JP4003667B2 - Film transport mechanism in film image reader - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a film transport mechanism in an image reading apparatus for reading various information such as an image recorded on a developed film.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In general, an image reading apparatus for reading an image of a film includes a film carrier unit in which a film conveyance mechanism is incorporated. The film conveyance mechanism incorporated in the fill carrier unit includes a film conveyance path and a film conveyance path. A scanning gate extending in the form of a line that opens in the middle, and a transport device for transporting the film along the transport path.
[0003]
The transport device is provided with an upstream transport roller pair and a downstream transport roller pair for transporting the film on the upstream side and the downstream side of the scan gate, and the film transported along the transport path is arranged before and after the scan gate. Thus, the image recorded on the film is exposed through the scan gate while being conveyed through the pair of the upstream conveyance roller and the downstream conveyance roller, and the image is read. (See Patent Document 1)
[0004]
[Patent Document 1]
In the film transport mechanism incorporated in the above film carrier unit, the nip pressure between the upstream transport roller pair and the downstream transport roller pair disposed before and after the scan gate. If the force is increased, the impact when the film enters the pair of transport rollers is increased, which causes troubles in reading the image, and causes problems such as deterioration in image quality of the read image.
[0005]
Therefore, conventionally, the nip pressures of the upstream side conveyance roller pair and the downstream side conveyance roller pair disposed before and after the scan gate are set low.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, when a print service from a film is performed using the above-described image reading apparatus, a customer may request a print process by bringing, for example, a 135 film cut into one frame.
[0007]
However, the film transport mechanism in the conventional image reading apparatus described above does not correspond to the short film cut into one frame, particularly on the upstream side of the scan gate, and the short film cut into such one frame. The current situation is that the film cannot be conveyed.
[0008]
Therefore, a method of putting a short film cut into one frame directly into the upstream conveying roller pair from the middle of the conveying path is also conceivable, but the nip pressure of this upstream conveying roller pair is set low as described above. Since the conveying force is weak, if the hand is accidentally touched on the film conveyed by the upstream conveying roller pair, there is a problem that the image reading becomes defective.
[0009]
The present invention has been developed in view of the above circumstances, and the object is to read an image recorded on the film reliably and easily even if it is a short film cut into one frame. It is an object of the present invention to provide a film transport mechanism in an image reading apparatus that can perform the above.
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the aforementioned object, the invention described in claim 1
A scan gate extending in a line shape opens in the middle of the film transport path, and an upstream transport roller pair and a downstream transport roller pair for transporting the film are provided on the upstream and downstream sides of the scan gate in the transport path. A film transport mechanism in an image reading apparatus configured to read an image of a film transported along a transport path by the pair of transport rollers through a scan gate,
At least upstream of the scan gate in the transport path is configured in a tunnel shape, a film insertion port is provided on the upstream side of the tunnel-shaped transport path, and the upstream transport in the tunnel-shaped transport path An entrance-side transport roller pair is provided between the roller pair and the film insertion opening, and a discharge-side transport roller pair is provided downstream of the downstream-side transport roller pair in the transport path, and the upstream side The nip pressure of the transport roller pair and the downstream transport roller pair is set to be the same, and the nip pressure of the inlet transport roller pair is set to be higher than the nip pressure of the upstream transport roller pair, so that the transport-side transport The nip pressure of the roller pair is set higher than the nip pressure of the downstream transport roller pair, and the rotation center and the scan gate in the entrance transport roller pair are set. And the center of rotation in the carry-out side transport roller pair and the center of the scan gate are set longer than the length of the film cut into one frame, and the rotation center in the upstream-side transport roller pair and the The interval between the rotation centers in the downstream conveyance roller pair and the rotation center in the upstream conveyance roller pair and the rotation center in the inlet conveyance roller pair are each shorter than the length of the film cut into one frame. When the pre-scan is completed by transporting the film cut into one frame from the upstream side to the downstream side of the transport path, the leading edge of the film cut into one frame is not sandwiched between the pair of carry-out side transport rollers. And the end of the pre-scan is positioned upstream of the unloading-side transport roller pair. The rear end of the film cut in one frame is prevented from being held between the pair of entrance-side transport rollers until the main scan performed by transporting the film in the reverse direction is completed. It is.
[0013]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 schematically shows an image processing apparatus 1 on which a film image reading apparatus 2 is mounted.
[0014]
The image processing apparatus 1 is mainly for performing various image processing on the image data read by the film image reading apparatus 2 or the like, and image processing software or the like is installed in the image processing apparatus 1. To read image data recorded on various recording media such as a controller 11 composed of a computer, a keyboard 12a and a mouse 12b for inputting various information to the controller 11, a monitor 13 for displaying various information, and MO. The recording media reader 14 is mounted.
[0015]
The image processing apparatus 1 described above uses image data read by the film image reading apparatus 2 or the recording media reading apparatus 14 based on various information such as a predetermined image processing program and a print size input by the keyboard 12a or the mouse 12b. After being appropriately processed by the controller 11, the data is sequentially output to a printer (not shown) as print data.
[0016]
As shown in FIG. 2, the image reading device 2 includes a film carrier unit 3 to be described later, a lamp device 21 for irradiating a film set on the film carrier unit 3, and a lamp device 21 that transmits the film. And a charge coupled device unit 23 (hereinafter referred to as a CCD unit) that converts the light that has passed through the lens unit 22 into an electrical signal.
[0017]
The lamp device 21, the lens unit 22, and the CCD unit 23 constituting the image reading device 2 are movable with respect to the film carrier unit 3, and their positions are changed in accordance with the type of film to be processed. I am doing so.
[0018]
As shown in FIG. 4, the film carrier unit 3 is divided into two parts by a unit main body 30 and a unit divided body 31 that is foldably supported by the unit main body 30 and covers the upper surface of the unit main body 30. As shown in FIG. 4, the film carrier unit 3 includes transport mechanisms 4a and 4b having film transport paths 40a and 40b respectively corresponding to the 135 film and the APS film. It is installed.
The film transport paths 40a and 40b are formed in a tunnel shape between the upper surface of the unit body 30 and the lower surface of the unit divided body 31, and light from the light source passes through the film transport paths 40a and 40b. Scanning gates 41a and 41b made of line-shaped slits are formed.
[0019]
In the embodiment, the transport mechanism of the present invention is applied to the above-described film transport mechanism 4a corresponding to the 135 film. Next, the structure of the film transport mechanism 4a corresponding to the 135 film will be described in detail.
[0020]
The transport mechanism 4a corresponding to 135 film is provided with the above-described transport path 40a and a transport device 5 for transporting the film along the transport path 40a.
[0021]
A film insertion port 42 is opened at the start end of the transport path 40a formed in a tunnel shape, and a film carry-out port 43 is opened at the end of the transport path 40a.
[0022]
The transport device 5 includes an upstream transport roller pair 51 provided on the upstream side of the scan gate 41a in the transport path 40a and a downstream transport roller pair 52 provided on the downstream side of the scan gate 41a in the transport path 40a. ,
An inlet-side transport roller pair 53 provided on the upstream side of the upstream-side transport roller pair 51 in the transport path 40a for feeding the film to the upstream-side transport roller pair 51;
A carry-out side conveyance roller pair 54 provided further downstream than the downstream-side conveyance roller pair 52 in the conveyance path;
And a film take-up device 55 assembled in the film carry-out port 43.
[0023]
The film take-up device 55 is provided with a take-up drum 56 for taking up the film by driving a motor, and sequentially takes up the film carried out from the film carry-out port 43 through the carrying path 40a onto the take-up drum 56. ing.
[0024]
In the embodiment shown in the figure, one drive roller 51a, 52a, 53a, 54a constituting each of the conveying roller pairs 51-54 is attached to the unit body 30 side, and the other driven roller 51b, 52b, 53b, 54b is attached. The drive rollers 51a, 52a, 53a, and 54a are attached to the unit divided body 31 side, and are driven at the same rotational speed via a drive device (not shown).
[0025]
Further, the nip pressure of the upstream side conveyance roller pair 51 and the nip pressure of the downstream side conveyance roller pair 52 are set to be the same, and the nip pressure of the inlet side conveyance roller pair 53 is set higher than the nip pressure of the upstream side conveyance roller pair 51. The nip pressure of the carry-out side conveyance roller pair 54 is set higher than the nip pressure of the downstream side conveyance roller pair 52.
[0026]
Specifically, the upstream conveying roller pair 51 and the downstream conveying roller pair 52 have a slight gap between the roller surfaces of the driven rollers 51b and 52b and the roller surfaces of the driving rollers 51a and 52a (specifically, the film The roller surfaces of the driven rollers 53b and 54b constituting the entrance-side transport roller pair 53 and the unload-side transport roller pair 54 are the rollers of the drive rollers 53a and 54a. The nip pressures of the inlet-side transport roller pair 53 and the unload-side transport roller pair 54 are set higher than the nip pressures of the upstream-side transport roller pair 51 and the downstream-side transport roller pair 52 so as to be brought into pressure contact with each other.
[0027]
In the embodiment, the carry-out side conveyance roller pair 54 is set to a nip pressure that provides a conveyance force that exceeds the winding tension of the winding drum 56 that constitutes the film winding device 55.
[0028]
Further, the distance A from the film insertion opening 42 to the center of the scan gate 41a in the transport path 40a is not less than the length of one frame of the 135 film (38 mm). In the embodiment, it is set to 74.8 mm. ing.
[0029]
The interval B between the rotation center of the upstream conveyance roller pair 51 and the rotation center of the downstream conveyance roller pair 52 is less than the length (38 mm) of the film to be cut into one frame image. The distance from the center of the scan gate 41a to the center of rotation of the upstream side transport roller pair 51 and the distance from the center of the scan gate 41a to the center of rotation of the downstream side transport roller pair 52 are set to 16 mm, respectively. A distance B between the rotation center 51 and the rotation center of the downstream conveying roller pair 52 is set to 32 mm.
[0030]
The distance C from the center of the scan gate 41a to the rotation center of the carry-out side conveyance roller pair 54 is set to be equal to or longer than the length of the film (38 mm) to be cut into one frame image, and is set to 57 mm in the embodiment. ing.
[0031]
The distance D from the rotation center of the entrance-side conveyance roller pair 53 to the rotation center of the upstream-side conveyance roller pair 51 is set to be equal to or less than the length (38 mm) of the film to be cut into one frame image. The distance D is set to 32.8 mm.
[0032]
The distance from the rotation center of the upstream conveyance roller pair 51 to the rotation center of the carry-out conveyance roller pair 54 is 76 mm or less. In the embodiment, the distance is set to 73 mm, and further, the rotation of the downstream conveyance roller pair 52 is rotated. The distance F from the center to the rotation center of the carry-out side conveyance roller pair 54 is set to 41 mm.
[0033]
In order to scan a long 135 film by the image reading device 2 equipped with the transport mechanism 4a having the above structure, the front end of the film is inserted into the film insertion opening 42, and the transport device 5 moves along the transport path 40a. As each frame image recorded on the film passes through the scanning gate 41a, each frame image is read through the scan gate 41a, pre-scanning is performed first, and the leading end side is the film. The film is sequentially wound around the winding drum 56 of the winding device 55.
[0034]
When the pre-scan is completed, the film is transported in the reverse direction by the transport device 5 and is read again through the scan gate 41a to perform the main scan.
[0035]
By the way, at the time of the above pre-scanning, the film is wound on the winding drum 56 of the film winding device 55, and the winding tension of the winding drum 56 gradually increases as the diameter increases. At this time, when the carry-out side conveyance roller pair 54 is not provided, the cut-out position of the read prescan image and the main scan image is shifted or read. Problems such as image shrinkage occur.
[0036]
However, in the embodiment, the carry-out side conveying roller pair 54 is provided on the upstream side of the film winding device 55, and the roller pair 54 conveys exceeding the winding tension of the winding drum 56 constituting the film winding device 55. Since the nip pressure is set as a force, even if the film is pulled to the take-up drum 56 side, due to the action of the carry-out side conveyance roller pair 54 located on the upstream side, on the scan gate 41a side, The film is not affected by the tension of the winding drum, so that the quality of the read image is stabilized.
[0037]
On the other hand, in the case of scanning a short film cut into one frame, when the short film is similarly inserted into the film insertion port 42 and the leading end portion is sandwiched between the inlet-side transport roller pair 53, the film After being transported by the side transport roller pair 53 and having its leading end held between the upstream side transport roller pair 51, its rear end is separated from the entrance side transport roller pair 53, and then pre-scanning starts via the scan gate 41a. It is done.
[0038]
Further, after the leading edge of the film is nipped by the downstream side conveyance roller pair 52 and sent to the downstream side by a predetermined stroke, the pre-scan is finished.
[0039]
At this stage, the leading edge is not sandwiched between the carry-out side conveyance roller pair 54, and from this state, the main scan is started while the film is conveyed in the reverse direction by the downstream side conveyance roller pair 52. At the stage where the rear end of the film is sandwiched between the upstream-side transport roller pair 51 and the main scanning is completed, the rear end of the film is sandwiched between the entrance-side transport roller pair 53 and passes through the entrance-side transport roller pair 53. Then, the film is conveyed toward the film insertion port 42, and the conveyance ends when the rear end portion of the film protrudes from the film insertion port 42 to the outside.
[0040]
By the way, since the transport path 40a is formed in a tunnel shape at the time of scanning the film cut into one frame as described above, after the short film is inserted into the film insertion port 42 and the transport is started, At the stage where the hand cannot be touched and the pre-scan or the main scan is being performed, the film is not fed into the pair of carry-out side transport rollers 54 or the entrance-side transport roller pair 53 having a high nip pressure. As a result, the film can be conveyed stably and the image can be read accurately.
[0041]
In the above embodiment, the transport mechanism according to the present invention is applied to the 135 film transport mechanism 4a. However, the present invention is not limited to this and may be applied to other types of film transport mechanisms.
[0043]
In the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to a film image reading apparatus that performs a main scan after performing a pre-scan. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a film that performs only a main scan. The present invention may be applied to an image reading apparatus.
[0044]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the scan gate extending in a line shape is opened in the middle of the film conveyance path, and the film is disposed on the upstream side and the downstream side of the scan gate in the conveyance path. An image reading apparatus provided with an upstream conveying roller pair and a downstream conveying roller pair for conveying, and reading an image of a film conveyed along the conveying path by the both conveying roller pairs via a scan gate In the film transport mechanism, at least upstream of the scan gate in the transport path is configured in a tunnel shape, and a film insertion port is provided on the upstream side of the tunnel-shaped transport path, and the tunnel-shaped transport An inlet-side transport roller pair is provided between the upstream-side transport roller pair and the film insertion port in the path, and the transport path A delivery-side transport roller pair is provided downstream of the downstream-side transport roller pair, and the nip pressures of the upstream-side transport roller pair and the downstream-side transport roller pair are set to be the same, and the inlet The nip pressure of the side conveyance roller pair is set higher than the nip pressure of the upstream side conveyance roller pair, the nip pressure of the carry-out side conveyance roller pair is set higher than the nip pressure of the downstream side conveyance roller pair, and the inlet The distance between the rotation center in the side transport roller pair and the center in the scan gate and the distance between the rotation center in the carry-out side transport roller pair and the center in the scan gate are set longer than the length of the film cut into one frame, and The distance between the rotation center in the upstream conveyance roller pair and the rotation center in the downstream conveyance roller pair and the rotation in the upstream conveyance roller pair. The distance between the center and the rotation center of the entrance-side transport roller pair is shorter than the length of the film cut into one frame, and the film cut into one frame is moved downstream from the upstream side of the transport path. At the end of the pre-scan that is carried on the sheet, the leading edge of the film cut in one frame is prevented from being sandwiched between the pair of carrying-out-side conveying rollers, and the leading edge is moved to the carrying-out-side conveying roller upon completion of the pre-scan. Until the main scan performed by conveying the film located upstream from the pair in the reverse direction is completed, the trailing edge of the film cut into one frame is not held between the pair of entrance-side conveyance rollers. Therefore, even a short film cut into one frame can be reliably fed by the pair of upstream-side transport rollers, and the image can be read. At the time of taking the film, the film is not fed to the pair of carry-out side conveyance rollers and the inlet-side conveyance roller pair having a high nip pressure, so that the film is more stably conveyed as a whole, and the image is read more accurately. I can do it.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of an image processing apparatus equipped with a film image reading apparatus provided with a film transport mechanism.
FIG. 2 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a film image reading apparatus.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a film carrier unit provided with a film transport mechanism.
FIG. 4 is a developed perspective view of a film carrier unit.
FIG. 5 is a schematic explanatory view of a transport mechanism according to the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image processing apparatus 2 Image reading apparatus 3 Film carrier unit 4a Conveying mechanism 40a Conveying path 41a Scan gate 42 Film insertion port 5 Conveying device 51 Upstream side conveying roller pair 52 Downstream side conveying roller pair 53 Inlet side conveying roller pair 54 Unloading side conveyance Roller vs. F film

Claims (1)

A scan gate extending in a line shape opens in the middle of the film transport path, and an upstream transport roller pair and a downstream transport roller pair for transporting the film are provided on the upstream and downstream sides of the scan gate in the transport path. A film transport mechanism in an image reading apparatus configured to read an image of a film transported along a transport path by the pair of transport rollers through a scan gate,
At least upstream of the scan gate in the transport path is configured in a tunnel shape, a film insertion port is provided on the upstream side of the tunnel-shaped transport path, and the upstream transport in the tunnel-shaped transport path An entrance-side transport roller pair is provided between the roller pair and the film insertion opening, and a discharge-side transport roller pair is provided downstream of the downstream-side transport roller pair in the transport path, and the upstream side The nip pressure of the transport roller pair and the downstream transport roller pair is set to be the same, and the nip pressure of the inlet transport roller pair is set to be higher than the nip pressure of the upstream transport roller pair, so that the transport-side transport The nip pressure of the roller pair is set higher than the nip pressure of the downstream transport roller pair, and the rotation center and the scan gate in the entrance transport roller pair are set. And the center of rotation in the carry-out side transport roller pair and the center of the scan gate are set longer than the length of the film cut into one frame, and the rotation center in the upstream-side transport roller pair and the The interval between the rotation centers in the downstream conveyance roller pair and the rotation center in the upstream conveyance roller pair and the rotation center in the inlet conveyance roller pair are each shorter than the length of the film cut into one frame. When the pre-scan is completed by transporting the film cut into one frame from the upstream side to the downstream side of the transport path, the leading edge of the film cut into one frame is not sandwiched between the pair of carry-out side transport rollers. And the end of the pre-scan is positioned upstream of the unloading-side transport roller pair. Film that said up film main scan performed by conveying in the opposite direction is completed, characterized in that the rear end of the film was cut to a piece is prevented from being nipped into the inlet-side transport roller pair A film transport mechanism in an image reading apparatus.

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