Facsimile and static presentation processing – Facsimile – Picture signal generator
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-02
2002-01-29
Lee, Cheukfan (Department: 2722)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Facsimile
Picture signal generator
C358S474000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06342955
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image reading/recording apparatus having an image reading unit for reading image information, and an image forming unit for forming an image and recording it on a recording medium.
2. Related Background Art
As a conventional image reading/recording apparatus, a facsimile apparatus, which has an image reading unit and image forming unit, and has a function of communicating image information, is known. Facsimile apparatuses used in offices and the like, and especially, compact, desktop apparatuses, must meet requirements for further size and cost reductions, and higher-speed processing.
The arrangement of a conventional facsimile apparatus and the layout of circuit boards will be described below with reference to the sectional view in FIG.
4
and the perspective view in FIG.
5
.
In the arrangement of the facsimile apparatus shown in
FIG. 4
, an image reading unit A is placed in the upper front portion (upper left portion in
FIG. 4
) of an apparatus body (to be simply referred to as a body hereinafter), and an image forming unit B is placed behind the unit A. Image information of an original read by the image reading unit A is transmitted to another facsimile apparatus in the facsimile mode, or is transferred to and recorded by its own image forming unit B in the copy mode.
The image reading unit A conveys an original
113
, and reads image information described on the original
113
. Originals
113
stacked on an original table
114
a
and auxiliary table
114
b
are picked up one by one by a pickup roller
114
c
and pickup piece
114
d,
which is pressed against the roller
114
c,
and the picked-up original
113
is conveyed by a pair of convey rollers
114
e.
A pressing means
114
f
presses that original
113
against a contact sensor
115
of an image reading means to read image information on the original
113
. After that, the original
113
is exhausted onto a tray
106
b
outside the apparatus by a pair of exhaust rollers
114
g.
The image forming unit B irradiates a photosensitive drum
107
as a rotating image carrier with an optical image based on image information received from another facsimile apparatus or that read by its own image reading unit A via an optical system
101
, and forms an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image information by selectively exposing the surface of the photosensitive drum
107
. A developing unit prepared as a process cartridge C then forms a toner image on the surface of the photosensitive drum
107
.
On the other hand, a convey means
103
picks up and conveys the uppermost one of recording sheets
102
horizontally stacked in a paper cassette
103
a,
which can be pulled out from one end of a paper feed unit D. The conveyed recording sheet is reversed via a U-turn path, and is then conveyed to a transfer means
104
. The transfer means
104
applies a voltage of a polarity opposite to that of a toner image formed on the photosensitive drum
107
, thereby transferring the toner image on the photosensitive drum
107
onto the recording sheet
102
. After that, the recording sheet
102
is conveyed to a fixing means
105
, and the toner image on the recording sheet
102
is fixed thereon upon application of heat and pressure. The fixed recording sheet
102
is exhausted onto a face-down tray
106
a
in the face-down exhaust mode which exhausts the recording sheet
102
with the recorded surface facing down or onto the face-up tray
106
b
in the face-up exhaust mode which exhausts the recording sheet
102
with the recorded surface facing up.
The layout of the circuit boards will be explained below. A power supply board
120
having a power supply input unit
120
a,
high-voltage circuit, and the like, and a control board
122
having a CPU, body control circuit, image processing circuit, and the like are juxtaposed at the right and left positions below the image forming unit B and above the surface of the paper cassette
103
a,
as shown in FIG.
5
. The power supply input unit
120
a
is exposed outside the body from a hole open to a right side surface
133
of the body and receives electric power via a power supply cord (not shown). An NCU board
123
having a communication circuit is placed above the control board
122
on a left side surface
134
of the body on the left side of the image forming unit B. Furthermore, a modular board
124
having a modular jack connector for connecting the apparatus to a telephone line is placed below the NCU board
123
and control board
122
. The modular jack connector (not shown) is exposed outside the body via a hole (not shown) open to the left side surface
134
of the body, and is connected to a line via a communication cable (not shown), thus allowing communications of image data and the like.
The power supply board
120
and control board
122
, the power supply board
120
and NCU board
123
, the control board
122
and NCU board
123
, and the NCU board
123
and modular board
124
are respectively connected to each other via cables, connectors, and the like to supply electric power, exchange signals, and connect ground.
In this fashion, in the arrangement for conveying the recording sheet
102
from the paper cassette
103
a
to the transfer means
104
while being reversed via the U-turn path, the respective circuit boards are efficiently laid out to avoid the convey path of the recording sheet.
However, in the above prior art, a power supply cable for electrically connecting the power supply board
120
and NCU board
123
crosses the control board
122
, resulting in complicated connections of cables. Also, an insulating member is required between the cable and control board
122
due to limitations on safety standards, resulting in high parts cost, poor assembly, and high assembly cost.
The power supply cord is attached from the right side surface
133
of the body, and the communication cable for line connections is attached from the left side surface
134
of the body. Hence, when the user uses the apparatus on the desktop, these cords extend on the desktop and require extra spaces, thus broadening the installation space of the apparatus in practice.
Furthermore, since the recording sheet
102
is stored in the paper cassette
103
a and is conveyed from the cassette
103
a
to the transfer means
104
while being reversed via the U-turn path, the size of the apparatus is determined by that of the recording sheet
102
that the apparatus can process, thus disturbing a size reduction. At the same time, the length of a recording sheet convey path from the leading end position of the recording sheet
102
to the transfer means
104
is prolonged, thus requiring a long convey time and disturbing high-speed image recording.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to solve the aforementioned problems, and to provide an image reading/recording apparatus which simplifies the connection routes among boards to facilitate connections among the boards.
It is another object of the present invention to prevent a connection means for connecting boards from crossing other boards by placing the respective circuit boards along the neighboring ones of the bottom, side, and back inner surfaces of a body.
Other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments to be described below.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5281977 (1994-01-01), Kurita
patent: 5414533 (1995-05-01), Sawase et al.
patent: 5452110 (1995-09-01), Hatano et al.
patent: 5552902 (1996-09-01), Kohno
patent: 5822081 (1998-10-01), Hatano et al.
patent: 5884117 (1999-03-01), Tanoue et al.
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Lee Cheukfan
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