Image reader for image-forming device

• US 7,672,636 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2005
• Issued: 03/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Ono, Akehiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Judy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham; Andy L
• Application Number:
  US11/285,288
• Publication Number:
  US 20060114523A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,560 Days
• Field of Search: 399/380, 399/107, 399/377, 399/378, 399/379, 358/474, 382/312, 355/75
• US Class Current: 399/380
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00519 Constructional details not otherwise provided for, e.g. housings, covers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00551 Top covers or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/10 using flat picture-bearing surfaces H04N1/113, H04N1/195 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0422 Media holders, covers, supports, backgrounds; Arrangements to facilitate placing of the medium H04N2201/0406 - H04N2201/0412, H04N2201/0434 take precedence

Abstract

An image reader including a main body with a document bed for supporting an original document; and a document cover rotatably supported at one edge with respect to the main body and capable of rotating between a closed position for covering the document bed and an open position for exposing the document bed. The document cover has a main cover body and a document pressing plate formed of a synthetic resin. The pressing plate is supported on the main cover body with vertical clearance (in a direction orthogonal to the surface of the pressing plate) through the engagement of engaging pieces having through-holes. When the document cover is in the closed position, pressing parts press the center part of the pressing plate against the document bed.

Claims

1. An image reader comprising:

a main body having a document support surface for supporting an original document; and

a document cover having an edge portion rotatably supported on the main body and capable of rotating between a closed position for covering the document support surface and an open position for exposing the document support surface, wherein

the document cover comprises;

a main cover body;

a document pressing plate that is provided on an opposing surface of the main cover body that opposes the document support surface when the document cover is in the closed position, and document pressing plate having a pressing surface that opposes the document support surface when the document cover is in the closed position;

a supporting unit that supports the document pressing plate on the main cover body, the supporting unit comprising a first plurality of engaging protrusions provided on and being integrally formed on either one of the main cover body and the document pressing plate, and a first plurality of engagement receiving parts provided on the other of the main cover body and the document pressing plate for engaging with the first plurality of engaging protrusions with clearance in at least a direction orthogonal to the pressing surface, the supporting unit being free of a spring and a sponge; and

a plurality of pressing parts disposed and integrally formed on at least one of the main cover body, in a region opposing the document pressing plate, and the document pressing plate, the plurality of pressing parts free of a spring and a sponge and pressing against the other of the main cover body and the document pressing plate in the direction that the main cover body and document pressing plate oppose one another when the document cover is in the closed position, the plurality of pressing parts separating from the other of the main cover body and the document pressing plate when the document cover is in the open position;

wherein

the first plurality of engaging protrusions protrude from at least one of the main cover body and the document pressing plate in a direction parallel to the pressing surface;

the first plurality of engagement receiving parts provided on the other of the main cover body and the document pressing plate are formed with through-holes; and

the first plurality of engaging protrusions are engaged with the first plurality of engagement receiving parts through insertion into the through-holes of the first engagement receiving parts;

the document pressing plate being formed in the shape of a tetragon in which all corner angles are right angles and in which a pair of first sides extend parallel to each other in a first direction and a pair of second sides extend parallel to each other in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction;

the first plurality of engaging protrusions include two protrusions protruding from one of the second sides in the first direction and one protrusion protruding from one of the first sides in the second direction, respectively;

the first plurality of engagement receiving parts are formed of two receiving parts for engaging with the two first engaging protrusions;

the document pressing plate is restricted from moving in the second direction relative to the main cover body by the engagement of the first engaging protrusion protruding from one of the second sides in the first direction with the first engagement receiving part for engaging with the first engaging protrusion protruding from one of the second sides in the first direction; and

the document pressing plate is restricted from moving in the first direction relative to the main cover body by the engagement of the first engaging protrusion protruding from one of the first sides in the second direction with the first engagement receiving part for engaging with the first engaging protrusion protruding from one of the first sides in the second direction.

2. The image reader according to claim 1, wherein the document pressing plate is formed from a synthetic resin.

3. The image reader according to claim 1, wherein the document pressing plate is warped so that a center part on the pressing surface side is depressed farther toward the main cover body than peripheral edges of the document pressing plate.

4. The image reader according to claim 1, wherein the first plurality of engaging protrusions and the first plurality of engagement receiving parts engage with clearance in a direction parallel to the pressing surface at least when the document cover is in the open position.

5. The image reader according to claim 1, wherein the document pressing plate is rectangular in shape;

and

the supporting unit is provided in each of four corners of the rectangular shape.

6. The image reader according to claim 1, wherein the first plurality of engagement receiving parts are integrally formed on the other of the main cover body and the document pressing plate.

7. The image reader according to claim 1, further comprising a positioning unit that restricts movement of the document pressing plate relative to the main cover body in a direction parallel to the pressing surface;

wherein the positioning unit comprises a second plurality of engaging protrusions provided on one of the main cover body and the document pressing plate for protruding in the direction that the main cover body and the document pressing plate opposes each other; and

a second plurality of engagement receiving parts provided on the other of the main cover body and the document pressing plate for fitting over the second plurality of engaging protrusions.

8. The image reader according to claim 7, wherein the second plurality of engaging protrusions and the second plurality of engagement receiving parts are provided in two sets at different positions on the main cover body and the document pressing plate, with members of each set corresponding to one another.

9. The image reader according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of pressing parts function as the second plurality of engagement receiving parts.

10. The image reader according to claim 7, wherein the second plurality of engaging protrusions are integrally provided on one of the main cover body and the document pressing plate, and the second plurality of engagement receiving parts are integrally provided on the other.

11. The image reader according to claim 1, wherein

the plurality of pressing parts are provided along a centerline running between either the pair of first sides or the pair of second sides.

12. The image reader according to claim 1, wherein the document pressing plate is rectangular shaped and has a pair of long sides extending parallel to each other and a pair of short sides extending parallel to each other;

and

two of the pressing parts are provided along a centerline extending between the pair of long sides, with one on either side of the centerline between the pair of short sides, such that a distance between one of the pressing parts and the short side adjacent to the same pressing part is equal to the distance between the other pressing part and the short side adjacent to the other pressing part.

13. The image reader according to claim 12, wherein the distance between one of the pressing parts and the short side adjacent to the same pressing part is equal to the distance between one of the long sides and the centerline running between the pair of long sides;

and

the distance between the other pressing part and the other short side adjacent to the other pressing part is equal to the distance between one of the long sides and the centerline running between the pair of long sides.

14. The image reader according to claim 1, further comprising a light source for image reading disposed in the main body.

15. An image-forming device comprising:

an image reader according to claim 1; and

an image-forming unit that forms images on a recording medium based on image data read by the image reader.

16. An image reader comprising:

a main body having a document support surface for supporting an original document; and

a document cover having an edge portion rotatably supported on the main body and capable of rotating between a closed position for covering the document support surface and an open position for exposing the document support surface, wherein

the document cover comprises;

a main cover body;

a document pressing plate that is provided on an opposing surface of the main cover body that opposes the document support surface when the document cover is in the closed position, and document pressing plate having a pressing surface that opposes the document support surface when the document cover is in the closed position;

a supporting unit that supports the document pressing plate on the main cover body, the supporting unit comprising a first plurality of engaging protrusions provided on and being integrally formed on either one of the main cover body and the document pressing plate, and a first plurality of engagement receiving parts provided on the other of the main cover body and the document pressing plate for engaging with the first plurality of engaging protrusions with clearance in at least a direction orthogonal to the pressing surface; and

a plurality of pressing parts disposed and integrally formed on at least one of the main cover body, in a region opposing the document pressing plate, and the document pressing plate, the plurality of pressing parts free of a spring and a sponge and pressing against the other of the main cover body and the document pressing plate in the direction that the main cover body and document pressing plate oppose one another when the document cover is in the closed position, the plurality of pressing parts separating from the other of the main cover body and the document pressing plate when the document cover is in the open position;

the document pressing plate being formed in the shape of a tetragon in which all corner angles are right angles and in which a pair of first sides extend parallel to each other in a first direction and a pair of second sides extend parallel to each other in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction;

the first plurality of engaging protrusions include two protrusions protruding from one of the second sides in the first direction and one protrusion protruding from one of the first sides in the second direction, respectively;

the first plurality of engagement receiving parts are formed of two receiving parts for engaging with the two first engaging protrusions;

the document pressing plate is restricted from moving in the second direction relative to the main cover body by the engagement of the first engaging protrusion protruding from one of the second sides in the first direction with the first engagement receiving part for engaging with the first engaging protrusion protruding from one of the second sides in the first direction; and

the document pressing plate is restricted from moving in the first direction relative to the main cover body by the engagement of the first engaging protrusion protruding from one of the first sides in the second direction with the first engagement receiving part for engaging with the first engaging protrusion protruding from one of the first sides in the second direction.

17. An image reader comprising:

a main body having a document support surface for supporting an original document; and

a document cover having an edge portion rotatably supported on the main body and capable of rotating between a closed position for covering the document support surface and an open position for exposing the document support surface, wherein

the document cover comprises;

a main cover body;

a document pressing plate that is provided on an opposing surface of the main cover body that opposes the document support surface when the document cover is in the closed position, and document pressing plate having a pressing surface that opposes the document support surface when the document cover is in the closed position;

a supporting unit that supports the document pressing plate on the main cover body, the supporting unit comprising a first plurality of engaging protrusions provided on either one of the main cover body and the document pressing plate, and a first plurality of engagement receiving parts provided on the other of the main cover body and the document pressing plate for engaging with the first plurality of engaging protrusions with clearance in at least a direction orthogonal to the pressing surface, the supporting unit being free of a spring and a sponge; and

a plurality of pressing parts disposed and integrally formed on at least one of the main cover body, in a region opposing the document pressing plate, and the document pressing plate, the plurality of pressing parts free of a spring and a sponge and pressing against the other of the main cover body and the document pressing plate in the direction that the main cover body and document pressing plate oppose one another when the document cover is in the closed position;

the document pressing plate being formed in the shape of a tetragon in which all corner angles are right angles and in which a pair of first sides extend parallel to each other in a first direction and a pair of second sides extend parallel to each other in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction;

the first plurality of engaging protrusions include two protrusions protruding from one of the second sides in the first direction and one protrusion protruding from one of the first sides in the second direction, respectively;

the first plurality of engagement receiving parts are formed of two receiving parts for engaging with the two first engaging protrusions;

the document pressing plate is restricted from moving in the second direction relative to the main cover body by the engagement of the first engaging protrusion protruding from one of the second sides in the first direction with the first engagement receiving part for engaging with the first engaging protrusion protruding from one of the second sides in the first direction; and

the document pressing plate is restricted from moving in the first direction relative to the main cover body by the engagement of the first engaging protrusion protruding from one of the first sides in the second direction with the first engagement receiving part for engaging with the first engaging protrusion protruding from one of the first sides in the second direction.

18. An image reader comprising:

a main body having a document support surface for supporting an original document; and

a document cover having an edge portion rotatably supported on the main body and capable of rotating between a closed position for covering the document support surface and an open position for exposing the document support surface, wherein

the document cover comprises;

a main cover body;

a document pressing plate that is provided on an opposing surface of the main cover body that opposes the document support surface when the document cover is in the closed position, and document pressing plate having a pressing surface that opposes the document support surface when the document cover is in the closed position;

a supporting unit that supports the document pressing plate on the main cover body, the supporting unit comprising a first plurality of engaging protrusions provided on either one of the main cover body and the document pressing plate, and a first plurality of engagement receiving parts provided on the other of the main cover body and the document pressing plate for engaging with the first plurality of engaging protrusions with clearance in at least a direction orthogonal to the pressing surface; and

a plurality of pressing parts disposed and integrally formed on at least one of the main cover body, in a region opposing the document pressing plate, and the document pressing plate, the plurality of pressing parts free of a spring and a sponge and pressing against the other of the main cover body and the document pressing plate in the direction that the main cover body and document pressing plate oppose one another when the document cover is in the closed position;

wherein

the first plurality of engaging protrusions protrude from at least one of the main cover body and the document pressing plate in a direction parallel to the pressing surface;

the first plurality of engagement receiving parts provided on the other of the main cover body and the document pressing plate are formed with through-holes; and

the first plurality of engaging protrusions are engaged with the first plurality of engagement receiving parts through insertion into the through-holes of the first engagement receiving parts;

the document pressing plate being formed in the shape of a tetragon in which all corner angles are right angles and in which a pair of first sides extend parallel to each other in a first direction and a pair of second sides extend parallel to each other in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction;

the first plurality of engaging protrusions include two protrusions protruding from one of the second sides in the first direction and one protrusion protruding from one of the first sides in the second direction, respectively;

the first plurality of engagement receiving parts are formed of two receiving parts for engaging with the two first engaging protrusions;

the document pressing plate is restricted from moving in the second direction relative to the main cover body by the engagement of the first engaging protrusion protruding from one of the second sides in the first direction with the first engagement receiving part for engaging with the first engaging protrusion protruding from one of the second sides in the first direction; and

the document pressing plate is restricted from moving in the first direction relative to the main cover body by the engagement of the first engaging protrusion protruding from one of the first sides in the second direction with the first engagement receiving part for engaging with the first engaging protrusion protruding from one of the first sides in the second direction.