Supports – Machinery support – Including vibration isolation means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-26
2001-12-11
King, Anita (Department: 3632)
Supports
Machinery support
Including vibration isolation means
C248S606000, C248S635000, C310S051000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06328274
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a motor supporting structure used to support the motor on a frame and having an elastic member adapted for preventing a vibration of the motor from being transmitted to the fame disposed between the frame and the motor.
An image reading apparatus, such as an image scanner, usually utilize the drive force of a motor to drive a member adapted to scan an original and read video information from the original. The motor is mounted within the image reading apparatus, and there is always an apprehension that a vibration might be transmitted from the motor to the other various components. To avoid this, a motor supporting structure adapted for elastically supporting the motor on the frame has been conventionally used. In the prior art as shown in
FIGS. 7 and 8
, the motor
4
is supported by a motor supporting structure
1
comprising a substantially L-shaped bracket
3
fixed to a frame
2
and a vibration damping member
5
disposed between motor
4
and bracket
3
.
Vibration damping member
5
is provided in the form of an elastic member
7
made, for example, of rubber material disposed between a pair of supporting plates
6
and integrated therewith by suitable means, such as curing adhesion. Vibration damping member
5
, bracket
3
, and motor
4
are fixed by means of screw-clamping utilizing bolts
8
.
With this motor supporting structure
1
, a vibration transmitted from motor
4
to bracket
3
is damped by the vibration damping member
5
, and a vibration of the other components of the apparatus can be avoided.
However, motor supporting structure
1
of the prior art as described above is disadvantageous in that the cost of parts inevitably increases, since vibration damping member
5
comprising elastic member
7
and the paired supporting plates
6
is disposed between bracket
3
and motor
4
, and the number of parts correspondingly increases.
Additionally, vibration damping member
5
must be provided separately of motor
4
and bracket
3
. Consequently, mourning motor
4
becomes complicated and troublesome. Thus, a high working efficiency cannot be expected, and time taken for this operation becomes undesirably long.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the problem as described above, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a motor supporting structure allowing the number of parts to be reduced and allowing mounting of the motor to be simplified.
The object set forth above is achieved, according to the invention, by a motor supporting structure for elastically supporting a motor on a frame. The motor supporting structure comprises a bracket fixed to the frame and an elastic member bonded to the bracket and fixed to the motor.
During actuation of the motor, a vibration transmitted from the motor to the bracket can be damped by the elastic member. This elastic member is bonded directly to the bracket, and it is unnecessary to dispose a separate part serving as the vibration damping member between the bracket and the motor as has been demanded in the conventional structure. In addition, the bracket and the elastic member are previously bonded together into a single part, and therefore the step of assembling the vibration damping member with the bracket during operation of mounting the motor can be eliminated. As a consequence, the working efficiency of mounting the motor may be improved.
Preferably, a supporting plate bonded to the elastic member and fixed to the motor is disposed between the elastic member and the motor.
In this manner, the bracket, the elastic member, and the supporting plate can be conveniently handled as a single part by previously integrating these members, and the motor can be mounted on the bracket merely by fixing the motor to the supporting plate.
Preferably, the elastic member and the motor are bonded together.
The bracket, the elastic member, and the motor's casing can be handled as a single part by bonding these members together. Thus, the step of mounting the motor on the bracket can thereby be eliminated.
Preferably, surface zones of the elastic member and the motor to be bonded together are formed with recesses and projections, resectively, adapted to be tightly engaged with each other. Such arrangement allows the elastic member and the motor to be bonded together over a large area and thereby ensures a firm integration of these members. Even when an external force is exerted on this assembly and tends to shear this assembly along its bonded interface, the recesses and projections are pressed against each other substantially in vertical direction to hold this assembly and effectively increase a resistance against the peeling off of the elastic member from the motor.
Preferably, surface zones of the bracket and the elastic member to be bonded together are formed with projections and recesses, respectively, adapted to be tightly engaged with each other. Such arrangement contributes to enlarge an area over which the bracket and the elastic member are bonded together and to ensure a firm integration of these two members. Even when an external force is exerted on this assembly and tends to shear this assembly along its bonded interface, the recesses and projections are pressed against each other substantially in vertical direction to hold this assembly and effectively increase a resistance against the peeling off of the elastic member from the bracket.
Preferably, the recesses and projections are distributed substantially at regular intervals on a common circumference defined around an output shaft of the motor. Even when a circumferential stress is generated around the output shaft between the bracket and the motor due to actuation of the motor, such stress is absorbed by the recesses and projections in a uniform and well-balanced manner.
Preferably, the motor supporting structure further includes a flange extending from a peripheral edge surrounding a through-hole of the bracket for insertion of the motor's output shaft in a direction away from the elastic member and a projection extending from the elastic member towards an inner side of the flange so as to be bonded to an inner peripheral surface of the flange. Such arrangement is effective to enlarge an area over which the elastic member and the bracket are bonded together and thereby to ensure a ether firm integration of these two members. Additionally, even when an external force is exerted on this assembly and tends to shear this assembly along its bonded interface, the projection of the elastic member is pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the flange substantially in vertical direction to hold this assembly and thereby increases a resistance against the peeling off of the elastic member from the bracket.
Preferably, the elastic member is made of rubber material. Preferably, the frame is a frame used in an image reading apparatus. Accordingly, the motor can be mounted on such image reading apparatus with fewer parts and a high working efficiency. Vibration transmitted from the motor to the frame can be reliably prevented so that the image reading apparatus can reliably operate and provide a desired function.
These and other features, advantages, and objects of the present invention will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art by reference to the following specification, claims, and appended drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1778992 (1930-10-01), Wulfert
patent: 2508641 (1950-05-01), Heintz
patent: 2575858 (1951-11-01), Bennett
patent: 3154704 (1964-10-01), Shaffer
patent: 3330515 (1967-07-01), Janssen et al.
patent: 4520987 (1985-06-01), Eguchi et al.
patent: 4643386 (1987-02-01), Chastine
patent: 4648579 (1987-03-01), Wilson
patent: 4655099 (1987-04-01), Hansen
patent: 4679761 (1987-07-01), Small
patent: 5044598 (1991-09-01), Mann et al.
patent: 5366198 (1994-11-01), Dickinson
Fuji Photo Optical Co., Ltd.
King Anita
Price Heneveld Cooper DeWitt & Litton
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