Image reader

Abstract

To provide an image reading device which enables height adjustment of a hinge mechanism while suppressing an increase in size of the image reading device.SOLUTION: An image reading device comprises: a document table for placing a document thereon; a document auto-feeding part provided to be openable and closable with respect to the document table (an example of an opening / closing body); a rotation support part 60 which is provided on one end side of the document table and which rotates the document auto-feeding part with respect to the document table; and a height adjustment mechanism 90 which adjusts a height position of the document auto-feeding part with respect to the document table. The rotation support part 60 comprises a holding part 70 fixed to the document table, and a rotation fulcrum part 80 which is attached to the holding part 70 and can vertically move with respect to the holding part 70. The height adjustment mechanism 90 adjusts a height of the rotation fulcrum part 80 with respect to the holding part 70 to adjust the height position of the document auto-feeding part with respect to the document table. The height adjustment mechanism 90 overlaps with the holding part 70 and the rotation fulcrum part 80 in a vertical direction Z.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image reading device in which an opening / closing body, such as a document table cover, is attached to a document table so as to be openable and closable. [Background technology]

[0002] Image reading devices such as scanners have been known for some time. The image reading device includes a document table on which a document is placed, and a document table cover that holds the document placed on the document table. Some image reading devices of this type include an automatic document feeder that automatically feeds a document to the top of the document table cover. In either case, the document table cover is attached to the document table via a hinge mechanism so as to be openable and closable.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an opening / closing device (hinge mechanism) that supports an original pressing member (original table cover) so that it can be opened, closed, and raised and lowered on an image reading device (one example of an original table) that has an original placement table. This opening / closing device includes an attachment portion fixed to the original pressing member, a hinge receiving member that is supported on the image reading device so that it can be raised and lowered and that supports a sliding portion of the attachment portion so that it can be raised and lowered, and a hinge height adjustment mechanism (one example of a height adjustment mechanism) that changes the height position of the hinge receiving member relative to the image reading device. The height adjustment mechanism is disposed below the hinge receiving member. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-30144 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the image reading device described in Patent Document 1, the height adjustment mechanism is disposed below the hinge receiving member, which causes the hinge mechanism (opening / closing device) itself to be large in height. This large hinge mechanism causes the image reading device to be large in height. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An image reading device that solves the above problem comprises a document table on which a document is placed, an opening / closing body that is openable and closable relative to the document table, a pivoting support part that is provided on one end side of the document table and rotates the opening / closing body relative to the document table, and a height adjustment mechanism that adjusts the height position of the opening / closing body relative to the document table, wherein the pivoting support part has a holding part fixed to the document table and a pivoting fulcrum part that is attached to the holding part and is movable up and down relative to the holding part, and the height adjustment mechanism adjusts the height position of the opening / closing body relative to the document table by adjusting the height of the pivoting fulcrum part relative to the holding part, and overlaps vertically with the holding part and the pivoting fulcrum part. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a multifunction peripheral according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the image reading device with the document platen cover open. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the image reading device as viewed from the rear side. [Diagram 5] 13 is a perspective view showing a hinge mechanism exposed from the rear surface with the rear cover removed. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the image reading device as viewed from the rear with the rear cover removed. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a side view showing the hinge mechanism adjusted to its lowest height position. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a side view showing the hinge mechanism adjusted to an intermediate height position. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a side view showing the hinge mechanism adjusted to the highest height position. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a side view showing a hinge mechanism in a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] An embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. A multifunction machine as an example of a medium conveying device has multiple functions including, for example, an image reading function (scanning function) for reading an image of a document and outputting it as image data, a copy function for printing the image of the document read on a medium, and a print function for printing characters and images on a medium. The multifunction machine may also have a facsimile function.

[0009] In the drawings, the multifunction device 11 is placed on a horizontal installation surface F. Of the Z axis perpendicular to the installation surface F of the multifunction device 11, the side of the multifunction device 11 with respect to the installation surface F is the +Z side, and the opposite side is the -Z side, and two orthogonal axes in the in-plane directions of the installation surface F are the X axis and the Y axis, respectively. In addition, directions parallel to the X axis, Y axis, and Z axis are referred to as the X axis direction, the Y axis direction, and the Z axis direction, respectively. The X axis direction includes both the +X direction and the -X direction. The Y axis direction includes both the +Y direction and the -Y direction. The Z axis direction includes both the +Z direction and the -Z direction. The Z axis direction, which is parallel to the Z axis, is also referred to as the vertical direction Z. The X axis direction is the width direction when the multifunction device 11 is viewed from the front. For this reason, the direction parallel to the X axis is also referred to as the width direction X. Here, the front of the multifunction device 11 is the side on which the operation unit 14, which is operated by the user to give instructions to the multifunction device 11, is located. The Y axis is parallel to the depth direction of the multifunction device 11. For this reason, the Y axis direction is also called the depth direction Y.

[0010] <Configuration of multifunction device> As shown in FIG. 1, the multifunction machine 11 includes a rectangular parallelepiped device body 12 and an image reading device 20 disposed on the upper portion of the device body 12. The image reading device 20 includes a document table 21 on which a document is placed, and an automatic document feeder 22 (Auto Document Feeder (ADF)) as an example of an opening / closing body that is provided so as to be openable and closable with respect to the document table 21. The automatic document feeder 22 is configured so as to be openable and closable with respect to the document table 21, with a pivot point as the center. The automatic document feeder 22 has a function of automatically feeding a document. The document table 21 is fixed to the upper end of the device body 12. The automatic document feeder 22 of this embodiment is mounted integrally with a document table cover 23. That is, the lower portion of the automatic document feeder 22 that faces the document table 21 is the document table cover 23. Therefore, the document table cover 23 is opened and closed by rotating the automatic document feeder 22 with respect to the document table 21, with the pivot point as the center.

[0011] The device body 12 constitutes a printer unit 13. The multifunction device 11 has a configuration in which the printer unit 13, a document table 21, and an automatic document feeder 22 are stacked from the bottom in the vertical direction Z. The multifunction device 11 is placed on an installation surface F with a plurality of casters 12B provided on the bottom of the device body 12 touching the ground.

[0012] The image reading device 20 is configured to be able to read images such as characters and photographs recorded on an original D. The automatic document feeder 22 has an original tray 24 on which an original D (indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 1) can be placed. The image reading device 20 has a feed method for reading an original D fed from the original tray 24 by the automatic document feeder 22, and a flatbed method for reading an original D placed on an original table 21 (see FIG. 3), as a method for reading an original D. The automatic document feeder 22 has an output tray 25 on which an original D read by the feed method is stacked. When reading an original D by the flatbed method, the original D is placed on the top surface of the original table 21, which is exposed when the automatic document feeder 22 is opened, and the original D is pressed down by an original table cover 23 by closing the automatic document feeder 22. In the flatbed method, the image reading device 20 reads an original D on the original table 21.

[0013] An operation unit 14 that is operated when giving instructions to the multifunction device 11 is provided at the top of the front surface 12F of the device body 12. The operation unit 14 may be an operation panel having a display unit 14A. The display unit 14A may have a screen made of a touch panel, for example. A touch panel is a display panel that allows instructions to be given to the multifunction device 11 by touching the screen. The operation unit 14 may have operation buttons, or may be configured only with operation buttons. In this example, the surface of the device body 12 that the surface of the operation unit 14 (for example, the panel surface) faces is the front surface.

[0014] The multifunction device 11 includes a cassette 15 (medium storage section) that stores a plurality of media. The cassette 15 stores a plurality of sheets of media in a stacked state. The multifunction device 11 includes a plurality of tiers of cassettes 15 (four tiers in the example of FIG. 1) that are arranged in a state where they overlap in the vertical direction Z at the bottom of the device body 12. The plurality of cassettes 15 are detachably inserted into the device body 12. The cassettes 15 have handles 15A that are used when the user pulls out the cassettes. The number of tiers of the cassettes 15 can be set arbitrarily, and is not limited to four tiers, and may be one, two, three, five, or six tiers. In addition, the plurality of tiers of cassettes 15 may be an expansion unit that is optionally added in part or in whole.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, a first cover 16, a second cover 17, and a third cover 18 are provided on a side surface 12S of the device body 12 in an openable and closable state. Each cover 16-18 has a handle 16A-18A that the user uses when opening and closing the cover. Each cover 16-18 is used by opening and closing the cover to clear a medium jam that occurs on the transport path inside the device body 12. The first cover 16 has a feed tray 19 on which a medium can be placed in an openable and closable state. The user can feed the medium placed on the feed tray 19 by opening the feed tray 19 using the handle 19A. Each cover 16-18, together with the frame and exterior of the device body 12, constitutes a housing 12A of the printer unit 13.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, a recording unit 30 that records on a medium (see FIG. 2) is disposed in the housing 12A. A transport unit (not shown) that transports the medium fed from the cassette 15 and the medium fed from the feed tray 19 along a transport path (not shown) is provided in the housing 12A. The recording unit 30 records on the medium at a recording position along the transport path. A liquid supply source 31 that contains ink as an example of a liquid is contained in the housing 12A. The recording unit 30 has a liquid ejection head 30H that uses liquid such as ink supplied from the liquid supply source 31 to record on the medium. A window portion 32 is provided in a region corresponding to the liquid supply source 31 on the front surface 12F of the housing 12A. A user can visually check the remaining amount of the liquid supply source 31 through the window portion 32. The liquid supply source 31 is composed of a plurality of tanks or cartridges that each contain different types of liquid such as ink.

[0017] A concave discharge section 33 is provided between the device body 12 and the image reading device 20. The discharge section 33 has a discharge tray 34 that forms the bottom thereof. The recorded medium discharged from a discharge port (not shown) is stacked on the upper surface of the discharge tray 34.

[0018] The multifunction device 11 includes a control unit (not shown) in the device main body 12. The control unit controls the printer unit 13 and the image reading device 20. The control unit includes a central processing unit (CPU), read only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), and storage (not shown). The control unit controls the automatic document feeder 22 and the reading unit 45 (see FIG. 3) of the image reading device 20 to perform the reading operation of the document D. The control unit also controls the recording unit 30 and the transport unit (not shown) of the printer unit 13 to control the transport of the medium and recording on the medium.

[0019] <Configuration of image reading device> Next, the detailed configuration of the image reading device 20 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the image reading device 20 includes a document table 21 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and an automatic document feeder 22 disposed above the document table 21 in the vertical direction Z. The document table 21 includes a frame (not shown) that serves as the framework of the document table 21, and a housing 26 that includes an exterior. The automatic document feeder 22 is configured to be openable and closable with respect to the housing 26 of the document table 21. The automatic document feeder 22 includes a feed mechanism 27 that feeds the document D placed on the document tray 24 and discharges the document D that has been read along the feeding path to the discharge tray 25. The document tray 24 includes a pair of edge guides 28 that can adjust the position of the document D placed on the placement surface in the width direction. The pair of edge guides 28 are configured to be slidable in the width direction of the document D. The lower part of the automatic document feeder 22 is a document table cover 23. In other words, the automatic document feeder 22 is mounted on the upper side of the document table cover 23.

[0020] The automatic document feeder 22 feeds the documents D set in the document tray 24 one by one in order by the feeding mechanism 27, and sequentially discharges the documents D after reading onto the discharge tray 25. The feeding mechanism 27 has a housing 27A with a feeding port 27B opening. A feeding roller and a transport roller provided along a feeding path, and a driving source such as a motor for rotating each of these rollers (both not shown) are provided inside the housing 27A. A reading unit (not shown) such as a line sensor for reading the documents D being transported may be built into the housing 27A.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 3, the image reading device 20 is provided at one end side (end on the depth direction Y side) of the document table 21, and includes a pair of hinge mechanisms 41, 42 that rotate the automatic document feeder 22, which is an example of an opening / closing body, relative to the document table 21. The automatic document feeder 22 is connected to the document table 21 via the pair of hinge mechanisms 41, 42 so as to be openable and closable. In detail, the document table cover 23 on which the automatic document feeder 22 is mounted is connected to the document table 21 via the pair of hinge mechanisms 41, 42 so as to be openable and closable. As a result, the automatic document feeder 22 is opened and closed between a closed state in which the upper surface 21A of the document table 21 is covered via the hinge mechanisms 41, 42, and an open state in which the upper surface 21A of the document table 21 is exposed. The automatic document feeder 22 can be held at a plurality of opening degrees within a range below the maximum opening degree by the function of the hinge mechanisms 41, 42. The maximum opening degree is a predetermined value within a range of, for example, 50 to 90 degrees.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 3, the manuscript table 21 includes a rectangular glass plate 43 attached to an opening 26A that opens on the top surface of the housing 26, and a reading window 44 made of a small piece of glass attached to a position adjacent to the glass plate 43 in the width direction X. The glass plate 43 and the reading window 44 are held on the top surface of the housing 26 by a frame 26B of a predetermined shape that presses their respective peripheral portions. The manuscript table 21 includes a movable reading unit 45 that is movable in the width direction X at a position below the glass plate 43. In addition, a sensor 46 capable of detecting the manuscript table cover 23 is provided on the rear side of the top surface of the housing 26. The sensor 46 is capable of detecting whether the manuscript table cover 23 is open or closed.

[0023] Further, on the rear surface of the document table cover 23, a document pressing surface 47 for pressing the document D placed on the glass plate 43 is formed in an area facing the glass plate 43. The document pressing surface 47 is, for example, white, and functions as a background plate that is read as the background of the document D on the glass plate 43. Further, on the rear surface of the document table cover 23, a reading path 48 is formed in an area corresponding to the reading window 44, through which the document D fed from the feeding mechanism 27 is temporarily exposed during feeding. Reading of the document D by the flatbed method is performed by reading an image of the document D on the glass plate 43 while the reading unit 45 moves in the width direction X (sub-scanning direction). Further, an image of the document D transported by the feeding mechanism 27 by the feed method is read by the reading unit 45 waiting at a position corresponding to the reading window 44 while passing through the reading path 48. The image reading device 20 may have a double-sided reading function for reading both sides of the document D by using a reading unit (not shown) in the housing 27A and a reading unit 45 in the document table 21.

[0024] The reading unit 45 has a carriage that is provided so as to be movable in the width direction X along a rail installed inside the housing 26, and a line sensor and a light source (both not shown) mounted on the carriage. The light source irradiates light onto a reading area of ​​the document D set on the document table 21. The reading unit 45 moves back and forth in the width direction X via an endless belt that rotates forward and backward by the drive of an electric motor, which is an example of a drive source.

[0025] When reading the document D fed by the feeding mechanism 27 of the automatic document feeder 22, the reading unit 45 waits in a position facing the reading window 44, and reads the portion of the document D exposed from the reading path 48 during transport through the reading window 44. The document D placed on the glass plate 43 of the document table 21 is read by the reading unit 45 moving in the width direction X while being pressed against the document pressing surface 47 of the document table cover 23. The longitudinal direction of the reading unit 45 is the main scanning direction, and the width direction X along which the reading unit 45 moves is the sub-scanning direction.

[0026] At least one of the hinge mechanisms 41, 42 in this embodiment is a hinge mechanism 40 having a height adjustment mechanism 90, which will be described later. At least one of the pair of hinge mechanisms 41, 42, which is located on the feeding mechanism 27 side, may be a hinge mechanism 40 having a height adjustment mechanism 90. In this case, both of the pair of hinge mechanisms 41, 42 may be hinge mechanisms 40 having the height adjustment mechanism 90, or only one of the hinge mechanisms 41 located on the feeding mechanism 27 side may be a hinge mechanism 40 having the height adjustment mechanism 90. Note that a configuration in which only the other hinge mechanism 42, which is not on the feeding mechanism 27 side, is a hinge mechanism 40 having the height adjustment mechanism 90 is also possible.

[0027] Here, the reason why at least the hinge mechanism 41 on the feeding mechanism 25 side is the hinge mechanism 40 having the height adjustment mechanism 90 is that the weight balance of the automatic document feeder 22 is biased toward the feeding mechanism 27 side. A large load is applied to the hinge mechanism 41 on the feeding mechanism side, so the height adjustment of the hinge mechanism 41 is necessary. The deviation in the height position of the two places where the document table cover 23 is supported by the hinge mechanisms 41 and 42 causes the document table cover 23 to twist. Therefore, when the document table cover 23 is opened and closed, an excessive load due to the twist may be applied to the hinge mechanism 41. Also, when the document table cover 23 is closed, it may be difficult for the document pressing surface 47 to evenly press the entire document D on the document table 21. Therefore, by adjusting the height position where at least the part of the document table cover 23 on the feeding mechanism 27 side is supported by the height adjustment mechanism 90, the document table cover 23 supported by the pair of hinge mechanisms 41 and 42 is assembled parallel to the document table 21.

[0028] As shown in Fig. 4, the housing 26 includes a front cover 26F that forms the front and both sides of the housing 26, and a rear cover 29 that forms the rear of the housing 26. The rear cover 29 that covers the opening 26C is fixed to the rear of the document table 21. The rear cover 29 is fixed by fastening screws 49. When the rear cover 29 is attached, the heads of the screws 49 are exposed on the surface of the rear cover 29 and face the depth direction Y (rear side). An operator can remove the rear cover 29 by loosening the screws 49. The rear cover 29 may be fixed by a locking structure such as a snap-fit ​​lock.

[0029] Fig. 6 shows a state where the rear cover 29 is removed. As shown in Fig. 6, when the rear cover 29 is removed, components on the rear side inside the housing 26 are exposed from the opening 26C. A part of the frame 50 constituting the housing 26 and parts of the hinge mechanisms 41 and 42 are exposed from the opening 26C. The frame 50 has a bottom frame 51, a rear frame 52, a side frame 53 and a front frame (not shown), and has a bottomed rectangular tubular shape with an opening (not shown) that opens upward. A glass plate 43 (see Fig. 3) is attached to an area of ​​the frame 50 corresponding to the opening.

[0030] The pair of hinge mechanisms 41, 42 have their lower ends fixed to the rear frame 52 by screws (not shown), and their upper ends fixed to a support frame (not shown) constituting the document table cover 23 by screws (not shown). Of the pair of hinge mechanisms 41, 42, the hinge mechanism 40 having the height adjustment mechanism 90 has a holding portion 70 and a rotation fulcrum portion 80 held by the holding portion 70. The rotation fulcrum portion 80 is fixed at a position of a predetermined relative height with respect to the holding portion 70. The holding portion 70 is fixed to the rear frame 52 by screws (not shown), and the rotation fulcrum portion 80 is fixed to the support frame (not shown) constituting the document table cover 23 by screws (not shown). When the rear cover 29 is removed, an adjustment portion 91 of the height adjustment mechanism 90 is exposed from the opening 26C. The screws 49 for fixing the rear cover 29 are fastened to a plurality of screw holes 52A formed at a plurality of locations spaced apart in the width direction X of the rear frame 52.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 5, when the rear cover 29 is removed, the adjustment portion 91 of the height adjustment mechanism 90 of the hinge mechanism 40 is exposed from the opening 26C. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the adjustment screw 95 constituting the adjustment portion 91 is exposed with its screw head 95A facing the rear (depth direction Y). When the levelness or closing condition of the document table cover 23 becomes poor, a user or an operator such as a serviceman adjusts the support height of the document table cover 23 supported by the hinge mechanism 40 by operating the adjustment screw 95, which is exposed when the rear cover 29 is removed, with a tool such as a screwdriver. More specifically, the height of the document table cover 23 fixed to the rotation support part 80 is adjusted by operating the adjustment screw 95 with a tool to adjust the relative height of the rotation support part 80 with respect to the holding part 70. This height adjustment adjusts the parallelism of the document table cover 23 with respect to the document table 21, etc. Since the holding part 70 and the pivot part 80 are fixed at a predetermined relative height by the screws 61, 62, if necessary, the screws 61, 62 are loosened to allow the pivot part 80 to move relative to the holding part 70 in the Z-axis direction, and then the adjustment screw 95 is operated.

[0032] <Configuration of hinge mechanism> Next, a detailed configuration of the hinge mechanism 40 having the height adjustment mechanism 90 will be described with reference to FIG. 7, FIG. 8, etc. Here, FIG. 7 shows the hinge mechanism 40 in an assembled state, and FIG. 8 shows the hinge mechanism 40 in an exploded state. In FIG. 7 to FIG. 11, the direction parallel to the axis of the shaft portion 83 which is the pivot of the hinge mechanism 40 is the axial direction X1, the direction perpendicular to the axial direction X1 and in which the height of the pivot portion 80 is adjusted by the height adjustment mechanism 90 is the height direction Z1, and the direction in which the adjustment screw 95 of the adjustment portion 91 is moved by operating a tool such as a screwdriver is the adjustment direction Y1. In FIG. 7, FIG. 8, etc., the adjustment direction Y1 is the direction in which the adjustment screw 95 is pushed in. In a state in which the hinge mechanism 40 is assembled to the manuscript table 21 and the manuscript table cover 23, the axial direction X1 is parallel to the width direction X, the height direction Z1 is parallel to the vertical direction Z, and the adjustment direction Y1 is parallel to the depth direction Y.

[0033] The hinge mechanism 40 provided on one end side of the document table 21 includes a rotation support part 60 that rotates the automatic document feeder 22 relative to the document table 21, and a height adjustment mechanism 90 that adjusts the height position of the automatic document feeder 22 relative to the document table 21. The rotation support part 60 has a holder 70 fixed to the document table 21, and a rotation fulcrum part 80 that is attached to the holder 70 and is provided so as to be movable up and down relative to the holder 70. The height adjustment mechanism 90 adjusts the height of the rotation fulcrum part 80 relative to the holder 70, thereby adjusting the height position of the automatic document feeder 22 relative to the document table 21. The height adjustment mechanism 90 moves the holder 70 and the rotation fulcrum part 80 relative to each other.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 7, the hinge mechanism 40 includes a substantially rectangular tubular holder 70 that is fixed to the housing 26, and a rotation fulcrum portion 80 that is inserted into the tubular holder 70 and assembled thereto. The holding part 70 includes a holding part main body 71 formed by bending a plate material processed into a predetermined shape, which includes at least three sides of a rectangular tube. When the holding part main body 71 is viewed from above, most of the four sides forming the rectangular tube are open, except for the three sides of the approximately U-shape. A substantially rectangular cross member 72 is fixed to this open part, forming a cylindrical shape. The holding part 70 has a pair of extension parts 74 that extend toward each other at a position above the cross member 72. The holding part 70 has a guide hole 75 that forms the inside of the rectangular tube.

[0035] A pair of mounting parts 73 extending horizontally in directions away from each other are formed at the lower end of the holding part main body 71. The mounting parts 73 have screw insertion holes 73A through which screws (not shown) for fixing the holding part 70 of the hinge mechanism 40 to the rear frame 52 are inserted.

[0036] The cross member 72 has a pair of elongated holes 72A (see FIG. 8) whose longitudinal direction is the height direction Z1. Two screws 61 are inserted into the pair of elongated holes 72A. The pair of extending portions 74 has a pair of elongated holes 74A (see FIG. 8) whose longitudinal direction is the height direction Z1. Two screws 61 are inserted into the pair of elongated holes 74A.

[0037] The pivot point part 80 has a square tubular slide part 81 and a pivot frame 82 pivotally connected to the upper end of the slide part 81. The outer dimensions of the square tubular slide part 81 are approximately equal to the inner dimensions of the guide hole 75. That is, the square tubular slide part 81 and the guide hole 75 are each formed to have a dimension that allows the slide part 81 to be inserted into the guide hole 75. The holding part 70 and the pivot point part 80 are connected to each other so that the pivot point part 80 can slide in the vertical direction Z relative to the holding part 70 by inserting the slide part 81 into the guide hole 75.

[0038] Four screw holes 81B are formed in a side surface 81A of the slide portion 81 of the pivot part 80 at positions corresponding to the four long holes 72A, 74A of the holder 70. The four screws 61 inserted into the long holes 72A, 74A are screwed into the respective screw holes 81B of the slide part 81, whereby the pivot part 80 is fixed at a predetermined relative height with respect to the holder 70.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 8, the slide portion 81 is a rectangular tube formed by bending a plate-like frame. The rotating frame 82 is rotatably connected to the upper end of the slide portion 81 via the shaft portion 83. The rotating frame 82 has a substantially Ω-shaped cross section when viewed from the Y direction, and extends further toward the adjustment direction Y1 than the shaft portion 83, which is the center of rotation. The rotating frame 82 has a pair of mounting portions 84 extending from its lower end to both sides in the axial direction X1, and a mounting surface 85 formed from the upper surface of the rotating frame 82. The pair of mounting portions 84 have a plurality of screw insertion holes 84A. In addition, a plurality of screw holes 85A are formed in the mounting surface 85. The rear end of the automatic document feeder 22 is fixed to the pair of mounting portions 84 by screws (not shown) inserted into the screw insertion holes 84A. A support frame (not shown) that constitutes a part of the framework of the automatic document feeder 22 is fixed to the attachment surface 85 by screws (not shown) that are screwed into the screw holes 85A.

[0040] The rotating frame 82 is biased against the slide portion 81 by the biasing force of a spring (not shown) in a direction in which the document table cover 23 opens. In addition, a shaft-shaped stopper 86 is fixed to the upper rear end of the rotating frame 82. The opening degree of the rotating frame 82 is set within a range until the stopper 86 hits a side surface 81A of the slide portion 81. In addition, a lift mechanism 87 is assembled to the rotation fulcrum portion 80. The lift mechanism 87 is supported by the slide portion 81 in a state in which the rotating frame 82 can move (lift) in the vertical direction Z while the document table cover 23 maintains a horizontal position when a thick document D such as a book or magazine is placed on the document table 21. The rear end of the rotating frame 82 is biased in a direction (downward) in which the document table cover 23 is drawn into the slide portion 81 by a spring (not shown) constituting the lift mechanism 87.

[0041] As shown in Fig. 8, a pair of protrusions 88 (only one of which is shown in Fig. 8) protrude from a pair of side surfaces 81C of the slide portion 81 facing the axial direction X1. The pair of protrusions 88 have a function of suppressing rattling in the axial direction X1 of the slide portion 81 inserted into the guide hole 75 of the holding portion 70. Furthermore, a pair of plate-shaped supported portions 89 (only one of which is shown in Figs. 7 and 8) extend outward from the side surface 81C of the slide portion 81 at a position above the pair of protrusions 88. The pair of supported portions 89 constitute a part of a height adjustment mechanism 90, which will be described later.

[0042] With the height of the pivot part 80 relative to the holding part 70 adjusted by the height adjustment mechanism 90, the four screws 61 inserted through the long holes 72A, 74A are screwed into the screw holes 81B. This fixes the pivot part 80 at a predetermined relative height position with respect to the holding part 70. In addition, the shafts of the two screws 62 screwed into the screw holes (not shown) of the cross member 72 press the side surface 81A of the slide part 81, thereby defining the position of the slide part 81 in the guide hole 75 in the depth direction Y.

[0043] <Height adjustment mechanism configuration> Next, a configuration of the height adjustment mechanism 90 will be described. As shown in Fig. 7, the height adjustment mechanism 90 is provided on one side of the holding part 70. The height adjustment mechanism 90 has a function of adjusting the relative height of the rotation fulcrum part 80 with respect to the holding part 70.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 7, the height adjustment mechanism 90 includes the above-mentioned adjustment unit 91, a rotor 92 rotatable with respect to the holding unit 70, an axis unit 93 serving as a rotation fulcrum of the rotor 92, and a support unit 92A supporting the rotation fulcrum unit 80. The adjustment unit 91 is provided so as to be movable in an adjustment direction Y1 perpendicular to an axial direction X1 in which the axis unit 93 serving as a rotation fulcrum extends. The adjustment unit 91 changes the amount of rotation of the rotor 92 by contacting the rotor 92 from a direction perpendicular to the axial direction X1. In this example, the rotor 92 has a support unit 92A supporting the rotation fulcrum unit 80. The operator changes the amount of rotation of the rotor 92 by moving the adjustment unit 91, and adjusts the height position of the support unit 92A. Also, as shown in FIG. 9, when viewed from the axial direction X1, the axis unit 93 is provided on the rear side of the center of the supported unit 89 in the depth direction Y.

[0045] 7, the adjustment part 91 in this example is an adjustment screw 95 that is held with a screw head 95A facing one end side. The adjustment screw 95 has a screw head 95A and a shaft part 95B having a threaded part on its outer circumferential surface. The adjustment screw 95 is held with the screw head 95A facing the rear side (depth direction Y) and the shaft part 95B screwed into a screw holding part 96 that protrudes from the side surface of the holding part 70.

[0046] 7, the rotation fulcrum portion 80 has the above-mentioned supported portion 89 supported by the support portion 92A. The supported portion 89 protrudes horizontally outward from the side surface of the sliding portion 81. The supported portion 89 has a plate shape.

[0047] The holding portion 70 has a notch 77 capable of holding the supported portion 89. The dimension of the notch 77 in the adjustment direction Y1 is slightly larger than the dimension of the supported portion 89 in the adjustment direction Y1. The supported portion 89 is held in the notch 77, thereby defining the position of the sliding portion 81 in the depth direction Y relative to the holding portion 70. The supported portion 89 is held in the notch 77, thereby defining the position of the automatic document feeder 22 in the depth direction Y relative to the document table 21.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 7, the hinge mechanism 40 includes a torsion coil spring 94 as an example of a biasing member attached between the rotor 92 and the holding portion 70. The torsion coil spring 94 applies a biasing force that rotates the rotor 92 in a first direction. The first direction in which the torsion coil spring 94 biases the rotor 92 is the clockwise direction in FIG. 9. The torsion coil spring 94 has one end 94A hooked to a hook portion 97 of the holding portion 70, and the other end 94B hooked to an abutted portion 92B of the rotor 92. The rotor 92 is always biased by the torsion coil spring 94 so as to abut against the adjustment portion 91, and the adjustment portion 91 is configured to receive the biasing force of the torsion coil spring 94 via the adjustment portion 91. Therefore, when the adjustment unit 91 moves in the adjustment direction Y1, it moves against the biasing force of the torsion coil spring 94, and when it moves in the direction opposite to the adjustment direction Y1 (-Y1 side), it moves while receiving the biasing force of the torsion coil spring 94, thereby adjusting the height. In this way, the adjustment unit 91 adjusts the height while hindering rotation of the rotor 92 in the first direction while moving in the adjustment direction Y1, which is a direction perpendicular to the axial direction X1, or in the direction opposite to the adjustment direction Y1 (-Y1 side).

[0049] As shown in FIG. 7, the adjustment portion 91 is an adjustment screw 95 that is held with a screw head 95A facing one end side. The rotor 92 has an abutment portion 92B that can abut the tip of a shaft portion 95B of the adjustment screw 95 at the lower end, which is the end opposite to the support portion 92A at the upper end of the rotor 92 across the shaft portion 93. The adjustment screw 95 inhibits the rotation of the rotor 92 in the first direction by the torsion coil spring 94 when the tip of the shaft portion 95B abuts against the abutment portion 92B. For example, when the rotation fulcrum portion 80 is in the intermediate position shown in FIG. 10, the adjustment screw 95 is pushed in the adjustment direction Y1 (+Y1 side). Then, the rotor 92 rotates in the second direction, which is the direction in which the rotation fulcrum portion 80 moves toward the highest position shown in FIG. 11, against the first direction, which is the biasing direction of the torsion coil spring 94. Here, the second direction is the direction opposite to the first direction, and corresponds to the counterclockwise direction in Fig. 11. Also, for example, with the rotation fulcrum portion 80 in the intermediate position shown in Fig. 10, the adjustment screw 95 is pulled back in the direction opposite to the adjustment direction Y1 (-Y1 side). Then, the rotor 92 rotates in the first direction by the biasing force of the torsion coil spring 94 while maintaining the state in which the abutted portion 92B abuts against the shaft portion 95B of the adjustment screw 95.

[0050] 11, the height adjustment mechanism 90 is configured so that the state in which the adjustment screw 95 is pushed all the way in the adjustment direction Y1 (+Y1 side) is the state in which the rotation fulcrum part 80 is at the highest position. In other words, the position of the rotation fulcrum part 80 becomes higher as the adjustment screw 95 is pushed in the adjustment direction Y1 (+Y1 side), and the position of the rotation fulcrum part 80 becomes lower as the adjustment screw 95 is pulled back in the direction opposite to the adjustment direction Y1 (-Y1 side). This makes it clear whether the position of the rotation fulcrum part 80 will be higher or lower if the adjustment screw 95 is moved in the direction opposite to the adjustment direction Y1 (-Y1 side) when adjusting the height of the rotation fulcrum part 80, and allows easy adjustment.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 7, the height adjustment mechanism 90 overlaps the holding part 70 and the pivot part 80 in the vertical direction Z. This is hereinafter referred to as the overlap condition. Here, the range of the height adjustment mechanism 90 in the vertical direction Z is the range from the upper surface of the supported part 89 to the lower end of the torsion coil spring 94 in the vertical direction Z. In detail, the height adjustment mechanism 90 is composed of a rotor 92, which is a member assembled to the holding part 70, a shaft part 93, a torsion coil spring 94, an adjustment screw 95 constituting the adjustment part 91, a screw holding part 96 which is a part of the holding part 70, a hook part 97, and the supported part 89 of the pivot part 80. Of these, the part located at the top in the vertical direction Z is the supported part 89, and the part located at the bottom is the lower end of the torsion coil spring 94. Therefore, the range from the upper surface of the supported portion 89 to the lower end of the torsion coil spring 94 is the range in which the height adjustment mechanism 90 exists in the vertical direction Z. This range changes depending on the adjustment of the height of the pivot part 80 with respect to the holding part 70, but it is sufficient that the above overlap condition is satisfied at least once in the range in which the relative height of the pivot part 80 with respect to the holding part 70 ranges from the lowest position (FIG. 9) to the highest position (FIG. 11). In this embodiment, even if the relative height of the pivot part 80 with respect to the holding part 70 changes in the range from the lowest position (FIG. 9) to the highest position (FIG. 11), the above overlap condition is always satisfied for the range of the height adjustment mechanism 90 in the vertical direction Z.

[0052] That is, when the relative height of the pivot part 80 with respect to the holding part 70 changes from the lowest position to the highest position, the lower end of the supported part 89 is always located lower (-Z side) than the upper end of the holding part 70, and the lower end of the torsion coil spring 94 is always located higher (+Z side) than the lower end of the holding part 70. In other words, the entire height adjustment mechanism 90 always overlaps with the holding part 70 in the vertical direction Z.

[0053] In addition, since the supported portion 89 is a part of the pivot portion 80, it always overlaps with the pivot portion 80 in the vertical direction Z regardless of the relative height of the pivot portion 80. In addition, the lower end of the torsion coil spring 94 is always located above (on the +Z side) the lower end of the pivot portion 80. For this reason, in this embodiment, the entire height adjustment mechanism 90 always overlaps with the pivot portion 80 in the vertical direction Z. In this way, in the hinge mechanism 40 of this embodiment, the entire height adjustment mechanism 90 always overlaps with both the holding portion 70 and the pivot portion 80 in the vertical direction Z. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, in an example where the pivot portion 80 is in the intermediate position, the range R3 of the height adjustment mechanism 90 overlaps with both the range R2 of the holding portion 70 and the range R3 of the pivot portion 80 in the vertical direction Z. This overlap condition is also satisfied in FIG. 9 and FIG. 11.

[0054] <Operation of the embodiment> The operation of this embodiment will be described. When the multifunction device 11 is assembled in a factory, the housing 26 of the image reading device 20 is attached to an upper frame (not shown) of the device main body 12 by fastening a plurality of bolts or screws. Next, a pair of hinge mechanisms 41, 42 are attached to both sides in the width direction X of the rear side (back side) of the document table 21. The hinge mechanisms 41, 42 include a holding portion 70 and a rotation fulcrum portion 80. The mounting portion 73 of the holding portion 70 is fixed to the rear frame 52 of the housing 26 with a screw (not shown). In this embodiment, at least one of the pair of hinge mechanisms 41, 42 is a hinge mechanism 40 including a height adjustment mechanism 90.

[0055] After the pair of hinge mechanisms 41, 42 have been attached to the document table 21, the adjustment screw 95 is operated with a tool such as a screwdriver to adjust the rotor 92 to a rotation angle corresponding to, for example, the intermediate position. At this time, the rotation angle of the rotor 92 is adjusted by aligning the side end line of the rotor 92 with the rotation scale 78. The rotation angle of the rotor 92 corresponds to the amount of rotation of the rotor 92 from a reference angle. The reference angle is, for example, the rotation angle when the rotation fulcrum part 80 is at the lowest position.

[0056] Thereafter, a support frame (not shown) constituting the document table cover 23 is fixed with screws to the rotating frame 82 constituting the rotation fulcrum part 80 of the hinge mechanisms 41, 42. After the document table cover 23 mounting the automatic document feeder 22 is fixed to the hinge mechanisms 41, 42 in this manner, the support height of the document table cover 23 by the hinge mechanism 40 is adjusted by the height adjustment mechanism 90. The worker adjusts the relative height of the rotation fulcrum part 80 with respect to the holding part 70 by operating the adjustment screw 95 of the height adjustment mechanism 90 with a tool to rotate the rotor 92 from the initial rotation angle. The height adjustment work of the rotation fulcrum part 80 will be described in detail later.

[0057] After the height adjustment of the platen cover 23 is completed, the front cover 26F and the rear cover 29 are fixed to the platen 21 with screws 49 etc. The multifunction device 11 manufactured in this manner is then shipped. The method of assembling the hinge mechanism 40 can be appropriately selected as long as the document table cover 23 can be rotatably assembled to the document table 21. For example, the hinge mechanism 40 may be attached to the document table cover 23 first, and then the holding portion 70 of the hinge mechanism 40 may be fixed to the rear frame 52. Alternatively, the document table cover 23 may be fixed to the rotating frame 82 of the rotation support portion 80, and the holding portion 70 may be fixed to the rear frame 52. Then, after inserting the slide portion 81 of the rotation support portion 80 into the holding portion 70, the relative height of the rotation support portion 80 with respect to the holding portion 70 is adjusted by the height adjustment mechanism 90. The hinge mechanism 40 may be assembled to the image reading device 20 in such an appropriate manner.

[0058] The multifunction device 11 thus shipped is used by a user. Before or after starting to use the multifunction device 11, it may be necessary to adjust the support height of the document cover 23 by the hinge mechanism 40 as maintenance. In this case, a worker such as a user operates the height adjustment mechanism 90 of the hinge mechanism 40 to perform maintenance to adjust the support height of the document cover 23.

[0059] This maintenance is performed as follows: The worker removes the rear cover 29 from the platen 21 of the image reading device 20. More specifically, the worker removes the rear cover 29 by using a tool such as a screwdriver to loosen the screws 49, the screw heads of which are exposed on the surface of the rear cover 29 that covers the rear surface of the platen 21. When the rear cover 29 is removed, the adjustment portion 91 of the hinge mechanism 40 is exposed, as shown in Figures 5 and 6. The worker adjusts the support height of the platen cover 23 by the hinge mechanism 40 by operating the adjustment screws 95, which are exposed from the opening 26C on the rear surface of the platen 21, with a tool.

[0060] <How to adjust the height using the height adjustment mechanism> Next, a method for adjusting the height of the hinge mechanism 40 using the height adjustment mechanism 90 will be described. When performing height adjustment work using the height adjustment mechanism 90, the adjustment part 91 is exposed both during manufacturing and maintenance of the multifunction device 11 (particularly the image reading device 20). For example, when assembling the image reading device 20 at a manufacturing factory, the height adjustment work is performed before attaching the rear cover 29. On the other hand, during maintenance in which a worker such as a user performs height adjustment work on the multifunction device 11, the worker loosens the screw 49 with a tool and removes the rear cover 29. This exposes the adjustment screw 95.

[0061] When the image reading device 20 is manufactured, the adjustment screw 95 is in the initial position. For ease of explanation, the initial position of the adjustment screw 95 is assumed to be in the second operating position, which corresponds to the intermediate position. On the other hand, when an operator such as a user adjusts the height of the hinge mechanism 40 during maintenance, the relative height of the pivot point portion 80 with respect to the holding portion 70 is the height position at the time of shipment or the height position adjusted during the previous maintenance. Here, for ease of explanation, the position of the adjustment screw 95 is assumed to be in the second operating position, which corresponds to the intermediate position. When performing height adjustment work using the adjustment screw 95, the four screws 61 are removed and the two screws 62 are loosened.

[0062] When the adjustment screw 95 is in the second operating position, the rotor 92 is at the rotation angle shown in FIG. 10. The worker adjusts the height of the pivot fulcrum 80 by the height adjustment mechanism 90 by operating the adjustment screw 95 with a tool. For example, when raising the pivot fulcrum 80 from the intermediate position shown in FIG. 10, the worker rotates the adjustment screw 95 in the pushing direction (+Y1 direction). As a result, the shaft portion 95B of the pushed-in adjustment screw 95 pushes the abutted portion 92B of the rotor 92, causing the rotor 92 to rotate in the second direction in FIG. 10 (counterclockwise direction in FIG. 10) around the shaft portion 93. This rotation of the rotor 92 in the second direction displaces the support portion 92A of the rotor 92 upward. The support portion 92A pushes up the supported portion 89. As a result, the pivot fulcrum 80 displaces upward relative to the holding portion 70. Therefore, the height of the pivot part 80 is adjusted to a position higher than the intermediate position relative to the holding part 70. At this time, the amount of height adjustment of the pivot part 80 relative to the holding part 70 is adjusted by the amount of operation of the adjustment screw 95. At this time, the operator adjusts the height of the supported part 89 while watching the height scale 79.

[0063] On the other hand, when the pivot fulcrum 80 is lowered below the intermediate position, the operator rotates the adjustment screw 95 in the retracting direction (-Y1 direction). As a result, the shaft 95B of the adjustment screw 95 is retracted, and the rotor 92 rotates in the first direction (clockwise direction in FIG. 10) about the shaft 93 by the biasing force of the torsion coil spring 94. This rotation of the rotor 92 in the first direction displaces the support portion 92A downward. As a result, the supported portion 89 descends together with the support portion 92A. This displaces the pivot fulcrum 80 downward relative to the holding portion 70. Therefore, the height of the pivot fulcrum 80 is adjusted to a position lower than the intermediate position relative to the holding portion 70. At this time, the height adjustment amount of the pivot fulcrum 80 relative to the holding portion 70 is adjusted by the operation amount of the adjustment screw 95. At this time, the operator adjusts the height of the supported portion 89 while watching the height scale 79.

[0064] In this way, by adjusting the height of the pivot part 80 relative to the holding part 70, the support height of the platen cover 23 and the hinge mechanism 40 of the automatic document feeder 22 is adjusted. That is, the relative height of the platen cover 23 relative to the platen 21 is adjusted. Once the height of the pivot part 80 relative to the holding part 70 is determined, the two screws 62 are tightened to position the slide part 81 at that height. Furthermore, four screws 61 are inserted through the long holes 72A and 74A of the holding part 70 and screwed into the screw holes 81B of the slide part 81. In this way, the pivot part 80 is fixed to the adjusted relative height relative to the holding part 70. As a result, the parallelism and closing condition of the platen cover 23 relative to the platen 21 are adjusted.

[0065] During the manufacture of the image reading device 20, the next manufacturing process and subsequent steps are then performed. On the other hand, during maintenance, once the height adjustment of the platen cover 23 is completed, the rear cover 29 is attached so as to cover the opening 26C. Then, the rear cover 29 is fixed to the rear frame 52 by tightening the screws 49 with a tool. In this way, adjustment of the parallelism of the platen cover 23 with respect to the platen 21 and adjustment of the degree of closure can be achieved by simple operations of opening and closing the rear cover 29 and manipulating the screws 61, 62 and adjustment screw 95.

[0066] Furthermore, the height adjustment mechanism 90 overlaps with the holding portion 70 and the rotation fulcrum portion 80 in the vertical direction Z. For this reason, even if the height adjustment mechanism 90 is provided, the hinge mechanism 40 is unlikely to become large in size in the vertical direction. Therefore, the image reading device 20 is unlikely to become large in size in the vertical direction Z.

[0067] The effects of this embodiment will be described. (1) The image reading device 20 includes a document table 21 on which a document D is placed, and an automatic document feeder 22, which is an example of an opening / closing body that is provided so as to be openable and closable with respect to the document table 21. The image reading device 20 further includes a rotation support unit 60 that is provided on one end side of the document table 21 and rotates the automatic document feeder 22 with respect to the document table 21, and a height adjustment mechanism 90 that adjusts the height position of the automatic document feeder 22 with respect to the document table 21. The rotation support unit 60 has a holder 70 fixed to the document table 21, and a rotation fulcrum unit 80 that is attached to the holder 70 and is provided so as to be movable up and down with respect to the holder 70. The height adjustment mechanism 90 adjusts the height position of the automatic document feeder 22 with respect to the document table 21 by adjusting the height of the rotation fulcrum unit 80 with respect to the holder 70. The height adjustment mechanism 90 overlaps the holder 70 and the rotation fulcrum unit 80 in the vertical direction Z. According to this configuration, the height of the hinge mechanism 40 can be adjusted while preventing the image reading device 20 from becoming large.

[0068] (2) The height adjustment mechanism 90 moves the holding unit 70 and the pivot point 80 relatively. With this configuration, the height adjustment mechanism 90 moves the holding unit 70 and the pivot point 80 relatively, so the portion of the height adjustment mechanism 90 that is disposed below the holding unit 70 can be further reduced or eliminated. This further prevents the portion formed by the holding unit 70, the pivot point 80, and the height adjustment mechanism 90 from becoming large in height.

[0069] (3) The height adjustment mechanism 90 has a rotor 92 that can rotate with respect to the holding part 70, a shaft part 93 that is a rotation fulcrum of the rotor 92, and an adjustment part 91 that changes the amount of rotation of the rotor 92. The adjustment part 91 is provided so as to be movable in a direction (adjustment direction Y1) perpendicular to the direction in which the axis of the shaft part 93 extends (axial direction X1), and changes the amount of rotation of the rotor 92 by contacting the rotor 92 from the perpendicular direction. The rotor 92 has a support part 92A that supports the rotation fulcrum part 80. The rotor 92 changes the amount of rotation by moving the adjustment part 91, and adjusts the height position of the support part 92A. According to this configuration, the rotor 92 is rotated by an adjustment operation of moving the adjustment part 91 to rotate the rotor 92, thereby adjusting the height of the rotation support part 60, so that miniaturization and fine adjustment are possible. For example, in a configuration in which the height of the pivot fulcrum part 80 is adjusted using a conversion mechanism that converts horizontal displacement into height displacement, in order to reduce the amount of height displacement relative to the amount of horizontal displacement to enable fine adjustment, it is necessary to reduce the inclination of the slope of the member that displaces horizontally, for example. If the inclination of the slope is reduced, this member is likely to become larger in the horizontal direction. In contrast, if the displacement of the adjustment part 91 is converted into height displacement by rotating the rotor 92, fine adjustment of the height of the pivot fulcrum part 80 is possible without increasing the size.

[0070] (4) The rotation fulcrum portion 80 has a supported portion 89 that is supported by the support portion 92A. The holding portion 70 has a notch 77 capable of holding the supported portion 89. The supported portion 89 is held by the notch 77, thereby positioning the automatic document feeder 22 with respect to the document table 21. According to this configuration, the supported portion 89 is held by the notch 77, thereby enabling positioning in a predetermined direction (Y-axis direction).

[0071] (5) The image reading device 20 includes a torsion coil spring 94 that is attached between the rotor 92 and the holder 70 and applies a biasing force so that the rotor 92 rotates in a first direction. The adjustment unit 91 adjusts the height by moving in an orthogonal direction (adjustment direction Y1) and inhibiting the rotation of the rotor 92 in the first direction. With this configuration, the rotor 92 is biased so that it can be positioned in a state where it always abuts against the adjustment unit 91 such as a screw, making adjustment easy.

[0072] (6) The adjustment portion 91 is an adjustment screw 95 that is held with the screw head 95A facing one end side. With this configuration, the screw head 95A can be accessed from the rear side of the device, making it easy to adjust the height.

[0073] The above embodiment can be modified to the following modified examples. Further modified examples can be appropriately combined with the above embodiment and the following modified examples, or further modified examples can be appropriately combined with each other.

[0074] The height adjustment mechanism is not limited to a rotary height adjustment mechanism 90 that rotates a rotary body such as a rotor 92. In other words, it is not limited to a configuration that uses a rotary mechanism that converts the rotary displacement of the rotary body into a displacement in the height direction Z1. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, a height adjustment mechanism 100 that uses a conversion mechanism that converts a horizontal displacement into a height displacement may be used. The hinge mechanism 40 shown in FIG. 12 includes a rotary support part 60 including a holding part 70 and a rotary fulcrum part 80, and a height adjustment mechanism 100. The hinge mechanism 40 has basically the same configuration as the hinge mechanism 40 of the above embodiment except for the height adjustment mechanism 100. Therefore, the following description will focus on the configuration of the height adjustment mechanism 100. The height adjustment mechanism 100 shown in FIG. 12 includes a lift-up slider 101, a wedge-shaped guide member 102 having an upper surface with a slope 102A parallel to a slope 101A formed on the lower surface of the slider 101, and an adjustment part 91 that moves the guide member 102 in the horizontal direction. The slider 101 has a support portion 101B that supports the supported portion 89 of the pivot portion 80. The slider 101 is guided by a first rail 103 extending in the vertical direction Z and can move up and down in a height direction Z1. The adjustment portion 91 moves in an adjustment direction Y1 that is a direction intersecting (for example, perpendicular to) the height direction Z1 in which the slider 101 moves up and down. The adjustment portion 91 is an adjustment screw 95 that can move in the adjustment direction Y1. An inclined surface 101A of the slider 101 abuts against an inclined surface 102A of the guide member 102. The guide member 102 is guided by a second rail 104 extending along the adjustment direction Y1 and can move in the adjustment direction Y1. The adjustment screw 95 is held in a state in which its shaft portion is screwed into the screw holding portion 96. In addition, the tip portion of the shaft portion of the adjustment screw 95 is connected to the guide member 102 in a state in which it can rotate relatively. The guide member 102 may be configured to be biased in a direction in which the slider 101 can move downward by a spring (not shown) as an example of a biasing member.

[0075] When an operator operates the adjustment screw 95 using a tool such as a screwdriver to push it in, the guide member 102 moves in the +Y1 direction in FIG. 12, so that the guide member 102 penetrates further into the lower side of the slider 101, and the slider 101 rises. As a result, the rotation fulcrum part 80 having the supported part 89 supported by the support part 101B of the slider 101 rises. Also, when an operator operates the adjustment screw 95 using a tool to pull back the adjustment screw 95, the guide member 102 moves in the -Y1 direction in FIG. 12, so that the amount of penetration of the guide member 102 into the lower side of the slider 101 decreases, and the slider 101 descends. As a result, the rotation fulcrum part 80 having the supported part 89 supported by the support part 101B of the slider 101 descends. In this manner, the operator adjusts the height of the rotation fulcrum 80 relative to the holder 70 using the height adjustment mechanism 100 , thereby adjusting the height position of the automatic document feeder 22 relative to the document table 21 .

[0076] This height adjustment mechanism 100 overlaps the holding part 70 and the pivot part 80 in the vertical direction Z. As shown in FIG. 12, in the vertical direction Z, the range R3 of the height adjustment mechanism 90 overlaps both the range R2 of the holding part 70 and the range R3 of the pivot part 80. This overlap condition is satisfied regardless of the height position of the slider 101. For this reason, the hinge mechanism 40 including the holding part 70, the pivot part 80, and the height adjustment mechanism 100 is unlikely to be large in the height direction, even though it includes the height adjustment mechanism 100. In other words, the hinge mechanism 40 having such a height adjustment mechanism 100 is more likely to avoid being large in the height direction than a conventional hinge mechanism in which the height adjustment mechanism is disposed below the holding part 70. Note that the conversion mechanism of the height adjustment mechanism 100 shown in FIG. 12 is merely an example, and other mechanisms capable of converting horizontal displacement into vertical displacement may be adopted. The height adjustment mechanism 100, which changes the relative height of the pivot part 80 with respect to the holding part 70, may be configured to overlap the holding part 70 and the pivot part 80 in the vertical direction Z. With such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the image reading device 20 from becoming large in size in the height direction, and the effects (1) to (6) of the above embodiment can be similarly obtained.

[0077] In the above embodiment, the entire height adjustment mechanism 90 is configured to overlap the holding unit 70 and the pivot unit 80 in the vertical direction Z, but a part of the height adjustment mechanism 90 may be configured to overlap the holding unit 70 and the pivot unit 80 in the vertical direction Z. For example, the entire height adjustment mechanism 90 may overlap the holding unit 70 in the vertical direction Z, and a part of the height adjustment mechanism 90 may overlap the pivot unit 80 in the vertical direction Z. This configuration also prevents the image reading device 20 to which the hinge mechanism 40 is attached from becoming large in the height direction. Also, a part of the height adjustment mechanism 90 may overlap the holding unit 70 in the vertical direction Z, and a part or all of the height adjustment mechanism 90 may overlap the pivot unit 80 in the vertical direction Z. In this case, if the lower end of the height adjustment mechanism 90 is positioned higher than the lower end of the holding portion 70 or at the same height, and a portion of the height adjustment mechanism 90 overlaps with the holding portion 70 in the vertical direction Z, the image reading device 20 to which the hinge mechanism is attached can be prevented from becoming larger in height.

[0078] For example, in the above embodiment, the length of the slide portion 81 of the pivot point portion 80 may be shortened so that the height adjustment mechanism 90 only partially overlaps the pivot point portion 80 in the vertical direction Z (hereinafter referred to as configuration A).

[0079] For example, in the above embodiment, the portion of the rotor 92 located above the shaft portion 93 may be extended longer in the vertical direction Z, so that the height adjustment mechanism 90 only partially overlaps with the holding portion 70 in the vertical direction Z (hereinafter referred to as configuration B).

[0080] For example, both configurations A and B in the two modified examples described above may be adopted, and the height adjustment mechanism 90 may be configured to only partially overlap the pivot point portion 80 in the vertical direction Z and to only partially overlap the holding portion 70 in the vertical direction Z.

[0081] In the above embodiment, the portion of the rotor 92 above the shaft portion 93, which is the rotation fulcrum, may be pushed in by the adjustment portion 91 (for example, the adjustment screw 95) that moves in the adjustment direction Y1. The conversion mechanism that converts the displacement when the adjustment unit 91 is operated into a displacement in the vertical direction Z is not limited to a rotation type using a rotor 92 or a sliding type using a wedge-shaped member, and may be a type that utilizes the principle of a lever. For example, a lever with a fulcrum on the lower side is disposed, an adjustment screw is provided at the force point of the lever, and a slider that can be displaced in the vertical direction Z is provided at the point of action of the lever. The direction in which the adjustment screw advances and retreats is the vertical direction Z, and the direction in which the slider moves is also the vertical direction Z. With this configuration, when the rear cover 29 is opened, the adjustment screw with its head exposed in an upward facing state is operated with a tool to raise and lower the slider via the lever, thereby making it possible to adjust the height of the rotation fulcrum unit 80 relative to the holding unit 70.

[0082] There may be three or more hinge mechanisms 40 connecting the platen 21 and the platen cover 23. Also, only some of the three or more hinge mechanisms 40 may be hinge mechanisms 40 having the height adjustment mechanisms 90, 100.

[0083] In the above embodiment and modified example, the hinge mechanism 40 has the height adjustment mechanism 90, 100, but the height adjustment mechanism may be separate from the hinge mechanism 40. For example, the hinge mechanisms 41, 42 are composed of a holding section 70 and a pivot point section 80 that is attached to the holding section 70 and is provided so as to be vertically movable with respect to the holding section 70. The height adjustment mechanism 90 includes a second holding section, a movable member that is attached to the second holding section and is vertically movable with respect to the second holding section, a displacement member that is provided so as to be displaceable with respect to the second holding section, a contact section that is provided on the movable member and against which a support section provided on the displacement member abuts, and an adjustment section that displaces the support section of the displacement member so as to be vertically movable. The second holding section is fixed at a position different from that of the holding section 70 with respect to the rear frame 52 of the manuscript table 21 to which the holding section 70 is fixed, and the movable member is fixed to the manuscript table cover 23. The support portion of the displacement member is displaced in the vertical direction Z by the adjustment portion of the height adjustment mechanism, thereby adjusting the height position of the opening / closing body (for example, automatic document feeder 22) relative to document table 21. At this time, the height position of the opening / closing body of hinge mechanisms 41, 42 relative to document table 21 is adjusted, and the holding portion 70 and the rotation fulcrum portion 80 move relatively in the vertical direction Z in accordance with the adjustment of the height position. In this way, even if the hinge mechanisms 41, 42 and the height adjustment mechanism are configured separately, as long as the height adjustment mechanism is configured to overlap with the holding portion 70 and the rotation fulcrum portion 80 in the vertical direction Z, it is possible to suppress an increase in size in the height direction of image reading device 20.

[0084] The opening / closing body of the image reading device 20 may be a document table cover 23 that does not include the automatic document feeder 22. In other words, the image reading device 20 may be configured to include the document table 21 and a plate-shaped document table cover 23. In this configuration, the weight of the document table cover 23 is lighter than in a configuration that includes the automatic document feeder 22, so there is less need to adjust the height of the opening / closing body. However, if a hinge mechanism 40 having a height adjustment mechanism that can adjust the height position of the document table cover 23 is employed, the image reading device 20 can be prevented from becoming larger in size in the height direction.

[0085] The image reading device 20 is not limited to being a part of the multifunction device 11. The image reading device 20 may be a flatbed scanner device that does not have a printing function and is equipped with a document table 21 and a document table cover 23. In this case, the document table cover 23 may be a scanner device equipped with an automatic document feeder 22.

[0086] The technical ideas and effects obtained from the above-described embodiment and modified examples will be described below. (A) An image reading device includes a document table on which a document is placed, an opening / closing body that is provided so as to be openable and closable with respect to the document table, a rotation support part that is provided on one end of the document table and rotates the opening / closing body with respect to the document table, and a height adjustment mechanism that adjusts the height position of the opening / closing body with respect to the document table, the rotation support part having a holding part fixed to the document table and a rotation fulcrum part that is attached to the holding part and is provided so as to be movable up and down with respect to the holding part, the height adjustment mechanism adjusts the height position of the opening / closing body with respect to the document table by adjusting the height of the rotation fulcrum part with respect to the holding part, and overlaps the holding part and the rotation fulcrum part in the vertical direction. With this configuration, it is possible to adjust the height of the hinge mechanism while suppressing an increase in size of the image reading device.

[0087] (B) In the above image reading device, the height adjustment mechanism may move the holding part and the pivot part relatively. With this configuration, since the height adjustment mechanism moves the holding part and the pivot part relatively, the part of the height adjustment mechanism that is arranged below the holding part can be further reduced or eliminated. Therefore, it is possible to further prevent the part formed by the holding part, the pivot part, and the height adjustment mechanism from becoming large in the height direction.

[0088] (C) In the above image reading device, the height adjustment mechanism includes a rotor rotatable relative to the holding portion, a rotation fulcrum of the rotor, and an adjustment portion movable in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the axis of the rotation fulcrum extends, and changes the amount of rotation of the rotor by contacting the rotor from the perpendicular direction, and the rotor has a support portion that supports the rotation fulcrum portion, and the amount of rotation can be changed by moving the adjustment portion to adjust the height position of the support portion.

[0089] According to this configuration, the height of the pivot support part is adjusted by rotating the rotor through an adjustment operation that moves the adjustment part, so that miniaturization and fine adjustment are possible. For example, in a configuration in which the height of the pivot fulcrum part is adjusted using a conversion mechanism that converts horizontal displacement into height displacement, if the amount of height displacement relative to the amount of horizontal displacement is reduced to allow fine adjustment, it is necessary to reduce the inclination of the slope of the member that displaces horizontally, and reducing the inclination of the slope tends to make this member larger in the horizontal direction. In contrast, if the displacement of the adjustment part is converted into a height displacement by rotating the rotor, fine adjustment of the height of the pivot fulcrum part is possible without increasing the size significantly.

[0090] (D) In ​​the above-mentioned image reading device, the pivot point portion has a supported portion supported by the support portion, and the holding portion has a notch capable of holding the supported portion, and the opening / closing body may be positioned relative to the document table by the supported portion being held by the notch.

[0091] According to this configuration, the supported portion can be held by the notch, thereby making it possible to perform positioning in a predetermined direction (Y-axis direction). (E) In the above image reading device, a biasing member is provided between the rotor and the holding unit to apply a biasing force so that the rotor rotates in a first direction, and the adjustment unit may adjust the height by moving in the perpendicular direction and hindering the rotation of the rotor in the first direction. With this configuration, the rotor is biased so that it can be positioned in a state where it always abuts against an adjustment unit such as a screw, making adjustment easy.

[0092] (F) In the image reading device, the adjustment unit may be an adjustment screw that is held with its head facing the one end. With this configuration, the head of the screw can be accessed from the rear side of the device, making it easy to adjust the height. [Explanation of symbols]

[0093] Reference Signs List 11...multifunction device, 12...device body, 12A...housing, 12B...casters, 12F...front, 12S...side, 13...printer section, 14...operation panel, 14A...display section, 15...cassette, 16...first cover, 16A...handle, 17...second cover, 17A...handle, 18...third cover, 18A...handle, 19...feed tray, 19A...handle, 20...image reading device, 21...original table, 21A...top, 22...automatic original feed section as an example of an opening / closing body, 23...original table cover, 24...original tray, 25...output tray, 26...housing, 26A...opening, 26B...frame , 26C... opening, 26F... front cover, 27... feeding mechanism, 27A... housing, 27B... feeding port, 28... edge guide, 29... rear cover, 30... recording section, 30H... liquid ejection head, 31... liquid supply source, 32... window section, 33... discharge section, 34... discharge tray, 40... hinge mechanism, 41, 42... hinge mechanism, 43... glass plate, 44... reading window, 45... reading section, 46... sensor, 47... document holding surface, 48... reading path, 49... screw, 50... frame, 51... bottom frame, 52... rear frame, 52A... screw hole, 53... side frame, 6 0...rotation support portion, 61...screw, 62...screw, 70...holding portion, 71...holding frame, 72...holding member, 72A...long hole, 73...mounting portion, 73A...screw insertion hole, 74...extension portion, 74A...long hole, 75...guide hole, 77...notch, 78...rotation scale, 79...height scale, 80...rotation fulcrum portion, 81...slide portion, 81A...back surface, 81B...screw hole, 82...rotating frame, 83...shaft portion, 84...mounting surface, 84A...screw hole, 85...mounting portion, 85A...screw insertion hole, 86...stopper, 87...lift mechanism, 88...projection portion, 89...supported portion, 90...height adjustment mechanism, 9 1...adjustment part, 92...rotor, 92A...support part, 92B...contact part, 93...shaft part as an example of a rotation fulcrum, 94...torsion coil spring as an example of a biasing member, 94A...first end, 94B...second end, 95...adjustment screw, 95A...screw head, 95B...shaft part, 96...screw holding part, 97...hanging part, 100...height adjustment mechanism, 101...slider, 101B...support part, D...original, X...width direction, Y...depth direction, Z...vertical direction, X1...axial direction, Y1...adjustment direction, Z1...height direction, R1...range of holding part, R2...range of rotation fulcrum part, R3...range of height adjustment mechanism.

Claims

1. a manuscript table on which a manuscript is placed; an opening / closing body that is provided so as to be openable and closable with respect to the document table; a rotation support provided on one end side of the document table for rotating the opening / closing body relative to the document table; With a height adjustment mechanism for adjusting a height position of the opening / closing body relative to the document table; Equipped with The rotation support portion is A holder fixed to the document table; a pivot point portion attached to the holding portion and movable up and down relative to the holding portion; having The height adjustment mechanism includes: The height of the pivot point part relative to the holding part is adjusted to rotate the document table. Adjust the height of the opening and closing body, The holding portion and the pivot portion overlap each other in a vertical direction. The height adjustment mechanism includes: A rotor rotatable relative to the holding portion; A rotation fulcrum of the rotor; The rotation support is provided so as to be movable in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the axis of the rotation support extends, an adjustment unit that changes the rotation amount of the rotor by contacting the rotor from a different direction; having The rotor has a support portion that supports the rotation fulcrum portion, The amount of rotation is changed by moving the adjustment part, and the height position of the support part is adjusted. An image reading device comprising:

2. 2. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, The height adjustment mechanism is characterized in that the holding portion and the pivot portion are moved relative to each other. An image reading device.

3. 2. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, The pivot point portion has a supported portion supported by the support portion, the holding portion has a notch capable of holding the supported portion, The supported portion is held by the notch, and thus the opening and closing of the document is prevented. An image reading device characterized in that a body is positioned.

4. 4. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, A rotor is attached between the rotor and the holder so that the rotor rotates in a first direction. A biasing member that applies a biasing force is provided, The adjustment unit rotates the rotor in the first direction while moving in the perpendicular direction. The image reading device according to claim 1, wherein the height adjustment is performed by inhibiting the movement of the image reading device.

5. 5. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, The adjustment portion is an adjustment screw that is held with its head facing the one end side.

1. An image reading device comprising:

Images