JP2006140951A - Document feeder - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a document feeder by which a pressure plate is opened by light operating force. <P>SOLUTION: In the sheet through type document feeder 5 provided to an image forming apparatus 50 via a hinge 201, it has the pressure plate 40 provided to a guide plate 400 on the lower surface of the document feeder 5 and which pressurizes a document to contact glass 54 of the image feeder 5 while the hinge 201 is closed and a sheet member 42 provided to the pressure plate 40 and consisting of an elastic body, the sheet member 42 is constituted of a flat plane part to be adhered to the contact glass 54 and a projected part 42a provided to an end part of the sheet member 42 and having a gap with the contact glass 54. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an original conveying apparatus provided with an openable / closable pressure plate for closely attaching an original to contact glass when a reading unit of an image forming apparatus performs reading.

Conventionally, in this type of document conveying device, a document conveying device having a pressure plate at the lower portion is provided at the upper portion of the image forming apparatus via an opening / closing mechanism, and the pressure plate is composed of an elastic member and a white sheet member. A technique is known in which an original image is read satisfactorily by reading the original while the sheet member is in close contact with the original and the contact glass (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP-A-8-289100

  However, in the conventional document conveying device, when the pressure plate is changed from the closed state to the open state, the pressure sheet must be lifted with a strong force because the white sheet member of the pressure plate and the contact glass are in close contact with each other. There was a problem of harming operability.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides a document conveying device capable of opening a pressure plate with a light operation force.

  The document conveying device of the present invention is a sheet-through type document conveying device provided in an image forming apparatus via an opening / closing mechanism, and is provided in a mounting portion on a lower surface of the document conveying device, and the opening / closing mechanism is closed. A pressure plate that presses a document against the contact glass of the image forming apparatus; and a thin member that is provided on the pressure plate and is made of an elastic body. The thin member is a flat first portion that is in close contact with the contact glass; It is characterized by comprising the contact glass and a second part having a gap provided at the end of the thin member.

  With this structure, when the opening / closing mechanism is opened and the pressure plate is separated from the contact glass, air smoothly flows from the second portion having a gap with the contact glass, so that the contact state between the contact glass and the thin member is quickly released. The pressure plate can be opened with a light operating force.

  In the document conveying device of the present invention, the area of the first portion includes the largest document area that can be read on the contact glass.

  With this configuration, even a maximum-size document can be reliably pressed to the contact glass up to the end.

  In the document conveying device according to the present invention, the end of the thin member on the side opposite to the opening / closing mechanism has the second portion.

  With this configuration, air smoothly flows into the front end portion of the thin member that requires a large amount of air inflow, so that the pressure plate can be opened with a light operating force.

  In the document conveying device of the present invention, a positioning member for positioning the document is provided on the contact glass, and an end of the thin member on the positioning member side has the first portion. It is characterized by.

  With this configuration, even the edge portion of the document near the positioning member can be reliably pressed against the contact glass.

  Further, in the document conveying device of the present invention, the attachment portion is deformed from a normal planar state to a folded state that is bent in a letter C shape, and the end of the thin member on the side opposite to the opening / closing mechanism is It is characterized by having the first portion at a portion that is bent in the bent state and having the second portion at a portion that is not bent in the bent state.

  With this configuration, the pressure plate can be flexibly bent as the mounting portion is deformed without damaging the thin portion.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a document conveying device capable of opening a pressure plate with a light operating force.

(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, a document conveying device according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a document conveying device according to the first embodiment. Note that the document conveying device described below is applied as a document conveying device of an image forming apparatus such as a copying apparatus, a printer apparatus, a scanner apparatus, a FAX apparatus, or a so-called multifunction apparatus having a plurality of functions of these apparatuses. can do.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the document transport device 5 includes a document table 2 on which a document bundle 1 composed of a plurality of documents is placed with the document surface facing upward, and an uppermost part from the document bundle placed on the document table 2. Pickup roller 7 for conveying the original document, paper feed belt 9 and reverse roller 10 for separating the original document conveyed by the pickup roller 7, and the separated single document as the slit glass of the image forming apparatus 50 Pull-out roller 12, turn roller 14, and reading entrance roller 16 that convey to the vicinity of 52, a conveyance belt 20 that conveys the document conveyed to the vicinity of slit glass 52 while making contact with slit glass 52, and drive conveyance belt 20 The conveyance belt drive roller 19, the conveyance belt pressure roller 35, the conveyance belt driven roller 36, and the slit glass 52 are read. A reading exit roller 21 that further conveys the document that has been read in the section 51, a discharge roller 28 that discharges the document conveyed by the reading exit roller 21, and a discharge tray 29 on which the discharged document is placed. It has.

  Further, the document conveying device 5 includes a guide plate 400 having a flat bottom surface at the bottom of the paper discharge tray 29, and is placed on the contact glass 54 of the image forming apparatus 50 on the lower surface of the guide plate 400. A flat platen plate 40 for pressing the original is attached. The space above the guide plate 400 forms a conveyance path. The document read by the reading unit 51 is temporarily stored in this conveyance path, switched back, and then passed through the conveyance path to the paper discharge tray 29. In some cases.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the lower surface of the document conveying device 5. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the upper surface of the pressure plate 40, that is, the surface attached to the document conveying device 5.

  Two hinges 201 are provided on the lower surface of the back side of the document conveying device 5, and these hinges 201 are attached to the upper portion of the image forming apparatus 50 so as to be openable and closable.

  The pressure plate 40 of the document conveying device 5 includes a flat base 41 made of an elastic member such as foamed resin or rubber, and a sheet member 42 provided on the lower surface of the base 41 and made of an elastic member such as thin resin or rubber. Consists of

  The sheet member 42 is white, which is a base color of a general document. The thickness of the sheet member 42 is desirably 1 mm or less.

  The substrate 41 is made of an elastic member having a thickness larger than that of the sheet member 42, and the contact glass of the document conveying device 5 so that the sheet member 42 contacts with the contact glass 54 at any location. A minute inclination with respect to 54 is absorbed. Also, Velcro (registered trademark) 43 is attached to a plurality of locations on the upper surface of the base material 41 and the lower surface of the guide plate 400, and the pressure plate 40 is placed below the guide plate 400 by the Velcro tape (registered trademark) 43. It is pasted. In place of the Velcro tape (registered trademark) 43, a removable tape having the same function as the Velcro tape (registered trademark) 43 or other means may be used.

  The back end of the sheet member 42, that is, the side where the hinge 201 is located is aligned with the end of the base material 41. Further, the front end and the left and right ends of the sheet member 42 are longer than the base 41 and protrude from the base 41 by a predetermined length.

  4 shows a side view of the pressure plate 40 viewed from the viewpoint of arrow A in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the front end portion of the sheet member 42 has a protruding portion 42 a protruding from the base material 41 bent upward at a predetermined angle. The angle A for bending the overhanging portion 42a can be selected from an angle of 0 degrees to 90 degrees. As shown in FIG. 5, the protruding portion 42a of the sheet member 42 may be curved in an arc shape upward.

  FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the contact glass 54. As shown in the figure, an original scale 53 is provided between the leftmost slit glass 52 on the contact glass 54. A back scale 56 is provided at the back end on the contact glass 54. The document scale 53 and the back scale 56 are used for document positioning and size confirmation, and the intersection of the document scale 53 and the back scale 56 in the upper left part of the contact glass 54 is a reference for setting the document.

  7A shows a top view of the pressure plate 40, and FIG. 7B shows a top view of the contact glass 54. In FIG. 7A, L2 indicates the vertical length of the flat portion of the sheet member 42, and L2 indicates the horizontal length of the flat portion of the sheet member 42. In FIG. 7B, L1 indicates the vertical length of the maximum size document that can be read by a reading unit (not shown), and L3 indicates the horizontal length. A boundary line E indicated by a chain line indicates the front and right ends of the document when the left end of the document is aligned with the document scale 53 and the end of the back side is aligned with the back scale 56. That is, the rectangle surrounded by the document scale 53, the back scale 56, and the boundary line E indicates the area on the contact glass 54 when the maximum readable document is placed on the document scale 53 and the back scale 56. Show.

  In the present embodiment, the sizes of the base material 41, the sheet member 42, and the contact glass 54 are configured such that the relationship between L1 and L2 is L1 ≦ L2, and the relationship between L3 and L4 is L3 ≦ L4. Further, the size of the base member 41, the sheet member 42, and the contact glass 54 is larger in the area of the planar portion of the sheet member 42 than the area of the region where the maximum readable document is placed on the contact glass 54. It is supposed to be. In other words, the region surrounded by the chain line E is included inside the region of the planar portion of the sheet member 42, and the contact glass 54 is reliably secured by the planar portion of the sheet member 42 even for a document of the maximum size. It comes to be pressed against. 7A, the front end portion of the sheet member 42 is bent at a portion protruding from the base material 41, but the left and right end portions of the sheet member 42 are straight at the portion protruding from the base material 41. It is not bent. Further, the back end of the sheet member 42 is aligned with the base material 41 and does not overhang.

  FIG. 8 shows a hinge 201 provided in the document conveying device 5. The hinge 201 includes an attachment portion 202 that is fixed to the image forming apparatus 50 side and an attachment portion 204 that is fixed to the document conveying device 5 side. The hinge 201 rotates about the rotation shaft 203.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a positional relationship between the pressure plate 40 and the contact glass 54 in a state where the pressure plate 40 is closed. 9 shows a state in which the pressure plate 40 and the contact glass 54 are viewed from the viewpoint of arrow A in FIG. 3. A hinge 201 is provided on the right side of the drawing, and the pressure plate 40 is opened and closed by lifting the left side of the drawing. It is supposed to be. As shown in the figure, on the back scale 56 side, the end of the sheet member 42 of the pressure plate 40 and the end of the base material 41 are aligned, and the end of the pressure plate 40 rides on the upper surface of the back scale 56. It has no contact with the side surface of the back scale 56 or a minute gap.

  Next, the operation of the document conveying device 5 configured as described above will be described.

  When a document placed on the contact glass 54 and arranged in accordance with the ends of the document scale 53 and the back scale 56 is pressed against the contact glass 54 by closing the pressure plate 40, the flat portion of the sheet member 42 is contact glass through the document. 54 is brought into close contact. When the pressure plate 40 is opened after the reading of the original is finished, the overhanging portion 42a at the front end of the sheet member 42 is bent upward or curved in an arc shape, so that the contact glass 54 and the sheet member 42 Since air flows smoothly in between, the pressure plate 40 can be opened with a light operating force.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the overhanging portion 42a at the front end of the sheet member 42 is bent upward or curved in an arc shape, so that air smoothly flows between the contact glass 54 and the sheet member 42. Therefore, the pressure plate 40 can be opened with a light operating force.

  Further, since the overhanging portion 42a is provided at the front end portion of the sheet member 42, air can smoothly flow in at the front end portion of the sheet member 42 having the largest movement amount when the pressure plate 40 is opened. .

  Further, since the end portion of the sheet member 42 on the back scale 56 side is in close contact with the contact glass 54 and does not ride on the back scale 56, the document can be reliably attached to the contact glass 54 also at the back end portion of the sheet member 42. Can be pressed against.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a document conveying apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 10 is a schematic configuration diagram of a document conveying device according to the second embodiment. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the structure similar to the document conveying apparatus 5 of 1st Embodiment, and description is abbreviate | omitted.

  In the document conveying device 5a according to the second embodiment, the guide plate 400 in the document conveying device 5 according to the first embodiment is composed of two members, guide plates 401 and 403. In addition, about the structure similar to 1st Embodiment, the same code | symbol as 1st Embodiment is attached | subjected and description is abbreviate | omitted.

  The document transport device 5 a includes guide plates 401 and 403 having flat bottom surfaces below the paper discharge tray 29, and is placed on the contact glass 54 of the image forming apparatus 50 on the lower surfaces of the guide plates 401 and 403. A flat platen 40b for pressing the original is attached. A rotation fulcrum 402 is provided at the end of the guide plate 401 on the guide plate 403 side, and a rotation fulcrum 404 is provided at the end of the guide plate 403 on the guide plate 401 side.

  FIG. 11 shows a pressure plate 40 b attached to the lower part of the guide plates 401 and 403. The pressure plate 40b includes a flat base 41 made of an elastic member such as foamed resin or rubber, and a sheet member 406 provided on the lower surface of the base 41 and made of an elastic member such as thin resin or rubber.

  The sheet member 406 is white which is a background color of a general document. The thickness of the sheet member 406 is desirably 1 mm or less.

  The substrate 41 is made of an elastic member having a thickness larger than that of the sheet member 406, and the document conveying device 5a and the image forming apparatus are arranged so that any part of the sheet member 406 is in contact with the contact glass 54 with the same pressure. A minute inclination of 50 is absorbed. In addition, Velcro (registered trademark) 43 is attached to a plurality of locations on the upper surface of the base material 41 and the lower surfaces of the guide plates 401 and 403, and the pressure plate 40 b is guided by the Velcro tape (registered trademark) 43. It is attached to the lower part of 403. Instead of Velcro (registered trademark) 43, a removable tape having the same function as Velcro (registered trademark) 43 may be used.

  Similarly to the pressure plate 40 of the first embodiment, the back end of the sheet member 406, that is, the side where the hinge 201 is located is aligned with the base material 41, and the front end and left and right sides of the sheet member 406 are aligned. The side end portion is longer than the base material 41 and protrudes from the base material 41 by a predetermined length.

  At the front end portion of the sheet member 406, an overhanging portion 406a protruding from the base material 41 is bent upward at a predetermined angle.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the overhanging portion 406 a is not provided at the position 406 B positioned below the rotation fulcrums 402 and 404 at the front end of the sheet member 406, and is aligned with the base material 41.

  For this reason, in a state where the pressure plate 40b is opened, as shown in FIG. 12, the pressure plates 40 and 403 attached to the guide plates 401 and 403 and the lower portion thereof with the Velcro (registered trademark) 43 have the rotation fulcrums 402 and 404, respectively. As a fulcrum, it is bent in the shape of a “bent”, but since there is no overhanging portion 406a at the bent portion at the front end of the sheet member 406 of the pressure plate 40b, the pressure plate 40b guides without breaking the sheet member 406. It bends along the plates 401 and 403. In the present embodiment, a groove 406C having a shallow notch is formed at the boundary between the guide plate 401 and the guide plate 403 on the upper surface of the sheet member 406, and the sheet member 406 is bent at the position of the groove 406C. It has become.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, even when the guide plates 401 and 403 are configured to rotate from the rotation fulcrums 402 and 404 so as to be deformed from a flat state to a bent state, the pressure plate 40b is provided with the guide plate 401b. , 403 can be modified.

  Next, the operation of the document conveying device 5a configured as described above will be described.

  When a document placed on the contact glass 54 and arranged in accordance with the edges of the document scale 53 and the back scale 56 is pressed against the contact glass 54 by closing the pressure plate 40b, the flat portion of the sheet member 406 is contacted with the contact glass through the document. 54 is brought into close contact. When the pressure plate 40b is opened after the reading of the original is finished, the overhanging portion 42a at the front end of the sheet member 406 is bent upward or curved in an arc shape, so that the contact glass 54 and the sheet member 42 Since air smoothly flows in between, the pressure plate 40b can be opened with a light operating force. Further, when the guide plates 401 and 403 are rotated from the rotation fulcrums 402 and 404 to be deformed from a flat state to a bent state, an overhanging portion 406a is formed at a bent portion at the front end portion of the sheet member 406 of the pressure plate 40b. Therefore, the pressure plate 40b bends along the guide plates 401 and 403 without damaging the sheet member 406.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, since the front end portion of the sheet member 406 at a portion that bends along the guide plates 401 and 403 is flat, the pressure plate 40b is bent along the guide plates 401 and 403 without being damaged. be able to.

  As described above, the document conveying device according to the present invention has an effect that the pressure plate can be opened with a light operating force, and is a document conveying device including a pressure plate that can be opened and closed with respect to the contact glass of the image forming apparatus. Useful.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a document conveying device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a perspective view of a document conveying device according to a first embodiment. 1 is a perspective view of a pressure plate of an original conveying apparatus according to a first embodiment. The figure which shows the edge part of the pressure plate of 1st Embodiment The figure which shows the edge part of the pressure plate of 1st Embodiment The figure which shows the contact glass which the pressure plate of 1st Embodiment press-contacts (A) Top view of the pressure plate of the first embodiment (b) Top view of the contact glass of the first embodiment 1 is a perspective view showing a hinge interposed between an original conveying apparatus and an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment. Sectional drawing in the state which closed the pressure plate of the pressure plate and contact glass of 1st Embodiment Schematic configuration diagram of an original conveying apparatus according to a second embodiment A perspective view of a pressure plate of an original conveying apparatus according to a second embodiment The perspective view of the document conveying apparatus of 2nd Embodiment

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Document bundle 2 Document table 5, 5a Document conveying device 7 Pickup roller 9 Feed belt 10 Reverse roller 12 Pull-out roller 14 Turn roller 16 Reading entrance roller 19 Conveying belt drive roller 20 Conveying belt 21 Reading exit roller 28 Discharging roller 29 Ejection Paper tray 35 Conveyor belt pressure roller 36 Conveyor belt driven roller 40, 40b Pressure plate 41 Base material 42, 406 Sheet member (thin member)
42a Overhang part (second part)
43 Velcro (registered trademark)
50 Image forming apparatus 51 Reading unit 52 Slit glass 53 Document scale (positioning member)
54 Contact glass 56 Back scale (positioning member)
201 Hinge (opening / closing mechanism)
202, 204 Mounting portion 203 Rotating shaft 400, 401, 403 Guide plate (mounting portion)
402, 404 Rotation fulcrum

Claims (5)

In a sheet-through type document feeder provided in an image forming apparatus via an opening / closing mechanism,
A pressure plate that is provided at a mounting portion on a lower surface of the document conveying device and presses the document against a contact glass of the image forming apparatus in a state where the opening / closing mechanism is closed;
A thin member provided on the pressure plate and made of an elastic body;
The thin-walled member is composed of a flat first portion that is in close contact with the contact glass, and a second portion that is provided at an end of the thin-walled member and has a gap with the contact glass. Conveying device.   2. The document conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the area of the first portion includes a largest document area that can be read on the contact glass.   The document conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an end portion of the thin member on a side opposite to the opening / closing mechanism has the second portion. A positioning member for positioning the document on the contact glass is provided,
4. The document conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an end portion of the thin member on the positioning member side includes the first portion. 5. The mounting portion is deformed from a normal flat state to a folded state that is bent into a C shape,
An end of the thin member on the side opposite to the opening / closing mechanism has the first portion at a portion where the thin member is bent in the bent state, and has the second portion at a portion where the thin member is not bent in the bent state. The document conveying device according to claim 1, wherein

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