Image Reading Device

• US 20140167353A1
• Filed: 12/13/2013
• Published: 06/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Ito, Tetsuo
• Granted Patent: US 9,131,092 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 271/264
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2402/31 Pivoting support means
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2402/32 Sliding support means
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2404/1381 Hinge
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 9/08 Holding devices, e.g. finger, needle, suction, for retaining articles in registered position
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00554 Latches or hinges therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0464 capable of performing non-simultaneous scanning at more than one scanning station
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/1013 with sub-scanning by translatory movement of at least a part of the main-scanning components H04N1/107 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/12 using the sheet-feed movement or the medium-advance or the drum-rotation movement as the slow scanning component, e.g. arrangements for the main-scanningsheet-feed movement by translatory movement of a flat picture-bearing surface H04N1/1008; main-scanning using oscillating or rotating mirrors H04N1/113; using multi-element arrays H04N1/19
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2032 of two pictures corresponding to two sides of a single medium refeeding a sheet for double-sided scanning H04N1/00572
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0434 specially adapted for scanning pages of a book

Abstract

An image reading device, including: a casing having a document placement surface on which a document is to be placed; a cover provided on the casing and configured to be pivotable relative to the casing about an axis between a covering position at which the cover covers the document support surface and an exposure position at which the 5document support surface is exposed; two hinges provided so as to be spaced apart from each other in an axis direction in which the axis extends, one end portion of each of the two hinges being inserted into the casing movably in a movement direction perpendicular to the document placement surface while the other end portion is connected to the cover; and a contact member configured to be capable of coming into contact with one of the two hinges in the axis direction.

Claims

1. An image reading device, comprising:

a casing having a document placement surface on which a document is to be placed;

a cover provided on the casing and configured to be pivotable with relative to the casing about an axis between a covering position at which the cover covers the document support surface and an exposure position at which the document support surface is exposed;

two hinges provided so as to be spaced apart from each other in an axis direction in which the axis extends, one end portion of each of the two hinges being inserted into the casing movably in a movement direction perpendicular to the document placement surface while the other end portion is connected to the cover; and

a contact member configured to be capable of coming into contact with one of the two hinges in the axis direction.

2. The image reading device according to claim 1, comprising another contact member configured to be capable of coming into contact with the other of the two hinges in the axis direction.

3. The image reading device according to claim 1, wherein the contact member is disposed on an inner side of the two hinges with respect to an arrangement of the two hinges in the axis direction, the contact member being configured to be capable of coming into contact with a surface of the one of the two hinges, the surface being located on the inner side of the one of the two hinges.

4. The image reading device according to claim 3, wherein the contact member has an inclined surface that is inclined so as to get closer to the document placement surface toward the inner side.

5. The image reading device according to claim 3,

wherein the casing has an insertion opening into which the one of the two hinges is inserted, and

wherein a wall surface that partially defines the insertion opening on the inner side and a portion of the contact member that is capable of coming into contact with the one of the two hinges are disposed on the same one plane.

6. The image reading device according to claim 1, wherein the contact member is disposed on an outer side of the one of the two hinges with respect to an arrangement of the two hinges in the axis direction, the contact member being configured to be capable of coming into contact with a surface of the one of the two hinges, the surface being located on the outer side of the one of the two hinges.

7. The image reading device according to claim 6, wherein the contact member has an inclined surface that is inclined so as to get closer to the document placement surface toward the outer side.

8. The image reading device according to claim 6, wherein the one of the two hinges has an extension that extends toward the outer side so as to be opposed to the contact member.

9. The image reading device according to claim 1,

wherein the one of the two hinges has a protrusion that protrudes in a direction perpendicular to both of the axis direction and the movement direction, and

wherein the contact member is disposed on an inner side of the one of the two hinges with respect to an arrangement of the two hinges in the axis direction, the contact member being configured to be capable of coming into contact with the protrusion from the inner side.

10. The image reading device according to claim 9, wherein the contact member has an inclined surface that is inclined so as to get closer to the document placement surface toward the inner side.

11. The image reading device according to claim 1,

wherein the one of the two hinges has a protrusion that protrudes in a direction perpendicular to both of the axis direction and the movement direction, and

wherein the contact member is disposed on an outer side of the one of the two hinges with respect to an arrangement of the two hinges in the axis direction, the contact ember being configured to be capable of coming into contact with the protrusion from the outer side.

12. The image reading device according to claim 11, wherein the contact member has an inclined surface that is inclined so as to get closer to the document placement surface toward the outer side.

13. The image reading device according to claim 11,

wherein the cover has a larger weight on one side thereof than the other side thereof in the axis direction, and

wherein the contact member is configured to be capable of coming into contact with the one of the two hinges that is disposed on the one side.

14. The image reading device according to claim 1, wherein the contact member has a contact surface that extends in the movement direction and that is capable of coming into contact with the one of the two hinges.

15. An image reading device, comprising:

a casing having a document placement surface on which a document is to be placed;

an automatic document supply unit provided on the casing and configured to be pivotable relative to the casing about an axis between a covering position at which the automatic document supply unit covers the document support surface and an exposure position at which the document support surface is exposed;

two hinges provided so as to be spaced apart from each other in an axis direction in which the axis extends, one end portion of each of the two hinges being inserted into the casing movably in a movement direction perpendicular to the document placement surface while the other end portion is connected to the automatic document supply unit; and

a contact member disposed on an inner side of the two hinges with respect to an arrangement of the two hinges in the axis direction,

wherein the automatic document supply unit has a conveyor for conveying a document and a motor disposed at a position near to one side of the automatic document supply unit in the axis direction and configured to generate a drive force for the conveyor, and

wherein the contact member has;

a contact surface that is capable of coming into contact with one of the two hinges that is disposed on the one side of the automatic document supply unit; and

an inclined surface that is inclined so as to get closer to the document placement surface toward the other side of the automatic document supply unit that is opposite to the one side in the axis direction.

16. An image reading device, comprising:

a casing having a document placement surface on which a document is to be placed;

an automatic document supply unit provided on the casing and configured to be pivotable relative to the casing about an axis between a covering position at which the automatic document supply unit covers the document support surface and an exposure position at which the document support surface is exposed;

two hinges provided so as to be spaced apart from each other in an axis direction in which the axis extends, one end portion of each of the two hinges being inserted into the casing movably in a movement direction perpendicular to the document placement surface while the other end portion is connected to the automatic document supply unit; and

a contact member that is disposed on an outer side of the two hinges with respect to an arrangement of the two hinges in the axis direction,

wherein the automatic document supply unit has a conveyor for conveying a document and a motor disposed at a position near to one side of the automatic document supply unit in the axis direction and configured to generate a drive force for the conveyor,

wherein one of the two hinges that is disposed on the one side of the automatic document supply unit has an extension that extends toward the outer side, so as to be opposed to the contact member, and

wherein the contact member has;

a contact surface that is capable of coming into contact with the extension; and

an inclined surface that is inclined so as to get closer to the document placement surface toward the one side of the automatic document supply unit.

17. An image reading device, comprising:

a casing having a document placement surface on which a document is to be placed;

an automatic document supply unit provided on the casing and configured to be pivotable relative to the casing about an axis between a covering position at which the automatic document supply unit covers the document support surface and an exposure position at which the document support surface is exposed;

two hinges provided so as to be spaced apart from each other in an axis direction in which the axis extends, one end portion of each of the two hinges being inserted into the casing movably in a movement direction perpendicular to the document placement surface while the other end portion is connected to the automatic document supply unit; and

a contact member that is disposed on an inner side of the two hinges with respect to an arrangement of the two hinges in the axis direction,

wherein the automatic document supply unit has a conveyor for conveying a document and a motor disposed at a position near to one side of the automatic document supply unit in the axis direction and configured to generate a drive force for the conveyor,

wherein one of the two hinges that is disposed on the one side of the automatic document supply unit has a protrusion that protrudes in a direction perpendicular to both of the axis direction and the movement direction, and

wherein the contact member has;

a contact surface that is capable of coming into contact with the protrusion; and

an inclined surface that is inclined so as to get closer to the document placement surface toward the other side of the automatic document supply unit that is opposite to the one side in the axis direction.