Sheet support device

Abstract

The present invention provides a seat support device that can suppress the discomfort caused by the tilt of the rack when the user operates the guide, and that allows the rack to be easily assembled to the support base. [Solution] In the seat support device 1, the support base 100 has a first portion 110, an engaging portion 116 that protrudes from the first portion 110 and engages with the groove portion 136, a second portion 120 located on the opposite side of the axis X1 from the engaging portion 116, and a protruding portion 128 that protrudes from the second portion 120 and can abut against the second surface 132. The rack 130 has a recess 150 that is recessed from the second surface 132 toward the first surface 131. The rack 130 is configured such that the protruding portion 128 can enter the recess 150 when the groove portion 136 is separated from the engaging portion 116 and the pinion gear 160 side of the first surface 131 is tilted to be further away from the support base 100 than the side end surface 134 side of the first surface 131.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a seat support device.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an example of a conventional seat support device. This seat support device includes a support base, a pinion gear, a pair of racks, and a pair of guides.

[0003] As shown in FIG. 3 thereof, the pinion gear is rotatably supported by the support base. The pair of racks are opposed to each other with the pinion gear interposed therebetween in the front-rear direction, and are respectively engaged with the pinion gear and supported by the support base so as to be linearly movable in the left-right direction.

[0004] As shown in FIG. 1 thereof, the pair of guides can abut on the seat supported by the support base in the left-right direction. As shown in FIG. 2 thereof, the pair of guides are connected to the respective connection end portions of the pair of racks.

[0005] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 thereof, the rack has a first surface that is in sliding contact with the support base, a second surface opposite to the first surface, a groove portion that is recessed downward from the first surface and extends in the left-right direction, and a side end surface that extends in the left-right direction on the side opposite to the pinion gear with respect to the groove portion.

[0006] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 thereof, the pinion gear has a flange. The flange protrudes in the radially outer direction of the pinion gear and can abut on the second surface of the rack.

[0007] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 thereof, the support base has an engaging portion. The engaging portion is composed of a rail portion and a protrusion portion. The rail portion protrudes downward from a portion of the support base that is in sliding contact with the first surface of the rack and extends in the left-right direction. The protrusion portion is continuously provided on the rail portion. The engaging portion engages with the groove portion while allowing the linear movement of the rack.

[0008] In this seat support device, when the user operates one of the guides to move it linearly in the left-right direction, the pair of racks move closer to and further apart from each other in the left-right direction in accordance with the rotation of the pinion gear. As a result, the pair of guides position the seat supported on the support base in the left-right direction.

[0009] In this case, the engaging portion engages with the groove while allowing the rack to move linearly, thereby preventing the meshing between the rack and the pinion gear from becoming too deep. The flange, by contacting the second surface, prevents the rack from moving downward from the support base.

[0010] Furthermore, in this seat support device, the rack moves linearly upward and is assembled onto the support base, after which the pinion gear is rotatably supported on the support base. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0011] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2017-222439 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0012] However, in the conventional seat support device described above, there is a risk that the rack may tilt so that the side end face on the first surface is further away from the support base than the pinion gear side on the first surface. As a result, this seat support device may make it difficult to smoothly move the rack and guide in the left-right direction, and it may become difficult to suppress the feeling of discomfort when the user operates the guide.

[0013] To suppress such problems, one could consider, for example, providing a contact portion that abuts the second surface on the opposite side of the flange to suppress the tilting of the rack as described above. However, in this case, when moving the rack linearly to assemble it onto the support base, the rack will interfere with the contact portion, making it difficult to assemble the rack onto the support base.

[0014] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional circumstances, and aims to provide a seat support device that can suppress the discomfort caused by the tilt of the rack when the user operates the guide, and that can easily assemble the rack to a support base. [Means for solving the problem]

[0015] The sheet support device of the present invention comprises a support base for supporting a sheet, A pinion gear supported on the support base so as to be rotatable about an axis extending in a first direction, A pair of racks are supported on the support base, facing each other in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, with the pinion gear in between, and meshing with the pinion gear, so as to be able to move linearly in the width direction perpendicular to the first and second directions, A pair of guides that can contact the sheet supported on the support base in the width direction and are connected to the respective connecting ends of the pair of racks, A seat support device equipped with, The rack has a first surface that slides against the support base, a second surface opposite to the first surface, a groove that is recessed from the first surface parallel to the first direction and extends in the width direction, and a side end surface that extends in the width direction on the side of the groove opposite to the pinion gear. The pinion gear has a flange that protrudes radially outward from the axis and is capable of contacting the second surface. The support base has a first portion that slides against the first surface, an engaging portion that protrudes from the first portion parallel to the first direction and engages with the groove while allowing the rack to move in a straight line, a second portion located on the opposite side of the axis from the engaging portion, and a protruding portion that protrudes from the second portion along the second direction, beyond the side end face, and approaches the engaging portion, and is capable of contacting the second surface. The rack further has a recess that is recessed from the second surface toward the first surface, The rack is characterized in that it is configured such that the groove is separated from the engagement portion and the pinion gear side of the first surface is tilted to be further away from the support base than the side end face side of the first surface.

[0016] In the seat support device of the present invention, when a user operates one of the guides to move linearly in the width direction, the pair of racks move closer to and further apart from each other in the width direction in accordance with the rotation of the pinion gear. As a result, the pair of guides connected to the pair of racks position the seat supported on the support base in the width direction.

[0017] In this case, the engaging portion engages with the groove while allowing the rack to move linearly, thereby suppressing the deepening of the meshing between the rack and the pinion gear. The flange contacts the second surface, thereby suppressing the rack from moving away from the support along the first direction. The protruding portion contacts the second surface on the opposite side of the flange, thereby suppressing the tilt of the rack so that the side end face on the first surface moves further away from the support than the pinion gear side on the first surface. As a result, this seat support device allows the rack and guide to move linearly and smoothly in the width direction, and suppresses the discomfort caused by the tilt of the rack when the user operates the guide.

[0018] Furthermore, in this seat support device, if one were to attempt to assemble the rack onto the support base by moving it linearly along the first direction, the rack would interfere with the protruding part, resulting in a problem where it would be difficult to assemble the rack onto the support base.

[0019] In this regard, in this sheet support device, the rack has a recess. And the rack can be made to have the protruding portion enter the recess in a state where the groove portion is separated from the engaging portion and the pinion gear side on the first surface is inclined so as to be separated from the side end face side on the first surface by a greater distance from the support base. Thereby, this sheet support device can easily secure a space for rotating the rack so as to eliminate the inclination of the rack around the periphery of the engaging portion and the protruding portion. And the assembler can easily assemble the rack to the support base while suppressing the protruding portion from inhibiting the movement of the rack by simply rotating the rack so as to eliminate the inclination of the rack. Incidentally, the pinion gear is rotatably supported by the support base after the rack is assembled to the support base.

[0020] Therefore, the sheet support device of the present invention can suppress the discomfort caused by the inclination of the rack when the user operates the guide, and can easily assemble the rack to the support base.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the image reading device of Example 1. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of the image reading device of Example 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the support base and a pair of guides. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the support base, pinion gear, a pair of racks, a pair of guides, etc. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a partially exploded perspective view showing the support base, pinion gear, a pair of racks, etc. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a partial perspective view showing an enlarged main part of FIG. 4. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a partial bottom view showing the support base, pinion gear, a pair of racks, etc. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a partial bottom view of the support base. [Figure 9]Figure 9 is a partial perspective view of the support base. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a partial cross-sectional view showing section AA of Figure 7. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a perspective view of the rack on the left. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view showing the BB cross-section in Figures 5 and 11, and is a diagram showing the first cross-section. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the CC cross-section of Figure 8, and is a diagram showing the second cross-section. [Figure 14] Figure 14 is a partial cross-sectional view including the first and second cross-sections, illustrating the operation of assembling the rack onto the support base. [Figure 15] Figure 15 is a partial cross-sectional view similar to Figure 14, illustrating the process of assembling the rack onto the support base. [Figure 16] Figure 16 is a partial cross-sectional view similar to Figure 14, illustrating the process of assembling the rack onto the support base. [Figure 17] Figure 17 is a partial perspective view showing the document cover with the top cover removed. [Figure 18] Figure 18 is a partial perspective view showing the document cover with the top cover and front cover removed. [Figure 19] Figure 19 is a perspective view of the front cover. [Figure 20] Figure 20 is a partial bottom view of the image reading device of Embodiment 2, showing the support base, pinion gear, pair of racks, etc. [Figure 21] Figure 21 is a perspective view of the rack on the left. [Figure 22] Figure 22 is a partial cross-sectional view including the first and second cross-sections, illustrating the operation of assembling the rack onto the support base. [Figure 23] Figure 23 is a partial cross-sectional view similar to Figure 22, illustrating the process of assembling the rack onto the support base. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0022] Examples 1 and 2, which embody the present invention, will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0023] (Example 1) As shown in Figure 1, the image reading device 1 of the embodiment is an example of a specific embodiment of the sheet support device of the present invention. In Figure 1, the side of the operation panel 8P of the image reading device 1 is the front. The left side is the side that is to the left when facing the operation panel 8P. The front-to-back, left-to-right, and up-and-down directions shown in Figures 2 and onward all correspond to the directions shown in Figure 1.

[0024] As shown in Figure 1, the image reading device 1 comprises a main unit 8 and a document cover 9.

[0025] <Main body> The main body 8 is a flat, roughly box-shaped body. An operation panel 8P, such as a touch panel, is located on the front side of the main body 8. The main body 8 houses the image forming unit 5 in its lower part. The image forming unit 5 forms an image on a sheet using an inkjet method or a laser method, etc.

[0026] <Image reading section> As shown in Figure 2, the main body 8 houses the image reading unit 3 in its upper portion. The image reading unit 3 has a document support surface 3A, a reading surface 3B, a reading sensor 3S, and a scanning mechanism (not shown).

[0027] The document support surface 3A is the upper surface of a large platen glass located on the top surface of the main body 8. The reading surface 3B is the upper surface of a platen glass located to the left of the document support surface 3A on the top surface of the main body 8 and extending in a long, narrow shape in the front-to-back direction.

[0028] The document support surface 3A supports the document to be scanned. Documents to be scanned include paper, OHP sheets, books, etc. The scanning surface 3B is used when the transport unit 4, described later, is in operation.

[0029] The reading sensor 3S is a well-known image reading sensor that uses a CIS (Contact Image Sensor) or CCD (Charge Coupled Device), and it extends in a long, narrow shape in the front-to-back direction. The reading sensor 3S is located below the document support surface 3A and the reading surface 3B.

[0030] When the image reading unit 3 reads an image of a document supported on the document support surface 3A, the reading sensor 3S moves from below the left edge of the document support surface 3A toward the right, i.e., in the sub-scanning direction, and reads the image of the document in a line in the front-to-back direction, i.e., in the main scanning direction, through the operation of a scanning mechanism (not shown). When the reading sensor 3S moves to below the right edge of the document support surface 3A, it finishes reading the image and returns to the standby position through the operation of a scanning mechanism (not shown).

[0031] When the transport unit 4, which will be described later, is in operation, the reading sensor 3S moves to a stationary reading position below the reading surface 3B and remains stationary due to the operation of a scanning mechanism (not shown).

[0032] <Manuscript cover> As shown in Figure 1, the document cover 9 is located above the main body 8. The rear end of the document cover 9 is connected to the rear end of the main body 8 via a hinge (not shown). The document cover 9 is pivotable around a pivot axis X9 that extends in the left-right direction.

[0033] As shown in Figure 2, the document cover 9 has a base member 39. The lower surface of the base member 39 forms the bottom surface of the document cover 9. The bottom surface of the document cover 9 is large enough to cover the document support surface 3A and the reading surface 3B, and can cover the document placed on the document support surface 3A.

[0034] The base member 39 is a one-piece molded product made of resin material. In this embodiment, the base member 39 is manufactured by injection molding of thermoplastic resin or the like.

[0035] Although not shown in the diagram, the user swings the document cover 9 upward and backward around the pivot axis X9, thereby opening the document support surface 3A. In this state, the user can place a document on the document support surface 3A and remove the document.

[0036] <Supply tray and discharge tray> As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the document cover 9 has a supply tray 90 and an output tray 96. The supply tray 90 and the output tray 96 are located on the right side of the document cover 9.

[0037] The upper surface of the right portion of the base member 39 forms a discharge tray 96. The discharge tray 96 supports the sheet SH that is transported and discharged by the transport unit 4, which will be described later.

[0038] The supply tray 90 is located above the discharge tray 96. The supply tray 90 has a support base 100 and a sub-tray 92.

[0039] As shown in Figure 3, the support base 100 is a substantially flat plate-shaped member that extends in the front-rear direction and slopes downward to the left, with fixing parts 103A and 103B formed at its front and rear ends. Although not shown in the figure, the support base 100 is assembled to the base member 39 by fastening each fixing part 103A and 103B to the front and rear ends of the base member 39.

[0040] The support base 100 is a single molded product made of resin material. In this embodiment, the support base 100 is manufactured by injection molding of thermoplastic resin or the like.

[0041] The support base 100 has a sheet support surface 101. The sheet support surface 101 is the upper surface of the support base 100, extending in the front-rear direction and sloping downward to the left.

[0042] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the sub-tray 92 is located to the right of the support base 100. The left edge of the upper surface of the sub-tray 92 is adjacent to the right edge of the sheet support surface 101.

[0043] The supply tray 90 supports the sheets SH to be read in a stacked state by the sheet support surface 101 of the support base 100 and the upper surface of the sub-tray 92.

[0044] In this embodiment, the object from which an image is read using the document support surface 3A is referred to as the document, and the object supported by the supply tray 90 and transported by the transport unit 4 while an image is read is referred to as the sheet SH. The document and the sheet SH may be substantially the same.

[0045] The width direction of the supply tray 90 is the front-to-back direction. In this embodiment, one end in the width direction is the front, and the other end in the width direction is the rear.

[0046] As shown in Figures 4 to 8, the support base 100 has a back surface 102. The back surface 102 is the surface opposite to the sheet support surface 101.

[0047] <Gear support section of the support base, guide groove, and first guide rib> As shown in Figures 5 and 8 to 10, a gear support portion 104 is formed on the support base 100. The gear support portion 104 consists of a boss that protrudes downward from the back surface 102 with the axis X1 as the center, and a through hole that penetrates from the lower surface of the boss to the seat support surface 101 with the axis X1 as the center.

[0048] As shown in Figure 3, the axis X1 is located in the center of the width direction of the sheet support surface 101 and extends in the first direction D1. The first direction D1 is slightly inclined with respect to the vertical direction, shifting to the left as it moves upward and shifting to the right as it moves downward. The first direction D1 is perpendicular to the width direction.

[0049] As shown in Figures 3 and 7-9, the support base 100 has guide grooves 109A and 109B. The front guide groove 109A is located in front of the axis X1 and extends in the width direction. The front guide groove 109A is slightly shifted to the right of the axis X1. The rear guide groove 109B is located behind the axis X1 and extends in the width direction. The rear guide groove 109B is slightly shifted to the left of the axis X1.

[0050] As shown in Figure 3, the front guide groove 109A extends to the vicinity of the front end of the sheet support surface 101. The rear guide groove 109B extends to the vicinity of the rear end of the sheet support surface 101.

[0051] As shown in Figures 5 to 8, the support base 100 has first guide ribs 119A and 119B. The left first guide rib 119A is located to the left and forward of the axis X1, and to the left of the front guide groove 109A. The left first guide rib 119A is a rib that protrudes downward parallel to the first direction D1 from the back surface 102 of the support base 100 and extends in the width direction. The right first guide rib 119B is located to the right and rear of the axis X1, and to the right of the rear guide groove 109B. The right first guide rib 119B is a rib that protrudes downward parallel to the first direction D1 from the back surface 102 of the support base 100 and extends in the width direction.

[0052] As shown in Figure 5, the leftmost first guide rib 119A extends to the front end of the back surface 102 of the support base 100. The rightmost first guide rib 119B extends to the rear end of the back surface 102 of the support base 100.

[0053] As shown in Figure 8, the left first guide rib 119A rotates 180° around the axis X1, causing it to almost coincide with the right first guide rib 119B. In other words, the left first guide rib 119A and the right first guide rib 119B have almost identical configurations, differing only in their arrangement and orientation.

[0054] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the supply tray 90 has a pair of guides 190A and 190B. The front guide 190A is located on the sheet support surface 101 side of the support base 100 and is located in front of the axis X1. The rear guide 190B is located on the sheet support surface 101 side of the support base 100 and is located behind the axis X1.

[0055] Guide 190A and Guide 190B have nearly identical configurations, differing only in their orientation. Guides 190A and 190B are each integrally molded products made of resin material. In this embodiment, Guides 190A and 190B are manufactured by injection molding of thermoplastic resin, etc.

[0056] The front guide 190A has a base wall 109A1 and a guide wall 109A2. The base wall 109A1 is a flat plate shape that follows the sheet support surface 101. The guide wall 109A2 connects to the front end edge of the base wall 109A1, protrudes upward, and extends in the left-right direction.

[0057] The rear guide 190B has a base wall 109B1 and a guide wall 109B2. The base wall 109B1 is a flat plate shape that follows the sheet support surface 101. The guide wall 109B2 connects to the rear end edge of the base wall 109B1, protrudes upward, and extends in the left-right direction.

[0058] As shown in Figure 4, the front guide 190A has a guided portion 190A3. The guided portion 190A3 protrudes downward from the lower surface of the base wall 109A1 and enters the front guide groove 109A, with its lower end located below the front guide groove 109A. The front guide 190A is movable in the width direction as the guided portion 190A3 is guided by the front guide groove 109A.

[0059] The rear guide 190B has a guided portion 190B3. The guided portion 190B3 protrudes downward from the lower surface of the base wall 109B1 and enters the rear guide groove 109B, with its lower end located below the rear guide groove 109B. The rear guide 190B is movable in the width direction as the guided portion 190B3 is guided by the rear guide groove 109B.

[0060] As shown in Figure 1, the base walls 109A1 and 109B1 are capable of supporting both ends of the sheet SH in the width direction, which is supported on the sheet support surface 101. The guide wall 109A2 can abut against the sheet SH supported on the sheet support surface 101 from one side in the width direction. The guide wall 109B2 can abut against the sheet SH supported on the sheet support surface 101 from the other side in the width direction.

[0061] <Pinion Gear> As shown in Figures 5 to 7 and Figure 10, the supply tray 90 has a pinion gear 160. The pinion gear 160 is a spur gear centered on axis X1.

[0062] As shown in Figure 5, the pinion gear 160 moves upward from a position below the gear support portion 104, and as shown in Figure 10, it is assembled to the gear support portion 104 and is prevented from coming off by the locking claw 162.

[0063] The pinion gear 160 is located on the back surface 102 side of the support base 100 and is supported by the gear support portion 104 so as to be rotatable around the axis X1. The pinion gear 160 has a flange 161. The flange 161 protrudes radially outward from the axis X1 below the gear teeth of the pinion gear 160.

[0064] The flange 161 has a first contact surface 161T. The first contact surface 161T is an upward-facing flat surface forming an annular shape with the axis X1 as the center. The first contact surface 161T can contact the second surface 132 of the rack 130, which will be described later.

[0065] The pinion gear 160 is a single molded product made of resin material. In this embodiment, the pinion gear 160 is manufactured by injection molding of thermoplastic resin or the like.

[0066] <First part, engaging part, and second part of the support base> As shown in Figures 8 and 10, the support base 100 has a first portion 110 (110A, 110B), an engaging portion 116 (116A, 116B), and a second portion 120 (120A, 120B).

[0067] The first portion 110 (110A, 110B) is part of the back surface 102 of the support base 100. The left first portion 110A is a downward-facing flat surface adjacent from the left to the left first guide rib 119A and the rear guide groove 109B, and extending in the width direction and the second direction D2. The right first portion 110B is a downward-facing flat surface adjacent from the right to the right first guide rib 119B and the front guide groove 109A, and extending in the width direction and the second direction D2.

[0068] The second direction D2 is slightly inclined with respect to the left-right direction, shifting downwards while moving to the left and upwards while moving to the right. The second direction D2 is perpendicular to the first direction D1 and the width direction.

[0069] As shown in Figure 8, the left first part 110A rotates 180° around the axis X1, causing it to almost coincide with the right first part 110B. In other words, the left first part 110A and the right first part 110B have almost identical configurations, differing only in their arrangement and orientation.

[0070] As shown in Figures 8 and 10, the left engaging portion 116A protrudes downward from the left first portion 110A parallel to the first direction D1 and extends in the width direction. The right engaging portion 116B protrudes downward from the right first portion 110B parallel to the first direction D1 and extends in the width direction. The left engaging portion 116A and the right engaging portion 116B face each other in the second direction D2 with their axes X1 positioned between them.

[0071] As shown in Figure 8, the widthwise length of the left engaging portion 116A and the widthwise length of the right engaging portion 116B are significantly shorter than the widthwise length of the back surface 102. The left engaging portion 116A and the right engaging portion 116B each have a thicker portion located near the axis X1 and are thicker than other parts.

[0072] The left engaging portion 116A rotates 180° around the axis X1, causing it to substantially coincide with the right engaging portion 116B. In other words, the left engaging portion 116A and the right engaging portion 116B have substantially the same configuration, differing only in their arrangement and orientation.

[0073] As shown in Figures 8 and 10, the second portion 120 (120A, 120B) has second guide ribs 129A, 129B and pressing portions 121 (121A, 121B).

[0074] In the left-side second portion 120A, the left-side second guide rib 129A is a rib that protrudes downward parallel to the first direction D1 and extends in the width direction from the back surface 102 of the support base 100, at a position separated to the left from the left-side engaging portion 116A.

[0075] As shown in Figure 8, the left second guide rib 129A is bent in a crank shape to the right near the front end of the left engaging portion 116A and extends forward adjacent to the left first portion 110A. Furthermore, the left second guide rib 129A is bent in a crank shape to the right near the rear end of the left engaging portion 116A and extends rearward adjacent to the left first portion 110A.

[0076] The left pressing portion 121A has an arm 122A and a sliding contact portion 123A. The arm 122A and the sliding contact portion 123A are formed inside a hole 127A that is formed in the portion of the support base 100 sandwiched between the left second guide rib 129A and the left engaging portion 116A. As shown in Figure 9, the hole 127A penetrates the support base 100 in the vertical direction.

[0077] As shown in Figure 8, the arm 122A has a cantilevered shape that protrudes backward from the front inner periphery of the hole 127A and is formed to be elastically deformable. The sliding contact portion 123A is connected to the rear end of the arm 122A.

[0078] The second part 120A on the left is located on the opposite side of the axis X1 from the left engaging part 116A, that is, to the left.

[0079] As shown in Figures 8 and 10, in the right-side second portion 120B, the right-side second guide rib 129B is a rib that protrudes downward parallel to the first direction D1 and extends in the width direction from the back surface 102 of the support base 100, at a position separated to the right from the right-side engaging portion 116B.

[0080] As shown in Figure 8, the right-side second guide rib 129B is bent in a crank shape to the left near the rear end of the right-side engaging portion 116B and extends rearward adjacent to the right-side first portion 110B. Furthermore, the right-side second guide rib 129B is bent in a crank shape to the left near the front end of the right-side engaging portion 116B and extends forward adjacent to the right-side first portion 110B.

[0081] The pressing portion 121B on the right has an arm 122B and a sliding contact portion 123B. The arm 122B and the sliding contact portion 123B are formed inside a hole 127B that is formed in the portion of the support base 100 sandwiched between the right second guide rib 129B and the right engaging portion 116B. As shown in Figure 9, the hole 127B penetrates the support base 100 in the vertical direction.

[0082] As shown in Figure 8, the arm 122B is a cantilevered beam shape that protrudes forward from the rear inner periphery of the hole 127B and is formed to be elastically deformable. The sliding contact portion 123B is connected to the front end of the arm 122B.

[0083] The second portion 120B on the right is located on the opposite side of the axis X1 from the right engaging portion 116B, that is, to the right.

[0084] The left-hand second part 120A (second guide rib 129A and pressing part 121A) rotates 180° around the axis X1 to approximately coincide with the right-hand second part 120B (second guide rib 129B and pressing part 121B). In other words, the left-hand second part 120A and the right-hand second part 120B have almost identical configurations, differing only in their arrangement and orientation.

[0085] <Torsion coil spring that biases the sliding contact area> As shown in Figures 5 and 7, the supply tray 90 has torsion coil springs 124A and 124B. The torsion coil spring 124A on the left and the torsion coil spring 124B on the right are the same part, differing only in their arrangement and orientation when assembled to the support base 100.

[0086] As shown in Figure 7, the left torsion coil spring 124A biases the sliding contact portion 123A to the right by having its coil portion engage with the sliding contact portion 123A of the left pressing portion 121A, and its two ends engaging with the left second guide rib 129A.

[0087] The torsion coil spring 124B on the right biases the sliding contact portion 123B to the left by having its coil portion engage with the sliding contact portion 123B of the pressing portion 121B on the right, and its two ends engaging with the second guide rib 129B on the right.

[0088] <Protruding part of the support base> As shown in Figures 6, 8, and 10, the support base 100 has protrusions 128 (128A, 128B).

[0089] The left projection 128A is formed in the middle of the width direction of the arm 122A of the left pressing portion 121A. The left projection 128A protrudes briefly downward from the lower end edge of the left arm 122A, then bends and protrudes to the right along the second direction D2, approaching the left engaging portion 116A.

[0090] The right-side projection 128B is formed in the widthwise middle portion of the arm 122B of the right-side pressing portion 121B. The right-side projection 128B protrudes briefly downward from the lower end edge of the right-side arm 122B, then bends and protrudes to the left along the second direction D2, approaching the right-side engaging portion 116B.

[0091] As shown in Figure 8, the left protrusion 128A rotates 180° around the axis X1, causing it to coincide with the right protrusion 128B. In other words, the left protrusion 128A and the right protrusion 128B have essentially the same configuration, differing only in their arrangement and orientation.

[0092] As shown in Figure 10, the projection 128 has a second contact surface 128T. The second contact surface 128T is an upward-facing flat surface extending in the width direction and in the second direction D2. The second contact surface 128T is located slightly further away from the first portion 110 than the first contact surface 161T in the first direction D1. The second contact surface 128T is on the opposite side of the flange 161 from the first contact surface 161T and can contact the second surface 132 of the rack 130, which will be described later.

[0093] <Privacy screen> As shown in Figures 3 and 9, the support base 100 has a cover plate 105. The cover plate 105 is a thin sheet made of resin. The cover plate 105 is attached to the center of the sheet support surface 101 in the width direction by means of double-sided tape or the like.

[0094] The cover plate 105 covers the pressing portion 121 and the protruding portion 128 from above. The cover plate 105 hides the holes 127A and 127B that are formed when the pressing portion 121 and the protruding portion 128 are injection molded by the mold. A mark indicating the orientation in which the sheet SH is placed can be printed on the cover plate 105.

[0095] As shown in Figures 5-7 and 10-12, the supply tray 90 has a pair of racks 130 (130A, 130B) located on the back surface 102 side of the support base 100. The left rack 130A and the right rack 130B are identical parts, differing only in their arrangement and orientation when assembled to the support base 100. Figures 11 and 12 illustrate the left rack 130A.

[0096] As shown in Figures 5, 11, and 12, the rack 130 extends elongated in the width direction from the tip portion 138. The rack 130 has a first surface 131, a second surface 132, a side end surface 134, rack teeth 130G, and a groove portion 136.

[0097] The tip portion 130G1 of the rack teeth 130G of rack 130 has a chamfered edge in the direction from the second surface 132 to the first surface 131, which prevents the rack teeth 130G and the gear teeth of the pinion gear 160 from coming into contact and making assembly difficult when assembling the pinion gear 160.

[0098] As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the first surface 131 is an upward-facing flat surface extending in the width direction and the second direction D2. As shown in Figures 5 and 12, the second surface 132 is the surface opposite to the first surface 131. The second surface 132 is a downward-facing flat surface extending in the width direction and the second direction D2.

[0099] The side end face 134 is a side end face facing one side of the second direction D2 and is a flat surface extending in the width direction and the first direction D1. The rack teeth 130G are formed on the side end face opposite to the side end face 134. The rack teeth 130G have a plurality of gear teeth arranged in the width direction.

[0100] As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the groove 136 is recessed downward from the first surface 131, parallel to the first direction D1, and extends in the width direction. The groove 136 extends from the vicinity of the tip 138 to the end opposite to the tip 138. The side end surface 134 extends in the width direction on the side opposite to the rack teeth 130G relative to the groove 136.

[0101] As shown in Figure 5, the rack 130 has a connecting end 139, which is the end opposite to the tip 138. The connecting end 139 has a roughly rectangular fitting hole. As shown in Figure 4, the fitting hole of the connecting end 139 can be fitted to the lower ends of the guided portions 190A3 and 190B3.

[0102] As shown in Figures 5, 11, and 12, the rack 130 further has a through hole 150. The through hole 150 is an example of the "recess" of the present invention. The through hole 150 is a substantially rectangular hole that is recessed from the second surface 132 toward the first surface 131 and communicates with the groove 136. In the width direction, the through hole 150 is located closer to the tip portion 138 than to the connecting end portion 139.

[0103] The rack 130 is a one-piece molded product made of resin material. In this embodiment, the rack 130 is manufactured by injection molding of thermoplastic resin or the like.

[0104] The following describes the state in which a pair of racks 130 are assembled on a support base 100.

[0105] As shown in Figure 4, the left rack 130A is connected to the rear guide 190B by the fitting hole of the connecting end 139 fitting into the lower end of the guided portion 190B3.

[0106] As shown in Figure 7, the left rack 130A is sandwiched between the left first guide rib 119A and the left second guide rib 129A. As shown in Figure 10, the first surface 131 of the left rack 130A is in contact with the left first portion 110A. The first surface 131 of the left rack 130A is in sliding contact with the left first portion 110A.

[0107] As shown in Figures 7 and 10, the left engaging portion 116A engages with the groove 136 of the left rack 130A while allowing the left rack 130A to move linearly. The rack teeth 130G of the left rack 130A mesh with the gear teeth of the pinion gear 160.

[0108] As shown in Figure 7, the left pressing portion 121A presses the left rack 130A toward the pinion gear 160 along the second direction D2, that is, toward the right, by sliding contact portion 123A, which is biased by the left torsion coil spring 124A, against the side end face 134 of the left rack 130A.

[0109] In this case, the thickened portion of the left-side engaging portion 116A abuts against the groove portion 136 of the left-side rack 130A, thereby preventing the meshing between the rack teeth 130G of the left-side rack 130A and the gear teeth of the pinion gear 160 from becoming too deep.

[0110] As shown in Figure 4, the right-hand rack 130B is connected to the front guide 190A by fitting the fitting hole of the connecting end 139 into the lower end of the guided portion 190A3.

[0111] As shown in Figure 7, the right rack 130B is sandwiched between the right first guide rib 119B and the right second guide rib 129B. As shown in Figure 10, the first surface 131 of the right rack 130B is in contact with the right first portion 110B. The first surface 131 of the right rack 130B is in sliding contact with the right first portion 110B.

[0112] As shown in Figures 7 and 10, the right-hand engaging portion 116B engages with the groove portion 136 of the right-hand rack 130B while allowing the right-hand rack 130B to move linearly. The rack teeth 130G of the right-hand rack 130B mesh with the gear teeth of the pinion gear 160.

[0113] As shown in Figure 7, the pressing portion 121B on the right presses the right rack 130B in a leftward direction, that is, by sliding contact portion 123B, which is biased by the torsion coil spring 124B on the right, against the side end face 134 of the right rack 130B, thereby bringing the right rack 130B closer to the pinion gear 160 along the second direction D2.

[0114] In this case, the thickened portion of the right-side engaging portion 116B abuts against the groove portion 136 of the right-side rack 130B, thereby preventing the meshing between the rack teeth 130G of the right-side rack 130B and the gear teeth of the pinion gear 160 from becoming too deep.

[0115] As shown in Figures 7 and 10, the flange 161 of the pinion gear 160 prevents the left rack 130A from separating from the left first portion 110A along the first direction D1 by having its first contact surface 161T contact the second surface 132 of the left rack 130A. Similarly, the flange 161 of the pinion gear 160 prevents the right rack 130B from separating from the right first portion 110B along the first direction D1 by having its first contact surface 161T contact the second surface 132 of the right rack 130B.

[0116] The left protrusion 128A protrudes from the left second portion 120A along the second direction D2, passing over the side end face 134 of the left rack 130A and approaching the left engaging portion 116A. The left protrusion 128A prevents the left rack 130A from tilting so that the side end face 134 of the first surface 131 is further forward from the first portion 110A on the pinion gear 160 side, by having the second contact surface 128T of the left protrusion 128A contact the second surface 132 on the opposite side from the first contact surface 161T of the flange 161.

[0117] The right-side projection 128B protrudes from the right-side second portion 120B along the second direction D2, passing over the side end face 134 of the right-side rack 130B and approaching the right-side engaging portion 116B. The right-side projection 128B prevents the right-side rack 130B from tilting so that the side end face 134 of the first surface 131 is separated from the first portion 110B which is rearward of the pinion gear 160 on the first surface 131, by having the second contact surface 128T of the right-side projection 128B contact the second surface 132 on the opposite side from the first contact surface 161T of the flange 161.

[0118] Thus, the left rack 130A and the right rack 130B face each other in the second direction D2 with the pinion gear 160 in between, and are supported by the support base 100 so as to be able to move linearly in the width direction by meshing with the pinion gear 160.

[0119] <Positioning the sheet using a pair of guides> As shown in Figures 1 and 3, when the user operates one of the guides 190A and 190B to move linearly in the width direction, the pair of racks 130 move closer to and further apart from each other in the width direction in response to the rotation of the pinion gear 160. As a result, the pair of guides 190A and 190B connected to the pair of racks 130 position the sheet SH supported on the support base 100 in the width direction.

[0120] <Lower chute member, upper chute member, and top cover> As shown in Figure 2, the document cover 9 has a lower chute member 37, an upper chute member 36, and a top cover 20, each made of resin. The lower chute member 37, the upper chute member 36, and the top cover 20 are each integrally molded products made of resin material. In this embodiment, the lower chute member 37, the upper chute member 36, and the top cover 20 are each manufactured by injection molding of thermoplastic resin or the like.

[0121] The lower chute member 37 is located above the left portion of the base member 39. The upper chute member 36 is located above the lower chute member 37 and below the top cover 20.

[0122] The upper chute member 36 has a sheet mounting section 36A. The sheet mounting section 36A is the right portion of the upper chute member 36 and slopes gently downward to the left. The right end of the sheet mounting section 36A is adjacent to the left end of the support base 100, where it is covered from above by the top cover 20.

[0123] When the user places the sheet SH on the supply tray 90, they insert the sheet SH between the top cover 20 and the sheet mounting section 36A. As a result, the sheet mounting section 36A places on the portion of the sheet SH that protrudes to the left of the left end of the support base 100, which is supported on the supply tray 90.

[0124] <First to third transport guides and transport section> The document cover 9 has a first transport guide 31, a second transport guide 32, a third transport guide 33, and a transport section 4. The first transport guide 31, the second transport guide 32, the third transport guide 33, and the transport section 4 are located inside the left portion of the document cover 9.

[0125] The first transport guide 31 consists of a guide surface 36G formed on the left portion of the upper chute member 36, and ribs protruding downward from the back surface of the top cover 20. The second transport guide 32 and the third transport guide 33 consist of guide surfaces formed on the left portion of the base member 39 and the lower chute member 37.

[0126] The transport section 4 includes a feeding roller 41, a separation roller 42, and a separation pad 42A.

[0127] The feeding roller 41 faces the sheet placement section 36A from above. The separating roller 42 faces the guide surface 36G from above. The separating pad 42A is held by the upper chute member 36 so as to be exposed on the guide surface 36G and is pressed toward the separating roller 42.

[0128] The transport unit 4 includes a transport roller 43, a transport pinch roller 43P, a document holder 44, a discharge roller 45, a discharge pinch roller 45P, an auxiliary discharge roller 47, and an elastic piece 48.

[0129] The transport roller 43 is located on the left side wall of the document cover 9, close to the top surface of the main body 8. The transport pinch roller 43P is located to the left and below the transport roller 43 and is pressed toward the transport roller 43. The document holder 44 is located directly above the reading surface 3B.

[0130] The discharge roller 45 is located above and to the left of the left edge of the discharge tray 96. The discharge pinch roller 45P is located below the discharge roller 45 and is pressed toward the discharge roller 45.

[0131] The auxiliary discharge roller 47 is positioned above the left edge of the discharge tray 96 and slightly to the left of the left edge of the discharge tray 96. The upper end of the auxiliary discharge roller 47 is positioned above the nip position between the discharge roller 45 and the discharge pinch roller 45P.

[0132] The elastic piece 48 is made of a highly rigid film. The elastic piece 48 is cantilevered between the discharge roller 45 and the auxiliary discharge roller 47 and protrudes to the right.

[0133] Although not shown in the diagram, the transport unit 4 has a plurality of auxiliary discharge rollers 47 and a plurality of elastic pieces 48, and the auxiliary discharge rollers 47 and elastic pieces 48 are arranged alternately in the front-rear direction.

[0134] The first transport guide 31 guides the sheet SH, which is transported from the supply tray 90 and the sheet placement section 36A by the feed roller 41, to the left via the separation roller 42, then makes a U-turn downwards, and guides it to the transport roller 43 and the transport pinch roller 43P.

[0135] The second transport guide 32 guides the sheet SH so that it slopes downward from the transport roller 43 and the transport pinch roller 43P to the reading surface 3B, and then guides it so that it passes between the document holder 44 and the reading surface 3B, that is, above the reading sensor 3S which is in the stationary reading position.

[0136] The third transport guide 33 guides the sheet SH to the right of the reading surface 3B so that it slopes upward to the right, and guides the sheet SH to the auxiliary discharge roller 47 and the elastic piece 48.

[0137] <Image scanning operation of a document supported in the supply tray> When the image reading unit 3 reads an image of the sheet SH supported on the supply tray 90, a control unit (not shown) operates the transport unit 4. The transport unit 4 rotates the feed roller 41 and the separation roller 42 in the clockwise direction in Figure 2, the transport roller 43 and the discharge roller 45 in the counterclockwise direction in Figure 2, and the auxiliary discharge roller 47 in the clockwise direction in Figure 2.

[0138] The feeding roller 41 feeds the sheets SH from the supply tray 90 and the sheet placement section 36A to the first transport guide 31. The separating roller 42 and the separating pad 42A separate the sheets SH being transported by the feeding roller 41 into individual sheets if there are multiple sheets, and transport them toward the transport roller 43 and the transport pinch roller 43P.

[0139] The transport roller 43 and the transport pinch roller 43P transport the sheet SH, which is guided by the first transport guide 31 and the second transport guide 32, through the reading surface 3B and send it to the third transport guide 33. As a result, the reading sensor 3S reads the image of the sheet SH as it passes through the reading surface 3B.

[0140] Subsequently, the discharge roller 45 and discharge pinch roller 45P transport the sheet SH, which is guided by the third transport guide 33, toward the auxiliary discharge roller 47 and elastic piece 48. The auxiliary discharge roller 47 and elastic piece 48 discharge the sheet SH into the discharge tray 96 while deforming it into a corrugated shape.

[0141] In this process, the auxiliary discharge roller 47 and elastic piece 48 discharge the sheet SH to the discharge tray 96 from a position higher than the nip position of the discharge roller 45 and discharge pinch roller 45P.

[0142] Subsequently, the control unit (not shown) stops the transport unit 4 and terminates the image reading operation when it determines that there are no more sheets SH supported on the supply tray 90.

[0143] In other words, the sheet SH supported by the sheet support surface 101 is transported from the sheet support surface 101 to the left, makes a U-turn downwards, and then transported to the right along the back surface 102.

[0144] <Regulation board> As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the support base 100 has regulating plates 108A1, 108A2, 108B1, and 108B2 formed on the back surface 102 side.

[0145] The restricting plates 108A1 and 108A2 extend along the second direction D2 so as to straddle the front end 138 of the left rack 130A, at a position where they can face the front end 138 of the left rack 130A in the first direction D1. The restricting plate 108A2 is located near the front end of the back surface 102.

[0146] The right ends of the regulating plates 108A1 and 108A2 are connected to the lower end of the leftmost first guide rib 119A. The left ends of the regulating plates 108A1 and 108A2 are connected to the lower end of the leftmost second guide rib 129A.

[0147] Although not shown in the diagram, the restricting plates 108A1 and 108A2 can come into contact with the second surface 132 on the tip end 138 side of the left rack 130A when the left rack 130A moves forward.

[0148] The restricting plates 108B1 and 108B2 extend along the second direction D2 so as to straddle the tip 138 side of the right rack 130B, at a position where they can face the tip 138 side of the right rack 130B in the first direction D1. The restricting plate 108B2 is located near the rear end of the back surface 102.

[0149] The left ends of the regulating plates 108B1 and 108B2 are connected to the lower end of the first guide rib 119B on the right. The right ends of the regulating plates 108B1 and 108B2 are connected to the lower end of the second guide rib 129B on the right.

[0150] Although not shown in the diagram, the restricting plates 108B1 and 108B2 can come into contact with the second surface 132 on the tip end 138 side of the right rack 130B when the right rack 130B moves backward.

[0151] The restricting plates 108A1, 108A2, 108B1, and 108B2 can prevent the front end 138 of the rack 130 from moving away from the first part 110 of the support base 100 along the first direction D1, and as a result, can prevent the sheet SH being transported along the back surface 102 from getting caught on the front end 138 of the rack 130.

[0152] <Conveyor Ribs> As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the support base 100 has transport ribs 107A and 107B formed on the back surface 102 side.

[0153] There are multiple conveying ribs 107A, located to the left of the regulating plate 108A1 and arranged in the width direction. When viewed along the width direction, the conveying ribs 107A have a roughly triangular shape that tapers to the left. The right end of the conveying rib 107A is connected to the second guide rib 129A on the left.

[0154] The transport rib 107A protrudes downward in the first direction D1 to a position that is further to the left of the regulating plate 108A1 and the second guide rib 129A to the left, away from the first portion 110A.

[0155] The transport rib 107A can contact and guide the sheet SH being transported along the back surface 102 before the regulating plate 108A1 and the second guide rib 129A on the left.

[0156] There are multiple conveying ribs 107B, located to the left of the regulating plate 108B1 and arranged in the width direction. When viewed along the width direction, the conveying ribs 107B have the same roughly triangular shape as the conveying ribs 107A. The right end of the conveying rib 107B is connected to the second guide rib 129A on the left.

[0157] The transport rib 107B protrudes downward in the first direction D1 to a position that is further to the left of the regulating plate 108B1 and the second guide rib 129A to the left, and away from the first portion 110A.

[0158] The transport rib 107B can contact and guide the sheet SH being transported along the back surface 102 before the regulating plate 108B1 and the second guide rib 129A on the left.

[0159] The conveying ribs 107A and 107B can prevent the sheet SH being conveyed along the back surface 102 from getting caught on the front end 138 of the rack 130.

[0160] <Guide film> As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the support base 100 has guide film holding portions 106A1 and 106B1 formed on the back surface 102 side.

[0161] The guide film holder 106A1 is located to the left of the regulating plate 108A2 and extends in the width direction. When viewed along the width direction, the guide film holder 106A1 has a roughly triangular shape that tapers to the left. The right end of the guide film holder 106A1 is connected to the second guide rib 129A on the left.

[0162] The guide film holder 106B1 is located to the left of the regulating plate 108B2 and extends in the width direction. When viewed along the width direction, the guide film holder 106B1 has the same approximately triangular shape as the guide film holder 106A1. The right end of the guide film holder 106B1 is connected to the second guide rib 129A on the left.

[0163] As shown in Figure 4, guide film 106A is attached to guide film holder 106A1. Guide film 106B is attached to guide film holder 106B1. Guide films 106A and 106B are made of highly rigid film.

[0164] The guide film 106A extends downward and to the right, inclined to separate from the first portion 110A to the left of the regulating plate 108A2 in the first direction D1, and covers the regulating plate 108A2.

[0165] The guide film 106B extends downward and to the right, inclined to separate from the first portion 110B to the right of the regulating plate 108B2 in the first direction D1, and covers the regulating plate 108B2.

[0166] As shown in Figure 2, the guide films 106A and 106B can contact and guide the sheet SH being transported along the back surface 102. The guide films 106A and 106B can reliably prevent the sheet SH being transported along the back surface 102 from getting caught on the front end 138 side of the rack 130.

[0167] <Configuration for mounting the rack to the support base> As shown in Figure 5, in this embodiment, if we were to attempt to assemble the rack 130 to the support base 100 by moving it linearly along the first direction D1, the rack 130 would interfere with the protruding portion 128, making it difficult to assemble the rack 130 to the support base 100.

[0168] Therefore, the image reading device 1 is configured to insert the protruding part 128 into the through hole 150 described above and perform the operation of assembling the rack 130 onto the support base 100. In the following description, the operation of assembling the left rack 130A onto the support base 100 will be explained with reference to Figures 12 to 16, and the operation of assembling the right rack 130B onto the support base 100 will be similar, so the explanation and illustration will be omitted.

[0169] As shown in Figure 5, the length of the through hole 150 in the width direction is defined as the first length L1. The length of the projection 128 in the width direction is defined as the second length L2. The first length L1 is longer than the second length L2, but shorter than twice the second length L2. This allows the through hole 150 to be easily positioned in the width direction relative to the projection 128 when the projection 128 is inserted into the through hole 150.

[0170] The BB cross section shown in Figure 12 is the first cross section of the rack 130 (130A), which is perpendicular to the width direction and intersects with the through hole 150.

[0171] The CC cross section shown in Figure 13 is a second cross section of the support base 100, which is perpendicular to the width direction and intersects with the engaging portion 116 (116A) and the protruding portion 128 (128A).

[0172] Figures 14 to 16 show the first cross-section of rack 130 (130A) and the second cross-section of support base 100.

[0173] As shown in Figure 12, when the rack 130 (130A) is viewed in a first cross-section, the length from the side end face 134 to the through hole 150 is defined as the fourth length L4. As shown in Figure 13, when the support base 100 is viewed in a second cross-section, the distance between the second contact surface 128T of the protruding portion 128 (128A) and the apex 116T of the engaging portion 116 (116A) in the first direction D1 is defined as the fifth length L5. The fourth length L4 is smaller than the fifth length L5.

[0174] With this configuration, as shown in Figure 14, the rack 130 (130A) is configured such that the groove 136 is separated from the engaging portion 116 (116A), and the pinion gear 160 side of the first surface 131 is tilted to be further away from the support base 100 than the side end surface 134 side of the first surface 131. This configuration allows the projection 128 (128A) to enter the through hole 150.

[0175] In this case, if the fourth length L4 is slightly smaller than the fifth length L5, the protrusion 128 (128A) can be inserted into the through hole 150 of the rack 130 (130A) with the rack 130 (130A) positioned so that the first surface 131 is approximately perpendicular to the first portion 110 (110A).

[0176] As shown in Figure 12, when the rack 130 (130A) is viewed in a first cross-section, the length of the diagonal of the substantially rectangular cross-sectional portion 135 located between the side end face 134 and the through hole 150 is defined as the sixth length L6. As shown in Figure 13, when the support base 100 is viewed in a second cross-section, the length of the side S1A extending along the first direction D1 of the substantially rectangular cross-sectional space S1 surrounded by the first part 110 (110A), the second part 120 (arm 122A), the protrusion 128 (128A), and the engaging part 116 (116A) is defined as the seventh length L7, and the length of the side S1B extending along the second direction D2 of the substantially rectangular cross-sectional space S1 is defined as the eighth length L8. The sixth length L6 is smaller than the seventh length L7 and the eighth length L8.

[0177] With this configuration, as shown in Figure 14, after the assembly worker tilts the rack 130 (130A) to allow the protrusion 128 (128A) to enter the through hole 150 as far as possible, as shown in Figure 15, the rack 130 (130A) can be easily assembled to the support base 100 by simply rotating the rack 130 (130A) to eliminate the tilt, while suppressing the protrusion 128 (128A) from hindering the movement of the rack 130 (130A), and as shown in Figure 16, engaging the engaging portion 116 (116A) with the groove portion 136 and bringing the first surface 131 into contact with the first portion 110 (110A).

[0178] <Front cover> As shown in Figures 1 and 17, the document cover 9 has a front cover 99. The front cover 99 is positioned above the left portion of the front end of the base member 39. The front cover 99 is an outer cover that covers the front end of the base member 39, the front end of the upper chute member 36, the fixing portion 103A of the support base 100, etc., as shown in Figure 18.

[0179] The front cover 99 is a single molded product made of resin material. In this embodiment, the front cover 99 is manufactured by injection molding of thermoplastic resin or the like.

[0180] As shown in Figures 1 and 17, the front side of the front cover 99 has an upper portion that protrudes further forward than the lower portion, and the step between the upper and lower portions is the handle portion 99N.

[0181] When the user swings the document cover 9 upward and backward around the pivot axis X9, they place their hand on the handle portion 99N and lift the document cover 9. For this reason, the front cover 99 has the assembly configuration described below to prevent it from rattling due to the force applied at that time.

[0182] As shown in Figure 19, multiple reinforcing ribs 99R are formed on the back side of the front surface of the front cover 99. Each reinforcing rib 99R protrudes backward from the back side of the front surface of the front cover 99 and extends vertically from the back side of the handle portion 99N to the upper wall of the front cover 99. Each reinforcing rib 99R improves the rigidity of the front cover 99 itself.

[0183] Positioning holes 99H1, 99H2 and screw holes 99S1, 99S2 are formed in the bottom wall of the front cover 99. Engaging protrusions 99T1, 99T2, and 99T3 are formed on the upper wall of the front cover 99 so as to protrude downward. A restricted surface 99K is formed on the left portion of the rear end edge of the upper wall of the front cover 99. The restricted surface 99K is a rearward-facing flat surface that extends elongated in the left-right direction.

[0184] As shown in Figure 18, positioning bosses 39B1, 39B2 and through holes 39H1, 39H2 are formed on the left portion of the front end of the base member 39.

[0185] An engaging recess 36T1 and a restricting projection 36K are formed on the upper surface side of the front end of the upper chute member 36. The restricting projection 36K consists of a rib that protrudes upward from the upper surface of the front end of the upper chute member 36 and extends in the width direction, and a plurality of reinforcing ribs that connect to the rib from the rear.

[0186] As shown in Figures 3 and 18, engaging recesses 100T2 and 100T3 are formed on the upper surface of the fixing portion 103A of the support base 100.

[0187] When assembling the front cover 99 to the base member 39, the worker inserts the positioning hole 99H1 into the positioning boss 39B1, the positioning boss 39B2 into the positioning boss 39B2, the engaging projection 99T1 into the engaging recess 36T1, the engaging projection 99T2 into the engaging recess 100T2, and the engaging projection 99T3 into the engaging recess 100T3.

[0188] Then, the worker inserts the screws 99F1 and 99F2 shown in Figure 18 into the insertion holes 39H1 and 39H2 from below the base member 39 and screws them into the screw holes 99S1 and 99S2, thereby assembling the front cover 99 to the base member 39, etc.

[0189] As a result, the restricting projection 36K and the restricted surface 99K come into contact in the front-rear direction, so even if a force acts on the front cover 99 to move it backward, the restricting projection 36K can reliably restrict the front cover 99 via the restricted surface 99K.

[0190] <Effects and Effects> In the image reading device 1 of Embodiment 1, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, when the user operates one of the guides 190A and 190B to move linearly in the width direction, the pair of racks 130 move closer to and further apart from each other in the width direction in accordance with the rotation of the pinion gear 160. As a result, the pair of guides 190A and 190B connected to the pair of racks 130 position the sheet SH supported on the support base 100 in the width direction.

[0191] In this case, as shown in Figures 7 and 10, the engaging portion 116 engages with the groove portion 136 while allowing the rack 130 to move linearly, thereby suppressing the meshing between the rack 130 and the pinion gear 160 from becoming too deep.

[0192] The flange 161 prevents the rack 130 from separating from the first portion 110 of the support base 100 along the first direction D1 by having the first contact surface 161T contact the second surface 132.

[0193] Furthermore, the protruding portion 128, by having its second contact surface 1281T contact the second surface 132 on the side opposite to the flange 161, prevents the rack 130 from tilting so that the side end surface 134 on the first surface 131 is further away from the first portion 110 of the support base 100 than the pinion gear 160 on the first surface 131.

[0194] As a result, this image reading device 1 can smoothly move the rack 130 and guides 190A and 190B in the width direction, and can suppress the discomfort caused by the tilt of the rack 130 when the user operates the guides 190A and 190B.

[0195] Furthermore, in this image reading device 1, as shown in Figure 5, if we were to attempt to move the rack 130 linearly along the first direction D1 and assemble it onto the support base 100, the rack 130 would interfere with the protruding portion 128, resulting in the problem of difficulty in assembling the rack 130 onto the support base 100.

[0196] In this regard, as shown in Figure 14, the image reading device 1 has a through hole 150 in the rack 130. The rack 130 is tilted such that the groove 136 is separated from the engagement portion 116 and the pinion gear 160 side of the first surface 131 is separated from the first portion 110 of the support base 100 more than the side end surface 134 side of the first surface 131. This allows the projection 128 to enter the through hole 150.

[0197] As a result, the image reading device 1 can easily secure space around the engaging portion 116 and the protruding portion 128 to rotate the rack 130 so as to eliminate the tilt of the rack 130, as shown in Figures 15 and 16.

[0198] Then, the assembly worker can easily assemble the rack 130 to the support base 100 simply by rotating the rack 130 to eliminate any tilt, while preventing the protrusion 128 from hindering the movement of the rack. The pinion gear 160 is rotatably supported on the support base 100 after the rack 130 has been assembled to the support base 100.

[0199] Therefore, the image reading device 1 of Embodiment 1 can suppress the discomfort caused by the tilt of the rack 130 when the user operates the guides 190A and 190B, and the rack 130 can be easily assembled to the support base 100.

[0200] Furthermore, in this image reading device 1, the recess in the rack 130 is a through hole 150 that communicates with the groove 136. This configuration makes it difficult for uneven thickness to occur in the rack 130, thereby suppressing deformation of the rack 130.

[0201] Furthermore, in this image reading device 1, as shown in Figure 5, the first length L1 is longer than the second length L2, and shorter than twice the second length L2. This configuration allows the through hole 150 to be easily positioned in the width direction relative to the protrusion 128 when the protrusion 128 is inserted into the through hole 150.

[0202] Furthermore, in this image reading device 1, as shown in Figure 8, the protrusion 128 is formed on the pressing portion 121. With this configuration, even if the protrusion 128 comes into contact with the rack 130 when the rack 130 is assembled to the support base 100, the elastic deformation of the pressing portion 121 can prevent the protrusion 128 from being pressed excessively against the rack 130. As a result, this image reading device 1 can easily assemble the rack 130 to the support base 100 while suppressing damage to the protrusion 128.

[0203] Furthermore, in this image reading device 1, as shown in Figure 9, the support base 100 has a cover plate 105. With this configuration, the holes 127A and 127B formed when the pressing portion 121 and the protruding portion 128 are injection molded by the mold can be hidden by the cover plate 105. As a result, the cover plate 105 can suppress snagging when the user places the sheet SH on the sheet support surface 101.

[0204] Furthermore, in this image reading device 1, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the support base 100 has regulating plates 108A1, 108A2, 108B1, and 108B2. With this configuration, the regulating plates 108A1, 108A2, 108B1, and 108B2 can suppress the front end 138 side of the rack 130 from moving away from the first part 110 of the support base 100 along the first direction D1. As a result, this image reading device 1 can prevent the sheet SH being transported along the back surface 102 from getting caught on the front end 138 side of the rack 130.

[0205] Furthermore, in this image reading device 1, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the support base 100 has transport ribs 107A and 107B. The transport ribs 107A and 107B protrude downward in the first direction D1 to a position further away from the first portion 110 than the regulating plates 108A1 and 108B1. With this configuration, the transport ribs 107A and 107B can reliably prevent the sheet SH being transported along the back surface 102 from getting caught on the front end 138 side of the rack 130.

[0206] Furthermore, in this image reading device 1, as shown in Figure 4, guide films 106A and 106B are attached to the guide film holding parts 106A1 and 106B1 of the support base 100. The guide films 106A and 106B extend in the first direction D1 so as to be further away from the first part 110 than the regulating plates 108A2 and 108B2, and cover the regulating plates 108A2 and 108B2. With this configuration, the guide films 106A and 106B can reliably prevent the sheet SH being transported along the back surface 102 from getting caught on the front end 138 side of the rack 130.

[0207] Furthermore, in this image reading device 1, the fourth length L4 shown in Figure 12 is smaller than the fifth length L5 shown in Figure 13. The sixth length L6 shown in Figure 12 is smaller than the seventh length L7 and the eighth length L8 shown in Figure 13. Because the fourth length L4 is smaller than the fifth length L5, as shown in Figure 14, the protrusion 128 can be inserted into the through hole 150 of the rack 130 when the rack 130 is positioned such that the side end face 134 approaches the first portion 110 and the first surface 131 is approximately perpendicular to the first portion 110. And because the sixth length L6 is smaller than the seventh length L7 and the eighth length L8, as shown in Figures 15 and 16, when the rack 130 is rotated to eliminate the tilt of the rack 130 after the protrusion 128 has been inserted into the through hole 150, it is possible to reliably suppress the protrusion 128 from obstructing the movement of the rack 130.

[0208] (Example 2) As shown in Figures 20 and 21, in the image reading device of Example 2, the rack 130 has a bottomed recess 250 instead of the through hole 150 of the image reading device 1 of Example 1. The bottomed recess 250 is an example of the "recess" of the present invention.

[0209] The bottomed recess 250 is a roughly rectangular recess that is recessed from the second surface 132 toward the first surface 131, but does not communicate with the groove 136. The bottomed recess 250 is located closer to the tip 138 than to the connecting end 139 in the width direction. The bottomed recess 250 is adjacent to the side end surface 134. The side end surface 134 side of the bottomed recess 250 is open. Figure 21 illustrates the left rack 130A.

[0210] The other components of Example 2 are the same as those of Example 1. Therefore, components identical to those of Example 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are omitted or simplified.

[0211] As shown in Figure 22, the rack 130 can insert the projection 128 into the bottomed recess 250 when the groove 136 is separated from the engagement portion 116 and the pinion gear 160 side of the first surface 131 is tilted so that it is further away from the first portion 110 of the support base 100 than the side end surface 134 side of the first surface 131.

[0212] As a result, the image reading device 1 can easily secure space around the engaging portion 116 and the protruding portion 128 to rotate the rack 130 so as to eliminate the tilt of the rack 130, as shown in Figure 23.

[0213] Then, the assembly worker can easily assemble the rack 130 to the support base 100 simply by rotating the rack 130 to eliminate any tilt, while preventing the protrusion 128 from hindering the movement of the rack.

[0214] Therefore, the image reading device of Example 2, like the image reading device 1 of Example 1, can suppress the discomfort caused by the tilt of the rack 130 when the user operates the guides 190A and 190B, and the rack 130 can be easily assembled to the support base 100.

[0215] Although the present invention has been described above in reference to Examples 1 and 2, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to Examples 1 and 2, and can be applied with appropriate modifications without departing from its spirit.

[0216] (Variation 1) In Example 1, the first length L1 is longer than the second length L2 and shorter than twice the second length L2, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. In Modification 1, which is one example, as shown in Figure 5, the third length L3 is the length of one tooth of the rack teeth 130G. The first length L1 is longer than the second length L2 and shorter than the sum of the second length L2 and the third length L3.

[0217] This configuration allows the left protrusion 128A to enter the through-hole 150 of the left rack 130A, and the right protrusion 128B to enter the through-hole 150 of the right rack 130B, making it easy to determine the correct phase of the pair of racks 130. As a result, this sheet support device makes it easy to assemble the pair of racks 130 onto the support base 100 with their phases aligned.

[0218] (Modification 2) In Example 1, the second contact surface 128T is located slightly further away from the first portion 110 than the first contact surface 161T in the first direction D1, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. In Modification 2, which is one example, the first contact surface 161T and the second contact surface 128T are located in the same position in the first direction D1.

[0219] With this configuration, when the rack 130 attempts to move away from the first portion 110 of the support base 100 along the first direction D1, the first contact surface 161T and the second contact surface 128T can contact the second surface 132 almost simultaneously. As a result, this seat support device can reliably suppress the tilting of the rack 130 such that the side end surface 134 on the first surface 131 moves further away from the first portion 110 of the support base 100 than the pinion gear 160 on the first surface 131.

[0220] In Examples 1 and 2, the sheet support device of the present invention was embodied as an image reading device 1 equipped with an image forming function and an image reading function, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the configuration of the present invention may be applied to an image reading device equipped only with an image reading function, or to an image forming device equipped only with an image forming function. [Explanation of symbols]

[0221] 1...Sheet support device (image reading device), SH...Sheet 100...Support stand, D1...First direction, X1...Axis center 160...Pinion gear, D2...Second direction 130...Rack, 139...Connection end 190A, 190B... Guide, 131... First page 132...Second surface, 136...Grove 134...side end face, 161...flange 110...first part, 116...engaging part 120...Second part, 128...Protrusion part 150, 250... recessed (150... through hole, 250... bottomed recess) L1...First length, L2...Second length 130G...Rack teeth, L3...Third length 161T…1st contact surface, 128T…2nd contact surface 121...Pressing part, 101...Sheet support surface 105... Covering panel, 102... Back side, 138... Front end of rack 108A1, 108A2, 108B1, 108B2...Regulation plate 107A, 107B... Conveyor ribs 106A, 106B… Guide film L4...Fourth length, 116T...Apex of the engagement portion L5...5th length, 135...approximately rectangular cross-sectional area L6…6th length, S1…approximately rectangular cross-sectional space S1A... A side extending along the first direction of a roughly rectangular cross-sectional space. S1B... A side extending along the second direction of a roughly rectangular cross-sectional space. L7...7th length, L8...8th length

Claims

1. A support base for the seat, A pinion gear supported on the support base so as to be rotatable about an axis extending in a first direction, A pair of racks are supported on the support base, facing each other in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, with the pinion gear in between, and meshing with the pinion gear, so as to be able to move linearly in the width direction perpendicular to the first and second directions, A pair of guides that can contact the sheet supported on the support base in the width direction and are connected to the respective connecting ends of the pair of racks, A seat support device equipped with, The rack has a first surface that slides against the support base, a second surface opposite to the first surface, a groove that is recessed from the first surface parallel to the first direction and extends in the width direction, and a side end surface that extends in the width direction on the side of the groove opposite to the pinion gear. The pinion gear has a flange that protrudes radially outward from the axis and is capable of contacting the second surface. The support base has a first portion that slides against the first surface, an engaging portion that protrudes from the first portion parallel to the first direction and engages with the groove while allowing the rack to move in a straight line, a second portion located on the opposite side of the axis from the engaging portion, and a protruding portion that protrudes from the second portion along the second direction, beyond the side end face, and approaches the engaging portion, and is capable of contacting the second surface. The rack further has a recess that is recessed from the second surface toward the first surface, The seat support device is characterized in that the rack is configured such that the groove is separated from the engagement portion and the pinion gear side of the first surface is tilted to be further away from the support base than the side end face side of the first surface.

2. The sheet support device according to claim 1, wherein the recess is a through hole communicating with the groove.

3. The length of the recess in the width direction is defined as the first length. If the length of the protruding portion in the width direction is defined as the second length, The sheet support device according to claim 2, wherein the first length is longer than the second length and shorter than twice the second length.

4. The length of the recess in the width direction is defined as the first length. The length of the protruding portion in the width direction is defined as the second length. If the length of one rack tooth that meshes with the pinion gear in the rack is defined as the third length, The sheet support device according to claim 2, wherein the first length is longer than the second length and shorter than the sum of the second length and the third length.

5. The flange has a first contact surface that can contact the second surface, The protruding portion has a second contact surface that can contact the second surface, The sheet support device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first contact surface and the second contact surface are in the same position in the first direction.

6. The second portion has a pressing portion which is formed to be elastically deformable and presses the rack toward the pinion gear along the second direction, The sheet support device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the protruding portion is formed on the pressing portion.

7. The sheet support device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the support base comprises a sheet support surface for supporting a sheet and a cover plate provided in the center of the sheet support surface in the width direction to cover the protruding portion.

8. The support base has a sheet support surface that supports the sheet and a back surface opposite to the sheet support surface. The pair of guides are located on the sheet support surface side, The pinion gear and the pair of racks are located on the rear side, The sheet supported on the sheet support surface is transported from the sheet support surface, makes a U-turn, and then transported along the back surface. The rack has a tip opposite to the connecting end, The sheet support device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the support base has a regulating plate that extends along the second direction so as to be able to straddle the front end side of the rack at a position that is able to face the front end side of the rack in the first direction, and is able to abut against the second surface of the front end side.

9. The support base has conveying ribs that can contact and guide the sheet being conveyed along the back surface before the regulating plate, The sheet support device according to claim 8, wherein the conveying rib protrudes to a position that is further away from the first portion than the regulating plate in the first direction.

10. A guide film is attached to the support base, which can contact and guide the sheet being transported along the back surface. The sheet support device according to claim 8, wherein the guide film extends in the first direction so as to be further away from the first portion than the regulating plate and covers the regulating plate.

11. The protruding portion has a second contact surface that can contact the second surface, When the rack is viewed in a first cross-section perpendicular to the width direction and intersecting the through-hole, the length from the side end face to the through-hole is defined as the fourth length. When the support base is viewed in a second cross-section perpendicular to the width direction and intersecting the engaging portion and the protruding portion, if the length of the distance between the second contact surface of the protruding portion and the apex of the engaging portion in the first direction is defined as the fifth length, The fourth length is smaller than the fifth length. When the rack is viewed in the first cross-section, the length of the diagonal of the substantially rectangular cross-sectional portion located between the side end face and the through hole is defined as the sixth length. When the support base is viewed in the second cross-section, if the length of the side extending along the first direction of the substantially rectangular cross-sectional space enclosed by the first portion, the second portion, the protruding portion, and the engaging portion is defined as the seventh length, and the length of the side extending along the second direction of the substantially rectangular cross-sectional space is defined as the eighth length, The sheet support device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the sixth length is smaller than the seventh length and the eighth length.

Images