JP4239816B2 - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus including a reading unit that reads a document and a recording unit that records a read image on a recording sheet.

Some image forming apparatuses have a function of reading a document and a function of printing an image, such as a copying machine and a scanner printer. Generally, the reading unit and the printing unit are separate units. Therefore, the device was expensive.

Therefore, in Patent Document 1, an image read by scanning a document with a reading head is converted into an electrical signal, the recording head is controlled by the electrical signal, scanned on a recording medium, recorded, and read by a copying apparatus that obtains a copied image. A common guide member that guides the movement of the head and the recording head in a predetermined scanning direction, and a reading head and a traveling direction in which the recording head is guided and scanned by the common guide member during enlargement copying, and a reading head during reduction copying In addition, the recording head is guided by the common guide member so as to be in the direction opposite to the traveling direction of scanning.

As a result, the reading head and the recording head can perform guide scanning without colliding with each other on a common guide member.
Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 61-261196

In Patent Document 1, the reading head is guided and supported by two main scanning guide rails, both ends of the main scanning guide rail are supported by the sub scanning table, and the sub scanning table is guided and supported by the sub scanning guide rail. The same applies to the recording head.

Therefore, when scanning the reading head along the sub-scanning guide rail, it is necessary to move the recording head at the same time. The same applies to scanning the recording head. Therefore, the operation of both heads is complicated in exchange for the common guide member. Further, since the reading head and the recording head are provided in the same unit, it is difficult to perform maintenance work such as ink replacement.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of reducing the number of parts by using a common member, reducing the height of the apparatus, and easily separating a reading unit and a recording unit.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an image forming apparatus including a reading unit that reads a document and a recording unit that records the read image on a recording medium. The reading unit includes a scanning groove on a bottom surface. The recording unit includes a carrier, a carriage that detachably supports the carrier, a guide shaft that guides and scans the carriage, a carriage rail that hooks and scans the carriage, and a read head. And a frame for supporting both ends of the guide shaft as well as a read head rail for scanning by hooking a groove.

In this way, instead of omitting the guide shaft that guides and scans the recording head, which has been required in the past, the member can be made common by hooking the groove of the reading head to the reading head rail of the recording unit and performing the guide scanning. The height of the apparatus can be reduced by reducing the number of points, and the reading unit and the recording unit can be easily separated.

In the above-described image forming apparatus, the same effect can be obtained even if a protrusion rail is formed instead of the groove formed in the read head and a groove is formed instead of the read head rail.

In the image forming apparatus described above, the carriage can be guided and scanned by hooking a flange having a U-shaped cross section formed on the upper end of the carriage onto the carriage rail.

A first casing surrounding the reading section and a second casing surrounding the recording section are provided, and the first casing and the second casing are joined by a hinge so as to be openable and closable. Can do.

With this configuration, the first housing can be opened for ink replacement and the reading unit and the recording unit can be easily separated.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus including a reading unit that reads a document and a recording unit that records the read image on a recording sheet, and the reading unit includes a reading head in which a scanning groove is formed on a bottom surface. The recording unit supports a carrier composed of an ink tank, a carriage having the carrier detachably supported, and a collar portion having a U-shaped cross section formed at the upper end, and a guide scanning through the lower end portion of the carriage. A guide shaft, a carriage rail that hooks and scans the collar of the carriage, and a read head rail that hooks and scans the groove of the read head, and a frame that supports both ends of the guide shaft. A first case surrounding the reading unit; and a second case surrounding the recording unit, wherein the first case and the second case can be opened and closed. Characterized in that it is joined by Nji.

According to the present invention, instead of omitting the guide shaft that guides and scans the recording head, which has been necessary in the past, the scanning head groove is hooked on the read head rail of the recording unit to perform the guide scanning, thereby making the member common Can reduce the number of parts and reduce the height of the device,
In addition, the reading unit and the recording unit can be easily separated.

1 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of a scanner printer, FIG. 2 is a view showing a state in which the lid of FIG. 1 is opened,
FIG. 3 is a view showing a state in which the first housing of FIG. 1 is opened. In FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the internal structure of the scanner printer is omitted for simplification. The scanner printer 10 has a first housing 11 incorporating a reading unit such as a scanner, a lid 12 for covering the upper surface of the first housing 11 and suppressing a document, and a paper discharge port 13a on the front surface. And a second housing 13 having a built-in recording unit such as a printer. The first housing 11 and the lid 12, and the first housing 11 and the second housing 13 are joined to each other on the back by a hinge (not shown) so as to be opened and closed.

4 is a perspective view showing a carrier frame in the second housing 13, FIG. 5 is a side view of the frame on which the carrier is mounted, FIG. 6 is a front view of FIG. 5, and FIG. 7 is a top view of FIG. is there. The broken line in FIG. 4 represents the second housing 13.

The recording unit includes a carrier 14 such as an ink tank, a carriage 15 that detachably supports the carrier 14, a guide shaft 16 that guides and scans the carriage 15, a carriage rail 17a that hooks and scans the carriage 15, and a reading that will be described later. It has a read head rail 17b that scans by hooking the groove of the head, and a frame 17 that supports both ends of the guide shaft 16.

The carrier 14 is fixed to the carriage 15 by a locking portion (not shown) such as a claw. Further, at the upper end of the carriage 15, a hook portion 15a having a U-shaped cross section for hooking on the carriage rail 17a is formed. The formation position of the flange portion 15 is not limited to the upper end of the carriage 15 and may be near the center. Further, a hemispherical protrusion 15b is formed on the inner side of the flange portion 15a.
Is formed. Since the projection 15b contacts the carriage rail 17a, the carriage 15 can be smoothly scanned.

The guide shaft 16 only needs to support the carriage 15 together with the read head rail 17b, and can be provided near the lower end or the center of the carriage 15 as shown in FIG. In order to stably support the carriage 15, it is desirable to provide the flange portion 15a and the guide shaft 16 as far apart as possible.

The carriage rail 17a only needs to be able to hook the flange portion 15a, and can be a plate bent at a right angle as shown in FIG. 5 or a groove-shaped member. Further, the read head rail 17b has only to have a shape that fits a groove of a read head, which will be described later, and a plate-like shape as shown in FIG. 5 or a member having a rounded plate-like tip portion can be used.

With the above configuration, the carrier 14 can be stably scanned in parallel with the guide shaft 16.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the read head in the first housing 11. The reading unit includes a reading head 18 composed of an image sensor, and a scanning groove 18 a is formed on the bottom surface of the reading head 18. The groove 18a is caught by the read head rail 17b of the recording unit. As a result, the read head 18 scans while being guided by the read head rail 17b. At this time, the read head 18 and the carriage 15 do not contact each other. Further, since the reading unit and the recording unit are merely in contact with the groove 18a and the reading head rail 17b, the first housing 11 can be opened for ink replacement or the like as shown in FIG. .

It should be noted that there is no problem even if the structure of the read head groove and the read head rail 17b is reversed. In other words, a protrusion rail serving as a rail may be provided on the bottom surface of the read head, and a groove may be provided on the upper end of the frame 17.

Thus, instead of omitting the guide shaft that guides and scans the recording head, which has been necessary in the past, the groove 18a of the reading head 18 is hooked on the reading head rail 17b of the recording unit to perform the guide scanning, thereby sharing the members. The number of parts can be reduced, the height of the apparatus can be reduced, and the reading unit and the recording unit can be easily separated.

An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes a reading unit that reads a document, such as a scanner printer or a copier,
The present invention can be used in an image forming apparatus including a recording unit that records a read image on a recording sheet.

1 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of a scanner printer. It is a figure which shows the state which opened the cover of FIG. It is a figure which shows the state which opened the 1st housing | casing of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the flame | frame for carriers in a 2nd housing | casing. It is a side view of the flame | frame carrying a carrier. FIG. 6 is a front view of FIG. 5. FIG. 6 is a top view of FIG. 5. It is a perspective view which shows the read head in a 1st housing | casing.

Explanation of symbols

10 Scanner printer (image forming device)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 1st housing | casing 12 lid | cover 13 2nd housing | casing 13a paper discharge port 14 carrier 15 carriage 15a collar part 15b protrusion 16 guide shaft 17 frame 17a carriage rail 17b reading head rail 18 reading head 18a groove

Claims (1)

In an image forming apparatus including a reading unit that reads a document, and a recording unit that records the read image on recording paper,
The reading unit includes a reading head in which a scanning groove is formed on the bottom surface,
The recording unit guides and scans through a carrier formed of an ink tank, a carriage having a detachable support on the carrier, and a flange having a U-shaped cross section formed at the upper end, and a lower end of the carriage. A guide shaft, a carriage rail that scans by hooking the collar of the carriage, and a reading head rail that scans by scanning a groove of the read head, and a frame that supports both ends of the guide shaft.
A first case surrounding the reading unit; and a second case surrounding the recording unit, wherein the first case and the second case are hinged to be openable and closable. An image forming apparatus.

Images