JP2014017573A - Image reading device and recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image reading device capable of suppressing deterioration in the image quality of an image read from a document, and a recording device capable of performing recording processing of the image read by the device.SOLUTION: An image reading device comprises: a CIS 40 that reads an image from a document; a carriage 50 that moves while supporting the CIS 40; a conductive member 81 that connects the carriage 50 and the CIS 40; and a grounding line that is connected to a substrate 41 of the CIS 40. The conductive member 81 and the substrate 41 of the CIS 40 are conductively connected.

Description

  The present invention relates to a reading unit that reads an image from a document, an image reading apparatus that includes a support member that moves while supporting the reading unit, and a recording apparatus that can record an image read by the apparatus.

  Conventionally, as this type of image reading apparatus, for example, an image input / output apparatus described in Patent Document 1 is known. This image input / output device has a scanner housing including a transparent plate on which a document is placed. A carriage that moves in a direction parallel to the transparent plate, a flexible flat cable, and a processing unit are housed inside the scanner housing. A scanning circuit board having a linear image sensor, a mirror, and a light source are mounted on the carriage. The flexible flat cable electrically connects the scanning circuit board and the processing unit, and the processing unit processes a signal input from the scanning circuit board via the flexible flat cable and outputs image data.

  In this image input / output device, when the light source irradiates the original through the transparent plate during image reading, the mirror reflects the image of the original irradiated by the light source to the linear image sensor. Then, the linear image sensor reads the image of the document reflected by the mirror while moving integrally with the carriage.

JP 2005-57628 A

  By the way, since the carriage reciprocates in the scanner housing in a direction parallel to the transparent plate, if the scanner housing is thinned, the carriage itself is also thinned, and its rigidity is lowered. In such a case, if the carriage is made of, for example, metal in order to compensate for the decrease in rigidity, the carriage accumulates charges caused by changes in the surface potential of the light source and air friction when the original is read by the linear image sensor. . The carriage discharges when the amount of accumulated charge exceeds a predetermined amount, and noise is generated during the discharge. Since such noise interferes with the image data of the document read by the linear image sensor, the image quality of the image read from the document may deteriorate in the image input / output device.

  The actual situation is not limited to the image input / output device described above, but an image reading device having a reading unit that reads an image from a document, a support member that moves while supporting the reading unit, and recording of an image read by the device. The recording apparatuses capable of processing are common.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides an image reading apparatus capable of suppressing deterioration in image quality of an image read from a document and a recording apparatus capable of recording an image read by the apparatus. Objective.

  The image reading apparatus of the present invention processes a reading unit that reads an image from a document on a transparent plate, a support member that is formed of metal that moves while supporting the reading unit, and an image that is read by the reading unit. An image reading apparatus including a flexible flat cable for transmitting to a section, wherein the flexible flat cable includes a signal line and a ground line for transmitting image data, and the reading section includes a substrate, and the support member. A part of the substrate is connected by a conductive member.

  According to the present invention, even when the support member is made of metal for securing rigidity, for example, the support member is grounded through the conductive member, the substrate, and the ground wire, so that the image reading device reads an image from the document. Sometimes it is possible to suppress the accumulation of electric charges on the support member. Thereby, generation | occurrence | production of the noise which interferes with the image data of the original document read by the reading part can be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the image quality of the image read from the document.

In the image reading apparatus according to the aspect of the invention, the conductive member is a conductive elastic member that urges the reading unit toward the transparent plate and maintains a connection state.
According to the present invention, since the reading unit is urged toward the transparent plate by the conductive member made of the conductive elastic member, the reading unit can be more reliably pressed against the transparent plate and connected to the ground line. The conductive member can be more reliably brought into contact with the substrate of the reading unit and the support member.

  In the image reading apparatus of the present invention, the elastic member includes a support member side contact portion that contacts the support member, a reading portion side contact portion that contacts the substrate, the support member side contact portion, and the reading portion side contact. And an external force applying portion to which an external force is applied to bring the portion into a pressure contact state with each contact partner.

The image reading apparatus of the present invention further includes an urging member that urges the reading unit toward the transparent plate in cooperation with the elastic member.
According to the present invention, the urging force of the elastic member can be weakened by the amount of the urging force by the urging member, and the work of incorporating the conductive member made of the elastic member between the support member and the substrate of the reading unit can be facilitated. It can be carried out.

The recording apparatus of the present invention is capable of recording an image read by the image reading apparatus.
According to this invention, the recording apparatus can enjoy the same effects as those of the image reading apparatus having the above configuration.

1 is a perspective view of a multifunction machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. The perspective view when the conveyance apparatus of the multifunctional machine of embodiment is moved to the open position. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the inside of the image reading apparatus of the multifunction peripheral according to the embodiment. The disassembled perspective view of the contact image sensor unit of embodiment. The partial bottom view of the contact image sensor of an embodiment. The perspective view which expands and shows the part of the grounding part of embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows the cross-sectional structure at the time of cut | disconnecting the plane 7-7 in FIG. 3 about the contact image sensor unit of embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows the cross-sectional structure at the time of cut | disconnecting in the plane containing 8-8 lines in FIG. FIG. 2 is an overhead view of the inside of the image reading apparatus of the embodiment, where (a) is an overhead view showing a state in which the contact image sensor unit is positioned at a reading start position, and (b) is a position in which the contact image sensor unit is positioned at a reading end position. The bird's-eye view which shows a state.

  Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the overall structure of the multifunction machine 1 of the present embodiment will be described. In the following description, when referring to the “front-rear direction”, “left-right direction”, and “up-down direction”, the front-rear direction, the left-right direction, and the up-down direction indicated by arrows in the drawings are respectively shown.

  As shown in FIG. 1, an MFP 1 includes an image forming apparatus (recording apparatus) 2 having a recording unit such as a recording head that performs printing and printing on a printing sheet as an example of a medium by ejecting ink, and an image forming apparatus. 2 and an image reading device 3 that reads an image from the document P. The image reading device 3 is disposed on the document reading device 10 as a main part of the device and accommodates various devices for image reading inside, and the document P is a predetermined portion of the document reading device 10. And a transport device 20 for transporting to a position. Note that the image forming apparatus 2 can perform printing processing (recording processing) of an image read by the image reading device 3.

  The transport device 20 includes a paper feed tray 21 on which the document P before the image is read by the document reading device 10 and a paper discharge tray on which the document P after the image is read by the document reading device 10 is discharged. 22.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the left side edge of the document reading device 10 and the transport device 20 are connected to each other via a hinge 30 so as to be freely rotatable. Therefore, the conveying device 20 is displaced from the closed position shown in FIG. 1 to the open position shown in FIG. 2 when the right edge is lifted by the user.

  The document reading apparatus 10 includes a transparent plate 11 on which the document P is placed and a frame member 12 that fixes the transparent plate 11. The transparent plate 11 is formed in a rectangular shape and is attached to the quadrangular annular frame member 12 from below. The frame member 12 is provided on the upper side of the document reading device 10. On the transparent plate 11, the document P is positioned and placed at positions defined by the front and left inner edges of the frame member 12.

  The transport device 20 has a transport path 23 (see FIG. 8) for transporting the document P from the paper feed tray 21 to the paper discharge tray 22, and an opening for exposing the document P passing through the transport path 23 to the document reading device 10 side. A portion 24, a transparent covering member 25 that covers the opening 24, and a mat 26 that presses the document P placed on the transparent plate 11.

  The opening 24 has a predetermined length from the rear inner edge of the frame member 12 to the front on the transparent plate 11 when the transport device 20 is moved to the closed position. Are formed in a rectangular shape having substantially the same width as the interval between the inner edges. When the mat 26 is moved to the closed position, the mat 26 extends from the front inner edge of the frame member 12 to the area corresponding to the opening 24 on the transparent plate 11 to a position having a predetermined interval. It is formed in a rectangle having a length and having the same width as the interval between the left and right inner edges of the frame member 12.

Next, the internal configuration of the document reading device 10 will be described with reference to FIG. In addition, illustration of the transparent plate 11 is abbreviate | omitted in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, the document reader 10 is driven when the contact image sensor unit 13 (hereinafter also referred to as “CIS unit 13”) that reads an image from the document P through the transparent plate 11 and the CIS unit 13 are moved. A driving belt 14 and a rail 15 for guiding the movement of the CIS unit 13 in the front-rear direction are provided inside. Further, in a space area where the CIS unit 13 moves in the document reading apparatus 10, a flexible flat cable 16 (hereinafter, referred to as “connector”) that connects the CIS unit 13 to a control device (processing unit) 17 disposed in the document reading apparatus 10. Also referred to as “FFC16”).

  The CIS unit 13 has substantially the same length as the width of the transparent plate 11 in the left-right direction. The rail 15 is provided at the bottom of the document reading apparatus 10 and extends in the front-rear direction. The drive belt 14 is wound around pulleys (not shown) provided forward and backward along the longitudinal direction of the document reading apparatus 10. A pulley on the rear side of the document reading apparatus 10 is connected to a motor (not shown). A portion of the drive belt 14 between the two pulleys is fixed to the CIS unit 13. The drive belt 14 is driven by a motor to move the CIS unit 13 in the front-rear direction.

  The FFC 16 is formed in a flat band shape by covering a plurality of conductive wires in parallel. The FFC 16 includes a signal line for transmitting data indicating an image of the original P read by the CIS unit 13 and a ground line for grounding the CIS unit 13 as a plurality of conductors. The FFC 16 is attached so that one end side of the FFC 16 extends from the left end portion to the right end portion of the CIS unit 13 with respect to the front side of the CIS unit 13 in the middle of the length direction, and one end thereof is a component of the CIS unit 13. It is connected to a contact image sensor 40 (hereinafter also referred to as “CIS 40”). On the other hand, the other end side of the FFC 16 is drawn into the document reading device 10 through an opening (not shown) formed at the rear left end of the document reading device 10 and connected to the control device 17 located in the document reading device 10. Has been. Then, the FFC 16 transmits data indicating the image of the document P from the CIS unit 13 to the control device 17 that processes the data. Note that the other end side from the middle in the length direction of the FFC 16 has a U-shaped curved portion, so that it can be deformably accommodated in the document reading device 10.

The structure of the CIS unit 13 will be described with reference to FIGS.
The CIS unit 13 receives the reflected light of the light irradiated on the document P, reads the image of the document P, a carriage 50 that supports the CIS 40, and slides against the rail 15 while supporting the carriage 50. A slider 60 that is freely fitted and a coil spring 70 that supports the CIS 40 while urging the CIS 40 upward with respect to the carriage 50 are provided. That is, the lower end of the coil spring 70 is fixed to the carriage 50 and the upper end of the coil spring 70 is fixed to the CIS 40. The CIS 40 corresponds to a reading unit, the carriage 50 corresponds to a support member, and the coil spring 70 corresponds to a biasing member.

  The CIS 40 is fitted into the carriage 50 from above, and the carriage 50 is fitted into the slider 60 from above. The carriage 50 is formed of a rigid metal plate material. The CIS unit 13 includes a grounding unit 80 for grounding by connecting the carriage 50 to the CIS 40. The coil spring 70 is interposed between the front, rear, left and right corners of the CIS 40 and the carriage 50.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the CIS 40 includes a substrate 41 that transmits a signal for generating data indicating an image read from the original P by the CIS 40 to the FFC 16, and a conductive member that connects the carriage 50 to the ground line of the FFC 16 through the substrate 41. And a connecting portion 42 made of a material. The substrate 41 is attached to the lower surface side of the carriage 50. The connecting portion 42 is attached to the left end portion of the CIS 40 and the lower surface side of the substrate 41.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the grounding portion 80 includes a conductive conductive member 81 having a plate shape, a fixing portion 82 that fixes the conductive member 81 to the carriage 50, and a conductive member 81 that is fixed to the fixing portion 82. A support portion 83 that supports the upper portion and a screw 84 that fixes the conductive member 81 to the fixing portion 82 are provided. The conductive member 81 electrically connects the carriage 50 and the connection portion 42, and includes a base end portion 81 </ b> A fixed to the carriage 50 and a tip end portion 81 </ b> B that contacts the connection portion 42. . The proximal end portion 81A corresponds to the support member side contact portion, and the distal end portion 81B corresponds to the reading portion side contact portion. Further, the portion of the conductive member 81 that contacts the support portion 83 corresponds to an external force applying portion to which an external force is applied to bring the proximal end portion 81A and the distal end portion 81B of the conductive member 81 into a pressure contact state with each contact partner. To do.

  The conductive member 81 is a leaf spring formed of a long plate-like elastic member whose longitudinal direction is the front-rear direction, and a screw hole to be screwed with the screw 84 is formed in the base end portion 81A. Further, the front end portion 81B of the conductive member 81 is formed so as to become narrower as it goes forward, and is bent into a mountain fold so that the crease faces upward.

  The fixing portion 82 has a protruding piece shape that is cut and raised so as to protrude forward from the rear side wall of the carriage 50, and a screw hole that is screwed into the screw 84 is formed. The support portion 83 has a distal end facing upward from a position corresponding to a position between the proximal end portion 81A and the distal end portion 81B of the conductive member 81 supported in a cantilever state by the fixing portion 82 on the bottom wall of the carriage 50. It is shaped like a protrusion cut and raised to protrude. The screw 84 is screwed into a screw hole formed in the fixing portion 82 and the base end portion 81 </ b> A of the conductive member 81, thereby fixing the base end portion 81 </ b> A of the conductive member 81 to the fixing portion 82.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the conductive member 81 is pushed downward by the connecting portion 42 by fitting the CIS 40 into the carriage 50. Since the conductive member 81 is supported by the carriage 50 in a state where the portion (external force applying portion) between the base end portion 81A and the distal end portion 81B is pushed upward by the support portion 83, the support portion 83 is provided. As a fulcrum, the distal end 81B side is elastically deformed, and the distal end 81B is brought into a pressure contact state with respect to the connecting portion 42. Therefore, the conductive member 81 is interposed between the carriage 50 and the connection portion 42 in a state where the restoring force is stored, and the CIS 40 is not limited to the above-described coil spring 70 but also by the elastically deformed conductive member 81. Is also biased toward the transparent plate 11. That is, the conductive member 81 made of an elastic member and the coil spring 70 urge the CIS 40 toward the transparent plate 11 in cooperation.

Next, operations of the image reading apparatus 3 and the image forming apparatus 2 configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9.
As shown in FIG. 8, the CIS unit 13 waits within the document reading device 10 below the inner edge behind the frame member 12 when the image reading device 3 stops the reading operation. A predetermined standby operation is executed at position A.

  Then, after the document P is placed on the paper feed tray 21 in a state where the transport device 20 is in the closed position, when the user performs an operation to start reading the document P, the CIS 40 is shown in FIG. As indicated by a two-dot chain line, the reading position B corresponding to the opening 24 of the transport device 20 moves from the standby position A.

  After the CIS unit 13 has moved to the reading position B, the transport device 20 transports the originals P placed on the paper feed tray 21 to the paper discharge tray 22 one by one through the transport path 23. The CIS unit 13 reads the document P exposed at the opening 24 in the process of passing through the conveyance path 23 through the covering member 25 and the transparent plate 11. The transport device 20 discharges all the documents P placed on the paper feed tray 21 to the paper discharge tray 22. The CIS unit 13 returns from the reading position B to the standby position A when the conveyance of the document P by the conveying device 20 is completed.

  On the other hand, when the transport device 20 is positioned at the open position, the document P is placed on the transparent plate 11. The document P is placed on the transparent plate 11 at a position in contact with the front and left inner edges of the frame member 12. After the document P is placed on the transparent plate 11, the transport device 20 moves to the closed position and is pressed by the mat 26.

  When the user performs an operation to start reading the document P after the transport device 20 has moved to the closed position, the CIS unit 13 has an inner edge on the front side of the frame member 12 as indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. And the reading start position C corresponding to the contact position between the document P and the original P. Then, the CIS unit 13 moves from the reading start position C to the reading end position D having a predetermined interval forward from the reading position B corresponding to the opening 24, as indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. Read the original P. When the reading of the document P placed on the transparent plate 11 is completed, the CIS unit 13 returns from the reading end position D to the standby position A as shown by a solid line in FIG.

  As described above, the CIS 40 starts reading an image when the image is read from the document P conveyed by the conveying device 20 while stopped at the reading position B, and from the document P placed on the transparent plate 11. When reading is performed in the process of moving from the position C to the reading end position D, in any case, image data is transmitted to the control device 17 via the FFC 16. Then, printing of an image corresponding to the transmitted data is executed in the image forming apparatus 2.

  Further, in the process in which the carriage 50 on which the CIS 40 is mounted moves between the reading start position C and the reading end position D, static electricity may be generated in the carriage 50 made of a metal plate material. That is, the charge accumulated in the carriage 50 due to a change in the surface potential of the light source, air friction, etc. is discharged when it exceeds a certain amount, and reading is performed by interfering with the image data passing through the signal line included in the FFC 16. Deteriorate the image.

  In order to avoid such image deterioration, it is preferable to discharge the static electricity generated in the carriage 50 by grounding. In this regard, in the present embodiment, the static electricity generated in the carriage 50 flows to the substrate 41 of the CIS 40 via the conductive member 81 and the connection portion 42, and then is grounded as one of the plurality of conductive wires included in the FFC 16. It is discharged underground through the line.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, in the process of moving the CIS unit 13, in the FFC 16, the U-shaped curved portion is deformed following the movement of the CIS unit 13. That is, as shown in FIG. 9A, when the CIS unit 13 moves to the reading start position C, the FFC 16 is deformed so that the portion that has been curved so far extends in the front-rear direction. Then, as shown in FIG. 9B, when the CIS unit 13 moves from the reading start position C toward the reading end position D, the FFC 16 becomes curved again. In the case of FIG. 9 as well, the transparent plate 11 is not shown as in the case of FIG.

According to the image reading apparatus 3 and the image forming apparatus 2 of the present embodiment described above, the following effects are obtained.
(1) Even when the carriage 50 is formed of metal to ensure rigidity, for example, the carriage 50 is grounded through the conductive member 81, the substrate 41, and the ground wire, so that the image reading device 3 can capture an image from the document P. Accumulation of electric charges in the carriage 50 during reading can be suppressed. Accordingly, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of noise that interferes with the image data of the document P read by the CIS 40. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the image quality of the image read from the document P.

  (2) Generally, the CIS 40 and the control device 17 are often connected by the FFC 16, but the FFC 16 in the present embodiment is a signal line for transmitting data indicating an image of the document P and a ground line connected to the ground. Including. Therefore, the ground line can be integrated with the FFC 16 without adding a ground line for grounding the carriage 50.

  (3) Since the CIS 40 is urged toward the transparent plate 11 by the conductive member 81 made of a conductive elastic member, the CIS 40 can be more reliably pressed against the transparent plate 11, and the CIS 40 connected to the ground wire can be pressed. The conductive member 81 can be more reliably brought into contact with the substrate 41 and the carriage 50.

  (4) The CIS 40 is urged against the transparent plate 11 in cooperation with the conductive member 81 by the coil spring 70. According to this configuration, the urging force of the conductive member 81 can be weakened by the amount of the urging force by the coil spring 70. For this reason, the work of incorporating the conductive member 81 between the carriage 50 and the substrate 41 can be easily performed. Further, wear of the connecting portion 42 can be suppressed.

The above embodiment may be changed to another embodiment as described below.
In the above embodiment, the CIS unit 13 may be urged toward the transparent plate 11 only by the urging force of the elastically deformed conductive member 81.

In the above embodiment, the image reading device 3 may be used alone without being used in combination with the image forming device 2.
In the above embodiment, the ground line may be singly wired without being included in the FFC 16 including the signal line for transmitting the image data of the document P.

  In the above embodiment, the conductive member 81 may be in the form of, for example, a coil spring other than the leaf spring. In short, as long as the elastic member is a conductive elastic member that biases the CIS 40 toward the transparent plate 11 by interposing it between the substrate 41 of the CIS 40 and the carriage 50 in a stored state, it may be in a form other than a leaf spring.

  In the above-described embodiment, the image forming apparatus as the recording apparatus may be a fluid other than ink (liquid or liquid material in which particles of functional material are dispersed or mixed in the liquid, fluid such as gel, fluid And a fluid ejecting apparatus that performs recording by ejecting or ejecting solids (including solids that can be ejected by being flown). For example, recording is performed by ejecting a liquid material in which a material such as an electrode material or a color material (pixel material) used for manufacturing a liquid crystal display, an EL (electroluminescence) display, and a surface emitting display is dispersed or dissolved. A liquid ejecting apparatus may be used. Also, a fluid injection device for injecting a fluid such as a gel (eg, physical gel), a powder injection device (eg, a toner jet type) for injecting a solid such as powder (particles) such as toner Recording device). The present invention can be applied to any one of these fluid ejecting apparatuses. In the present specification, the term “fluid” is a concept that does not include a fluid consisting only of gas. Examples of the fluid include liquid (inorganic solvent, organic solvent, solution, liquid resin, liquid metal (metal melt), etc. ), Liquids, fluids, powders (including granules and powders), and the like.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 2 ... Image forming apparatus (recording apparatus), 3 ... Image reading apparatus, 11 ... Transparent board, 16 ... Flexible flat cable (FFC), 17 ... Control apparatus (processing part), 40 ... Contact image sensor (CIS) as a reading part , 41... Substrate, 50... Carriage (support member), 70... Coil spring, 81... Conductive member (elastic member), 81 A... Base end portion (support member side contact portion), 81 B. ), P ... manuscript.

Claims (5)

A reading unit for reading an image from a document on a transparent plate;
A support member made of metal that moves while supporting the reading unit;
An image reading apparatus comprising: a flexible flat cable that transmits an image read by the reading unit to a processing unit,
The flexible flat cable includes a signal line for transmitting image data and a ground line,
The reading unit has a substrate,
An image reading apparatus, wherein the support member and a part of the substrate are connected by a conductive member. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conductive member is a conductive elastic member that biases the reading unit toward the transparent plate and maintains a connection state. The elastic member includes a support member-side contact portion that contacts the support member, a reading portion-side contact portion that contacts the substrate, and the support member-side contact portion and the reading portion-side contact portion with respect to respective contact partners. The image reading apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: an external force applying unit to which an external force for bringing the pressure contact state is applied. The image reading apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a biasing member that biases the reading unit toward the transparent plate in cooperation with the elastic member.   A recording apparatus capable of recording an image read by the image reading apparatus according to claim 1.