Scanner and hinge

• US 7,855,814 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2007
• Issued: 12/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Sakakibara, Akihiro, Osakabe, Yoshinori
• Primary Examiner(s): Safaipour; Houshang
• Application Number:
  US11/679,467
• Publication Number:
  US 20070201109A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,393 Days
• Field of Search: 358/474, 358/496, 358/497, 358/498
• 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 1/0083 Arrangements for transferring signals between different components of the apparatus, e.g. arrangements of signal lines or cables for control or supervision between image input and output device H04N1/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception

Abstract

A scanner is provided with a device main body, a hinge, a cover member, and a scanning device. The device main body comprises a transparent plate. The transparent plate forms a top surface of the device main body. The hinge is coupled to the device main body. The cover member is coupled to the hinge. The cover member is capable of rotating with respect to the device main body. The cover member is capable of covering the transparent plate. The cover member comprises an auto document feeder. The scanning device is located below the transparent plate. The scanning device is capable of scanning a document put on the transparent plate or a document fed by the auto document feeder. The hinge comprises a wiring support portion that supports a wiring extending between the auto document feeder and the device main body.

Claims

1. A scanner, comprising:

a device main body comprising a transparent plate, the transparent plate forming a top surface of the device main body;

a hinge coupled to the device main body;

a cover member coupled to the hinge, the cover member being capable of rotating with respect to the device main body and covering the transparent plate, the cover member comprising an auto document feeder; and

a scanning device located below the transparent plate, the scanning device being capable of scanning a document put on the transparent plate or a document fed by the auto document feeder,

wherein the hinge comprises a wiring support portion that supports a wiring extending between the auto document feeder and the device main body, and

the wiring intercepts a rotational central line of the cover member.

2. The scanner as in claim 1, wherein

the cover member is capable of moving in a vertical direction with respect to the device main body.

3. The scanner as in claim 2, wherein

the hinge is capable of sliding in the vertical direction with respect to the device main body, and

in a case where the hinge slides in the vertical direction with respect to the device main body, the cover member moves in the vertical direction with respect to the device main body.

4. The scanner as in claim 3, wherein

the device main body comprises a hole extending in the vertical direction,

a part of the hinge is located within the hole, and

the hinge is capable of sliding in the vertical direction along the hole.

5. The scanner as in claim 4, wherein

a part of the wiring support portion is located within the hole.

6. The scanner as in claim 1, wherein

the wiring support portion of the hinge supports a part of the wiring, and this part extends in the vertical direction.

7. The scanner as in claim 1, wherein

the cover member comprises a shaft extending in a horizontal direction,

the hinge comprises a shaft support portion that supports the shaft, and

the cover member is capable of rotating with the shaft as a center.

8. The scanner as in claim 1, wherein

the device main body comprises a main body side support portion that supports the wiring.

9. The scanner as in claim 8, wherein

the wiring support portion of the hinge supports a part of the wiring, and this part extends in the vertical direction, and

the main body side support portion supports a part of the wiring, and this part extends in a horizontal direction.

10. The scanner as in claim 1, wherein

the hinge further comprises:

a sliding portion inserted into a hole formed in the device main body, wherein the hole extends in a vertical direction with respect to the transparent plate; and

a shaft support portion that supports a shaft formed on the cover member, wherein the shaft extends in a horizontal direction, and the shaft support portion is coupled to the sliding portion, the shaft support portion is above the sliding portion,

wherein the wiring support portion of the hinge aligns with the sliding portion in the horizontal direction.

11. The scanner as in claim 10, wherein

the wiring support portion of the hinge supports a part of the wiring extending in the vertical direction, and

the device main body further comprises a main body side support portion that supports a part of the wiring extending in the horizontal direction.

12. The scanner as in claim 10, wherein

the sliding portion of the hinge comprises a hook part,

in a case where the hinge slides upward, the hook part makes contact with a surface forming the hole of the device main body, and

the hinge is prevented from sliding upward beyond a position where the hook part makes contact with the surface.

13. The scanner as in claim 11, wherein

the hinge is configured to slide between an upper position and a lower position, and

a top end of the main body side support portion is located between a bottom end of the wiring support portion of the hinge when the hinge is located at the upper position and the bottom end of the wiring support portion of the hinge when the hinge is located at the lower position.