Image reading device and image forming system

Abstract

To prevent the occurrence of disconnection and wear of a flat cable.SOLUTION: An image reading device comprises: a carriage 418 that is movable in a first direction D1 and a second direction D2 along a reading surface of a reading glass 403 and supports a CIS 401; and a first FFC 414. The first FFC 414 has a first end 414a connected to a connector 412 provided on the CIS 401 and a second end 414b different from the first end 414a arranged closer to a bottom plate part 407a than the carriage 418, and is arranged to be directed in a first direction D1 from the carriage 418, is bent and folded back toward a second direction D2 opposite to the first direction D1, and is directed to the second end 414b. The carriage 418 has a holder 454 that passes the first FFC 414 to be directed in the first direction D1, and is arranged closer to the reading glass 403 than the connector 412.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image reading apparatus for reading an image on a sheet, and an image forming system to which the image reading apparatus is applied. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is known an image reading device that reads an image on a sheet by an image sensor through a transparent member. In an image reading device for reading such an original, a device has been proposed that reads an original by moving and scanning a carriage that supports the image sensor (see Patent Document 1). In such an image reading device, for example, a bendable flat cable is bent and connected to the image sensor in order to transmit a read image signal acquired by the image sensor.

[0003] Also, conventionally, there is known an image reading device that is connected to an image forming apparatus and reads an image on a sheet formed by the image forming apparatus. For such an image reading device, a configuration has been proposed in which a carriage supporting an image sensor is moved in order to perform shading correction for the image sensor (see Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-161538 A [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2021-190991 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the above-mentioned configuration, when the carriage moves, the curved portion of the flat cable also moves, so there is a risk that the flat cable may break due to repeated stress fatigue, or that the flat cable may rub against the fixed wall, causing wear to the surface. In addition, as image reading devices become smaller, if the flat cable is arranged at a limited device height, the radius of the curved portion that moves must be made smaller, and a larger stress is applied to the curved portion, which poses the problem of being more susceptible to defects such as breakage and wear.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE An object of the present invention is to provide an image reading device and an image forming system that are capable of preventing breakage and wear of a flat cable. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the present invention is an image reading device comprising: a transport section that transports a sheet along a transport path; a transparent member that forms part of the transport path; a case to which the transparent member is attached and having an opposing section facing the transparent member; a reading unit that has a reading sensor that reads an image of a sheet transported along the transport path through the transparent member and is housed in the case; a support member that is movable in a first direction along the transparent member and a second direction opposite to the first direction and supports the reading unit; and a flat cable that has a first end connected to a connection section provided on the reading unit and a second end different from the first end that is positioned on the side of the opposing section rather than the support member, and is arranged so that it extends from the support member toward the first direction, curves, and folds back toward a second direction opposite the first direction toward the second end, wherein the support member has a passing section that allows the flat cable to pass toward the first direction and is positioned on the side of the transparent member rather than the connection section.

[0008] Another aspect of the present invention is an image forming system comprising an image forming apparatus having an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet, and the image reading device described above that reads an image on the sheet on which an image has been formed in the image forming unit. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent breakage, wear, and the like of the flat cable. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an image forming system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control system of the image forming apparatus system according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an adjustment and inspection unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an adjustment and inspection unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a paper library screen according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 shows test patterns according to the first embodiment, where (a) is a test pattern for the front side and (b) is a test pattern for the back side. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a paper library according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a loading device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 9] 1A and 1B are cross-sectional views showing a first-page reading unit according to the first embodiment, in which FIG. 1A shows a state in which the CIS is located at a reading position, and FIG. 1B shows a state in which the CIS is located at a shading position. [Figure 10] 1A is a cross-sectional view showing the first-sheet reading unit of the first embodiment, in which (a) shows the CIS in the reading position, (b) shows the CIS protruding due to the spring, and (c) shows the CIS being pushed in against the spring. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a front view showing an operating section according to the first embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an operating section according to the first embodiment. [Figure 13]5A and 5B are cross-sectional views showing a first-page reading unit according to a comparative example, in which FIG. 5A shows a state in which the CIS is located at a reading position, and FIG. 5B shows a state in which the CIS is located at a shading position. [Figure 14] 5A and 5B are cross-sectional views showing a first-sheet reading unit according to a comparative example, in which (a) shows a state in which the CIS is protruding due to a spring, and (b) shows a state in which the CIS is pushed in against the spring. [Figure 15] 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a CIS is located at a reading position in a first-sheet reading unit according to a modified example of the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 16] 10A and 10B are cross-sectional views showing an original reading unit according to a second embodiment, in which FIG. 10A illustrates a state in which the CIS is located at a reference position, and FIG. 10B illustrates a state in which the CIS is located at a maximum movement position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] <First embodiment> Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 15. First, a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an image forming system 100. The image forming system 100 includes an image forming apparatus 1, an operation unit 180, an adjustment inspection unit 200, and a loading device 601. The image forming apparatus 1 forms an image on a sheet S. The operation unit 180 is operated by a user to set conditions for image formation in the image forming apparatus 1, and also displays the state of the image forming apparatus 1. The adjustment inspection unit 200 performs front-back registration for measuring the positional deviation between an image formed on the front side of the sheet S and an image formed on the back side by the image forming apparatus 1, and performs inspection processing to detect the presence or absence of defects in the image formed on the sheet S. That is, the adjustment inspection unit 200 reads an image of a sheet on which an image is formed in the image forming unit 102 of the image forming apparatus 1. The stacking device 601 is a device that discharges and stacks the sheets S on which images have been formed onto a discharge tray, but other post-processing devices such as stapling, punching, and sorting may also be attached.

[0012] [Image forming equipment] The image forming apparatus 1 is an electrophotographic laser beam printer. The image forming apparatus 1 forms an image on a sheet S using an electrophotographic image forming process. In this embodiment, a full-color copying machine having a plurality of photosensitive drums is applied. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention can also be applied to a monochrome or mono-color copying machine or printer having one photosensitive drum. In addition to a laser beam printer, the image forming apparatus 1 can also be applied to, for example, an electrophotographic copying machine (e.g., a digital copying machine), a color LED printer, an MFP (multifunction machine), a facsimile machine, and a printing machine. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the electrophotographic system, and can also be applied to an inkjet printer, a dye-sublimation printer, or a thermal printer using a thermal drying method.

[0013] 2 is a block diagram of the image forming apparatus 1 and the adjustment and inspection unit 200. The image forming apparatus 1 has a printer controller 103, an engine control unit 312, and an engine unit 140. The printer controller 103 has a paper library 800 and an image shape correction unit 320. The printer controller 103 is electrically connected to an operation unit 180, the engine control unit 312, a control unit 560 of the document reading unit 190, and a communication unit of a control board 250 of the adjustment and inspection unit 200.

[0014] The engine control unit 312 is electrically connected to the conveying roller drive motor 311 and the switching unit drive unit 141. The switching unit drive unit 141 drives the switches 131, 132, 133, and 134. The engine control unit 312 is further electrically connected to the first post-fixing sensor 153, the second post-fixing sensor 163, the inversion sensor 137, and the engine unit 140. The engine control unit 312 controls the engine unit 140 to execute the image forming process (including the sheet feeding process). The engine unit 140 has a yellow station 120, a magenta station 121, a cyan station 122, and a black station 123. The engine unit 140 further has a sheet cassette 113, an intermediate transfer belt 106, a secondary transfer outer roller 114, a first fixing unit 150, and a second fixing unit 160.

[0015] 1, the image forming apparatus 1 conveys a sheet S conveyed from a sheet cassette 113 to an image forming unit, and forms a toner image on the sheet S. The image forming apparatus 1 conveys the sheet S, on which the toner image has been formed in the image forming unit 102, to a first fixing device 150 and a second fixing device 160, and fixes the unfixed toner on the sheet S to the sheet S by applying heat and pressure. The sheet S includes paper such as thin paper and thick paper, plastic films such as overhead projector sheets (OHP), surface-treated papers such as coated paper, sheets of special shapes such as envelopes, and cloth.

[0016] The image forming unit 102 has stations 120, 121, 122, and 123, and forms an image on a sheet transported by the sheet transport unit 10. The image forming apparatus 1 includes an intermediate transfer belt 106 and a secondary transfer outer roller 114. The stations 120, 121, 122, and 123 form yellow, magenta, cyan, and black toner images on the intermediate transfer belt 106, respectively. The configurations of the stations 120, 121, 122, and 123 are the same except for the toner colors. Therefore, the configuration of the station 120 will be described as an example here, and descriptions of the configurations of the other stations 121, 122, and 123 will be omitted.

[0017] The station 120 has a rotating photosensitive drum 105. Around the photosensitive drum 105, a charger 111, a laser scanner 107, a developing device 112, and a primary transfer roller 118 are arranged. The charger 111 uniformly charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 105. The laser scanner 107 has a laser driver (not shown) that turns on / off a laser beam emitted from a semiconductor laser according to image data supplied from the printer controller 103. The laser beam emitted from the semiconductor laser is deflected in the main scanning direction by a rotating polygon mirror (not shown). The laser beam deflected in the main scanning direction is guided to the surface of the photosensitive drum 105 by a reflecting mirror, and exposes the uniformly charged surface of the photosensitive drum 105 in the main scanning direction. As a result, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 105 according to the image data.

[0018] The developing device 112 develops the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 105 with yellow (Y) toner to form a yellow (Y) toner image. A voltage of the opposite polarity to that of the toner image is applied to the primary transfer roller 118, which transfers the yellow (Y) toner image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 105 onto the intermediate transfer belt 106. Similarly, a magenta (M) toner image, a cyan (C) toner image, and a black (K) toner image formed by the magenta station 121, the cyan station 122, and the black station 123 are sequentially transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 106. The yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) toner images are transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 106 in a superimposed manner to form a full-color toner image.

[0019] Meanwhile, the sheet S fed from the sheet cassette 113 is conveyed to the secondary transfer outer roller 114 via the sheet conveying unit 10. The secondary transfer outer roller 114 presses the sheet S against the intermediate transfer belt 106, and simultaneously applies a bias having an opposite characteristic to that of the toner to the secondary transfer outer roller 114. As a result, the visible image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 106 is secondarily transferred to the sheet S fed in synchronization with the sub-scanning direction by the feeding process mechanism. Around the intermediate transfer belt 106, a start position detection sensor 115 for determining the print start position when forming an image, a feeding timing sensor 116 for timing the feeding of the sheet S, and a density sensor 117 for measuring the density of a patch during density control are arranged. When density control is performed, the density sensor 117 measures the density of each patch.

[0020] The image forming apparatus 1 has a first fixing device 150 and a second fixing device 160 for fixing the toner image transferred to the sheet S by heat and pressure. The first fixing device 150 has a fixing roller 151 for applying heat to the sheet S, a pressure belt 152 for pressing the sheet S against the fixing roller 151, and a post-fixing sensor 153 for detecting the completion of fixing. The fixing roller 151 is a hollow roller having an internal heater, and conveys the sheet S while being driven to rotate. The second fixing device 160 is located downstream of the conveying path of the sheet S from the first fixing device 150, and is arranged for the purpose of adding gloss to the toner image on the sheet S fixed by the first fixing device 150 and ensuring fixability. The second fixing device 160 also has a fixing roller 161, a pressure roller 162, and a post-fixing sensor 163, like the first fixing device 150.

[0021] Depending on the type of sheet S, there are some that do not need to pass through the second fixing device 160. In this case, in order to reduce energy consumption, a conveying path 130 is provided for discharging the sheet S without passing through the second fixing device 160. The sheet S can be guided to the conveying path 130 by a switch 131.

[0022] The switch 132 switches whether the sheet S, which has been transported through the image forming unit 102, the first fixing unit 150, and the second fixing unit 160, is guided to the outside of the image forming apparatus 1 or to the transport path 135. In the case of single-sided printing, the sheet S passes through the image forming unit 102, the first fixing unit 150, and the second fixing unit 160, and after image formation is completed, the switch 132 guides the sheet S to a discharge path 139 and discharges it to the outside.

[0023] In the case of double-sided printing, the sheet S is inverted after one side has been printed, and is transported again to the image forming unit 102. Specifically, the switch 132 guides the sheet S after fixing to a transport path 135, and transports it to an inverting unit 136. When an inversion sensor 137 detects the rear end of the sheet S, a switch 133 switches the transport direction of the sheet S to a transport path 138. The inverted sheet S is transported again to the image forming unit 102 via the transport path 138, and further to the first fixing unit 150 and the second fixing unit 160. The sheet S after double-sided printing is guided by the switch 132 to a discharge path 139, and is discharged to the outside.

[0024] For example, in the double-sided printing mode, in order to print an adjustment chart (measurement test pattern) on the second side of the sheet S after the adjustment chart (measurement test pattern) is printed on the first side of the sheet S, the switch 132 switches the destination of the sheet S to the conveying path 135. The sheet S conveyed to the conveying path 135 is conveyed to the inversion unit 136. After the rear end of the sheet S conveyed to the inversion unit 136 is detected by the inversion sensor 137, the conveying direction of the sheet S is reversed. The switch 133 switches the destination of the sheet S to the conveying path 138. This inverts the front and back of the sheet S. The sheet S is conveyed from the conveying path 138 to the secondary transfer nip between the intermediate transfer belt 106 and the secondary transfer outer roller 114. The adjustment chart is transferred to the second side of the sheet S at the secondary transfer nip. The sheet S with the adjustment charts printed on both sides is conveyed from the discharge path 139 to the adjustment inspection unit 200.

[0025] [Adjustment and Inspection Unit] An adjustment inspection unit 200, which is an example of the image reading device shown in Fig. 2, is disposed downstream of the image forming apparatus 1. The adjustment inspection unit 200 is disposed downstream of the image forming apparatus 1 in the conveying direction of the sheet S. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the adjustment inspection unit 200. The adjustment inspection unit 200 has a first conveying roller 201 that receives the sheet S conveyed from an upstream device and conveys it, an adjustment inspection section 400 that reads the image printed on the sheet S and performs an adjustment inspection, and a second conveying roller 205 that conveys the sheet S to a downstream device.

[0026] [Adjustment and Inspection Department] The structure of the adjustment inspection unit 400 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. The adjustment inspection unit 400 is a section that has the functions of measuring the shape of the sheet S and the shape and positional relationship of the image pattern printed on the sheet S, providing feedback to the image forming apparatus 1, and detecting abnormalities in the image information printed on the sheet S. A contact image sensor (hereinafter, CIS) is used as a reading sensor unit for acquiring image information.

[0027] The adjustment inspection unit 400 includes pairs of conveying rollers 202, 203, and 204 for reading at a stable conveying speed. The first conveying roller 201, the pairs of conveying rollers 202, 203, and 204, and the second conveying roller 205 are an example of a conveying unit 210 that conveys the sheet S along the conveying path. Since it is necessary to read the measurement test patterns formed on the front and back sides of the sheet S almost simultaneously, a first-side reading unit 901 and a second-side reading unit 902 are disposed opposite to the sheet path. The first-side reading unit 901 includes a CIS 401, a reading glass 403 for stabilizing the position of the CIS 401 in the focal depth direction, and a housing 407. The reading glass 403 is also a conveying guide member that forms part of the conveying path, and is made of glass and is an example of a transparent member. The housing 407 is an example of a case, to which the reading glass 403 is attached, and has a bottom plate portion 407 a which faces the reading glass 403 .

[0028] The CIS 401 housed in the housing 407 reads an image of the sheet S through a reading glass 403. Similarly, the second-side reading unit 902 has a CIS 402, a reading glass 404 which also serves as a transport guide member, and a CIS frame 408. Also, a black backing roller 405 is disposed opposite the first-side reading unit 901 to clarify the contrast with the edge of the sheet during reading, and a backing roller 406 is disposed opposite the second-side reading unit 902.

[0029] [Front and back registration feedback configuration] Next, the measurement at the time of front and back registration by the adjustment inspection unit 400 and the feedback of the measurement results will be described. Fig. 5 is an example of a paper library screen 1001 displayed on the operation unit 180. When the image forming apparatus 1 receives a request from a print position adjustment button 1002 in the paper library screen 1001 by operating the operation unit 180, it starts outputting a front test pattern 802 and a back test pattern 803 (see Fig. 6) for front and back registration. In the adjustment inspection unit 400, the sheet S on which the front test pattern 802 and the back test pattern 803 are formed is continuously read by the CIS 401, 402 while being fed by the conveyance roller pairs 202, 203, 204, and a measurement is made from the detected image.

[0030] The detection coordinates (X 01 ,Y 01 )~(X 31 ,Y 31 ) and the detection coordinates (X 41 ,Y 41 )~(X 71 ,Y 71 ) is detected. Based on the detection result, the image processing unit 260 measures the amount of image distortion and the positional deviation from the sheet S, and calculates geometric adjustment parameters (lead position, side position, magnification, perpendicularity, amount of rotation, etc.) that can instruct the image shape correction unit 320 to correct the shape. The geometric adjustment values ​​calculated by the image processing unit 260 are sent to the paper library 800 in the image forming apparatus 1 via the communication unit, and are stored as front surface parameters and back surface parameters in front surface geometric adjustment amounts 804 and back surface geometric adjustment amounts 805 (see FIG. 7).

[0031] As shown in Fig. 7, the paper settings 810 in the paper library 800 obtained in this manner are used when executing a print job using the same paper. This makes it possible to correct the image position and distortion and output a print image in which the front and back print positions have been corrected with high accuracy. The printing of the front test pattern 802 and the back test pattern 803 exemplified in the explanation can be, for example, a test output that is performed as a setup before a print job. Alternatively, it may be a test output that is automatically inserted at a predetermined timing during a print job as a calibration.

[0032] [Inspection process] The flow of the inspection process by the adjustment and inspection section 400 will be described. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a configuration in which the adjustment and inspection unit 200 and a stacking device 601 are connected as a post-processing device. During the inspection process, an image read by the adjustment and inspection section 400 is sent as a signal to the external PC 350, and compared with pre-registered images and registered data to detect stains and printing errors. When the sheet is inspected and determined to be a correct image without printing errors, the sheet is conveyed along a conveying path 612 by conveying roller pairs 610 and 611 and stacked on a first stacking section 613. Alternatively, a sheet detected as a printing error is switched to a conveying path 615 by a switching section 614, and stacked on a second stacking section 618 by conveying roller pairs 616 and 617. The above flow makes it possible to automatically sort and stack defective printed matter. Alternatively, it is also possible to have the adjustment and inspection unit 400 read the images, perform an inspection process, leave only a data log of printing errors, and stack all the printed matter on the first stack unit 613.

[0033] [Reading section] The CIS 401 is movable between a reading position, which is a first position for reading an image on a sheet, and a shading position, which is a second position for performing shading. In this embodiment, a black backing roller 405 is disposed at a position facing the first side reading unit 901, and a black backing roller 406 is disposed at a position facing the second side reading unit 902 (see FIG. 4). In other words, the backing rollers 405 and 406 are an example of opposing members, and are disposed at positions facing the CIS 401, which is located at the reading position, via the reading glass 403.

[0034] FIG. 9(a) is a cross-sectional view of the first-side reading unit 901 showing a state in which the CIS 401 has moved to the reading position. The first-side reading unit 901 has a reading glass 403, a housing 407, a CIS 401, and a carriage 418. The carriage 418 is an example of a support member that supports the CIS 401. The carriage 418 is movable in a first direction D1 along the reading surface of the reading glass 403 and a second direction D2 opposite to the first direction D1. That is, the carriage 418 is movable in the first direction D1 and the second direction D2 along the reading glass 403. Here, the reading surface is the upper surface of the reading glass 403 in FIG. 9(a) (the surface opposite to the CIS 401) and is the surface of the reading glass 403 that comes into contact with the sheet.

[0035] The CIS 401 is a known contact image sensor. A light emitting unit 411a having a light source irradiates light toward the sheet S, and a rod lens array or the like collects reflected light from the sheet S on a line of light receiving units 411b. That is, the CIS 401 is an example of a reading unit, and has a light receiving unit 411b which is an example of a reading sensor that reads an image of a sheet conveyed on a conveying path through a reading glass 403, and is housed in a housing 407 case. Then, in the CIS control board 450, the reflected light collected by the light receiving unit 411b is photoelectrically converted, amplified by an amplifier (not shown), and converted into a digital signal by an AD converter (not shown) to generate image data. Furthermore, the image data is transmitted via a connector 412. The CIS 401 has an abutting unit 455 that abuts against the reading glass 403 in order to keep the distance from the reading glass 403 constant.

[0036] The CIS 401 is connected to a relay board 413 fixed to the outside of the housing 407 by a first FFC 414 (flexible flat cable) and a second FFC 415 for communication (see FIG. 11). The first FFC 414 and the second FFC 415 are examples of a flexible flat cable. In recent years, as the CIS 401 has become larger and communication speed has increased, two FFCs are often provided. The first FFC 414 and the second FFC 415 are shielded cables that are used in accordance with the increase in size and communication speed of the CIS 401. The stiffness of the first FFC 414 is higher than that of an unshielded cable by the thickness of the shield. The shape of the first FFC 414 will be illustrated and described below in FIG. 9 and the like, but the same is true for the second FFC 415.

[0037] Here, since the CIS 401 emits and receives light toward the reading glass 403, the CIS control board 450 is generally provided on the opposite side to the reading glass 403. For this reason, the connector 412 that connects the first FFC 414 is often provided on the back side of the CIS control board 450 (see FIG. 1 of Patent Document 1). Also, the end of the first FFC 414 opposite to the end connected to the CIS control board 450 may be provided so as to crawl along the bottom surface of the housing 407 and connected to the relay board 413. In this case, the first FFC 414 is curved and connected between the bottom surface of the housing 407 and the CIS control board 450 close to the bottom surface, so the radius of the curved portion becomes small. When the radius of the curved portion becomes small, a larger stress is applied to the curved portion, making it more likely to cause defects such as breakage and wear. Therefore, in this embodiment, the radius of the curved portion is secured to be large to suppress defects such as breakage and wear of the first FFC 414.

[0038] The configuration of this embodiment will be specifically described below. For the sake of explanation, the up-down direction of the first-side reading unit 901 in the drawings in Figs. 9 to 14 will be described as the up-down direction, but this does not necessarily coincide with the up-down direction of the actual first-side reading unit 901.

[0039] The first FFC 414 has a first end 414a and a second end 414b different from the first end 414a. The first end 414a is connected to a connector 412 which is a connection part provided in the CIS 401. In this embodiment, the connector 412 is disposed on the outer wall surface 401a of the CIS 401 on the opposite side (lower side) from the reading glass 403. The second end 414b is connected to a connector 459 which is a connection part provided in the relay board 413. The relay board 413 is an example of a board, and transmits and relays image data from the CIS 401 to the control board 250 of the adjustment inspection unit 200.

[0040] The first FFC 414 is routed from the connector 412 on the CIS control board 450, and is arranged along the CIS control board 450 (first straight section 451), and is bent and deflected in a direction approaching the reading glass 403 (second straight section 452). It is further bent and deflected substantially horizontally near the reading glass 403 (third straight section 453), is held horizontally by the holder 454, and is released to the outside of the carriage 418. It is then inverted inside the housing 407 (curved section 434), is routed along the bottom surface of the housing 407 (extended section 435), is folded back toward the outside of the housing 407, and is connected to a connector 459 on the relay board 413. The curved section 434 and the extended section 435 are portions that are expressed with respect to the shape of the first FFC 414, and move with the movement of the CIS 401, and do not mean fixed positions in the first FFC 414. Further, the first straight line portion 451, the second straight line portion 452, and the third straight line portion 453 are not limited to being exactly straight lines, but may also be approximately straight lines that are slightly curved from an exact straight line.

[0041] That is, the first FFC 414 is disposed such that the second end 414b is located closer to the bottom plate portion 407a than the carriage 418, and extends from the carriage 418 in the first direction D1, curves, and turns back toward the second direction D2 toward the second end 414b. The first FFC 414 also has a first bent portion 414c bent from the first straight portion 451 toward the reading glass 403, and a second bent portion 414d bent from the second straight portion 452 toward the holder 454. The first straight portion 451 extends linearly from the first end 414a along the outer wall surface 401a of the CIS 401. The second straight portion 452 extends linearly from the first bent portion 414c toward the reading glass 403. The third straight portion 453 extends linearly from the second bent portion 414d toward the holder 454. As a result, in this embodiment, the first straight portion 451, the second straight portion 452, and the third straight portion 453 are arranged in a substantial Z shape when viewed from the sheet width direction perpendicular to the first direction D1.

[0042] The holder 454 is provided on an upper portion of a wall portion on the first direction D1 side of the carriage 418. The holder 454 is an example of a passing portion, and allows the first FFC 414 to pass through it so as to head in the first direction D1. The holder 454 is disposed on the side of the reading glass 403 (above) relative to the connector 412.

[0043] The holder 454 is made of a ferrite core. The holder 454 is made of a magnetic material and has a substantially rectangular through hole through which the first FFC 414 can pass, and serves as a noise filter, holding the first FFC 414 horizontally by passing it through the hole. That is, the holder 454 is made of a magnetic material having a noise filter function, and has a hole shape that penetrates along the first direction D1 and allows the first FFC 414 to pass through. In this embodiment, the first FFC 414 is not fixed in all directions by the holder 454, but is freely movable at least in the first direction D1 and the second direction D2.

[0044] In this embodiment, the bottom plate portion 407a of the housing 407 has a through hole 407b arranged so that the first FFC 414 passes through it. Because the bottom plate portion 407a is a metal plate, the through hole 407b is provided with, for example, an edge cover made of resin that covers the edge of the through hole 407b. This makes it possible to prevent the first FFC 414 from coming into direct contact with the edge of the through hole 407b, causing wear or generating noise.

[0045] The carriage 418 holding the CIS 401 repeatedly moves back and forth for shading, and the periphery of the curved portion 434 also moves accordingly. In any position, the radius R of the curved portion 434 is formed to be as large as possible within the range of the height region H (see FIG. 9(b)) inside the housing 407, so that the stress generated in the curved portion 434 can be minimized. By minimizing the stress, breakage of the curved portion 434 can be suppressed.

[0046] Also, by increasing the radius R of the curved portion 434, the reaction force of the curved portion 434 trying to restore itself can be minimized, and therefore wear due to rubbing at the contact portion of the curved portion 434 can be prevented. Furthermore, by holding the third straight portion 453 horizontally by the holder 454, contact with the reading glass 403 can be suppressed. This makes it possible to suppress the occurrence of image defects such as image streaks caused by floating dust and the like inside the housing 407 adhering and remaining at the reading position of the reading glass 403.

[0047] FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional view of the first-side reading unit 901 showing a state in which the CIS 401 has moved to the shading position. In order to perform shading correction, the CIS 401 moves to the shading position in the upstream direction. Here, the light source and rod lens array of the CIS 401 have uneven light quantities, and the light receiving unit 411b has uneven sensitivity, so that it may not be possible to perform uniform image reading. Therefore, in order to enable uniform image reading, a white reference plate 416 with a controlled color tone is placed over the entire surface, and the image data obtained from the output value of the CIS 401 is corrected for the image of the sheet S using the output value (data) when read by the CIS 401. This is shading correction. That is, the white reference plate 416 is placed at a position facing the CIS 401 located at the shading position via the reading glass 403, and is used for shading the CIS 401.

[0048] Shading correction is generally performed after optimizing the amount of light emitted from the light source that illuminates the sheet S and optimizing the amplification factor (gain) when amplifying the image signal output of the CIS 401. A series of corrections, including adjustments of the amount of light emitted and the gain, for the CIS 401 to uniformly read the image of the sheet S is called shading correction. The white reference plate 416 is provided on the surface of the reading glass 403 by a method such as printing, painting, or gluing or attaching with tape. Furthermore, a sheet guide member 417 is arranged so as to cover the white reference plate 416. The sheet guide member 417 is arranged on the conveying path side of the white reference plate 416, and guides the sheet conveyed by the conveying unit 210 (see FIG. 4) to between the backing roller 405 and the reading glass 403. Shading correction may be performed multiple times at a predetermined timing even during a job. The curved portion 434 moves while maintaining the bent radius R as shown in FIG. 9(b) in accordance with the movement of the CIS 401 during shading correction.

[0049] FIG. 10(a) is a cross-sectional view of the first-side reading unit 901 showing the state in which the CIS 401 has moved to the reading position, similar to FIG. 9(a), but shows the arrangement of the spring 456 to explain the attitude of the CIS 401. As shown in FIG. 11, the spring 456 is provided on both ends of the CIS 401 in the main scanning direction. The reaction force of the spring 456 is received by a receiving portion 457 formed on the CIS 401, and the CIS 401 is urged toward the reading glass 403, and the abutting portion 455 ensures the distance between the CIS 401 and the reading glass 403, i.e., the focal length of the CIS 401. Even if the carriage 418 moves, the CIS 401 follows the reading glass 403 due to the urging force of the spring 456, ensuring the distance between the CIS 401 and the reading glass 403, and enabling highly accurate focusing. That is, the spring 456 is an example of a biasing portion, which is provided between the CIS 401 and the carriage 418 and biases the CIS 401 toward the reading glass 403 so that the CIS 401 abuts against the reading glass 403 .

[0050] 10(b) and (c) show the posture of the CIS 401 when the reading glass 403 is removed for the sake of explanation. In this embodiment, the first straight portion 451, the second straight portion 452, and the third straight portion 453 are arranged in a substantially Z-shape. As a result, even if the CIS 401 is raised or lowered against the reaction force of the spring 456, the Z-shape of the first FFC 414 absorbs the movement, and the first FFC 414 does not affect the posture of the CIS 410, and the CIS 401 is kept horizontal. Therefore, the abutting portion 455 is prevented from tilting, the ability of the CIS 401 to follow the reading glass 403 is improved, and the distance between the CIS 401 and the reading glass 403 is guaranteed.

[0051] Fig. 11 is a side view seen from the conveying direction of the sheet S, and Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the shading drive unit. A carriage 418 that holds the CIS 401 is held by a slide guide shaft 419 so as to be axially slidable. A sensor flag 420 for detecting the position of the carriage 418 is provided on a part of the carriage 418, and a photosensor 421 detects the transmission and blocking of light of the sensor flag 420 accompanying the movement of the carriage 418. The stopping position of the carriage 418 is controlled based on the detection timing of the photosensor 421.

[0052] A belt holder 422 is provided on the carriage 418, which holds and fixes a part of a timing belt 423. The timing belt 423 is wound around a timing gear pulley 424 to transmit the driving force, and tension is applied by an idler pulley 425. The gear of the timing gear pulley 424 is driven by a motor gear 427 that transmits the driving force from a motor 426, which is a driving source. Therefore, the CIS 401 slides when driven by the motor 426, and the stop position is controlled by the photosensor 421, so that the CIS 401 can be driven and stopped reciprocally between the reading position and the shading position. As shown in FIG. 11, the first FFC 414 and the second FFC 415 are disposed on both ends in the main scanning direction, and are held through holes in the holder 454.

[0053] (Comparative Example) 13(a) and (b) show cross-sectional views of a CIS 601 with an FFC 614 laid out as a comparative example. In this comparative example, a holder 654 that holds the FFC 614 in the horizontal direction is provided on the lower part of the carriage 619, not on the upper part. In this case, since the FFC 614 inside the carriage 619 is not in the Z-shape described in the above embodiment, the FFC 614 is disposed in a space in approximately the lower half of the housing 607, and the radius R of the curved portion 634 becomes smaller. In contrast, the radius R of the curved portion 434 of the first FFC 414 of this embodiment is large, so that the occurrence of breakage and wear can be suppressed.

[0054] 14(a) and 14(b), since the FFC 614 inside the carriage 619 is not in the Z shape described in the above embodiment, the FFC 614 may pull the CIS 601 to one side. This may cause the CIS 601 to tilt when biased by the spring 656, reducing the ability of the CIS 601 to follow the reading glass and reducing the focusing accuracy of the CIS 601. In contrast, since the first FFC 414 in this embodiment has a Z shape inside the carriage 418, the ability of the CIS 601 to follow the reading glass is improved, and the focusing accuracy of the CIS 601 can be improved.

[0055] As described above, according to the adjustment inspection unit 200 of the present embodiment, the holder 454 is provided on the upper part of the wall part on the first direction D1 side of the carriage 418, and is disposed on the side (upper side) of the reading glass 403 than the connector 412. The first FFC 414 extending in the first direction D1 from the connector 412 provided on the outer wall surface 401a on the bottom side of the CIS 401 ascends toward the reading glass 403 along the side surface of the CIS 401, and exits from the carriage 418 in the first direction D1 at the height of the holder 454. Then, the first FFC 414 is disposed curved toward the bottom plate part 407a. This allows the radius of the curved part 434 to be increased, so that the occurrence of breakage or wear of the first FFC 414 due to the movement of the CIS 401 can be suppressed.

[0056] Furthermore, according to the adjustment and inspection unit 200 of this embodiment, the first FFC 414 has a first straight portion 451, a first bent portion 414c, a second straight portion 452, a second bent portion 414d, and a third straight portion 453 between the CIS 401 and the carriage 418, and is generally Z-shaped. This makes it possible to reduce the reaction force received from the first FFC 414 when the CIS 401 moves up and down or tilts in response to the reading glass 403. This makes it possible to improve the positional accuracy of the CIS 401 with respect to the reading glass 403, and therefore the focusing accuracy.

[0057] Furthermore, according to the adjustment and inspection unit 200 of the present embodiment, since the holder 454 is made of a ferrite core, generation of noise in the first FFC 414 can be suppressed.

[0058] In the above embodiment, the first FFC 414 is described as being substantially Z-shaped between the CIS 401 and the carriage 418, but is not limited thereto. For example, the first FFC 414 may be substantially S-shaped by curving the straight line portion without providing a straight line portion or a bent portion in which the straight line portion is bent at a right angle or an acute angle. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the first-side reading unit 901 showing a state in which the CIS 701 has moved to the reading position. As shown in FIG. 15, the first FFC 714 has a straight line portion 751 extending in the first direction D1 from the connector 712 provided on the outer surface of the CIS 701, and a first arc portion 752 ascending from the straight line portion 751 toward the reading glass 703 and curved in the second direction D2. The first FFC 714 has a second arcuate portion 753 that ascends from the first arcuate portion 752 toward the reading glass 703 and curves toward the first direction D1, and continues from the second arcuate portion 753 through the holder 754 to the curved portion 734. In this case as well, it is possible to reduce the reaction force received from the first FFC 714 when the CIS 701 moves up and down or tilts in response to the reading glass 703.

[0059] In the above embodiment, the first FFC 414 is not fixed in all directions by the holder 454, and is freely movable at least in the first direction D1 and the second direction D2, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the first FFC 414 may be fixed in the first direction D1 and the second direction D2. In addition, the holder 454 has a hole shape that allows the first FFC 414 to pass through, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the first FFC 414 may be supported by a chamfered edge instead of a hole.

[0060] In the above embodiment, the relay board 413 is provided outside the housing 407 . However, the present invention is not limited to this and the relay board 413 may be provided inside the housing 407 .

[0061] <Second embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 16. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that an image reading device is applied to a document reading device. However, other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, so the same reference numerals are used and detailed description is omitted.

[0062] In this embodiment, the image reading device is applied to a document reading unit 190 for fixed reading. As shown in FIG. 3, the document reading unit 190 is connected to the image forming apparatus 1. The structure of the document reading unit 190 will be described with reference to FIGS. 16(a) and 16(b). FIG. 16(a) shows a state in which the CIS 501 is located at a reference position, and FIG. 16(b) shows a state in which the CIS 501 is located at a maximum movement position. In this document reading unit 190, a document table glass 503 (transparent member) for stacking the document D is provided in order to read the image of the sheet-like document D. As shown in FIGS. 16(a) and 16(b), the CIS 501 provided in the frame reads the image of the document D while moving from the left to the right in the figure. That is, the CIS 501 performs fixed reading, which reads the image of the document D placed on the reading surface while moving along the reading surface, which is the upper surface of the document table glass 503.

[0063] A carriage 518 (support member) that holds the CIS 501 is held slidably in the axial direction with a slide guide shaft 519 as a reference, and is driven and stopped by a carriage motor 526 (see FIG. 3) and an HP sensor 521 (see FIG. 3). Image signals are transmitted to the relay board 513 via an FFC 514 (flat cable) connected to a connector 550 of the CIS 501. A shielded cable is used for the FFC 514 in response to the increase in size of the CIS 501 and the improvement in communication speed. The stiffness of the FFC 514 is higher than that of an unshielded cable by the thickness of the shield. The relay board 513 is a board that relays image signals from the CIS 501 to a control unit 560 (see FIG. 3) of the document reading unit 190, and is fixed in a position that does not interfere with the moving carriage 518.

[0064] The route of the FFC 514 is as follows. The FFC 514 is connected to a connector 550 of the CIS control board and has a first straight portion 551 arranged along the CIS control board, and a second straight portion 452 bent and deflected in a direction approaching the platen glass 503. The FFC 514 further has a third straight portion 453 bent substantially horizontally near the reading glass 403 and deflected in a first direction D1, is held horizontally by a holder 554, and is discharged to the outside of the carriage 518. The FFC 514 further has a curved portion 534 curved inside the frame and inverted in a second direction D2, and is connected to the relay board 513 by running along the bottom surface of the frame.

[0065] In the document reading unit 190 of this embodiment, the holder 554 is also provided on the upper part of the wall part on the first direction D1 side of the carriage 518, and is disposed on the side (upper side) of the document table glass 503 than the connector 550. As a result, the FFC 514 extending in the first direction D1 from the connector 550 provided on the outer wall surface on the bottom side of the CIS 501 ascends to the document table glass 503 side along the side surface of the CIS 501, and exits from the carriage 518 in the first direction D1 at the height of the holder 554. Then, the holder 554 is disposed curved toward the bottom plate part. As a result, the radius of the curved part 534 can be increased, so that the occurrence of disconnection and wear of the FFC 514 due to the movement of the CIS 501 can be suppressed.

[0066] In the above-described second embodiment, the document reading device is described as being applied to a document reading unit 190 for fixed reading, but the present invention is not limited to this and may be applied to an image reading device such as an ADF that transports and automatically reads a document. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 1...image forming apparatus, 100...image forming system, 102...image forming section, 190...original reading unit (image reading device), 200...adjustment inspection unit (image reading device), 210...conveying section, 401, 501...CIS (reading unit), 401a...outer wall surface, 403...reading glass (transparent member), 405, 406...backing roller (opposing member), 407...casing (case), 407a...bottom plate portion (opposing portion), 407b...through hole, 411b...light receiving section (reading sensor), 412...connector (connection portion), 413...relay board (board), 4 14...first FFC (flat cable), 414a...first end, 414b...second end, 414c...first bent portion, 414d...second bent portion, 415...second FFC (flat cable), 416...white reference plate, 417...sheet guide member, 418, 518...carriage (support member), 451, 551...first straight portion, 452, 552...second straight portion, 453, 553...third straight portion, 454, 554...holder (passing portion), 456...spring (urging portion), 503...original table glass (transparent member), 514...FFC (flat cable)

Claims

1. A conveying unit that conveys the sheet along a conveying path; A transparent member forming a part of the transport path; a case to which the transparent member is attached and which has a facing portion facing the transparent member; a reading unit that includes a reading sensor that reads an image on a sheet conveyed through the conveying path through the transparent member and is accommodated in the case; a support member that is movable in a first direction along the transparent member and in a second direction opposite to the first direction and that supports the reading unit; a flat cable having a first end connected to a connection portion provided on the reading unit, a second end different from the first end being disposed on the opposing portion side of the support member, and disposed so as to extend from the support member in the first direction, curve, and then turn back toward a second direction opposite to the first direction and extend toward the second end, the support member has a passage portion through which the flat cable passes in the first direction and is disposed closer to the transparent member than the connection portion.

1. An image reading apparatus comprising:

2. the connection portion is disposed on an outer wall surface of the reading unit opposite to the transparent member; 2. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image reading apparatus comprises:

3. the flat cable has a first straight portion extending linearly from the first end portion along the outer wall surface, a first bent portion bent from the first straight portion toward the transparent member, a second straight portion extending linearly from the first bent portion toward the transparent member, a second bent portion bent from the second straight portion toward the passing portion, and a third straight portion extending linearly from the second bent portion toward the passing portion.

3. The image reading apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the image reading apparatus comprises:

4. the passage portion has a hole shape formed to penetrate in the first direction and pass the flat cable through.

2. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image reading apparatus comprises:

5. The passing portion is formed of a magnetic material having a noise filtering function.

5. The image reading apparatus according to claim 4,

6. a biasing portion provided between the reading unit and the support member and biasing the reading unit toward the transparent member to cause the reading unit to abut against the transparent member; 2. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image reading apparatus comprises:

7. a substrate provided outside the case and to which the second end of the flat cable is connected; The facing portion of the case has a through hole arranged so that the flat cable passes through the through hole.

2. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image reading apparatus comprises:

8. the reading unit is movable between a first position for reading an image on a sheet and a second position for performing shading; an opposing member disposed at a position opposing the reading unit located at the first position with the transparent member interposed therebetween; a white reference plate that is disposed at a position facing the reading unit located at the second position with the transparent member interposed therebetween and is used for shading the reading unit; a sheet guide member that is disposed on the conveying path side of the white reference plate and that guides the sheet conveyed by the conveying unit to a position between the opposing member and the transparent member; 2. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image reading apparatus comprises:

9. the reading unit performs fixed reading to read an image of a document placed on an upper surface of the transparent member while moving along the transparent member; 2. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image reading apparatus comprises:

10. an image forming apparatus having an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet; and the image reading device according to claim 1 that reads an image on a sheet on which an image has been formed in the image forming unit.

1. An image forming system comprising:

Images