JP2011120139A - Image reading apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the size and the weight of a scanner unit, and to stably install the scanner unit when a feeder unit is mounted at the same time, in a device configuration where the feeder unit is mounted to the scanner unit as an option. <P>SOLUTION: An image reading apparatus includes a scanner unit having a platen, a feeder unit for feeding a document sheet to the platen, and a connecting frame. The connecting frame is constituted of a frame member having an installation face that can be placed on a fixing surface, a hinge mounting face which is positioned approximately on the same plane as the platen surface of a scanner housing, and installation legs disposed at least at two positions on the installation face, and the strength of the connecting frame is set so that the weight of the feeder unit can be supported. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image reading apparatus that reads a document image on a platen, and relates to an improvement in the installation structure of a feeder unit that automatically feeds a document image onto the platen.

  In general, this type of image reading apparatus is widely known as an image input device such as a scanner, a copying machine, or a composite printer. For example, an image handling system including a printer unit, a scanner unit, and a feeder unit is known in a multi-function machine as shown in Patent Document 1.

  Document 1 proposes a system in which a scanner unit is stacked above a printer unit and a feeder unit is stacked above the printer unit. Such a system configuration is configured according to demand, such as a user option, only a printer unit, only a scanner unit, or a scanner unit with a feeder unit.

  For example, in a network scanner system that does not include a printer unit, the system is configured with a scanner unit or the system is configured with a scanner unit with a feeder, or the user configures the system according to the application. Conventionally, when selecting whether or not to attach a feeder unit to a scanner unit as a user option, the scanner unit is configured as follows.

  The scanner unit is composed of a scanner housing provided with a platen and an image reading unit built in the scanner casing, and the image reading unit is widely used as a flatbed scanner composed of an optical carriage that reads a document on the platen in line order. ing. Therefore, conventionally, a platen for placing an original sheet on the scanner unit and a platen for reading the original sheet supplied from the feeder are provided, and when the scanner unit is mounted, the feeder unit can be opened and closed above the scanner unit. When the original sheet is set on the platen (manual setting), the feeder unit is turned to open the upper part of the platen.

JP 2009-1111728 A

  As described above, when a device such as a scanner is placed on the installation surface, an installation leg is provided at the bottom of the scanner housing. This installation leg supports the device stably on the installation surface such as a desk, and at the same time, considers not to propagate external vibration into the scanner. For this reason, the installation legs have elastic legs such as rubber bushes attached to the bottom wall surface of the device. A device configuration in which the height of the elastic leg is adjusted according to the unevenness of the installation surface and a device configuration in which the height position is set to a predetermined design value are known.

  The former height-adjustable installation leg configuration is used when the weight of the equipment is large and the installation position is not frequently moved. The latter fixed installation leg configuration requires the equipment to be light and frequently move the installation position. It is often used in some devices.

  Therefore, since image forming devices such as scanners have a usage method that frequently changes the installation position, the installation legs such as rubber bushes are fixed at the height position of the preset design value and can be installed on various installation surfaces is doing. This type of scanner has a simple frame such as a monocoque structure in order to reduce the weight of the device.

  On the other hand, it is necessary to equip such a scanner unit with a feeder unit that automatically supplies a document sheet to the platen depending on the application. Since this feeder unit supplies the document sheet to the platen of the scanner housing, the space occupied by the document tray needs to be almost the same area as the platen. Then, the space occupied by the transport driving mechanism for supplying the sheet set on the document tray to the platen protrudes outside the platen area. Therefore, a scanner unit that can be equipped with a conventional feeder unit has to be configured in a frame structure that is larger than the platen space and has a strength that supports the weight of the feeder unit.

  Therefore, when the feeder unit is installed as an option, it has conventionally been necessary to configure the frame structure of the scanner unit to be large and strong enough to withstand the weight of the feeder unit. At the same time, since the total weight of the installation leg is different between the case where the scanner unit is a single unit and the case where the feeder unit is equipped, there has been a problem that an optimum material has to be selected in terms of vibration absorption and elasticity. For example, when a material rich in elasticity is used, the installation leg is elastically deformed and its height position is low, and the device is inclined. When a material with low elasticity is used, the problem of poor vibration absorption is encountered.

  The present inventor paid attention to the knowledge that, in an apparatus configuration equipped with a feeder unit as an option, a feeder housing is attached to a connecting frame, and the connecting frame is connected to the scanner unit to support the weight of the feeder on the connecting frame side. . Therefore, a structure capable of supporting the feeder with a stable connection frame has been created.

  According to the present invention, in an apparatus configuration in which a feeder unit is attached as an option to the scanner unit, the scanner unit can be configured to be small and light, and at the same time, an image that can be stably installed when the feeder unit is installed. The main problem is to provide a reader.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention comprises a scanner unit having a platen, a feeder unit for feeding a document sheet to the platen, and a connecting frame. The connecting frame is provided with an installation surface that can be placed on the installation surface, a hinge mounting surface that is positioned substantially in the same plane as the platen surface of the scanner housing, and installation legs disposed at at least two locations on the installation surface. It is comprised by the frame member which has, and the intensity | strength is comprised so that the weight of a feeder unit can be supported.

  Specifically, the configuration includes: a scanner housing having a platen surface; a feeder housing having a platen cover covering the platen surface; and a connecting frame for attaching the feeder housing to the scanner housing so as to be openable and closable. Constitute. The connecting frame has at least two locations: an installation surface that can be placed on an installation surface that is substantially flush with the scanner housing, a hinge mounting surface that is located substantially flush with the platen surface of the scanner housing, and an installation surface. And a hinge connecting portion provided on the hinge mounting surface at a height position where the platen cover of the feeder unit can be engaged with the platen surface of the scanner housing. And this connection frame comprises the intensity | strength which can support the weight of the feeder unit which acts on a hinge attachment surface with the installation leg of an installation surface.

  The present invention provides a connection frame separately from the scanner housing, an installation surface on which the connection frame can be placed on an arbitrary installation surface, a hinge mounting surface that is positioned substantially on the same plane as the platen surface, Since it is constituted by a frame member having a strength capable of supporting the weight of the feeder unit having at least two installation legs, the following effects can be obtained.

  The scanner unit incorporates a platen and an image reading means for reading a document image on the platen, and is constructed in a frame structure that supports the weight of the scanner unit, so that the apparatus housing can be configured to be lightweight and small. On the other hand, when the feeder unit is attached to the scanner unit, the unit is attached to a connecting frame different from the scanner housing to support the weight.

  Thus, the feeder unit can be reliably supported in a stable state. In particular, it does not require space for installing the feeder in the scanner unit, so the housing can be made compact and compact, and at the same time, it is not necessary to configure the frame strength to support the weight of the feeder. It becomes possible to adopt.

  Furthermore, the connection frame is provided with an installation surface that can be placed on an installation surface that is substantially flush with the scanner housing, and installation legs are arranged at at least two locations on the installation surface. It is transmitted from the frame to the installation leg and is securely supported on the installation surface. Therefore, when the feeder unit is operated to open and close the platen with the hinge connecting member, the unit is supported on the connecting frame and the installation surface in a stable state, so that a stable opening and closing operation is possible.

  Further, a scanner installation surface that can be placed on the installation surface is provided on the scanner housing, a first bush mounting portion for mounting the installation leg is disposed on the installation surface, and a second bush installation for mounting the installation leg on the installation surface of the connecting frame. When the scanner unit is placed on the installation surface as a single unit with the installation legs attached to the first and second bush mounting parts, or when the feeder unit is installed and used By changing or adding the position of the installation leg, it is possible to install in a stable posture on any installation surface in a stable posture.

  As described above, according to the present invention, in an apparatus configuration in which the feeder unit is mounted on the scanner unit as an option, the unit can be configured to be small and light when the scanner is not equipped with the feeder unit.

1 is an explanatory perspective view illustrating an entire configuration of an image reading apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a partial explanatory view of the apparatus of FIG. 1, (a) is an explanatory view of the feeder unit, a perspective view in a direction different from FIG. 1, and (b) is an explanatory view showing a platen open state in which the feeder unit is mounted on the scanner unit; Figure. Explanatory drawing which shows the planar structure of the feeder unit of FIG. Explanatory drawing of the longitudinal cross-sectional structure of the feeder unit of FIG. 2A and 2B are explanatory views of a main part of a feeder unit in the apparatus of FIG. 1, in which FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional explanatory view of a hinge member for attaching the feeder unit, and FIG. It is a block diagram of a connection frame, (a) (b) is principal part explanatory drawing. FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view in the direction of FIG. 1X-X in which an internal structure in a state where a feeder unit in the apparatus of FIG. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a planar layout configuration in a state where a feeder unit in the apparatus of FIG. 1 is mounted on a scanner unit.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on illustrated embodiments. FIG. 1 shows an image reading apparatus, which includes a scanner unit A and a feeder unit B. Hereinafter, the scanner unit A and the feeder unit will be described in this order.

[Scanner unit]
The scanner unit A includes a box-shaped outer casing 1 as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2B and a detailed structure in FIG. 3, and a document sheet is placed on the top 1a. A platen 2a and a second platen 2b for reading an image of a document sheet sent from a feeder unit B described later are arranged. The first platen 2a is constituted by a flat bed platen corresponding to the maximum size of the original sheet, and the second platen 2b is constituted by a slit exposure platen corresponding to the width method of the maximum size original sheet.

  As shown in FIG. 4, an optical carriage 3 is arranged along the guide rail 4 so as to be movable in the horizontal direction in the figure. The optical carriage 3 is provided with a light source lamp 5 for irradiating reading light on the platen surface located above and a reflection mirror 6 for deflecting reflected light from the document in a predetermined optical path direction.

  The optical carriage 3 includes a condensing lens 7 that forms an image of light from the reflecting mirror 6 and a reading element 8 that photoelectrically converts the imaged light from the lens. The image reading means 9 including the condensing lens 7 and the reading element 8 is not necessarily built in the optical carriage 3. For example, a chassis disposed on the bottom 1 b of the outer casing 1 separately from the carriage. Alternatively, the condenser lens 7 and the reading element 8 may be fixed in this order.

  The optical carriage 3 is supported in a horizontal posture by a pair of guide rails 4 arranged parallel to the Y direction (main scanning direction) in FIG. 4 and is movable between the first platen 2a and the second platen 2b. At the same time, the first platen 2a is configured to reciprocate with a predetermined stroke in the image reading direction (sub-scanning direction). The optical carriage 3 is connected to a carriage motor (not shown), and is connected to a rotating shaft of the motor by a pulling member such as a belt and a pulley. Accordingly, the optical carriage 3 can be moved between the reading position of the first platen 2a and the reading position of the second platen 2b by forward and reverse rotation of the motor, and at the same time, reciprocates with a predetermined stroke in the sub-scanning direction along the first platen 2a. Will move.

  In the outer casing casing (hereinafter referred to as “scanner casing”) 1, first and second platens 2 a and 2 b are arranged on the top 1 a, and a scanner installation surface 1 x is provided on the bottom 1 b as shown in FIG. 6. It is. The scanner installation surface 1x places and supports the scanner housing 1 on an arbitrary installation surface Xa such as a desk. An installation leg (rubber bush), which will be described later, is attached to the scanner installation surface 1x. The scanner housing 1 has a monocoque structure and an apparatus frame. That is, a box-shaped casing is formed by, for example, synthetic molding, and the top portion 1a, bottom portion 1b, and side wall portion 1c support the optical carriage 3, the carriage motor (not shown), and the like to protect them from external impacts. is doing.

[Feeder unit]
The feeder unit B is disposed above the first and second platens 2a and 2b of the scanner unit A. The feeder housing 10 includes a light shielding cover 11 that covers the first platen 2a, and a feeder unit 12 that feeds a document sheet to the second platen 2b at a predetermined speed. The light shielding cover 11 includes a white plate 11a covering the entire first platen and an elastic pressing member 11b such as a sponge.

  The feeder unit 12 is disposed in a paper feed tray 13 and a paper discharge tray 14 for placing and storing document sheets, a conveyance path 15 connecting the two trays via the second platen 2b, and the path. It is comprised by the conveying means 16 made. As shown in FIG. 4, the paper discharge tray 14 is disposed above the light shielding cover 11, and the paper feed tray 13 is disposed further above. The conveyance path 15 is constituted by a U-shaped path that guides the document on the paper feed tray to the second platen 2 b and guides the document from the platen 2 b to the paper discharge tray 14.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the transport means 16 includes a kick roller 17 disposed above the paper feed tray 13, a paper feed roller 18 for feeding a document sheet fed by the roller downstream, and the roller. Separation means (separation roller) 19 for preventing double feeding of sheets to be fed is arranged in the sheet feed tray 13. A registration roller 20 is disposed as a pair of pressure-contacting rollers on the downstream side of the tray, and a lead roller (conveying roller) 21 is disposed on the downstream side. In this way, the sheet fed out by the sheet feeding roller 18 is aligned at the leading edge by the registration roller 20, and is fed to the second platen 2b by the lead roller 21.

  An operation roller 22 and a paper discharge roller 23 are arranged on the downstream side of the second platen 2b, and a document sheet read by the second platen 2b is carried out and stored in the paper discharge tray 14. As shown in FIG. 3, the drive mechanism of the transport means 16 configured in this way is composed of a paper feed motor M1 and a transport motor M2. As will be described later with reference to FIG. 5B, the sheet feeding motor M1 rotates the kick roller 17 and the sheet feeding roller 18 in the sheet feeding direction by rotating in the forward direction, and drives and rotates the registration roller 20 by rotating in the opposite direction. . Further, the conveyance motor M2 rotationally drives the lead roller 21, the operation roller 22, and the paper discharge roller 23 in the sheet carrying-out direction by rotating in one direction.

  The paper feed motor M1 and the transport motor M2 are disposed on one side of the feeder housing 10 as shown in FIG. 3, and are connected to each roller rotation shaft via a speed reduction mechanism. The feeder housing 10 is laid out on the side in the main scanning direction (arrow A in FIG. 3), and this drive mechanism occupies most of the feeder weight. This mechanism portion is located outside the scanner housing (the aforementioned outer casing casing 1) because the paper feed tray 13, the paper discharge tray 14, and the transport path 15 are arranged on the first platen 2a and the second platen 2b. Protruding.

  Then, the feeder housing 10 is configured so that the side part incorporating the above-described transport mechanism is hinge-rotated by the hinge connecting members 24a and 24b between the platen closed state of FIG. 2A and the platen open state of FIG. Connected to

[Linked frame]
The connection structure of the above-described feeder housing 10 will be described. The present invention is characterized in that a separate connection frame 25 is provided separately from the scanner housing 1 and the feeder housing 10. As shown in FIG. 2B (perspective view) and FIG. 6 (cross-sectional view), the connection frame 25 includes an installation surface 26 that can be placed on the same installation surface Xa as the scanner housing 1, and the scanner housing 1. The hinge mounting surfaces 27 positioned substantially in the same plane as the first and second platens 2a and 2b are arranged with a height H therebetween. The connecting frame 25 is composed of a hollow frame member having a side wall 28 that connects the installation surface 26 and the hinge mounting surface 27 by forming a height H.

  The illustrated connecting frame 25 is formed of a hollow member having a rectangular cross section, and a hinge mounting surface 27 is integrally formed on the top wall and an installation surface 26 is integrally formed on the bottom wall with a side wall 28 at a height H. . The hinge mounting surface 27, the side wall 28, and the installation surface 26 are configured to have a strength that supports the weight of the feeder unit B that acts on the hinge mounting surface. That is, the feeder unit B is mounted on the hinge mounting surface 27, and its weight is supported on the installation surface Xa by the connecting frame 25. At the same time, the feeder unit B is mounted on the connecting frame 25 at the same height as the first and second platens 2a and 2b of the scanner housing 1.

  As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the connecting frame 25 has a second bush mounting portion 31 on the installation surface 26, and the scanner housing 1 has a first bush mounting portion 30 on the scanner installation surface 1x. Is provided. The illustrated first bush mounting portion 30 is configured with screw holes a 1, a 2, a 3, a 4 provided at the four corners of the scanner installation surface 1 x, and the second bush mounting portion 31 is disposed on the installation surface 26 of the connecting frame 25. It consists of screw holes b1 and b2 provided at two corners.

  And the installation leg 33 is comprised by bushes, such as resin and rubber | gum rich in elasticity, for example, and is attached to the said 1st 2nd bush attachment part 30 and the 2nd bush attachment part 31 as follows. (1) When the scanner unit is not equipped with a feeder unit, the installation leg 33 is fixed to the first bush mounting portion 30 formed by screw holes at the four corners of the scanner installation surface 1x with bolts. (2) When the scanner unit is equipped with a feeder unit, the installation legs 33 are attached to the first bush attachment portion 30 and the second bush attachment portion 31 at two locations shown in FIG.

  The layout of the installation legs 33 will be described below. In the case of a single scanner unit, FIG. 7 shows four installation legs 33 at the four corners of the scanner housing 1 at the positions shown by a1, a2, a3, and a4 in FIG. Is provided. At this time, the center of gravity of the scanner unit is located in the illustrated OS. Then, four installation legs 33 are arranged at the four corners so as to surround the gravity center OS.

  At this time, when the center of gravity OS and the four installation legs 33 are located at the same distance, the most stable installation is possible, but in the illustrated one, the center of gravity is located at a position slightly deviated to the rear side. This is mainly due to the layout of the carriage motor. However, the installation leg 33 has such rigidity that the scanner housing 1 does not tilt due to the deviation of the center of gravity.

  When the feeder unit B is equipped, as shown in FIG. 8, in addition to the installation legs 33 of the scanner housing 1 (arranged in the aforementioned a1, a2, a3, a4), the second bushing of the connecting frame 25 is attached. The installation leg 33 is provided in the part 31 (screw holes b1 and b2 shown in FIG. 8). The total barycentric position of the scanner unit A and the feeder unit B at this time is indicated by Ot. However, the barycentric position is largely deviated toward the rear side of the apparatus as compared with the scanner unit of FIG. This is because the weight of the feeder unit is biased toward the rear side of the apparatus, and is mainly due to the fact that the paper feed motor M1, the transport motor M2, and its speed reduction mechanism are arranged on the rear side of the apparatus.

  As shown in FIG. 6B, the connecting frame 25 receives the weight of the feeder unit B by a hinge mounting chassis (frame plate) 27, and this chassis 27 is supported by the first bush mounting portion 30 of the scanner unit by a bracket 27b. Has been. At this time, the center of gravity is positioned on the scanner housing 1 side as shown in FIG. Therefore, the connecting frame 25 alone falls when the feeder unit B is mounted. For this reason, the connecting frame 25 is connected to the side wall 1c of the scanner housing by a connecting bolt 34 as shown in FIG. 6B. As a result, the feeder unit B can be supported by the connecting frame 25 in a stable state.

[Configuration of hinge connection member]
Next, the structure of the hinge connecting member that attaches the feeder unit B to the hinge mounting surface 27 of the connecting frame 25 so as to be opened and closed will be described. As shown in FIG. 2B, the feeder unit B is connected to the connecting frame 25 by hinge connecting members 24a and 24b arranged at two positions at a distance. The structure is shown in FIG.

  The hinge connecting members 24a and 24b are arranged in a pair on the left side (the rear side of the apparatus) in FIG. 1 in order to open the upper part of the platen of the scanner unit A. An appropriate hinge structure can be adopted for the above-described connecting hinge members 24a and 24b, and an example thereof will be described with reference to FIG. An upper mounting seat 35 and a lower mounting seat 36 that are attached to the casings that are connected to each other are provided, and the hinge shaft 37 that rotatably connects the upper and lower mounting seats 35, 36 is disposed between the mounting seats 35, 36. And a buffer spring 38.

  Accordingly, the upper and lower housings (the combination of the scanner housing 1 and the feeder housing 10) with the upper and lower mounting seats 35 and 36 fixed by screws or the like are rotatable about the hinge shaft 37, and the operating force at the time of opening and closing is a buffer spring. It will be reduced by 38.

  Therefore, the hinge connecting members 24a and 24b for connecting the scanner housing 1 and the feeder housing 10 have a strong spring force as a buffer spring of the first hinge member 24a (right side in FIG. 2A), and the second hinge member 24b ( The buffer spring in FIG. 2A (left side) is configured with a weak spring force. The reason why the left and right spring balances are made different in this way is because the above-mentioned transport means 16 in which the feeder unit B is located on the left side in FIG. 4 is heavy, and the light shielding cover 11 located on the right side in FIG. Therefore, it is preferable to vary the load bearing balance of the left and right hinge members 24a and 24b according to their weights. Depending on the device configuration, a buffer spring is disposed only on the first hinge member 24a, and the second hinge member 24b has a The buffer spring is not arranged.

[Configuration of drive mechanism]
FIG. 5B shows the drive mechanism of the above-described transport unit 16. The above-described kick roller 17 is disposed so as to be movable up and down between an operating position that engages with the uppermost sheet above the sheet feeding tray 13 and a retracted position that is spaced upward from the sheet. This is because when a sheet is set on the sheet feeding tray, it is retracted to the upper retracted position, and when the sheet after being set is fed out, it is positioned at the operating position. The lifting mechanism is shown in FIG. 5B, in which the kick roller 17 is swingably supported by a rotating shaft 18a by a lifting arm 17R. A paper feed motor M1 is connected to the rotary shaft 18a as follows.

  As shown in FIG. 5B, the lifting arm 17R has a base end portion loosely supported on the rotary shaft 18a, and a kick roller 17 is axially supported on the arm tip portion. The arm end is frictionally engaged with the spring end of a spring clutch 18b wound around the rotary shaft 18a. The spring clutch 18b is rotated in the paper feed direction of the rotary shaft 18a (clockwise in FIG. 4). It is configured to loosen and to contract in the counter-feeding direction rotation (counterclockwise in FIG. 4).

  Accordingly, the spring clutch 18b is loosened by the rotation of the rotation shaft 18a in the paper feeding direction, and the lifting arm 17R swings clockwise by its own weight, and is tightened by the rotation in the anti-paper feeding direction and swings and rotates integrally with the rotation shaft 18a. It hits the stopper member that does not, and is held in that position. A feed roller 18 is disposed on the rotary shaft 18a via a one-way clutch 18c, and the rotation of the rotary shaft 18a is transmitted to the kick roller 17 from the pulley 18p via the transmission belt 18v via the one-way clutch 18c. ing. The one-way clutch 18c is configured to transmit the rotation in the sheet feeding direction of the rotating shaft 18a to the sheet feeding roller 18 and the kick roller 17.

  A paper feed roller 18 is fitted and supported on the rotary shaft 18a via a one-way clutch 18c, and the rotation of the rotary shaft 18a in the paper feed direction is transmitted to the paper feed roller 18. The sheet feeding roller 18 is disposed substantially in the center of the sheet width, and separates the sheets one by one from the separation roller 19 pressed against the sheet feeding roller 18. A registration roller 20 is disposed at a downstream side of the sheet feeding roller 18 configured as described above, and a leading end of a sheet separated and fed by a separating unit (separating roller) 19 is abutted against the sheet roller 18. Align the tip.

  In other words, the leading edge of the sheet fed by the sheet feeding roller 18 is brought into contact with the nip point of the registration roller 20 in a stopped state to bend the sheet, and then the sheet is pulled out from the stopped sheet feeding roller 18 to correct the sheet skew. To do.

  The registration roller 20 is connected to a paper feed motor M1 capable of forward and reverse rotation such that when one of the registration rollers 20 rotates contrary to the paper feed roller 18, the other stops. As shown in FIG. 5B, the rotation of the paper feed motor M1 is transmitted to the rotary shaft 20c via the belt V1, and only the rotation of the rotary shaft 20c in one direction (the anti-feed direction of the rotary shaft 18a) is spring-loaded. The gear 20 is transmitted to the gear train G3 by the clutch 20b, and the drive rotation shaft 20a of the registration roller 20 is connected to the gear train G3.

A Scanner unit B Feeder unit 1 Outer casing (scanner housing)
1x Scanner installation surface 1a Top portion 1b Bottom portion 1c Side wall portion 2a First platen 2b Second platen 3 Optical carriage Xa Installation surface 10 Feeder housing 11 Light shielding cover 11a White plate 11b Elastic pressing member 12 Feeder portion 13 Paper feed tray 14 Paper discharge Tray 15 Conveying path 16 Conveying means 17 Kick roller 18 Feeding roller 19 Separating means 20 Registration roller 24a Hinge connecting member 24b Hinge connecting member 25 Connecting frame 26 Installation surface 27 Hinge attachment surface 28 Side wall 30 First bush attachment portion 31 2 Bush mounting part 33 Installation leg 34 Connection bolt M1 Paper feed motor

Claims (9)

An image reading apparatus in which a feeder unit for feeding a document to a platen surface of a scanner unit is attached so as to be openable and closable.
A scanner housing having the platen surface;
A feeder housing having a platen cover covering the platen surface;
A connecting frame for attaching the feeder housing to the scanner housing in an openable and closable manner;
Consisting of
The connecting frame is
An installation surface that can be placed on an installation surface that is substantially flush with the scanner housing;
A hinge mounting surface located substantially in the same plane as the platen surface of the scanner housing;
Installation legs arranged in at least two places on the installation surface;
A frame member having
The hinge mounting surface is provided with a hinge connecting portion at a height position where the platen cover of the feeder unit can be engaged with the platen surface of the scanner housing,
The connecting frame is configured to have a strength capable of supporting the weight of the feeder unit acting on the hinge mounting surface by the installation leg of the installation surface. The connecting frame includes a bottom wall having the installation surface;
A ceiling wall having the hinge mounting surface;
The bottom wall and the side wall connecting the top wall,
Prepared,
The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bottom wall, the top wall, and the side wall are formed of a hollow member having a strength capable of supporting the weight of the feeder unit by the installation leg. . The scanner unit is
A first platen on which a document sheet can be placed;
A second platen for reading an image of a document sheet supplied from the feeder unit at a predetermined speed;
Image reading means for reading document images of the first platen and the second platen;
With
The feeder unit is
A platen cover covering the first platen;
A paper feed tray disposed above the platen cover for feeding a document sheet to the second platen;
A paper discharge tray that is disposed between the platen cover and the paper feed tray and accommodates a document sheet from the second platen;
Conveying means for conveying a document sheet from the sheet feeding tray to the sheet discharge tray via the second platen;
A drive motor for driving the conveying means;
The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: The drive motor is disposed on one side edge of the feeder housing,
The image reading apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the drive motor is disposed above the connection frame. The hinge mounting surface of the connection frame is provided with hinge connection members each having a hinge shaft at two locations at a distance,
4. The image reading apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the feeder unit is attached to the connection frame so that the platen cover can swing so as to open and close the first platen about the hinge axis. 5. The installation leg is made of an elastic member such as rubber that reduces the propagation of external vibrations to the scanner unit,
6. The image reading apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the installation legs are arranged so as to be able to support the weight of the feeder unit acting on the hinge connecting member at two positions of the connecting frame. The scanner housing is provided with a scanner installation surface that can be placed on the installation surface,
The scanner installation surface has first bush mounting portions for attaching installation legs at its four corners, and the connection frame installation surface has second bush attachment portions for attaching installation legs at its two corners. Arranged,
The image reading apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the installation leg is attached to the first bush attachment portion and the second bush attachment portion. The feeder unit is equipped to be selectable as an option of the scanner unit,
When the feeder unit is not equipped, the installation leg is attached to the first bush mounting portion,
The image reading apparatus according to claim 7, wherein an installation leg when the feeder unit is equipped is attached to the first bush attachment portion and the second bush attachment portion. The connection frame and the scanner housing are detachably connected to each other,
The weight of the feeder unit acting on the connection frame is supported by the installation leg disposed on the connection frame and the installation leg disposed on the feeder unit so as to stabilize a load balance. Item 9. The image reading apparatus according to Item 8.

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