JP2003152953A - Image reader - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To continuously read double-sided originals by integrally providing a double side reading means in an ADF and only by moving a scanner slightly, supporting the double-sided originals. SOLUTION: In an ADF 1 for double side, an almost W-shaped original feeding path is located between an original tray 2 and an eject tray 28, and images on the front and rear sides of a sheet-like originals are continuously read while inverting and feeding the originals by using an inverting path 20 located between the original feeding path 5 and an ejecting path 25. A scanner 42 of this image reader is provided with a means for positioning the scanner corresponding to a first reading part A and a second reading part B and after the first side is read through a first feeding path, the scanner is positioned to the second reading part B. Then, the second side is read through a second feeding path.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image reading apparatus having an ADF (automatic document feeding) function, and more particularly to an ADF.
Thus, the present invention relates to an image reading apparatus configured such that image information on the first surface (front surface) and the second surface (back surface) can be continuously scanned.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in image forming apparatuses such as a copying machine and a multi-function machine in which a facsimile machine and a copying machine function are combined, a large-sized platen for placing and reading a book original is provided. In addition to the FBS (flat bed scanner), a sheet-through type ADF for reading an image while conveying a sheet-like original is provided, and a double-sided original is read by a scanning device arranged directly under the platen of the ADF. This sheet through type A
When scanning both sides of a two-sided original with DF, the original that has been discharged onto the discharge tray once the first side has been read is
The second surface is read by driving the discharge roller device in the reverse direction and sending it back to the reading unit.

[0003]

However, when a conveyance method in which the original is switched back and the second surface is read is used, the original is apt to be damaged because the conveyance distance of the original becomes long and the original is skewed. There is a problem that jams and jams are likely to occur. Most commonly used ADFs have a function of scanning only one side of a document. When reading a double-sided document, reading of the first side is completed and the document is discharged to the discharge tray. There is also a problem that the burden on the operator is heavy because the original is set again on the original tray by being reversed and the second surface is read.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a device that shortens the document transport distance and that does not damage the document.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, there is provided a first conveyance path for reading a first side of a document sent from a document tray, and an original while reversing the original after the first side is read. Image reading apparatus having a second transport path for reading the second surface of the. According to the first aspect of the present invention, the first and second conveyance paths read the originals, respectively.
Two reading units are arranged.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, one of the first and second reading units is formed on a platen of a flat bed scanner.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the scanning device is controlled so that the scanning is performed by the first reading unit and then moved to the second-side reading unit to read the second side of the document. It is characterized by having done.

With the above-described structure, by setting a double-sided original sheet on the original tray once, it is possible to continuously read the images on the first side and the second side. The mechanism can be configured as a simplified mechanism. Further, when the double-sided original is read, the scanning device can be slightly moved to correspond to the first reading unit and the second reading unit, and the positioning can be easily performed. This can be dealt with by adding. Further, even when the double-sided original is continuously read, it is possible to prevent the original from being damaged because the conveyance distance can be shortened.

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The configuration of the apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to the illustrated example. Double-sided ADF 1 shown in FIG.
Is configured as a device for reading the first side (front side) of the original while the double-sided original is being conveyed, and then reversing the original to read the second side (back side). In the double-sided ADF 1 shown in this embodiment, in addition to the ADF in which the reading unit is provided in the laterally-oriented substantially U-shaped conveyance path, a reversing mechanism for reversing the original is provided to reverse the original, and the second surface Is configured to be continuously read. In order to perform the reading operation, in the image reading apparatus, an FBS (flatbed scanner) function for reading a book-like document and an AD corresponding to a sheet-like document are used.
Reading is performed using a scanning device having an F function and performing reading while moving along the lower surface of the large platen 40.

The small platen 41 provided at the position corresponding to the ADF function is set as the first reading section A, and the end of the large platen 40 corresponding to the FBS function on the small platen 41 side is set as the second reading section B. is doing. The double-sided ADF 1 is configured by combining two substantially U-shaped document conveying paths, connects the document tray 2 to the intermediate path 10 and the intermediate tray 11, and connects the first platen 41 to the first reading unit. The first conveyance path passing through A is the original conveyance path 5 and the intermediate path 10.
It is formed by and. Further, the intermediate tray 11 is connected to the discharge tray 28, the intermediate path 10, the reversing path 20, and the discharge path 25 are formed as a second transport path, and the second reading section B is provided in the second transport path. .

In the double-sided ADF 1, a paper feeding device is arranged at the upstream end of a document feeding path 5 connected to the document tray 2, and the paper feeding device is composed of a pickup roller 3 and a paper separating device 4. Then, the sheets are taken out one by one and fed toward the document conveyance path 5. The sheet separating device 4 is provided with a feed roller 4a which is rotated in a document feeding direction and a retard roller 4b which is rotated in a returning direction so as to face each other. The pickup roller 3 separates a plurality of documents and separates them. Even if you rush into
It is possible to feed a single sheet toward the document transport path. A plurality of conveying roller devices 6, 7 and 9 are arranged in the document conveying path 5 at predetermined intervals, and the conveying roller devices 7 and 9 are arranged on both sides of the upstream and downstream portions of the first reading unit A. The first surface of the document is read while the document is being conveyed between them.

The original from which the image on the first side has been read is discharged toward the intermediate path 10 by the conveying roller device 9, and in the case of a long sheet, the leading end of the original is projected to the intermediate tray 11. Is temporarily stopped at. A transport roller device 12 capable of transporting the sheet in the forward and reverse directions is arranged in the intermediate path 10, and the document fed from the document transport path 5 is
When the document is conveyed toward the intermediate tray 11 and sent out toward the second reading unit B, the conveyance roller device 12 is driven in the reverse direction to feed the document toward the second reading unit B and convey it. The document is conveyed by the roller devices 21 and 26, and the document whose second surface has been read is ejected to the ejection tray 28 by the ejection roller device 27.

The original conveying path 5 and the intermediate path 10,
A transport roller device having a configuration similar to that of a conventional triroll mechanism is arranged at a three-way portion where the inversion path 20 intersects, the central roller is a driving roller 9a, and the rollers 9b and 21 on both sides are arranged.
b is provided as a pinch roller. Then, by driving the drive roller 9a in the same direction, the document is transported from the document transport path 5 to the intermediate path 10 by the transport roller device 9 including the drive roller 9a and the pinch roller 9b. Then, when the document is reversed and conveyed from the intermediate path 10 to the reverse path 20, the drive roller 9a and the pinch roller 21 are used.
The document can be transported toward the second reading unit B by the transport roller device 21 configured by b. Further, a guide sheet member 14 having a function of allowing passage of an original from the original conveying path 5 toward the intermediate path 10 but preventing passage of the original in the opposite direction is provided at the three-forked portion. The guide sheet member 14 has a function of guiding the document from the intermediate path 10 toward the reversing path 20. As the guide sheet member 14, for example, a film member made of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) can be used, and in addition, a plate-shaped member such as an arbitrary spring can be used. good.

As described above, the transport roller device 12 arranged in the intermediate path 10 can be configured so as to be rotatable in the forward and reverse directions, and the original document which has been read by the first reading section A can be intermediately transferred. Although the document is conveyed toward the tray 11, the rear end of the document comes out of the conveyance roller device 9 and the conveyance by the conveyance roller device 12 is stopped and held after a lapse of a predetermined time. Then, when the document is sent to the reversing path 20 toward the second reading unit B, the conveyance roller device 12 is driven in the reverse direction to feed the document toward the second reading unit B, and the conveyance roller device 21. , 26 so that the document can be conveyed. The transport roller device 12 is provided in the intermediate path 10
When the conveyance resistance due to the guides that make up the
Alternatively, when the original is formed so that it can be lowered to the transport roller device 21 by its own weight, the action of reversing and feeding by the transport roller device 12 is not particularly required, and therefore the nip is simply released, The document may be allowed to descend by its own weight inside the intermediate path 10.

A guide member 8 is arranged upstream of the small platen 41 and a guide member 16 is arranged downstream thereof in a document conveying path for guiding the document to the first reading section A and the second reading section B. The document is conveyed by sliding on the small platen 41 by the guide members 8 and 16 and a guide plate (not shown). Further, although the original is guided to the second reading section B by the other guide surface of the guide member 16, the guide member 17 and the guide plate (not shown), it serves as a means for guiding the original in the reading section. Is not particularly limited to the configuration shown in the figure, and in addition, it is possible to use guide means of any configuration. Further, as the conveyance roller device provided in the three-way path, a conveyance roller device in which a driving roller and a pinch roller are combined is arranged on the upstream side and the downstream side of the intermediate path 10, respectively, and the document is directed toward the intermediate path 10. When carrying and discharging from the intermediate path 10, the corresponding carrying roller device may be driven to carry out the document carrying action.

A branch gate 15 as shown in FIG. 2 is arranged for a three-way path where the document conveying path 5, the intermediate path 10 and the reversing path 20 meet, and a case where a document is guided to the intermediate path 10 is provided. When the document is sent from the intermediate path 10 toward the second reading section B, the branch gate 15 can be switched to perform the document feeding operation. In the intermediate path 10, a paddle roller 13 is arranged in place of the transport roller device capable of forward and reverse transport of FIG. 1, and the paddle roller 13 is rotated in the forward and reverse directions to copy the original document.
It is possible to perform an operation of taking in and an operation of discharging. Further, the paddle roller 13 rotates in one direction when the document is taken into the intermediate path 10, but is in contact with the document when the document is conveyed from the intermediate path 10 toward the second reading section B. Alternatively, the original may be dropped by its own weight so that the leading end on the sending side enters the nip portion of the transport roller device 21 by its own weight. The branching means in the three transport paths intersecting the three-way path and the configuration of the transport rollers may be configured by combining the transport means as used in the conventional ADF.

When a single-sided original is read using the double-sided ADF 1, the originals set on the original tray 2 are fed out one by one using the paper feeding device 4, as in the case of the conventional ADF. The sheet can be discharged from the discharge path (intermediate path) 10 toward the intermediate tray 11 through the first transfer path (document transfer path) 5. Incidentally, when the above-mentioned one-sided original is continuously read, as in the case of reading the first side of the double-sided original,
The scanning operation can be performed by positioning the scanning device at the position of the small platen 41.

The image reading apparatus 30 provided with the double-sided ADF 1 can be constructed as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. As shown in FIG. 3, the apparatus main body 31 provided with a reading section is shown.
An upper member 34 is openably and closably provided via a hinge means 33, and a platen cover 35 corresponding to the FBS function and a double-sided ADF 1 are provided on the upper member 34.
On the upper surface of the main body 31 of the image reading device 30, a small platen 41 corresponding to the first reading unit A and a large platen 40 corresponding to the FBS and the second reading unit B are arranged.
The two platens 40 and 41 are constructed in the same manner as in a conventional copying machine or facsimile complex machine. When the image recording device 30 is configured as a copying machine, the main body 3
The control panel 32 is arranged on the front side of the device 1 so that the device can be operated. Further, an image recording unit and a paper feeding unit may be disposed below the main body 31, and the image information read by the image reading apparatus provided with the double-sided ADF 1 may be used for recording on the recording paper. it can.

An upper member 34, which is provided on the upper portion of the main body of the image reading device 30 so as to be openable and closable, has a first reading portion A and a second
White platens 36 and 37 corresponding to the reading unit B,
A platen cover 35 corresponding to the FBS is provided. When reading a double-sided original using the original feeding function of the double-sided ADF 1, the two reading functions are sequentially operated so that the images on both the front and back sides of the original can be read. Further, when reading an original such as a book in the image reading device 30, the upper member 34 is opened and a reading page is set on the large platen 40, and the upper member 34 is set in the same manner as in the conventional device. The original can be copied by closing it and pressing the original.

A scanning device 42 as shown in FIG. 4 can be arranged in the main body 31 of the image reading device 30, and the scanning device 42 has one mirror as in the conventional reading device. A full rate carriage 43 provided with m1 and a lamp 43a and a half rate carriage 44 provided with two mirrors m2 and m3 are arranged. The two carriages 43, 44 are moved by wires 48, 48a driven by drive pulleys 47, 47a.
Then, the full rate carriage 43 is moved over the entire length of the document set on the platen 40, and the half rate carriage 44 is moved at half the speed of the full rate carriage 43 so that the lamp 43a of the full rate carriage 43 irradiates the same. The light is reflected by the three mirrors m1 to m3 provided on the two carriages 43 and 44. The light is condensed from the mirror m3 to the lens 45, and C
The image is formed on the CD 46, and the optical information is transmitted as an electric signal toward the image recording unit to be used for making a recording sheet.
When the image reading device 30 is used as a reading device of a facsimile device, the image information is transmitted to the facsimile device of the other party through a telephone line.

As described above, the two carriages 43, 4
In the image reading apparatus 30 in which the combination of 4 and 4 is used to read both sides using a double-sided original, a double-sided original reading mode is set using a double-sided original corresponding button (not shown) provided on the control panel of the apparatus body. By doing so, it becomes possible to respond. Then, when the double-sided reading mode of the sheet-type double-sided original is set, the scanning device 42
The two carriages 43 and 44 are moved to the position shown by the phantom line at the left end of FIG. 4 to handle reading of the first side of the document. The original is set on the original tray 2, the operation start button is pressed, the first side of the first double-sided original is read through the first reading unit A, and the original is discharged to the intermediate path 10. Has obtained a signal that it has passed a predetermined position, the two carriages are moved, the half rate carriage 43 is stopped at a position corresponding to the second reading section B, and the image of the second surface is read. Then, the double-sided original whose both sides have been scanned is discharged toward the discharge tray. Next, the two carriages are positioned in correspondence with the reading of the first side of the second double-sided original, the image of the second sheet is read, and then the second side of the original is read. The reading unit B is used. By repeating the above-described operation, even if a large number of double-sided originals are set on the original tray, the images can be continuously read.

In the image reading device, as the structure of the scanning device and the mechanism for moving the carriage corresponding to the reading position, any known mechanism can be used in addition to the example shown in the embodiment. Is. Further, the arrangement interval of the mirrors provided on the carriage, the arrangement relationship of the lenses, the photoelectric conversion elements such as CCD, the moving direction of the carriage, etc. are not particularly limited, and in addition to the scanning device using the two carriages, A scanning device including a mirror and a CCD as one unit and a scanner unit provided in one moving frame can also be used for the double-sided ADF. Furthermore, the structure of the conveyance path of the document arranged in the double-sided ADF, the constitution of the conveyance roller device, etc. are
It is needless to say that members having arbitrary structures can be used in combination as the same as those used in the conventional ADF.

[0023]

Since the apparatus of the present invention is configured as described above, by setting a sheet-shaped double-sided original on the original tray, the reading of images on the first side and the second side is continued. The document transport mechanism can be configured as a simplified mechanism. Also,
When reading the double-sided original, the first reading unit and the second reading unit
This can be dealt with by slightly moving and positioning the scanning device in correspondence with the reading unit, and by adding some functions to the conventional ADF. Further, by simplifying the structure of the document feeding mechanism and the reverse feeding mechanism in the ADF, the maintenance of the apparatus can be easily performed, and the document feeding is performed even when continuous reading of double-sided documents is performed. Since the distance can be shortened, it is possible to prevent the document from being damaged.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a double-sided ADF of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of another embodiment of a double-sided ADF.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a housing of the image reading apparatus.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a structure of an image reading device.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 double-sided ADF, 2 document tray, 3 pickup roller, 4 sheet separating device, 5 document transport path, 6/7/9 transport roller device, 8 guide member, 10 intermediate path, 11 intermediate tray,
12 transport roller device, 13 paddle, 14
Guide sheet member, 15 branch gates, 16/17
Guide member, 20 reverse path, 21 transport roller device, 25 discharge path, 26 transport roller device, 27 discharge roller device, 28 discharge tray,
30 image reading device, 31 device body, 34
Upper member, 35 Platen cover, 36/37
White platen, 40 Large platen, 41
Small platen, 42 scanning device, 43 full rate carriage, 44 half rate carriage, m1
~ M3 mirror, 45 lens, 46 CC
D.

Front page continued (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI theme code (reference) H04N 1/107 F term (reference) 2H076 AA04 AA58 BA15 BA24 BA35 BA36 BA38 BA41 BA42 BA47 BA58 BA64 3F053 BA03 BA12 BA14 LA01 LA02 LA05 LB02 5C062 AA05 AB17 AB32 AC09 AC11 BA04 5C072 AA01 BA02 LA18 NA01 NA07 VA10 XA01

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A first document sent from a document tray.
An image reading apparatus having a first conveyance path for reading a surface and a second conveyance path for reading a second surface of an original while reversing the original after the first surface is read, wherein: The first and second reading units for reading a document are respectively arranged on the second conveyance paths. 2. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein either one of the first and second reading units is formed on a platen of a flatbed scanner. 3. After scanning by the first reading unit, a second
3. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the scanning device is controlled so that the scanning device is moved to the surface reading unit to read the second surface of the document.