JP2002016767A - Original reader - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an original reader that a user can directly view an original face so as to discriminate an original to be placed with a tilt with respect to a desired reference line in the case of reading the original. SOLUTION: An upper face of a scanner section 13 is configured with a transparent member (upper transparent member 11) made of a material such as glass.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a flatbed type document reading apparatus applied to a digital copying machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a flatbed type document reading apparatus such as a copying machine as shown in FIG. 7, a contact glass is provided on a main body side, and a scanner mechanism is incorporated in a lower region of the contact glass. For this reason, the user has to repeat the operation of turning over the page and turning over the book every time the original surface is placed on the contact glass when trying to read the book original with the scanner.

Here, in a digital copying machine, unlike an analog copying machine, the scanner unit and the printer unit do not need to be integrated. This is because the image read by the scanner unit is converted into electronic data and transmitted electrically to the printer unit.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-184004 discloses a digital copying machine having a configuration in which a scanner mechanism is provided inside a document pressure plate and a contact glass is provided on the lower surface thereof. In this conventional example, as shown in FIG. 8, since the scanner mechanism is provided inside the document pressing plate, the scanner is read with the document surface to be copied on the document table facing upward. be able to. Therefore, when trying to scan a book manuscript with a scanner,
Every time the document surface is placed on the contact glass, it is not necessary to turn over the page and turn over the book.

[0005]

However, even if the contact glass for contacting the original surface is on the original platen side, if the original platen is lowered, the user cannot directly see the surface to be copied. . for that reason,
Even when a document is placed at an angle with respect to a certain reference position, the user cannot recognize it and this is one of the causes of making useless copies.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and allows a user to directly view a document surface when reading a document. For example, when a document is placed inclined with respect to a desired reference line. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image reading apparatus capable of determining that the image reading is performed.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an image reading apparatus that blocks light from a light source leaking due to the configuration of a scanner mechanism.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided an original placing table, and original holding means for holding the original and the original table. In a document reading apparatus for reading a document by a scanner, a scanner is provided inside the document holding means, a contact surface of the document holding means with the document is made of contact glass, and a surface opposite to the contact surface of the document holding means is a transparent member. It is characterized by comprising.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the document holding means further includes a light-shielding band near the transparent member for blocking light emitted from the scanner when reading the document. It is characterized by the following.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect of the present invention, the original holding means further includes a light-shielding band pulling motor for pulling the light-shielding band so that the light-shielding band covers the transparent member when the original is read by the scanner. And a light-shielding band storage unit that winds and stores a light-shielding band that has covered the transmissive member when a document is read by the scanner.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the transmissive member is constituted by a liquid crystal shutter whose transmissivity changes by applying a voltage.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an image reading device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. According to the present embodiment, since the upper portion of the scanner unit 13 is formed of a transmissive member (upper transmissive member) 11 such as glass, for example, the copy surface of the original 12 is kept even when the scanner unit 13 is lowered on the original. Can be seen. 2 and 3 are cross-sectional views when a sheet document and a book document are placed on the document table 21, respectively. According to the present embodiment, the copy surface of the document 12 can be directly viewed regardless of whether it is a sheet document or a book document, so that copy errors can be reduced.

In the image reading apparatus shown in FIG. 1, when the upper transmissive member 11 is used for the scanner section 13, light from a light source for illuminating the original after the original is detected may leak out.
This is one of the causes of causing discomfort to the user during the copying operation.

Therefore, as shown in FIG.
As an embodiment, a light-shielding band 31 is provided inside the scanner unit. The light-shielding band 31 is disposed immediately below the upper transmissive member 11, the light-shielding band storage unit 32 includes a light-shielding band storage unit 32 that winds in a roll screen shape, and a light-shielding band pulling motor 33 is provided at an opposing position thereof. The light-shielding band 31 is pulled from the light-shielding film storage unit 32 by a light-shielding band pulling motor 33. While the scanning of the document 12 is performed, the light shielding film is closed by the light shielding band pulling motor 33, and when the scanning is completed,
The light-shielding band 31 is quickly opened by the light-shielding band storage unit 32. Thus, in the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent the light of the light source from leaking while reading the original.

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. This embodiment provides a method of controlling the transmittance of the upper transparent member, unlike the second embodiment. In the present embodiment, this is realized by using the liquid crystal shutter 41.

As shown in FIG. 5, in the present embodiment, the upper transmissive member 11 is a liquid crystal shutter 41, so that the transmissivity is lowered after reading the original, and otherwise, the transmissivity is increased. be able to. This is because the transmittance of the liquid crystal can be changed quietly and at high speed by the applied voltage.

FIG. 6 shows an example of the liquid crystal shutter 41 in the present embodiment. The liquid crystal layer having the same deflecting surface between the deflecting layers 1 and 2 usually has high light transmittance as shown in FIG. 2A, but the arrangement of the liquid crystal molecular structure changes by applying a voltage, and the deflecting layers 1 and 2 are changed. A different deflection characteristic is generated.
For this reason, light transmittance is lost, and it can be used as a shutter that blocks light from a light source.

[0019]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, when reading a document, the user can directly view the document surface. For example, the document is placed at an angle with respect to a desired reference line. Can be determined.

Further, according to the present invention, the light of the light source leaking can be blocked by the configuration of the scanner mechanism.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image reading device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the image reading apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention when a sheet document is placed on a document table.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the image reading apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention when a book document is placed on a document placement stage.

FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image reading device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image reading device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a liquid crystal shutter applied to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a first example of a digital copying machine to which a conventional flatbed image reading apparatus is applied.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a second example of a digital copying machine to which a conventional flatbed image reading apparatus is applied.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Upper transparent member 12 Document 13 Scanner part 21 Document mounting table 31 Light shielding band 32 Light shielding band storage part 33 Light shielding band pulling motor 41 Liquid crystal shutter

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A document reading apparatus comprising: a document placing table; and document holding means for sandwiching the document with the document placing table, wherein the document is read by a scanner. An original reading device, wherein a contact surface of the original holding unit with the original is formed of a contact glass, and a surface of the original holding unit opposite to the contact surface is formed of a transparent member. 2. The document according to claim 1, wherein said document holding means further comprises a light-shielding band for blocking light emitted from said scanner when reading a document, near said transparent member. Reader. 3. The document holding means further comprises: a light-shielding band pulling motor that pulls the light-shielding band so that the light-shielding band covers the transparent member when the document is read by the scanner; The document reading apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: a light-shielding band storage unit that winds and stores the light-shielding band that covers the transparent member. 4. The document reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmissive member comprises a liquid crystal shutter whose transmissivity changes by applying a voltage.