Patent ID: 8773735

Claim:
An optical reader apparatus having a lock mechanism for inhibiting a movement of an optical carriage supported slidably in a traveling rail, comprising: an apparatus frame; a read platen disposed in the apparatus frame; a traveling rail disposed in the apparatus frame along a scanning direction of the read platen; an optical carriage supported slidably in the traveling rail to apply read light to an image on the read platen; and lock means disposed between the apparatus frame and the optical carriage to inhibit a movement of the optical carriage, wherein the lock means is comprised of a lock member traveling between a release position and a lock position, and a biasing member for biasing the lock member in a predetermined direction, the lock member and the biasing member are disposed in one of the apparatus frame and the optical carriage, the other one of the apparatus frame and the optical carriage is provided with an engagement receiving portion being fitted with an engagement portion formed in the lock member, and the engagement portion and the engagement receiving portion are configured to inhibit a movement in a scanning direction of the optical carriage when the lock member is in the lock position, while the biasing member applies a biasing force in a direction orthogonal to the scanning direction of the optical carriage to the engagement receiving portion and is thus disposed to increase friction between the optical carriage and the traveling rail.