JPH0581507B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A. Object of the Invention [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a document reading device such as a facsimile machine.

[Conventional technology]

Generally, in a document reading device such as a facsimile machine, a document is inserted into a document insertion slot of the device, the document is drawn into the device by a document conveying means, and is passed through an image reading section to sequentially read the document images. The original that has passed through is ejected from the apparatus through the original ejection port of the apparatus.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

For such devices, the length of the document transport route (original path) from the document insertion section to the document ejection section
The overall size and operability of the device are greatly influenced by the design of the route and other factors.

For example, there is a trend toward personalization of facsimile devices, and there is a demand for desktop-type devices that are as small and easy to handle as possible. Therefore, in order to reduce the size of the apparatus by improving the design of the document path, a document path configuration as shown in FIG. 5 has been considered.

In Fig. 5, 1 and 2 are the upper and lower equipment exterior cases that are stacked one on top of the other and combined into one body, and 3
is a handset, 4 is a horizontally long document insertion slot on the front wall of the device, 5 is a horizontally long document ejection port on the front side of the upper device exterior case, and 6 is a horizontally long document ejection port on the front side of the upper device exterior case. Integrated operation panel, 7 is a slide knob for releasing the document path, 13 is the document insertion slot 4
The figure shows the document insertion guide plate installed in the figure.

When the apparatus is placed on the desk surface D, the document guide plate 13 has its leading edge in contact with the desk surface and communicates between the desk surface D and the document insertion slot 4 of the apparatus.

A document image reading mechanism is built in below the document discharge port 5, that is, in the front side of the apparatus exterior case.

Reference numeral 26 denotes an opening/closing cover portion of an image recording means portion provided on the upper exterior case surface portion on the opposite side from the document ejection port 5 with the operation panel 6 inside. A recording paper loading section and an image recording means section are built into the lower side of this opening/closing cover.

Place the original O with the image side facing down on the original guide plate 13 and the desk surface D in front of it, slide the original on the guide plate 13, and fully insert the leading edge of the original into the apparatus through the original insertion slot 4. When the inserted document is inserted into the device A, the inserted document is drawn into the device and passes through the image reading unit. During the passage, the document image is sequentially read and scanned by the reading device, and the read image signal is sent to the other party's facsimile device, etc. Sent. The document portion that has passed through the reading section is guided by a paper ejection guide and conveyed upward, and is transported upward to the upper device exterior case 1.
The document exits from the device through the document ejection port 5 opened on the top surface and toward the front side of the device, that is, the direction A in which the document is introduced into the device.
It makes a U-turn in the opposite direction B and is ejected.

By using the document U-turn conveyance method as described above, the document path length can be extremely shortened, and the desk surface D itself can be used as a document placement table, eliminating the need for a document receiving tray. Rather than fixedly supporting it on the frame (chassis) or the lower device exterior case 2, it is better to integrate it with the upper device exterior case 1, or to make a hole for the key top in the surface of the case 1 itself. By providing a configuration in which the case is also used as an operation panel, the structure can be simplified, and the entire device can be made smaller.

However, in the case of the device configuration as described above, the surface of the upper device exterior case 1 is cut out on the front side with the operation panel section 6 inside due to the presence of the document ejection port 5, and the back side is notched for recording. The presence of the opening in the opening/closing cover 26 of the means section results in a notched form, and the rigidity of the case 1 is weakened by the notch. Therefore, if no measures are taken, the weakly rigid case 1 will easily bend due to the key operation force of the operation panel 6, causing the case 1 or the operation panel 6 to become distorted with each key operation, and the appearance will deteriorate. Appearance, sense of luxury, etc. are impaired.

If the operation panel section 6 is made of a highly rigid material or the wall thickness of the case 1 is increased in order to provide sufficient strength with the rigidity of the case 1 alone, the weight of the entire device will increase. This will lead to larger size and higher costs.

The present invention improves the case 1 by increasing the weight of the entire device.
Without increasing the size or increasing costs,
The purpose is to create a reasonably reinforced state.

B. Structure of the Invention [Means for Solving Problems] The present invention incorporates a document image reading unit inside the front side of the device exterior case, and has a document insertion slot in the front side wall of the device exterior case. A document ejection port is provided near the front side of the upper surface of the device exterior case, and the document introduced into the device from the document insertion port is passed through the document image reading section and exited from the device from the document ejection port. The document path mechanism is configured to carry out a U-turn in the direction opposite to the direction in which the document enters the device through the insertion slot, and the operation panel is located on the upper surface of the device's exterior case on the back side of the document ejection port position. The document ejection guide member disposed at the document ejection port position is arranged so as to be overlapped with the back surface of the front side of the operation panel so as to be in contact with the document across the width direction of the document. The main topic is image reading devices.

[Effect]

That is, focusing on the document ejection guide member disposed at the document ejection port position, the guide member is arranged so as to be overlapped with the back surface of the near side of the operation panel so as to be in contact with the width direction of the document. As a result, the guide member is also used as a reinforcing rib member or a reinforcing stay member on the upper surface of the device exterior case, which has a low rigidity and which has a document ejection port as a notch and an operation panel, and makes the case itself highly rigid. The case can be sufficiently reinforced without using a different material, increasing the wall thickness, or incorporating a stay member as a separate member.

〔Example〕

1 to 4 show an example of a facsimile apparatus as an embodiment of the present invention. Components common to those in the example shown in FIG. 5 are given the same reference numerals and repeated explanations will be omitted.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view.
In FIG. 2, reference numeral 10 denotes a document conveying roller (reading platen roller) with a white circumferential surface built into the front end of the device, and is driven to rotate in the direction of the arrow by a drive mechanism (not shown) around a shaft 10a. Ru. Reference numeral 11 is a close-contact type image that can freely swing toward and away from the rear surface of the roller 10 around a support shaft 11a, and is normally pressed and held against the rear surface of the roller 10 by a tension spring 12 with a predetermined pressing force. This is a sensor unit (CS unit). The CS unit incorporates a light source 11b for illuminating an original such as an LED array, a short focus lens array 11c such as Self-Occ (trade name), a photoelectric sensor array 11d, and the like.

Place the original O with the image side facing down on the original guide plate 13 and the desk surface D in front of it, slide the original on the guide plate 13, and fully insert the leading edge of the original into the apparatus through the original insertion slot 4. , the leading edge of the original O is guided upward by the upper and lower guide plates 14 and 15 and enters the contact area between the original transport roller 10 and the front plate of the CS unit 11, and the original O is inserted into the roller 10.
The material passes through the front of CS unit 11 and is continuously transported upwards by the rotational transport force (CS unit 1
The friction coefficient of the roller 10 is made larger than that of the front surface of the roller 1). During the process of the original O passing through the front of the CS unit,
The CS unit 11 sequentially photoelectrically reads and scans the image surface of the original O, and the read image signal is transmitted to the other party's facsimile device or the like.

The document portion that has passed through the front of the CS unit 11 is guided by the paper ejection guide plates 16 and 17 and conveyed upward, and exits the device through the document ejection port 5 that is open on the top surface of the upper device exterior case 1. To the front side of the device, that is, the direction B opposite to the direction A in which the original is introduced into the device.
It makes a U-turn and is ejected.

Reference numerals 21 and 21a denote a document presence sensor and its actuator provided in the middle of the document path between the document insertion slot 4 and the document transport roller 10, 23 a device frame (shaft), and 25 a rear side of the operation panel 6. The installed operation panel printed circuit board, 25a.
Reference numeral 25b represents a circuit switch and a key top provided on the printed circuit board, and the key top 25b projects from a key top hole formed in the operation panel surface to the top surface of the operation panel.

Reference numeral 26 is provided on the rear side of the upper device exterior case 1, and is a recording paper cover that can be opened and closed freely in the directions of arrows Ea and Eb around the shaft 26a. Reference numeral 27 is a record paper cover that is loaded into the storage section 27a inside the device. It is heat-sensitive recording paper, and is installed by opening the cover 26.
28 is a platen roller that is rotationally driven in the direction of the arrow by a drive mechanism (not shown) about a shaft 28a, 29 is a shaft provided on the back side of the recording paper cover 26, and 30 is fitted into a slotted hole on this shaft 29. A thermal head holding plate 31 is supported to freely swing around the shaft 29, and 32 is a thermal head attached to the lower side of the holding plate.
33 is a coil spring that presses the thermal head holding plate 30 downward; 33 is a pressing rubber that presses the thermal head to a flexible wiring cable (not shown);
34 is a protection plate, and 35 is a recording paper guide, which is fixed to the thermal head holding plate 30 and holds the thermal head so that it does not come off when the recording paper cover 26 is opened and raised upwards around the shaft 26a. It also serves as a stopper. Reference numerals 36 and 36a represent a recording paper presence/absence detection sensor and its actuator.

When the recording paper cover 26 is closed, the thermal head 31 is held pressed against the upper surface of the platen roller 28 via the recording paper 27 with a predetermined pressing force.
8 is rotationally driven, the recording paper 27 is fed out and conveyed between the platen roller 28 and the thermal head 31, and received image information is thermally recorded on the surface of the recording paper 27 by the thermal head 31. And recording paper 2
The image-recorded portion 7 exits the apparatus from a recording paper outlet 37 provided on the rear wall side of the apparatus.

38 is a rubber foot provided on the bottom surface of the device.

The document discharge guide plate 16 on the side of the document discharge port 4 is a member having a substantially inverted L-shape in cross section, and its upper sidewardly bent side 16a is brought into contact with the back surface of the operation panel 6 on the near side. Therefore, when the key 6b on the operation panel is pressed down (FIG. 2), the pressing force is received by the rigidity of the guide plate 16, and the operation panel does not undergo unnecessary deformation. This prevents the operation from becoming impossible.

FIG. 3 shows an exploded perspective view of the original image reading mechanism. The structure is such that the document conveying roller 10 is dropped into the frame 23 from above. The roller 10 moves the paper ejection guide 16 over the frame 2.
By fixing it to 3, it is prevented from being removed upward. Since the CS unit 11 is arranged so as to be able to swing relative to the roller 10 around the shaft 11a, it is difficult to construct a structure above the unit 11 that would touch the unit 11, and it is difficult to construct a structure above the unit 11 so that it does not come into contact with the unit 11. Placing the structure increases the overall height of the device. In this embodiment, the upper end 16a of the paper ejection guide 16 is bent into an L shape, and the upper end 16a is bent into an L-shape.
6a receives the operation panel 6 and also serves as a reinforcing member for the panel 6, case 1, etc.

In this embodiment, the paper ejection guide 16 is separately fixed to the frame 23, but the upper case 1 itself, which is integrated with the operation panel 6, is provided with a paper ejection guide part, and the guide part is brought into contact with the frame 23. Similar effects can also be obtained by doing so.

In the facsimile apparatus of this embodiment, the surface of the upper device exterior case 1 provided with the document ejection port 5 on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the U-turn ejected document is rotated around the axis 20a as shown in FIG. The opening/closing cover 20 is designed to be able to be opened forward from the front wall of the housing and held in a holding state. A guide plate 17 is integrally formed on the cover 20.

The opening/closing cover 20 is opened and held when the original to be introduced into the apparatus is weak. By opening and folding the cover 20, the cover 20 is held inverted toward the front of the front wall of the device with the back side facing upward, and the cover 20
The leading end side of the 0 serves as an overhanging member located downstream of the position of the document insertion opening 4 in the conveying direction of the U-turn discharged document.

When the document to be introduced into the apparatus is a normal, relatively stiff document, the cover 20 may remain closed or may be left open. Even if the cover 20 is opened as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG.
6, the document exits outside the device through the document ejection port 5, and is conveyed in a U-turn toward the front and upper side of the device.Since the document is stiff, the leading edge of the document is ejected as shown by the two-dot chain line J. It passes sufficiently above the cover 20, which is in an open state. Furthermore, as the document continues to be ejected, the ejected document is marked by the two-dot chain line K due to its own weight.
It bends diagonally downward as shown in FIG. However, it is expelled. Therefore, unless an extremely long original is introduced into the apparatus, the leading edge of the original O discharged in a U-turn from the original ejection port 5 will be the rear edge side of the original that is being introduced into the apparatus from the original insertion opening 4. They do not come into contact with each other, and even if they do, the contact angle is very small and the leading edge of the ejected document is not actually drawn into the device again due to friction between the documents.

When the document O to be introduced into the apparatus is a weak paper such as thin paper, the cover 20 is opened as shown in FIG. The ejected document O that comes out of the document ejection port 5 is initially conveyed in a U-turn toward the front and upper part of the apparatus, as in the case of the above-mentioned stiff original, but since the stiffness is weak, the document is bent by subsequent ejection. The cover 20 hangs downward as indicated by two-dot chain lines M and N, and hangs down on the upper surface of the cover 20, which serves as an overhanging member, in the open and held state, and the tip portion is received. As the document continues to be ejected, the hanging end of the document moves toward the tip of the cover 20 and hits the inside of the base of the upward guide plate 17 as shown by the two-dot chain line P. Further, as the document continues to be ejected, the document on the discharge side passes through the state shown by the two-dot chain line Q, then becomes the state shown by the two-dot chain line R, and finally climbs over the cover 20 and falls onto the desk surface D. At this time, if the document is of normal length, the trailing edge of the document has already entered the device, so
In practice, the leading edge of the ejected document is not drawn into the apparatus again.

If the rotation of the document transport roller stops for some reason during the reading of the document introduced into the device, the document O will be moved between the stopped roller 10 and the CS unit 1.
1 by the biasing force of the spring 12, making it impossible to remove it from the device.

In such a case, slide knob 7 (Fig. 1)
Slide in the direction of the arrow CS unit to
A unit 11 pulls a tension spring 12 around a shaft 11a.
The document O is pivoted in a direction away from the roller 10 against the pressure, thereby releasing the document from being clamped (release of the document path) and easily pulling the document O out of the device. I can do it.

Furthermore, in the case of the apparatus of this embodiment, since the document image reading section is opened by opening the cover 20, even if a document jam occurs in the document image reading section, the jammed document can be easily removed.

C. Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the present invention, attention is paid to the document ejection guide member disposed at the document ejection port position, and the guide member is passed in the width direction of the document to the rear surface in front of the operation panel. By arranging the guide member overlappingly so that they are in contact with each other, the guide member can also be used as a document ejection port as a notch, a reinforcing rib member or a reinforcing stay member on the upper side of the device exterior case where the operation panel is provided. As a result, the case can be sufficiently reinforced without making the case of a strong and rigid material, increasing the wall thickness, or incorporating a stay member as a separate member.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings show an example of a facsimile device as an embodiment, and FIG. 1 is an external perspective view, FIG. 2 is a sectional view, and FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the image reading mechanism.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the front part of the apparatus with the cover extending toward the front of the apparatus open, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an example of the small facsimile apparatus. 4 is a document insertion slot, 5 is a document discharge port, 10 is a document transport roller, 11 is a CS unit, and 16 is a document discharge guide plate.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A document image reading unit built into the front side of the device exterior case, a document insertion slot formed in the front side wall of the device exterior case, and a front side of the top surface of the device exterior case. a document ejection port formed near the edge; and a document introduced into the device from the document insertion port, passes through the document image reading section, exits the device from the document ejection port, and enters the device from the document insertion port. A document path mechanism that carries out a U-turn in a direction opposite to the direction in which the document is carried in, an operation panel section provided on a surface portion of the upper surface of the apparatus exterior case on the back side of the document discharge port position, and the document discharge port. a document discharge guide member disposed at a position that guides the document to a document discharge port; the upper end of the document discharge guide member is placed on the back surface of the front side of the operation panel in the width direction of the document. A document reading device characterized in that the document reading devices are arranged in an overlapping manner so that they are in contact with each other. 2. The document reading device according to claim 1, wherein the lower end of the document ejection guide member is integrally fixed to the device frame, and the upper end contacts the back surface of the operation panel so as to be able to come into contact with and separate from it. 3. The document reading device according to claim 1, wherein the top end of the document ejection guide member is integrally fixed to the back surface of the operation panel, and the bottom end contacts the device frame so as to be able to come into contact with and separate from the device frame.