JP6708487B2 - Image reading apparatus and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an image reading apparatus that reads an image on a sheet and an image forming apparatus including the image reading apparatus.

Generally, there is known an image reading apparatus including an automatic document feeder (Automatic Document Feeder, hereinafter referred to as ADF) that automatically feeds a document and a reading unit that reads an image of a sheet fed by the ADF. Has been. The ADF is supported by the reading unit so as to be openable/closable and vertically movable.

The user can place an original on the original table glass provided on the upper surface of the reading unit with the ADF opened and read the image of the original (fixed reading). Further, since the ADF can be shifted upward with respect to the reading unit, even when a thick document is placed on the platen glass, the document can be pressed by the ADF and the document is misaligned during image reading. Can be prevented.

Conventionally, there has been proposed an image processing apparatus including a holder member that is electrically connected to a main unit such as a copying machine provided below a reading unit and a ADF with a flat cable and covers the flat cable in a bent state. (See Patent Document 1). The holder member is rotatably supported with respect to the ADF about a rotation shaft portion provided on the ADF. Further, this rotation shaft portion is arranged coaxially with the rotation fulcrum of the ADF.

JP, 2011-77874, A

By the way, it is necessary to provide an open space between the exterior cover of the ADF and the holder member so as not to interfere with the holder member when the ADF is opened. In particular, as the ADF becomes highly functional and the weight increases, the hinge mechanism that connects the ADF and the reading unit becomes large, and the rotation fulcrum of the ADF is arranged relatively upward and inward inside the ADF. Then, the open space between the exterior cover of the ADF and the holder member also becomes large. The image processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1 does not have a configuration for closing such an open space, and if the ADF is opened in this state, the flat cable that swells outward may enter the open space. Furthermore, the flat cable may be caught between the ADF and the holder member and may be broken.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an image reading apparatus that is configured to protect the bundled lines while ensuring the rotation amount of the transport unit (ADF) and solves the above-mentioned problems.

The present invention is, in an image reading apparatus, a reading unit having a transparent portion and a reading portion capable of reading an image of a sheet through the transparent portion; and a reading unit disposed above the reading unit and facing the transparent portion. And a supporting unit that supports the conveying unit in a vertically movable and openable/closable manner with respect to the reading unit; and a signal or electric power to the conveying unit while passing through the reading unit. A bundle for transmitting the bundle, and a cover for covering the bundle between the reading unit and the transport unit, the cover including a main body rotatably supported by the transport unit, A lid portion that is supported by the main body portion at a supporting portion and that moves in accordance with the opening/closing operation of the transport unit, wherein the support portion of the lid portion is more than a pivot point of rotation of the transport unit with respect to the support portion. It is characterized in that it is arranged below.

According to the present invention, it is possible to secure the rotation amount of the transport unit and protect the bundle wire from being broken.

1 is an overall schematic diagram showing a printer according to a first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a side sectional view showing the image reading device. It is a rear view which shows a hinge mechanism, (a) shows the state in which ADF is located in a lower position, (b) shows the state in which ADF is located in an upper position. It is sectional drawing which shows the wiring path of a flat cable and a signal wire, (a) shows the state in which ADF is located in a lower position, (b) shows the state in which ADF is located in an upper position. It is the EE sectional view of FIG. 3(a) which shows the structure of a duct, (a) is a state in which ADF is located in a lower position, (b) a 1st duct and a 2nd duct contact|abut. And (c) shows a state in which the ADF is located at the upper position. It is a figure which shows the structure of a lid part periphery, (a) is a state where ADF is closed, (b) is a state where ADF is open halfway, (c) is ADF opened to the maximum opening degree. Indicates that It is a figure which shows the structure of the duct which concerns on 2nd Embodiment, (a) is the state where ADF is located in a lower position, (b) is the state which the 1st duct and the 2nd duct contacted. , (C) show a state in which the ADF is located at the upper position. It is a figure which shows the structure of a cover part, (a) shows the state which ADF is closed, (b) shows the state which ADF is open to the middle.

<First Embodiment>
Hereinafter, an image reading apparatus and an image forming apparatus according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The dimensions, materials, shapes, relative positions, etc. of the components described in the following embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of application of the present technology to those unless otherwise specified. ..

[Schematic configuration of printer]
First, a schematic configuration of a printer 101 as an image forming apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 101 includes a printer body 101A (image forming unit) and an image reading device 103. The image reading device 103 arranged above the printer body 101A includes a reading unit 30 and an ADF 1 as described later in detail, and optically scans a document D to read image information. The document D is a sheet such as a sheet and an envelope, a plastic film such as an overhead projector sheet (OHT), and a sheet such as cloth. The image information converted into an electric signal by the image reading device 103 is transferred to the control unit 122 provided in the printer body 101A. In the present embodiment, the front side of the apparatus when standing facing an operation panel (not shown) for operating the printer 101 is defined as the front side, and the back side of the apparatus is defined as the back side.

The printer body 101A includes an image forming unit 119 that forms an image on a sheet P that is a recording medium, a sheet feeding unit 34 that feeds the sheet P to the image forming unit 119, and a manual feeding unit 117. ing. The sheet feeding unit 34 includes sheet storage units 137a, 137b, 137c, 137d capable of storing sheets of different sizes. The sheets accommodated in the respective sheet accommodating portions are delivered by the pickup roller 32, separated one by one by the feed roller 33a and the retard roller 33b, and delivered to the corresponding conveying roller pair 120. Then, the sheet P is delivered to the registration roller pair 136 by being sequentially delivered to the plurality of delivery roller pairs 120 arranged along the sheet delivery path.

The sheet P placed on the manual feed tray 137e of the manual feed unit 117 by the user is fed into the printer main body 101A by the feed roller 138 and conveyed to the registration roller pair 136. The registration roller pair 136 stops the leading edge of the sheet P to correct the skew and restarts the conveyance of the sheet P in accordance with the progress of the image forming operation which is the process of forming the toner image by the image forming unit 119.

The image forming unit 119 that forms an image on the sheet P is an electrophotographic system unit including a photosensitive drum 121 that is a photoconductor. The photosensitive drum 121 is rotatable along the conveyance direction of the sheet P, and the charging device 118, the exposure device 123, the developing device 124, the transfer charging device 125, the separation charging device 126, and the cleaner 127 are arranged around the photosensitive drum 121. Are arranged. The charging device 118 uniformly charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 121, and the exposure device 123 exposes the photosensitive drum 121 based on image information input from the image reading device 103 or the like to form an electrostatic latent image on the drum. To do.

The developing device 124 contains a two-component developer containing toner and carrier, and supplies the charged toner to the photosensitive drum 121 to develop the electrostatic latent image into a toner image. The toner image carried on the photosensitive drum 121 is transferred to the sheet P conveyed from the registration roller pair 136 by the bias electric field formed by the transfer charger 125. The sheet P on which the toner image is transferred is separated from the photosensitive drum 121 by the bias electric field formed by the separation charger, and is conveyed toward the fixing unit 129 by the pre-fixing conveying unit 128. The cleaner 127 removes adhered substances such as transfer residual toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 121 without being transferred to the sheet P, and the photosensitive drum 121 prepares for the next image forming operation.

The sheet P conveyed to the fixing unit 129 is nipped by a pair of rollers and heated while being pressurized, and the image is fixed by melting and fixing of the toner. When the image output is completed, the sheet P on which the fixed image is obtained is discharged to the discharge tray 130 protruding outside the printer body 101A via the discharge roller pair 40. When an image is formed on the back surface of the sheet P in double-sided printing, the sheet P that has passed through the fixing unit 129 has the front surface and the back surface interchanged by the reversing unit 139, and is transported to the registration roller pair 136 by the double-sided transport unit 140. It Then, the sheet P on which the image is formed again by the image forming unit 119 is discharged to the discharge tray 130.

[Image reader]
Next, the configuration of the image reading apparatus 103 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the image reading device 103 includes a reading unit 30 and an ADF 1 which is a transport unit arranged above the reading unit 30. The image reading apparatus 103 also includes a first reading unit 151 arranged in the reading unit 30 and a second reading unit 201 arranged in the ADF 1.

The first reading unit 151 is held by the first holder 301, and can read the image on the first surface of the document D via the first platen glass 152 (transparent portion). The second reading unit 201 is held by the second holder 302 and can read the image on the second surface of the document D opposite to the first surface via the second platen glass 202. The first surface in the present embodiment is the lower surface of the document D in the double-sided reading section DR, and the second surface is the upper surface of the document D in the double-sided reading section DR. Note that the first reading unit 151 and the second reading unit 201 do not always execute simultaneous reading of both sides, and can also read only one side.

The first reading unit 151 and the second reading unit 201 are composed of a contact image sensor (hereinafter, referred to as CIS) which is a scanning device of an equal-magnification optical system. The first reading unit 151 and the second reading unit 201 include a light source including an LED array arranged in the main scanning direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the document D, and a plurality of light receiving elements similarly arranged in the main scanning direction. I have it. The reflected light emitted from the LED array and reflected by the document D is imaged on each light receiving element via a lens and photoelectrically converted by the light receiving element.

The reading unit 30 is fixed to the upper surface of the printer body 101A (see FIG. 1). As shown in FIG. 2, a flat bed type document table 31 (mounting section) on which the document D can be placed is arranged on the upper surface of the reading unit 30. The first holder 301 holding the first reading unit 151 is movable in the sub-scanning direction from the position P1 to the position P2 shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 3A, two hinge mechanisms 11 (support portions) are provided on the back side of the image reading device 103, and the hinge mechanism 11 moves in the up-down direction with respect to the reading unit 30. Supported as possible. Moreover, the hinge mechanism 11 rotatably supports the rotation shaft 1a of the ADF 1 at the upper portion. That is, the hinge mechanism 11 supports the ADF 1 with respect to the reading unit 30 so as to be vertically movable and openable/closable between an upper position and a lower position. For example, as shown in FIG. 3B, when a thick document D is placed on the document table 31, the ADF 1 is displaced upward with respect to the reading unit 30 together with the hinge mechanism 11, and is rotated in this state. It is rotated around the moving shaft 1a and closed. The position where the ADF 1 is displaced to the uppermost with respect to the reading unit is referred to as an upper position (see FIG. 5C), and the position where the ADF 1 is displaced to the lowermost is referred to as a lower position (see FIG. 5A).

In addition to the second reading unit 201, the ADF 1 includes a document feeding tray 2, a document feeding unit 25, and a pressure plate unit 26, as shown in FIG. The document feeding tray 2 supports the document D placed by the user. The pressure plate portion 26 is provided on the lower surface of the ADF 1, and presses the sheet placed on the document table 31 from above. The ADF 1 has a document transport path T formed therein, and feeds the document D placed on the document feed tray 2 to the double-sided reading section DR via the document transport path T.

The ADF 1 will be described in detail. The ADF 1 includes a pickup roller 4, a feed roller 5, a retard roller 6, a registration roller pair 7, conveyance roller pairs 8 and 9, and a discharge roller pair 10 in a document conveyance direction (sheet conveyance direction). (Indicated by an arrow in the figure). The pickup roller 4 is vertically movable with respect to the upper surface of the document feeding tray 2, and contacts the document D on the document feeding tray 2 to start feeding. The feed roller 5 conveys the document D received from the pickup roller 4 downstream in the conveyance direction. The retard roller 6 is pressed against the feed roller 5 and receives rotational drive in a direction counter to the conveyance direction via a torque limiter, and separates the documents D conveyed by the feed roller 5 one by one.

The registration roller pair 7 receives the leading edge of the document D conveyed by the feed roller 5 in a state in which the rotation is stopped, and bends the document D to correct skew. Further, the registration roller pair 7 conveys the document D whose skew has been corrected through the bent portion of the document conveyance path T and transfers it to the conveyance roller pair 8. The conveyance roller pair 8 sends the document D to the double-sided reading section DR and transfers it to the conveyance roller pair 9 on the downstream side. At this time, the image of the document D is read by the first reading unit 151 and the second reading unit 201. The conveyance roller pair 9 transfers the document D that has passed through the double-sided reading section DR to the discharge roller pair 10. The discharge roller pair 10 discharges the document D to the document discharge unit 3.

The image reading apparatus 103 configured as described above has a flow reading mode in which a document image is scanned while the document D is fed by the ADF 1, and a fixed reading mode in which a document placed on the document table 31 is scanned. Image information is read from the document D. The flow-reading mode is selected when the apparatus detects the document D placed on the document feeding tray 2 or when the user explicitly instructs the operation panel of the printer body 101A or the like. In this case, the ADF 1 feeds the documents D one by one toward the double-sided reading unit DR while the first reading unit 151 is at the position P1. Then, in the case of simultaneous double-sided scanning, both the first scanning unit 151 and the second scanning unit 201, and in the case of single-sided scanning, one of them scans the document D by irradiating it with scanning light. The image information converted into an electric signal by the light receiving element is transferred to the control unit 122 of the printer body 101A.

On the other hand, the fixed reading mode is selected when the apparatus detects the document D placed on the document table 31 or when the user explicitly instructs the operation panel of the printer body 101A or the like. In the fixed reading mode, the user first opens the ADF 1 and places the document on the document table 31, and closes the ADF 1 to sandwich the document between the document table 31 and the pressure plate portion 26. Then, the first reading unit 151 scans the document D placed on the document table 31 by irradiating light while moving between the position P3 and the position P2 along the document table 31. The image information converted into an electric signal by the light receiving element of the first reading unit 151 is transferred to the control unit 122 of the printer body 101A.

A flat cable F is used as a signal line for sending the image signal read by the second reading unit 201 to the control unit 122, as shown in FIG. In addition, the ADF 1 has a signal line C for transmitting signals and electric power to a motor or the like, and these signal lines pass through the same route in the reading unit 30 for the sake of assembling workability and maintainability, and are connected to the printer. It is desirable to be connected to the control unit 122 in the main body 101A. Further, since the flat cable F may have noise on a signal due to the influence of static electricity or the like, it is necessary not to expose it to the outside. It is desirable to wire the signal line C, which has more covering than the flat cable F, inside the reading unit 30 and the printer body 101A so that the signal line C is not broken or damaged by an external force such as a user operation.

[Wiring route]
Next, the wiring paths of the flat cable F and the signal line C will be described. As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the ADF 1 has a cable guide 16 (holding portion) which is fixed to the frame 14 of the ADF 1 and holds the flat cable F and the signal line C in a bent state. There is. A duct 13 (cover portion) that covers the flat cable F and the signal line C is rotatably supported by the frame 14 between the ADF 1 and the reading unit 30.

The flat cable F that sends the electric signal of the second reading unit 201 to the control unit 122 is bent multiple times in the ADF 1, and enters the reading unit 30 via the cable guide 16 and the duct 13. Then, the flat cable F is wired in the width direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction in the space R below the duct 13 and inside the reading unit 30, and goes downward toward the printer body 101A. Since the space R is formed in the reading unit 30, the flat cable F can be wired in the width direction in the space R, and the image reading device can be used for a plurality of types of printer main bodies having different connection positions of the flat cable F. 103 can be attached.

The signal line C such as a motor, a sensor, and a USB cable also enters the reading unit 30 via the cable guide 16 and the duct 13 and is wired toward the printer body 1A. The signal line C is formed by winding a tube or thickening the coating so as not to be disconnected due to repeated opening and closing of the ADF 1. Therefore, the signal line C has a larger bendable radius than the flat cable F.

Further, when the document D is read in the fixed reading mode, the ADF 1 moves in the vertical direction according to the thickness of the document D placed on the document table 31. Therefore, the flat cable F and the signal line C need to have an extra length as much as the ADF 1 can move upward. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5A, the cable guide 16 connects the flat cable F and the signal line C (hereinafter, referred to as bundle wire BW) in the horizontal direction to bend the bundle wire BW. There is. The bundled wire BW has a plurality of wirings having different bendable radii.

[Duct configuration]
Next, the configuration of the duct 13 will be described. As shown in FIG. 5A, the duct 13 has a main body 12 and a lid 12f. The main body 12 has a first duct 12i rotatably supported by the frame 14 and a second duct 12o provided so as to be vertically movable with respect to the reading unit 30. The first duct 12i and the second duct 12o are provided so as to overlap each other inward or outward in a plane orthogonal to the vertical direction. In the present embodiment, the first duct 12i is provided inside the second duct 12o. Has been. That is, the first duct 12i and the second duct 12o have a two-layer structure that overlaps each other in the vertical direction.

The first duct 12i and the second duct 12o are formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and an outer flange portion 41 (abutting portion) extending outward in the radial direction is formed at the lower end of the first duct 12i. An inner flange portion 42 that extends radially inward is formed at the upper end of the second duct 12o, and a retaining portion 43 that extends radially outward is formed at the lower end of the second duct 12o. Further, the reading unit 30 is provided with a stopper 17 (regulating portion) that abuts on the retaining portion 43 of the second duct 12o and regulates the downward movement of the second duct 12o.

When the ADF 1 is located at the lower position, the outer flange portion 41 of the first duct 12i is separated from the inner flange portion 42 of the second duct 12o, as shown in FIG. 5(a). At this time, the retaining portion 43 of the second duct 12o is in contact with the stopper 17, and the outer flange portion 41 of the first duct 12i is located at substantially the same position as the stopper 17 in the vertical direction.

When the ADF 1 is moved upward by the user, the outer flange portion 41 of the first duct 12i contacts the inner flange portion 42 of the second duct 12o, as shown in FIG. 5B. That is, the outer flange portion 41 contacts the inner flange portion 42 of the second duct 12o while the ADF 1 is moving from the lower position to the upper position. Further, when the ADF 1 is moved upward by the user, as shown in FIG. 5C, the inner flange portion 42 is lifted by the outer flange portion 41, so that the second duct 12o is integrated with the first duct 12i. And move up. When the ADF 1 is located at the upper position, the retaining portion 43 of the second duct 12o contacts the inner peripheral surface of the rear cover 35 of the reading unit 30, and the second duct 12o is retained with respect to the reading unit 30. At this time, the lower end of the first duct 12i is located above the reading unit 30, but since the second duct 12o is provided between the first duct 12i and the reading unit 30, The bundled wire BW is not exposed to the outside.

When the ADF 1 moves from the upper position to the lower position, the second duct 12o moves downward together with the first duct 12i and then hits the stopper 17, and then only the first duct 12i moves downward together with the ADF 1. Moving.

As described above, in the duct 13, the first duct 12i and the second duct 12o expand and contract according to the raising/lowering operation of the ADF 1. Then, as shown in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(c), assuming that the total length in the vertical direction of the duct 13 when the ADF 1 is located at the lower position and the upper position is L1 and L2, respectively, The total length L2 is longer than the total length L1 (L2>L1). If the stroke amount of the first duct 12i with respect to the second duct 12o is stroke Si and the stroke amount of the second duct 12o with respect to the reading unit 30 is stroke So, the stroke Si is set to be stroke So or more (Si≧So. ).

That is, the duct 13 shrinks to have the total length L1 when the ADF1 is located at the lower position while ensuring the total length L2 that protects the bundle BW even when the ADF1 is at the upper position, thus saving space. It is possible. Further, when the ADF 1 is located in the lower position, the second duct 12o is restricted from moving downward by the stopper 17, and the length of the first duct 12i is set to substantially the same level as the stopper 17. .. As a result, as described above, the space R in which the bundle of wires BW can be wired in the width direction is secured, and the image reading device 103 can be attached to a plurality of types of printer main bodies having different connection positions of the bundle of wires BW. .. Further, since the stroke Si of the first duct 12i is set to be equal to or greater than the stroke So of the second duct 12o, it is possible to secure a larger space R which is a space below the second duct 12o.

[Configuration around the lid]
As shown in FIGS. 4(a) and 6(a), the ADF 1 is rotatable about a rotation fulcrum 11c, and the first duct 12i is arranged substantially concentric with the rotation fulcrum 11c. It is possible to rotate about a rotation center 12c (see FIG. 4B). By the way, an open space 50 (see FIG. 3) is provided between the exterior cover 15 of the closed ADF 1 and the first duct 12i so as not to interfere with the first duct 12i when the ADF 1 is opened. If, for example, the second reading unit 201 is provided and the number of components mounted on the ADF 1 increases and the weight increases, it is necessary to increase the spring pressure of the hinge mechanism 11 or add a damper function. Then, the hinge mechanism 11 becomes large in size, the rotation fulcrum 11c is located above and inside the reading unit 30, and the rotation center 12c of the first duct 12i is also displaced upward. When the rotation fulcrum 11c is displaced upward and inward inside the ADF 1, it is necessary to provide a larger open space 50.

When the ADF 1 is opened by the user, the fixed part of the bundle BW on the ADF 1 side and the fixed part of the reading unit 30 approach each other, so that the bundle BW swells to the back side of the image reading apparatus 103. For this reason, the bundled wire BW bulging to the back side is sandwiched between the exterior cover 15 and the first duct 12i in a state where the bundled wire BW has entered the open space 50, and the bundled wire BW may be broken. ..

Therefore, in the present embodiment, a lid portion 12f rotatably supported by the first duct 12i is provided. The lid 12f is rotatable about a rotation fulcrum 13c, and is composed of a rigid body that moves with the opening/closing operation of the ADF 1. The rotation fulcrum 13c (support portion) of the lid 12f is located below the rotation fulcrum 11c of the ADF 1.

The cable guide 16 is provided with a pressing portion 131 capable of pressing the lid portion 12f. Further, the outer cover 15 is formed with a first restricting surface 132 that restricts movement of the lid 12f in the opening direction, and the first duct 12i is provided with a second restricting surface 133 that restricts movement of the lid 12f in the closing direction. Are formed. The first restricting surface 132 and the second restricting surface 133 constitute a restricting portion 134 that restricts the rotation range of the lid 12f, and the pressing portion 131 and the restricting portion 134 are interlocked with the opening/closing operation of the ADF 1. An interlocking portion 135 that rotates the lid portion 12f is configured.

When the ADF 1 is closed, as shown in FIG. 6A, the lid 12f is positioned at the closed position by the first restriction surface 132 and the second restriction surface 133. At this time, as shown in FIG. 6A, the open space 50 (see FIG. 3) is covered with the lid portion 12f so that the bundle wire BW is not exposed to the outside. When the ADF 1 is opened by the user, as shown in FIG. 6B, the pressing portion 131 presses the lid portion 12f, and the lid portion 12f is opened along with the opening operation of the ADF 1. Then, when the ADF 1 is opened to the maximum opening degree, as shown in FIG. 6C, the lid portion 12f is opened by its own weight or by being pressed by the bundle line BW, and is brought to the open position by the first restricting surface 132. Positioned.

Further, when the ADF 1 is closed from the position shown in FIG. 6C to the position shown in FIG. 6A, the lid portion 12f located in the open position is pressed by the first restriction surface 132 to close the ADF 1. It is linked to the movement. Then, as shown in FIG. 6A, when the ADF 1 is closed, the lid portion 12f is positioned at the closed position by the second restricting surface 133.

As described above, the lid portion 12f is interlocked by the interlocking portion 135 so that the gap between the lid portion 12f and the ADF 1 is within a predetermined amount when the ADF 1 is opened and closed. Further, since the rotation fulcrum 13c of the lid portion 12f is located below the rotation fulcrum 11c of the ADF 1, even if the open space 50 is large in order to secure the rotation amount of the ADF 1, the bundle line BW is provided. The lid portion 12f can surely protect. That is, when the ADF 1 is opened and closed, the bundle wire BW does not enter the open space and is not sandwiched between the exterior cover 15 and the first duct 12i, so that the bundle wire BW can be prevented from being broken. In addition, the user cannot access the bundle of wires BW through the open space 50, the bundle of wires BW and the user can be protected, and the appearance can be improved.

<Second Embodiment>
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The second embodiment is a modification of the duct 13 of the first embodiment. Therefore, the configuration similar to that of the first embodiment will be described by omitting the illustration or by attaching the same reference numeral to the figure. As shown in FIG. 7A, the duct 113 (cover section) includes a main body section 112 having a first duct 112i (first cover member) and a second duct 112o (second cover member). There is. The first duct 112i and the second duct 112o are provided so as to overlap each other inward or outward in a plane orthogonal to the vertical direction. In the present embodiment, the first duct 112i is provided outside the second duct 112o. Has been. That is, the first duct 112i and the second duct 112o have a two-layer structure that overlaps each other in the vertical direction.

The first duct 112i and the second duct 112o are formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and an inner flange portion 141 (abutting portion) extending inward in the radial direction is formed at the lower end of the first duct 112i. An outer flange portion 142 that extends radially outward is formed at the upper end of the second duct 112o, and a retaining portion 43 that extends radially outward is formed at the lower end of the second duct 112o. Further, the reading unit 30 is provided with a stopper 17 (regulating portion) that abuts the retaining portion 43 of the second duct 112o and regulates the downward movement of the second duct 112o.

When the ADF 1 is located at the lower position, the inner flange portion 141 of the first duct 112i is separated from the outer flange portion 142 of the second duct 112o, as shown in FIG. 7A. At this time, the retaining portion 43 of the second duct 112o is in contact with the stopper 17.

When the ADF 1 is moved upward by the user, the inner flange portion 141 of the first duct 112i comes into contact with the outer flange portion 142 of the second duct 112o, as shown in FIG. 7B. That is, the inner flange portion 141 contacts the outer flange portion 142 of the second duct 112o while the ADF 1 is moving from the lower position to the upper position. Furthermore, when the ADF 1 is moved upward by the user, as shown in FIG. 7C, the outer flange portion 142 is lifted by the inner flange portion 141, so that the second duct 112o is integrated with the first duct 112i. And move up. Then, when the ADF 1 is located at the upper position, the retaining portion 43 of the second duct 112o contacts the inner peripheral surface of the rear cover 35 of the reading unit 30, and the second duct 112o is retained with respect to the reading unit 30. The lower end of the first duct 112i is located above the reading unit 30. However, since the second duct 112o is provided between the first duct 112i and the reading unit 30, the inside of the duct 113 is reduced. The bundled wire BW (see FIG. 8) housed in is never exposed to the outside.

When the ADF 1 moves from the upper position to the lower position, the second duct 112o moves downward together with the first duct 112i and then hits the stopper 17, and then only the first duct 112i moves downward together with the ADF 1. Moving. The change in the total length of the duct 113 due to the vertical movement of the ADF 1 and the setting of the strokes of the first duct 112i and the second duct 112o are the same as those in the first embodiment, and thus the description thereof will be omitted.

By the way, the displacement amount of the bundled wire BW that bends as the ADF 1 moves in the vertical direction is larger in the first duct 112i than in the second duct 112o. In the present embodiment, the first duct 112i and the second duct 112o are engaged with each other inside the first duct 112i, and the cross-sectional area SL of the inner space of the first duct 112i is the disconnection of the inner space of the second duct 112o. It is configured to be larger than the area SS. For this reason, the bundle of wires BW can be largely bent in the first duct 112i, and damage to the bundle of wires BW can be reduced. Further, as in the first embodiment, a space R in which the bundled wires BW can be wired in the width direction is secured below the second duct 112o, and a plurality of types of printer main bodies having different connection positions of the bundled wires BW are provided. The image reading device 103 can be attached to the.

As shown in FIG. 8A, the duct 113 has a lid 112f that is fixed to the first duct 112i by a fixture 113c (supporting portion). The lid 112f is made of an elastic body such as a rubber material or a sheet material. The fixture 113c is arranged below the rotation fulcrum 11c of the ADF 1, and can open the ADF 1 largely.

When the ADF 1 is opened, as shown in FIG. 8B, the bundled wire BW swells to the inner side of the device and presses the lid 112f. When the ADF 1 is closed, the lid 112f returns to its original position due to its own elastic force. That is, the lid portion 112f moves in synchronization with the opening/closing operation of the ADF 1 while protecting the bundle BW. As a result, the bundle of wires BW is not exposed to the outside from the open space 50 (see FIG. 3), and it is possible to prevent disconnection of the bundle of wires BW. In addition, the user cannot access the bundle of wires BW through the open space 50, the bundle of wires BW and the user can be protected, and the appearance can be improved.

In addition, in the first and second embodiments, the main body of the duct has a two-layer structure, but may have three or more layers. Further, although the main body of the duct is formed in a cylindrical shape, the shape is not limited to this, and may be, for example, a square tube shape or another cross-sectional shape.

Further, in the first and second embodiments, the stopper 17 is provided to define the lower limit position of the second duct, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, without providing the stopper 17, an urging portion such as a spring for urging the second duct with respect to the first duct may be provided. In this case, when the ADF 1 is moved from the lower position to the upper position, first, the first duct and the second duct move upward together, and after the retaining portion of the second duct contacts the rear cover of the reading unit. , The first duct moves with respect to the second duct against the biasing force of the biasing portion.

In addition, in the first and second embodiments, the first reading unit 151 and the second reading unit 201 are not limited to the CIS, and a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) may be used. Further, the image reading apparatus 103 can be mounted on various image forming apparatuses such as a copying machine, a facsimile, a printer, and a multi-function machine, and can be used alone.

11: support part (hinge mechanism)/11c: rotation fulcrum/12: body part/12c: rotation fulcrum/12f: lid part/12i: first cover member (first duct)/12o: second cover member ( Second duct)/13,113: Cover part (duct)/13c, 113c: Support part (rotation center, fixture)/15: Exterior cover/16: Holding part (cable guide)/30: Reading unit/31 : Setting part (original table)/41, 141: Contact part (outer flange part, inner flange part)/101: Image forming device (printer)/101A: Image forming unit (printer main body)/103: Image reading device /131: pressing part /134: restricting part /135: interlocking part /151: reading part, first reading part /152: transparent part (first platen glass) /201: second reading part /BW: bundled line /D : Sheet (original)/L1, L2: Total length/So, Si: Stroke/SS, SL: Cross-sectional area

Claims (12)

A reading unit having a transparent portion and a reading portion capable of reading an image on a sheet through the transparent portion;
A transport unit that is disposed above the reading unit and transports a sheet toward the transparent portion,
A support portion that supports the transport unit in a vertically movable and openable/closable manner with respect to the reading unit;
A bundle wire that passes through the reading unit and transmits a signal or power to the transport unit,
A cover portion that covers the bundle line between the reading unit and the transport unit,
The cover portion includes a main body portion that is rotatably supported by the transport unit, and a lid portion that is supported by the main body portion at a support portion and that moves with the opening/closing operation of the transport unit.
The support portion of the lid portion is disposed below a fulcrum of rotation of the transport unit with respect to the support portion.
An image reading device characterized by the above. An open space is provided between the exterior cover of the transport unit in the closed state and the main body of the cover so as not to interfere with the main body when the transport unit is opened,
The lid portion is provided so as to cover the open space,
The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: Rotation fulcrum for said conveying unit of the main body portion is disposed on the pivot point and the heart of the transport unit relative to said support portion,
The image reading device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein The lid portion is rotatably supported by the support portion with respect to the main body portion,
The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image reading apparatus is an image reading apparatus. Interlocking for rotating the lid unit in conjunction with the opening/closing operation of the transport unit so that the gap between the lid unit and the transport unit is within a predetermined amount when the transport unit is opened/closed. Parts,
The image reading apparatus according to claim 4, wherein The interlocking portion includes a pressing portion that is provided in the transport unit and that can press the lid portion, and a regulating portion that regulates a rotation range of the lid portion.
The image reading apparatus according to claim 5, wherein: The lid portion is fixed to the main body portion at the support portion and is made of an elastic body.
The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image reading apparatus is an image reading apparatus. The transport unit has a holding portion that holds the bundled wire in a bent state in the transport unit,
The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image reading apparatus is an image reading apparatus. The cover portion is provided movably in the vertical direction with respect to the reading unit and a first cover member provided in the transport unit, and the first cover member is provided inside or outside in a plane orthogonal to the vertical direction. A second cover member provided so as to overlap with,
The lid portion is supported by the first cover member at the support portion,
9. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image reading apparatus is an image reading apparatus. The reading unit has a placement portion on which a sheet can be placed,
The transport unit has a pressure plate portion that presses the sheet placed on the placing portion from above,
The reading unit can read an image of a sheet placed on the placing unit while moving the sheet.
The image reading device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein The reading unit is a first reading unit,
The transport unit is capable of reading an image on a second surface of the sheet transported by the transport unit, which is opposite to the first surface read by the first reading unit, and is connected to the bundle line. Has a reading unit,
The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image reading apparatus is an image reading apparatus. An image reading apparatus according to claim 1,
An image forming unit that forms an image read by the reading unit on a sheet,
An image forming apparatus characterized by the above.

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