JP3461785B2 - Document feeder - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a document feeder used in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a facsimile machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIGS. 7A and 7B are a plan view and a front view showing a document feeder 102 attached to an image forming apparatus 101.
It is (b). The document feeder 102 feeds a document from a document setting table 106, a feeding unit 104 that feeds the fed document onto a contact glass of the image forming apparatus 101, and a read document on a document tray 107. And a discharging unit 105 for discharging. Each unit 103-105 has a
It is attached to a metal frame 110. Further, the units 103 to 105 and the frame 110 are entirely covered with a resin exterior cover 111.

Reference numerals 108 and 109 open and close the document feeding device 102, and therefore the frame 110 and the image forming device 10 are connected.
1 is a hinge attached to the main body. As can be seen from FIG. 7A, the units 103 to 105 are dispersed and arranged in the frame 110 in a plan view. In FIG. 7B, the flow of document feeding, conveying, and discharging is indicated by the symbol A.

[0004]

On the other hand, in the document feeder, the image reading unit in the image forming apparatus is stopped without scanning, the image is read while the document is conveyed, and the read image is stored as data. The configuration of "do" has been put to practical use. In this configuration, the paper feed unit, the transport unit, and the discharge unit are not dispersedly arranged in the document feeder, but are concentratedly arranged near the image reading unit. Therefore, the force concentrates on one of the two hinges. Therefore, strengthening of the frame strength is required, but strengthening the frame causes a problem of increasing weight.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a document feeder which can maintain a sufficient strength even when a force is concentrated on a hinge and which is lightweight.

[0006]

Document feeder of the present invention, according to the means and the invention for solving the problems] takes the document is conveyed to the image reading unit, a paper feeding and conveying and discharging unit for discharging the sheet feed-
It has an exterior cover that covers the transport / discharge unit , and a connecting stay fixed to the side surface of the paper feeding / transporting / discharging unit . The connecting stay is fixed directly to the side surface of the hinge.
It is what According to the above configuration, since the paper feeding / transporting / discharging unit, the connecting stay, and the hinge can be integrated, the weight of the paper feeding / transporting / discharging unit, which occupies the majority of the document feeding device, is Can be gathered on the hinge.

Therefore, it is possible to realize a document feeder having a sufficient strength and a light weight.

[0008]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 and 2
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing appearances of the document feeding device 1 and the image forming apparatus main body 2. 1 shows a state in which the document feeding device 1 is closed, and FIG. 2 shows a state in which the document feeding device 1 is opened. This image forming apparatus is an image forming apparatus capable of reading an image while conveying a document and accumulating the read image as data, and is a multifunctional type that can be used as a facsimile, a printer, a copier, etc., by itself. Device.

On the upper surface of the image forming apparatus main body 2, there is provided an operation panel 4 on which ten keys, function keys, a display and the like are arranged. A recessed portion located under the operation panel 4 serves as a discharge table 5 for receiving the image-formed sheet. A paper cassette 6 that can be pulled out is fitted under the front surface of the image forming apparatus main body 2. Document feeder 1
On the top surface of the image forming apparatus main body 2 are two hinges (see FIG.
It is installed so that it can be opened and closed via 7a and 7b.
A paper pressing plate 8 is adhered to the lower surface of the document feeder 1.

The document feeder 1 includes a document setting table 11 and
It has a document tray 9 for storing the read and discharged documents. Further, the document feeding device 1 is a so-called sheet-through type, and the document 10 placed on the document setting table 11 is used.
A sheet feeding / conveying / discharging unit (hereinafter, referred to as “main unit”) 3 that takes in the sheets one by one, conveys them to the image reading unit, and discharges them to the original tray 9 is provided.

The main unit 3 is a document feeder 1
One side (the left side when facing the front of the image forming apparatus main body 2) is biased. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the document feeder 1. The document feeder 1 is
It has a document set table 11 for storing the documents 10, a document tray 9 for storing the read and discharged documents, and a main unit 3. The main unit 3 includes an openable and closable upper cover 14 including a middle feed transport roller 12 and a front feed transport roller 13, a lift plate (not shown) that lifts the leading edge of the original 10 during sheet feeding, and detects the leading edge of the original 10. Sensor 46, the document 10 is aligned by being pressed against the leading edge of the document 10, and then the document roller 10 sends the document 10 to the reading position of the image detection unit 18, and the contact glass plate 17 directly above the image detection unit 18. The reading guide 19 for preventing the guided original 10 from floating, the read original 1
It has a discharge roller 20 for discharging 0, a sensor 47 for detecting the rear end of the document 10, and the like.

More specifically, the upper cover 14 includes
A front feed transport roller 13 and a middle feed transport roller 12 are provided and connected to each other by a belt 21. The separation roller 45 is adapted to abut on the middle feed transport roller 12.
With the upper cover 14 closed, the lower surface portion 22 of the upper cover 14 and the curved plate 23 of the main body of the document feeder 1 form a conveyance path. The sensor 46,
A resist roller 16 and a play roller 24 in contact therewith are arranged.

At the tip of the resist roller 16, a paper guide 2 for guiding the original 10 to the contact glass plate 17.
A conveyance path constituted by 5 and the reading guide 19 is formed. Near both ends of the reading guide 19, a pressing protrusion 19a (see FIG.
Are provided respectively). These pressing protrusions 1
For 9a, the reading guide 19 and the contact glass plate 1
A gap of about 0.5 mm is formed between the document and the sheet 7, and the document passes through this gap.

Further, a conveyance path for guiding the original 10 that has passed the reading position is provided with the reading guide 19 and the paper guide 26.
It is formed by. At the end of this conveyance path, a discharge roller 20 interlocked with the registration roller 16 by a belt, and the original 1
A sensor 47 for detecting the rear end of 0 is provided. When reading the document conveyed by the document feeder 1, the image detector 18 stands still under the reading guide 19 in FIG. 3, but the document feeder 1 is opened and placed on the contact glass plate 17a. When scanning a document such as a book,
It is scanned by a scanning mechanism (not shown).

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the document feeder 1 as viewed from the bottom. An elongated connecting stay 9 made of metal (iron, stainless steel, etc.) is attached to the side surface of the main unit 3, and a hinge 7a is attached to the connecting stay 9.
A resin exterior cover 52 covers the main unit 3 and the paper pressing plate 8. In FIG. 5, the connecting stay 9 is attached to the main unit 3, and the hinge 7 is attached to the connecting stay 9.
It is an exploded perspective view showing a method of attaching a. Figure 6
It is a perspective view showing a state in which a connecting stay 9 is attached to the main unit 3 and a hinge 7a is attached to the connecting stay 9.

The connecting stay 9 is shaped like an elongated rod having a U-shaped cross section, and one end of the connecting stay 9 is provided with a hole for fixing it to the hinge 7a.
It is fastened to the side surface 72 of the hinge 7a with a screw 71. Also,
Holes 92 for inserting screws for attaching to the main unit 3 are provided near both ends of the connecting stay 9.
It is fastened to the side surface 3a of the main unit 3 with a screw 91. As described above, the metal connecting stay 9 is attached to the main unit 3, and the connecting stay 9 is
Since the hinge 7a is attached, the weight of the main unit 3 is directly applied to the hinge 7a. Therefore, since a large force is not applied to the outer cover 52 and the like, the outer cover 52 is not deformed or cracked. That is, since strength is not required for the outer cover 52, the selection range of the material of the outer cover 52 is widened.

Further, since the connecting stay 9 is in the shape of a single elongated rod, even if it is made of metal, its weight is light. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the weight of the document feeding device 1 as a whole. The embodiment of the present invention has been described above.
The embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment,
Various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention. For example, the method of attaching the main unit 3, the connecting stay 9, and the hinge 7a to each other is not limited to screwing, but welding may be used. Further, in the above description, there are two hinges for opening and closing the document feeder, but there may be three or more hinges, and the hinge to which the connecting stay is attached may be one of them. Good.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of a document feeding device 1 and an image forming apparatus main body 2, showing a state in which the document feeding device 1 is closed.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing appearances of a document feeding device 1 and an image forming apparatus main body 2, showing a state in which the document feeding device 1 is opened.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the document feeder 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the document feeding device 1 seen from the lower surface.

FIG. 5: Attaching a connecting stay 9 to the main unit 3,
It is an exploded perspective view showing a method of attaching hinge 7a to connecting stay 9.

[FIG. 6] Attaching a connecting stay 9 to the main unit 3,
It is a perspective view showing the state where hinge 7a was attached to connecting stay 9.

FIG. 7 is a plan view (a) and a front view (b) showing a document feeding device 102 attached to the image forming apparatus 101.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Document feeder 3 main unit 7a, 7b hinge 9 Connection stay 52 Exterior cover

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. An image forming apparatus main body is attached to one end of an upper surface thereof.
A document feeder that can be opened / closed via a hinge that feeds a document, conveys it to the image reading unit, and discharges it.
And conveying and discharge unit, and the exterior cover for covering the paper feed and conveyance and discharge unit, and a connecting stay which is fixed to the side surface of the paper feed and conveyance and discharge unit, the connecting stays, the side surface of the hinge Fixed directly to
Hara Kooku Ri apparatus characterized by that. 2. A plurality of hinges for opening and closing the document feeder are provided, and the hinge to which the connecting stay is attached is one of the hinges.
The document feeder described.