Image reading apparatus provided with image sensor contained in slidable carriage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9621751-B2
Application number	US-201514846283-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 4, 2015
Priority date	Oct 3, 2011
Publication date	Apr 11, 2017
Grant date	Apr 11, 2017

Abstract

An image reading apparatus includes: a contact glass setting a manuscript thereon; an image sensor extending in a first direction and having a reading surface which faces the contact glass for reading an image from the manuscript on the contact glass; a rail member extending inside the apparatus main body in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; a carriage having a sensor container to contain the image sensor, a taper end portion formed in an end portion in the first direction to become smaller in height toward the end side, and an opening formed in the bottom of the sensor container on the taper end portion side; a biased portion adjacent to the reading surface of the image sensor in the second direction; and a biasing member biasing the image sensor toward the contact glass via the biased portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image reading apparatus configured to read an image of a manuscript, the apparatus comprising:
a main body;
a contact glass provided at an upper surface of the main body to set the manuscript thereon;
an image sensor unit including an image sensor provided on a side opposite to a surface of the contact glass on which the manuscript is set, the image sensor extending in a first direction and having a reading surface which faces the contact glass to read the image from the manuscript on the contact glass;
a rail member extending inside the main body in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction;
a carriage which is supported by the rail member to be slidable along the second direction and contains the image sensor unit in a sensor container having a recess open to a contact glass side; and
at least one spring configured to urge the image sensor unit toward the contact glass,
wherein the carriage includes at least one spring support portion configured to support the at least one spring such that the at least one spring is supported at a position below the contact glass, above a lower surface of the image sensor, and shifted in the second direction with respect to the image sensor.

2. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the image sensor unit further includes a holder member configured to support the image sensor, and
the at least one spring is configured to urge the holder member toward the contact glass.

3. The image reading apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one spring is supported between the at least one spring support portion and the holder member in a state of being compressed in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction, such that the holder member is urged toward the contact glass by restoring force of the at least one spring.

4. The image reading apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the holder member includes a biased portion which is positioned above a lower surface of the image sensor supported by the holder member and which is urged by the at least one spring.

5. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one spring is included in a pair of springs provided on both sides of the image sensor in the second direction, and
the at least one spring support portion is included in a pair of spring support portions configured to support the pair of springs respectively.

6. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one spring includes a first end portion and a second end portion, and
the second end portion contacts the image sensor unit.

7. The image reading apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the first end portion is supported by the at least one spring support portion of the carriage.

8. The image reading apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the second end portion is positioned above the first end portion.

9. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one spring is a coil spring.

10. The image reading apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the at least one spring support portion includes a protrusion protruding in the coil spring.

11. The image reading apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the protrusion protrudes toward the contact glass in the coil spring.

12. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one spring extends in a vertical direction.

13. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one spring is accommodated in the carriage.

14. An image reading apparatus configured to read an image of a manuscript, the apparatus comprising:
a main body;
a contact glass provided at an upper surface of the main body to set the manuscript thereon;
an image sensor unit including an image sensor provided on a side opposite to a surface of the contact glass on which the manuscript is set, the image sensor extending in a first direction and having a reading surface which faces the contact glass to read the image from the manuscript on the contact glass;
a rail member extending inside the main body in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction;
a carriage which is movable along the rail member to carry the image sensor unit in the second direction; and
at least one spring configured to urge the image sensor unit toward the contact glass,
wherein the carriage includes at least one spring support portion configured to support the at least one spring such that the at least one spring is supported at a position below the contact glass, above a lower surface of the image sensor unit, and shifted in the second direction with respect to the image sensor.

15. The image reading apparatus according to claim 14 ,
wherein the at least one spring is included in a pair of springs provided on both sides of the image sensor in the second direction, and
the at least one spring support portion is included in a pair of spring support portions configured to support the pair of springs respectively.

16. The image reading apparatus according to claim 14 ,
wherein the image sensor unit further includes a holder member configured to support the image sensor, and
the at least one spring is configured to urge the holder member toward the contact glass.

17. The image reading apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the at least one spring is supported between the at least one spring support portion and the holder member in a state of being compressed in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction, such that the holder member is urged toward the contact glass by restoring force of the at least one spring.

18. The image reading apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the holder member includes a biased portion which is positioned above a lower surface of the image sensor supported by the holder member and which is urged by the at least one spring.

19. The image reading apparatus according to claim 14 ,
wherein the at least one spring includes a first end portion and a second end portion, and
the second end portion contacts the image sensor unit.

20. The image reading apparatus according to claim 19 , wherein the first end portion is supported by the at least one spring support portion of the carriage.

21. The image reading apparatus according to claim 19 , wherein the second end portion is positioned above the first end portion.

22. The image reading apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the at least one spring extends in a vertical direction.

23. The image reading apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the at least one spring is accommodated in the carriage.

24. The image reading apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the at least one spring is a coil spring.

25. The image reading apparatus according to claim 24 , wherein the at least one spring support portion includes a protrusion protruding in the coil spring.

26. The image reading apparatus according to claim 25 , wherein the protrusion protrudes toward the contact glass in the coil spring.

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Osakabe Yoshinori
• Tanaka Hiromi

Classifications

• H04N1/1061

  Details relating to flat picture-bearing surfaces, e.g. transparent platen · CPC title

• H04N2201/02477

  using elastic means, e.g. springs (H04N2201/02472 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04N1/00522 Primary

  Reducing apparatus footprint, e.g. wall-mounted or vertically arranged apparatus · CPC title

• H04N2201/02404

  Arrangements for mounting or supporting heads (H04N2201/02402 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04N2201/02429

  Photodetector element, e.g. CCD array · CPC title