Image reading device

Abstract

To make a conveyance guide facing a reading sensor movable without deteriorating operability.SOLUTION: An image reading device 1 includes: a conveyance guide 60 to which a document pressing plate 50 is attached below and which is capable of guiding a document conveyed by a conveyance unit 4 so as to face a second reading sensor 72, the conveyance guide 60 being displaceable to a closed position facing the second reading sensor 72 from below and to an open position separated more downward from the second reading sensor 72 than the closed position; an operation unit 61 provided in the conveyance guide 60 and operated to displace the conveyance guide 60; and a first biasing spring 64 that biases the conveyance guide 60 in a direction from the open position toward the closed position. The operation unit 61 is disposed at a position closer to the front end than the rear end of the conveyance guide 60, and a first biasing spring 64 biases the front end of the conveyance guide 60 with a force stronger than that at the rear end of the conveyance guide 60.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image reading device that reads a document while transporting the document. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, as described in Patent Document 1, for example, an automatic document feeder is known that has a configuration in which a transport path member is provided that opens a portion of two image sensors that perform image reading, facing the downstream image sensor. By opening this transport path member, it becomes possible to remove documents that have become jammed in this area or to perform maintenance on the reading sensor. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-80189 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the configuration described in Patent Document 1, if the transport path member is not reliably closed, the document may become jammed or reading accuracy may decrease. Therefore, for example, it is conceivable to use an appropriate biasing member to bias the transport path member in a direction to close it, but in that case, there is a risk that operability may become poor when a user tries to open or close the transport path member to remove the jam or for maintenance.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an image reading device in which a conveyance guide facing a reading sensor can be moved without reducing operability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the image reading device of the present invention is an image reading device comprising: a body having an original placement section on which an original can be placed in a stationary state, and a first reading sensor that reads the original supported on the original placement section and the original transported by a transport section; an original pressing plate that presses down the original placed on the original placement section, the transport section that transports the original along a transport direction; and a second reading sensor that reads the original at a position downstream of the first reading sensor along the transport direction, the image reading device comprising: a cover to which the original pressing plate is attached; a transport guide that faces the second reading sensor from below and is capable of guiding the original transported by the transport section; the cover is rotatable between a closed position in which it is closed to cover the document placement section of the main body, and an open position in which its front end is raised higher than its rear end relative to the main body, the operation section being located at a position closer to the front end of the transport guide than the rear end of the transport guide, and the first spring biasing the front end of the transport guide with a stronger force than the rear end of the transport guide.

[0007] In the present invention, two sensors are provided: a first reading sensor and a second reading sensor located downstream of the first reading sensor in the conveying direction. A conveying guide is provided facing the second reading sensor and guides the document conveyed by the conveying unit. The conveying guide is displaceable between a first position facing the second reading sensor from below and a second position spaced below the first position. A first biasing spring biases the conveying guide in a direction from the second position toward the upward first position. The first biasing spring biases the front end of the transport guide with a stronger force than the rear end, corresponding to the fact that the operating unit operated to displace the transport guide is located on the front side closer to the user. As a result, the rear end of the transport guide, which is farther from the operating unit, is biased weakly, so when the transport guide is displaced downward via the operating unit at the front end, it can be relatively easily displaced to the second position without twisting or other deformation of the transport guide. As a result, according to the present invention, the transport guide can be moved without reducing operability. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, the transport guide facing the reading sensor can be moved without reducing operability. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an example of the external configuration of the image reading device according to the embodiment with the cover closed. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an example of the external configuration of the image reading device according to the embodiment with the cover open. [Figure 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the internal configuration of the image reading apparatus according to the embodiment, the cross-section corresponding to the cross-section III-III in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an example of the external configuration of the image reading device according to the embodiment in a state where the transport guide is open. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an example of the structure of a transport guide as viewed from above. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating an example of the structure of a transport guide when viewed from above with the opposing plate removed. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an example of the structure of a conveying guide as viewed from below. [Figure 8] 10 is a perspective view illustrating an example of the structure of the cover when viewed from below with the transport guide closed and the document pressing plate removed. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] <Image reader> FIG. 1 shows an example of the external configuration of an image reading device 1 according to an embodiment with its cover closed. FIG. 2 shows an example of the external configuration of an image reading device 1 according to an embodiment with its cover open. FIG. 3 shows an example of the internal configuration of an image reading device 1 according to an embodiment. In the following description, directions such as up, down, left, right, front, and back may be used as appropriate for the convenience of explaining the configuration of an image reading device, etc., but this does not limit the orientation or position of each component of an image reading device, etc. In the following description, the up, down, front, and back directions, and left and right directions correspond to the directions of the arrows shown in each figure.

[0012] An image reading device 1 according to the embodiment is, for example, a scanner. As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the image reading device 1 includes a main body 8 and a cover 9. The main body 8 is a flat, substantially box-shaped body.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 2, the main body 8 has a main body housing 85, a first platen glass 81, and a second platen glass 82. The main body housing 85 is a frame-shaped resin member that forms the top surface of the main body 8 and has a first opening 85H1 and a second opening 85H2. The first opening 85H1 is a large rectangular opening. The second opening 85H2 is located to the left of the first opening 85H1 and is a rectangular opening whose length in the front-to-back direction is significantly greater than its length in the left-to-right direction. The main body housing 85 supports the first platen glass 81 through the first opening 85H1. The main body housing 85 supports the second platen glass 82 through the second opening 85H2.

[0014] The first document glass 81 can be used to place a document to be scanned in a stationary state. The document to be scanned can be paper, a sheet such as an OHP sheet, a book, etc. The first document glass 81 is an example of a document placement section. The second document glass 82 is used when the transport section 4, which will be described later, is in operation, and the document passes through it.

[0015] 3, the main body 8 houses the image reading unit 3. The image reading unit 3 includes a first reading sensor 71, a guide rail 79, a carriage 79C, a drive source and a drive force transmission mechanism (not shown), and the like.

[0016] The guide rail 79 is a round steel bar extending in the left-right direction at a position spaced downward from the first document glass 81 and the second document glass 82. The left end of the guide rail 79 is located to the left of the left end of the second document glass 82. The right end of the guide rail 79 is located to the right of the right end of the first document glass 81. The carriage 79C has the first reading sensor 71 mounted on top. When a drive source and a drive force transmission mechanism (not shown) are activated, the carriage 79C moves left-right while being guided by the guide rail 79, and the first reading sensor 71 moves left-right.

[0017] The first reading sensor 71 reads the document supported on the first document glass 81 and the document transported by the transport unit 4 (described later). When reading the image of the document supported on the first document glass 81, the first reading sensor 71 moves rightward from below the left edge of the first document glass 81, reading the image of the document in a line in the front-to-back direction. When the first reading sensor 71 moves below the right edge of the first document glass 81, it stops reading the image and returns to its standby position. When reading the document transported by the transport unit 4, the first reading sensor 71 is positioned at a stationary reading position corresponding to the second document glass 82 and reads the image of the document passing through the second document glass 82. The first reading sensor 71 is a one-dimensional image sensor equipped with multiple reading elements (not shown) arranged in one direction. In this embodiment, the first reading sensor 71 is a contact image sensor (CIS). Note that the first reading sensor 71 may also be a charge-coupled device (CCD). The first reading sensor 71 has the reading elements arranged in the front-to-rear direction.

[0018] 1 and 2, the cover 9 is located above the main body 8. The rear end of the cover 9 is supported on the rear end of the main body 8 via a hinge 92. The cover 9 is rotatable between a closed position shown in FIG. 1 in which the cover 9 is closed to cover the first document glass 81 of the main body 8, and an open position shown in FIG. 2 in which the front end is raised higher than the rear end relative to the main body 8.

[0019] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the cover 9 has a resin cover housing 39. The lower surface of the cover housing 39 forms the bottom surface of the cover 9. The bottom surface of the cover 9 is large enough to cover the entire upper surface of the main body 8. A document presser plate 50 is provided on the lower surface of the cover 9 to press down a document placed on the first document glass 81. The document presser plate 50 is a flexible sheet-like member made of a resin material such as polypropylene. The document presser plate 50 is slightly smaller than the first document glass 81 in the left-right and front-back directions. The document presser plate 50 is attached to the transport guide 60 and the cover housing 39 via a first sponge 51 and a second sponge 52, respectively. As shown in the partially enlarged view of FIG. 2 , the first sponge 51 is adhered to the lower surface of the transport guide 60 with double-sided tape 53. Although not shown, the second sponge 52 is adhered to the lower surface of the cover housing 39 with double-sided tape. The thickness of the first sponge 51 is made thinner than the thickness of the second sponge 52 so that the document pressing plate 50 is flat and parallel to the first document glass 81. As shown in the partial enlarged view of FIG. 2, a slight gap G is formed between the first sponge 51 and the second sponge 52, which have different thicknesses. In other words, the second sponge 52 is positioned next to the first sponge 51 in the left-right direction.

[0020] 1 and 3, the cover 9 has a supply tray 91 and a discharge tray 96. As shown in Fig. 3, the cover 9 has a conveying unit 4, a first conveying path 31, a second conveying path 32, a third conveying path 33, and a second reading sensor 72. The conveying unit 4, the first conveying path 31, the second conveying path 32, the third conveying path 33, and the second reading sensor 72 are located inside the left side of the cover 9.

[0021] The transport unit 4 transports the document in a transport direction and includes a feed roller 41, a separation roller 42, a transport roller 43, a transport guide 60, a discharge roller 45, and the like.

[0022] The first transport path 31, the second transport path 32, and the third transport path 33 are formed by parts of multiple chute members provided inside the cover 9, ribs protruding downward from the rear surface of the upper wall member of the cover 9, and the like. The first transport path 31 guides the document from the left end of the supply tray 91 to the left, makes a downward U-turn, and guides it to the transport rollers 43. The second transport path 32 guides the document from the transport rollers 43 to the second document glass 82 so that it slopes downward and passes above the first reading sensor 71, which is at the stationary reading position. The third transport path 33 guides the document to the right of the second document glass 82 so that it slopes upward and faces right, and guides it to pass between the transport guide 60 and the second reading sensor 72. In other words, the transport guide 60 can guide the document so that it can be read by the second reading sensor 72.

[0023] The second reading sensor 72 reads the document at a position downstream of the first reading sensor 71 along the conveying direction. The second reading sensor 72 is located above a third document glass 83 arranged opposite the conveying guide 60, and reads the image of the document passing below the third document glass 83. Like the first reading sensor 71, the second reading sensor 72 is a one-dimensional image sensor equipped with a plurality of reading elements (not shown) arranged in one direction. In this embodiment, the second reading sensor 72 is a contact image sensor (CIS). Note that the second reading sensor 72 may also be a charge coupled device (CCD). The second reading sensor 72 has the arrangement direction of the above-mentioned reading elements facing the front-to-rear direction.

[0024] The conveying guide 60 has a first sponge 51 attached to its lower portion with double-sided tape, and is disposed opposite the second reading sensor 72 and the third document glass 83. The conveying guide 60 and the third document glass 83 constitute the third conveying path 33.

[0025] When the image reading unit 3 reads images of documents supported on the supply tray 91, the conveying unit 4 operates, and the feed roller 41 feeds the documents supported on the supply tray 91. The separation roller 42 separates the documents fed by the feed roller 41 one by one and conveys them toward the conveying roller 43. The conveying roller 43 conveys the documents guided by the first conveying path 31 and the second conveying path 32 and passes them through the second document glass 82. As a result, the first reading sensor 71, which is in the stationary reading position, reads the image of the bottom surface of the document passing through the second document glass 82. Furthermore, the conveying roller 43 conveys the document guided by the third conveying path 33 toward the second reading sensor 72. When the image reading unit 3 reads images on both sides of the document, the second reading sensor 72 reads the image of the top surface of the document passing through the third document glass 83. Then, the discharge roller 45 discharges the document to the discharge tray 96.

[0026] <Features of the present invention> As shown in FIG. 4 , the image reading device 1 has a structure in which the transport guide 60 can be opened and closed. That is, the transport guide 60 can be moved between a closed position facing the second reading sensor 72 from below and an open position further away from the second reading sensor 72 than the closed position. The closed position is an example of a first position, and the open position is an example of a second position. By opening the transport guide 60, a user can perform maintenance such as removing a document jammed around the third transport path 33 between the transport guide 60 and the third document glass 83 or removing foreign matter on the surface of the second reading sensor 72. On the other hand, if the transport guide 60 has an openable structure, if the transport guide 60 is not closed securely, the document may jam or the reading accuracy of the second reading sensor 72 may decrease. Therefore, it is possible to bias the transport guide 60 in the closing direction using a biasing member with a relatively strong biasing force. However, in this case, operability may be reduced when a user attempts to open the transport guide 60 for the above-mentioned jam removal or maintenance.

[0027] Therefore, in this embodiment, the operating unit 61 (see FIGS. 4 to 8) operated to displace the transport guide 60 is located on the front side closer to the user, and accordingly, the biasing spring that biases the transport guide 60 in the direction of closing biases the front end of the transport guide 60 with a stronger force than the rear end. As a result, the rear end of the transport guide 60, which is farther from the operating unit 61, is biased weakly, so that when the user displaces the front end of the transport guide 60 downward via the operating unit 61, deformation such as twisting of the transport guide 60 is less likely to occur, and the transport guide 60 can be opened relatively easily. This will be described in detail below.

[0028] <Transport guide> Fig. 5 shows an example of the structure of the transport guide 60 as viewed from above, Fig. 6 shows an example of the structure of the transport guide 60 as viewed from above with the opposing plate 62 removed, and Fig. 7 shows an example of the structure of the transport guide 60 as viewed from below. Also, Fig. 8 shows an example of the structure of the transport guide 60 as viewed from below the cover 9 with the transport guide 60 closed and the document pressure plate 50 removed.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 5 , the conveying guide 60 includes a counter plate 62 facing the second reading sensor 72 and the third document glass 83 from below, and a holder 63 rotatably supported by the cover housing 39 and holding the counter plate 62. The counter plate 62 is a substantially rectangular plate-like member whose front-to-back length is longer than its left-to-right length and is made of metal. The holder 63 is a substantially rectangular plate-like member larger than the counter plate 62 and made of resin. The holder 63 has a front end with the operating unit 61 operated by a user to displace the conveying guide 60. In other words, the operating unit 61 is located closer to the front end than the rear end of the conveying guide 60. The holder 63 has two shafts 63a and 63b at its right end and is connected to the cover housing 39 via these shafts 63a and 63b to be rotatable about a rotation axis AX. 8, the cover housing 39 has a recess 39b at the position of the operating unit 61. The recess 39b accommodates the operating unit 61 when the transport guide 60 is in the closed position. When operating the transport guide 60, the user can move the transport guide 60 to the open position by inserting their finger into the gap between the operating unit 61 and the recess 39b and applying downward force.

[0030] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a first spring support portion 63c is provided on the front side of the right end of the holder 63, coaxially with the rotation axis AX. A first biasing spring 64 is provided on the first spring support portion 63c to bias the conveying guide 60 from the open position toward the closed position. The first biasing spring 64 is a metal helical spring that is wound around the first spring support portion 63c. The biasing force of the first biasing spring 64 is stronger than the biasing force of a third biasing spring 67, which will be described later. Therefore, the first biasing spring 64 biases the front end of the conveying guide 60 toward the closed position with a stronger force than the rear end of the conveying guide 60.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 6 , the holder 63 has a second spring support portion 63d at approximately the center in the front-rear direction. The second spring support portion 63d supports a second biasing spring 65. The second biasing spring 65 is disposed between the holder 63 and the facing plate 62 and biases the holder 63 downward in a direction separating the holder 63 from the facing plate 62, i.e., biasing the holder 63 downward and biasing the facing plate 62 upward toward the second reading sensor 72 and the third document glass 83. The second biasing spring 65 is a metal helical spring wound around the second spring support portion 63d. One end of the second biasing spring 65 is fixed to the holder 63, and the other end of the second biasing spring 65 is connected to a third biasing spring 67 (described later) via a metal connecting wire 66 arranged in the front-rear direction. The biasing force of the second biasing spring 65 is weaker than that of the first biasing spring 64. As a result, the second biasing spring 65 is configured to ensure contact with the metal opposing plate 62 without interfering with the biasing of the conveying guide 60 in the closing direction by the first biasing spring 64. In other words, the second biasing spring 65 biases the holder 63 downward to such an extent that the first biasing spring 64 positions the conveying guide 60 in the closed position.

[0032] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a third spring support portion 63e is provided on the rear side of the right end of the holder 63, coaxially with the rotation axis AX. A third biasing spring 67 is provided on the third spring support portion 63e. The third biasing spring 67 biases the conveying guide 60 toward the closed position. The third biasing spring 67 is a metallic helical spring that is wound around the third spring support portion 63e. The third biasing spring 67 is disposed at the rear of the holder 63 in contact with the second biasing spring 65. Specifically, one end of the third biasing spring 67 is fixed to a driving plate (not shown) that supports the motor and gears, and the other end of the third biasing spring 67 is connected to the second biasing spring 65 via a metallic connecting wire 66 arranged in the front-rear direction. As a result, the metal opposing plate 62 is electrically connected to the driving metal plate via the second biasing spring 65, the connecting wire 66, and the third biasing spring 67. The biasing force of the third biasing spring 67 is weaker than the biasing force of the first biasing spring 64. Therefore, the third biasing spring 67 biases the rear end of the conveying guide 60 toward the closed position with a weaker force than the front end of the conveying guide 60.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 7 , the left end of the holder 63 has two contact portions 68a and 68b on the underside thereof that are contacted by the main body housing 85. The contact portions 68a and 68b are protrusions that protrude downward from the underside of the holder 63. When the cover 9 is in the closed position, the upper surface of the main body housing 85 contacts the contact portions 68a and 68b of the conveying guide 60 from below, supporting the conveying guide 60 in the closed position. The positions of the contact portions 68a and 68b in the front-rear direction overlap with the position of the second biasing spring 65 in the front-rear direction. That is, the main body housing 85 contacts the contact portion 68a from below at the first contact position in the front-rear direction and contacts the contact portion 68b from below at the second contact position. The first and second contact positions are located at the same positions as the second biasing spring 65 in the front-rear direction. The number of contacted portions is not limited to two, but may be one, or three or more.

[0034] As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, two supported portions 69a and 69b are provided at approximately the center of the right end of the holder 63 in the front-to-rear direction. The supported portions 69a and 69b protrude rightward from the right end of the holder 63 in a cantilevered manner. The positions of the supported portions 69a and 69b in the front-to-rear direction overlap with the position of the second biasing spring 65 in the front-to-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 8, the cover housing 39 has a support member 39a that abuts against and supports the supported portions 69a and 69b of the conveying guide 60 from below. As a result, the support member 39a abuts against and supports the holder 63 of the conveying guide 60 from below within the range where the second biasing spring 65 is located in the front-to-rear direction, preventing deformation of the conveying guide 60 by the second biasing spring 65.

[0035] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 8, the cover 9 includes a chute member 70 that guides the document to the third transport path 33 toward the second reading sensor 72. The third transport path 33 is one example of a transport path. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the holder 63 of the transport guide 60 includes two contact portions 63f and 63g at both ends of its left edge in the front-to-rear direction. The contact portions 63f and 63g are protrusions that protrude upward from the top surface of the holder 63. The contact portions 63f and 63g are positioned further outward in the front-to-rear direction than the guide range of the document by the third transport path 33, and contact the chute member 70 from below to ensure space in the third transport path 33. The contact portions 63f and 63g do not have to be located at the left edge of the holder 63, but may be located in the middle in the left-to-right direction. The front-to-rear direction is one example of a direction perpendicular to the transport direction.

[0036] FIG. 8 shows the adhesive area AR1 of the first sponge 51 and the adhesive area AR2 of the second sponge 52. As shown in FIG. 8, the first sponge 51 is adhered to the adhesive area AR1, which covers substantially the entire underside of the transport guide 60, with double-sided tape 53. The second sponge 52 is adhered to the adhesive area AR2, which is an area near the right end of the cover housing 39, with double-sided tape. The document pressure plate 50 is adhered to the first sponge 51 and the second sponge 52 with adhesive across the entire left-right area. Therefore, the document pressure plate 50 deforms along with the sponges. By separating the adhesive area AR1 and the adhesive area AR2 in the left-right direction in this way, as shown in FIG. 4, the document pressure plate 50 is more likely to deform together with the second sponge 52 when the user opens the transport guide 60, improving operability when opening and closing the transport guide 60.

[0037] <Effects of the embodiment> In the embodiment described above, two sensors are provided: a first reading sensor 71 and a second reading sensor 72 located downstream of the first reading sensor 71 in the conveying direction. The conveying guide 60 is provided facing the second reading sensor 72 and guides the document conveyed by the conveying unit 4. The conveying guide 60 is displaceable between a closed position where it faces the second reading sensor 72 from below, and an open position where it is spaced downward from the closed position. A first biasing spring 64 biases the conveying guide 60 in a direction from the open position toward the upper closed position. The first biasing spring 64 biases the front end of the transport guide 60 with a stronger force than the rear end, corresponding to the fact that the operation unit 61, which is operated to displace the transport guide 60, is located on the front side closer to the user. As a result, the rear end of the transport guide 60, which is farther from the operation unit 61, is biased weakly. Therefore, when the user displaces the front end of the transport guide 60 downward via the operation unit 61, the transport guide 60 can be relatively easily displaced to the open position without being easily deformed, such as twisted. As a result, according to this embodiment, the transport guide 60 can be moved without reducing operability. Furthermore, because the first biasing spring 64 biases the front end position of the transport guide 60, which is easily visible to the user, the user is less likely to notice the position of the transport guide 60.

[0038] In particular, in this embodiment, the opposing plate 62 provided on the conveyance guide 60, which faces the second reading sensor 72 and the third document glass 83 from below, is urged upward toward the third document glass 83 by the second urging spring 65. This allows the document to be accurately positioned at the reading position of the second reading sensor 72.

[0039] Furthermore, particularly in this embodiment, the main body housing 85 abuts from below against the abutment portions 68a, 68b provided on the holder 63 of the conveyance guide 60, supporting it so that it is positioned in the closed position. As a result, when the cover 9 is closed, the abutment portions 68a, 68b of the holder 63 abut against the main body housing 85, ensuring that the conveyance guide 60 is closed. In addition, the biasing force of the second biasing spring 65 is reliably transmitted to the opposing plate 62, enabling the opposing plate 62 to be positioned with high precision. As a result, the document guided by the conveyance guide 60 is conveyed with high precision.

[0040] Furthermore, particularly in this embodiment, in the holder 63 of the conveying guide 60, the positions of the abutted portions 68a, 68b in the front-rear direction are in the same positional relationship as the front-rear position of the second biasing spring 65. This makes it possible to efficiently receive the biasing force of the second biasing spring 65, thereby preventing deformation of the conveying guide 60 and improving the positional accuracy of the conveying guide 60.

[0041] Furthermore, particularly in this embodiment, the second biasing spring 65 applies a biasing force that separates the opposing plate 62 and the holder 63 in the conveying guide 60. Therefore, when the opposing plate 62 approaches the second reading sensor 72, the holder 63 is biased downward. This tendency is particularly pronounced at the location of the second biasing spring 65. In this embodiment, the support 39a of the cover housing 39 abuts and supports the conveying guide 60 from below in the range where the second biasing spring 65 is located, which is a portion where the force of the second biasing spring 65 is likely to be applied. This suppresses deformation in the direction of the biasing force in the vicinity of the location of the second biasing spring 65 compared to other portions, thereby preventing deformation of the entire conveying guide 60.

[0042] Furthermore, particularly in this embodiment, a third biasing spring 67 is provided to earth the metal opposing plate 62. The opposing plate 62 comes into contact with the second biasing spring 65, and the third biasing spring 67 is arranged in contact with the second biasing spring 65, thereby achieving ground conduction. In this case, the third biasing spring 67 is provided behind the conveying guide 60, and its biasing force is set to be weaker than that of the first biasing spring 64. By weakening the biasing force of the third biasing spring 67 on the rear side, which is the far side as seen from the user, deformation such as twisting is less likely to occur when the conveying guide 60 is displaced, making it easier for the user to operate.

[0043] Furthermore, in this embodiment in particular, by providing a difference in thickness between the first sponge 51 below the conveyance guide 60 and the second sponge 52 below the cover housing 39, the positions of the bottom surfaces of both can be aligned to uniformly support the document pressure plate 50. This prevents the document pressure plate 50 from rippling and the sponge from locally lifting.

[0044] Furthermore, in this embodiment in particular, since there is a space between the first sponge 51 and the second sponge 52, when the user displaces the conveying guide 60, the first sponge 51 and the document pressing plate 50 are likely to deform in conjunction with the movement of the conveying guide 60. This improves the operability of the conveying guide 60.

[0045] Furthermore, in this embodiment in particular, the conveying guide 60 has contact portions 63f, 63g that contact the chute member 70 from below to secure space in the third conveying path 33. This ensures space through which the document can pass, enabling smooth and reliable document conveyance.

[0046] <Modification> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the spirit and technical concept of the present invention.

[0047] In the above embodiment, the conveying guide 60 is provided with the supported portions 69a, 69b, and the support member 39a of the cover housing 39 abuts and supports the supported portions 69a, 69b from below, but this is not limited to this. For example, if the conveying guide 60 has high rigidity and there is no risk of deformation by the second biasing spring 65, the conveying guide 60 may be configured not to be provided with the supported portions 69a, 69b. In this case, the support member 39a of the cover housing 39 is also not necessary.

[0048] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, in addition to the first biasing spring 64 on the front side of the conveying guide 60, a third biasing spring 67 is provided on the rear side, and the biasing force of the first biasing spring 64 is set stronger than that of the third biasing spring 67, thereby biasing the front end of the conveying guide 60 with a stronger force than the rear end, but this is not limited to this. For example, a configuration may be adopted in which the third biasing spring 67 is not provided, and the conveying guide 60 is biased in a direction toward the closed position by only the first biasing spring 64, thereby biasing the front end of the conveying guide 60 with a stronger force than the rear end.

[0049] Furthermore, the image reading device according to the present invention is not limited to a scanner, but can also be applied to, for example, a multifunction machine or a copier.

[0050] In addition to the above, the methods according to the above embodiments and modifications may be used in appropriate combination.

[0051] Although not specifically illustrated, the present invention can be implemented with various modifications within the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 1. Image reader 4. Conveyor 8 Main Unit 9 Cover 31 First conveying route 32 Second conveying path 33 Third transport path (an example of a transport path) 39 Cover housing 39a Support 50 Document holder 51 First Sponge 52 Second Sponge 60 Transport guide 61 Operation section 62 Opposing plate 63 Holding body 63f Contact part 63g Contact part 64 First biasing spring 65 Second biasing spring 67 Third biasing spring 68a Contacted part 68b Abutted part 69a Supported part 69b Supported part 70 Chute member 71 First reading sensor 72 Second reading sensor 81 First original glass (an example of an original placement section) 82 Second manuscript glass 83 Third manuscript glass 85 Main unit housing G Gap

Claims

1. a document placement section on which a document can be placed in a stationary state; a main body having a first reading sensor that reads the document supported on the document placement unit and the document transported by the transport unit; a document pressing plate for pressing down a document placed on the document placing section; the conveying section that conveys the document along a conveying direction; a cover having a second reading sensor that reads the document at a position downstream of the first reading sensor along the conveyance direction; An image reading device comprising: a transport guide having the document pressing plate attached below it, facing the second reading sensor and capable of guiding the document transported by the transport unit, the transport guide being displaceable between a first position facing the second reading sensor from below and a second position further away from the second reading sensor below than the first position; an operating portion provided on the transport guide and operated to displace the transport guide; a first biasing spring that biases the conveying guide in a direction from the second position toward the first position; and The cover is the document holder is rotatable between a closed position where it is closed so as to cover the document placement section of the main body and an open position where its front end is raised higher than its rear end relative to the main body; The operation unit includes: The conveying guide is disposed at a position closer to the front end than the rear end, The first biasing spring The image reading device biases the front end of the transport guide with a stronger force than the rear end of the transport guide.

2. The cover is It further has a cover housing, The conveying guide is an opposing plate facing the second reading sensor from below; a holder that is rotatably supported by the cover housing and that holds the opposing plate; a second biasing spring that is disposed between the holder and the opposing plate and biases the opposing plate upward toward the second reading sensor by applying a biasing force in a direction that separates the holder from the opposing plate; and The image reading device according to claim 1 , wherein the biasing force of the second biasing spring is weaker than the biasing force of the first biasing spring.

3. The body includes: a main body housing that supports the document placement section; the holder of the transport guide includes an abutment portion that is abutted by the main body housing, The image reading device according to claim 2 , wherein the main body housing abuts against the abutted portion of the transport guide from below to support the transport guide so as to be positioned at the first position.

4. The main body housing includes: the abutment portions of the holding body at the first abutment position and the second abutment position in the front-rear direction are abutted from below, The image reading device according to claim 3 , wherein the first contact position and the second contact position are located at the same positions as the positions of the second biasing spring in the front-rear direction.

5. The cover housing is 3. The image reading device according to claim 2, further comprising a support member that abuts against and supports the holder of the transport guide from below in a range in the front-rear direction where the second biasing spring is located.

6. The opposing plate is made of metal, The second biasing spring is in contact with the opposing plate, The cover further comprises: a third biasing spring disposed behind the holder of the transport guide in contact with the second biasing spring and biasing the transport guide toward the first position; The image reading device according to claim 2 , wherein the biasing force of the third biasing spring is weaker than the biasing force of the first biasing spring.

7. The cover is It further has a cover housing, The document pressing plate is a first sponge and a second sponge are attached to the conveying guide and the cover housing, respectively; The image reading device according to claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the first sponge is thinner than the thickness of the second sponge.

8. The conveying guide is One side end in the left-right direction is configured to be rotatable relative to the cover housing around a rotation axis in the front-rear direction, The image reading device according to claim 7 , wherein the second sponge is disposed at a position spaced apart from the first sponge in the left-right direction.

9. The cover further comprises: a chute member that guides the sheet to a conveyance path to the second reading sensor; The conveying guide further includes:

2. The image reading device according to claim 1, further comprising a contact portion that contacts the chute member from below and secures space for the transport path, further outward in the front-rear direction than the guide range of the document in the front-rear direction perpendicular to the transport direction.

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