JP2013054215A - Automatic document feeder - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an automatic document feeder capable of suppressing omission of a rotation member regardless of the rotated position of the rotation member.SOLUTION: A swing bracket 5 energizes a press roller 16 toward a conveyance path P side. A rotation shaft 160 of the press roller 16 is supported by a conveyance path frame 6 so as to be movable in a direction intersecting with the conveyance path P. The conveyance frame 6 has a pair of shaft support ribs 62 extending outward. Further, a rotation shaft 50 of the swing bracket 5 elastically deforms the shaft support ribs 62 so as to increase the interval between the shaft support ribs 62, and thereby both its ends are inserted into contact parts 62a of the shaft support ribs 62. Additionally, in the pair of shaft support ribs 62, the contact parts 62a formed at the free end side of the swing bracket 5 rather than at the held position of the rotation shaft 50 are connected to respective detachable external panels 8, thereby regulating the elastic deformation.

Description

  The present invention relates to an automatic document feeder, and more particularly to an improvement of an automatic document feeder having a pair of shaft support ribs for supporting a rotating shaft.

  In the automatic document feeder, both ends of a rotating member such as a conveyance roller are supported by a pair of shaft support ribs. If an elastically deformable member is used as the shaft support rib, the shaft support rib can be elastically deformed in the axial direction to widen the width between the shaft support ribs, and the rotating member can be easily attached to the shaft support rib. . However, since the shaft support rib is easily elastically deformed by an external force, there is a problem that when the external force acts on the rotating member, the rotating member is easily detached from the shaft supporting rib.

  Patent Document 1 describes a laser printer in which an arm portion of a discharge chute for discharging a sheet and a rear cover are rotatably connected. In this laser printer, a protrusion is formed on the rear cover. When the rear cover is closed, the protrusion is brought into contact with the inner surface of the arm portion of the discharge chute. For this reason, it is possible to suppress the arm portion from being elastically deformed inward and to prevent the rear cover from falling off. On the other hand, in the state where the rear cover is opened, since the protrusion is separated from the rear cover, the elastic deformation of the arm portion is not suppressed.

JP 2006-330172 A

  In the laser printer described in Patent Document 1, when the rear cover is opened, there has been a problem that the rear cover cannot be prevented from falling off. Moreover, if the rear cover is prevented from falling off regardless of the open / closed state of the rear cover, it is necessary to always bring the protrusions into contact with the inner surface of the rear cover, which makes it difficult to attach the rear cover to the discharge chute. There was a problem. In particular, this problem is serious if the configuration is such that an outward force is applied to the shaft support rib.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an automatic document feeder that can suppress the dropping of the rotating member regardless of the rotational position of the rotating member. In particular, an object of the present invention is to provide an automatic document feeder that can suppress the dropping of the rotating member without complicating the attaching operation of the rotating member.

An automatic document feeder according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a conveyance path frame that forms a conveyance path of a document,
A press roller for niping the document on the transport path; a swing bracket for biasing the press roller toward the transport path; and a detachable connecting member. The press roller is supported by the transport path frame. A rotation shaft supported so as to be movable in a direction intersecting the conveyance path, the conveyance path frame having a pair of shaft support ribs extending outward, and the swing bracket supporting the shaft support By elastically deforming the shaft support rib so as to widen the gap between the ribs, both ends have a rotation shaft inserted into the shaft holding portion of the shaft support rib, and the pair of shaft support ribs are the swing bracket. The abutting portions formed on the free end side with respect to the rotating shaft are respectively connected to the connecting member, whereby the elastic deformation is restricted.

  According to such a configuration, the rotation shaft of the swing bracket is attached to the shaft support rib by elastically deforming the pair of shaft support ribs and expanding the rib interval. For this reason, a structure is simple and attachment is also easy.

  Further, the free end sides of the shaft support ribs are connected to each other via a connecting member, thereby restricting an increase in the rib interval. For this reason, it is possible to suppress the swing bracket from falling off the shaft holding portion of the shaft support rib regardless of the rotational position of the swing bracket. Further, since the connecting member is attached to the free end side with respect to the rotating shaft of the swing bracket, the connecting member can be attached after the swing bracket is attached. Accordingly, the swing bracket can be prevented from falling off without complicating the mounting work of the swing bracket.

  The automatic document feeder according to the second aspect of the invention is configured such that, in addition to the above configuration, the connecting member is an exterior panel.

  According to such a configuration, the pair of shaft support ribs are connected to each other via the exterior panel, so that the size of the apparatus is not increased and the number of parts is not increased. Dropout can be prevented.

  An automatic document feeder according to a third aspect of the present invention has the above-described configuration, in which the connecting member has a pair of contact ribs extending inward, and by attaching the connection member, the contact rib is It is comprised so that it may contact | abut with the said shaft support rib.

  In the automatic document feeder according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the above configuration, the connecting member has a pair of insertion holes, and the shaft supporting rib is fitted into the insertion hole by attaching the connecting member. Configured to do.

  An automatic document feeder according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is configured such that, in addition to the above-described configuration, the insertion hole includes a recess that does not penetrate the connecting member.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the automatic document feeder, wherein the insertion hole includes a through-hole penetrating the connecting member, the shaft support rib protrudes in the elastic deformation direction, and the connecting member. It is comprised so that it may have a snap fit part contact | abutted with the outer surface of.

  According to such a configuration, since it is not necessary to fix the connecting member to the shaft support rib, it is possible to further facilitate the attaching operation of the connecting member to the shaft support rib.

  In the automatic document feeder according to the present invention, the rotation shaft of the swing bracket is attached to the shaft support rib by elastically deforming the pair of shaft support ribs and expanding the rib interval. For this reason, a structure is simple and an assembly is also easy. Further, the free end sides of the shaft support ribs are connected to each other via a connecting member, thereby restricting the rib interval from widening. For this reason, it is possible to suppress the swing bracket from falling off the shaft holding portion of the shaft support rib regardless of the rotational position of the swing bracket. Further, since the connecting member is attached to the free end side of the rotating shaft of the swing bracket, the connecting member can be attached after the swing bracket is attached. Accordingly, the swing bracket can be prevented from falling off without complicating the mounting work of the swing bracket.

  Further, the pair of shaft support ribs are connected to each other via the exterior panel, so that the swing bracket can be prevented from falling off without increasing the size of the apparatus and without increasing the number of parts. it can.

1 is an external view showing a configuration example of an automatic document feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing an example of the internal structure of the automatic document feeder 1 of FIG. 1, and shows a case where an open / close cover 3 is in a closed state. It is explanatory drawing which showed typically an example of the internal structure of the automatic document feeder 1 of FIG. 1, and the case where the opening-and-closing cover 3 is an open state is shown. It is explanatory drawing which expanded the range shown by the broken line A in FIG. It is explanatory drawing which expanded the range shown with the broken line A in FIG. It is the perspective view which showed the mode at the time of seeing the rocking | fluctuation bracket 5 and its periphery from diagonally upward (near conveyance path P). It is explanatory drawing about the shaft support rib 62 of FIG. It is sectional drawing which showed the mode when the rocking | fluctuation bracket 5 and its periphery were cut | disconnected by the BB cutting line of FIG. It is the perspective view which showed a mode that the rocking | fluctuation bracket 5 and its periphery were seen from diagonally downward. It is the perspective view which showed the mode at the time of attaching the exterior panel 8 from the state of FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the automatic document feeder 1 shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from below. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a main part of an automatic document feeder according to a second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a main part of an automatic document feeder according to a third embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a main part of an automatic document feeder according to a fourth embodiment.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
FIG. 1 is an external view showing a configuration example of a multifunction peripheral 100 including an automatic document feeder 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. A multifunction peripheral (MFP) 100 includes an automatic document feeder 1 and an MFP main body 2 that performs image reading, printing, facsimile transmission / reception, and the like.

  A platen glass and a contact glass (not shown) are formed on the upper surface of the document table 2t of the MFP main body 2, and the automatic document feeder 1 is disposed on the platen glass and the contact glass so as to be opened and closed. That is, the multi-function device 100 can read a document by either a fixed scanning method for reading a document placed on a platen glass or a flow scanning method for reading a document being automatically conveyed by the automatic document conveying device 1. .

  The automatic document feeder 1 includes a document tray 11 and a discharge tray 12, and a conveyance path is formed therein. The documents in the document tray 11 are separated and fed one by one, conveyed along the conveyance path, and discharged to the discharge tray 12. This conveyance path is formed so as to pass over the contact glass of the MFP main body 2, and the original is read by the MFP main body 2 when passing over the contact glass.

  In the multifunction device 100, when a document jam or the like occurs and the conveyance of the document is stopped with the document remaining on the conveyance path, the user pulls the operation lever 31 and opens the opening / closing cover 3, thereby the document on the conveyance path. Can be taken out. At this time, the nip state of the document is released by the opening operation of the opening / closing cover 3, and the document can be easily taken out.

  2 and 3 are explanatory views schematically showing an example of the internal structure of the automatic document feeder 1 shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 shows a closed state in which the open / close cover 3 is closed, and FIG. An open state in which the opening / closing cover 3 is opened is shown. The automatic document feeder 1 includes an opening / closing cover 3, a swing bracket 5, a document tray 11, a discharge tray 12, a fixing pin 13, a conveyance roller 15, a press roller 16, and an outer wall panel 17.

  The document fed from the document tray 11 is transported on the transport path P and passes on a contact glass (not shown) of the MFP main body 2 at the reading position R. At this time, the MFP body 2 reads the document. After the reading is completed, the document is discharged to the discharge tray 12.

  The transport roller 15 is a document transport unit that is driven by a drive motor (not shown) and transports the document on the transport path P. On the conveyance path P, a plurality of conveyance rollers 15 are arranged, and the conveyance rollers 15 convey the document.

  The press roller 16 is a driven roller that is disposed to face the conveyance roller 15 with the conveyance path P interposed therebetween, and is a driven roller for nipping the document on the conveyance path P. By nipping the document, slippage of the document being conveyed is suppressed.

  The outer wall panel 17 is a housing side wall provided below the left end of the opening / closing cover 3. The open / close cover 3 can be opened to a position where the outer surface abuts on the upper end of the outer wall panel 17. That is, the movable range of the opening / closing cover 3 is restricted by the upper end of the outer wall panel 17. Here, the open / close cover 3 can be opened until the maximum value of the opening angle is about 90 °.

  The open / close cover 3 is a cover that is disposed on the upper portion of the automatic document feeder 1 and covers the upstream conveyance path P. The open / close cover 3 has a shape that extends substantially horizontally on the right side and curves downward on the left side. A rotating shaft 30 is provided, and a hook 32 is provided near the right end. The opening / closing cover 3 is rotated about the rotation shaft 30 by a user's opening / closing operation, and covers the upstream portion of the transport path P in the closed state, while exposing the upstream portion of the transport path P in the open state. The hook 32 is a locking unit that fixes the opening / closing cover 3 in a closed state by fitting with the fixing pin 13 in the automatic document feeder 1. The hook 32 is connected to the operation lever 31 shown in FIG. 1, and when the user operates the operation lever 31, the hook 32 is rotated and detached from the fixed pin 13, so that the opening / closing cover 3 can be freely opened and closed.

  The swing bracket 5 is a swing member that biases the press roller 16 toward the transport roller 15, and the pressing force of the swing bracket 5 becomes the nip pressure between the transport roller 15 and the press roller 16. When the open / close cover 3 is in the closed state, the open / close cover 3 is not in contact with the swing bracket 5, and the pressing of the swing bracket 5 is not applied to the open / close cover 3. When the open / close cover 3 is opened from this state, the left end of the open / close cover 3 comes into contact with the swing bracket 5, and the open / close cover 3 contacts the swing bracket 5. When the opening / closing cover 3 is further rotated, the opening / closing cover 3 rotates the swing bracket 5 so that the press roller 16 is separated from the conveying roller 15 to release the nip state.

  4 and 5 are explanatory diagrams showing an example of the configuration of the main part of the multifunction peripheral 100 shown in FIG. 1, and are explanatory diagrams showing the ranges surrounded by the broken line A in FIGS. 2 and 3 in an enlarged manner. It is.

  The transport path frames 6 and 7 are guide frames for forming the transport path P of the document and guiding the document. The upstream side of the conveyance path frame 7 is opposed to the inner surface of the opening / closing cover 3, and a conveyance path P that is gently curved outward toward the lower left is formed as a gap therebetween. On the downstream side of the transport path frame 7, a transport path P is formed that faces the transport path frame 6 and extends obliquely to the lower right as a gap therebetween. Further, the conveyance path frames 6 and 7 are provided with openings facing each other, and the press roller 16 and the conveyance roller 15 protrude from the openings to the conveyance path P to nip the document being conveyed. .

  The exterior panel 8 is a detachable plate-like connecting member disposed so as to face the upper surface of the MFP main body 2 in FIG. The exterior panel 8 has an L-shaped cross section and is attached to the bottom surface of the automatic document feeder 1 so that the bottom surface thereof is substantially coincident with the bottom surface of the outer wall panel 17. The exterior panel 8 is formed with a notch, and the lower ends of the press roller 16 and the swing bracket 5 are exposed to the outside of the automatic document feeder 1, that is, to the MFP main body 2 side.

  The press roller 16 is a driven roller having a rotation shaft 160 that can move in a direction intersecting the transport path P. Here, it is assumed that the rotary shaft 160 can be linearly translated to the upper right or the lower left. That is, when the swing bracket 5 pushes up the rotary shaft 160, the rotary shaft 160 moves to the conveying roller 15 side and nips the document. On the other hand, when the swing bracket 5 is separated from the rotating shaft 160, the rotating shaft 160 is separated from the conveying roller 15 by the weight of the press roller 16, and the nip state is released.

  The swing bracket 5 is a swing member disposed so as to be swingable about the rotation shaft 50, and is disposed between the conveyance path frame 6 and the exterior panel 8. The swing bracket 5 includes a lower end contact portion 51 extending from the rotation shaft 50 to the lower right, an arm portion 52 extending from the rotation shaft 50 to the upper left, an upper end contact portion 53 formed at the tip of the arm portion 52, The support plate 54 extends substantially horizontally on the left side of the rotary shaft 50, and the reinforcement frame 55 that supports the arm portion 52 and the support plate 54.

  The lower end abutting portion 51 is an abutting portion that abuts on the rotating shaft 160 of the press roller 16, and an inclined surface 51 s that recedes toward the tip is formed on the upper surface of the lower end abutting portion 51. After 51 s, a flat plate portion 51 p is formed at the tip where the thickness is reduced. The upper surface of the flat plate portion 51p is in contact with the rotating shaft 160 of the press roller 16 and moves the press roller 16 according to the swinging posture of the swing bracket 5. That is, if the swing bracket 5 is rotated counterclockwise, the press roller 16 is moved to the conveying roller 15 side, and if the swing bracket 5 is rotated clockwise, the press roller 16 is moved downward by its own weight. Then, the state in contact with the swing bracket 5 is maintained.

  The arm portion 52 extends to the opposite side of the lower end contact portion 51 with the rotation shaft 50 interposed therebetween, is longer than the lower end contact portion 51, and has an upper end contact portion 53 formed at the upper end thereof. The upper end abutting portion 53 is an abutting portion that abuts the open / close cover 3, and extends upward from the tip of the arm portion 52 so as to form a steeper slope than the arm portion 52.

  The support plate 54 is a contact portion of a biasing member (not shown) that biases the swing bracket 5, and includes a pair of rectangular flat plates extending in the front-rear direction with the reinforcing frame 55 interposed therebetween. The reinforcing frame 55 includes a frame member that reinforces the arm portion 52 and the support plate 54.

  The opening / closing cover 3 has a contact portion 34 that contacts the swing bracket 5. Here, the lower end of the outer surface 33 of the opening / closing cover 3 serves as the contact portion 34. In the closed state of FIG. 4, the opening / closing cover 3 is not in contact with the swing bracket 5. However, in the opened state of FIG. The abutting portion 34 abuts on the upper end abutting portion 53 of the swing bracket 5. That is, the open / close cover 3 in the closed state is not in contact with the swing bracket 5, but the open / close cover 3 in the open state is in contact with the swing bracket 5.

  Here, if the opening angle of the opening / closing cover 3 from the closed state is an opening angle, when the opening angle reaches a certain value, the contact portion 34 of the opening / closing cover 3 is moved to the upper end contact portion 53 of the swing bracket 5. Abut. If the opening angle at this time is referred to as “association angle”, the swing bracket 5 can be rotated according to the opening angle of the opening / closing cover 3 if the opening angle is equal to or more than the meeting angle. On the other hand, if the opening angle is less than the meeting angle, the contact portion 34 of the opening / closing cover 3 is separated from the upper end contact portion 53 of the swing bracket 5 so that they are not in contact with each other. For this reason, in the closed state, the nip pressure is not applied to the opening / closing cover 3, and the nip pressure does not vary depending on the closing position of the opening / closing cover 3.

  Further, if the position where the contact portion 34 of the opening / closing cover 3 contacts is a force point and the position where the rotation shaft 160 of the press roller 16 contacts is an action point, the swing bracket 5 is a distance from the force point to the rotation shaft 50. However, by configuring it to be longer than the distance from the operating point to the rotating shaft 50, the swing bracket 5 can be rotated with a force smaller than the nip pressure. Therefore, the opening / closing operation of the opening / closing cover 3 can be facilitated while ensuring a desired nip pressure.

  FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a state in which the swing bracket 5 and its periphery are viewed obliquely from above (near the conveyance path P). The arm portion 52, the upper end contact portion 53, and the support plate 54 all have a substantially rectangular flat plate shape. Further, the flat plate portion 51p of the lower end contact portion 51 also has a substantially rectangular flat plate shape, and is wider than the arm portion 52 and the upper end contact portion 53.

  The reinforcing frame 55 includes three side wall surfaces that connect the arm portion 52 and the support plate 54, and the arm portion 52 and the reinforcing frame 55 form a triangular prism-shaped hollow portion whose lower surface is opened. Two or more reinforcing ribs 50 a are formed on the rotating shaft 50. The reinforcing rib 50 a is a streak-like convex portion formed in the circumferential direction of the rotating shaft 50.

  The urging member 9 is composed of an urging means for urging the swing bracket 5, for example, a coil spring. The pair of urging members 9 are pivoted so that one end thereof is connected to the upper surfaces of the pair of support plates 54 and the other end is connected to the conveyance path frame 6 to move the press roller 16 toward the conveyance roller 15. The bracket 5 is urged. Here, by pressing the swing bracket 5 counterclockwise in FIG. 4, the lower end contact portion 51 presses the press roller 16 from the lower side, and moves the press roller 16 to the conveying roller 15 side. That is, the nip pressure between the transport roller 15 and the press roller 16 is ensured by the urging force of the urging member 9.

  However, when the opening angle of the opening / closing cover 3 reaches the meeting angle, the contact portion 34 of the opening / closing cover comes into contact with the upper end contact portion 53 of the swing bracket 5 and both come into contact with each other. If the opening / closing cover 3 is further opened from this state, the swing bracket 5 rotates clockwise against the urging force of the urging member 9. For this reason, the swinging posture of the swinging bracket 5 changes according to the opening angle of the opening / closing cover 3, and the rotating shaft 160 of the press roller 16 moves downward. On the other hand, since the rotation shaft of the conveyance roller 15 is fixed, the rotation shaft of the conveyance roller 15 does not move, the press roller 16 is separated from the conveyance roller 15, and the nip state is released.

  The shaft support rib 62 is a U-shaped support member that supports both ends of the rotation shaft 50 of the swing bracket 5, and includes a pair of plate-like members facing each other. Here, it is assumed that the shaft support rib 62 is molded integrally with the transport path frame 6 (FIG. 4) by injection molding.

  FIG. 7 is an explanatory view of the shaft support rib 62 of FIG. 6, and is a cross-sectional view when cut along a cutting plane that passes through the shaft support rib 62 and is orthogonal to the rotation shaft 50 of the swing bracket 5. In this drawing, for the sake of convenience, the cut surface is hatched with a wide pitch, and the member that is integrally formed with the transport path frame 6 and that is visible as the background is hatched with a narrow pitch.

  The transport path frame 6 is formed with a pair of shaft support ribs 62 extending outward. A contact portion 62 a protruding downward is formed at the lower end of the outer periphery of the U-shape of the shaft support rib 62, and is inserted into the insertion hole 8 a formed in the exterior panel 8.

  The shaft support rib 62 supports the rotating shaft 50 of the swing bracket 5 together with the regulating member 65. The shaft support rib 62 and the restricting member 65 are formed at different positions in the axial direction, the shaft support rib 62 restricts the movement of the rotating shaft 50 except in the upward direction, and the restricting member 65 moves upward in the rotating shaft 50. Is restricted from moving. In this example, the rotating shaft 50 of the swing bracket 5 is held in a shaft holding portion 62 g formed on the inner peripheral surface of the shaft support rib 62.

  The restricting member 65 is a rib formed by projecting the transport path frame 6 toward the rotating shaft 50, and is molded integrally with the transport path frame 6 in the same manner as the shaft support rib 62. Further, the transport path frame 6 is formed with a through hole 62 h between connection positions where both ends of the shaft support rib 62 are connected.

  Here, it is assumed that the plurality of regulating members 65 are formed between the pair of shaft support ribs 62. The rotation shaft 50 is attached to the shaft holding portion 62g of the shaft support rib 62 by elastically deforming the pair of shaft support ribs 62 and expanding the distance therebetween.

  The insertion hole 8a of the exterior panel 8 is a through-hole that penetrates the exterior panel 8, holds the contact portion 62a of the shaft support rib 62 in the insertion hole 8a, and holds the two contact portions 62a through the insertion hole 8a. By connecting to each other, elastic deformation of the shaft support rib 62 is suppressed.

  The conveyance path frame 6 holds the rotation shaft 160 of the press roller 16 by the regulation ribs 64a and 64b that are integrally molded. More specifically, the conveyance path frame 6 is movable in a direction intersecting the conveyance path P. The rotating shaft 160 is held.

  Further, the lower end abutting portion 51 of the swing bracket 5 presses the rotation shaft 160 of the press roller 16 from below, thereby moving the rotation shaft 160 upward and causing the press roller 16 to press the transport roller 15. On the other hand, when the lower end contact portion 51 moves downward due to the rotation of the swing bracket 5, the rotary shaft 160 moves downward due to the weight of the press roller 16, and is separated from the transport roller 15.

  It is also conceivable that the shaft support rib 62 that supports the rotating shaft 50 of the swing bracket 5 is formed in an inverted U shape, and both ends of the shaft support rib are connected to the exterior panel 8. However, since a downward force is applied to the rotary shaft 50 by the biasing member 9 and the rotary shaft 160 of the press roller, there is a problem that the exterior panel 8 is easily deformed. For this reason, both ends of the shaft support rib 62 are U-shaped connected to the lower surface of the conveyance path frame 6, and elastic deformation of the shaft support rib 62 is suppressed by the insertion holes 8 a of the exterior panel 8. Is applied to the lower surface of the transport path frame 6 and the exterior panel 8. For this reason, the rotating shaft 50 can be supported without deforming the exterior panel 8 and the conveyance path frame 6.

  FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the swing bracket 5 and its periphery are cut along the BB cutting line of FIG. The rotating shaft 50 is formed with two or more streak-shaped reinforcing ribs 50a perpendicular to the axial direction.

  The shaft support rib 62 extends downward from the transport path frame 6, and a lower end thereof is a free end, and a contact portion 62 a is formed on the free end side from the holding position of the rotating shaft 50. The contact portion 62a is inserted into the insertion hole 8a of the exterior panel 8, and the outer surface, that is, the surface opposite to the other shaft support rib 62 is in contact with the inner surface of the insertion hole 8a.

  The exterior panel 8 is a detachable connecting member, and is connected to the contact portions 62a of the pair of shaft support ribs 62 so that the distance between the contact portions 62a is equal to or less than a certain value. Regulates elastic deformation. That is, the exterior panel 8 connects the pair of contact portions 62a to each other.

  A downward force is applied to the rotating shaft 50 by the biasing member 9 and the press roller 16. For this reason, the pair of shaft support ribs 62 that support both ends of the rotating shaft 50 are likely to be elastically deformed so that the distance between them is increased, and the swing bracket 5 is easily detached from the shaft support ribs 62. Therefore, by connecting the pair of contact portions 62a to each other via the exterior panel 8, this elastic deformation can be restricted and the falling off of the swinging bracket 5 can be suppressed.

  FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a state in which the swing bracket 5 and its periphery are viewed obliquely from below. Both ends of the rotation shaft 50 of the swing bracket 5 are supported by a pair of shaft support ribs 62 formed by projecting the conveyance path frame 6 downward, and the lower end contact portion 51 is a rotation shaft of the press roller 16. 160 abuts. Further, the internal space surrounded by the arm portion 52 and the reinforcing frame 55 of the swing bracket 5 is opened downward.

  The rotating shaft 50 is formed with two or more circumferential reinforcing ribs 50a and axial reinforcing ribs 50b. Both are composed of streak-like convex portions formed on the rotation shaft 50. Further, two or more reinforcing ribs 51r are formed on the lower surface of the lower end contact portion 51. The reinforcing rib 51r is composed of a streak-like convex portion extending in parallel with each other toward the tip of the lower end contact portion 51. The reinforcing ribs 51r of the lower end contact portion 51 are connected to the reinforcing ribs 50a in the circumferential direction of the rotating shaft 50, respectively, and improve the strength of the swing bracket 5.

  The rotation shaft 160 common to the two press rollers 16 has a movable range defined by the regulation ribs 63, 64a, and 64b. The regulation ribs 63, 64a and 64b are formed integrally with the transport path frame 6 and have a shape in which the transport path frame 6 protrudes downward. The restriction rib 63 is in contact with the end surface of the rotation shaft and restricts the movement of the rotation shaft 160 in the axial direction. The regulating ribs 64a and 64b are supported so that the circumferential surface of the rotation shaft 160 is sandwiched between the contact surfaces parallel to each other, and the rotation shaft 160 can move linearly in parallel with the contact surface.

  Since the press roller 16 is configured such that the roller portion rotates with respect to the fixed rotation shaft 160, the rotation of the press roller 16 is prevented by the swing bracket 5 pressing the rotation shaft 160. It will never be done.

  FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a state where the exterior panel 8 is attached from the state of FIG. The exterior panel 8 has a rectangular lower surface facing the upper surface of the MFP main body 2 in FIG. The exterior panel 8 is formed with a pair of rectangular insertion holes 8a. When the exterior panel 8 is attached to the automatic document feeder 1, the shaft support rib 62 is fitted into the insertion hole 8a, and the insertion hole is inserted. Each is exposed from 8a. Further, the exterior panel 8 exposes the lower surface of the lower end contact portion 51 of the swing bracket 5 from the notch portion 8b formed at the right center portion, and the notch portions 8c formed respectively before and after the notch portion 8b. The press roller 16 is exposed.

  FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the automatic document feeder 1 shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from below. On the lower surface of the automatic document feeder 1, a document cover 18 is disposed at the center, and an exterior panel 8 is disposed on the left side of the document cover 18. Further, the press roller 16, the lower end contact portion 51 of the swing bracket 5, and the shaft support rib 62 are exposed through the insertion hole and the cutout portion of the exterior panel 8. Further, two hinge portions 19 are formed at the rear end portion (front side in the drawing).

  The document cover 18 is a rectangular cover for pressing a document placed on the contact glass of the MFP main body 2 against the contact glass. The hinge unit 19 is a connection mechanism that connects the automatic document feeder 1 and the MFP main body 2 so as to be openable and closable.

  According to the present embodiment, the rotation shaft 50 of the swing bracket 5 can be easily attached to the shaft support rib 62 by elastically deforming the pair of shaft support ribs 62 and expanding the gap between the ribs. In addition, the free end sides of the shaft support ribs 62 to which the rotary shaft 50 is attached are connected to each other by the exterior panel 8, thereby restricting the rib interval from widening and preventing the swinging bracket 5 from falling off. Therefore, the swing bracket 5 can be easily attached and can be held so as not to easily fall off. In addition, it can be realized with a simple configuration.

  In particular, the pair of shaft support ribs 62 are connected to each other via the exterior panel 8 to prevent the swing bracket 5 from falling off without increasing the size of the apparatus and increasing the number of parts. can do. Furthermore, by forming the insertion hole 8 a for inserting the shaft support rib 62 in the exterior panel 8, the work of attaching the exterior panel 8 to the shaft support rib 62 can be facilitated.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
In the first embodiment, the example in which the shaft support rib 62 is inserted into the insertion hole 8a by bringing one side surface of the shaft support rib 62 into contact with the insertion hole 8a of the exterior panel 8 has been described. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, an example in which the shaft support rib 62 has a snap fit portion that comes into contact with the outer surface of the exterior panel 8 will be described.

  FIG. 12 is a view showing an example of the configuration of the main part of the automatic document feeder according to the second embodiment. Similarly to FIG. 8, the swing bracket 5 and its periphery are taken along the line BB in FIG. It is sectional drawing which showed the mode at the time of cut | disconnecting by. Compared with FIG. 8, a difference is that a snap fit portion 62 c is formed on the contact portion 62 b of the shaft support rib 62. In addition, about the structure same as FIG. 8, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and description is abbreviate | omitted.

  The contact portion 62 b of the shaft support rib 62 is formed on the free end side with respect to the holding position of the rotating shaft 50. The contact portion 62 b is inserted into the insertion hole 8 a and contacts the outer surface of the exterior panel 8. The snap fit portion 62c is a claw-like projection that projects in the direction in which the shaft support rib 62 is elastically deformed, and a contact surface for contacting the outer surface of the exterior panel 8 is formed on the upper surface of the snap fit portion 62c. Has been.

  The pair of shaft support ribs 62 are elastically deformed in the direction in which the distance between the pair is increased as in FIG. The snap fit portion 62 c protrudes in the direction opposite to the elastic deformation direction, that is, the direction toward the other shaft support rib 62, and comes into contact with the outer surface of the exterior panel 8.

  At the time of attaching / detaching the exterior panel 8, by elastically deforming the shaft support ribs 62 in the direction in which they are brought close to each other, the snap fit portion 62c can be brought out of contact with the exterior panel 8, and the exterior panel 8 can be easily attached / detached. be able to.

  According to the present embodiment, the shaft support rib 62 has the snap fit portion 62 c that protrudes in the direction of elastic deformation, and the shaft support rib 62 can be brought into contact with the outer surface of the exterior panel 8. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the shaft support rib 62 from dropping from the insertion hole 8a due to an impact applied from the outside or elastic deformation of the shaft support rib 62. Further, since it is not necessary to fix the exterior panel 8 to the shaft support rib 62, the work of attaching the exterior panel 8 to the shaft support rib 62 can be further facilitated.

Embodiment 3 FIG.
In the first embodiment, an example in which the shaft support rib 62 is inserted into the insertion hole 8a has been described. In contrast, in the present embodiment, an example in which a pair of contact ribs extending inward on the exterior panel 8 is formed and the contact ribs contact the shaft support rib 62 will be described.

  FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a main part of the automatic document feeder according to the third embodiment. Similarly to FIG. 8, the swing bracket 5 and its surroundings are taken along the line BB in FIG. It is sectional drawing which showed the mode when cut | disconnecting by. Compared with FIG. 8, the insertion panel 8 is not formed in the exterior panel 8 and is different in that it includes a contact rib 8 d extending inward. In addition, about the structure same as FIG. 8, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and description is abbreviate | omitted.

  As with the first embodiment, the shaft support rib 62 has an upper end connected to the transport path frame 6 and a lower end formed as a free end. A contact portion 62d of the shaft support rib 62 is formed on the free end side from the holding position of the rotation shaft 50. The abutting portion 62 d abuts the surface opposite to the surface facing the other shaft support rib 62 with the abutting rib 8 d of the exterior panel 8.

  The exterior panel 8 is a detachable connecting member, and a pair of contact ribs 8 d extending upward and perpendicular to the exterior panel 8 is formed on the upper surface of the exterior panel 8. The contact ribs 8d are a pair of plate-like members, and the surfaces facing each other hold the contact portions 62d of the pair of shaft support ribs 62, so that the distance between the contact portions 62d increases. Regulates elastic deformation.

  According to the present embodiment, the shaft support rib 62 is elastically deformed in the direction in which the shaft support rib 62 spreads out as in the first embodiment. Therefore, by attaching the exterior panel 8, the contact rib 8d contacts the shaft support rib 62, and the elastic deformation in this direction is suppressed. Accordingly, it is possible to suppress the dropping of the rotating shaft 50 of the swing bracket 5 due to the elastic deformation of the shaft support rib 62.

Embodiment 4 FIG.
In the first and second embodiments, the example in which the insertion hole 8a is a through-hole penetrating the exterior panel 8 has been described. In contrast, in the present embodiment, an example in which the insertion hole 8a does not penetrate the exterior panel 8 will be described.

  FIG. 14 is a view showing an example of the configuration of the main part of the automatic document feeder according to the fourth embodiment. Similarly to FIG. 8, the swing bracket 5 and its surroundings are taken along the line BB in FIG. It is sectional drawing which showed the mode at the time of cut | disconnecting by. Compared to FIG. 8, the insertion hole 8 e is different from the concave portion that does not penetrate the exterior panel 8. In addition, about the structure same as FIG. 8, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and description is abbreviate | omitted.

  As with the first embodiment, the shaft support rib 62 has an upper end connected to the transport path frame 6 and a lower end formed as a free end. A contact portion 62e of the shaft support rib 62 is formed on the free end side from the holding position of the rotating shaft 50, and the outer surface of the contact portion 62e, that is, the surface opposite to the other shaft support rib 62 is formed. Is in contact with the inner surface of the insertion hole 8e.

  In the above embodiment, an example in which the pair of shaft support ribs 62 are coupled to each other via the exterior panel 8 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to such a case. For example, even if the exterior panel 8 is not in direct contact with the shaft support rib 62, it is sufficient if the shaft support rib 62 is indirectly connected to each other. Further, the pair of shaft support ribs 62 may be connected to each other using a connecting member other than the exterior panel 8.

  Moreover, although the said embodiment demonstrated the example in case the lower end contact part 51 of the rocking | fluctuation bracket 5 contact | abuts to the rotating shaft 160 of the press roller 16, this invention is not limited to this. For example, one end of the swing bracket 5 may be configured to be attached to the press roller 16 so that the swing bracket 5 can swing.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Automatic document conveying apparatus 2 MFP main-body part 3 Opening / closing cover 5 Swing brackets 6, 7 Carriage path frame 8 Exterior panel 8a, 8e Insertion hole 8d Contact rib 15 Carrying roller 16 Press rollers 30, 50, 160 Rotating shaft 62 Shaft support Ribs 34, 62a, 62b, 62d, 62e Contact portion 62c Snap fit portion 62g Shaft holding portion 62h Through hole 63, 64a Restriction rib 65 Restriction member 100 Multifunction device 160 Rotating shaft P Transport path R Reading position

Claims (6)

A conveyance path frame that forms a conveyance path for the document;
A press roller for nipping the document on the transport path;
A swing bracket for urging the press roller toward the conveying path;
A detachable connecting member,
The press roller has a rotation shaft supported by the conveyance path frame so as to be movable in a direction intersecting the conveyance path,
The transport path frame has a pair of shaft support ribs extending outward,
The swing bracket has a rotation shaft whose both ends are inserted into the shaft holding portion of the shaft support rib by elastically deforming the shaft support rib so as to widen the interval between the shaft support ribs,
The pair of shaft support ribs are characterized in that the elastic deformation is restricted by connecting the contact portions formed on the free end side with respect to the rotation shaft of the swing bracket to the connection member, respectively. Automatic document feeder.   The automatic document feeder according to claim 1, wherein the connecting member is an exterior panel. The connecting member has a pair of contact ribs extending inward,
3. The automatic document feeder according to claim 1, wherein the contact rib contacts the shaft support rib by attaching the connecting member. The connecting member has a pair of insertion holes,
The automatic document feeder according to claim 1, wherein the shaft support rib is fitted into the insertion hole by attaching the connecting member.   The automatic document feeder according to claim 4, wherein the insertion hole is a recess that does not penetrate the connecting member. The insertion hole comprises a through hole that penetrates the connecting member,
The automatic document feeder according to claim 4, wherein the shaft support rib has a snap-fit portion that protrudes in the elastic deformation direction and abuts against an outer surface of the connecting member.

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