Multifunctional peripheral device

A multifunctional apparatus includes a first circuit board which is installed on a low surface of a main body, receives a current from an external power source and supplies the current to other circuit boards and devices; a second circuit board which is installed on a surface of the main body and includes a controller to control the other circuit boards and devices; and a third circuit board which is installed on an upper surface of the main body and supplies the current or transfers control signals to a scanning unit.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the priority of Korean Patent Application No. 2003-68661, filed on Oct. 2, 2003, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a multifunctional apparatus, and more particularly, to a multifunctional apparatus having a reduced number of circuit boards to lower electromagnetic interference (EMI), the circuit boards being connected to one another by connecting units of a short length.

2. Description of the Related Art

A multifunctional apparatus is a single apparatus in which several office automation (OA) devices such as a printer, a scanner, and a facsimile machine are combined. The multifunctional apparatus generally includes a printing unit and a scanning unit. The multifunctional apparatus simultaneously reads document data and prints the data on other papers. The scanning unit is located in an upper portion of the apparatus to be easily opened and closed. Accordingly, in order to supply power and transfer control signals to the scanning unit, a connecting unit is needed to connect a power board, which receives current from an external power source and distributes the current to a circuit board and other devices, and a main board in which a controller to control the circuit board and other devices is mounted.

FIG. 1is a perspective view schematically illustrating an example of a conventional multifunctional apparatus.FIG. 2is a perspective view of a layout of a circuit board in the multifunctional apparatus ofFIG. 1.

Referring toFIG. 1, a multifunctional apparatus10includes a cassette11into which paper is loaded and which is attachable to and detachable from a main body, a printing holder12into which papers are discharged after printing, a control panel13having installed therein control buttons to control the multifunctional apparatus10, a scanning unit cover14which is installed to rotate and move up and down from the main body, a paper supplier15, onto which documents to be scanned are placed, and a scanning holder16into which the scanned papers are discharged after scanning.

If the scanning unit cover14moves upwards, a scanning plane (not shown) covered by the scanning unit cover14is exposed. A scanning module (not shown), capable of sliding and projecting lights to scan the papers, is installed below in a lower surface of the scanning plane.

Referring toFIG. 2, a power board21which receives current from an external power source and distributes the current to other circuit boards and devices, and a main board22, in which a controller to control other circuit boards and devices is installed, are disposed parallel to a lower surface34of the multifunctional apparatus10.

A scanning unit board24, which supplies current to a scanning unit (not shown) and which reduces signals to control the scanning unit, is installed on an upper surface32of the multifunctional apparatus10. In addition, a connecting board23to connect the main board22and the scanning unit board24is disposed on a surface33of the multifunctional apparatus10.

The power board21, the main board22, the connecting board23, and the scanning unit board24are connected to each other. That is, the power board21and the main board22are connected by a first connecting unit25, the main board22and the connecting board23are connected by a second connecting unit26, and the connecting board23and the scanning unit board24are connected by a third connecting unit27.

As shown inFIG. 2, the second connecting unit26and the third connecting unit27are perpendicular to each other. The connecting board23may be regarded as a connecting unit to connect the second connecting unit26and the third connecting unit27which connect the main board22and the scanning unit board24.

In this case, a connecting distance between the main board22and the scanning unit board24is long, and thus, it is effective that some functions of the main board22, related to the scanning unit board24, be transferred to an extra board which is placed near the scanning unit board24. Therefore, the connecting board23is additionally formed and a length of the second and third connecting units26and27becomes long.

As such, the quality of signals through the connecting units26and27is lowered and the electromagnetic interference (EMI) therebetween becomes worse. Given that an antenna operates most efficiently when the length of the antenna is equal to one fourth of a wavelength, the second connecting unit26, the third connecting unit27, and the connecting board23act as a good antenna at a frequency below 300 MHz, and electromagnetic energy radiates via the connecting units26,27to circuit boards inside the apparatus, thereby affecting the printing, scanning, or faxing operations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an aspect of the present invention to provide a multifunctional apparatus that lowers electromagnetic interference (EMI) by reducing a length between circuit boards and decreasing a number of circuit boards.

The foregoing and/or other aspects of the invention may be achieved by providing a multifunctional apparatus including: a first circuit board which is installed on the first surface of the main body, receives a current from an external power source and supplies the current; a second circuit board which is installed on the second surface of the main body and receives the supplied current from the first circuit board, including a controller to generate control signals to control the first circuit board and a scanning unit; and a third circuit board which is installed on the third surface of the main body, to receive the current supplied from the first circuit board and the control signals from the second circuit board, and to supply the received current or control signals to the scanning unit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 3is a perspective view of a layout of a circuit board in a multifunctional apparatus, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring toFIG. 3, a first circuit board201, located in a lower surface101of a multifunctional apparatus100, receives a current from an external power source and supplies the current to other circuit boards and devices in the multifunctional apparatus100.

A second circuit board202, which includes a controller210to control the other circuit boards and devices as a main board is installed on a surface103of the multifunctional apparatus100, that is, the surface103which comes in contact with the lower surface101.

Both ends of the second circuit board202are disposed perpendicular to upper and lower sides of the surface103. That is, both ends of the second circuit board202having two short sides are placed near the upper and lower sides of the surface103which come in contact with an upper surface102and the lower surface101. This may shorten a length of connecting units between the circuit boards and improve a characteristic related to electromagnetic interference (EMI).

A third circuit board203, which supplies current or transfers control signals to a scanning module (212) as a scanning unit board, is installed on the upper surface102of the multifunctional apparatus100.

Accordingly, the first circuit board201is disposed on the lower surface101, the third circuit board203is disposed to face the first circuit board201, and the second circuit board202is disposed perpendicular to the surface103between the first circuit board201and the third circuit board203.

Namely, the first, second, and third circuit boards201,202, and203are disposed in a “C” shape. The second circuit board202operates similar to the connecting board23ofFIG. 2, and accordingly, a coupling unit such as the second connecting unit26, which connects the connecting board23and the main board22in the conventional circuit board ofFIG. 2, is not required in the embodiment of the present invention. The first, second, and third circuit boards201,202, and203are electrically connected to each other by connecting units. Specifically, the first and second circuit boards201and202are connected by a first connecting unit204and the second and third circuit boards202and203are connected by a second connecting unit205.

The second circuit board202is disposed parallel with the surface103, and thus, a total length of the connecting units is shortened by the height of the second circuit board202. Therefore, the total length of the connecting units according the embodiment of the present invention is much shorter than that of the conventional circuit board ofFIG. 2.

As described above, the multifunctional apparatus according the embodiment of the present invention lowers the EMI by using a circuit board disposed parallel with a surface of the multifunctional apparatus and shortening the total length of the connecting units between the circuit boards. Furthermore, the multifunctional apparatus according the embodiment of the present invention is inexpensive to manufacture since the connecting board is embedded in a circuit board.