Image reading device and image forming device

Abstract

To provide an image reader capable of preventing diagonal feed of manuscript with a simple configuration.SOLUTION: An image reader includes: a reader body; and a manuscript feeder unit 44 that is mounted rotatably by using a hinge 46 thereabove. A beam frame 94 that fixes a front frame and a back frame 90 of the manuscript feeder unit at a predetermined interval has an extending portion 132 that is formed extending outward from the back frame, and the extending portion has a third joint 144 is formed to join with a rotating member 68 of the hinge.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image reading device and an image forming apparatus, and more particularly to an image reading device and an image forming apparatus in which a document feeder is rotatably attached to the upper side of a reading device body having an image reading unit by using a hinge device. [Background technology]

[0002] An example of a conventional image forming apparatus is disclosed in Patent Document 1. The image forming apparatus of Patent Document 1 includes a document transport device (document feeder) and an image reading device (reading device main body), and has a frame of the document transport device, a panel to which the frame and a transport drive system are attached, and a hinge (hinge device) that can open and close the document transport device relative to the image reading device. The hinge is composed of a fixed member that is fixed to the image reading device and a movable member (rotating member) that supports the document transport device. In the technology of Patent Document 1, a frame is attached to the panel, and a hinge mounting plate to which the hinge is attached is also attached. A strength arm is attached to the hinge mounting plate, and the strength arm is connected to the part of the panel to which the frame is attached. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2003-228141 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Some hinge devices that rotatably connect the document feeder to the reading device body have a biasing mechanism that applies a biasing force to a fixed member in a direction in which the rotating member (i.e., the document feeder relative to the reading device body) opens. This is to prevent the document feeder from closing forcefully due to its own weight when closed, and to enable the document feeder to be opened with a light force. In an image reading device that includes a hinge device with such a biasing mechanism, a force in the opening direction (upward) is always applied to the document feeder by the biasing mechanism.

[0005] In the technology of Patent Document 1, the pivoting member of the hinge device is attached to one side frame (rear frame) of a pair of side frames provided in the document feeder, so that the biasing force of the biasing mechanism acts more strongly on the one side frame to which the pivoting member is attached than on the other side frame (front frame). As a result, distortion occurs between the pair of side frames arranged across the center of gravity of the document feeder (i.e., one side frame tilts relative to the other side frame), and the parallelism of the multiple conveying rollers supported by the pair of side frames is shifted, and the document may be fed at an angle. In order to prevent such distortion between the front frame and the rear frame, it is necessary to firmly fasten the front frame and the rear frame with more fastening members, which may result in an increase in the weight of the document feeder. This increase in weight of the document feeder may lead to an increase in the biasing force of the biasing mechanism, which may require further reinforcement, and may result in an increase in the size of the document feeder.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENTS Therefore, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a novel image reading apparatus and image forming apparatus.

[0007] Another object of the present invention is to provide an image reading device and an image forming device which can maintain the parallelism of a plurality of transport rollers with a simple configuration and prevent skewed feeding of an original. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A first invention is an image reading device in which a document feeder is rotatably attached to the upper side of a reading device body having an image reading unit by using a hinge device, and the document feeder includes a plurality of transport rollers provided in a document transport path, a plate-shaped first side frame that rotatably supports one ends of the plurality of transport rollers, a plate-shaped second side frame that is provided in parallel with the first side frame and rotatably supports the other ends of the plurality of transport rollers, and a hinge device that is provided at a position corresponding to the first side frame and supports the first side frame. side It is fixed directly to the frame at multiple points and is also side the hinge device comprises a beam frame which is directly fixed to the frame at multiple points to fix the first side frame and the second side frame at a predetermined interval, the hinge device comprises a fixed member which is fixed to the reading device main body, a rotating member which is rotatably connected to the fixed member about a support axis and which is connected to the first side frame to support the document feeder, and a biasing mechanism which applies a biasing force to the fixed member in a direction in which the rotating member opens, the beam frame having a plurality of first connecting portions which are directly fixed to and connected to the first side frame and a plurality of second connecting portions which are directly fixed to and connected to the second side frame, a beam main body which spans between the first side frame and the second side frame, an extension portion which extends from one end of the beam main body to the outside of the first side frame, and a third connecting portion which is formed on the extension portion and which is connected to the rotating member, The beam body has a bottom wall portion and a first vertical wall portion rising from one side edge portion of the bottom wall portion, and the extension portion extends from one end portion of the first vertical wall portion. , an image reading device.

[0009] According to the first aspect of the present invention, an extension is formed on the beam frame that fixes the first side frame and the second side frame at a predetermined distance, and this extension is fixed to the rotating member of the hinge device. This allows the biasing force of the biasing mechanism to act equally on both the first side frame and the second side frame, increasing the frame rigidity and preventing distortion between the first side frame and the second side frame. Therefore, with a simple configuration, the parallelism of the multiple transport rollers can be maintained and skewed feeding of the document can be prevented. Furthermore, since the extension portion extends from the first vertical wall portion, that is, the extension portion is formed in a vertical wall shape, it is possible to increase the bending strength (rigidity) of the extension portion in the up-down direction.

[0010] The second invention is An image reading device in which a document feeder is rotatably attached to an upper side of a reading device body having an image reading unit by using a hinge device, the document feeder including a plurality of transport rollers provided in a document transport path, a plate-shaped first side frame rotatably supporting one ends of the plurality of transport rollers, a plate-shaped second side frame provided parallel to the first side frame and rotatably supporting the other ends of the plurality of transport rollers, and a beam frame provided at a position corresponding to the hinge device and fixed directly to the first side frame at a plurality of points and directly to the second side frame at a plurality of points, thereby fixing the first side frame and the second side frame at a predetermined interval, the hinge device including a fixed member fixed to the reading device body, a rotating member rotatably connected to the fixed member around a support shaft and connected to the first side frame to support the document feeder, and a beam frame that opens in a direction in which the rotating member opens in a direction relative to the fixed member. an image reading device including a biasing mechanism that applies a biasing force in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the frame, the beam frame having a plurality of first connecting portions directly fixed and connected to the first side frame and a plurality of second connecting portions directly fixed and connected to the second side frame; a beam main body that is bridged between the first side frame and the second side frame, an extension portion that extends from one end of the beam main body to the outside of the first side frame, and a third connecting portion that is formed on the extension portion and is connected to the pivoting member, the pivoting member including a retaining member that holds the biasing mechanism and a frame fixing member that is attached to an outer surface of the retaining member; the first side frame having a vertical plate-shaped first side frame main body having a first insertion portion through which the extension portion is inserted, and a horizontal plate-shaped opposing extension portion that extends outward from a lower end of the first side frame main body and has a second insertion portion through which the frame fixing member is inserted, the frame fixing member being fixed to the third connecting portion and the opposing extension portion. A third invention is an image reading device in which a document feeder is rotatably attached to the upper side of a reading device main body having an image reading unit by using a hinge device, the document feeder including a plurality of transport rollers provided in a document transport path, a plate-shaped first side frame rotatably supporting one ends of the plurality of transport rollers, a plate-shaped second side frame provided parallel to the first side frame and rotatably supporting the other ends of the plurality of transport rollers, and a beam frame provided at a position corresponding to the hinge device and directly fixed to the first side frame at a plurality of points and directly fixed to the second side frame at a plurality of points, thereby fixing the first side frame and the second side frame at a predetermined interval, the hinge device including a fixing member fixed to the reading device main body, ... an image reading device comprising a rotating member rotatably connected to the member around a support axis and connected to the first side frame to support the document feeding device, and a biasing mechanism that applies a biasing force to the fixed member in a direction in which the rotating member opens, wherein the beam frame has a plurality of first connecting portions directly fixed and connected to the first side frame and a plurality of second connecting portions directly fixed and connected to the second side frame, a beam main body spanning between the first side frame and the second side frame, an extension portion extending from one end of the beam main body to the outside of the first side frame, and a third connecting portion formed on the extension portion and connected to the rotating member, wherein the document feeding device comprises a second image reading unit, and a reading sensor of the second image reading unit is fixed on the beam main body.

[0011] Second and the third According to the invention, As with the first aspect of the invention, the parallelism of the conveying rollers can be maintained with a simple configuration, and the document can be prevented from being fed skewed. Also, according to the third aspect of the invention, it is not necessary to provide a separate fixing frame for fixing the reading sensor, and the document feeder can be made lighter.

[0012] No. 4 The invention is 1 According to the invention, the vertical length of the first vertical wall portion is the same over approximately the entire length in the longitudinal direction, and the vertical length of the extension portion is the same as the vertical length of the first vertical wall portion over approximately the entire length in the longitudinal direction.

[0013] No. 4 According to this invention, the first vertical wall portion and the extending portion are formed so that their vertical lengths are constant over substantially the entire length in the longitudinal direction, so that the bending strength of the entire beam frame in the vertical direction can be increased.

[0015] The fifth invention is 2 The invention is directed to the above, wherein the beam body has a bottom wall portion, a first vertical wall portion rising from one side edge portion of the bottom wall portion, and a second vertical wall portion rising from the other side edge portion of the bottom wall portion, the frame fixing member has a top wall portion and a pair of side wall portions extending downward from both side edges of the top wall portion, the bottom wall portion of the beam body is positioned within the height range of the pair of side wall portions of the frame fixing member, and the first side frame body is sandwiched and fixed between the beam body and the frame fixing member.

[0016] According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to increase the bending strength in the vertical direction of the connection portion between the beam body of the beam frame, the first side frame, and the frame fixing member of the hinge device.

[0017] A sixth invention is according to any one of the first to fifth inventions, and the beam frame is disposed at an end of the first side frame in a longitudinal direction on a side where the plurality of transport rollers are disposed.

[0018] According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the frame rigidity of the portion that holds the transport roller can be effectively increased, so that distortion between the pair of side frames can be more appropriately suppressed.

[0021] No. 7 The inventions are the first to the second 6 The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus including an image reading device according to any one of the above aspects.

[0022] No. 7 According to the invention, the first to the second 6 The present invention provides the same advantageous effects as those of any one of the above-mentioned inventions, and with a simple configuration, it is possible to maintain the parallelism of a plurality of transport rollers and prevent the document from being fed skewed. Effect of the Invention

[0023] According to this invention, an extension is formed on the beam frame that fixes the first side frame and the second side frame at a predetermined distance, and this extension is fixed to the rotating member of the hinge device. This allows the biasing force of the biasing mechanism to act equally on both the first side frame and the second side frame, increasing the frame rigidity and preventing distortion between the first side frame and the second side frame. Therefore, with a simple configuration, the parallelism of the multiple transport rollers can be maintained and skewed feeding of the document can be prevented.

[0024] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments with reference to the drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic internal structure of an image forming apparatus including an image reading device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a document feeder included in the image reading device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a frame structure of the document feeder. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a hinge device included in the image reading device. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the hinge device. [Figure 6]FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] 4 is a perspective view showing the mounting structure of the left beam frame to the rear frame and the front frame. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a first perspective view showing a hinge device and its surroundings of the image reading device. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a second perspective view showing the hinge device and the surrounding area of ​​the image reading device. [Figure 12] FIG. 4 is a rear view showing the hinge device and the surrounding area of ​​the image reading device. [Figure 13] 13 is a perspective view showing a reading sensor provided on the left beam frame. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0026] [First Example] Referring to FIG. 1, an image reading device 14 according to a first embodiment of the present invention includes a reading device main body 42 and a document feeder 44 that is openable and closable relative to the reading device main body 42, and is used in an image forming device 10 that forms an image on paper by an electrophotographic method.

[0027] First, a basic configuration of the image forming apparatus 10 will be briefly described. In this specification, the front side (front) is defined as the surface facing the user's standing position, i.e., the surface on which an operation panel (not shown) is provided, and the front-rear direction (depth direction) of the image forming apparatus 10 and its components are defined. The left-right direction (horizontal direction) of the image forming apparatus 10 and its components is defined based on the state in which the image forming apparatus 10 is viewed from the user.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming device 10 is a multifunction peripheral (MFP) having a copying function, a printer function, a scanner function, a facsimile function, etc., and includes an image forming device main body 12 and an image reading device 14 arranged above it.

[0029] The image forming device main body 12 incorporates a control unit 16 including a CPU and memory, and an image forming unit 18. The control unit 16 transmits control signals to each part of the image forming device 10 including the image reading device 14 in response to input operations on an operation panel, and causes the image forming device 10 to execute various operations. In other words, the control unit 16 also functions as a control unit for the reading device main body 42 and the document feeder 44.

[0030] The image forming section 18 includes an exposure unit 20, a developing device 22, a photoconductor drum 24, a cleaner unit 26, a charger 28, an intermediate transfer belt unit 30, a transfer roller 32, and a fixing unit 34, and forms an image on paper conveyed from a paper feed tray 36 or the like, and discharges the paper on which the image has been formed onto a paper discharge tray 38. As image data for forming an image on the paper, image data read by a first image reading section 50 and a second image reading section 64 described below, or image data transmitted from an external computer, etc. are used.

[0031] The image data handled by the image forming apparatus 10 corresponds to color images of four colors: black (K), cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y). For this reason, four of each of the developing device 22, the photoconductor drum 24, the cleaner unit 26, and the charger 28 are provided so as to form four types of latent images corresponding to each color, and these constitute four image stations.

[0032] Also, within the housing of the image forming apparatus main body 12, a first paper transport path L1 is formed for sending paper from the paper feed tray 36 or the like to the paper output tray 38 via the registration rollers 40, the transfer roller 32 and the fixing unit 34. Also, when performing double-sided printing on the paper, a second paper transport path L2 is formed for returning the paper after single-sided printing is completed and the paper has passed through the fixing unit 34 to the first paper transport path L1 upstream of the transfer roller 32 in the paper transport direction. A plurality of transport rollers for providing auxiliary propulsion force to the paper are appropriately provided on the first paper transport path L1 and the second paper transport path L2.

[0033] The image reading device 14 includes a reading device main body 42 and a document feeder 44 rotatably attached to the upper side of the reading device main body 42 by using a hinge device 46 (see FIG. 4). The document feeder 44 is also used as a document pressing cover. An operation panel is provided on the front side of the reading device main body 42 for receiving input operations such as printing instructions from the user. A touch panel display, operation buttons, etc. are appropriately provided on this operation panel.

[0034] The housing of the reading device main body 42 has an original placement platform 48 formed of a transparent material on the upper surface, and a first image reading section 50 for reading the surface image of the original is provided inside. The first image reading section 50 includes a light source, a plurality of mirrors, an imaging lens, a reading sensor (line sensor), and the like. The light source and the plurality of mirrors constitute a scanning unit. The first image reading section 50 exposes the original surface to the light source, and guides the reflected light reflected from the original surface to the imaging lens by the plurality of mirrors. Then, the imaging lens forms an image of the reflected light on the light receiving element of the reading sensor. The reading sensor detects the luminance and chromaticity of the reflected light imaged on the light receiving element, and generates image data based on the image of the original surface. The reading sensor may be a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CIS (Contact Image Sensor), or the like.

[0035] Such a first image reading section 50 supports fixed reading, which reads an image of a document placed on the document placement table 48, and flow reading, which reads an image of a document transported by the document feeder 44. That is, in the case of fixed reading, a scanning unit such as a light source and multiple mirrors moves back and forth in the sub-scanning direction below the document placement table 48 to read an image on the document placement table 48 side of the document. On the other hand, in the case of flow reading, the scanning unit waits below the first image reading position P1, which is the home position. Then, the first image reading section 50 reads an image on the front side (the first image reading section 50 side) of the document when the document transported by the document feeder 44 passes the first image reading position P1.

[0036] 2 and 3, document feeder 44 is an automatic document feeder (ADF) capable of automatically and continuously feeding documents one by one, and includes a housing 52. Housing 52 is composed of a frame forming the framework thereof and an exterior member covering the outer surface of the frame. As described below, the frame of housing 52 includes a pair of side frames 90, 92 (rear frame 90 and front frame 92), and multiple beam frames 94, 96, 98 (left beam frame 94, right beam frame 96, and upper left beam frame 98), etc.

[0037] A paper feed opening 52a is formed in the upper center of the housing 52, and a document placement tray 54 is provided so as to extend diagonally from the paper feed opening 52a in an upper right direction. A paper discharge opening 52b is formed in the lower center of the housing 52, and a document discharge tray 56 is provided so as to extend diagonally from the paper discharge opening 52b in an upper right direction. A document transport path L3 is formed in the left side of the housing 52, and extends in a U-shape from the paper feed opening 52a to the paper discharge opening 52b so as to follow the outer peripheral surface of a second image reading unit 64 described later. A document feed mechanism 58 is provided in the document transport path L3. That is, the document feed mechanism 58 is disposed in the left side of the document feeder 44.

[0038] The document feed mechanism 58 includes a pickup roller 60 and a plurality of transport rollers 62, and transports the document loaded on the document placement tray 54 to the document discharge tray 56 after passing through a first image reading position P1 and a second image reading position P2 described later. The transport rollers 62 include a feed roller provided at the upstream end of the document transport path L3, a registration roller provided upstream of the first image reading position P1 for adjusting the feed timing, and a discharge roller provided at the downstream end of the document transport path L3. The transport rollers 62 are rotatably supported by a pair of side frames 90 and 92. In addition to the frame structure of the document feeder 44, FIG. 3 also illustrates some of the transport rollers 62.

[0039] The housing 52 of the document feeder 44 includes a pair of side frames 90, 92, that is, a plate-shaped rear frame 90 arranged on the rear side, and a plate-shaped front frame 92 arranged on the front side parallel to the rear frame 90. The rear frame 90 rotatably supports one end (rear end) of the multiple transport rollers 62, and the front frame 92 rotatably supports the other end (front end) of the multiple transport rollers 62. In addition, a motor for rotating the multiple transport rollers 62 etc. is appropriately provided on the rear side of the rear frame 90.

[0040] The housing 52 also includes a plurality of beam frames 94, 96, 98 that fix the rear frame 90 and the front frame 92 at a predetermined interval in the front-rear direction, that is, a left beam frame 94, a right beam frame 96, and an upper left beam frame 98. The left beam frame 94 is disposed at the left end of the rear frame 90 and the front frame 92. That is, the left beam frame 94 is disposed at the end of the rear frame 90 on the side where the plurality of conveying rollers 62 are disposed in the longitudinal direction. Specifically, the left beam frame 94 is provided at a position corresponding to the left hinge device 46 described later (see FIG. 10). The right beam frame 96 is provided at the right end of the rear frame 90 and the front frame 92, at a position corresponding to the right hinge device (not shown). Furthermore, the upper left beam frame 98 is provided above the left beam frame 94.

[0041] In the first embodiment, the document feeder 44 includes a second image reading unit 64 for reading an image on the back side of a document. The second image reading unit 64 includes a light source, a plurality of mirrors, an imaging lens, and a reading sensor 64a (see FIG. 12), as in the first image reading unit 50, and these are disposed in a unitized state in the housing 52. The second image reading unit 64 supports a flow reading for reading an image of a document conveyed by the document feeder 44. That is, when a user requests double-sided reading of a document, the second image reading unit 64 reads an image on the back side (the second image reading unit 64 side) of the document when the document conveyed by the document feeder 44 passes through the second image reading position P2.

[0042] Such document feeder 44 is attached to the upper surface of the housing of the reading device main body 42 by using one or more hinge devices so as to be openable and closable. The image reading device 14 of the first embodiment includes a left hinge device 46 provided at the left end portion of the rear side (rear side) and a right hinge device provided at the right end portion of the rear side. In other words, the document feeder 44 is openable and closable so that the front side moves up and down with the pair of left and right hinge devices provided on the rear side as opening and closing fulcrums.

[0043] Next, the configuration of the hinge device will be briefly described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. As the pair of left and right hinge devices may have the same basic configuration, the configuration of the left hinge device 46 will be described here as a representative example. However, the configuration of the left hinge device 46 (similar to the right hinge device) described here is merely an example, and the specific configuration can be changed as appropriate. In addition, the configuration of the frame fixing member 76 is different between the left hinge device 46 and the right hinge device.

[0044] 4 and 5, the left hinge device 46 includes a fixed member 66 fixed to the frame of the reading device body 42, and a rotating member 68 supporting the document feeder 44. The rotating member 68 is connected to the fixed member 66 so as to be rotatable about a support shaft 70. The rotating member 68 is provided with a biasing mechanism 72 that applies a biasing force in a direction in which the rotating member 68 opens relative to the fixed member 66. Therefore, a biasing force acts on the document feeder 44 in a direction in which the document feeder 44 opens relative to the reading device body 42.

[0045] Specifically, the rotating member 68 includes a holding member 74 that holds a biasing mechanism 72 including a pair of spring holders 80, 82 and a coil spring 84, and a frame fixing member 76 that is provided so as to cover the outer surface of the holding member 74. The holding member 74 is rotatably connected to the fixing member 66 via a support shaft 70 (hinge pin) provided at its base end. The frame fixing member 76 is connected to the holding member 74 by a connecting shaft 78 provided at its tip end. The frame fixing member 76 is connected to the frame of the housing 52 of the document feeder 44. The specific configuration of the frame fixing member 76 will be described later.

[0046] A pair of spring holders 80, 82, i.e., a first spring holder 80 and a second spring holder 82, are provided within the retaining member 74 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction, and a coil spring 84 is held in a compressed state by the first spring holder 80 and the second spring holder 82. The coil spring 84 exerts a biasing force on the first spring holder 80 and the second spring holder 82 in directions away from each other. In addition, a first holder stopper 86 is provided below the connecting shaft 78 at the tip of the frame fixing member 76, and a second holder stopper 88 is provided on the fixing member 66 obliquely below the support shaft 70.

[0047] Therefore, a forward biasing force is applied to the first holder stopper 86 (and thus the rotating member 68) from the coil spring 84 via the first spring holder 80. Meanwhile, a rearward biasing force is applied to the second holder stopper 88 (and thus the fixed member 66) from the coil spring 84 via the second spring holder 82. At this time, because the second holder stopper 88 is disposed at a position diagonally downward away from the support shaft 70, a biasing force is applied to the rotating member 68 in a direction opening it relative to the fixed member 66. This biasing force is greatest when the document feeder 44 is in a closed state.

[0048] In the conventional image reading device, the frame fixing member of the hinge device is fixed to the rear frame of the document feeder. Therefore, the biasing force of the biasing mechanism acts more strongly on the rear frame than on the front frame. Since the biasing force of the biasing mechanism acts even when the document feeder is closed, in the conventional image reading device, distortion occurs between the pair of side frames arranged on either side of the center of gravity of the document feeder, causing the parallelism of the multiple transport rollers to be shifted, which may cause the document to be fed skewed.

[0049] Therefore, in this first embodiment, in order to prevent slanted feeding of the document due to distortion between the pair of side frames 90, 92, an extension 132 is formed in the left beam frame 94 (an example of a beam frame), and this extension 132 is joined (fixed) to the frame fixing member 76 of the left hinge device 46 (an example of a hinge device). In other words, by integrating the left beam frame 94 with the left hinge device 46 and joining the rear frame 90 and the front frame 92 to this left beam frame 94 to form an attachment structure that constitutes a single frame, it is possible to increase the frame rigidity even with a small amount of material.

[0050] The mounting structure of the document feeder 44 to the left hinge device 46 will be specifically described below. As described above, the document feeder 44 includes a rear frame 90 (an example of a first side frame), a front frame 92 (an example of a second side frame) arranged parallel to the rear frame 90, and a left beam frame 94 that fixes the rear frame 90 and the front frame 92 at a predetermined distance (see FIG. 3). The left beam frame 94 is arranged at a position corresponding to the left hinge device 46, at the left end which is the end on the side where the multiple transport rollers 62 are arranged.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 6, the rear frame 90 includes a vertical plate-shaped rear frame main body 100 and a horizontal plate-shaped opposing extending portion 102 extending outward (toward the rear side) from the lower end of the rear frame main body 100.

[0052] A first insertion portion 104 is formed at the left end of the rear frame main body 100, through which the extension portion 132 of the left beam frame 94 is inserted. A first fixing portion 106 and a second fixing portion 108 are formed below the first insertion portion 104 at the left end of the rear frame main body 100. The first fixing portion 106 is a portion that is joined to the first connecting portion 140 of the left beam frame 94 by using a screw member (fastening member), and includes an insertion hole through which the fastening member is inserted. The second fixing portion 108 is a portion that is joined to the fourth connecting portion 146 of the left beam frame 94 and the third support portion 76f of the frame fixing member 76 by using a screw member, and includes an insertion hole through which the screw member is inserted.

[0053] A second insertion portion 110, through which the frame fixing member 76 is inserted, is formed at the left end of the opposing extension portion 102. In addition, third fixing portions 112 are formed at the left end of the opposing extension portion 102 on both sides of the second insertion portion 110. The third fixing portions 112 are portions that are coupled to the first support portion 76d of the frame fixing member 76 using a screw member, and include screw holes that are screwed into the screw members.

[0054] Further, a fourth fixing portion 114 that is coupled to the right beam frame 96 is formed at the right end of the rear frame main body 100. Further, a third insertion portion 116 through which the frame fixing member of the right hinge device is inserted, and a fifth fixing portion 118 that is coupled to the frame fixing member of the right hinge device are formed at the right end of the opposing extension portion 102. Furthermore, the rear frame main body 100 is appropriately formed with a fixing portion that is coupled to the upper left beam frame 98, bearing portions through which the shafts of the multiple conveyor rollers 62 are inserted, and the like.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 7, the front frame 92 includes a vertical plate-shaped front frame main body 120. A sixth fixing portion 122 is formed at the left end of the front frame main body 120. The sixth fixing portion 122 is a portion that is connected to the second connecting portion 142 of the left beam frame 94 using a screw member, and includes an insertion hole through which the screw member is inserted. In addition, a seventh fixing portion 124 that is connected to the right beam frame 96 is formed at the right end of the front frame main body 120. Furthermore, the front frame main body 120 is appropriately formed with a fixing portion that is connected to the upper left beam frame 98, a bearing portion through which the shafts of the multiple conveying rollers 62 are inserted, and the like.

[0056] As shown in Figure 8, the left beam frame 94 has a beam main body 130 that spans between the rear frame 90 and the front frame 92, and an extension portion 132 that extends from one end (rear end) of the beam main body 130 to the outside (rear side) of the rear frame 90.

[0057] The beam body 130 is a portion that defines the distance between the rear frame 90 and the front frame 92, and is formed in the shape of a groove with an upper opening as an overall shape. Specifically, the beam body 130 has a rectangular plate-shaped bottom wall portion 134, a first vertical wall portion 136 that rises from one side edge portion (left side edge portion) of the bottom wall portion 134, and a second vertical wall portion 138 that rises from the other side edge portion (right side edge portion) of the bottom wall portion 134. The vertical length of the first vertical wall portion 136 (protruding height from the bottom wall portion 134) is the same over approximately the entire length in the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction), and a bent portion 136a that is bent toward the second vertical wall portion 138 side (right side) is formed at the upper edge portion of the first vertical wall portion 136. The vertical length of the first vertical wall portion 136 is set to be larger than the vertical length of the second vertical wall portion 138, for example, 16.8 mm.

[0058] Further, a first connecting portion 140 and a fourth connecting portion 146 are formed at one end of the beam main body 130. The first connecting portion 140 is a portion connected to the first fixing portion 106 of the rear frame 90, and includes a screw hole to be screwed with a screw member. The fourth connecting portion 146 is a portion connected to the second fixing portion 108 of the rear frame 90 and the third support portion 76f of the frame fixing member 76, and includes a screw hole to be screwed with a screw member. Furthermore, a second connecting portion 142 is formed at the other end (front end) of the beam main body 130. The second connecting portion 142 is a portion connected to the sixth fixing portion 122 of the front frame 92, and includes a screw hole to be screwed with a screw member.

[0059] In this embodiment, the extension portion 132 extends from one end of the first vertical wall portion 136 and has a base portion 132a formed in a vertical plate shape. The vertical length of the extension portion 132 is the same over approximately the entire length in the longitudinal direction, and is set to the same size as the vertical length of the first vertical wall portion 136. In other words, the first vertical wall portion 136 and the extension portion 132 are formed in a continuous vertical plate shape with a constant vertical length over their entire length. By the extension portion 132 having the vertical plate-shaped base portion 132a, the bending strength (rigidity) of the extension portion 132 in the vertical direction can be increased. In addition, by forming the first vertical wall portion 136 and the extension portion 132 in a vertical plate shape with a constant vertical length over approximately the entire length, the bending strength of the entire left beam frame 94 in the vertical direction can be increased.

[0060] In addition, a first bent portion 132b bent toward the right side is formed at the upper edge of the substrate portion 132a, and a second bent portion 132c bent toward the right side is formed at the lower edge of the substrate portion 132a. That is, the extension portion 132 is formed in a groove shape with a right-side opening, and the cross-sectional shape of the extension portion 132 has the same shape as the cross-sectional shape of one side edge of the beam main body 130 (the portion formed by the left side edge of the bottom wall portion 134 and the first vertical wall portion 136). By the extension portion 132 having the first bent portion 132b and the second bent portion 132c, the bending strength of the extension portion 132 in the vertical and horizontal directions can be increased. In addition, by making the cross-sectional shape of the extension portion 132 the same as the cross-sectional shape of one side edge of the beam main body 130, the bending strength of the entire left beam frame 94 in the vertical and horizontal directions can be increased.

[0061] Furthermore, a third coupling portion 144 is formed at the first bent portion 132b of the extending portion 132. The third coupling portion 144 is a portion that is coupled to the second support portion 76e of the frame fixing member 76 using a screw member, and includes an insertion hole through which the screw member is inserted.

[0062] On the other hand, the left hinge device 46 includes the frame fixing member 76 as described above. As shown in Fig. 4, the frame fixing member 76 has a rectangular plate-shaped top wall portion 76a and a pair of side walls 76b, 76c extending downward from both side edges (the right edge and the left edge) of the top wall portion 76a, i.e., the right wall portion 76b and the left wall portion 76c, and is formed into an overall shape like a groove that is open downward.

[0063] A bent portion bent outward (to the right and left) is formed at the lower edge of each of the right side wall portion 76b and the left side wall portion 76c of the frame fixing member 76, and a first support portion 76d is formed at this bent portion. The first support portion 76d is a portion that is coupled to a third fixing portion 112 formed on the opposing extension portion 102 of the rear frame 90, and includes an insertion hole through which a screw member is inserted.

[0064] In addition, an L-shaped protrusion is formed at the upper edge of the left side wall portion 76c, which protrudes upward and is then bent outward (to the left), and this protrusion forms the second support portion 76e. The second support portion 76e is a portion that is coupled to the third coupling portion 144 formed in the extension portion 132 of the left beam frame 94, and includes a screw hole that is screwed with a screw member.

[0065] Furthermore, a protrusion that protrudes upward is formed on the right side of the tip (front end) of the top wall portion 76a, and this protrusion forms the third support portion 76f. The third support portion 76f is a portion that is joined to the second fixing portion 108 of the rear frame 90 and the fourth joining portion 146 of the left beam frame 94, and includes an insertion hole through which a screw member is inserted.

[0066] 9, the first fixing portion 106 of the rear frame 90 is joined (fastened) to the first connecting portion 140 of the left beam frame 94, and the sixth fixing portion 122 of the front frame 92 is joined to the second connecting portion 142 of the left beam frame 94 using screws. At this time, the extension portion 132 of the left beam frame 94 is inserted into the first insertion portion 104 of the rear frame 90, causing the extension portion 132 to protrude toward the rear side of the rear frame 90.

[0067] Then, as shown in Figs. 10 and 11, the frame fixing member 76 of the left hinge device 46 is inserted (fitted) into the second insertion portion 110 of the rear frame 90, and the third fixing portion 112 of the rear frame 90 and the first support portion 76d of the frame fixing member 76 are joined by using a screw member. Also, the third connecting portion 144 of the extension portion 132 and the second support portion 76e of the frame fixing member 76 are joined by using a screw member. At this time, the first support portion 76d and the second support portion 76e of the frame fixing member 76 are positioned below the third fixing portion 112 of the rear frame 90 and the third connecting portion 144 of the extension portion 132, respectively. That is, the first support portion 76d and the second support portion 76e are placed in a state of supporting the third fixing portion 112 and the third connecting portion 144 from below. As a result, even if a biasing force in the direction in which the document feeder 44 opens (upward) acts on this connecting portion, the load on the screw member is reduced, so that damage to the connecting portion is prevented.

[0068] Furthermore, with the second fixing portion 108 of the rear frame 90 sandwiched between the fourth connecting portion 146 of the left beam frame 94 and the third support portion 76f of the frame fixing member 76, the second fixing portion 108, the fourth connecting portion 146 and the third support portion 76f are connected together using a screw member. This makes it possible to more firmly integrate the rear frame 90, the left beam frame 94 and the frame fixing member 76, thereby increasing the rigidity of the entire mounting structure.

[0069] As shown in Figs. 11 and 12, in this first embodiment, the beam body 130 of the left beam frame 94 is formed in a groove shape (upward U-shape) with an upper opening, and the frame fixing member 76 is formed in a groove shape (downward U-shape) with a lower opening. The back frame 90 is sandwiched and fixed between the groove-shaped beam body 130 and the frame fixing member 76, which face in opposite directions, so that the bending strength of the connecting portion in the vertical direction can be increased. Furthermore, in this first embodiment, the bottom wall portion 134 of the beam body 130 is disposed within the height range h of the side walls 76b, 76c of the frame fixing member 76. This allows the bending strength of the connecting portion in the vertical direction to be increased.

[0070] 13, in this first embodiment, the reading sensor 64a of the second image reading unit 64 is disposed on the beam body 130 of the left beam frame 94. This eliminates the need to provide a separate fixing frame for fixing the reading sensor 64a, and the document feeder 44 can be made lighter.

[0071] As described above, according to the first embodiment, the extension 132 is formed on the left beam frame 94 that fixes the rear frame 90 and the front frame 92 at a predetermined distance, and this extension 132 is fixed to the rotating member 68 of the left hinge device 46. This allows the biasing force of the biasing mechanism 72 to act equally on both the rear frame 90 and the front frame 92, increasing the frame rigidity and appropriately preventing distortion from occurring between the rear frame 90 and the front frame 92. Therefore, with a simple configuration, the parallelism of the multiple transport rollers 62 can be maintained, and skewed feeding of documents in the document feeder 44 can be appropriately prevented.

[0072] Furthermore, since there is no need to increase the number of beam frames or to enlarge the beam frames in order to increase the connection strength (mounting rigidity) between the rear frame 90 and the front frame 92, the weight and size of the document feeder 44 as well as increases in manufacturing costs can be effectively suppressed.

[0073] Furthermore, an extension portion 132 is formed on the left beam frame 94, which fixes the rear frame 90 and the front frame 92 at a predetermined distance at the end on the side where the multiple conveying rollers 62 are provided, so that distortion of the parts of the rear frame 90 and the front frame 92 that hold the conveying rollers 62 can be effectively suppressed and the parallelism of the multiple conveying rollers 62 can be more appropriately maintained.

[0074] [Second Example] Next, an image reading device 14 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In this second embodiment, the configuration of the right beam frame 96 is different from that of the first embodiment. Since the other parts are the same, the description that overlaps with the first embodiment will be omitted or simplified.

[0075] Although not shown in the drawings, in the second embodiment, in addition to the left beam frame 94, an extension is also formed in the right beam frame 96, and this extension is coupled (fixed) to a frame fixing member of the right hinge device. For the extension of the right beam frame 96 and the frame fixing member of the right hinge device, it is preferable to adopt ones having the same configuration as the left beam frame 94 and the left hinge device 46.

[0076] According to the second embodiment, extensions are formed on both the left beam frame 94 and the right beam frame and are fixed to the rotating members of the left hinge device and the right hinge device, respectively, so that it is possible to more reliably prevent distortion from occurring between the rear frame 90 and the front frame 92. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably maintain the parallelism of the multiple transport rollers 62, and it is possible to more appropriately prevent slanted feeding of the document in the document feeder 44.

[0077] In the above-mentioned embodiments, the hinge devices are provided at both ends of the image reading device in the left-right direction (i.e., the document feeder is supported at two points on the left and right by two hinge devices), but the number and positions of the hinge devices can be changed as appropriate. Also, which hinge device is connected to the extension of the beam frame can be changed as appropriate.

[0078] In addition, the specific configurations of the image forming apparatus given in this specification are merely examples and can be changed as appropriate according to the specifications of the actual product. In addition, the image forming apparatus may be a monochrome machine that forms a single-color image on a recording medium, and the image forming unit may be an inkjet printer or the like instead of a laser printer.

[0079] Furthermore, the image reading device according to the present invention may be used as an individual product (that is, as a single unit).The document feeder does not necessarily need to include an image reading unit.

[0080] Furthermore, the specific numerical values ​​and component shapes given above are merely examples and can be changed as appropriate according to the needs of product specifications, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 10...Image forming device 12 ... Image forming device main body 14...Image reading device 18 … Image forming section 42 ... Reading device body 44 …Document feeder 46...Left hinge device (hinge device) 50 … Image reading section 62 ...Transport roller 64 ... Second image reading unit 72...Biasing mechanism 76 ... Frame fixing member 90 ... Rear frame (first side frame) 92 ... Front frame (second side frame) 94 ... Left beam frame (beam frame) 130…Beam body 132...extension part 140...1st joint 142...Second joint 144...Third joint

Claims

1. An image reading device in which a document feeder is rotatably attached to an upper side of a reading device body having an image reading unit by using a hinge device, The document feeder is A plurality of conveying rollers provided in the document conveying path; a plate-shaped first side frame that rotatably supports one ends of the plurality of conveying rollers; a plate-shaped second side frame that is provided in parallel to the first side frame and rotatably supports the other ends of the plurality of conveying rollers; and a beam frame provided at a position corresponding to the hinge device, directly fixed to the first side frame at a plurality of points and directly fixed to the second side frame at a plurality of points, thereby fixing the first side frame and the second side frame at a predetermined interval; The hinge device includes: a fixing member fixed to the reading device body; a rotating member that is connected to the fixed member so as to be rotatable about a support shaft and is coupled to the first side frame to support the document feeder; a biasing mechanism that applies a biasing force to the fixed member in a direction in which the rotating member opens, The beam frame is a beam body having a plurality of first coupling portions directly fixed to and coupled with the first side frame and a plurality of second coupling portions directly fixed to and coupled with the second side frame, the beam body being bridged between the first side frame and the second side frame; An extension portion extending from one end of the beam body to an outside of the first side frame, and a third coupling portion formed on the extension portion and coupled to the rotating member; The beam body has a bottom wall portion and a first vertical wall portion rising from one side edge portion of the bottom wall portion, The extension portion extends from one end of the first vertical wall portion.

2. An image reading device in which a document feeder is rotatably attached to an upper side of a reading device body having an image reading unit by using a hinge device, The document feeder is A plurality of conveying rollers provided in the document conveying path; a plate-shaped first side frame that rotatably supports one ends of the plurality of conveying rollers; a plate-shaped second side frame that is provided in parallel to the first side frame and rotatably supports the other ends of the plurality of conveying rollers; and a beam frame provided at a position corresponding to the hinge device, directly fixed to the first side frame at a plurality of points and directly fixed to the second side frame at a plurality of points, thereby fixing the first side frame and the second side frame at a predetermined interval; The hinge device includes: a fixing member fixed to the reading device body; a rotating member that is connected to the fixed member so as to be rotatable about a support shaft and is coupled to the first side frame to support the document feeder; a biasing mechanism that applies a biasing force to the fixed member in a direction in which the rotating member opens, The beam frame is a beam body having a plurality of first coupling portions directly fixed to and coupled with the first side frame and a plurality of second coupling portions directly fixed to and coupled with the second side frame, the beam body being bridged between the first side frame and the second side frame; An extension portion extending from one end of the beam body to an outside of the first side frame, and a third coupling portion formed on the extension portion and coupled to the rotating member; The rotating member is A holding member for holding the biasing mechanism; and a frame fixing member attached to an outer surface of the holding member, The first side frame is a first side frame body having a vertical plate shape and a first insertion portion through which the extension portion is inserted; a horizontal plate-shaped opposing extension portion extending outward from a lower end portion of the first side frame body and having a second insertion portion through which the frame fixing member is inserted; The frame fixing member is fixed to the third connecting portion and the opposing extending portion.

3. An image reading device in which a document feeder is rotatably attached to an upper side of a reading device body having an image reading unit by using a hinge device, The document feeder is A plurality of conveying rollers provided in the document conveying path; a plate-shaped first side frame that rotatably supports one ends of the plurality of conveying rollers; a plate-shaped second side frame that is provided in parallel to the first side frame and rotatably supports the other ends of the plurality of conveying rollers; and a beam frame provided at a position corresponding to the hinge device, directly fixed to the first side frame at a plurality of points and directly fixed to the second side frame at a plurality of points, thereby fixing the first side frame and the second side frame at a predetermined interval; The hinge device includes: a fixing member fixed to the reading device body; a rotating member that is connected to the fixed member so as to be rotatable about a support shaft and is coupled to the first side frame to support the document feeder; a biasing mechanism that applies a biasing force to the fixed member in a direction in which the rotating member opens, The beam frame is a beam body having a plurality of first coupling portions directly fixed to and coupled with the first side frame and a plurality of second coupling portions directly fixed to and coupled with the second side frame, the beam body being bridged between the first side frame and the second side frame; An extension portion extending from one end of the beam body to an outside of the first side frame, and a third coupling portion formed on the extension portion and coupled to the rotating member; the document feeder includes a second image reading unit; A reading sensor of the second image reading unit is fixed onto the beam body.

4. The vertical length of the first vertical wall portion is the same over substantially the entire length in the longitudinal direction, 2. The image reading device according to claim 1, wherein the vertical length of said extension portion is the same as the vertical length of said first vertical wall portion over substantially the entire length in the longitudinal direction.

5. The beam body has a bottom wall portion, a first vertical wall portion rising from one side edge portion of the bottom wall portion, and a second vertical wall portion rising from the other side edge portion of the bottom wall portion, The frame fixing member has a top wall portion and a pair of side walls extending downward from both side edges of the top wall portion, The bottom wall portion of the beam body is disposed within a height range of the pair of side wall portions of the frame fixing member, The image reading device according to claim 2 , wherein the first side frame body is fixed by being sandwiched between the beam body and the frame fixing member.

6. The image reading device according to claim 1 , wherein the beam frame is disposed at an end of the first side frame on a side where the plurality of transport rollers are disposed in a longitudinal direction of the first side frame.

7. An image forming apparatus comprising the image reading device according to claim 1 .

Images