Scanning device and image forming apparatus

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention discloses a scanning device and image forming equipment. The scanning device comprises a scanning lower cover and an image reading assembly, a guide rail is arranged on the scanning lower cover, the guide rail and the scanning lower cover are integrally formed, and the guide rail is provided with a groove with an upward notch; the image reading assembly comprises a support and an image reading unit, and the image reading unit is arranged on the support; the support is provided with a sliding part, and the sliding part extends into the groove and is in sliding fit with the groove, so that the support drives the image reading unit to move along the guide rail, the matching precision of the sliding part and the guide rail is improved, the moving stability of the sliding part is improved, and the quality of scanned images is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of image reading technology, and in particular to a scanning device and an image forming apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of image reading technology, scanning devices such as flatbed scanners or multifunction printers typically include an image reading component and a long cylindrical metal guide rail. The image reading component includes a bracket that carries an image sensor. The bracket reciprocates along the long cylindrical metal guide rail via a sliding engagement to scan the document. However, the engagement precision between the long cylindrical metal guide rail and the bracket in related technologies is poor, resulting in poor motion stability of the image reading component during scanning, which in turn affects the stability of the scanned image quality. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, or at least partially solve them, embodiments of this application provide a scanning device and an image forming apparatus that can improve the matching accuracy between the guide rail and the image reading component, thereby improving the quality of the scanned image.

[0004] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a scanning device, including a scanning cover and an image reading component;

[0005] The scanning lower cover is provided with a guide rail, which is integrally formed with the scanning lower cover, and the guide rail has a groove with the slot facing upward; The image reading component includes a bracket and an image reading unit, the image reading unit being mounted on the bracket; the bracket is provided with a sliding part, the sliding part extending into the groove and slidingly engaging with the groove, so that the bracket drives the image reading unit to move along the guide rail.

[0006] Optionally, the groove includes two opposing groove wall segments, each of which extends along the length of the guide rail, and the two groove wall segments are inclined toward each other in a direction away from the groove opening. The sliding part contacts and slides with the two groove wall sections.

[0007] Optionally, the sliding part has an arc-shaped contact surface, which is used to slide against the inner wall of the groove.

[0008] Optionally, the sliding part is provided with a compensating protrusion protruding towards the inner wall of the groove, the compensating protrusion contacting the inner wall of the groove to compensate for the gap between the sliding part and the groove.

[0009] Optionally, the groove includes two oppositely arranged groove sidewalls and a groove bottom wall connected between the two groove sidewalls, and the compensating protrusion contacts the groove sidewalls.

[0010] Optionally, the compensation protrusion is an elastic protrusion; And / or, the compensation protrusion is an arc-shaped protrusion; And / or, there are multiple compensation protrusions, and at least a portion of the compensation protrusions are arranged at intervals along the sliding direction of the sliding portion; And / or, the protrusion height of the compensation protrusion is 0.05mm~0.3mm.

[0011] Optionally, the guide rail is provided with an oil storage groove, which is located at the bottom of the groove and communicates with the inner cavity of the groove.

[0012] Optionally, the ratio of the depth of the oil storage tank to the depth of the groove is in the range of 1 / 4 to 1 / 2.

[0013] Optionally, the groove includes two opposing groove wall sections, each of which extends along the length of the guide rail, and the two groove wall sections are inclined toward each other in a direction away from the groove opening, and the oil storage tank is disposed between the two groove wall sections.

[0014] Optionally, an electrostatic conductive layer is provided on the surface of the groove that contacts the sliding part, and the electrostatic conductive layer is grounded.

[0015] Optionally, the guide rail and the scanning lower cover are integrally injection molded plastic parts; And / or, the surface of the groove that contacts the sliding part is a plane.

[0016] Optionally, the sliding part is made of the same material as the guide rail.

[0017] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide an image forming apparatus, including a printing module and a scanning device as described above; The scanning device is electrically connected to the printing module.

[0018] The scanning apparatus and image forming device provided in this application embodiment, by integrally molding the guide rail and the scanning lower cover, eliminate the need for separate manufacturing and installation of the guide rail, saving manufacturing and assembly costs. Furthermore, it avoids, to a certain extent, assembly errors or loose connections between the guide rail and the scanning lower cover that might occur when installing separately manufactured guide rails onto the scanning lower cover, leading to misalignment of the sliding parts of the guide rail and the support. In other words, by integrally molding the guide rail and the scanning lower cover, the fitting accuracy between the sliding parts of the guide rail and the support is improved. Moreover, by having an upward-facing groove on the guide rail—that is, setting the guide rail as an upward-opening groove-shaped guide rail—the sliding part extends into the groove and slides within it. This creates a wrapping sliding fit between the upward-facing groove and the sliding part, providing a certain guiding constraint to the sliding part, thereby improving the fitting accuracy between the guide rail and the sliding part, enhancing the stability of the sliding part, and ensuring the smooth movement of the image reading unit along the guide rail, thus guaranteeing the stability of the scanned image quality. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the gland described in one embodiment of this application; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the scanning cover, guide rail, and image reading component according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 4 for Figure 3 Enlarged view of the structure at point I in the middle; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the scanning cover, guide rail, and image reading component from another perspective of one embodiment of this application. Figure 6 for Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the structure at point I; Figure 7 for Figure 5 Sectional view along line AA in the middle; Figure 8 for Figure 7 Enlarged view of the structure at point I in the middle; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the bracket and sliding part according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 10 for Figure 9 Enlarged view of the structure at point I in the middle; Figure 11 This is a side view of the bracket and sliding part according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 12 This is a bottom view of the support and sliding part according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 13 for Figure 12 Enlarged view of the structure at point I in the middle.

[0020] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 100. Scanning device; 1. Scanning lower cover; 2. Guide rail; 21. Groove; 210. Slot opening; 211. Slot wall section; 212. Slot side wall; 213. Slot bottom wall; 214. Inner cavity; 22. Oil storage tank; 23. Electrostatic conductive layer; 3. Image reading component; 31. Bracket; 32. Sliding part; 321. Compensating protrusion; 322. Arc-shaped contact surface; 323. End wall; 324. Side wall; 4. Scanning upper cover; 5. Pressure cover; 51. Background plate; 200. Printing module; 300. Image forming equipment. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The present application will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the application and not intended to limit it. Furthermore, it should be noted that, for ease of description, the accompanying drawings show only the parts relevant to the present application, not the entire structure.

[0022] The term "comprising" and its variations as used herein are open-ended, meaning "including but not limited to". The concepts of "first," "second," etc., used in this application are only used to distinguish different devices, modules, or units, and are not intended to limit the order of functions performed by these devices, modules, or units or their interdependencies. It should be noted that the modifications "a" or "a plurality of" used in this application are illustrative rather than restrictive, and those skilled in the art should understand that, unless explicitly stated in the context, they should be understood as "one or more".

[0023] Scanning devices, such as flatbed scanners or scanning devices in image forming equipment, can convert the text and image information of physical documents such as paper and certificates into storable and processable digital image data.

[0024] For example, Figure 1 A typical image forming apparatus 300 is shown, such as a multifunction printer. The image forming apparatus 300 specifically includes a printing module 200 and a scanning device 100. The printing module 200 is located below the scanning device 100 and is electrically connected to the scanning device 100. Figure 1 The image forming apparatus 300 shown is only an example. The image forming apparatus 300 can also be other types of structures, and the scanning device in this application can also be used.

[0025] For example, in combination Figures 1 to 3As shown, the scanning device 100 may include: a lower scanning cover 1, an upper scanning cover 4, a flat glass (not shown), a pressure cover 5, an image reading component 3, and a guide rail 2. The upper scanning cover 4 is located above the lower scanning cover 1, and the upper scanning cover 4 and the lower scanning cover 1 are assembled to form a receiving space, within which the image reading component 3 and the guide rail 2 are located.

[0026] A flat glass plate is positioned at the scanning cover 4 and is used to hold the documents or other media to be scanned. A pressure cover 5 is connected to the scanning cover 4 and is an openable / closable cover on the flat glass plate. (Refer to...) Figure 2 As shown, the side of the pressure cover 5 facing the flat glass has a background plate 51. The background plate 51 is specifically made of an opaque material and is used to press the document to be scanned onto the flat glass.

[0027] The image reading component 3 includes a bracket 31 and an image reading unit. The image reading unit can be, for example, a contact image sensor (CIS). The image reading unit can convert light signals into electrical signals, and finally form a digital image through signal processing. The image reading unit is mounted on the bracket 31, which slides along the guide rail 2 and moves back and forth along the guide rail 2.

[0028] During scanning, the user places the material to be scanned (such as paper or identification) on the flat glass and closes the cover 5. At this time, the background plate 51 applies pressure to the paper to ensure that the paper is flat and adheres to the flat glass. When the user starts scanning, the image reading component 3 moves along the guide rail 2 to read the image.

[0029] Specifically, the image reading unit emits light onto the area of ​​the paper that is pressed against the upper surface of the flat glass by the background plate 51 (i.e., upwards). The light can pass through the transparent flat glass and reach the paper (passing through the paper) and the background plate 51 (the background plate is opaque). The light is then reflected (downwards), and the reflected light is received by the light-receiving part of the image reading unit. Since the reflected light signals are different when the light shines on different parts of the paper (blank / colored), the light signals received by the light-receiving part of the image reading unit are also different. After photoelectric conversion and processing, the image data on the paper is finally obtained, realizing scanning.

[0030] Therefore, during the scanning process, the sliding of the image reading component 3 along the guide rail 2 is directly related to the quality of image reading. If the fit between the guide rail 2 and the support 31 of the image reading component 3 is not precise enough, it will directly affect the motion stability of the image reading component 3, and thus affect the stability of the scanned image quality.

[0031] Based on this, embodiments of this application provide a scanning device and an image forming apparatus. By integrally molding the guide rail and the scanning lower cover, and setting the guide rail as an upwardly open groove-shaped guide rail, the fitting accuracy between the sliding part and the guide rail is improved, thereby improving the quality of the scanned image.

[0032] The scanning apparatus and image forming device of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments: Reference Figures 1 to 13 As shown in the figure, this application embodiment provides a scanning device 100, which may include: a scanning upper cover 4, a scanning lower cover 1, an image reading component 3, a guide rail 2, and a pressure cover 5.

[0033] The upper scanning cover 4 is located above the lower scanning cover 1. The upper scanning cover 4 is provided with a flat glass plate (not shown in the figure). The pressure cover 5 is connected to the upper scanning cover 4 and is an openable cover on the flat glass plate.

[0034] The guide rail 2 is mounted on the lower scanning cover 1 and is integrally formed with the lower scanning cover 1. The guide rail 2 has a groove 21 with the slot 210 facing upwards. That is to say, the guide rail 2 is specifically an upward-opening groove-shaped guide rail. Here, the slot 210 facing upwards specifically means that the slot 210 faces the top of the scanning device, that is, the slot faces the upper scanning cover 4.

[0035] The image reading component 3 includes a support 31 and an image reading unit, with the image reading unit mounted on the support 31. That is, the support 31 supports the image reading unit. The image reading unit can be a CIS (CMOS Image Sensor) or a charge-coupled device (CCD) sensor, etc.

[0036] The bracket 31 is provided with a sliding part 32, which extends into the groove 21 and slides with the groove 21 so that the bracket 31 drives the image reading unit to move along the guide rail 2.

[0037] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, the movement direction of the sliding part 32 can be specifically the XX direction shown in the figure. That is, the sliding part 32 of the bracket 31 extends into the groove 21 of the guide rail 2 and slides with the groove 21, thereby causing the bracket 31 carrying the image reading unit to reciprocate along the guide rail 2 in the XX direction.

[0038] In a specific implementation, the scanning device also includes a driving mechanism. The bracket 31 is connected to the driving mechanism. The driving mechanism drives the bracket 31, which carries the image reading unit, to move, so that the sliding part 32 on the bracket 31 moves back and forth along the groove 21, thereby enabling the image reading unit to read images and realize scanning.

[0039] For example, the drive mechanism includes a motor gear set and a timing belt. The timing belt is driven to move by the motor gear set, so that the bracket 31 moves under the drive of the timing belt, thereby causing the sliding part 32 to move along the groove 21.

[0040] The scanning device 100 provided in this application embodiment eliminates the need for separate manufacturing and installation of the guide rail 2 by integrally molding the guide rail 2 and the scanning lower cover 1, thus saving manufacturing and assembly costs. The integral molding of the guide rail 2 and the scanning lower cover 1 through a mold makes it easier to ensure the dimensions, straightness, and flatness requirements of the guide rail 2, which is beneficial to improving the precision of the fit between the guide rail 2 and the sliding part 32. Furthermore, the integral molding of the guide rail 2 and the scanning lower cover 1 also avoids, to a certain extent, the assembly errors that may occur when installing a separately manufactured guide rail onto the scanning lower cover, or the loose connection between the guide rail 2 and the scanning lower cover 1 that could lead to misfitting of the sliding part 32 of the support 31. In other words, by integrally molding the guide rail 2 and the scanning lower cover 1, the fitting accuracy between the guide rail 2 and the sliding part 32 of the support 31 is improved.

[0041] Furthermore, by making the guide rail 2 have a groove 21 with the slot 210 facing upward, that is, by setting the guide rail 2 as a groove-shaped guide rail with an upward open opening, the sliding part 32 extends into the groove 21 and slides into the groove 21. This makes the groove 21 with the slot 210 facing upward form a wrapping sliding fit with the sliding part 32, which forms a certain guiding constraint on the sliding part 32, thereby improving the fitting accuracy between the guide rail 2 and the sliding part 32, improving the sliding stability of the sliding part 32, and making the image reading unit move smoothly along the guide rail 2, thereby ensuring the stability of the scanned image quality.

[0042] In some embodiments, the guide rail 2 and the scanning lower cover 1 are integrally injection molded plastic parts.

[0043] This facilitates manufacturing, reduces manufacturing costs, and enables the overall structure of the guide rail 2 and the scanning cover 1 to be lightweight, thereby achieving a lightweight design for the scanning device 100 and the image forming device 300.

[0044] Of course, in other implementations, the guide rail 2 and the scanning cover 1 can also be made of non-plastic materials.

[0045] Reference Figures 3 to 8 As shown, in some embodiments, the groove 21 includes two opposing groove wall sections 211, each extending along the length of the guide rail 2, and the two groove wall sections 211 are inclined toward each other in a direction away from the groove opening 210. The sliding part 32 contacts and slides with the two groove wall sections 211.

[0046] The length direction of guide rail 2 here is the sliding direction of sliding part 32, specifically as follows:Figure 3 XX direction in.

[0047] By tilting the two opposing groove wall segments 211 toward each other, the sliding part 32 and the two groove wall segments 211 are symmetrically constrained by force, avoiding the occurrence of offset, shaking or jamming caused by uneven force on one side of the sliding part 32, further improving the stability of the movement of the sliding part 32, thereby further ensuring the stability of the movement of the image reading unit and further improving the quality of the scanned image.

[0048] Furthermore, the inclined groove wall section 211 can withstand a certain radial load, which can reduce the shaking caused by external forces, thereby further improving the smoothness of the movement of the sliding part 32.

[0049] Furthermore, by tilting the two groove wall sections 211 as described above, it is not easy for dust or other impurities to accumulate on the groove wall section 211 that cooperates with the sliding part 32. Even if there are a small amount of impurities, they will fall into the bottom of the groove 21 along the tilted groove wall section 211, reducing the occurrence of the sliding part 32 getting stuck due to dust or other impurities. This further ensures the effective cooperation between the sliding part 32 and the guide rail 2, improves the smoothness of the movement of the sliding part 32, and thus ensures the stability of the scanned image quality.

[0050] For example, refer to Figure 8 As shown, for example, the inclination angle α of the groove wall section 211 can be set between 20° and 45°, such as 20°, 25°, 30°, 32.5°, 35°, 40°, and 45°.

[0051] For example, the groove 21 can be formed into a V-shape or a similar V-shaped structure.

[0052] Of course, in other implementations, the groove 21 can also be a U-shaped structure.

[0053] Reference Figures 8 to 13 As shown, in some embodiments, the sliding part 32 has an arcuate contact surface 322, which is used to slide and engage with the inner wall of the groove 21.

[0054] This design effectively reduces resistance during the sliding process, minimizes movement jamming caused by excessive resistance, and makes the movement of the sliding part 32 smoother, thereby improving scanning efficiency and image quality. Furthermore, the arc-shaped contact surface 322 disperses contact stress, reduces wear between the sliding part 32 and the guide rail 2, and extends the service life of both.

[0055] Continue to refer to Figures 8 to 13As shown, for example, the sliding part 32 may include two end walls 323 and two side walls 324. The two end walls 323 are disposed opposite to each other in the direction of movement (XX direction) of the sliding part 32, and the two side walls 324 are disposed opposite to each other and connected between the two end walls 323. The bottom surface of the end wall 323 slides in engagement with the inner wall of the groove 21.

[0056] This design reduces the contact area between the sliding part 32 and the groove 21, thereby reducing the frictional resistance during the sliding process, further improving the smoothness and stability of the movement of the sliding part 32, and thus improving the stability of the movement of the bracket 31 that carries the image reading unit, ensuring the stability of the scanned image quality.

[0057] The arc-shaped contact surface 322 can be the bottom surface of the end wall 323. For example, the bottom surface of the end wall 323 has two arc-shaped contact surfaces 322, which correspond one-to-one with two inclined groove wall segments 211 and slide in fit.

[0058] Continue to refer to Figures 8 to 13 As shown, in some embodiments, the sliding part 32 is provided with a compensation protrusion 321 protruding toward the inner wall of the groove 21. The compensation protrusion 321 contacts the inner wall of the groove 21 to compensate for the gap between the sliding part 32 and the groove 21.

[0059] By setting the compensation protrusion 321, the compensation protrusion 321 can fill the gap caused by the part processing error or the gap caused by the change of ambient temperature, and prevent the sliding part 32 from shaking in the groove 21. This further improves the precision of the fit between the sliding part 32 and the guide rail 2, thereby improving the stability of the image reading unit movement and avoiding quality problems such as blurred or misaligned scanned images caused by shaking.

[0060] In some embodiments, the groove 21 includes two opposing groove sidewalls 212 and a groove bottom wall 213 connecting the two groove sidewalls 212. (Referring to...) Figure 8 As shown, the two inclined tank wall sections 211 can be regarded as part of the tank bottom wall 213.

[0061] Of course, in other implementations, the two inclined groove wall segments 211 can also be regarded as part of the groove sidewall 212.

[0062] The compensating protrusion 321 can be made to contact the sidewall 212 of the groove. This allows the compensating protrusion 321 to effectively compensate for the lateral gap between the sliding part 32 and the groove 21, preventing the sliding part 32 from shifting laterally and further improving the guiding accuracy.

[0063] Combination Figure 8 and Figure 10As shown, in some embodiments, the compensation protrusion 321 may be specifically provided on the side wall 324 of the sliding part 32. For example, the compensation protrusion 321 may be provided only on the side wall 324 of one side of the sliding part 32, or the compensation protrusion 321 may be provided on both side walls 324.

[0064] In some embodiments, the compensation protrusion 321 may be an elastic protrusion. For example, the compensation protrusion 321 may be a silicone protrusion, a rubber protrusion, a plastic protrusion, etc.

[0065] By making the compensating protrusion 321 elastic, it can provide a continuous and flexible clamping force and automatically adapt to changes in the gap, thereby further ensuring the fitting accuracy between the sliding part 32 and the groove 21, further improving the stability of the sliding part 32 during movement, and at the same time, this setting can also play a role in buffering and vibration reduction.

[0066] Reference Figures 10 to 13 As shown, in some embodiments, the compensation protrusion 321 can be configured as an arc-shaped protrusion.

[0067] This design reduces the contact stress between the compensating protrusion 321 and the inner wall of the groove 21, prevents the compensating protrusion 321 from scratching the surface of the groove 21, and reduces wear between the compensating protrusion 321 and the groove 21.

[0068] Continue to refer to Figure 10 As shown, in some embodiments, there are multiple compensation protrusions 321, and at least a portion of the compensation protrusions 321 are arranged at intervals along the sliding direction (XX direction) of the sliding portion 32.

[0069] For example, a plurality of compensation protrusions 321 are provided on both side walls 324 of the sliding part 32, and the plurality of compensation protrusions 321 on each side wall 324 are arranged at intervals along the sliding direction of the sliding part 32.

[0070] This configuration allows for gap compensation from multiple locations, providing a uniform and stable compensation force to the sliding part 32, further improving the smoothness of the sliding part 32's movement. Furthermore, this configuration can disperse stress and extend the service life of the compensation protrusion 321.

[0071] Combination Figure 12 and Figure 13 As shown, in some embodiments, the protrusion height D of the compensation protrusion 321 is 0.05mm to 0.3mm.

[0072] For example, the height D of the compensation protrusion 321 can be set to 0.05mm, 0.1mm, 0.15mm, 0.175mm, 0.2mm, 0.25mm, or 0.3mm.

[0073] This design ensures that the compensation protrusion 321 effectively compensates and fills the gap, and avoids situations where the compensation protrusion 321 is too high, which could lead to assembly difficulties.

[0074] In some embodiments, the compensating protrusion 321 may be integrally formed with the sliding portion 32, thereby improving the strength and stability of the overall structure of the sliding portion 32 and the compensating protrusion 321.

[0075] During production and maintenance, lubricant can be applied to the mating area between the sliding part 32 and the groove 21 to improve the smoothness of sliding of the sliding part 32.

[0076] Reference Figures 4 to 8 As shown, in some embodiments, the guide rail 2 is provided with an oil storage groove 22, which is located at the bottom of the groove 21 and communicates with the inner cavity 214 of the groove 21.

[0077] By providing an oil reservoir 22, excess lubricant coated between the sliding part 32 and the groove 21 can flow into the oil reservoir 22. In other words, the oil reservoir 22 can collect the lubricant overflowing from the sliding mating surface, preventing the lubricant from flowing erratically and contaminating the components of the scanning device 100 (such as the flat glass, image reading unit, etc.), thereby further ensuring the quality of the scanned image.

[0078] Furthermore, by collecting the lubricating fluid through the oil storage tank 22, the lubricating fluid can be effectively recycled, making it reusable and saving costs.

[0079] In addition, the oil reservoir 22 can collect lubricant and also accommodate dust, debris and other foreign objects generated during sliding, preventing foreign objects from entering the mating surface and causing sliding jamming, scratching the sliding mating surface, etc., thereby further improving sliding stability and thus improving the smoothness of the image reading unit's movement.

[0080] For example, refer to Figure 8 As shown, the oil storage tank 22 can be formed by a downward indentation of part of the bottom wall 213 of the groove 21.

[0081] In practice, if the depth of the oil storage tank 22 is set too small, the amount of oil stored in the oil storage tank 22 will be reduced. However, if the depth of the oil storage tank 22 is set too large, the bottom structure of the groove 21 will be weak, affecting the overall structural strength of the guide rail 2 and causing the height of the guide rail 2 to be too large.

[0082] Based on this, refer to Figure 8 As shown, in some embodiments, the ratio of the depth h of the oil storage tank 22 to the depth H of the groove 21 can be set between 1 / 4 and 1 / 2.

[0083] For example, the ratio of the depth h of the oil storage tank 22 to the depth H of the groove 21 is specifically 1:4, 1:3, or 1:2.

[0084] By setting the depth of the oil storage tank 22 as described above, while ensuring that the oil storage tank 22 has enough space to store lubricant and accommodate foreign objects, the overall structural strength of the bottom of the groove 21 is also taken into account, and the height of the guide rail 2 is not too high, which is conducive to the miniaturization of the scanning device 100 and the image forming device 300.

[0085] Reference Figures 5 to 8 As shown, in some embodiments, the oil storage tank 22 is specifically disposed between two inclined tank wall sections 211 of the groove.

[0086] By placing the oil storage tank 22 between two inclined tank wall sections 211, lubricating fluid and impurities can flow along the tank wall sections 211 into the oil storage tank 22. This provides good guidance for the lubricating fluid and impurities, improves collection efficiency, and prevents excess lubricating fluid and impurities from accumulating on the tank wall, which could lead to poor fit. This further ensures the smooth movement of the sliding part 32. Moreover, this arrangement is convenient for processing.

[0087] For example, the length of the oil reservoir 22 can be the same as the length of the guide rail 2, so that excess lubricant or impurities at different positions on the groove wall of the groove 21 can flow into the oil reservoir 22 nearby, thereby further improving the smoothness of sliding of the sliding part 32.

[0088] Reference Figure 4 As shown, in some embodiments, an electrostatic conductive layer 23 is provided on the surface of the groove 21 that contacts the sliding part 32, and the electrostatic conductive layer 23 is grounded.

[0089] For example, the electrostatic conductive layer 23 may be disposed on the inclined groove wall section 211.

[0090] By setting the electrostatic conductive layer 23, the static electricity generated by sliding friction can be effectively discharged, preventing the accumulation of static electricity from interfering with the operation of the image reading unit or the photoelectric conversion signal, thereby ensuring the electrical stability and image reading accuracy of the scanning device 100 and further improving the quality of the scanned image.

[0091] Furthermore, the conductive layer 23 can also prevent dust from adsorbing onto the inner wall of the groove 21 to a certain extent, thus improving the smoothness of the sliding part 32.

[0092] For example, the scanning cover 1 is provided with a grounding structure (such as a grounding electrode), and the electrostatic conductive layer 23 is electrically connected to the grounding structure to achieve grounding.

[0093] For example, the electrostatic conductive layer 23 can be sheet metal, steel strip, conductive cloth, etc.

[0094] In some embodiments, the surface of the groove 21 that contacts the sliding portion 32 is a plane. That is, the surface of the groove 21 that contacts the sliding portion 32 is a smooth surface.

[0095] For example, the two inclined groove wall sections 211 of the groove 21 slide in cooperation with the sliding part 32, and the surfaces of the two groove wall sections 211 are smooth surfaces.

[0096] This design increases the contact stability between the sliding part 32 and the groove 21, improves sliding stability and smoothness, and the planar structure is easier to process. It also makes it easier to set the electrostatic conductive layer 23 on the planar structure.

[0097] In some embodiments, the sliding part 32 is integrally formed with the bracket 31.

[0098] This design eliminates the need for separate manufacturing and installation of the sliding part 32, saving manufacturing and assembly costs. It also avoids, to some extent, assembly errors that may occur when the separately manufactured sliding part 32 is installed on the bracket 31, or problems such as loose connection between the sliding part 32 and the bracket 31 leading to misalignment between the sliding part 32 and the guide rail 2. This improves the fitting accuracy between the sliding part 32 and the guide rail 2, further enhances the smoothness of the image reading unit's movement, and further improves the stability of the scanned image quality.

[0099] In some embodiments, the sliding part 32 may be made of the same material as the guide rail 2.

[0100] For example, both the sliding part 32 and the guide rail 2 are made of plastic.

[0101] By making the sliding part 32 and the guide rail 2 the same material, the coefficient of thermal expansion / contraction of the sliding part 32 and the guide rail 2 are consistent, which reduces the change in the fitting clearance caused by the difference in materials when the ambient temperature changes. This reduces the risk of low-temperature jamming or high-temperature jamming, further improves the fitting accuracy between the sliding part 32 and the guide rail 2, ensures the sliding reliability under different temperature environments, and further improves the quality of the scanned image.

[0102] The scanning device 100 provided in this application embodiment can be a flatbed scanner or a scanning device on an image forming device (such as a multifunction printer).

[0103] Reference Figures 1 to 13 As shown in the figure, this application embodiment also provides an image forming apparatus 300, including a printing module 200 and a scanning device 100, wherein the scanning device 100 is electrically connected to the printing module 200.

[0104] The scanning device 100 scans documents, certificates, etc., and the image data read by the image reading unit is transmitted to the printing module 200, which then prints the scanned image onto paper or other media. The scanning signal from the scanning device 100 can be transmitted to the printing module 200 via wired or wireless means.

[0105] The scanning device 100 in this application embodiment has the same specific structure as the scanning device 100 provided in the above embodiments, and can bring the same or similar technical effects. It will not be described in detail here, but can be referred to the description of the above embodiments.

[0106] Reference Figure 1 As shown, for example, the scanning device 100 is disposed above the printing module 200. For example, the scanning device 100 can be detachably connected to the printing module 200 to facilitate individual repair, replacement or maintenance of the scanning device 100 or the printing module 200.

[0107] Other technical features are the same as those in the above embodiments and can bring the same or similar technical effects, and will not be described in detail here. For details, please refer to the description of the above embodiments.

[0108] The above description is merely an embodiment of this application and an explanation of the technical principles employed. Those skilled in the art should understand that the scope of disclosure in this application is not limited to technical solutions formed by specific combinations of the above-described technical features, but should also cover other technical solutions formed by arbitrary combinations of the above-described technical features or their equivalents without departing from the above-described concept. For example, technical solutions formed by substituting the above features with (but not limited to) technical features with similar functions disclosed in this application.

Claims

1. A scanning device, characterized by The scanning lower cover and the image reading assembly are included; The guide rail is provided on the scanning lower cover, is integrally formed with the scanning lower cover, and has a groove with an upward notch; The image reading assembly includes a bracket and an image reading unit, the image reading unit is provided on the bracket, the bracket is provided with a sliding part, the sliding part extends into the groove and is in sliding cooperation with the groove, so that the bracket drives the image reading unit to move along the guide rail.

2. The scanning device of claim 1, wherein, The groove includes two oppositely arranged groove wall segments, each of the groove wall segments extends along the length direction of the guide rail, and in a direction away from the notch, the two groove wall segments are inclined to each other. The sliding part is in contact and sliding cooperation with the two groove wall segments.

3. The scanning device of claim 1, wherein, The sliding part has an arc-shaped contact surface for sliding cooperation with the inner wall of the groove.

4. The scanning device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The sliding part is provided with a compensation protrusion protruding towards the inner wall of the groove, the compensation protrusion is in contact with the inner wall of the groove to compensate for the gap between the sliding part and the groove.

5. The scanning device of claim 4, wherein, The groove includes two oppositely arranged groove side walls and a groove bottom wall connected between the two groove side walls, and the compensation protrusion is in contact with the groove side wall.

6. The scanning device of claim 4, wherein, The compensation protrusion is an elastic protrusion. And / or, the compensation protrusion is a circular arc-shaped protrusion. And / or, the compensation protrusion is a plurality of compensation protrusions, at least a part of the compensation protrusions are arranged in the sliding direction of the sliding part. And / or, the protrusion height of the compensation protrusion is 0.05mm-0.3mm.

7. The scanning device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The guide rail is provided with an oil storage groove, the oil storage groove is located at the groove bottom of the groove, and is in communication with the inner cavity of the groove.

8. The scanning device of claim 7, wherein, The ratio of the groove depth of the oil storage groove to the groove depth of the groove is 1 / 4-1 / 2.

9. The scanning device of claim 7, wherein, The groove includes two oppositely arranged groove wall segments, each of the groove wall segments extends along the length direction of the guide rail, and in a direction away from the notch, the two groove wall segments are inclined to each other.

10. The scanning device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The surface of the groove in contact with the sliding part is provided with an electrostatic conductive layer, and the electrostatic conductive layer is grounded.

11. The scanning device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The guide rail and the scanning lower cover are integrally injection molded plastic parts. And / or, the surface of the groove in contact with the sliding part is a plane.

12. The scanning device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The material of the sliding part is the same as that of the guide rail.

13. An image forming apparatus, characterized by comprising: The scanning device and the printing module are electrically connected. The scanning device and the printing module are electrically connected.

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