JP2562050B2 - Image exposure device - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image exposure apparatus provided with a moving scanning unit that scans a document in a predetermined direction to scan and expose the image light of the document onto an image receiving member.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, as such an image exposure apparatus, as shown in FIG.
There is an image reading apparatus 100 as shown in (b). The image reading apparatus 100 includes an illumination unit U _{1 including} a light source 103 that illuminates a document 102 placed on a glass 101, a mirror 104 that folds back the reflected image light, and a photoelectric conversion element 108 that reflects the reflected image light. It has a mirror unit U ₂ composed of two mirrors 105, 106 and the like that are guided back to the mirror unit. The mirror unit U _{1, the} mirror unit U _{2 and the} like slide on a shaft 114 and a rail 115 fixed on a base 113. It is held freely (see FIG. 5 (a)). (Hereinafter, the illumination unit U ₁ and the mirror unit U ₂ are collectively referred to as a traveling optical system.) On the other hand, on the base 113, the lens 107, the photoelectric conversion element 108, and the original image light entering the photoelectric conversion element 108 are excluded. Reading unit U composed of cover 109 etc. for blocking stray light
_The drive unit U _{4 including the} motor ₃ , the motor 110, and the gear train 111 that rotates in response to the motor 110 is fixed.

Wire 11 wound around one gear of this drive unit U ₄
2 is routed around the lighting unit U ₁ and the mirror unit U ₂ so as to travel at speeds V and V / 2, respectively, according to the principle of a moving pulley.

Next, referring to FIG. 6 showing a configuration diagram of the drive unit U ₄ , gears 126, 127, 128 are rotatably inserted into shafts 122, 123, 124 fixed vertically on a substrate 121, respectively.
The driving rotation of the motor 110 is transmitted to the gear 126 from the gear 125 which is inserted so as to rotate following the motor shaft. This driving rotation is performed through the gear 127 and the gear 12 around which the wire 112 is wound.
It is transmitted to 8. As a result, the wire 112 is driven and the traveling optical system moves. Further, retaining rings 129, 130, 131 are attached to the motor shafts and the shafts 122, 123, and function as retaining gears.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, since one retaining ring 129, 130, 131 is used for each of the gears 126, 127, 1281, the retaining rings 129, 130, 131 are fixed to the gear as the number of gears increases. There was a problem that the assembly process increased and the production efficiency decreased.

As a means for reducing the number of retaining rings used, there is a method shown in FIG. This is one in which one gear 151 is used to prevent the other gears 150, 152 from coming off, and a retaining ring 153 is used only for the gear 151.

However, with this means, although the number of retaining rings used is reduced, since the gear 151 is used as a retaining member, vertical movement of the gear causes sliding rotation of the gears on the retaining surface, resulting in poor gear meshing performance. There is a problem that it does or causes load fluctuation. Further, dust and the like in the apparatus are likely to drop and adhere to each gear, which also deteriorates the meshing performance and deteriorates the image quality.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to prevent a gear from slipping off with a single cover, thereby greatly reducing the number of assembling steps, and to provide a protective cover that can be easily removed. An object of the present invention is to provide an image exposure apparatus that facilitates maintenance of a drive system such as replacement of gears and further prevents dust from adhering to gears to maintain image quality.

(Means for Solving the Problem) Therefore, the present invention includes a moving scanning unit that scans a document in a predetermined direction to scan and expose the image light of the document on the image receiving member, and the moving scanning unit includes a plurality of gears. In an image exposure apparatus driven by a drive system including a gear transmission mechanism having the image receiving member, the image receiving member is protected by a protective cover, the protective cover is extended to cover the gear transmission mechanism, and the protective cover is provided to the gear. It serves as a retaining means for a plurality of gears of the transmission mechanism.

(Operation) Therefore, the present invention is intended to extend the protective cover for protecting the image receiving member to prevent the plurality of gears of the gear transmission mechanism from coming off, thereby improving the assemblability and serviceability.

Further, the protective cover prevents dust from adhering to the gear transmission mechanism, maintains a highly accurate movement of the moving scanning means, and can maintain high image quality of an image received by the image receiving member.

(Examples) The present invention will be described below with reference to illustrated examples.

1 and 2 show a first embodiment of the present invention. First, referring to FIG. 2 (b), an illumination unit V _{1 including} a light source 3 for illuminating an original 2 placed on a glass 1, a mirror 4 for folding back the reflected image light, and the reflected image light The mirror unit V ₂ composed of two mirrors 5 and 6 for guiding the light back to the photoelectric conversion element 8 as an image receiving member is
A shaft 14 and a rail 15 fixed on a base 13 are slidably held. Here, the moving scanning means is composed of an illumination unit V ₁ and a mirror unit V ₂ . Base 13
The reading unit V ₃ is composed of a lens 7, a photoelectric conversion element 8 and a protective cover 9 for blocking stray light excluding the original image light entering the photoelectric conversion element 8, and a motor 10 in the vicinity of the reading unit V _3. A drive unit V _{4 including} a gear train 11 and the like that is driven to rotate is fixed. This drive unit
The wire 12 wound around one gear of V ₄ makes the illumination unit V ₁ and the mirror unit V ₂ V, V / V /
Routed to run at speed 2.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a drive unit V ₄ as a drive system including a reading unit V ₃ and a gear transmission mechanism. In FIG. 1, a substrate 21 and a reading unit V ₃ are fixed on a base 13. Gears 26, 27, 28 are rotatably inserted into shafts 22, 23, 24 fixed upright on the substrate 21, respectively, and the driving rotation of the motor 10 is inserted so as to rotate following the motor shaft. The transmitted gear 25 is transmitted to the gear 26. This driving rotation is transmitted via a gear 27 to a gear 28 around which the wire 12 locked by a traveling optical system (not shown) is wound. As a result, the wire 12 is driven and the traveling optical system moves.

On the other hand, the reading unit V ₃ fixed to the base 13 is
Lens 7 fixed on top, photoelectric conversion element 8, circuit board 30
The protective cover 9 is fixed to the holder 29 or the base 13. Further, the protective cover 9 is smooth protrusion 9a of the circular centered at the center and approximately the same position of the part is positioned to the upper part close proximity to the motor shaft and the shaft 22 of the drive unit V ₄ axis formed Has been done.

In such a structure, when the protective cover 9 is fixed, the protective cover 9 is attached to the motor shaft and the gears 25, 22 inserted in the shafts 22, 23.
Functions as a retainer for 26 and 27. Further, even when the gears 25, 26, 27 move up and down, they can hit the protrusion 9a of the protective cover 9 and obtain stable rotation of the gear. Further, the protective cover 9 prevents dust from adhering to the gears 25, 26, 27, maintains the highly accurate movement of the illumination unit V1 and the mirror unit V2 constituting the moving / scanning means, and uses the photoelectric function as an image receiving element. The quality of the image exposed on the conversion element 8 can be kept high.

(Other Embodiments) FIGS. 3 and 4 explain the second embodiment of the present invention.

The parts having the same functions and operations as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and in this embodiment, only the method of fixing the protective cover 50 of the reading unit V ₃ is different.

That is, in FIG. ₃ , one end of the protective cover 50 of the reading unit V ₃ is fixed to the holder 51, and the other end is fixed to the shaft 52.

Next, FIG. 4 shows a detailed view of the protective cover 50. The protective cover 50 has an opening 31 through which the image light of the original passes through the lens 7 and a holder 51.
A hook-shaped protrusion 32 for fixing to the shaft and a groove 33 for fixing to the shaft 52 are formed. On the other hand, the shaft 52 is formed such that the diameter thereof is partly thin with the width corresponding to the thickness of the protective cover 50, and the groove 33 is fitted in this part.

In this embodiment, the protective cover 50 of the reading unit V ₃ is fixed by using the gear shaft of the drive unit V ₄ ,
A protective cover that functions as a retainer for the gears 25, 26, 27 inserted in the motor shaft and the shafts 22, 52, and is compared to the first embodiment.
Not only can the protective cover 50 be easily attached and detached, but also the protective cover 50 can be fixed in a stable state because the protective cover 50 is supported at both ends. Also in this embodiment, the protective cover 50 has a function of preventing dust from adhering to the gears 25, 26 and 27.

Although the above description has been centered on the image reading apparatus, the present invention can of course be applied to an electrophotographic copying machine provided with a moving scanning means for scanning and exposing an image receiving member.

(Effect of the Invention) As described above, according to the present invention, by using the protective cover as the retaining means for retaining the gear of the drive system from the gear shaft, the retaining of a plurality of gears is reduced to one protective cover. The number of assembling steps can be reduced regardless of the number of gears.

Also, the protective cover can be removed in a very short time during service, and maintenance of the drive system such as gear replacement can be easily performed.

Furthermore, since the protective cover is used to prevent the gear from coming off, the protective cover can be fixed in a stable state even if the shape becomes large.

Further, the protective cover prevents dust from adhering to the gear transmission mechanism, maintains highly accurate movement of the moving scanning means, and can maintain high image quality of the image received by the image receiving member.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a reading unit and a drive unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b) are schematic configuration diagrams of an image reading apparatus of the present invention. 2A is a top view thereof, FIG. 2B is a side view thereof, FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a reading unit and a drive unit of a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a second view of the present invention. Detailed views of the protective cover of the reading unit of the embodiment, FIGS. 5 (a) and 5 (b) are schematic configuration diagrams of a conventional image reading apparatus, and FIG. 5 (a) is its top view and FIG. b) is its side view, FIG. 6 (a),
(B) and FIG. 7 are configuration diagrams of a drive unit according to a conventional technique. Explanation of reference numerals 1 ... Glass, 2 ... Original 3 ... Light source, 4,5, 6 ... Mirror 7 ... Lens, 8 ... Photoelectric conversion element 9, 50 ... Protective cover 10 ... Motor, 11 ... Gear train 12 ... Wire, 13 ... Base 14 ... Shaft, 15 ... Rail 21 ... Board 22, 23, 24, 52 ... Shaft 25, 26, 27, 28 ... Gear 29, 51 ... Holder 30 ... Circuit board, 31 ... Opening 32 ... Hook-shaped protrusion 33 ... groove

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A moving scanning means for scanning an original in a predetermined direction to scan and expose image light of the original onto an image receiving member, the moving scanning means being driven by a drive system having a gear transmission mechanism having a plurality of gears. In addition, in the image exposure device, the image receiving member is protected by a protective cover, and the protective cover is extended to cover the gear transmission mechanism, and the protective cover serves as a retaining means for a plurality of gears of the gear transmission mechanism. An image exposure apparatus characterized in that