in the image reading apparatus of the present invention, the support members are spaced apart from each other to connect the outer peripheral portion of the document cover and the document stand side of the casing, and the document fall prevention members are separated from each other at least. It is provided continuously over substantially the entire area between the support members. Since the distance between the support member and the document fall prevention member can be almost eliminated, even a small document can be locked by the document fall prevention member.
[0012]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, a plurality of examples showing embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 to FIG. 6 are schematic views for explaining an embodiment of the present invention, which are different from the actual dimensional ratio of each member.
(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 shows an image scanner 10 as a first embodiment of an image reading apparatus according to the present invention. The image scanner 10 is a so-called flat bed type in which a document table 22 is provided on an upper surface of a rectangular parallelepiped housing 20. The document table 22 is formed of a transparent plate such as a generally rectangular glass plate, and a document such as a printed document, a photograph, or a book is placed on the surface 24 thereof.
[0013]
As shown in FIG. 2, the carriage 30 is accommodated in the housing 20 so as to be reciprocally movable along arrows X and Y parallel to the surface 24 of the document table 22. The carriage 30 carries an optical system 32 and an image sensor 40. The carriage 30 is slidably supported on a guide shaft (not shown) parallel to the platen surface 24 of the document table 22. The longitudinal axis of the guide shaft extends in the directions of arrows X and Y in FIG. The carriage 30 is pulled by, for example, a belt and carries the optical system 32 and the image sensor 40 in the directions of arrows X and Y in FIG.
[0014]
The optical system 32 includes a reflective original light source 34, a mirror 36, a condenser lens 38, and the like. The reflection original light source 34 is constituted by a tube illumination device such as a fluorescent tube lamp. The reflection original light source 34 is mounted on the carriage 30 so that its longitudinal axis extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of the image sensor 40. The reflected light image on the main scanning line of the original 100 irradiated by the light source 34 for the reflective original is formed on the image sensor 40 by the mirror 36 and the condenser lens 38.
[0015]
As shown in FIG. 1, the document cover 50 is connected to the housing 20 so as to be swingable in the X and Y directions by a hinge 60 as a support member. The document cover 50 covers the document table 22 and holds the document placed on the document table 22. The document cover 50 includes a substantially rectangular cover body 52, a document fall prevention member 56, and a document mat 58. The document fall prevention member 56 is resin-molded integrally with the cover body 52 so as to protrude to the back side of the document cover 50 on the outer peripheral portion 54 of the cover body 52 on the document stand 22 side. The document fall prevention member 56 is formed along the outer peripheral portion 54 on the hinge 60 side over almost the entire area between the hinges 60 installed at a predetermined interval. As shown in FIG. 1B, the leading edge of the document dropping prevention member 56 protruding to the back side of the document cover 50 is more than the virtual extension surface 110 of the contact surface 59 of the document mat 58 that contacts the document 100. It protrudes on the back side of 50.
[0016]
The original mat 58 has flexibility and is attached to the original cover 50. The original mat 58 holds the original 100 placed on the original table 22 in close contact with the original table 22 in close contact.
The hinges 60 are installed at predetermined intervals on both ends in the longitudinal direction of the document cover 50. As shown in FIG. 4, the hinge 60 can stop the document cover 50 at a fully open position substantially perpendicular to the document table 22.
[0017]
Next, the operation when the document cover 50 is opened will be described.
As shown in FIG. 2, in the fully closed state where the document 100 is placed on the document table 22 and the document cover 50 covers the document 100, the document mat 58 is in contact with the entire document 100. When reading of the document 100 is completed, the document cover 50 is opened as shown in FIGS. At this time, when the thickness of the document 100 is thin and light, the document 100 is attracted to the document mat 58 and separated from the document table 22. Although depending on the weight of the document 100, the document 100 slides down along the document mat 58 due to its own weight as the document cover 50 is opened. In this embodiment, the document cover 50 is formed with a document fall prevention member 56 that protrudes from the outer peripheral portion 54 of the cover body 52 on the document table 22 side to the document table 22 side, which is the back side of the document cover 50. The falling document 100 sliding along 58 is locked to the document drop prevention member 56. Therefore, the original 100 can be prevented from dropping from the gap 120 (see FIG. 1) between the original cover 50 and the housing 20.
Further, since the document fall prevention member 56 is provided on the outer peripheral portion 54 of the hinge side 60, the document fall prevention member 56 can be separated from the document mat 58 as much as possible. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the document drop prevention member 56 from interfering with the document table 22 when the document mat 58 covers the document table 22.
[0018]
(Second embodiment)
A second embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. The same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals.
In the outer peripheral portion 54 of the document cover 72 of the image sensor 70 of the second embodiment, three document fall prevention members 74 project between the hinge 60 and the hinge 60 along the outer peripheral portion 54 to the back side of the document cover 72. It is formed to do. Since the distance between the hinge 60, the document fall prevention member 74, and the document fall prevention member 74 is reduced, it is possible to prevent the document from dropping from the gap 120 between the document cover 72 and the housing 20.
If the distance between the hinge 60, the document fall prevention member 74, and the document fall prevention member 74 is reduced, the number and width of the document fall prevention members may be set as appropriate.
[0019]
(Third embodiment)
A third embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. The same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals.
The housing 82 of the image sensor 80 of the third embodiment extends to the rear of the document cover 50. Even when the casing 82 extends to the rear of the document cover 50 as described above, when the document 100 is sucked to the document mat 58 and the document 100 is separated from the document table 84 when the document cover 50 is opened, the document cover 50 is not moved. In a state where the document 100 is inclined with respect to the document table 84, the document 100 may fall from the gap between the document cover 50 and the housing 82. However, in the third embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the document fall prevention member 56 is formed so as to protrude from the outer peripheral portion 54 of the cover body 52 of the document cover 50 on the document table 84 side to the document table 84 side. The document 100 falling along the document mat 58 is locked to the document fall prevention member 56. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the document 100 from dropping from the gap between the document cover 50 and the housing 82.
[0020]
(Other examples)
In the above-described embodiments, the document fall prevention member that protrudes from the outer periphery of the document cover to the back side of the document cover is resin-molded integrally with the cover body of the document cover. A member may be provided.
In the above embodiments, the document fall prevention member is provided on the outer periphery of the cover body of the document cover. However, if the document cover is outside the document mat positioned in the gravity drop direction when the document cover is opened, the document mat A document fall prevention member may be provided between the cover and the outer periphery of the cover body. Further, the document drop prevention member may be provided not only between the hinges spaced apart by a predetermined interval but also outside the hinges. Further, instead of the two hinges spaced apart from each other, for example, the central portion of the outer peripheral portion of the document cover located on the hinge side may be swingably supported by one hinge. In this case, a document fall prevention member may be provided on the document cover on at least one side of one hinge.
[0021]
In the above embodiments, the leading edge of the fall prevention member protrudes from the contact surface of the original mat that contacts the original, but the back side of the original cover covers the original mat. If the document falling along the contact surface can be locked, the leading edge of the document drop prevention member may be recessed at the same position as the contact surface of the document mat or on the cover body side of the document cover.
In the above embodiments, the document is pressed by the document mat, but the document may be pressed directly by the contact surface of the cover body of the document cover.
[0022]
In the above-described embodiments, the image scanner which outputs the image data of the reflection original by installing the light source for the reflection original on the housing side has been described, but other than this, as the image reading apparatus of the present invention, the transmission original on the original cover side is described. Either an image scanner that installs a light source for outputting image data of a transparent original, or an image scanner for both a reflective original and a transparent original may be used. The image reading apparatus of the present invention is not limited to an image scanner. For example, the present invention can be applied to a facsimile, a copying machine, or the like as long as it scans a document placed on a document table and outputs image data representing an optical image of the document. May be applied.
In addition, the hinge is used as a support member for swingably supporting the document cover with respect to the housing. However, in addition to the hinge, any configuration can be used as long as the document cover can be swingably supported with respect to the housing. A member may be used.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1A is a perspective view showing an image scanner according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is an enlarged view in the direction of arrow B in FIG.
2A is a side view seen from the direction B in FIG. 1 showing a state in which the document cover is closed, and FIG. 2B is a view taken in the direction B of FIG.
FIG. 3 is a side view showing the middle of opening the document cover.
FIG. 4 is a side view showing a state where a document cover is fully opened.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an image scanner according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a side view showing an image scanner according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a conventional image scanner.
8 is a side view as seen from the direction VIII in FIG. 7. FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
10, 70, 80 Image scanner, 20, 82 Case, 22 Document table, 50, 72 Document cover, 52 Cover body, 54 Outer periphery, 56, 74 Document fall prevention member, 58 Document mat, 59 Contact surface, 60 Hinge (support member)

Claims (6)

In an image reading apparatus that scans a document and outputs image data representing an optical image of the document,
A housing having a transparent document table for placing the document;
A document cover that has a contact surface that contacts the document and is swingably coupled to the housing and covers the document table;
A support member that connects an outer peripheral portion of the document cover and the document table side of the housing, and supports the document cover in a swingable manner with respect to the housing;
An image reading apparatus comprising: a document fall prevention member that protrudes to the back side of the document cover on the document cover outside the contact surface that is positioned in the gravity drop direction when the document cover is opened. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the document fall prevention member protrudes from the contact surface to the back side of the document cover. A document mat having a contact surface that comes into contact with the document placed on the document table and having flexibility is provided on the back side of the document cover, and the document fall prevention member is provided when the document cover is opened. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image reading apparatus is provided on the document cover outside the document mat positioned in a gravity drop direction. 4. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the document fall prevention member is provided on the outer peripheral portion located on the support member side of the document cover. 5. The support members are spaced apart from each other and connect the outer peripheral portion of the document cover to the document stand side of the housing, and a plurality of document fall prevention members are provided at least between the support members spaced apart from each other. The image reading apparatus according to claim 4, wherein: The support members are spaced apart from each other and connect the outer peripheral portion of the document cover and the document stand side of the casing, and the document fall prevention member is at least substantially in the entire area between the support members spaced apart from each other. The image reading apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the image reading apparatus is provided continuously.

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