JP2003280109A - Image scanner - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image scanner in which the tilt of the tip part and that of the rear end of a read image can be independently adjusted and the tilt of the read image changing in the process of scanning can be adjusted by changing the height of rails to obtain a satisfactory read image without having tilts at both of the tip part and the rear end of the read image. <P>SOLUTION: In the image scanner which has a mirror to reflect light emitted from a light source to a document on contact glass and further has scanning bodies to reciprocate rail members along an original platen, an adjustment mechanism 15 to adjust the height of the rail member 6 in the normal direction of the surface of the rail member 6 is provided. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

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 such as a copying machine or a facsimile, and more particularly to an apparatus capable of adjusting a tilt of a read image which varies in a scanning process by changing a height of a rail member. It is related.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a technique for adjusting the inclination of a read image in an image reading apparatus of this type, for example, an actual fair 6-
There are those disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 7618 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-265510. Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 6-7618 has an adjusting means for adjusting the height of a mirror held by the scanning body, and in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-265510, it is attached to a scanning body sliding on a rail member. By providing the adjusting means for adjusting the height of the sliding member, it is possible to correct the inclination of the read image by adjusting the height of the mirror on the scanning body and obtain a good read image. It has become.

[0003]

However, the inclination of the read image is not caused only by the inclination of the mirror, but is also caused by the fluctuation of the height deviation of the rail member and the difference between the left and right driving speeds in the scanning process. It also occurs due to the inclination variation of the scanning body, and in this case, the inclination of the read image varies depending on the reading position of the scanning body. Fair Fair 6-7618
In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-265510 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-265510, the adjustment value is constant during the scanning process, and the tilt of the read image, which fluctuates during the scanning process and is caused by the above reasons, cannot be eliminated.

Further, in the current image reading apparatus, the parallelism of the scanning body is adjusted by inserting the positioning pin into the positioning hole and then fixing the positional relationship of the traveling body. Only one point can be adjusted. Therefore, when the scanning body is located at the point where the parallelism is adjusted, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of image tilt. However, as the scanning body is farther from the point where the parallelism is adjusted, the tilt of the image on the read image is increased due to the above cause. May fluctuate. When comparing the read image and the document, it is the leading edge and the trailing edge of the image that the user can easily determine the tilt of the image. At present, parallelism is adjusted near the center in the sub-scanning direction in order to reduce the maximum value of the tilt that occurs at the leading and trailing edges of the read image. However, the current adjustment method and the conventional technique cannot independently adjust the inclinations of the images generated at the leading edge and the trailing edge, so that a good reading image with no leading edge and trailing edge of the read image is obtained. Can't get

Therefore, the present invention solves the problems of the conventional ones described above, has only one parallelism setting position, and can only guarantee that only the inclination of the image near the center can be reduced. In contrast to the related art, the rail member is provided with a movable mechanism, and the inclination of the front end and the rear end of the read image is independently adjusted by changing the height of the rail member, and the read image fluctuates during the scanning process. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image reading apparatus capable of adjusting the tilt of the read image and obtaining a good read image with no tilt at both the front and rear ends of the read image.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 has a mirror for reflecting the light exposed to the original on the contact glass by the light source,
An image reading apparatus including a scanning member that reciprocates a rail member along a document table is characterized by including an adjusting mechanism for adjusting a height of the rail member in a direction normal to a surface of the rail member.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the adjusting mechanism is an adjusting screw provided at the other end of the rail member having one end pivotally supported. Claim 3
The invention described in (2) is characterized in that, in claim 2, a spacer is used instead of the adjusting screw. According to a fourth aspect of the invention, in the second aspect, a wedge mechanism with an adjusting screw is used instead of the adjusting screw.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, the adjustment pattern is provided outside the image reading area on the rear end side of the read image on the contact glass. According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the fifth aspect, the adjustment pattern is a right / center / left adjustment mark printed and provided outside the image reading area on the rear end side of the read image on the contact glass. And

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings by taking a digital copying machine as an example. As shown in FIG. 1, this image reading apparatus includes a first scanning member 5 having a first reflection mirror 4 and a light source 2, a second reflection mirror 7, and a second reflection mirror 7 below a contact glass 1 on which a document a is set. A second scanning body 9 having 8; a first rail member 3 on which the first scanning body 5 moves; a second rail member 6 on which the second scanning body 9 moves; and a lens 10. CCD board 11
A controller 12 for processing input image information, a pressure plate 19 for pressing the original a on the contact glass 1, and a liquid crystal display 13 for outputting information such as a print mode and a degree of enlargement / reduction are arranged.

The first and second scanning bodies 5 and 9 move in parallel with the contact glass 1 in the arrow direction (sub-scanning direction) of FIG. The light emitted from the light source 2 and reflected on the original surface on the contact glass 1 is applied to the CCD substrate 11 via the first reflecting mirror 4, the second and third reflecting mirrors 7 and 8, and the lens 10, and then the CCD substrate 11 The light information of the document a is converted into an electric signal.

In this embodiment, a mechanism for adjusting (correcting) the inclination of the image by changing the height of the second rail member 6 is used. First, a mechanism in which the inclination of the image changes depending on the height of the second rail member will be described with an example. As the height of the second rail member 6 rises, the height of the second scanning body 9 moving on the second rail member 6 also rises, and the second and third mirrors 7, mounted on the second scanning body 9, The height of 8 also goes up. As the second and third mirrors 7 and 8 rise, the image position read by the CCD substrate 11 changes (FIG. 2). When the heights of the second rail members 6 on the right side and the left side of the read image are different, the positions of the read images on the right and left sides of the read image are different, so that the inclination of the image can be corrected (FIG. 3).

More specifically, the rear edge image inclination adjusting mode is operated at the time of assembling, installing, and at any occasion, and the contact glass 1 shown in the chart b in FIG.
Set on top. On the chart b, right, center, and left adjustment marks 16, 17, and 18 are printed outside the reading area on the trailing edge side of the read image for use in adjusting the image inclination at the trailing edge. The center adjustment mark 17 is printed parallel to the sub-scanning direction, and the left and right adjustment marks 16 and 18 are printed.
Is the center adjustment mark 1 on the plane perpendicular to the sub-scanning direction.
It is printed so that it is equidistant from 7. The second rail member 6 has one end pivotally supported by a pin 14 and the other end movably provided in the vertical direction by an adjusting screw 15 as shown in FIG. 6, and the other end of the second rail member 6 is provided by the screw. The side can be vertically moved around the pin 14 and fixed at any position.

As shown in FIG. 5, the first and second scanning bodies 5 and 9 are moved to the positions where the adjustment marks 16, 17 and 18 of the chart b are read, and the read image signals are continuously input. Based on the read image signal being input, the controller 12 adjusts the adjustment marks 1 on the left and right from the adjustment mark 17 at the center.
The distances to 6 and 18 are calculated, and the respective results are output to the liquid crystal display 13. The person who makes the adjustment can move from the center adjustment mark 17 displayed on the liquid crystal display 13 to the left
After moving the second rail member 6 up and down so that the respective distances to the right adjustment marks 16 and 18 become equal,
Fix with the adjusting screw 15. As a result, the inclination of the image at the trailing edge of the read image can be eliminated, and a good image can be obtained.

7 and 8 show a modification of the mechanism for adjusting the height of the second rail member 6. In FIG. 7, instead of fixing with the adjusting screw 15, the spacer 20 is inserted for adjustment. Further, in FIG. 8, the triangular piece 21 is adjusted by the adjusting screw 22.
Is moved to the left and right in the sub-scanning direction, is abutted against the fixed triangular member 23, and the second rail member 6 is moved up and down for adjustment. The triangular piece 21, the triangular member 23 and the adjusting screw 22 constitute a wedge mechanism with an adjusting screw. In any of the methods, the same effect as the adjustment screw 15 can be expected.

FIG. 9 shows a modified example which replaces the chart b. In the above description, when adjusting the inclination of the image at the trailing edge of the read image, the right, center, left adjustment marks 1
The chart b in which 6, 17, and 18 are printed outside the reading area on the trailing edge side of the read image is used, but in this modification, the right / center / left adjustment marks 16, 17, and 18 are used instead of the chart b. The printed image is printed on the contact glass 1 outside the reading area on the rear end side. According to such a modified example, the chart b is unnecessary, the number of parts is reduced, and a storage place is not required, which is advantageous in terms of cost.

In the above-described embodiment, the mechanism for adjusting the inclination of the image by changing the height of the second rail member 6 has been described, but by changing the height of the first rail member 3. Of course, the inclination of the image may be adjusted.

[0017]

According to the invention described in claims 1 to 4, the rail member is provided with an adjustable mechanism (adjustment screw or the like), and the height of the rail is changed to tilt the front and rear edges of the read image. It becomes possible to adjust the inclination of the read image that fluctuates during the scanning process, and it is possible to independently adjust the Can be obtained.

In the invention according to claim 5 or 6, by printing the adjustment pattern (adjustment mark) on the upper surface of the contact glass, the inclination correction chart of the image at the rear end of the read image is not required, so that the number of parts is reduced. There is no need for storage space, which is advantageous in terms of cost.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing that an image position to be read changes as the height of a second rail member rises.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating image tilt correction.

FIG. 4 is a drawing showing a printing surface of a chart.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram when the tilt of the image is adjusted at the trailing edge of the read image.

FIG. 6 is a partial view in which the other end of the second rail member is fixed with an adjusting screw.

FIG. 7 is a partial view showing a modified example in which the other end of the second rail member is fixed with a spacer.

FIG. 8 is a partial view showing a modification in which the other end of the second rail member is fixed by a wedge mechanism with an adjusting screw.

FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing a modified example replacing the chart.

[Explanation of symbols]

a original document b chart 1 contact glass 2 light source 3 first rail member 4 first reflection mirror 5 first scanning member 6 second rail member 7 second reflection mirror 8 third reflection mirror 9 second scanning member 10 lens 11 CCD substrate 12 Controller 13 Liquid crystal display 14 Pin 15 Adjustment screw (adjustment mechanism) 16, 17, 18 Right / center / left adjustment mark (adjustment pattern) 19 Plate 20 Spacer 21 Triangular piece 22 Adjustment screw 23 Triangular member

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. An image reading apparatus having a mirror that reflects light exposed on a document on a contact glass by a light source, and an image reading apparatus including a scanning member that reciprocates along a document table on a rail member. An image reading apparatus comprising an adjusting mechanism for adjusting the height of the rail member in the normal direction. 2. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the adjusting mechanism is an adjusting screw provided at the other end of the rail member pivotally supported at one end. 3. The image reading apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a spacer is used instead of the adjusting screw. 4. The image reading apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a wedge mechanism with an adjusting screw is used instead of the adjusting screw. 5. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an adjustment pattern is provided outside the image reading area on the rear end side of the read image on the contact glass. 6. The image reading device according to claim 5, wherein the adjustment pattern is a right / center / left adjustment mark printed and provided outside the image reading area on the rear end side of the read image on the contact glass.