Flat Cable Support in Image Scanner Housing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional image reading apparatuses face issues with flat cable breakage due to repeated contact with the image sensor unit's corner, leading to potential cable deflection and damage during scanning operations.
Innovation Solution
The image reading apparatus incorporates a housing with a sliding contact surface and a connecting surface that disperses the load on the flat cable, reducing contact stress and preventing breakage by ensuring the cable is supported over a wider surface area, thereby minimizing curvature and contact with the image sensor unit's corners.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the image sensor unit repeatedly moves in the scanning direction, then the reading operation can be performed continuously, but the corner of the image sensor unit repeatedly contacts the flat cable causing breakage
Solution Approach 1:
A guide member with a recess portion is introduced as an intermediary component between the flat cable and the image sensor unit. The recess portion engages with the protrusion shape portion of the cable regulating member, creating a protective interface that prevents direct contact between the cable and the moving sensor unit corners, thus eliminating the harmful contact while allowing continuous operation
Solution Approach 2:
The cable regulating member with the protrusion shape portion is pre-installed on the flat cable, and the guide member with the corresponding recess portion is pre-positioned in the housing. This preliminary arrangement ensures that the cable is protected from contact before the image sensor unit begins its repeated scanning movements, preventing breakage before it occurs
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design effectively reduces the likelihood of flat cable breakage by distributing the load and minimizing curvature, ensuring stable signal transmission during scanning operations.
Implementation Method 1
an imaging unit configured to receive the light irradiated from the light source and reflected by the sheet, and convert the light into an image signal
Implementation Method 2
a sliding contact surface extending in the sub-scanning direction and configured to be brought into sliding contact with a flat surface of the flat cable in a case where the flat cable is being curved
Data Source
AI summary
An image reading apparatus includes a sheet support surface, a reading unit, a main body portion configured to accommodate the reading unit, and a flat cable being curved while the reading unit moves in the sub-scanning direction, wherein the main body portion includes a sliding contact surface configured to be brought into sliding contact with a flat surface of the flat cable, and a side surface facing the reading unit in the sub-scanning direction, the housing includes a first surface facing the sliding contact surface and abutting against the flat surface of the flat cable, a second surface facing the side surface, and a connecting surface configured to connect the first surface and the second surface, and the connecting surface abuts against the flat surface of the flat cable in a case where the reading unit performs the reading operation.