JP4656321B2 - Document cover opening and closing device and image reading device in image reading device - Google Patents

Description

  BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a document cover opening / closing device in an image reading apparatus, and in particular, even when there is not enough space above the document table provided on the upper surface of the housing, the document cover is opened and a document is set on the document table. Concerning the structure made possible.

  Like a scanner, copier, or a combination of these and a printer, the image printed on the original is read by the optical system and its scanning system, and the read image is converted into digital data and taken into a personal computer or printed out on paper. There is a so-called flat bed type image reading apparatus provided with a document table for placing a document to be read formed on the uppermost surface of the housing and a document cover covering the top surface of the document table. .

  The document cover in the flat bed type image reading apparatus is generally hinged to the rear end of the housing so as to be rotatable as viewed from the operator side. In addition to a simple hinge, the document cover itself is a half-folded type corresponding to a thick book or the like, and as shown in the following patent document, a support member that hinges the document cover so as to be rotatable. In some cases, the document cover can be easily attached and detached by making the attachment and detachment possible and positioning the tilt angle of the support member at a predetermined angle.

JP-A-2005-106944

  The problem with the flat-bed type image reading apparatus described above is that, in order to expose the document table on which the document is placed, the document cover is opened from 30 ° to a maximum of 90 ° with the hinge portion as a base point, and the document is opened. Is positioned according to the scale marked on the periphery of the contact glass of the platen according to the plate, and then the document is set by closing the document cover. This occupies a large space above the document table.

  For example, in the case of a scanner that supports A4 size originals, an upper space approximately equal to the length in the vertical direction of A4 is required. It is necessary to install in the upper part, and the user must stand up for each reading operation and perform the setting operation. Also, if a book or other object is placed on the document cover at this time, it will tilt if opened, and it will fall off from the document cover, making it unusable.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems. The object of the present invention is to lift and lower the document cover while keeping the document cover level with respect to the housing, and to retract in the raised position to open the surface of the document table. Another object of the present invention is to provide a document cover opening / closing device and an image reading device including the document cover opening / closing device in an image reading device which can easily set a document.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a document cover in an image reading apparatus that includes a document cover that can be opened and closed, and that creates a digital image by scanning a document placed on a document table on the top surface of the housing. One end of the opening / closing device is pivotally connected to the side of the casing, and the other end is pivotally connected to the side of the document cover that is installed on the upper surface of the document table and covers the document table. A pair of connected front and rear links are provided, and the link is rotated by the opening operation of the document cover, and is held at the upper position in a state where the document cover is raised while keeping the document cover horizontal to expose the document table surface. The document cover is configured to be installed in a state where the document cover is lowered while being closed to cover the upper surface of the document table.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the document cover is opened, the entire surface of the document table can be opened at a height corresponding to the lever ratio of the link. During the opening / closing operation, the document cover can be opened / closed while maintaining the horizontal position, so that even when a book or other object is placed on the upper surface of the document cover, there is no possibility of dropping off. In particular, since the level is maintained, even a thick book can be pressed uniformly without being displaced.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, one end is rotatably connected to a side portion of the housing and a side portion of the document cover via a pin, and the other end is mutually connected via a hinge pin. In addition, the upper and lower links connected in a bendable manner in a square shape are arranged in the front and rear, and the interlocking plate is connected between the front and rear hinge pins, and the pin hole formed in the document cover is a long hole extending in the front and rear direction. The document cover is configured to be movable parallel to the rear side by allowing the pins to move along the long holes in the upright state of the links.

  According to this aspect, in addition to the operation and effect of the first aspect, the document cover moves up and down vertically while maintaining the level when the document table is opened and closed. There is no risk of shifting due to wind pressure. Further, by moving the document cover in the depth direction of the document table at the raised position, the document table surface can be opened widely.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect, a lowering restricting means for restricting a lowering operation is provided at a position where the original cover moves to the rear side. According to this aspect, in addition to the operation and effect of the second aspect, the document cover is configured not to be able to be lowered at the position where the document cover is slid to the rear side. That is, the document cover is positioned directly above the document table. Otherwise, the lowering operation cannot be performed, so that it is possible to prevent the image from being read with the document table exposed.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to third aspects, a rotation that restricts further rotation at a predetermined rising position of the link at the rising position of the document cover. It is characterized in that a movement restricting means is provided.
According to this aspect, in addition to the operational effects of any one of the first to third aspects, it is possible to prevent the height position of the document cover from becoming indefinite due to the unlimited rotation of the link.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, the spring biasing means for reversing the rotation biasing direction with respect to the link at both the lowered position and the raised position of the document cover. Is provided.
According to this aspect, in addition to the operational effects of any of the first to fourth aspects, when the document cover is opened from the closed position, which is the first stable point, the document cover is initially returned to the closed position. A force is applied, but when the neutral point is exceeded, the biasing force is moved to the second stable point, ie, the lifted position, so that the stable state is achieved even at the lifted position. Therefore, the document cover can be stably held in both the closed position and the raised position.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image reading apparatus that includes a document cover that can be opened and closed and that scans a document placed on a document table on the upper surface of the housing to create a digital image. The document cover opening / closing device according to any one of the fifth aspect is provided. Thereby, the effect of each said aspect can be acquired as an image reader.

The best mode of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[First Embodiment]
1 and 2 show a first embodiment in which the present invention is simplified, FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an opened state of an original cover, and FIGS. 2A and 2B show closed and opened states of the original cover. FIG. FIG. 2 (a) is a partially enlarged view. FIG. 1 shows a single flatbed scanner, but it may be a combined device combining a scanner function, a copying function, and a printer function by combining this with a printer.

  In FIG. 1, a scanner 1 is connected to a personal computer (not shown) via a data transmission cable 2 such as a SCSI cable or a network cable. For example, the scanner 1 has vertical and horizontal dimensions corresponding to a document such as an A4 version and has a predetermined height. A flat bed type housing 3, a document table 5 formed on the top surface of the housing 3, and a document cover 7 covering the entire top surface of the document table 5 are provided.

  Operation buttons 11 such as a power button and a reset button are disposed at the lower part of one side of the front surface of the housing 3, and various display lamps 13 are disposed at the other side of the upper part of the front surface. A pulling recess 3a is formed at the center of the document cover 7 as a clue for lifting the document cover 7.

  The document table 5 has a contact glass 15 fitted into its inner opening and a scale 17 is engraved around the contact glass 15. Although not shown in the figure, on the lower surface of the contact glass 15, various scanner components such as an optical reading system such as a CCD and its scanning system are incorporated, and a document placed on the contact glass 15. A is read based on a command from the personal computer, and the read data is transferred to the personal computer side through the cable 2.

  The document cover 7 has a flat plate shape, and a bottom surface thereof is not shown, but a pad that contacts the contact glass 15 and a white sheet that covers the outer surface of the pad are disposed. The document cover 7 and the casing 3 are connected to each other via a pair of front and rear flat links 19.

  Each flat link 19 has a lower end rotatably connected to a side surface of the housing 3 via a pin 21, and an upper end connected to the side surface of the document cover 7 via a pin 21 similarly. When the document cover 7 is closed, each flat link 19 tilts forward, and the document cover 7 covers the entire top surface of the document table 5 as shown in FIG. Further, when the document cover 7 is lifted by inserting a hand into the pull-in recess 3a, the document cover 7 moves upward while moving horizontally, and at the same time, the flat link 19 rises, and FIG. 1 and FIG. As shown in FIG. 2 (b), it is positioned at a slightly tilted position from the 90 ° standing position.

  As shown in each figure, a stopper block 23 serving as a rotation restricting means protruding from the side surface of the housing 3 is located on the back surface of the flat link 19 on the front side. The rearward tilting is restricted (FIGS. 1 and 2B).

  Further, inside the housing 3, as shown in particular enlarged in a part of FIG. 2A, one end is connected to the flat link 19 on the front side and the other end is connected to the inside portion of the housing 3. A tension spring 25 connected to the provided support portion is provided. The tension spring 25 is contracted at the closing position and the raised position of the document cover 7, has each position as a stable point, and is in the most tensioned state at an intermediate position of opening and closing, and the tension maximum position Fmax is a boundary. In addition, the urging force of the flat link 19 is reversed in the forward tilt direction and the rear tilt direction. Accordingly, when the document cover 7 is released on the front side of the Fmax position, the document cover 7 is lowered to the closed side, and when the document cover 7 is released when the Fmax position is exceeded, the document cover 7 is moved upward. The flat link 19 on the front side comes into contact with the stopper block 23 and is stably held at the raised position.

  In FIG. 2 (b), the open / close state when the document cover 7 is a conventional hinge opening / closing type is simultaneously described by broken lines. For example, when the height at which the entire document table 5 can be seen from the user's line of view is about 30 ° by the hinge opening / closing method, the link plate opening / closing type is less than the minimum height Hmin for obtaining the line of sight. Furthermore, it looks the same at a lower maximum height position Hmax. This is because, even when the height is low, the document cover 7 moves rearward in the opened state, and the surface of the document table 5 is greatly opened.

  Although not shown, it goes without saying that the tip of the document cover 7 becomes extremely high when the conventional hinge opening / closing method opens up to 90 °, and occupies a large upper space of the scanner 1 as described above. Yes.

  In the present embodiment, as described above, the document cover 7 moves up and down while maintaining a horizontal state without occupying a large space above the surface of the document table 5 when the surface of the document table 5 is opened as compared with the conventional hinge support system. Even when a document is placed on the document cover 7, the possibility of dropping off is low, and even if the document is a thick book, the document cover 5 is placed on the document table 5 without causing any trouble. Can be covered.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, FIGS. 3 to 5 show a second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the document cover fully opened, and FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C are views from the closed state of the document cover. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view including a partially enlarged portion taken along the line V-V in FIG. 4. In the respective drawings, the same portions as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted, and only different portions or newly added portions are described using different reference numerals.

  In each figure, the scanner 1 includes a pair of front and rear lower flat links 33 supported on a side portion of a housing 3 through a pin 31 so that a lower end thereof is rotatable, and an upper end pin 35 on a side portion of the document cover 7. A pair of front and rear upper flat links 37 supported so as to be pivotable and slidable through the inner side of the joint ends of the upper and lower flat links 37 and 33 and connected to both ends in the longitudinal direction via hinge pins 39 The connecting plate 41 is provided.

  A pair of front and rear long holes 43 for sliding guides are formed in the side surface of the document cover 7 in the front-rear direction, and the length of the pin 35 is enlarged as shown in a part of FIG. A roller portion 35 a is provided at the hole insertion position, and the document cover 7 can slide in the depth direction along the long hole 43.

  Furthermore, a stopper block 45 is provided on the side surface of the housing 3 so as to abut against the front edge of the lower flat link 33 on the front side and restrict further rotation. Further, a lowering restriction piece 47 as a lowering restriction means is provided on the side surface of the cover in the vicinity of the long hole 43 on the front side as a lowering restriction means for restricting the lowering operation by contacting the connecting plate 41 from above.

  Although not shown, a tension spring 25 is incorporated in the housing 3 to hold the document cover 7 at either position by inverting the biasing force at both the closed position and the raised position. Is the same as that of the first embodiment. When the document cover 7 is opened from the closed position, which is the first stable point, an urging force to return to the closed position is applied, and when the neutral point is exceeded, the second stable point is obtained. This is an urging force for moving the point to the raised position side and becomes a stable point at the raised position, so that the document cover 7 can be stably held at both the closed position and the raised position.

  In the above, when the document cover 7 is lifted by inserting the hand into the pull recess 3a from the closed state of the document cover 7 shown in FIG. 4A, the connection is made by the connecting plate 41 as shown in FIG. 4B. Due to the pantograph-like extension of each flat link 33, 37, the document cover 7 is raised vertically, and when the flat link 33 comes into contact with the stopper block 45 at the highest rise position Hmax, the further rise is restricted. Held in position. If the document cover 7 is pulled down from this state, the document cover 7 is lowered vertically and returned to the initial position covering the entire surface of the document table 5.

  Next, in order to secure a sufficient field of view on the surface of the document table 5 from this state, if the document cover 7 is pushed rearward at the raised position in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the document cover 7 is retracted, the surface of the document table 5 is greatly opened, and the document A can be placed on the contact glass 15 with the entire document table 5 being viewed.

  When the document cover 7 is pushed down to lower the document cover 7 with the document cover 7 retracted, the lowering restricting piece 47 immediately hits the upper part of the connecting plate 41. Is prevented, the document cover 7 is lowered while the surface of the document table 5 is exposed, and the scanning operation is prevented in that state.

  Therefore, if the document cover 7 is moved again to the front side and then pushed down, the lowering restriction piece 47 does not hit the upper portion of the connecting plate 41 at this position (FIG. 4B). As shown in FIG. 4A, it can be lowered to a position where the entire surface of the document table 5 can be covered.

  In the present embodiment, since the surface of the document table 5 can be covered by vertically lowering the document cover 7 at the raised position, compared to the conventional hinge system and the first embodiment, the front and back when the document cover 7 is closed. There is no deviation of the original due to the wind pressure deviation in the direction, and the scanning operation can be performed after correctly setting on the original table as originally positioned, and even if the original is a thick book, it covers the original table without any problem be able to.

  In the present embodiment, the document cover 7 can be lifted to a desired height position to expose the surface of the document table 5 even if the length of each link plate is shorter than that in the first embodiment.

[Third Embodiment]
Next, FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C show a third embodiment, which is a modification of the second embodiment, and are the same as those of the second embodiment except for the main part. As a difference, in the present embodiment, a notch 37 a is formed on the upper part of the upper flat link 37 on the rear side, while on the side of the document cover 7, near the front side of the rear side long hole 43. An engagement piece 51 that engages with the notch 37a is projected at the retracted position of the document cover 7, and when the document cover 7 is lifted from the closed state shown in FIG. Then, when the document cover 7 shown in FIG. 6 (b) is raised to the rear to push the surface of the document table 5 wide open, as shown in FIG. 6 (c), the engagement piece 51 is formed in the notch 37a. By engaging, the movement of the link mechanism including the flat link 37 toward the closing side is locked, and the lowering is restricted. In the present embodiment, the engagement piece 51 as the lowering restricting means can be reduced in size and simplified as compared with the second embodiment.

  In each of the above embodiments, the link mechanism as described above is provided on both side surfaces of the housing 3 and the document cover 7. However, since the document cover itself is light in weight, it is possible to provide a link mechanism only on one side. is there. In the second and third embodiments, the slide guide slot 43 is provided on the side surface of the document cover 7, but it is needless to say that it may be provided on the side surface of the housing 3.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an opened state of the document cover according to the first embodiment of the present invention. (A) and (b) are side views showing the closed and opened states of the document cover. The perspective view which shows the open state of the document cover by 2nd Embodiment of this invention. (A) (b) (c) is a side view showing each process from the closed state to the fully open state of the document cover. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view including a partially enlarged portion taken along line VV in FIG. (A) (b) (c) is a side view showing each process from the closed state to the fully opened state of the document cover according to the third embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Scanner, 2 Data transmission cable, 3 Case, 3a Pulling recessed part, 5 Document stand, 7 Document cover, 11 Operation button, 13 Display lamp, 15 Contact glass, 17 Scale display part, 19 Flat link, 21, 31, 35 Pin, 23, 45 Stopper block (rotation restricting means), 25 Tension spring, 33 Lower flat link, 35a Roller part, 37 Upper flat link, 37a Notch, 39 Hinge pin, 41 Connecting plate, 43 Long hole, 47 Lowering restriction Piece (Descent restriction means), 51 Engagement piece (Descent restriction means)

Claims (5)

A document cover opening / closing device in an image reading apparatus that prepares a document cover so that it can be opened and closed, and scans a document placed on a document table on the upper surface of the housing to create a digital image,
A pair of front and rear links having one end rotatably connected to the side of the casing and the other end rotatably connected to the side of the document cover that is installed on the upper surface of the document table and covers the document table The link is rotated by the opening operation of the document cover, and the document cover is raised while keeping the document cover horizontal to expose the document table surface, and the document cover is opened by the closing operation. It is configured to be installed in a state where it is lowered while covering the upper surface of the document table while being kept horizontal .
An apparatus for opening and closing a document cover in an image reading apparatus, comprising a spring urging means for reversing the rotational urging direction with respect to the link at both a lowered position and a raised position of the document cover. 2. The document cover opening and closing device according to claim 1, wherein one end of the document cover is pivotally connected to the side of the housing and the side of the document cover via a pin, and the other end is connected to each other via a hinge pin. The upper and lower links connected to each other in a U-shape so as to be able to bend are arranged in the front and rear, and the connecting body is connected between the front and rear hinge pins, and the pin holes formed in the document cover are elongated holes extending in the front and rear direction,
The document cover is configured to be movable parallel to the rear side by allowing the pins to move along the long holes in the upright state of each link. Switchgear.   3. An apparatus for opening and closing a document cover according to claim 2, further comprising a lowering restricting means for restricting a lowering operation at a position of the original cover moving toward the rear side. Opening / closing device for document cover.   4. The document cover opening and closing device in the image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rotation of the document cover is restricted at a predetermined rising position of the link at a rising position of the document cover. 5. An apparatus for opening and closing a document cover in an image reading apparatus, wherein a movement regulating means is provided. The document cover according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising a document cover that can be opened and closed, and that scans a document placed on a document table on an upper surface of the housing to create a digital image. An image reading apparatus comprising an opening / closing device.

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