JP2005071167A - Card reader/writer, printer and image input/output device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a card reader/writer, a printer and an image input/output device that protect data stored in a removable memory from loss even if an electrostatically charged person touches the removable memory during reading from and writing to the removable memory. <P>SOLUTION: The card reader/writer, the printer and the image input/output device have a card slot into which a removable memory can be inserted substantially horizontally, and a flexible antistatic member suspended to curtain the card slot. When reaching for the removable memory, a fingertip passes through the curtaining antistatic member before touching the removable memory. Before touching the removable memory, the fingertip touches the antistatic member that removes static electricity. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a card read / write device, a printer, and an image input / output device.

  A card read / write device having a card slot for inserting a removable memory is known. The card read / write device is connected to, for example, a personal computer, a printer, or the like with a cable, or is provided integrally with the card read / write device, and writes data into a removable memory inserted into a card slot or reads data from the removable memory.

  When reading data stored in the removable memory or writing data to the removable memory, the card read / write device loses the data stored in the removable memory if it touches the removable memory. There is a problem that it sometimes happens. In particular, in the case of a card read / write device that performs reading and writing in a state in which the removable memory is not completely inserted into the card slot and a part protrudes from the card slot, the risk increases because it is easy to directly touch the removable memory.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and is a card read / write device in which data stored in the removable memory is not lost even if a person with static electricity touches the removable memory while reading / writing to the removable memory. An object of the present invention is to provide a printer and an image input / output device.

  In order to achieve the above object, a card read / write device according to the present invention includes a card slot into which a removable memory is inserted from a substantially horizontal direction, and a static eliminator that has flexibility and hangs down in a warm manner on the front surface of the card slot. It is characterized by providing. According to this card read / write device, when touching the removable memory, the warm-up type static eliminator is scraped off with the fingertip and then the removable memory is touched. For this reason, before touching the removable memory, the fingertip touches the static eliminator and is neutralized. Therefore, according to this card read / write device, even if a person with static electricity touches the removable memory during reading / writing to the removable memory, the data stored in the removable memory is not lost.

Furthermore, in the card read / write device according to the present invention, the static eliminator is a static elimination brush. Since the static elimination brush has soft static elimination hair, it is easy to scrape, and therefore, the removable memory can be easily inserted and removed.
Furthermore, in the card read / write device according to the present invention, the neutralizing body is a neutralizing cloth. Since the neutralizing cloth is soft, it can be easily scraped, and therefore the removable memory can be easily inserted and removed.

  In order to achieve the above object, in a printer according to the present invention, the card read / write device according to claim 1, and printing means for printing data recorded in a removable memory inserted in the card read / write device. And. According to this printer, even if a person with static electricity touches the removable memory while reading data to be printed by the printer from the removable memory, the data recorded in the removable memory can be prevented from being lost.

  In order to achieve the above object, an image input / output device according to the present invention creates digital image data by scanning a document with the printer according to claim 4, and the created digital image data is removed by the card read / write device. Image reading means for recording in a memory. According to this image input / output device, even if a person with static electricity touches the removable memory while writing digital image data created by the image reading means to the removable memory, the data recorded in the removable memory is lost. Can be prevented.

The functions of the plurality of means provided in the present invention are realized by hardware resources whose functions are specified by the configuration itself, hardware resources whose functions are specified by a program, or a combination thereof. The functions of the plurality of means are not limited to those realized by hardware resources that are physically independent of each other.
The present invention can be specified not only as an apparatus invention but also as a program invention, a recording medium recording the program, and a method invention.

Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described based on examples. In this embodiment, a so-called multi-function machine in which an image reading device as an image reading unit and a printer as a printing unit are integrated will be described as an example.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the multifunction machine 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The multifunction machine 1 includes a scanner unit 2 as an image reading device and a printer unit 3 as a printer. The document cover 11 is coupled to the housing 12 so as to be swingable from a posture in which the plate surface of the document table 61 is opened by a hinge to a posture in which the plate surface of the document table 61 is covered. The document cover 11 presses the reflected document M placed on the surface of the document table 61 and covers the document table 61 so that light other than the light emitted from the light source 33 (see FIG. 3) does not illuminate the document M. is there.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of the multifunction device 1, and FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of the multifunction device 1.
The linear image sensor 30 is mounted on the carriage 31 in such a manner that light receiving elements such as photodiodes are arranged in a straight line in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. The linear image sensor 30 accumulates charges obtained by photoelectric conversion of light in a predetermined wavelength region such as visible light, infrared light, ultraviolet light, etc. in a light receiving element for a certain period of time, and performs an electric according to the amount of light received for each light receiving element. The signal is output using a CCD (Charge Coupled Device), a MOS transistor switch or the like.

  The reduction optical system 32 includes a light source 33, a mirror 34, a lens 35, and the like, and is mounted on the carriage 31. The light source 33 is composed of a tube illumination device such as a fluorescent tube lamp, and the mirror 34 and the lens 35 form a reflected light image on the scanning line of the original M irradiated on the light source 33 on the linear image sensor 30. As a result, the optical image of the original M on the main scanning line is input to the linear image sensor 30. Note that the transparent original may be read by changing the position of the light source.

The first main scanning drive unit 36 (see FIG. 4) is a drive circuit that outputs drive pulses necessary for driving the linear image sensor 30 to the linear image sensor 30. The first main scanning drive unit 36 includes, for example, a synchronization signal generator, a driving timing generator, and the like.
A first sub-scanning drive unit 37 (see FIG. 4) as sub-scanning means is installed perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the linear image sensor 30 and has a slide shaft 38 slidably holding the carriage 31, a carriage motor 39, and a drive. A belt 40, a drive circuit, and the like are provided. Since the carriage motor 39 pulls the carriage 31 with the drive belt 40, the linear image sensor 30 and the document M move relative to each other in the direction W (sub-scanning direction) perpendicular to the scanning line, so that a two-dimensional image can be scanned. Become.

  An AFE (Analog Front End) unit 41 (see FIG. 4) includes an analog signal processing unit, an A / D converter, and the like. The analog signal processing unit subjects the electrical signal output from the linear image sensor 30 to analog signal processing such as amplification and noise reduction processing, and outputs the result. The A / D converter quantizes the electrical signal output from the analog signal processing unit into an output signal of a digital representation having a predetermined bit length, and outputs the output signal.

  The digital image processing unit 42 (see FIG. 4) performs processes such as gamma correction, interpolation of defective pixels by the pixel interpolation method, shading correction, and sharpening of the image signal on the output signal output from the AFE unit 41. Create digital image data. The various processes performed by the digital image processing unit 42 may be replaced with processes by a computer program executed by the control unit 56.

  The recording head 43 is provided on the carriage 44 and includes a plurality of nozzles 45 that eject ink, a piezo element 46, an ink passage 47 that guides ink, and the like. The piezo element 46 is provided at a position in contact with the side wall of the ink passage 47, and rapidly expands to deform the side wall of the ink passage 47 when a driving voltage is applied. The volume of the ink passage 47 contracts according to the expansion of the piezo element 46, and ink corresponding to the contraction is ejected from the nozzle 45 at a high speed.

The head drive unit 48 (see FIG. 4) is a circuit that applies a drive voltage to the piezo element 46 based on a print signal output from the control unit 56 (see FIG. 4).
The second main scanning drive unit 49 (see FIG. 4) includes a slide shaft 51 that is laid in parallel with the axis of the platen 50 and slidably holds the carriage 44, a carriage motor 52, a drive belt 53, a drive circuit, and the like. . When the carriage motor 52 pulls the carriage 44 by the drive belt 53, the recording head 43 reciprocates in the axial direction (X direction) of the sliding shaft 51.

  The second sub-scanning drive unit 54 (see FIG. 4) includes a paper feed motor 55, a gear train that transmits the rotation of the paper feed motor 55 to the platen 50 and a paper transport roller (not shown), a drive circuit, and the like. As the paper feed motor 55 rotates the platen 50 and a paper transport roller (not shown), the printing paper M moves in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface (sub-scanning direction) in FIG. 3 intersecting the main scanning direction axis.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 56 includes a CPU 57, a ROM 58, and a RAM 59. The CPU 57 executes computer programs stored in the ROM 58 and controls each unit of the multifunction machine 1. The ROM 58 is a memory that stores various programs and data, and the RAM 59 is a memory that temporarily stores various programs and data. For example, when printing data recorded in the removable memory 18 inserted in the card read / write unit 16, the control unit 56 controls the card read / write unit 16 to read data and perform processing such as binarization. The printer unit 3 is controlled to execute printing. For example, when the original is read by the scanner unit 2, the digital image created by reading is written in the removable memory 18 by controlling the card read / write unit 16.

  The operation unit 17 includes a read button, a copy button, a print button, and a plurality of buttons such as an upper button and a lower button for selecting an image to be copied from an image read by pre-scanning or selecting a setting item from a predetermined menu. A push button, a display device for displaying images and menus read by pre-scanning, an LED for notifying an error, and the like are provided. The user can input printing and other necessary instructions to the multifunction device 1 by operating these various buttons. The control unit 56 and the operation unit 17 function as both the scanner unit 2 and the printer unit 3.

  FIG. 5 is a front view of the card read / write unit 16 before the static elimination brush is attached. The card read / write unit 16 as a card read / write device includes a card slot 19 into which the removable memory 18 is inserted, a memory controller, and the like. The card read / write unit 16 is controlled by the control unit 56 (see FIG. 4), reads the data to be printed stored in the removable memory 18 and inputs it to the multifunction device 1. In addition, when an instruction to record digital image data created by reading an original with the scanner unit 2 is input to the removable memory 18, the created digital image data is written to the removable memory 18. The card read / write unit 16 includes a wall portion 70 having a substantially vertical surface, and the wall portion 70 includes a plurality of card slots 19. The card read / write unit 16 can read and write a plurality of removable memories 18 having different standards, and each of the plurality of card slots 19 is formed in a shape corresponding to a specific standard. Since the card slot 19 is provided in the wall portion 70 having a vertical surface, each removable memory 18 is inserted into the card slot 19 from a substantially horizontal direction.

  FIG. 1 is a front view of the card read / write unit 16 after the static elimination brush is attached. As shown in the figure, the neutralizing brush 71 as a neutralizing body hangs down in a warm manner on the front surface of the card slot 19. The static elimination brush 71 includes a large number of soft static elimination hairs 73 made of an organic conductive fiber in which copper ions are encapsulated in an acrylic fiber, and a conductive fixing member 72 extending linearly in the horizontal direction along the wall portion 70. One end of each static elimination hair 73 is fixed to the fastening member 72 by adhesion or the like. As shown in FIG. 6, the fixing member 72 is attached to the card slot 19 so as to protrude from the wall portion 70 toward the opposite side of the housing 12, and the static elimination hair 73 hangs down without contacting the wall portion 70. The static electricity removed from the human body by the static elimination brush 71 is released from the ground provided in the housing 12 via the card read / write unit 16. The fastening member 72 may be directly grounded. In the present embodiment, the neutralizing brush 71 is described as an example of the neutralizing body. However, the neutralizing cloth formed by adding a conductive material such as carbon to a polymer material or a conductive polymer is suspended in a warm shape. You may do it.

Next, insertion and removal of the removable memory 18 will be described.
When the removable memory 18 is inserted into the card slot 19, for example, the lower end of the static elimination hair 73 is lifted up by hand so that the static elimination hair 73 does not cover the front surface of the card slot 19 and is inserted into the card slot 19 in that state.
When the removable memory 18 inserted in the card slot 19 is taken out, the static elimination hair 73 is scraped with a finger to grip the end protruding from the card slot 19 of the removable memory 18 and pulled out toward the non-housing 12 side.

  According to the multifunction device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention described above, since the static eliminating brush 71 hangs down on the front surface of the card slot 19 in a warm manner, the user tries to touch the removable memory 18 inserted in the card slot 19. When doing so, the static elimination brush 71 must be touched before that. For this reason, even if a person who is charged with static electricity while reading or writing to the removable memory 18 tries to touch the removable memory 18 inserted in the card slot 19, the static elimination brush 71 must be used before removing the static electricity. Is done. Therefore, according to the multi-function device 1, even if a person with static electricity touches the removable memory 18 while reading from or writing to the removable memory 18, the data stored in the removable memory 18 is not lost.

  In this embodiment, the case where the card read / write device is provided in the multifunction peripheral is described as an example. However, the card read / write device may be connected to a personal computer, a printer, or the like via a cable. It may be built in. Moreover, you may incorporate in a digital camera.

1 is a front view of a card reader according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a schematic diagram of an image input / output device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a schematic diagram of an image input / output device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a block diagram of an image input / output device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a front view of a card reader according to an embodiment of the present invention. Sectional drawing of the static elimination brush which concerns on one Example of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Multifunctional device (image input / output device), 2 Scanner part (image reading means), 3 Printer part (printing means), 16 Card read / write part (card read / write apparatus), 18 Removable memory, 19 Card slot, 71 Static elimination brush (Static elimination) body)

Claims (5)

A card slot into which the removable memory is inserted substantially horizontally,
A static eliminator that has flexibility and hangs in a warm manner on the front surface of the card slot;
A card read / write device comprising:   The card read / write device according to claim 1, wherein the charge eliminating body is a charge eliminating brush.   The card read / write device according to claim 1, wherein the charge eliminating body is a charge eliminating cloth. The card read / write device according to claim 1, 2, or 3,
Printing means for printing data recorded in a removable memory inserted in the card read / write device;
A printer comprising: A printer according to claim 4;
Image reading means for scanning a document to create digital image data, and recording the created digital image data in a removable memory by the card read / write device;
An image input / output device comprising:

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