Image reader and image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10129422-B2
Application number	US-201615546839-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2016
Priority date	Sep 30, 2015
Publication date	Nov 13, 2018
Grant date	Nov 13, 2018

Abstract

An image reader includes: a reading section reading a document; a document conveyance section being supported in an openable and closable manner with respect to the reading section; foamed synthetic resin members being supported on a lower surface of the document conveyance section; a document pressing plate being fitted to the document conveyance section with the foamed synthetic resin members in between; and height regulation sections being formed at the document conveyance section and being pressed by second platen glass with the document pressing plate in between, wherein the height regulation sections are located at positions overlapping with a region of the second platen glass when the document conveyance section is in a closed state.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An image reader comprising:
a reading section having platen glass and reading a document loaded on the platen glass;
a document pressing section being supported in an openable and closable manner with respect to the reading section;
a document pressing plate being fitted to the document pressing section, and pressing the document on the platen glass when the document pressing section is closed;
a height regulation section being formed in a manner such as to project from an opposing surface of the document pressing section facing the platen glass, the height regulation section lying between the opposing surface and the document pressing plate and being provided at a position overlapping with a region where the platen glass is arranged when the document pressing section is closed; and
an elastic member being provided on the opposing surface of the document pressing section, wherein
the document pressing plate is fitted to the document pressing section with the elastic member in between,
the elastic member has elasticity such that the elastic member has a length from the opposing surface set longer than the height regulation section in an extended state, and when the document pressing section is closed and subjected to pressing by the platen glass, the elastic member is capable of shrinking closer towards the opposing surface than the height regulation section,
the document pressing section opens and closes in a manner such as to turn in directions approaching and separating from the platen glass, with a turning mechanism, which is provided at one end part in a sub-scanning direction, provided as a pivotably supporting point,
one of the height regulation section is respectively provided at different positions in the sub-scanning direction, and out of the two height regulation sections provided at the different positions in the sub-scanning direction, the one height regulation section located at the position separated from the pivotably supporting point in the sub-scanning direction is formed to have a longer length from the opposing surface than the another height regulation section, and
in an uncompressed, extended state in which the document pressing section is not closed and is not subjected to the pressing by the platen glass, the elastic member has a longer length from the opposing surface than the one height regulation sections.

2. The image reader according to claim 1 , wherein
when the document pressing section is opened, the elastic member is not subjected to the pressing by the platen glass, turning into the extended state to separate the document pressing plate from the height regulation section, and
when the document pressing plate is closed, the document pressing plate is pressed by the platen glass and the elastic member is compressed between the document pressing plate and the opposing surface, whereby the document pressing plate abuts the height regulation section.

3. The image reader according to claim 1 , wherein
a plurality of the elastic members are provided at various parts of the opposing surface in the document pressing section, locally pressing the document pressing plate.

4. The image reader according to claim 1 , wherein
the elastic member is provided on the opposing surface in a size such that the opposing surface of the document pressing section extends across an entire region opposing the document pressing plate.

5. The image reader according to claim 1 , wherein
the height regulation section is arranged closer to an end part side of the document pressing plate in the sub-scanning direction than the elastic member.

6. The image reader according to claim 1 , wherein
the elastic member provided around the one height regulation section is formed of a raw material with higher flexibility than the elastic member provided around the another height regulation section.

7. The image reader according to claim 1 , wherein
the one height regulation section is provided only in one in a main-scanning direction.

8. The image reader according to claim 1 , wherein
a plurality of the one height regulation sections and a plurality of the another height regulation sections are provided in the main-scanning direction.

9. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
the image reader according to claim 1 ; and
an image formation section forming, on recording paper, an image of a document read through the reading by the reading section of the image reader.

Assignees

• Kyocera Document Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Kakuta Masayuki

Classifications

• H04N1/04

  Scanning arrangements {, i.e. arrangements for the displacement of active reading or reproducing elements relative to the original or reproducing medium, or vice versa}(H04N1/387 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04N2201/0094

  Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception · CPC title

• H04N1/00559

  Mounting or support of components or elements (H04N1/00538 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G03G21/16

  Mechanical means for facilitating the maintenance of the apparatus, e.g. modular arrangements · CPC title

• H04N1/10

  using flat picture-bearing surfaces {(H04N1/113, H04N1/195 take precedence)} · CPC title