Image reading device and image forming system

Abstract

To suppress noise generated in flat cables.SOLUTION: An image reading device includes: a conveying unit that conveys a sheet along a conveyance path; a reading glass forming a part of the conveyance path; a housing 407 that supports the reading glass and has conductivity; a reading unit that has a reading sensor reading an image of the sheet conveyed on the conveyance path through the reading glass, that is accommodated in the housing 407, and that is movable along the reading glass; a relay substrate 413 that is attached to the housing 407 and that has a connector 432; a first FFC 414 that has a shielded surface 414s with a shield member and a non-shielded surface 414n with no shield member; and a resin air duct 456 that is installed in an installation section 472b in the housing 407, air being circulated in the air duct. The air duct 456 is arranged so as to be interposed between the installation section 472b and the non-shielded surface 414n of the first FFC 414.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, there is known an image reading device that is connected to an image forming device and reads an image of a sheet on which an image is formed by the image forming device. In such an image reading device, a configuration has been proposed in which a carriage supporting an image sensor is moved in order to correct shading of the image sensor (see Patent Document 1). For this reason, a flexible flat cable is often used as a communication cable. Due to the recent increase in size of image sensors and the increase in reading speed, the communication speed of flat cables has also increased, and accordingly, noise countermeasures for flat cables are also required. As a noise countermeasure for flat cables, a shielding member may be provided on the surface, but providing a shielding member on both sides of the flat cable increases the rigidity, which results in a load on the shading operation. For this reason, a shielding member may be provided only on one side of the flat cable. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-190991 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the image reading device described in Patent Document 1, if the unshielded surface of the flat cable comes into contact with a metal member such as a case, noise can be generated between the shielding member and the metal member, causing communication to become unstable and resulting in image reading errors.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to provide an image reading device and an image forming system capable of suppressing noise generation in a flat cable. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] 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 that supports the transparent member and is conductive; a reading unit that has a reading sensor that reads an image of a sheet transported along the transport path through the transparent member, the reading unit being housed in the case and movable along the transparent member and having a first connection portion; a substrate that is attached to the case and has a second connection portion, a flat cable that has a first end connected to the first connection portion and a second end connected to the second connection portion, is flexible and has a shielded surface on which a shielding member is provided and a non-shielded surface on which the shielding member is not provided; and a plastic air duct that is installed in an installation portion of the case and allows air to flow, wherein the air duct is arranged so as to be interposed between the non-shielded surface of the flat cable and the installation portion of the case.

[0007] 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 above-mentioned image reading device that reads an image on the sheet on which an image has been formed in the image forming unit. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the generation of noise in a flat cable. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an image forming system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control system of the image forming apparatus system according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3]FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an adjustment and inspection unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an adjustment and inspection unit according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a paper library screen according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing test patterns according to an embodiment, in which (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 embodiment; [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the loading device according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the first-sheet reading unit according to the embodiment is viewed from a sheet width direction. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a first-sheet reading unit according to the embodiment, as viewed from a sheet conveying direction. [Figure 11] 11 is a bottom view showing a state in which a bottom plate showing the first-sheet reading unit according to the embodiment has been removed. FIG. [Figure 12] 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a first-sheet reading unit according to a modified example, as viewed from a sheet conveying direction. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a first-sheet reading unit according to another modified example, as viewed from the sheet conveying direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 11. 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.

[0011] [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.

[0012] 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.

[0013] 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.

[0014] 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.

[0015] 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.

[0016] 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.

[0017] 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.

[0018] 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 the opposite characteristics to 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 (sheet conveying 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.

[0019] 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.

[0020] 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.

[0021] 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.

[0022] 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.

[0023] 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.

[0024] [Adjustment and Inspection Unit] An adjustment inspection unit 200, which is an example of an image reading device, is disposed downstream of the image forming apparatus 1, as shown in Fig. 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.

[0025] [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.

[0026] 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.

[0027] The housing 407 is an example of a case, supports the reading glass 403, is made of metal, and is conductive. The housing 407 has a bottom plate 471 provided on the side opposite the reading glass 403, and a middle plate 472 as an opposing part provided between the reading glass 403 and the bottom plate 471 and facing the reading glass 403. The housing 407 has an internal space divided by the middle plate 472, and has a first space S1 between the reading glass 403 and the middle plate 472, and a second space S2 between the middle plate 472 and the bottom plate 471.

[0028] The CIS 401 housed in the first space S1 of 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] Next, the configuration of the first-side reading unit 901 will be outlined. FIG. 9 is a diagram for convenience, and the position of the first FFC 414 (flexible flat cable) may be shown in a schematic manner. FIG. 9 shows a state in which the sheet S is conveyed to the first-side reading unit 901. The first-side reading unit 901 has a reading glass 403, a housing 407, and a CIS 401. The sheet S is conveyed in a sheet conveying direction D from the right side to the left side in the drawing. The sheet S is conveyed by a pair of conveying rollers 202 and is guided to a reading surface, which is the upper surface of the transparent reading glass 403. The CIS 401 can move along the reading glass 403 between a reading position, which is a first position for reading an image of the sheet, and a shading position, which is a second position for performing shading, and FIG. 9 shows the CIS 401 positioned at the reading position. The sheet S passes through the reading position of the reading glass 403 and is conveyed by the conveying rollers 203 on the downstream side.

[0034] The CIS 401 is a well-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, 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. Thereafter, in the 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.

[0035] The CIS 401 is provided with a connector 431, which is an example of a first connection portion, and a connector 433, which is an example of a third connection portion (see FIG. 11). A first FFC 414 is connected to the connector 431, and a second FFC 415 is connected to the connector 433 (see FIG. 11). The CIS 401 is connected to a relay board 413 fixed to the back side of the middle plate 407b by the first FFC 414 and the second FFC 415 for communication. The relay board 413 is, for example, a board capable of executing image processing. The relay board 413 is further connected to a control board 250 (see FIG. 2) provided in the adjustment and inspection unit 200, and image data is transmitted and processed. In this embodiment, the surface of the middle plate 472 opposite to the reading glass 403 is set as a mounting surface 472a as an outer surface. That is, in this embodiment, the outer surface is a surface exposed to the outside with respect to the first space S1 in which the CIS 401 is accommodated. Furthermore, relay board 413 and air duct 456, which will be described later, are attached to mounting surface 472a. Mounting surface 472a is not limited to a flush surface, but includes an uneven shape to which relay board 413 and air duct 456 can be attached.

[0036] Relay board 413 is provided in front of first-side reading unit 901 (see FIG. 10). By arranging relay board 413 in front of adjustment / inspection unit 400, it becomes easier to process the bundled wires. Relay board 413 is an example of a board, and has connector 432 as a second connection part to which first FFC 414 is connected, and connector 434 as a fourth connection part to which second FFC 415 is connected (see FIG. 11).

[0037] In this embodiment, the first-side reading unit 901 applies a sheet flow reading method in which the image of the sheet S is read while the sheet S is transported at a constant speed on the reading glass 403 above the CIS 401 fixed at the reading position. In addition, a backing roller 405 is arranged at the reading position to reduce the vibration and fluttering of the sheet S during transportation. The backing roller 405 rotates at a peripheral speed substantially the same as the speed of the sheet S to guide the sheet S. The outer periphery of the backing roller 405 is black in order to increase the contrast so that the end of the sheet S can be easily recognized in the read image. Similarly, a black backing roller 406 is arranged at a position facing the second-side reading unit 902 (see FIG. 4). That is, the backing rollers 405 and 406 are an example of a facing member, and are arranged at a position facing the CIS 401 located at the reading position via the reading glass 403.

[0038] A gap assurance abutment roller 409 is disposed at the axial end of the backing roller 405 in order to guarantee a gap for the sheet S to enter by contacting the reading glass 403. The gap is the thickness of the conveyed sheet S plus a margin. The margin and gap are set so that the sheet S will be within a readable range even if it flutters.

[0039] The internal configuration of the first side reading unit 901 will be described below with reference to Figs. 10 and 11. In this embodiment, the first side reading unit 901 and the second side reading unit 902 are units of approximately the same shape arranged upside down, so the first side reading unit 901 will be described and a description of the second side reading unit 902 will be omitted. For the sake of explanation, the up-down direction of the first side reading unit 901 on the drawing in Fig. 10 will be described as the up-down direction of the first side reading unit 901, but this does not necessarily coincide with the up-down direction of the actual first side reading unit 901. Also, for the sake of explanation, the direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction D (see Fig. 11) in which the sheet S on the reading glass 403 is conveyed will be referred to as the sheet width direction W.

[0040] First-side reading unit 901 has, inside housing 407, holder 452, biasing spring 451, a slide shaft (not shown), a drive unit (not shown), air duct 456, and fan 455. Housing 407 holds holder 452, reading glass 403, fan 455, and air duct 456. Housing 407 uses sheet metal members to increase its rigidity in order to reduce bending due to its own weight.

[0041] The slide shaft is supported by the housing 407 along the sheet conveying direction. The holder 452 is supported by the slide shaft so as to be slidable in the sheet conveying direction. The drive unit slides the holder 452 relative to the slide shaft. The holder 452 holds the CIS 401 via a biasing spring 451. The biasing springs 451 are disposed at both ends of the CIS 401 in the sheet width direction W, and bias the CIS 401 toward the reading glass 403. The reaction force of the biasing spring 451 is received by a receiving portion 457 formed on the CIS 401, and the biasing spring 451 biases the CIS 401 toward the reading glass 403, and the abutting portion 458 guarantees the distance between the CIS 401 and the reading glass 403, i.e., the focal length of the CIS 401. As a result, even if the holder 452 moves, the CIS 401 follows the reading glass 403 due to the biasing force of the biasing spring 451, ensuring the distance between the CIS 401 and the reading glass 403 and enabling highly accurate focusing.

[0042] The CIS 401 used is capable of reading images over the entire area of ​​the maximum paper passable size in the sheet width direction W. For example, the entire area of ​​a 13-inch wide sheet can be read. The CIS 401 is equipped with a control board 450 on the opposite side of the image reading element, i.e., on the bottom side. The control board 450 is equipped with multiple heat-generating components, such as an AFE (Analog Front End), which is an analog circuit that connects a signal detection device and a digital signal processing device.

[0043] The first FFC 414 is an example of a flat cable and a first flat cable having flexibility, and the second FFC 415 is an example of a second flat cable having potential. In recent years, with the increase in size of the CIS 401 and the improvement in communication speed, two FFCs are often provided for one CIS. The first FFC 414 and the second FFC 415 adopt a shielded cable to suppress noise accompanying high-speed communication. The cable has a higher rigidity than an unshielded cable by the thickness of the shield. That is, the first FFC 414 has a shield surface 414s provided with a shielding member and a non-shielded surface 414n without a shielding member. Similarly, the second FFC 415 has a shield surface 415s provided with a shielding member and a non-shielded surface 415n without a shielding member. Although the first FFC 414 and the second FFC 415 can obtain a noise suppression effect even if shielding members are provided on both sides, the cable has a high rigidity and interferes with shading operation, so a one-sided shield configuration is used.

[0044] 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 431 provided in the CIS 401. The second end 414b is connected to a connector 432 provided in the relay substrate 413. The second FFC 415 has a third end 415a and a fourth end 415b different from the third end 415a. The third end 415a is connected to a connector 433 provided in the CIS 401. The fourth end 415b is connected to a connector 434 provided in the relay substrate 413.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 9, 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 of the reading glass 403. Therefore, the connector 431 and the connector 433 are often provided on the back side of the CIS control board 450. The second end 414b side of the first FFC 414 is provided so as to crawl along the middle plate 407b. The middle plate 407b is provided with a first through hole 441, which is an example of a through hole that communicates the first space S1 and the second space S2. That is, the first through hole 441 is a hole through which the first FFC 414 penetrates the housing 407 on the mounting surface 472a. The first FFC 414 passes through the first through hole 441 and is disposed on the back side of the middle plate 407b, and is connected to the relay board 413.

[0046] Similarly, the fourth end 415b side of the second FFC 415 is provided so as to crawl along the middle plate 407b. A second through hole 442 that communicates the first space S1 and the second space S2 is formed in the middle plate 407b. That is, the second through hole 442 is a hole through which the second FFC 415 penetrates the housing 407 on the mounting surface 472a. The second FFC 415 passes through the second through hole 442 and is disposed on the back side of the middle plate 407b, and is connected to the relay board 413.

[0047] In this embodiment, the first FFC 414 and the second FFC 415 are curved and arranged between the middle plate 407b and the CIS control board 450 in the first space S1 inside the housing 407 so that the shield surfaces 414s, 415s face outward.

[0048] Here, since the middle plate 407b is a metal plate, the first through hole 441 and the second through hole 442 are provided with edge covers made of resin that cover the edges of the first through hole 441 and the second through hole 442. This makes it possible to prevent the first FFC 414 and the second FFC 415 from directly contacting the edges of the first through hole 441 and the second through hole 442 and becoming worn or generating noise.

[0049] The relay board 413 is an example of a board, which performs image processing on image data from the CIS 401 and relays the image data to the control board 250 of the adjustment inspection unit 200. Note that, although the present embodiment describes a case where image processing is performed in the relay board 413, the present invention is not limited to this, and the relay board may simply relay the image data without performing image processing.

[0050] The air duct 456 is made of resin and forms a duct through which air flows. In this embodiment, the air duct 456 is installed on the installation portion 472b of the mounting surface 472a of the housing 407. That is, the installation portion 472b is formed on the mounting surface 472a of the housing 407 and is a part of the mounting surface 472a. Since the air duct 456 is made of resin, it is small and can suppress air leakage. The fan 455 is, for example, an axial fan, and is disposed approximately at the center of the middle plate 407b and directly below the control board 450. As a result, air discharged upward from the fan 455 can form a circulating airflow that flows from approximately the center of the control board 450 to both ends, passes through the air duct 456, and is sucked in from the underside of the fan 455. Therefore, the control board 450 can be efficiently cooled and stable reading can be performed.

[0051] To perform shading correction, the CIS 401 moves from the reading position to a shading position upstream in the sheet conveying direction D. 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 controlled color tone is arranged 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 arranged 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.

[0052] 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 bonding or taping. 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.

[0053] [FFC placement] The first FFC 414 and the second FFC 415 are connected to the control board 450 and the relay board 413. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11, the first FFC 414 and the second FFC 415 are routed from the first through hole 441 and the second through hole 442, respectively, to the relay board 413 while being folded back inside the second space S2 of the housing 407. That is, the first FFC 414 and the second FFC 415 are arranged outside the first space S1 of the housing 407 by being folded back so as to be along the mounting surface 472a. Therefore, the front and back of the surfaces of the first FFC 414 and the second FFC 415 facing the middle plate 407b are different depending on the location. As a result, there are locations where the non-shielded surface 414n of the first FFC 414 and the non-shielded surface 415n of the second FFC 415 are highly likely to face and come into contact with the middle plate 407b.

[0054] If the non-shielded surfaces 414n, 415n come into contact with the metallic middle plate 407b, noise may be generated, which may cause communication to become unstable. In response to this, the generation of noise can be suppressed by providing a clearance (space) of, for example, 1 mm or more between the non-shielded surfaces 414n, 415n and the middle plate 407b. In order to provide such a clearance, for example, a resin plate is interposed between the non-shielded surfaces 414n, 415n and the middle plate 407b.

[0055] In this embodiment, the air duct 456 is disposed between the first through hole 441 and the relay board 413 on the mounting surface 472a. The first FFC 414 is provided on the outer surface of the air duct 456. That is, the air duct 456 is disposed so as to be interposed between the non-shielded surface 414n of the first FFC 414 and the installation portion 472b of the mounting surface 472a. Also, the first FFC 414 is disposed so that the non-shielded surface 414n faces the air duct 456 at the installation portion 472b. In this way, by running the first FFC 414 on the outer surface of the air duct 456, it is possible to run the first FFC 414 on the space in which the flow path is reliably formed. That is, it is possible to reliably secure the clearance between the non-shielded surface 414n and the middle plate 407b, and it is possible to perform stable communication. Also, since it is not necessary to use a resin plate material as a gap member in the installation portion 472b, it is possible to reduce the number of parts and to achieve cost reduction.

[0056] In addition, there is a region 472c in the mounting surface 472a other than the installation portion 472b (other than the installation portion), and in which the non-shielded surface 414n of the first FFC 414 is disposed between the first through hole 441 and the installation portion 472b facing the mounting surface 472a. In this embodiment, a resin plate member 473 is attached to the mounting surface 472a so as to cover the region including the region 472c. That is, the plate member 473 is an example of a gap member, and is interposed between the non-shielded surface 414n and the mounting surface 472a. The plate member 473 has a thickness of 1 mm or more, and ensures a clearance between the non-shielded surface 414n located in the region 472c and the middle plate 407b, thereby suppressing the generation of noise. The plate member 473 is provided continuously with the air duct 456 in the sheet width direction W, and extends to the vicinity of the first through hole 441. Therefore, the first FFC 414 faces the plate material 473 over almost the entire area between the first through hole 441 and the air duct 456, and a clearance with the intermediate plate 407b is ensured.

[0057] In addition, there is an area 472d in the mounting surface 472a other than the installation portion 472b, where the non-shield surface 414n of the first FFC 414 is disposed between the relay board 413 and the installation portion 472b and faces the mounting surface 472a. In this embodiment, a resin plate 474 is attached to the mounting surface 472a so as to cover the area including the area 472d. That is, the plate 474 is an example of a gap member and is interposed between the non-shield surface 414n and the mounting surface 472a. The plate 474 has a thickness of 1 mm or more, and ensures a clearance between the non-shield surface 414n located in the area 472d and the middle plate 407b, thereby suppressing the generation of noise. The plate 474 is provided continuously with the air duct 456 in the sheet width direction W, and extends to the vicinity of the relay board 413. Therefore, first FFC 414 faces plate material 474 over almost the entire area between air duct 456 and relay board 413, and a clearance is ensured between first FFC 414 and intermediate plate 407b.

[0058] On the other hand, the air duct 456 is not located between the second through hole 442 and the relay board 413. Therefore, the air duct 456 is not interposed between the second FFC 415 and the installation portion 472b. There is a region 472e in the mounting surface 472a other than the installation portion 472b, in which the non-shielded surface 415n of the second FFC 415 faces the mounting surface 472a between the second through hole 442 and the relay board 413. In this embodiment, the plate material 474 is attached to the mounting surface 472a so as to cover the region including this region 472e. The plate material 474 ensures a clearance between the non-shielded surface 415n located in the region 472e and the middle plate 407b, thereby suppressing the generation of noise. The plate material 474 is provided continuously with the air duct 456 in the sheet width direction W, and extends to the vicinity of the second through hole 442. Therefore, second FFC 415 faces plate material 474 over almost the entire area between second through hole 442 and relay board 413, and a clearance with intermediate plate 407b is ensured.

[0059] In this embodiment, air duct 456 is disposed between first through hole 441 and relay board 413, and is not disposed between second through hole 442 and relay board 413. For this reason, first FFC 414 is provided on the outer surface of air duct 456, and second FFC 415 is not provided on the outer surface of air duct 456, but this is not limited thereto. For example, when air duct 456 is disposed between first through hole 441 and second through hole 442 and relay board 413, both first FFC 414 and second FFC 415 may be provided on the outer surface of air duct 456.

[0060] As described above, according to the adjustment / inspection unit 200 of the present embodiment, the air duct 456 is disposed so as to be interposed between the non-shielded surface 414n of the first FFC 414 and the installation portion 472b. This prevents the non-shielded surface 414n from coming into contact with the middle plate 407b at the installation portion 472b, thereby suppressing the generation of noise in the first FFC 414. That is, in a configuration in which a shielding member is provided on one side of the first FFC 414, when the non-shielded surface 414n is routed facing a metal member, the air duct 456 is routed on the upper surface of the resin air duct 456. This allows stable communication in a small space at low cost without providing a cable guide such as a resin plate for ensuring a clearance between the non-shielded surface 414n of the first FFC 414 and the metal member. Furthermore, compared to a configuration in which the number of folds in the first FFC 414 is increased so that the housing 407 and the non-shielded surface 414n do not come into contact with each other, it is possible to suppress an increase in the number of work steps and costs due to the increased number of folds, as well as an increase in the size of the device to accommodate the folds.

[0061] Furthermore, according to adjustment and inspection unit 200 of the present embodiment, because plate materials 473, 474 are used as gap members, it is possible to suppress the generation of noise in first FFC 414 and second FFC 415 even in an area where air duct 456 is not provided. Furthermore, because gap members such as plate materials are not necessary in installation portion 472b where air duct 456 is arranged, an increase in the number of parts can be suppressed.

[0062] In the above-mentioned embodiment, the case where there are two FFCs has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and there may be only one FFC or three or more FFCs. For example, the case where there is one FFC will be described with reference to FIG. 12. In this case, the connector 431 of the CIS 401 and the connector 432 of the relay board 413 are connected by the FFC 416. The FFC 416 has an end 416a connected to the connector 431 and an end 416b connected to the connector 432. The FFC 416 has a shield surface 416s on which a shielding member is provided, and a non-shielding surface 416n on which no shielding member is provided. The arrangement of the connectors 431, 432, and the FFC 416 is the same as in the above-mentioned embodiment, and the air duct 456 is arranged between the first through hole 441 and the relay board 413 on the mounting surface 472a. Air duct 456 is disposed so as to be interposed between non-shielded surface 416n of FFC 416 and installation portion 472b of mounting surface 472a. FFC 416 is disposed so that non-shielded surface 416n faces air duct 456 at installation portion 472b. This ensures a clearance between non-shielded surface 416n and middle plate 407b, enabling stable communication.

[0063] In addition, when there is one FFC, the connector 431 of the CIS 401 may be provided in the center of the CIS 401 in the sheet width direction W. This case will be described with reference to FIG. 13. In this case, the connector 431 of the CIS 401 and the connector 432 of the relay board 413 are connected by the FFC 417. The FFC 417 has an end 417a connected to the connector 431 and an end 417b connected to the connector 432. The FFC 417 has a shield surface 417s on which a shielding member is provided and a non-shielding surface 417n on which no shielding member is provided. The arrangement of the connector 432 and the FFC 416 is the same as in the above-mentioned embodiment. The first through hole 441 is disposed in the center of the middle plate 407b in the sheet width direction W. The air duct 456 is disposed between the first through hole 441 and the relay board 413 on the mounting surface 472a. Air duct 456 is disposed so as to be interposed between non-shielded surface 417n of FFC 417 and installation portion 472b of mounting surface 472a. FFC 417 is disposed so that non-shielded surface 417n faces air duct 456 at installation portion 472b. This ensures a clearance between non-shielded surface 417n and middle plate 407b, enabling stable communication.

[0064] In the above embodiment, the relay board 413 is provided in the second space S2, but the present invention is not limited to this and may be provided in the first space S1.

[0065] In the above-described embodiment, the plate members 473 and 474 are used as the gap members, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, if the non-shielded surfaces 414n and 415n of the first FFC 414 and the second FFC 415 are arranged in such a way that a sufficient clearance can be secured with respect to the metal member, the gap members may not be provided. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 1...image forming apparatus, 100...image forming system, 102...image forming section, 210...conveyor section, 401...CIS (reading unit), 403...reading glass (transparent member), 407...housing (case), 413...relay board (board), 414...first FFC (flat cable, first flat cable), 414a...first end, 414b...second end, 415...second FFC (second flat cable), 415a...second 3 end, 415b...fourth end, 416...white reference plate, 417...sheet guide member, 431...connector (first connection part), 432...connector (second connection part), 433...connector (third connection part), 434...connector (fourth connection part), 441...first through hole (through hole), 456...air duct, 472...middle plate (opposing part), 472a...mounting surface (outer surface), 472b...installation part, 473, 474...plate material (gap member)

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 supporting the transparent member and having electrical conductivity; a reading unit having a reading sensor that reads an image on a sheet conveyed on the conveying path through the transparent member, the reading unit being accommodated in the case, being movable along the transparent member, and having a first connection portion; a substrate attached to the case and having a second connection portion; a flat cable having a first end connected to the first connection portion and a second end connected to the second connection portion, the flat cable having flexibility and a shielded surface provided with a shielding member and a non-shielded surface not provided with the shielding member; a resin air duct that is installed in the installation portion of the case and through which air flows; the air duct is disposed between the non-shielded surface of the flat cable and the installation portion of the case.

1. An image reading apparatus comprising:

2. The installation portion is formed on an outer surface of the case, a through hole through which the flat cable passes through the case on the outer surface on which the installation portion is formed, The substrate is attached to the outer surface; The air duct is disposed on the outer surface between the through hole and the substrate.

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

3. the case has a facing portion facing the transparent member, The outer surface is a surface of the opposing portion opposite to the transparent member.

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

4. The flat cable is the shielding surface is curved and disposed between the transparent member and the opposing portion inside the case so that the shielding surface faces outward; The shielding member is bent and arranged along the outer surface outside the case, and the non-shielding surface is arranged facing the air duct in the installation portion.

4. The image reading apparatus according to claim 3,

5. In a region of the outer surface other than the installation portion and in a region where the non-shielded surface is arranged facing the outer surface, A resin gap member is provided between the non-shield surface and the outer surface.

5. The image reading apparatus according to claim 4,

6. the flat cable is a first flat cable, The through hole is a first through hole, a second flat cable having a third end connected to a third connection portion of the reading unit and a fourth end connected to a fourth connection portion of the circuit board, the second flat cable having flexibility; a second through hole in the outer surface through which the second flat cable passes through the case, the air duct is not disposed between the second through hole and the substrate, and is not interposed between the second flat cable and the outer surface.

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

7. 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:

8. 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