JP2008148025A - Image reader - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a reader which can read an original by an ADF mode and a flat bed mode, does not need to raise an ADF when it is used as a flat bed scanner, enables a flat bed to be carried as a simple substance and can read the original even under environment without a PC. <P>SOLUTION: A flat bed 100 is attachable/detachable to/from an ADF 200, when the flat bed is detached, the image reader is electrically cut off from the ADF and image information read by scanning a reading sensor 105 by a single flat bed scanner is transferred to a storage medium. In the ADF mode in which the flat bed is attached to the ADF, the image reader is electrically coupled to the ADF, a reading sensor 105 on the flat bed side is stopped at a fixed position, the original to be conveyed is read and the read image information is transferred to the storage medium. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image reading apparatus having a function of reading an image, such as an image scanner, a facsimile machine, and a copying machine.

  Various types of image reading apparatuses having an image reading function such as an image scanner, a facsimile machine, and a copying machine have been proposed and implemented. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows an example of the conventional image reading apparatus. In FIG. 12, the illustrated image reading apparatus has a first reading mode in which the surface of the original P1001 can be read by the first reading unit 1002 and a second reading mode in which both the front and back sides of the original P1002 can be read. In the first reading mode, reading can be performed by moving the first reading unit 1002 from the position X1 to the position X2 and scanning the document P1001 placed on the document table glass 1001.

  On the other hand, in the second reading mode, the front side of the conveyed document P1002 is read by the first reading unit 1002 stopped at the position X1, and the back side of the document P1002 is fixed to the transport unit. It can be read by means 1020. The original P1002 read in the second reading mode is separated from the one stacked on the stacking tray 1003 by the separation roller 1005 and the separation pad 1006 and sent out, and is conveyed by the first conveyance roller pair 1007. It is a thing. The document read in the second reading mode is discharged onto the discharge tray 1004 by the second conveyance roller pair 1008. Further, the next original is similarly conveyed by the separation roller 1005 and the separation pad 1006, and the front and back sides of this original can also be read.

Patent Document 1 discloses an image reading apparatus in which a reading unit is detachably mounted on a document transport mechanism, and a flatbed scanner is provided by a user detachably mounting a reading unit and mounting it on another document table. The thing of the structure which can be used as is disclosed.
JP-A-10-308836

  The conventional image reading apparatus has a first reading mode for scanning and reading a document placed on the platen glass and a second reading mode for reading a document fed from the stacking tray and conveyed at a fixed position. It is convenient because it can be used properly according to usage. However, since the apparatus is composed of one apparatus in which two reading functions are integrated, there is a disadvantage that the apparatus itself becomes large. For example, when reading a sensitive document such as a photo document or a large document such as a map, the user must open and close the ADF unit (document transport mechanism unit), lifting a heavy object, and handling is troublesome. Met.

  In addition, since the flatbed scanner unit is used in a horizontal position, there is a problem that a large installation area is required. Further, Patent Document 1 discloses a device in which a removed reading unit is movably mounted on another document table. However, in this case, since the user performs the work of mounting the reading unit, it is difficult to mount the reading unit with high accuracy, and there are inconveniences such as the read image being skewed and the leading end of the read image being misaligned. there were. In addition, since the user opens the document table and mounts the reading unit, it is difficult for users who are unfamiliar with the machine to handle it.

  The present invention has been made in view of such technical problems. An object of the present invention is to provide an image reading apparatus that does not require lifting of a document transport mechanism when used as a flatbed scanner. Another object of the present invention is to provide an image reading apparatus that can be carried by a single flatbed scanner and can read image information even in an environment without a host device such as a PC.

An image reading apparatus according to the present invention includes a reading unit that reads an image of a document, a scanning unit that scans the reading unit along the document, a control unit that controls the reading unit and the scanning unit, and a first unit that supports the reading unit and the scanning unit. The first unit having the frame portion is provided.
A second unit having a conveying unit that conveys the document through the reading unit of the first unit; a drive source that drives the conveying unit; and a second frame portion that supports the conveying unit.
The first unit is detachable from the second unit.
When the first unit is removed from the second unit, the first unit is electrically disconnected from the second unit and can be used alone as a flatbed scanner. Further, it is possible to scan the original by scanning the reading means and transfer the read image information to the storage medium.
When the first unit is mounted on the second unit, the first unit and the second unit are electrically coupled to each other so that the reading unit can be stopped at a certain position to read the conveyed document. The read image information can be transferred to a storage medium.

  According to the present invention, when used as a flat bed scanner, it is not necessary to lift the document transport mechanism, and the flat bed scanner can be carried alone, and image information can be read even in an environment without a host device such as a PC. An image reading apparatus that can be used is provided.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the same reference numerals denote the same or corresponding parts throughout the drawings. FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an image reading apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an appearance of the image reading apparatus of FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the inside of the image reading apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention with the front cover portion omitted. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state in which the upper guide mechanism of the second unit is opened in the image reading apparatus of FIG. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state in which the document tray is folded in the image reading apparatus of FIG. FIG. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state where the first unit is attached to and detached from the second unit in the image reading apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  FIG. 1 shows a state in which a reading unit (flatbed scanner) 100 as a first unit is attached to a document conveying apparatus (ADF) 200 as a second unit. FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state in which the upper guide mechanism 30 of the second unit 200 is further opened in the image reading apparatus of FIG. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state in which the document tray is folded in the image reading apparatus of FIG. 1 to 5 and 10, an image reading apparatus 500 according to the present embodiment includes a document conveying apparatus (ADF) 200 that is a second unit and a reading unit 100 that is a first unit that can be freely attached to and detached from the apparatus. It is configured. When the reading unit 100 is detached, the reading unit 100 becomes a flatbed scanner that can be used alone. When the reading unit (first unit) 100 is mounted on the second unit (document transporting apparatus) 200, the reading unit (first unit) 100 is fixed in an inclined posture with respect to the installation surface of the second unit as shown in FIG. Or fixed in a vertical position.

  The first unit 100 includes a frame that is a first frame portion, a document table glass 102, a timing belt 103, a scanning motor 104, and a reading sensor (first reading sensor) 105 that is a reading unit. And. This reading sensor is a contact type reading sensor, and is also referred to as CIS (first CIS) below. The reading sensor 105 is connected to the timing belt 103 and can reciprocate in parallel with the plate surface of the platen glass 102 by the rotation of the motor 104.

  The second unit 200 is configured by supporting a document transport mechanism on the second frame portion 250. The document transport mechanism includes a transport unit that transports a document and a drive source that drives the transport unit. The document conveying mechanism is provided with the following parts. First, 3 is a conveyance roller, and 4 is a separation roller pressed against the conveyance roller, and these have a function of separating and sending out the originals D stacked on the trays 142 and 143 one by one and further conveying them. . A torque limiter 31 (FIG. 3) and a coupling 32 (FIG. 3) are attached to the shaft of the separation roller 4. Reference numeral 5 denotes a registration roller, 6 denotes a roller pressed against the registration roller, 7 denotes a detection lever for detecting the paper edge of the original, and 8 denotes a paper edge of the original in cooperation with the detection lever 7. It is a detection sensor that detects passage.

  In the present embodiment, a reading sensor 9 (FIG. 1), which is a second reading unit capable of reading the back surface (upper surface in the figure) of the transported document, is disposed in the document transport apparatus (second unit) 200. ing. The reading sensor 9 is disposed at a fixed position in the document conveyance path as shown in the figure. This reading sensor 9 is also a close contact type reading sensor, and is also referred to as CIS (second CIS) below. Reference numeral 10 denotes a glass attached to the reading surface of the reading sensor 9, and reference numeral 11 denotes a platen roller disposed with a predetermined gap for passing a document between the glass 10. Reference numeral 12 denotes a registration roller on the downstream side in the conveying direction, and reference numeral 13 denotes a roller pressed against the registration roller 12. Reference numerals 1 and 2 denote side plates that constitute a part of the second frame portion 250 and constitute both side portions of the apparatus main body.

  Reference numeral 14 denotes a platen roller disposed with a predetermined gap from the surface of the platen glass 102 of the reading unit 100. The platen roller 14 is disposed so as to face the vicinity of the lower end of the document table glass 102 of the reading unit 100 mounted on the document conveying device 200. Reference numeral 15 denotes a discharge roller for discharging the original document from the apparatus main body, and reference numeral 16 denotes a roller pressed against the discharge roller 15. The rollers 6 and 13 are rotatably supported by a spring member 17 made of an elastic material, and are pressed against the registration rollers 5 and 12 by the spring biasing force via the spring member 17.

  1 to 5, when the motor (conveyance motor) 21 mounted on the second unit 200 rotates in the direction of the arrow v (FIG. 3), the motor gear 21b fixed to the motor shaft 21a rotates. The rotation of the motor gear 21b is transmitted through the gear train to each roller of the document transport mechanism, that is, the transport roller 3, the registration roller 5, the registration roller 12, and the discharge roller 15. In this case, the peripheral speed (conveyance speed) of the separation roller 4 that rotates following the conveyance roller 3 is set to be about 30 to 50% smaller than the conveyance roller pairs 5 and 6 on the downstream side. In addition, the peripheral speed of the rollers is further increased by about 0.1% to 1% as the transport roller pairs 12, 13 and the discharge roller pairs 15, 16 on the downstream side of the transport roller pairs 5, 6 are further downstream. It is set to be. Also, the nip pressing force (pressing force) of the roller pair has the largest pressing force of the upstream roller pairs 5 and 6 for conveyance, and the downstream roller pairs 12, 13 and 15, 16 go downstream. The pressure contact force is set so as to be smaller. In FIG. 3, reference numerals 41 and 42 denote side guides for regulating the position of the side edge of the document, and the user can move the side guides 41 and 42 in the direction of arrow W in accordance with the width of the document.

  Reference numerals 142 and 143 denote trays on which the documents D are stacked, and the trays 142 and 143 can be folded as shown in FIG. 5 when not used. The second unit 200 is mounted such that the upper guide mechanism 30 of the document transport mechanism can be opened and closed. A latch shaft 60 is rotatably supported by the upper guide mechanism 30, and latches 61 and 62 and a lever 63 are fixed to the latch shaft 60. On the other hand, a shaft 71 that can latch the latches 61 and 62 is provided on the main body side of the second unit 200. The user can open the upper guide mechanism 30 as shown in FIG. 4 by rotating the lever 63 in the direction of the arrow X in FIG. 1 to disengage the latches 61 and 62 from the shaft 71. By opening the upper guide mechanism 30, an operation such as clearing a paper jam can be performed.

  Reference numeral 201 denotes an operation panel. The operation panel 201 is provided with a plurality of function keys 202, 203, 204, 205 and corresponds to SCAN, COPY, FILE, E-MAIL, and the like. The operation panel 201 is connected by a cable 210 to a PCB 107 (FIG. 7) that constitutes a control circuit arranged inside the first unit 100. When the first unit 100 is mounted on the second unit 200, the operation panel 201 is detachably attached to a position (attachment portion 241) at the top of the second unit that is easy to see and operate as shown in FIG. It has been. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, the operation panel 201 can be detachably attached to the attachment portion 141 of the first unit in a state where the first unit is detached from the second unit.

  When the user presses a desired operation key while the first unit 100 is mounted on the second unit 200 (FIG. 1), an internal PCB (not shown) switch is activated, and the documents on the trays 142 and 143 are operated. Can be separated and conveyed to start reading (scanning). Further, a power supply substrate 92 (FIG. 2) for driving a document conveying mechanism (conveying means) or the like is mounted on the frame unit (second frame unit) 250 of the second unit. The power board 92 is connected to an AC adapter (not shown) through a power cord 91.

  FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a state when the first unit 100 is removed and the removed unit is used as a flat bed scanner. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the flatbed scanner 100 of FIG. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a state when the flatbed scanner 100 of FIG. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a connecting portion of the flat bed scanner 100 of FIG. 6 with the second unit 200.

  First, a case where the first unit (reading unit) 100 is used as a flat bed scanner will be described. As shown in FIG. 10, the user pulls out the first unit in the direction of arrow C and removes it from the image reading apparatus in the state of FIG. Next, the operation panel 201 is removed from the second unit (document conveying apparatus) 200. The removed operation panel 201 is fixed to a flat bed (flat surface) as shown in FIG. 6 or placed on a table according to user preference. The user places a document on the platen glass 102 and presses a desired button on the operation panel 201. When the first unit 100 is connected to the PC by connecting the USB cable to the USB connector insertion port 121, the controller of the scanner of the PC is operated. A USB connector 107 a is arranged inside the USB connector insertion port 121.

  Inside the first unit 100, as shown in FIG. 7, a reading sensor 105, which is a reading means for reading a document, is configured to read through the document table glass 102 while scanning the document. . A scanning unit that scans the reading sensor 105 along the document includes a timing belt 103, a motor 104, a home position sensor 131, and the like. The control circuit (PCB) 107 constitutes a control unit that controls the reading unit and the scanning unit. These reading means and scanning means are supported by a first frame portion (frame body) 101. The reading sensor 105 is reciprocated from the home position in the direction of the arrow (FIG. 7) by the rotation of the motor 104, and reads the image of the document on the platen glass 102. That is, normally, the document is scanned and read from the home position. As shown in FIG. 8, the first unit 100 is placed on a document (such as a book document) D placed on a table or the like with the document table glass 102 facing down, and the buttons on the operation panel 201 are placed. You may read by pressing.

  The first unit 100 includes a PCB 107 as a control unit. In addition to the scanning motor 104 and the home position sensor 131, the control unit 107 controls all the devices of the image reading apparatus 500 including the devices in the second unit when connected to the second unit 200. Can do. That is, when mounted on the second unit, all of the control of the first unit and the second unit such as control of the ADF motor 21, various sensors, switches of the operation unit 201, and the like can be performed. In addition, the control of the first unit and the second unit, such as transfer of the read image to a storage medium such as a PC or a memory card, can be performed.

  The USB connector 107 a inside the USB connector insertion port 121 is connected to the PCB 107. Therefore, the first unit 100 can be connected to a PC and operated using bus power by inserting the USB connector into the USB connector insertion port 121. That is, when connected to a personal computer, the read (scanned) information is transferred to a personal computer or a storage medium such as a memory card inserted into the memory card insertion slot 210 of the operation unit 201 by an operation from the personal computer. It can be memorized.

  Further, the first unit 100 has an insertion port 120 into which a battery is inserted. When the first unit 100 is used alone as a flat bed scanner, it can be used only with the battery. In this case, information such as the read image information can be transferred to and stored in a memory card (storage medium) inserted into the memory card insertion slot 212 of the operation unit 201. Further, when a rechargeable battery is used, the battery can be charged by the power supply and power supply board of the second unit when coupled to the second unit 200. In addition, although the case where the storage medium is a memory card was illustrated, this may be a USB memory or a hard disk.

  Next, a description will be given of the case where the removed first unit 100 is inserted into and attached to the second unit 200 which is a document feeder (ADF). FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a coupling portion between the first unit and the second unit as seen from the direction of arrow A in FIG. Positioning holes 101a and 101b are provided on the end surface of the frame (first frame portion) 101 of the first unit. A female connector 110 is provided on the same end surface of the first frame unit 101. The user inserts the first unit into the second unit 200 in the direction indicated by the arrow D in FIG. 10 with the end face provided with the positioning holes 101a and 101b facing down. The first unit is guided in a stay 61 provided in a part of the frame unit (second frame unit) 250 of the second unit, and the second unit (the second frame unit 250). Is inserted. Then, the positioning holes 101a and 101b are coupled with the pins 71 and 71 in the second unit, so that they are coupled in the positioning state. At the same time, the female connector 110 of the first unit is fitted into the male connector 72 provided inside the second unit and is also electrically coupled.

  The electrical system of the ADF 200 is connected to the PCB 107 of the reading unit 100 by coupling the connectors 110 and 72. Then, input signals of electric devices in the second unit such as the transport motor 21, the second reading sensor 9, and the detection sensor 8 are supplied from the control circuit 107 of the first unit via the connectors 110 and 72. . On the other hand, the image signal of the second reading sensor 9 arranged at the fixed position in the second unit is transmitted to the PC via the PCB (control circuit) 107 of the first unit. In the state where the connectors 110 and 72 are coupled, the power of the first unit is supplied from the power supply board 92 of the second unit. Then, the user detachably fits the operation panel 201 into the mounting portion 241 of the second unit as shown in FIG. 2 or places it on a table or the like.

  Next, the operation in the ADF mode in which the first unit 100 is mounted on the second unit 200 and the original document conveyed is read will be described. In this ADF mode, since the bus power supplied from the first unit is insufficient, the user connects the power cord 91 from the power board 92 of the second unit to an AC adapter (not shown) and externally. Use the power. After coupling the first unit to the second unit, the user sets a document on the trays 142 and 143 and presses one of the function keys 202, 203, 204 and 205 on the operation panel 201. Next, when the reading sensor 105 on the first unit 100 side is not at the image reading position set at the lowermost part of the movable range, the motor 104 is rotated to move the reading sensor 105 to the lowermost reading position, Stop at that position.

  In the ADF mode of FIG. 1, the home position sensor 131 (FIG. 7) is located at the lowest position in the movable range of the reading sensor 105, and this position is set as the image reading position. That is, the reading sensor 105 of the reading unit 100 stops at the position detected by the sensor 131, and this detected position becomes the reading position in the ADF mode. In this case, since the image reading position is at the lowest position in the movable range as shown in FIG. 1, when the reading sensor 105 is positioned for the ADF mode, the reading sensor moves only downward. The reading sensor 105 stopped at the reading position as shown in FIG. 1 does not move from the reading position until the first unit 100 is removed from the second unit 200. Therefore, in the ADF mode, the load applied to the motor 104 of the first unit can be made smaller than the load when used as a flat bed scanner (FIGS. 6 and 8).

  After stopping the reading sensor 105 at the reading position, driving by the transport motor 21 is started. Then, the rotation of the conveyance roller 3 and the separation roller 4, the upstream conveyance roller pair 5, 6 and the downstream conveyance roller pair 12, 13 and the discharge roller pair 15, 16 are started simultaneously. By the action of the separation roller pairs 3 and 4, the document D is sent out one by one from the bottom. A torque limiter 31 is mounted on the shaft of the separation roller 4 as shown in FIG. Therefore, the frictional force between the conveying roller 3 and the original, the frictional force between the originals, and the frictional force difference between the original and the separation roller 4 are used, and the load torque value of the separation roller is set to set the original. Can be sent out while separating them one by one. Since the operation of the separation roller is well known, detailed description thereof is omitted.

  The leading edge of the separated document is detected by the detection sensor 8, and then the transport motor 21 rotates by a predetermined pulse. When the leading edge of the document reaches the reading position of the second reading sensor 9 on the ADF side, reading of the upper surface (back surface) of the document by the reading sensor 9 is started. When the leading edge of the document is further conveyed by a predetermined number of pulses, reading of the lower surface (front surface) of the document by the first reading sensor 105 of the first unit 100 stopped at the image reading position is started. In the present embodiment, as the first reading sensor 105 and the second reading sensor 9, a contact type reading sensor (CIS) is used. The transport motor 21 continues to rotate at a further constant speed, and the document whose image has been read is discharged out of the apparatus main body by the discharge roller pairs 15 and 16. The next document is delayed from the previous document due to the difference in peripheral speed between the pair of separation rollers 3 and 4 and the pair of transport rollers 5 and 6, and finally leaves the rear end of the previous document. Then, the leading edge of the next document is detected by the detection sensor 7, and the same reading operation as described above is performed. Thereafter, the same reading operation is repeated until there are no more documents on the document trays 142 and 143.

  When the control circuit (PCB) 107 of the first unit 100 is connected to a PC that is an external device via the USB connector 107a, the PC rearranges the documents read by the image reading device 500 in the page order and displays the images. indicate. When the user saves an image, the user selects a storage medium such as an internal hard disk of the PC, a memory connected to the operation unit (operation panel) 201, or an external device on the PC, and transfers and saves information on the storage medium. . In the present embodiment, the case where the second reading sensor 9 as the reading unit is provided also on the second unit 200 side which is also the document conveying device (ADF) is exemplified. May be omitted and used as a single-sided scanning scanner. Further, the operation unit 201 is not limited to connection by a cable, but may be connection by a connector. In that case, it may be arranged to connect to the ADF 200 when used in the ADF mode and to connect to the flat bed when used as a flat bed scanner.

  FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the control unit of the image reading apparatus according to the embodiment described above. In FIG. 11, a control unit 310 is provided in the first unit 100 that can be used alone as a flatbed scanner, and a control unit 320 is provided in the second unit that is a document conveying device. The control unit 310 is configured by connecting a home position sensor 131, a reading sensor 105, a motor 104, an operation panel 201, and an image memory (memory card or the like) to a control circuit 107. The control unit 320 includes the transport motor 21, the reading sensor 90, the detection sensor 8, and the power supply substrate 92. The control unit 320 of the second unit is connected to the control circuit 107 of the control unit 310 of the first unit by connecting the connectors 72 and 110. The control circuit 107 of the first unit is connected to a PC (host computer). The power supply board 92 of the second unit is connected to the AC adapter by a power cord 91.

  In the embodiment described above, the first unit 100 includes a reading unit, a scanning unit, a control unit, and a first frame unit. The reading unit includes a reading sensor 105 that reads an image of a document, and the scanning unit includes a timing belt 103 that scans the reading sensor 105 along the document, a motor 104, and the like. The control unit includes a control circuit (PCB) 107 that controls the reading unit and the scanning unit, and the first frame unit includes a frame 101 that supports the reading unit and the scanning unit.

  In addition, the second unit 200 includes transport means, a drive source, and a second frame portion. The conveying means includes separation roller pairs 3 and 4, upstream conveying roller pairs 5 and 6, downstream conveying roller pairs 12 and 13, and discharge roller pairs 15 and 16. The drive source is composed of a power supply substrate 92 connected to the AC adapter. Further, the second frame portion is constituted by a frame body on which the first unit 100 is mounted and supports the document transport mechanism. Further, the second unit is provided with a reading sensor 9 which is a second reading unit for reading the back side of the document conveyed by the conveying unit. The first unit 100 is detachable from the second unit 200.

  According to the embodiment described above, it is not necessary to lift the document transport mechanism when used as a flat bed scanner, and can be carried by a flat bed scanner alone, and image information can be obtained even in an environment without a host machine such as a PC. Can be read. More detailed description is as follows. First, the first unit 100 that can be used alone as a flatbed scanner is made detachable from the frame unit 250 of the second unit 200 constituting the document conveying apparatus. Therefore, it is not necessary to lift the heavy second unit when used as a flat bed scanner, and it can be easily detached from the second unit, and a flat bed scanner that is light and convenient to carry can be provided.

  In addition, since the flatbed scanner 100 is battery-driven and image information read by the scanner can be transferred to a storage device (storage medium) by battery driving, the image can be read even in an environment without a PC. became. Further, when the flatbed scanner 100 is used by being inserted into the ADF 200, the movable reading sensor 105 on the flatbed scanner side is stopped at the lowest position of the movable area and read. Therefore, the load applied to the motor 104 for moving the reading sensor on the flat bed scanner side can be made smaller than when using as a flat bed. As a result, the need for powering up the motor 104 can be eliminated, and the flatbed scanner can be used even with bus power.

  Further, when the first unit is attached to the second unit and used as an ADF scanner, the first unit as a reading unit is fixed in an inclined posture or a vertical posture, so that the installation area of the image reading device is reduced. can do. Further, the operation unit (operation panel) 201 can be attached and detached, and the position of the operation unit can be changed between a reading mode using a flatbed scanner and a reading mode using an ADF. For this reason, in any reading mode, the operation unit can be arranged at a position that is easy for the user to see.

  The present invention is not limited to a single device as long as it is an image reading device having a function of reading an image, such as an image scanner, a facsimile, or a copying machine. The present invention can be widely applied to an image reading apparatus in a composite apparatus combining these or a composite apparatus such as a computer system. Moreover, the image in this application means all the images which can be output including a character, a symbol, etc. As for the material of the original, any material or form can be used as long as an image is displayed, such as paper, plastic sheet, photographic paper, cloth, and OHP sheet.

1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an image reading apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance of the image reading apparatus of FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the inside of the image reading apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention with the front cover portion omitted. FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state where the upper guide mechanism of the second unit is further opened in the image reading apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state where a document tray is folded in the image reading apparatus of FIG. 2. It is a perspective view which shows a state when removing a 1st unit and using it as a flatbed scanner. It is a perspective view which shows the internal structure of the flat bed scanner of FIG. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a state when the flat bed scanner of FIG. 6 is set on a document. It is a perspective view which shows the coupling | bond part with the 2nd unit of the flat bed scanner of FIG. FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state when the first unit is attached to and detached from the second unit in the image reading apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a control unit of the image reading apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows an example of the conventional image reading apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

9 Second reading means (second reading sensor, second CIS)
21 Drive source (conveyance motor)
92 Power supply board 100 First unit (herat bed scanner)
101 1st frame part (frame body)
102 Document platen glass 105 Reading means (first reading sensor, first CIS)
107 Control circuit (PCB)
141 Mounting portion for mounting the operation panel (first unit)
200 Second unit (document feeder, ADF)
201 Operation panel 241 Mounting portion for mounting the operation panel (second unit)
250 Second frame unit 500 Image reading apparatus

Claims (7)

A document table on which a document is placed, a reading unit that reads an image of the document, a scanning unit that scans the reading unit along the document, a control unit that controls the reading unit and the scanning unit, and the document table and the reading unit And a first unit having a first frame portion that supports the scanning means;
A second unit having a conveying unit that conveys a document along a path that is read by the reading unit of the first unit, a drive source that drives the conveying unit, and a second frame unit that supports the conveying unit;
With
The first unit is detachable from the second unit;
When the first unit is removed from the second unit, the first unit is electrically disconnected from the second unit and can be used alone as a flatbed scanner, and the reading means Can read the document, transfer the read image information to the storage medium,
When the first unit is mounted on the second unit, the first unit and the second unit are electrically coupled, and the original is conveyed with the reading unit stopped at a fixed position. An image reading apparatus capable of reading image data and transferring read image information to a storage medium.   When the first unit is mounted on the second unit, the first unit is fixed in a posture in which the document table is inclined or perpendicular to the installation surface of the second unit. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1.   2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the first unit is attached to the second unit, the reading unit reads the conveyed document at a lower end position of a movable range in the first unit. The image reading apparatus according to 1 or 2.   4. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reading unit does not move while the first unit is attached to the second unit. 5.   The first unit has an operation panel connected to the control circuit of the first unit, and an attachment portion for detachably attaching the operation panel to each of the first unit and the second unit The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image reading apparatus is provided.   The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the first unit is detached from the second unit, the reading unit scans and reads a document from a home position. .   7. The image reading according to claim 1, wherein the second unit includes a second reading unit configured to read a back surface of the document conveyed by the conveying unit. apparatus.

Images