JP2005055571A - Light source unit and film scanner equipped with light source unit - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a light source unit for outputting a uniform beam bundle, without uneveness in the amount of light, while securing a degree of freedom of arrangement of a light source, and to provide a film scanner equipped with the light source unit. <P>SOLUTION: The light source unit is composed to be provided with an optical fiber group 3 for guiding the beam bundle outputted from the light source 2, a spherical light diffused hollow body 4 equipped with an incident light part 4A making the beam bundle guided from the optical fiber group 3 incident and a light-emitting part 4C incident from the incident light part 4A and for outputting the beam bundle diffused and deflected on an inner wall face 4B, and a diffusion part 5 for diffusing the beam bundle output from the light emission part 4C. The beam bundle, from the light source incident from the incident light part 4A from the inner wall face of the light diffusion hollow body 4, is completely diffused to be radiated from the light emission part 4C. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a light source unit including an optical fiber group that guides a light flux output from a light source, and a film scanner including the light source unit.

Conventionally, in order to eliminate the loss of light energy output from the light source and use it efficiently, the optical fiber group for guiding the light bundle output from the light source is provided, and a diffusion plate is provided at the output side end of the optical fiber group. A technique has been proposed that eliminates unevenness in the quantity of light beams output from the optical fiber group.
JP 2002-229135 A

  According to the technique described in Patent Document 1 described above, such a light source unit is mounted on a film scanner that reads an image carried on a photographic film with an imaging device, and the photographic film is in the longitudinal direction. The output end portion of the optical fiber group is arranged to face the film mask surface of an automatic film transport device that transports in the sub-scanning direction.

  However, in the film scanner described above, a sufficient diffusion effect may not be obtained only with the diffusion plate provided in the light source unit, and it is necessary to provide a separate diffusion plate on the film mask surface of the automatic film transport apparatus. For example, when a halogen lamp is used as a light source, unevenness in the amount of light occurs due to the shadow of the filament, the distribution of the amount of light incident on each optical fiber is different, and the light emitted from each optical fiber is in the axial direction of the fiber. Since the light is output so as to go straight, the light bundle with the light emitted from each optical fiber is also uneven in the amount of light similar to the arrangement of the optical fibers. As a result, only the diffusion plate provided in the light source unit is sufficient. The diffusion effect cannot be obtained.

  The automatic film transport device is frequently attached and detached from the film scanner main body according to the film type such as 35 mm film or APS film, and the operator touches the diffusion plate on the film mask surface as the frequency of attachment / detachment increases. Opportunities have increased, and as a result, there has been a problem that the diffuser plate is soiled due to fingerprints, etc., and maintenance such as cleaning must be frequently performed.

  Furthermore, in order to provide the above-mentioned separate diffusion plate, it is necessary to provide a diffusion plate mounting mechanism in the automatic film conveyance device, and such an automatic film conveyance device is shared with models that do not use the above-described light source unit. There was also a problem that it was impossible to do so, leading to an increase in cost.

  The light source unit described above can guide the light beam from the light source to the target position via the optical fiber, and thus has the advantage of increasing the degree of freedom in the arrangement of the light source, but the light source of other devices such as a film printing apparatus. Even if it is used as a battery, there is a problem in that the diffusion is insufficient and a separate diffusion plate must be provided, which increases the cost.

  In view of the above-described conventional drawbacks, the present invention provides a light source unit capable of outputting a uniform light bundle without unevenness in the amount of light while securing a degree of freedom of light source arrangement, and a film scanner including the light source unit. is there.

  In order to achieve the above-described object, a first characteristic configuration of a light source unit according to the present invention includes an optical fiber group for guiding a light bundle output from a light source, as described in claim 1 of the claims, and A light incident hollow portion that includes a light incident portion that receives a light bundle guided by an optical fiber group, and a light exit portion that outputs a light bundle incident from the light incident portion and diffusely reflected on an inner wall surface; and The point is that a diffusion plate for diffusing the light flux output from the light output section is provided.

  The light beam guided by the optical fiber and incident on the light diffusion hollow body is repeatedly diffused and reflected on the inner wall surface of the light diffusion hollow body, and is output from the light output section as a light beam bundle with a sufficiently uniform light amount. By diffusing such a beam bundle again with the diffusion plate, a beam bundle without unevenness in the amount of light can be obtained.

  The second characteristic configuration is that, in addition to the first characteristic configuration, the diffusing plate is detachably attached to the light output portion, as described in claim 2 of the claims.

  By detachably attaching the diffuser plate to the light exit portion of the light diffuser hollow body, the light diffuser hollow body is sealed by the diffuser plate in the actual use state, so that dust floating around the light diffuser flows into the interior. A situation in which the reflection surface of the inner wall is contaminated can be avoided. In addition, when the diffuser plate is contaminated, it can be easily removed by removing it from the light exit portion.

  In the third feature configuration, as described in claim 3 of the claims, in addition to the first or second feature configuration, the light output portion is formed in a shape corresponding to the shape of the frame image of the photographic film. It is in the point.

  When the light exit portion of the light diffuser is configured in such a shape, the light source unit can be used as a light source of an analog photographic processing apparatus that projects and exposes a film image onto photographic paper.

  In the fourth feature configuration, as described in claim 4 of the claims, in addition to the first or second feature configuration, the output portion has a slit shape having a length corresponding to the width of the photographic film. It is in the point formed.

  When the light exit part of the light diffuser is configured in such a shape, the light source unit guides the illumination light to the image sensor that sequentially reads an image along the width direction of the film conveyed in the sub-scanning direction. Can be used as

  A first characteristic configuration of the film scanner according to the present invention includes a light source unit according to the fourth characteristic configuration described above, and is based on a light beam that is output from the light source unit and transmitted or reflected from a photographic film conveyed by a film conveyance device. And an image sensor for reading an image carried on the photographic film.

  According to such a film scanner, since it is not necessary to provide a separate diffusion plate on the film mask surface of the film transport apparatus, the film mask portion is not soiled even if the film transport apparatus is frequently attached and detached. Moreover, it can be shared with models that do not use the light source unit, and costs can be reduced.

  Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a light source unit capable of outputting a uniform light bundle without unevenness in the amount of light while ensuring a degree of freedom of light source arrangement, and a film scanner including the light source unit. became.

  Embodiments of a light source unit and a film scanner including the light source unit according to the present invention will be described below. As shown in FIG. 1, the light source unit 1 includes an optical fiber group 3 that guides the light bundle output from the light source 2, a light incident portion 4A that receives the light bundle guided by the optical fiber group 3, and an incident light A light diffusing hollow body 4 having a light exiting portion 4C that outputs a light bundle incident from the light portion 4A and diffused and reflected by the inner wall surface 4B, and a diffusion plate 5 that diffuses the light flux output from the light exiting portion 4C are provided. Configured.

  The light source side end of the optical fiber group 3 is bundled with a first fixing bracket 3A, the other end is bundled with a second fixing bracket 3B fitted and fixed in the opening of the light incident portion 4A, and the middle is a binding belt 3C. It is bundled by.

  The light diffusing hollow body 4 has a substantially spherical shape, and its inner wall surface 4B is configured to diffuse and reflect white paint such as barium sulfate as shown in FIG. The light beam from the incident light source is converted into completely diffused light and emitted from the light output unit 4C, and the light beam incident from the light input unit 4A is not directly output from the light output unit 4C. The light exit part 4C is formed at a position different from the region where the optical path of the light bundle incident from the light beam 4 intersects the wall of the light diffuser 4, or the light bundle incident from the light entrance part 4A is directly output from the light exit part 4C. In order to prevent this, a reflecting plate 4D is provided inside the light output part 4C and acts as an integrating sphere.

  A part of the surface of the light diffusion hollow body 4 is formed in a flat shape, and a rectangular slit is formed in the flat surface to form the light output portion 4C. Therefore, the incident light guided by the optical fiber group 3 is formed. The light beam is output as slit light having a uniform light amount distribution.

  The light exit portion 4C is provided with a mounting seat for detachably attaching the diffusion plate 5. When the diffusion plate 5 is attached, dust floating around the light diffusion hollow body 4 is placed inside the light diffusion hollow body 4. There is no inflow, and the reflecting surface of the inner wall is not contaminated.

  A photographic processing apparatus including the above-described light source unit 1 and including an image pickup device that reads an image carried on the photographic film based on a light flux output from the light source unit 1 and transmitted from the photographic film conveyed by the film conveying apparatus. explain.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the photo processing apparatus includes a film scanner 10 and a printer 20. The film scanner 10 includes a light source unit 1 that guides an output light bundle from a halogen lamp as a light source 2 to the surface of the film F, an automatic film transport device 11 that transports the film F, and slit light output from the light source unit 1. The imaging unit 12 is provided with a CCD line sensor that reads the film transmitted light. The automatic film transport device 11 is provided with a driving roller 11A for transporting the film at a constant speed, and the imaging unit 12 receives a CCD line sensor and a film image arranged along the width direction of the photographic film F, and the CCD line sensor. An image of the photographic film F that is configured to include an optical system that forms an image on the light receiving portion and is conveyed in the sub-scanning direction at a constant speed along the arrow direction in FIG. 3 is obtained by main scanning by the CCD line sensor. Read.

  The printer 20 is arranged in a conveyance path, a magazine 22 in which roll-shaped printing paper P is accommodated, an advance roller 23 that draws the printing paper P from the magazine 22 and conveys it along the conveyance path, and an exposure conveyance roller 24. , A cutter 25 that cuts the photographic paper P into a predetermined size, and a laser system that is disposed at an exposure position on the conveyance path and prints and exposes an image on the photographic paper P in units of pixels based on image data read by the film scanner 10. The exposure engine 21, a developing unit 26 for developing the photographic paper P after exposure, a drying unit 27 for drying the photographic paper P after the development processing, and a control unit 28 for controlling the operation of each functional block described above. And an operation unit 29 for setting and inputting output processing conditions such as a print size, a monitor 30 for displaying a print image, and the like.

  The film scanner 10 described above will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 4, the output light bundle from the halogen lamp as the light source 2 is inclined with respect to the optical axis, and the heat ray absorption filter 13 and the film type. It arrange | positions so that it may be guide | induced to the light source unit 1 mentioned above through the switchable rotation filter 14. FIG.

  The rotary filter 14 is configured by arranging three types of filters, a negative film filter 14A, a setup filter 14B, and a positive film filter 14C, on a peripheral surface on a disk rotatably supported by a motor 15. For example, when reading an image of a negative film, the drive motor 15 is driven so that the negative film filter 14A is disposed in the optical path.

  The light source unit 1 is housed inside the cover case 16, and the first fixing fitting 3 </ b> A at the light source side end of the optical fiber group 3 is fitted and fixed in the mounting hole 18 formed in the cover case 16 and the frame 17. The light exit part 4 </ b> C of the diffusion hollow body 4 is fitted and fixed to the film mask part of the automatic film transport device 11.

  Another embodiment will be described below. In the above-described embodiment, the light diffusion hollow body is configured to have a substantially spherical shape. However, the shape of the light diffusion hollow body is not limited to this, and is formed of a cylindrical hollow body. The cylindrical peripheral surface may be formed with a slit as a light output part in parallel to the axial center, or may have another shape.

  The shape of the light output portion has been described as being formed in a slit shape so as to be suitable for a film scanner. However, the shape is not particularly limited, and is appropriately set according to the application. For example, when used as a light source of an analog photographic processing apparatus that projects and exposes a film image on photographic paper, the light output portion is formed in a shape corresponding to the shape of the frame image of the photographic film.

  The above-described embodiments are merely examples of the light source unit according to the present invention, and the shape, material, size, and the like are not particularly limited. Furthermore, the application example of the light source unit according to the present invention is not limited to a film scanner or an analog type projection exposure apparatus, and any light source that requires a uniform amount of light and that restricts the position of the light source. Applicable to equipment.

Perspective view of light source unit Cross section of light source unit Block diagram of photo processing equipment Cross section of the main part of the film scanner

Explanation of symbols

1: Light source unit 2: Light source 3: Optical fiber group 4: Light diffusion hollow body 4A: Light incident part 4B: Inner wall surface 4C: Light emission part

Claims (5)

  An optical fiber group for guiding the light bundle output from the light source, a light incident part for entering the light bundle guided by the optical fiber group, and a light ray incident from the light incident part and diffusely reflected on the inner wall surface A light source unit comprising a light diffusing hollow body provided with a light output portion for outputting a bundle, and a diffusion plate for diffusing the light beam output from the light output portion.   The light source unit according to claim 1, wherein the diffusing plate is detachably attached to the light output portion.   The light source unit according to claim 1, wherein the light output portion is formed in a shape corresponding to a shape of a frame image of a photographic film.   The light source unit according to claim 1, wherein the output unit is formed in a slit shape having a length corresponding to the width of the photographic film.   5. An image sensor comprising: the light source unit according to claim 4; and an image sensor that reads an image carried on the photographic film based on a light bundle that is output from the light source unit and transmitted or reflected from a photographic film conveyed by a film conveying device. Film scanner.

Images