Electronic devices

Abstract

This reduces the likelihood of the flexible flat cable bending and coming into contact with the moving object when the object is in motion. [Solution] The scan unit 110 comprises a housing 1 having a right side surface 1c, a control unit 150, a reading unit 8 that can move forward and backward along the bottom surface 1a inside the housing 1, and a flexible flat cable 2 with a connecting portion 2b attached to the reading unit 8 and a connecting portion 2a attached to the control unit 150. The front end 8A of the reading unit 8 is provided with an opposing member 200 that has an opposing surface 210 facing the other flat surface 2B of the flexible flat cable 2 when one flat surface 2A of the flexible flat cable 2 is facing the right side surface 1c, and assists the movement of one surface 2A of the flexible flat cable 2 toward the right side surface 1c when the reading unit 8 moves toward the front. The opposing surface 210 is provided so as to extend forward from the front end 8A of the reading unit 8.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electronic device provided with a flexible flat cable connected to a moving body.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as described in Patent Document 1 for example, in a carriage of a reading unit provided in an image reading device, an elastic member is provided from a first surface facing a sliding surface of the main body of the image reading device to a connecting surface provided between the first surface and a second surface facing the left side surface of the main body.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the image reading device of Patent Document 1, the flat cable attached to the reading unit has a portion extending along the main body of the image reading device and a portion folded back in an arc shape so as to be separated from the main body. By providing the elastic member on the carriage, damage to the flat cable due to repeated contact between the folded portion of the flat cable and the reading unit is reduced.

[0005] However, in Patent Document 1, the behavior of the portion of the flat cable extending along the main body of the image reading device is not particularly considered. When the reading unit moves between one side and the other side in the sub-scanning direction, if the portion of the flat cable extending along the main body contacts the reading unit repeatedly due to bending, the flat cable may be damaged as described above.

[0006] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide an electronic device that can reduce the bending of a flexible flat cable and its contact with the moving object when the object is in motion. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To achieve the above objective, the present disclosure relates to the following technology: a housing having sides and a bottom surface; a control unit; a movable body that can move inside the housing in a first direction along the bottom surface and in a second direction opposite to the first direction; and a flexible flat cable having one end attached to the movable body and the other end attached to the control unit, wherein the end of the movable body is provided with a facing member that has a facing surface that faces the other flat surface when one of the widthwise flat surfaces of the flexible flat cable faces the side surface, and the facing surface is provided to assist the movement of the one flat surface of the flexible flat cable toward the side surface when the movable body moves toward the first direction, and the facing surface is provided to extend toward the first direction from the end of the movable body in the first direction.

[0008] In the electronic device of this disclosure, the moving body moves in a first direction along the bottom surface of the housing and in a second direction opposite to the first direction. One end of the flexible flat cable is attached to a predetermined part of the moving body that moves as described above, and the other end of the flexible flat cable is attached to a control unit provided on the outside of the housing. Furthermore, the flexible flat cable extends from the other end along the side of the housing, then folds back in an arc shape away from the side, and the folded end is attached to the moving body. As the moving body moves as described above, one end of the flexible flat cable also moves, so the flexible flat cable bends and deforms so that the arc shape of the folded portion expands and contracts, and the range in which one flat surface and the side surface face each other changes in size, thereby following the movement. In this case, one flat surface of the flexible flat cable faces the side, and the portion where the range of movement changes is not attached to the side of the housing. Therefore, it may bend without conforming well to the side and come into contact with the moving object, and repeated such contact may damage the flexible flat cable. In this disclosure, to address this, an opposing member that moves together with the moving body is provided at a predetermined location in the first direction of the moving body. This allows the movement to be assisted so that one side of the flat surface of the flexible flat cable moves closer to the side when the moving body moves in the first direction, even if the flat surface of the flexible flat cable is not bending much along the side, and can be brought closer to the side of the housing. As a result, contact between the flexible flat cable and the moving body is reduced, and damage to the flexible flat cable can be reduced. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to this disclosure, it is possible to reduce the bending of the flexible flat cable and contact with the moving object when the moving object is in motion. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a multifunction device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a side cross-sectional view showing an example of the internal structure of the scan unit, and a top view of the scan unit viewed from above with the rotating cover open. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view from the front left, showing an example of the configuration of the reading unit and flexible flat cable when the reading unit is in the starting position. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view from the front left, showing an example of the configuration of the reading unit and flexible flat cable when the reading unit is in an intermediate position between the start and end of operation. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view from the front left, showing an example of the configuration of the reading unit and flexible flat cable when the reading unit is in the operation completion position. [Figure 6] It is a top view of part A in FIG. 5, showing the detailed structure of the opposing member. [Figure 7] It is an enlarged view of the main part of FIG. 6. [Figure 8] It is a perspective view seen from the left front, showing an example of the configuration of the reading unit and the flexible flat cable in a state where the reading unit is returning from the operation end position to the operation start position. [Figure 9] It is a perspective view omitting the reading unit and the flexible flat cable from the structure shown in FIGS. 3 to 8, showing the structure of the first support member etc. inside the housing. [Figure 10] It is an enlarged view of part B in FIG. 9. [Figure 11] They are cross-sectional views taken along the C-C cross-section and the D-D cross-section in FIG. 9, showing the cross-sectional shapes of the first support member and the second support member. [Figure 12] It is a figure showing variations in the shapes of the first support member and the second support member, different from FIGS. 11(a) and 11(b). [Figure 13] It is a figure showing variations in the shapes of the first support member and the second support member, different from FIGS. 11(a) and 11(b). [Figure 14] It is an explanatory figure corresponding to a view from the E direction in FIG. 4, showing the arrangement position of the first support member. [Figure 15] It is a cross-sectional view of the support member when provided with protrusions.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Embodiments of the present invention will be described while referring to the drawings.

[0012] <Overall Configuration of the Multifunction Machine> The overall configuration of the multifunction device 100 according to the embodiment is shown in FIG. 1. In FIG. 1, the multifunction device 100 includes a device main body 102. The device main body 102 includes a supply unit 103, a conveyance unit 104, a printing unit 105, a discharge unit 108, and a scan unit 110. In this embodiment, for convenience of explanation, the side where the discharge unit 108 is located is defined as the front side of the multifunction device 100, the side where the conveyance unit 104 is located is defined as the rear side of the multifunction device 100, the side where the supply unit 103 is located is defined as the lower side of the multifunction device 100, and the side where the scan unit 110 is located is defined as the upper side of the multifunction device 100.

[0013] <Supply Unit> The supply unit 103 includes a plurality of paper feed trays 130 that are detachably attached to the lower part of the device main body 102. The paper feed trays 130 accommodate the recording paper S to be printed. The various types of paper feed trays 130 are detachably attached to the lower part of the device main body 102.

[0014] Paper feed rollers 132 are arranged corresponding to the respective paper feed trays 130 at the lower part of the device main body 102. Inside the multifunction device 100, a conveyance path L is formed from the paper feed rollers 132 to the discharge unit 108 via the conveyance unit 104 and the printing unit 105. The paper feed rollers 132 take out the recording paper S in the paper feed trays 130 one by one and convey it along the conveyance path L toward the conveyance unit 104 and the printing unit 105.

[0015] <Conveyance Unit> The conveyance unit 104 holds the recording paper S supplied by the supply unit 103 and conveys it to the printing unit 105. The conveyance unit 104 includes conveyance rollers 133 and 134 driven by a motor (not shown). The conveyance rollers 133 and 134 convey the recording paper S conveyed by the paper feed rollers 132 along the conveyance path L toward the printing unit 105.

[0016] <Printing Unit> The printing unit 105 prints an image onto the recording paper S transported by the transport unit 104 using a well-known electrophotographic method, inkjet method, thermal transfer method, etc. The recording paper S transported by the printing unit 105 is then transported by the transport roller 137 along the transport path L toward the discharge roller 181.

[0017] <Discharge Unit> The discharge unit 108 discharges the recording paper S transported by the printing unit 105 to the outside of the multifunction printer 100. The discharge unit 108 includes a discharge roller 181, a discharge port 183, and a discharge tray 184. The discharge roller 181 discharges the recording paper S transported by the printing unit 105 to the discharge tray 184 via the discharge port 183.

[0018] <Scan Unit> The scan unit 110 includes a flatbed 111 located above the main body 102 of the device, and a rotatable cover 4 located above the flatbed 111. The scan unit 110 is an example of an electronic device.

[0019] An example of the detailed configuration of the scan unit 110 is shown in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 2, the flatbed 111 comprises a housing 1, a hinge 3, a rotating cover 4, a glass plate 7, a reading unit 8, and a guide rail 9.

[0020] The housing 1 is, for example, a hollow box-shaped structure, and comprises a bottom surface 1a and a top surface 1b. The housing 1 further comprises a right side surface 1c, a left side surface 1d, a front side surface 1e, and a rear side surface 1f (see Figure 3, etc., described later). The right side surface 1c is an example of a side surface. The top surface 1b has a rectangular opening, and a rectangular glass plate 7 is provided in this opening. The glass plate 7 is located above the reading unit 8, and the housing 1 supports the glass plate 7. The lower glass surface 7a of the glass plate 7 is a substantially horizontal surface.

[0021] Below the glass plate 7, a reading unit 8 is provided, which is movable along a guide rail 9. The reading unit 8 extends across the entire left-right direction of the glass plate 7 and is equipped with a reading sensor, such as a CIS (Contact Image Sensor). The reading unit 8 optically scans the entire underside of the document P by moving back and forth along the bottom surface 1a inside the housing 1 below the glass plate 7. The direction in which the reading unit 8 can scan one line at once, i.e., the left-right direction, is the main scanning direction. The back-and-forth direction in which the reading unit 8 moves is the sub-scanning direction. The reading unit 8 is an example of a moving body, and the main scanning direction is an example of a third direction.

[0022] The rotating cover 4 is rotatably mounted via a hinge 3 located on the front side of the upper surface of the flatbed 111. The rotation of the rotating cover 4 around the hinge 3 allows for opening and closing relative to the scan unit 110. With the rotating cover 4 open, the document P is placed on the glass plate 7, and with the rotating cover 4 closed, the reading unit 8 scans the underside of the document P.

[0023] <Reading unit and flexible flat cable> Figures 3 to 5 show an example of the configuration of the reading unit 8 and the flexible flat cable 2. Note that in Figures 3 to 5, the top surface 1b and glass plate 7 of the housing 1 are omitted from the illustration in order to show the internal configuration of the housing 1 of the flatbed 111.

[0024] Figure 3 shows the state where the reading unit 8 is positioned at the start of operation, which is the foremost position in the operating range, and Figure 5 shows the state where the reading unit 8 is positioned at the end of operation, which is the rearmost position in the operating range. The front is an example of the first direction, and the rear is an example of the second direction. Figure 4 shows the state where the reading unit 8 is positioned midway between the start of operation and the end of operation. The operating range of the reading unit 8 is set to correspond to the size of the document P, which is the document to be scanned, as set in advance. As shown in Figures 3 to 5, a flexible flat cable 2 is provided between the reading unit 8 and the housing 1. The flexible flat cable 2 electrically connects the reading sensor of the reading unit 8 and the control unit 150 of the multifunction printer 100. Note that in Figures 4, 5, and Figure 8 (described later), the control unit 150 is omitted from the illustration to avoid complexity.

[0025] The flexible flat cable 2 is formed, for example, by sandwiching multiple conductors arranged at regular intervals between plastic film tapes from the thickness direction, and then heat-welding or heat-sealing the tape joint surfaces with an adhesive. The flexible flat cable 2 is a cable made of a flexible material, and when stretched, its shape when viewed from the thickness direction of the cable is a long rectangular shape. The flexible flat cable 2 is arranged so that its width direction intersects the bottom surface 1a of the housing 1, for example, in the vertical direction. The flexible flat cable 2 has a flat surface that is flat in the width direction, and this flat surface has one surface 2A and the other surface 2B.

[0026] The flexible flat cable 2 has a connector 2b at one end and a connector 2a at the other end, with an intermediate section 2m located between the connectors 2a and 2b. An insertion opening 1g is provided on the front side surface 1e of the housing 1, and the flexible flat cable 2 passes through the front side surface 1e at the intermediate section 2m. Connector 2a is electrically connected to the control unit 150, which is mounted on the front side of the front side surface 1e of the housing 1. In this example, connector 2b is fixed to the rear side of the reading unit 8 and is electrically connected to the reading unit 8.

[0027] The flexible flat cable 2 has a retained portion 2x between the intermediate portion 2m and the connection portion 2b, and a bent portion 2y between the retained portion 2x and the connection portion 2b. The retained portion 2x is the region of the flexible flat cable 2 in which one flat surface 2A and the right side surface 1c of the housing 1 maintain opposition to each other, in other words, the region in which it remains in opposition to the right side surface 1c. The retained portion 2x is an example of a stationary range.

[0028] The retained portion 2x includes a mounting portion 2p that is attached to the right side surface 1c between the connecting portion 2a and the connecting portion 2b. In this example, the retained portion 2x has mounting portions 2p near the end in the direction of the connecting portion 2a and near the end in the direction of the connecting portion 2b. The mounting portions 2p are attached to the inner wall of the right side surface 1c by adhesive.

[0029] The bent portion 2y bends and moves between the multiple mounting portions 2p and the connecting portion 2b as the reading unit 8 moves. For example, in the state shown in Figures 3 and 4, the bent portion 2y has a shape that is curved in a roughly arc shape. The opposing length of the portion of the bent portion 2y where one surface 2A and the right surface 1c face each other and extend in the front-rear direction varies with the front-rear movement of the reading unit 8. As shown in Figure 3, when the reading unit 8 is in the starting position, the opposing length is the shortest. As shown in Figure 4, as the reading unit 8 moves to the rear, the opposing length gradually increases, and as shown in Figure 5, when the reading unit 8 is in the ending position, the opposing length is the longest.

[0030] <Main parts of the embodiment and its background> As described above, in the scan unit 110 of this embodiment, the reading unit 8 moves along the bottom surface 1a of the housing 1, both to the front and to the rear. The connection portion 2b of the flexible flat cable 2 is attached to a predetermined part of the reading unit 8 as it moves, and the connection portion 2a of the flexible flat cable 2 is attached to the control unit 150 located outside the housing 1. Furthermore, the flexible flat cable 2 extends from the connection part 2a along the right side surface 1c inside the housing 1, and then the bent part 2y is folded back in an arc shape away from the right side surface 1c (see Figures 3 and 4). The flexible flat cable 2 attaches the folded connection part 2b to the reading unit 8. As the reading unit 8 moves as described above, the connection part 2b of the flexible flat cable 2 also moves. As a result of this movement, the flexible flat cable 2 bends and deforms so that the arc shape of the folded bent part 2y expands and contracts, and the range in which one flat surface 2A and the right side surface 1c face each other changes in magnitude, thereby following the above movement (see Figures 3, 4, 5, etc.). At this time, one flat surface 2A of the flexible flat cable 2 faces the right side surface 1c, and the portion whose range changes in size is not attached to the right side surface 1c of the housing 1. Therefore, it may bend without following the right side surface 1c closely and come into contact with the reading unit 8 (see Figure 5). Repeated contact in this manner may damage the flexible flat cable 2.

[0031] <Opponent member> In this embodiment, as one of the features corresponding to the above, an opposing member 200 that moves together with the reading unit 8 is provided at a predetermined front portion of the reading unit 8, in this example, at the front end portion 8A. A top view of part A in Figure 5, which shows the detailed structure of the opposing member 200, is shown in Figure 6, and an enlarged view of the main part of Figure 6 is shown in Figure 7.

[0032] In Figures 6, 7, and 5, the opposing member 200 has an opposing surface 210 that faces the other surface 2B of the flexible flat cable 2 when one surface 2A of the flexible flat cable 2 is facing the right side surface 1c. The opposing member 200 is provided so that the opposing surface 210 extends forward from the end 8A on the front side of the reading unit 8. As shown in Figure 8, the opposing surface 210 of the opposing member 200 assists the movement of one surface 2A of the flexible flat cable 2 toward the right side surface 1c when the reading unit 8 moves toward the front (see dashed arrow in Figure 8). The vertical dimension of the opposing member 200 that abuts the flexible flat cable 2 is greater than or equal to the width dimension of the flexible flat cable 2, plus 10 mm or less, preferably 5 mm or less.

[0033] <Slope> The opposing surface 210 includes an inclined surface 211 configured to move away from the right side surface 1c in the main scanning direction perpendicular to the front. As shown in Figure 6, one end face of the inclined surface 211 closer to the reading unit 8 is at a second distance d2 from the right side surface 1c, and the other end face of the inclined surface 211 further away from the reading unit 8 is at a first distance d1 from the right side surface 1c, with the first distance d1 being greater than the second distance d2. The second distance d2 of the opposing surface 210 is equal to or greater than the distance do between the reading unit 8 and the right side surface 1c.

[0034] In Figure 7, the length L1 of the inclined surface 211 in the sub-scanning direction is 5 mm or more and 30 mm or less. This is because if the length L1 is less than 5 mm, the stress applied to the flexible flat cable 2 when it comes into contact with the inclined surface 211 will be excessive. The length L2 of the inclined surface 211 in the main scanning direction is 3 mm or more and 10 mm or less. This is because if the length L2 is less than 3 mm, the stress applied to the flexible flat cable 2 when it comes into contact with the inclined surface 211 will be excessive.

[0035] If the length L1 of the inclined surface 211 in the sub-scanning direction is relatively small compared to the total length L3 of the opposing member 200 in the sub-scanning direction, the opposing surface 210 may have a plane parallel to the sub-scanning direction.

[0036] <Bent shape section> The opposing surface 210 has a bent portion 212 at its front end that bends away from the right side surface 1c. In Figure 7, the protrusion dimension L4 of the bent portion of the bent portion 212 in the main scanning direction is 1 mm or more in order to obtain the effects described later. Furthermore, the rear end of the opposing member 200 may have a chamfer or rounded chamfer. In this case, it is possible to reduce the likelihood of the reading unit 8 getting caught on the flexible flat cable 2 when it moves to the rear.

[0037] <First support member 310> In this embodiment, another feature is that the scan unit 110 has a first support member 310 and a second support member 320 that extend in the front-rear direction within the housing 1. Figure 9 shows a perspective view of the structure of the first support member 310 and other components within the housing 1, with the reading unit 8 and flexible flat cable 2 omitted from the structure shown in Figures 3 to 8. Figure 10 shows an enlarged view of section B in Figure 9.

[0038] As described above, the flexible flat cable 2 has a retained portion 2x in which one surface 2A and the right side surface 1c of the housing 1 maintain opposition to each other. In the case where the mounting portion 2p is fixed to a part of the retained portion 2x, as in the two examples described above, bending may occur within the retained portion 2x due to aging, temperature, etc., and the lower end of the flexible flat cable 2 may come into contact with the bottom surface 1a of the housing 1. To address this, as shown in Figures 9 and 10, in this embodiment, the first support member 310 supports the lower end of the flexible flat cable 2 between the connection portion 2a and the connection portion 2b. The height of the first support member 310 from the bottom surface 1a of the housing 1 corresponds to the distance between the flexible flat cable 2 and the bottom surface 1a at the connection portion 2b.

[0039] The cross-sectional shape of the first support member 310 is rectangular, as shown in Figure 11(a), a cross-sectional view taken using the CC cross-section, and Figure 11(b), a cross-sectional view taken using the DD cross-section, in Figure 9. However, it is not limited to this, and may also have a concave shape with a recessed central portion, as shown in Figures 12(a) and 12(b), or an inclined shape, as shown in Figures 13(a) and 13(b). Although not shown in the diagram, in addition to the member that supports the lower end of the flexible flat cable 2 from below, the first support member 310 may also include a member that holds down the upper end of the flexible flat cable 2 from above, a member with a canopy-shaped cross-section that embraces it from above, and so on.

[0040] The first support member 310 may be provided over a length in the front-rear direction corresponding to the section between the two aforementioned mounting portions 2p, 2p, as shown in Figure 14(a), which corresponds to the view from the arrow in direction E in Figure 4. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 14(b), it may be provided over a length in the front-rear direction corresponding to an appropriate section between the two aforementioned mounting portions 2p, 2p, but without including them.

[0041] <Second support component> As shown in Figures 9, 3 to 8, etc., the scan unit 110 has a second support member 320 that extends front to back within the housing 1, continuous with the first support member 310. As shown in Figures 3 to 8, the second support member 320 guides the lower end of the bent portion 2y of the flexible flat cable 2 so as to be separated from the bottom surface 1a. The second support member 320 may have its width gradually reduced or a portion of its width reduced in the left-right direction to avoid interference with other parts. In the illustrated example, the left-right dimension W of the rear region 320a (see Figures 11(b), 12(b), 13(b), etc.) decreases as it moves towards the rear.

[0042] As shown in Figure 10, the second support member 320 has an upward slope, with the height from the bottom surface 1a increasing closer to the right side surface 1c. Note that the cross-sectional shape of this upward slope is not limited to a straight line, as shown in Figures 11(b), 12(b), 13(b), etc. That is, any shape that does not obstruct the upward movement of the flexible flat cable 2, such as a curved, stepped, or uneven shape, is sufficient.

[0043] Furthermore, to prevent wear of the flexible flat cable 2 during the upward slope, a film with excellent wear resistance may be provided on the upper part of the inclined surface of the upward slope. In this case, a recess may be formed on the bottom surface 1a to allow the film edge to escape, so that the flexible flat cable 2 does not get caught in the step between the bottom surface 1a of the housing 1 and the film. In addition, a cushioning material, such as a sponge, may be provided under the film to prevent stick-slip of the flexible flat cable 2.

[0044] <Support member> Furthermore, in this embodiment, the scan unit 110 has a support member 330 on the bottom surface 1a of the housing 1, which supports the lower end of the bent portion 2y of the flexible flat cable 2, and is made of a suitable material that has excellent wear resistance, for example. The support member 330 extends so as to intersect the front-rear direction at a predetermined angle, as shown in Figures 3 to 10.

[0045] The support member 330 may have a film with excellent abrasion resistance on its upper surface. Furthermore, a cushioning material, such as a sponge, may be provided beneath the film to prevent the flexible flat cable 2 from sticking or slipping.

[0046] Furthermore, the support member 330 may have inclined projections 335L and 335R on the left-right side in the width direction, allowing the flexible flat cable 2 to ascend onto the support member 330. Cross-sectional views of the support member 330 when projections 335L and 335R are provided are shown in Figures 15(a) to (c). In this example, from the viewpoint of positioning for manufacturing and assembly purposes, the support member 330 is sandwiched between the projections 335L and 335R. In the example in Figure 15(a), the cross-sectional shape of projection 335L is approximately triangular, and the cross-sectional shape of projection 335R is approximately arc-shaped. In the example in Figure 15(b), the cross-sectional shape of projection 335L is approximately triangular, and the cross-sectional shape of projection 335R is approximately rectangular. In the example in Figure 15(c), the cross-sectional shape of projection 335L is approximately triangular, and the cross-sectional shape of projection 335R is also approximately triangular.

[0047] By providing protrusions 335L and 335R, the flexible flat cable 2 can be guided to move on and off the support member 330 without getting caught on it as the reading unit 8 moves. As a result, the generation of abnormal noise due to contact between the flexible flat cable 2 and the bottom surface 1a, the generation of wear debris due to sliding, and the obstruction of the reading unit 8's movement due to friction are reduced.

[0048] <Effects of the Embodiment> As described above, in this embodiment, the opposing surface 210 of the opposing member 200 assists the movement of one surface 2A of the flexible flat cable 2 toward the right side surface 1c when the reading unit 8 moves toward the front. As a result, even if the flat surface of the flexible flat cable 2 is bent and does not conform closely to the right side surface 1c when the reading unit 8 moves toward the front, the movement of one surface 2A of the flat surface is assisted to bring it closer to the right side surface 1c, allowing it to be brought closer to the right side surface 1c of the housing 1. As a result, contact between the flexible flat cable 2 and the reading unit 8 is reduced, and damage to the flexible flat cable 2 can be reduced.

[0049] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the opposing member 200 has an inclined surface 211 that contacts the flexible flat cable 2 and is configured to move away from the right side surface 1c in the main scanning direction perpendicular to the front. As a result, when assisting the movement of the flexible flat cable 2 as described above, the inclination is used to gradually apply force, suppressing the bending of the flexible flat cable 2 and allowing it to move smoothly towards the right side surface 1c.

[0050] Furthermore, in this embodiment in particular, by having a bent portion 212 at the front end of the opposing surface 210, the contact area when the flexible flat cable 2 comes into contact with the end of the opposing member 200 can be increased, thus avoiding point contact. As a result, the stress load applied to the flexible flat cable 2 during contact can be reduced.

[0051] Furthermore, if the second distance d2 of the opposing surface 210 is smaller than the distance do between the reading unit 8 and the right side surface 1c, that is, if the opposing surface 210 protrudes to the right of the reading unit 8, when the reading unit 8 moves to the rear, the opposing member 200 and the flexible flat cable 2 may come into contact, potentially causing a load or snagging. In this embodiment, the second distance d2 of the opposing surface 210 is the same as, or greater than, the distance do between the reading unit 8 and the right side surface 1c. That is, the right end face of the opposing member 200 and the right end face of the reading unit 8 are the same distance away from the right side surface 1c of the housing 1, or the right end face of the opposing member 200 is further away from the right side surface 1c of the housing 1 than the right end face of the reading unit 8. This makes it possible to avoid the above-mentioned problems.

[0052] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a first support member 310 extending in the front-to-back direction is provided within the housing 1, and this first support member 310 supports the held portion 2x of the flexible flat cable 2 so as to be spaced apart from the bottom surface 1a. This reduces the stress and load generated by the bending of the flexible flat cable 2 in the height direction. In addition, the presence of the first support member 310 facilitates the positioning of the flexible flat cable 2 in the vertical direction from the bottom surface 1a during manufacturing and assembly. Furthermore, due to manufacturing and assembly considerations, the entire retained portion 2x of the flexible flat cable 2 may not be bonded to the inner wall. Instead, only a portion of the retained portion 2x, specifically near the end in the direction of the connection portion 2a and near the end in the direction of the connection portion 2b in the above example, may be bonded to the inner wall. In such cases, providing the first support member 310 makes it possible to support the sagging of the non-bonded portion of the mounted portion 2p that is not bonded to the inner wall.

[0053] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the mounting portion 2p of the flexible flat cable 2 is bonded to the inner wall of the right side surface 1c with adhesive. This prevents the mounting portion 2p from falling off the first support member 310.

[0054] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the first support member 310 supports the part of the flexible flat cable 2 that is to be held, including the part to be attached 2p which is attached to the right side surface 1c of the housing 1. In contrast, if the bent part 2y of the flexible flat cable 2, which is free between the part to be attached 2p and the connection part 2b, were to be left floating freely without any support member or the like provided from the bottom surface 1a side, there is a risk that it would bend due to its own weight and come into contact with the bottom surface 1a of the housing 1. In this embodiment, in particular, by providing the second support member 320 and separating the bent portion 2y of the flexible flat cable 2 from the bottom surface 1a, contact with the bottom surface 1a can be avoided.

[0055] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the lower end of the flexible flat cable 2 is supported by a second support member 320 that slopes upward toward the right side surface 1c. This smoothly guides the bent portion 2y, which bends and deforms to follow the movement of the reading unit 8, upward, and reliably avoids contact with the bottom surface 1a.

[0056] Furthermore, in this embodiment in particular, by providing a support member 330 to support the lower end of the bent portion 2y of the flexible flat cable 2, contact between the bent portion 2y and the bottom surface 1a of the housing 1 is reduced. As a result, the generation of abnormal noise due to the above contact, the generation of wear debris due to sliding, and the obstruction of the movement of the reading unit 8 due to friction are reduced.

[0057] Furthermore, in this embodiment, in particular, in response to the deformation behavior of the bent portion 2y as described above, the support member 330 provided on the bottom surface 1a of the housing 1 is provided so as to extend diagonally across the front side, rather than parallel to the front side. This ensures that contact with the bottom surface 1a can be reliably avoided over a wide range over which the bent portion 2y can move.

[0058] <Other> The above explanation describes the application of this disclosure to the scan unit 110 of a multifunction printer 100 as an example, but the application of this disclosure is not limited to the above. For example, it may be applied to an inkjet printer. In addition, this disclosure can be applied to various electronic devices as long as they have a structure for connecting a flexible flat cable to a mobile device.

[0059] In the above explanation, if terms such as "perpendicular," "parallel," and "plane" are used, these terms do not have a strict meaning. Rather, "perpendicular," "parallel," and "plane" refer to a design or manufacturing tolerance or error that is acceptable, meaning that they are "effectively perpendicular," "effectively parallel," and "effectively plane."

[0060] Furthermore, in the above explanation, if there are descriptions such as "identical," "equal," or "different" regarding external dimensions or size, these descriptions do not have a strict meaning. In other words, "identical," "equal," and "different" mean that tolerances and errors in design and manufacturing are allowed, and that they are "substantially identical," "substantially equal," or "substantially different."

[0061] In addition to what has already been described above, the methods described in the above embodiments and their respective modifications may be used in appropriate combinations.

[0062] Furthermore, although not to list them individually, this disclosure will be implemented with various modifications, within the scope that does not deviate from its intent. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0063] 1 cabinet 1c Right side view (an example of a side view) 2 Flexible flat cable 2A One side of a flat surface 2B The other side of the flat surface 2p Mounted part 2a Connection part 2b Connection part 2x Parts to be held (example of static range) 2y bent part 8. Reading Unit (Example of a Mobile Unit) 8A end 110 Scan Unit (Example of an electronic device) 150 Control Unit 200 Opposing members 210 Opposing surface 211 Slope 212 Bent shape section 310 First support member 320 Second support member 330 Support member d1 First distance d2 2nd distance

Claims

1. A housing having sides and a bottom, Control unit and A movable body that can move within the housing in a first direction along the bottom surface and in a second direction opposite to the first direction, A flexible flat cable is provided, with one end attached to the mobile body and the other end attached to the control unit. The end of the moving body is provided with an opposing member that has an opposing surface facing the other of the flat surfaces of the flexible flat cable when one of the flat surfaces in the width direction of the flexible flat cable is facing the side surface, and assists the movement of one of the flexible flat cables toward the side surface when the moving body moves toward the first direction. An electronic device wherein the opposing surface is provided so as to extend in the first direction from the end of the moving body in the first direction.

2. The opposing surface includes an inclined surface configured to move away from the side surface in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction, The end face of the inclined surface closest to the moving body is located at a second distance from the side surface, The other end face of the inclined surface, away from the moving body, is at a first distance from the side surface. The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first distance is greater than the second distance.

3. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the end of the opposing surface in the first direction has a bent shape that bends toward the side away from the side surface.

4. The electronic device according to claim 3, wherein the second distance between the opposing surfaces is located at a position equal to or greater than the distance between the moving body and the side surface.

5. The aforementioned flexible flat cable is Between the other end and the one end, it has a mounting portion which is attached to the side surface of the housing, The aforementioned electronic device further, The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising a first support member that extends in the first direction within the housing and supports the lower end of the flexible flat cable between the other end and the one end.

6. The mounting portion is, The electronic device according to claim 5, which is bonded to the inner wall of the side surface with an adhesive.

7. The aforementioned flexible flat cable is Between the mounting portion and the one end, there is a bent portion that bends and moves in accordance with the movement of the moving body, The aforementioned electronic device further, The electronic device according to claim 5, further comprising a second support member that extends in a first direction within the housing so as to be continuous with the first support member, and guides the lower end of the bent portion of the flexible flat cable so as to be separated from the bottom surface.

8. The second support member is, The electronic device according to claim 7, having an upward slope where the height from the bottom surface increases as it approaches the side surface.

9. The aforementioned flexible flat cable is A mounting portion is attached to the side surface of the housing between the other end and the one end, Between the mounting portion and the one end, there is a bent portion that bends and moves in accordance with the movement of the moving body, It has, The aforementioned electronic device further, The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the bottom surface of the housing has a support member for supporting the lower end of the bent portion of the flexible flat cable.

10. The aforementioned support member is The electronic device according to claim 9, which extends so as to intersect with the first direction.

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