JPH05204055A - Image reader - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a locking mechanism having an easy constitution and high reliability and for locking a traveling body where an optical scanning device for an image reader is mounted with the device main body at the time of transporting the device, and capable of repeatedly locking and releasing the locking if necessary. CONSTITUTION:The traveling body 2 is provided with a locking member 1 having a planted locking lever 6 capable of being engaged with holes 3a and 4a respectively installed on two rails 3 and 4 for guiding the traveling body 2 while being in contact with both end parts of the traveling body, and the locking member 1 is held by the prescribed device of the traveling body 2 at the time of releasing the locking.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image reading device for an image forming apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying machine or an original image reading apparatus such as a scanner, an original is placed on the original placing surface on the upper surface of a contact glass with the image side facing down.
An image in which the traveling body is made to travel and an image is read and scanned by an optical scanning device carried by the traveling body whose two ends are guided by two rails extending in the lower part of the contact glass in parallel with it and in the scanning direction. Readers are widely adopted.

The traveling body is usually reciprocally driven by one motor in the scanning direction and the returning direction via wire ropes that are wound around pulleys provided at the four corners of the apparatus. The optical scanning device mounted on the traveling body includes all or part of a document illumination lamp, an imaging optical system, an image sensor such as a CCD, etc., and has a large mass, so the device is inadvertently transported during transportation of the image forming apparatus. When it moves inside the body, a large inertial force is generated, and it may collide with other members and damage the optical scanning device itself or other members.

Therefore, in order to prevent the traveling body carrying the optical scanning device from being inadvertently moved during transportation of the image forming apparatus or the like, between the member fixed to the main body of the apparatus and the member moving during the scanning traveling. It has been conventionally practiced to provide locking means to the.

For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 3-51836 discloses a pin portion penetrating holes provided in both a pulley around which a wire rope is rotationally driven during traveling and a substrate fixed to the apparatus body. Prepare a lock lever equipped with this, and when transporting the main body of the device, attach the pin part of this lock lever by penetrating the holes of the fixed board and the pulley, and after installing the main body at the user's place of use, remove the lock lever , An image reading device is disclosed in which a pulley can be rotated by a motor.

However, in this device, one point of the member that moves together with the traveling body and one point of the member fixed to the main body of the apparatus are engaged with each other and locked, so that a single lock is applied. A large force acts on a member, for example, a pin portion, and sufficient reliability cannot be obtained unless the lock member and a portion engaging with the lock member are sufficiently reinforced.

Further, the lock member such as the lock lever in the above example is intended only for temporary use during transportation from the manufacturer to the user, and is made as a separate member from the main body of the apparatus or the traveling body, and once removed. In that case, there is a drawback that it is difficult or impossible to re-attach it, or if it is lost or thrown away and it becomes necessary to re-lock, it cannot be re-locked in many cases.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has a simple structure and a highly reliable lock in view of the above-mentioned drawbacks of the lock means for transporting the main body of the traveling body of the image reading apparatus such as the conventional image forming apparatus. A first object is to provide an image reading apparatus having a lock mechanism that can obtain a function, and a second object is to provide an image reading apparatus having a lock mechanism that can be easily reused as needed. And the subject.

[0009]

A lock means for solving the first problem is a lock for engaging a traveling body with each of two rails guided at both ends thereof to lock the traveling body on the rail. A member is provided.

Further, the locking means for solving the above-mentioned second problem can be repeatedly engaged and disengaged with each of the two rails, locks the traveling body on the rail at the time of engagement, and even at the predetermined position of the traveling body at the time of disengagement. It is characterized by comprising a lock member held by.

[0011]

According to the structure of the locking means for solving the first problem, the traveling body is locked to the rail at each of the two end portions, so that the inertial force acting on the traveling body during transportation of the apparatus main body is divided into two, Further, since the rotational moment as when supporting at one place does not act, a strong and highly reliable locking function can be obtained even with a simple locking member having a small cross-sectional size.

According to the structure of the lock means for solving the second problem, the traveling member can be repeatedly engaged with and disengaged from the rail, the traveling member can be locked on the rail when engaged, and the locking member keeps the traveling member at a predetermined position even when disengaged. Since it is held in position, it will not be lost or thrown away, and when it becomes necessary to reuse it, it can be easily engaged with the rail to lock the traveling body on the rail.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a traveling body 2 installed so as to be able to travel on the guide rails 3 and 4. An optical scanning device is mounted inside the traveling body 2. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a cross section of an example of the traveling body 2 and an optical scanning device therein.
The optical scanning device receives the light reflected from the illumination lamp 10 and the illumination lamp 10 which illuminates the lower surface of the document placed on the contact glass through the slit 2a provided in the top plate of the casing of the traveling body 2 in the width direction, It is composed of a rod lens array 12 which forms an image on a CCD 11 which is a reading element.
Power supply to the illumination lamp 10 and transmission of the image information signal from the CCD 11 are performed by a flexible flat composite cable 13.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, a traveling body lock member 1 is provided on one side surface of the traveling body 2 so as to be rotatable around a fulcrum 5 provided at both ends of the traveling body casing. There is. When the lock member 1 is not locked, the lock member 1 is held along the side surface of the traveling body so as not to be separated by the hook 8. A knob 1a that can be held and rotated by an operator's hand is provided at an end portion of the lock member 1 on the front side in the operation direction. Lock levers 6 are provided in the vicinity of both ends of the lock member 1, and engagement holes 3a, 4a with which the lock levers 6 can be engaged are provided at predetermined positions in the guide rails 3, 4. . The inner periphery of the engagement holes 3a, 4a is shown in FIG.
As shown in, a rubber ring 9 for cushioning and vibration proofing is attached. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, a door 7 is provided on the front side of the operation side of the main body of the image forming apparatus, the scanner, etc. at a portion corresponding to the above-mentioned engaging hole 4a provided on the front rail 4.
As shown in FIG. 6, the door 7 is pivotally attached to the housing side plate via the hinge 14 at the lower end edge and can be hooked on the housing top plate at the upper end. By releasing the hook at the top,
As shown in FIG. 7, by opening the hinge 14 as an axis, the operator inserts his / her hand, releases the hook 8 and holds the knob 1a of the lock member 1 with his / her finger, and the lock member 1 is supported by the fulcrum 5 The lock lever 6 can be engaged with or disengaged from the holes 3a, 4a of the rails 3, 4 by rotating the lock lever 6 around.

Since the lock mechanism of this embodiment is constructed as described above, the door 7 is opened and the lock lever 6 of the lock member 1 is moved to the holes 3a, 4a of the rails 3, 4 when the image forming apparatus is transported. Engage. In this state, the traveling body 2 is locked by the two front and rear rails 3 and 4, and unintentional movement is prevented. At this time, the traveling body 2 is locked by the rails fixed to the main body of the apparatus at the two ends, so that the impact force due to inertia is divided into two parts, and the rotating moment does not act on the traveling body. Even with a small size, sufficient reliability can be obtained and the structure can be simplified. Also, a rubber ring 9 is provided on the inner circumference of the engagement holes 3a, 4a of the lock lever.
Since it is attached, it is possible to obtain cushioning and anti-vibration effects. When the lock lever 6 is pulled out from the holes 3a and 4a of the rails 3 and 4, the lock member 1 is held by the hook 8 while being in contact with the side surface of the traveling body casing, as shown in FIGS. Therefore, the scanning movement of the traveling body 2 is not hindered. When it is necessary to move the device body to change the installation position, the door 7 is opened, the holding by the hook 8 is released, and the knob 1a of the lock member 1 is operated to move the lock lever 6 to the rail hole 3a. The traveling body 2 can be easily locked to the rails 3 and 4 by engaging with the rail 4a.

[0017]

As described above, according to the present invention, the traveling body can be locked to the main body of the apparatus with a simple structure and with high reliability, and the lock member is held at a predetermined position of the traveling body when the lock is released. Therefore, it is possible to repeatedly and easily lock the lock as needed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a scanning traveling body and a rail provided with a lock mechanism of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the traveling body and an optical scanning device mounted on the traveling body.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing an unlocked state of the lock mechanism.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a locked state of the lock mechanism.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of an apparatus main body including an image reading apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a closed state of a door for operating the lock mechanism.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing an open state of the door.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 lock member 1a knob 2 traveling body 3, 4 rails 3a, 4a hole 5 fulcrum 6 lock lever 7 door 8 hook 9 rubber ring

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification code Internal reference number FI technical display location H04N 1/10 7205-5C

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An image reading apparatus for carrying out an image reading scan of an original by moving a traveling body carrying an optical scanning means with two rails being guided by two rails extending in the scanning direction in parallel with the original placing surface. An image reading apparatus, wherein the scanning member is provided with a lock member that engages with each of the two rails and locks the traveling body with the rail. 2. The lock member is capable of being repeatedly engaged and disengaged with each of the two rails, locks the traveling body on the rail when engaged, and holds the traveling body at a predetermined position even when the traveling body is disengaged. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image reading apparatus is an image reading apparatus.