Image reading apparatus

• US 20060139703A1
• Filed: 12/23/2005
• Published: 06/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Yamauchi, Tsuyoshi, Kurokawa, Naho
• Granted Patent: US 7,619,789 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/474
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00519 Constructional details not otherwise provided for, e.g. housings, covers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00554 Latches or hinges therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/10 using flat picture-bearing surfaces H04N1/113, H04N1/195 take precedence

Abstract

To provide a technology which facilitates an operation for placing a document with a larger size than a size of a document table, on the document table. A document cover is positioned at a plurality of open positions to a document table. A pivot of a document table 2 and a hinge 7 is configured by two pivots A1, A2, and a constricted portion 1b and it is configured in such a manner that, in case of setting a document with a smaller size than that of the document table 2, the pivot A2 is pivoted at a convex portion 7a of the hinge 7, and in case of setting a document with a larger size than that of the document table 2, the convex portion 7a is moved to the pivot A1 side through the constricted portion 1b, and the pivot A1 is pivoted at the convex portion 7a.

Claims

1. An image reading apparatus for reading out an image of a document, comprising:

a document table on which the document is placed;

a cover member which is disposed, in an openable manner, to a main body of the image reading apparatus and presses the document which was placed on the document table; and

a hinge which supports the cover member in openable and closable manners, to the document table of the image reading apparatus,

wherein, the hinge has a cover opening limit angle adjustment mechanism which can set up a plurality of upper limits of an opening angle of the cover member to the document table.

2. The image reading apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the cover opening limit angle adjustment mechanism has at least two pivots and a changeover mechanism which changes over the pivots.

3. The image reading apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein, the hinge is configured by a pivot axis which is disposed on one of the hinges, and at least two pairs of bearing sections which are disposed on the other of the hinges, and disposed at the plurality of pivots for supporting the pivot axis, and the changeover mechanism has a communicating path which is disposed between the bearing sections and makes the pivot axis movable.

4. The image reading apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein, the pivot axis has a pivoting section pivoted at the bearing section, and a moving section for moving between the bearing sections.

5. The image reading apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein, the moving section is of such a shape that both end portions in a diameter direction of a cylindrical column was cut out by two surfaces which are parallel to a center axis of the cylindrical column and parallel to each other, and a width of a portion which was cut out by the two surfaces is smaller than a width of the communicating path.

6. The image reading apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein, the cover opening limit angle adjustment mechanism has a restriction section which restricts a pivoting movement of the cover member at a predetermined position, in case that the cover member pivots at least one pivot among the pivots, to the image reading apparatus main body.

7. The image reading apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein the cover opening limit angle adjustment mechanism, sets up by changing over a pivot position of the cover member, between such a pivot that a pivotal movement is restricted by the restriction section at such an open position that an opening angle of the cover member to the document table becomes nearly 90 degrees through nearly 120 degrees, and such a pivot that an opening angle of the cover member to the document table becomes nearly 180 degrees or more.