Electrical connectors – With relatively guided members and intermediate pliable...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-13
2001-03-06
Sircus, Brian (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With relatively guided members and intermediate pliable...
Reexamination Certificate
active
06196855
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a guiding mechanism for flat cable, and more particularly to a guiding mechanism for keeping flat cable connected between two traveling modules of an image scanning device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In various kinds of optical devices or electric appliances (such as image scanner, photo copier, test instrument, etc.), two traveling modules are often equipped therein. For example, as shown in
FIG. 1
, it is a perspective view of a conventional optical image scanning device, showing that a focusing lens
2
, a protective cover
3
, a pair of corresponding guide rods
4
a
,
4
b
, and two movable traveling modules
5
a
,
5
b
are arranged in the housing
1
of the conventional optical image scanner.
The guide rods
4
a
,
4
b
serve as a guiding mechanism for guiding two traveling modules
5
a
,
5
b
. The first traveling module
5
a
carries a light tube as a light source for the image scanning device, while the second traveling module
5
b
carries a set of reflection mirrors for reflecting the light projected from the light source. During scanning, a document to be scanned is placed on a document positioning plate of the scanner. It is known that the document positioning plate is a plane surface made, for example, from glass or other light transmittable, substantially rigid material for supporting a document to be scanned. The light tube of the first traveling module
5
a
projects a light toward the document and then the light is reflected by the reflection mirror of the second traveling module
5
b
. The first and second traveling modules
5
a
,
5
b
are arranged to achieve a necessary scanning optical path during scanning. Typically, the first and second traveling modules
5
a
,
5
b
may be moved by a conventional driving motor via a transmission rope (not shown). In general, the ratio of the speed of the first traveling module
5
a
to the speed of the second traveling module
5
b
is 2:1.
Normally, a circuit board
7
is mounted on a side wall of the first traveling module
5
a
. One end of a flat cable
6
disposed with a connector
61
is electrically connected to the circuit board
7
. The other end of the flat cable
6
extends to connect with a fixed position
11
of the base plate
12
of the housing or a protective cover
3
mounted on the housing
1
. The protective cover
3
contains therein a circuit board and other relevant electronic components.
The flat cable
6
generally has a certain flexibility. However, the minimum curvature radius and the tolerable number of bending times of the flat cable
6
are limited. Since the traveling modules need to frequently move left and right, the flat cable
6
will be repeatedly bent. In the case of too large of a bending angle, the flat cable
6
may be broken or damaged.
Moreover, the width of the existing flat cable is narrower and narrower (the number of pins is reduced) with longer length (such as used in scanning of A
3
size document). Therefore, during the movement of the traveling modules, the flat cable is likely to curve and touch other components arranged in the housing of the image scanning device or even be rolled into the traveling mechanism. In addition, the flat cable may swing left and right during movement of the traveling modules. These all lead to lowered reliability and shortened usable life of the scanner.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a guiding mechanism for flat cable connected between two traveling modules. By means of the guiding mechanism of the present invention, when two traveling modules move, the flat cable is kept in a properly tensioned state and can be smoothly bent without deflection. Therefore, the problem existing in the conventional traveling modules that the flat cable may be rolled into the traveling modules, abraded, broken or swung left and right can be eliminated.
To achieve the above object of the present invention, a flat cable fixing holder is disposed on a lower portion of the first traveling module for locating one end of the flat cable under the first traveling module. A roller is disposed under the second traveling module, corresponding to the flat cable fixing holder of the first traveling module. The other end of the flat cable is extended from the fixing holder of the first traveling module and then wound over the roller and wound back toward the first traveling module and finally located on a base plate of the housing. After installation, the flat cable is slightly tensioned by a certain tensile strength without suspending. Accordingly, when the first and second traveling modules displace and move, the flat cable is kept in a properly tensioned state and can be smoothly bent without deflection.
The present invention can be best understood through the following description and accompanying drawings wherein:
REFERENCES:
patent: 4114043 (1978-09-01), Gansfried
Dougherty & Troxell
Prasad Chandrika
Sircus Brian
Umax Data Systems Inc.
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