IP Library Granted Patent US 9,942,437
Granted Patent B2
US 9,942,437 · App. 15/437,642 · Granted Apr 10, 2018

Image reading apparatus

Inventor: Noriyuki Kawamata (Nagoya, JP)
Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
H04N1/1061H04N1/00519H04N1/1043H04N2201/0081H04N2201/0422
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,942,437
App. No.
15/437,642
Granted
Apr 10, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

An image reading apparatus is provided. The image reading apparatus includes: a platen glass; a moving member; a reading section held by the moving member, the reading section having a reading surface, a light-receiving element, a substrate section, and a case section; a transmission member; and a first biasing section. The moving member includes a facing surface that faces the substrate section. The case section includes a first wall and a second wall. The transmission member includes a first contacting section, a second contacting section, and a connecting section. The first biasing section is disposed such that its one end makes a contact with the facing surface of the moving member and its other end makes a contact with the connecting section of the transmission member.

Claims (44)

1. An image reading apparatus configured to read an image of a sheet, comprising:

a platen glass configured to support the sheet on one surface of the platen glass;

a moving member configured to be movable in a sub-scanning direction along the other surface of the platen glass;

an image reader supported by the moving member, the image reader including:

a reading surface facing the other surface of the platen glass;

a plurality of light-receiving elements aligned in a main scanning direction orthogonal to the sub-scanning direction;

a substrate facing the reading surface from an opposite to the platen glass and including a circuit board in which each of the light-receiving elements is arranged; and

a case holding the substrate;

a transmission member arranged between the image reader and the moving member; and

a first biasing portion configured to bias the image reader in a first direction which is a direction approaching the platen glass,

wherein the moving member includes a facing surface that faces the substrate from an opposite to the reading surface,

wherein the case includes:

a first wall which extends toward the moving member and which is adjacent to one of two edges, of the reading surface, extending in the main scanning direction; and

a second wall which holds the substrate between the second wall and the first wall, which extends toward the moving member, and which is adjacent to the other of the edges, of the reading surface, extending in the main scanning direction,

wherein the transmission member includes:

a first contacting portion which makes a contact with an end of the first wall in the first direction, wherein the end of the first wall is located at a position adjacent to the substrate;

a second contacting portion which makes a contact with an end of the second wall in the first direction, wherein the end of the second wall is located at a position adjacent to the substrate; and

a connecting portion which faces the substrate and which extends in the sub-scanning direction to connect the first contacting portion and the second contacting portion, and

wherein one end of the first biasing portion makes a contact with the facing surface of the moving member and the other end of the first biasing portion makes a contact with the connecting portion of the transmission member.

2. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a spacer which projects toward the platen glass from both ends of the image reader in the main scanning direction and of which top portion makes contact with the other surface of the platen glass,

wherein the first biasing portion and the transmission member overlap with the spacer, in a direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction and in the sub-scanning direction.

3. The image reading apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein a virtual plane, which extends in the sub-scanning direction and which extends in the first direction to pass through the top of the spacer, passes through the image reader, the first biasing portion, and the transmission member.

4. The image reading apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the spacer includes:

a facing portion facing the reading surface; and

an engaging portion configured to engage with one of the first wall and the second wall, wherein the engaging portion is connected to the facing section and extends toward the moving member while detouring the transmission member.

5. The image reading apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the spacer includes a rotating member configured to make a contact with the platen glass to rotate on the platen glass, and

the top portion of the spacer is a portion, of an outer peripheral surface of the rotating member, contacting with the platen glass.

6. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the connecting portion extends in the sub-scanning direction while being separated from the substrate, and

the transmission member includes:

a first projection projecting in the first direction along the first wall from one end in the sub-scanning direction in the connecting section; and

a second projection projecting in the first direction along the second wall from the other end in the sub-scanning direction in the connecting section.

7. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the case includes a third wall which projects toward the moving member from both ends of the case in the main scanning direction and extends in the sub-scanning direction, and

the transmission member includes a third contacting portion which makes a contact with an end of the third wall in the first direction, wherein the end of the third wall is located at a position adjacent to the substrate.

8. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the first wall is in a position displaced in one side in the sub-scanning direction with respect to the reading surface, the one side in the sub-scanning direction being a moving direction when the image reader reads the image of the sheet supported by the platen glass,

the second wall is in a position displaced in the other side in the sub-scanning direction with respect to the reading surface, and

the image reading apparatus further comprises a second biasing portion, wherein one end of the second biasing portion makes contact with the moving member, the other end of the second biasing portion makes contact with the first wall, and the second biasing portion biases the image reader in the other side in the sub-scanning direction.

9. The image reading apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein

the first biasing portion and the second biasing portion are formed integrally by a metal wire material,

the first biasing portion is a coil spring portion wound in a coil shape, and

the second biasing portion is a pressing portion bent extending from one end of the coil spring portion, and a tip end of the pressing portion makes contact with the first wall.

10. The image reading apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein

the moving member includes a first positioning portion which positions the coil spring portion and a second positioning portion which positions a middle part of the pressing portion, and

the transmission member includes a housing which houses the tip end of the pressing portion.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 21, 2017
From: KAWAMATA, NORIYUKI
To: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 041314/0728 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2016-034575 · Feb 25, 2016 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20170251123A1 · Aug 31, 2017