JP2002290680A - Flat-bed image scanner - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a flat-bed scanner which can be made space-saving by shortening it in depth and delivered together with a space-saving personal computer in one package. SOLUTION: A flat-bed image scanner is modified so as to make the auxiliary scanning direction of an image sensor coincident with the direction of the short side of a manuscript, and the aspect ratio of the case of the image scanner is made near to that of the main body of a space-saving personal computer.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a flatbed type image scanner, and more particularly to a structure of a space saving type image scanner in which a maximum original size is A4 / letter.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional space-saving flatbed type image scanner has an appearance as shown in FIG. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the cover is closed. As shown in FIG. 6, the image scanner 11 incorporates an image sensor 23 having a long axis along a short side of a rectangular document table 24, and performs main scanning in the long axis direction of the image sensor 23. The sub-scan is performed by moving the sensor carriage in the longitudinal direction of the document table, that is, in the longitudinal direction of the document 25.

In a conventional flatbed type scanner employing such a layout, as shown in FIG. 7, a maximum read original size A4 having this layout is adopted.
A drive module 343 such as a motor and a circuit board for a drive circuit thereof is housed above the / side (216 mm × 297 mm) flat bed type scanner in the long side direction, and is connected to a USB terminal 347. Further, an operation module 3 such as an operation button switch and its circuit board is provided below the long side of the flatbed scanner.
45 are stored. The size (60 to 70 mm) of the carriage of the image sensor 33 is set to the document table 34.
Is added before and after the long side (300 mm) of the document table opening 341, and the longest dimension of the present flat bed type scanner is 372.5 mm. Therefore, FIG.
Although the space-saving image scanner 11 as shown in FIG. 5A is used, a space-saving personal computer 12 (having a width of 95 mm × depth of 320 mm × height of 300 mm) as shown in FIG. FIG. 5 (b) shows a vertically placed state), and it is very difficult to use (scanning) by placing it on the upper surface, or to ship both together.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, the aspect ratio of the housing dimensions of an image scanner is made close to that of a housing of a space-saving personal computer so that both can be included, and the image scanner can be omitted. It realizes a configuration that can be installed on a space personal computer.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an image sensor which is arranged with respect to an opening of a document table so that the distance in the sub-scanning direction of the image sensor is smaller than the distance in the main scanning direction. Features.

In particular, the flatbed type image scanner according to the present invention is characterized in that the long axis direction of the image sensor is arranged in parallel with the long side direction of the read document. The maximum size of the read original is A4 /
It is also characterized by the letter size.

In the flat bed type image scanner, a ratio of a long side of the housing along a long axis of the image sensor to a short side in a direction intersecting with the long axis is 0.88 or more. Is desirable.

The housing dimensions of the flatbed image scanner are such that the long side of the housing along the long axis of the image sensor is within 340 mm and the short side of the housing is within 300 mm. And

[0009] The size of the platen on which the read document is placed is 300 mm x 218 mm, and the distance between the short side of the platen and the short side of the housing is specified to be 19 mm or less. Is obtained.

Further, an operation button and a motor are arranged between a long side of the document table and a long side of the housing.

In particular, the aspect ratio of the document table is preferably as close as possible to the aspect ratio of the main body of the space-saving personal computer. Also,
It is also characterized in that a signal output circuit such as a drive circuit of a sensor carriage or a USB connector is arranged before and after the document on the document table in the short side direction.

[0012]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG.
This will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view for explaining the main scanning and sub-scanning directions of the flatbed type image scanner 11 of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the flatbed type image scanner shown in FIG. It is a top view for explaining embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, an image sensor 43 having a long axis parallel to the long side of a rectangular document table 44 on which an A4 / letter size document 45 can be mounted is placed. The reading length of the image sensor 43 is 297 mm or more, which is the long side dimension of the A4 size document, and is arranged so as to perform main scanning in the long axis direction. The layout is such that sub scanning is performed along the short side direction of the document table 44, that is, along the short side direction of the document. Dotted frame 40 in the figure
Indicates the outer shape of the housing. By arranging the image sensor in the sub-scanning direction to be smaller than the main scanning direction in this manner, the E-position of the sensor carriage that moves the image sensor in the sub-scanning direction is smaller than in the conventional example.
The xcursion (stroke) is shortened, and the sub-scanning time and carriage return time can be reduced by about 70%.

In FIG. 2, the housing dimensions of the flatbed image scanner 11 of the present invention, that is, the outer dimensions of the document table 54, are 338 mm on the long side and 290.5 m on the short side.
The case of m is shown. The document table 54 is provided with a document table opening 541 for reading a document. As an example of the size of the opening 541, the long side is set to 300 mm and the short side is set to 218 mm so that an A4 size document can be placed with a margin. Usually, this opening 541 is formed of a transparent plate such as a glass plate. As shown in the figure, the image sensor 53 is arranged in a lower layer of the opening so that the major axis of the image sensor 53 extends along the long side of the opening 541, and both ends of the image sensor 53 slightly protrude from the opening 541. It has dimensions.

Since the sub-scanning drive mechanism of the image sensor is the same as the conventional one, it is not shown. That is, the image sensor 53 is configured to be guided by a guide rail disposed below the opening and move in the sub-scanning direction by a drive belt (not shown). Although the cover member is not shown, the connecting portion between the cover and the document table is disposed on the upper side of the long side in FIG. 2 (see FIG. 4). Is the same as

The distance between the lower long side of the opening 541 and the lower long side of the document table 54 is 37 mm, and the motor for the sensor carriage which moves the image sensor 53 in the sub-scanning direction within this width. And a drive module 543 such as a circuit board for the drive circuit are housed and connected to a USB terminal 547. On the other hand, the distance between the upper long side of the opening 541 and the upper long side of the document table 54 is 35.5 mm, and the operation module 545 such as an operation button switch and its circuit board is accommodated within this width. . In the illustrated example, the distance between the short sides of the opening 541 and the short sides of the document table 54 is 19 mm.

According to another embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 3, the short side dimension of the platen is further reduced to 320 mm from that of the example of FIG. 2, and other dimensions and arrangement of modules and the like are shown in FIG. It is the same as FIG. That is, as the external dimensions of the document table 64, the long side is 320 mm and the short side is 29 mm.
The case of 0.5 mm is shown. The document table 64 is provided with a document table opening 641 for reading a document.
As an example of the dimension of the opening 641, the long side is set to 300 mm and the short side is set to 218 mm so that an A4 size document can be placed with a margin. Usually, the opening 641 is made of a transparent plate such as a glass plate. As shown, the major axis of the image sensor 63 is the opening 641.
Are arranged so as to extend in the direction along the long side of the image sensor 63, and have such dimensions that both ends of the image sensor 63 slightly protrude from the opening 641.

The distance between the lower long side of the opening 641 and the lower long side of the document table 64 is 37 mm, and a sensor carriage motor for moving the image sensor 53 in the sub-scanning direction within this width. And a drive module 543 such as a circuit board for the drive circuit, and the like, and are connected to a USB terminal 647. On the other hand, the distance between the long side on the upper side of the opening 641 and the long side on the upper side of the document table 64 is 35.5 mm, and the operation module 645 such as an operation button switch and its circuit board is accommodated within this width. . Further, in the illustrated example, the distance between both short sides of the opening 641 and both short sides of the document table 64 is shorter by a length of the longer side of the document table 64 than in the example of FIG. The case of the interval is shown.

In the example shown in FIG. 3, the aspect ratio of the housing is equal to 0.
91, but the dimension in the short side direction is 300 m, which is the height dimension of the space-saving personal computer body 12 shown in FIG.
m, so that it can be bundled with the personal computer 12. In addition, since it is easy to set the step in the short side direction of the example of FIG. 3 to 300 mm,
At this time, the aspect ratio of the housing can be made the same as the aspect ratio of the space-saving personal computer body 12 shown in FIG. There is.

FIG. 4 shows that the aspect ratio of the flatbed type image scanner 11 is made substantially equal to the aspect ratio of the space-saving personal computer body 12 so that the flatbed type image scanner 11 is placed on the space-saving personal computer body 12 in a horizontal position. Shows an example that is placed above. The illustrated example shows a state in which the cover 111 of the image scanner 11 is open.

[0022]

As described above, according to the present invention,
The housing dimensions in the longitudinal direction of the document can be reduced. For example, from the conventional example of 372.5 mm shown in FIG.
mm, and 34 mm or more. Therefore, as the housing dimensions, width 320 mm × depth 290 mm
X The miniaturization of 34 mm in height has also become possible.

In addition, as compared with the conventional method, the carriage Exc
There is also an advantage that the ursion (stroke) is shortened and the sub-scanning and carriage return time can be reduced by about 70%.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a positional relationship between an image sensor and a document in a flatbed image scanner according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the flatbed type image scanner shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing another embodiment of the flatbed type image scanner shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a use state in which the flatbed type image scanner according to the present invention is placed on a horizontal space-saving personal computer main body.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a conventional flatbed image scanner and a main body of a space-saving personal computer.

6 is a plan view showing a positional relationship between an image sensor and a document in the flatbed image scanner shown in FIG.

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing details of the flatbed type image scanner shown in FIG. 6;

[Explanation of symbols]

 11 Flatbed type image scanner 12 PC body 23, 33, 43, 53, 63 Image sensor 24, 34, 44, 54, 64 Platen 25, 45 Document 341, 541, 641 Platen opening

Claims (7)

[Claims] A flat-bed image scanner having a sub-scanning mechanism for performing main scanning of a long-axis image sensor with respect to a document table in the long-axis direction and moving in a direction intersecting with the long axis. A flat bed type image scanner, wherein the image sensor is arranged with respect to the platen such that a moving distance of the image sensor in a sub scanning direction is smaller than a distance in the main scanning direction. 2. The flatbed image scanner according to claim 1, wherein a long axis direction of the image sensor is arranged in parallel with a long side direction of the read document. 3. The maximum size of the read original is A4 /
3. The flatbed image scanner according to claim 2, wherein the scanner is of a letter size. 4. A housing size of the flatbed image scanner is such that a ratio of a long side of the housing along a long axis of the image sensor to a short side in a direction intersecting with the long axis is 0.88.
2. The flatbed image scanner according to claim 1, wherein: 5. The housing dimensions of the flatbed image scanner are such that the long side of the housing along the long axis of the image sensor is within 340 mm and the short side of the housing is within 300 mm. The flatbed type image scanner according to claim 1, wherein: 6. A size of an opening portion of the document table on which the reading document is placed is 300 mm × 218 mm, and a distance between a short side of the opening portion and a short side of the housing is specified to be 19 mm or less. The flatbed type image scanner according to claim 5, wherein 7. The flatbed type image scanner according to claim 5, wherein an operation button and a motor are arranged between a long side of the document table opening and a long side of the housing.