JP2021083025A - Image reading apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

To improve maintainability of an image reading apparatus while suppressing cost of the image reading apparatus.SOLUTION: An image reading apparatus 10 comprises: an original platen 201 on which an original is laid; a reading unit 202 that reads an image of the original laid on the original platen while moving in a predetermined direction MD in a housing 204; a sensor 100 that is provided in the housing and detects whether the original is existing at a predetermined position of the original platen, so as to identify size of the original; a holding member 101 that holds the sensor; and a back cover 205 that covers a predetermined space PS on a back side of the original platen, and on an upper surface of which a back cover opening 205a is provided. The holding member can move in the housing, a holding part is provided on one end part of the holding member, the one end part passes through a housing opening of a back side wall of the housing to extend to the predetermined space, the predetermined space is in the back side of the wall, the back cover opening is opened toward the predetermined space, and the holding part can be operated through the back cover opening from upper side of the back cover.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to an image reader that reads an image of a document placed on a platen.

The image reading device reads an image of a document placed on the platen glass while moving a reading unit having an image sensor in a predetermined direction. In general, many documents read by an image reader have a size according to a so-called standard size standard. The size standard is, for example, A system, B system and inch system. The image reader has a reflective light sensor to identify the size of the document placed on the platen glass. In general, the size standard of a document differs depending on the country / region where the image reader is used. Therefore, it is necessary to arrange a plurality of reflective optical sensors at positions corresponding to each size standard so that the sizes of documents having different size standards can be identified. However, providing a plurality of reflective light sensors increases the cost. Therefore, Patent Document 1 discloses an image reading device in which a holding member for holding a reflective optical sensor is movably arranged in a housing.

JP-A-2019-115043

By the way, the work of moving the reflective optical sensor according to the size standard of the document in the country / region where the image reader is used is performed by the production line staff or a service person in the market (hereinafter, collectively referred to as a worker). .. According to Patent Document 1, a grip portion is provided at one end of a holding member that holds the reflective optical sensor, and one end of the holding member passes through an opening provided in the rear wall of the housing and is a wall. It extends to the space behind. The space behind the wall is covered by a back cover. In order to change the position of the reflective light sensor, the operator removes the rear cover and operates the grip portion of the holding member. The rear cover is fixed by screws from the rear side or the left and right sides of the housing. Therefore, the operator has to perform extra work such as removing the screw and attaching / detaching the rear cover in order to change the position of the reflective optical sensor.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an image reading device capable of easily changing the position of a sensor for identifying the size of a document.

The image reader according to an embodiment of the present invention is
The manuscript stand on which the manuscript is placed and
A reading unit that reads an image of the document placed on the document stand while moving in a predetermined direction in the housing.
In order to identify the size of the original, a sensor provided in the housing and detecting whether or not the original is present at a predetermined position on the platen, and a sensor.
A holding member that holds the sensor and
A rear cover that covers a predetermined space on the rear side of the platen and is provided with a rear cover opening on the upper surface.
Have,
The platen is attached to the housing and
The holding member is movable in the housing and
A grip portion is provided at one end of the holding member, and the one end passes through the housing opening of the rear wall of the housing and extends to the predetermined space.
The predetermined space is behind the wall and
The rear cover opening is open toward the predetermined space.
The grip portion can be operated from above the rear cover through the rear cover opening.

According to the present invention, the position of the sensor for identifying the size of the document can be easily changed.

The perspective view of the image reading apparatus of Example 1. FIG. Top view of the rear part of the image reader. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the image reader taken along lines III-III of FIG. Perspective view of the holding member. Perspective view of the image reader with the rear cover removed. The perspective view of the image reading apparatus of Example 2. FIG. The figure which shows the opening cover and the holding member.

Hereinafter, the image reading device (also referred to as a document reading device) 10 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the attached drawings. In the present embodiment, a rotating unit provided with a pressure plate (not shown) for pressing the original placed on the platen glass (hereinafter referred to as platen glass) 201 toward the platen glass 201 is attached to the image reading device 10. It is rotatably provided. The image reading device 10 may be used alone as an image scanner, or may be provided in an image forming device such as a copier, a printer, a facsimile, or a multifunction device having these functions. .. Further, in the present embodiment, in addition to plain paper, the manuscript includes special paper such as coated paper, recording material having a special shape such as envelope and index paper, and plastic film and cloth for overhead projectors. included. In addition, the original may be blank or have images formed on one or both sides. Further, in the following description, with respect to the central position of the image reading device 10 in the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotation unit and parallel to the platen glass 201 (hereinafter referred to as the main scanning direction MS), the rotation unit The side closer to the rotation axis of is called the rear side. Further, with respect to the central position of the image reading device 10 in the main scanning direction, the side opposite to the rear side is referred to as the front side.

(Image reader)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the image reading device 10 of the first embodiment. The image reading device 10 includes a platen glass 201, a scanning unit (hereinafter referred to as a reading unit) 202, a motor (not shown) as a driving device, a housing 204, a rear cover 205, and a driving belt 207. The platen glass 201 is supported by the housing 204. The original is placed on the platen glass 201. The reading unit 202 is arranged below the platen glass 201. The document placed on the platen glass 201 is pressed against the platen glass 201 by the pressure plate. In the housing 204, the motor (not shown) moves the reading unit 202 to the MD in the sub-scanning direction (hereinafter referred to as the moving direction) via the drive belt 207. The reading unit 202 reads the image of the document placed on the platen glass 201 while being moved to the MD in the moving direction (predetermined direction) by the motor.

The reading unit 202 has an image sensor (not shown). The reading unit 202 is a reading device for a reduction optical system. However, the reading unit 202 is not limited to this, and may be a reading device of a close contact optical system (contact image sensor). For example, the reading unit 202 may have a line image sensor extending in the main scanning direction MS orthogonal to the moving direction MD.

The image reading device 10 is provided with a reflective optical sensor 100 as a size detector (original sensor) that detects the size of a document placed on the platen glass 201 in the sub-scanning direction. The reflective optical sensor 100 is held by the holding member 101. The holding member 101 is provided inside the main body frame (hereinafter referred to as a housing) 204 of the image reading device 10. The platen glass 201 is supported by the housing 204 so as to cover the opening 204d of the top 204t of the housing 204. Further, as will be described later with reference to FIG. 5, a control board 250 for controlling the reading unit 202 and the reflective optical sensor 100 is attached to the rear side of the housing 204. Then, the rear cover 205 is attached to the housing 204 so as to cover the space PS in which the control board 250 is provided. The rear cover 205 is fixed to the housing 204 by screws from the rear side or the left and right sides of the housing 204. The rear cover 205 is provided with a rear cover opening (hereinafter, referred to as an opening) 205a on the upper surface thereof.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the rear portion of the image reading device 10. The grip portion 102 is provided at a position where it can be operated through the opening 205a. The grip portion 102 may be located below the upper surface of the rear cover 205, or may protrude above the upper surface of the rear cover 205 from the opening 205a. The user can operate the grip portion 102 of the holding member 101 that holds the reflective optical sensor 100 through the opening 205a.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the image reader 10 taken along lines III-III of FIG. FIG. 3 shows the rear wall 204a of the housing 204 in front. A housing opening 204b is provided on the wall 204a on the rear side of the housing 204. One end of the holding member 101 passes through the housing opening 204b and extends to the space PS (FIG. 5) on the rear side of the housing 204. The space PS (FIG. 5) is behind the wall 204a. The grip portion 102 of the holding member 101 is arranged in the space PS (FIG. 5) on the rear side of the housing 204.

(Holding member)
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the holding member 101. The holding member 101 is provided with a grip portion 102 at one end, and a reflective optical sensor 100 is fixed at the other end. The holding member 101 is made of a resin material. When adjusting the position of the reflective optical sensor 100, the operator can move the reflective optical sensor 100 in the moving direction MD by operating the grip portion 102 from above the rear side of the wall 204a.

(Reflective optical sensor)
The reflection type optical sensor 100 is housed inside the housing 204 of the image reading device 10. The reflection type optical sensor 100 has a light emitting unit 121 that emits infrared rays and a light receiving unit 122 that receives infrared rays. The reflection type optical sensor 100 emits infrared rays from the light emitting unit 121, and the light receiving unit 122 receives the reflected light from the document placed on the platen glass 201. The reflection type optical sensor 100 detects the presence or absence of a document based on the amount of light received by the light receiving unit 122.

(Control board)
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the image reading device 10 from which the rear cover 205 has been removed. As described above, the control board 250 is arranged in the space PS behind the wall 204a. The control board 250 is connected to the reading unit 202, the reflective optical sensor 100, the motors, and the sensors by an electric cable 251. When the image reader 10 is mounted on, for example, an image forming apparatus, the control board 250 is connected to the control substrate of the image forming apparatus by an electric cable 251 in order to communicate with the control substrate of the image forming apparatus.

(Identification of original size)
The control board 250 as a control unit detects the size of the document in the moving direction (secondary scanning direction) MD based on the position of the reflective light sensor 100 and the detection result of the presence or absence of the document by the reflective light sensor 100. The size of the document in the main scanning direction MS is detected based on the image signal output from the reading unit 202. Then, the size of the document is determined based on the size of the document in the main scanning direction MS and the size of the document in the moving direction (secondary scanning direction) MD.

Generally, the size standard of a manuscript is roughly classified by country (region). In Japan, A-type and B-type size standards are applied. In Europe, the A size standard is mainly applied. In North America, inch-based size standards such as letters and legal are mainly applied. For example, when the reflection type optical sensor 100 is arranged at a position where the A-type size standard document is detected according to the specifications of the shipping destination of the image reading device 10, the image reading device 10 uses the inch-type size standard document. It is difficult to detect the size accurately. According to the first embodiment, the operator grips the grip portion 102 of the holding member 101 through the opening 205a and positions the reflective optical sensor 100 with respect to the housing 204 according to the size standard used. Can be changed. As a result, the image reading device 10 can accurately detect the size of the document.

When the rear cover 205 is removed from the image reading device 10, the grip portion 102 of the holding member 101 is gripped, and the position of the reflective optical sensor 100 is changed, the electric cable 251 provided on the rear side of the wall 204a gets in the way. Therefore, the operability of the holding member 101 is impaired. In the present embodiment, the operator can grip the grip portion 102 of the holding member 101 through the opening 205 a provided in the rear cover 205 attached to the rear side of the image reading device 10. According to the first embodiment, since the operator can operate the grip portion 102 through the opening 205 a provided in the rear cover 205, the operability of the holding member 101 is connected to the control board 250. It is not disturbed by the electric cable 251. Further, in order to change the position of the reflective optical sensor 100, the operator should change the position of the reflective optical sensor 100 without performing extra work such as removing the screw and attaching / detaching the rear cover 205. Can be done. Therefore, the work time required for changing the position of the reflective optical sensor 100 is shortened, and maintainability is improved.

According to the first embodiment, in order to identify the size of the document placed on the platen glass 201, a reflection for detecting whether or not the document is present at a predetermined position of the platen glass 201 provided in the housing 204. The position of the type optical sensor 100 can be easily changed.

Hereinafter, the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. In the second embodiment, the same structures as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted. The image reading device 20 of the second embodiment has substantially the same structure as the image reading device 10 of the first embodiment except for the opening cover 300 described below. Since the holding member 101, the reflective optical sensor 100, and the control board 250 of the second embodiment have the same structure as that of the first embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the image reading device 20 of the second embodiment. The image reading device 20 of the second embodiment has an opening cover 300 arranged so as to cover the opening 205a provided in the rear cover 205. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an opening cover 300 and a holding member 101. The opening cover 300 is provided with regulating portions 301 and 302 protruding into the housing 204. As shown in FIGS. 7 (a) and 7 (b), the regulating portions 301 and 302 project (downward) with respect to the holding member 101. In the state where the opening cover 300 is attached to the rear cover 205, the regulating portion 301 is located in the vicinity of the holding member 101. For example, in a state where the opening cover 300 is attached to the rear cover 205, the reflective optical sensor 100 (holding member 101) located at a position where the A-type size standard document is detected in the regulation unit 301 moves. It regulates the movement to the possible direction (predetermined direction) MD1. Further, for example, when the reflective optical sensor 100 (holding member 101) is located at a position where an inch-based size standard document is detected, the opening cover 300 is attached to the rear cover 205, and the regulating unit is used. 302 is located in the vicinity of the holding member 101. In the state where the opening cover 300 is attached to the rear cover 205, the regulating unit 302 is in the movable direction of the reflective optical sensor 100 (holding member 101) located at the position where the document of the inch size standard is detected. (Predetermined direction) Restricts movement to MD1. This makes it possible to prevent the holding member 101 from moving to an unintended position due to vibration of the image reading device 20 during physical distribution transportation.

In the state where the opening cover 300 is attached to the rear cover 205, the reflective optical sensor 100 (holding member 101) located at the position where the A-type size standard document is detected moves in the regulation unit 302. It regulates the movement to the possible direction (predetermined direction) MD1. Further, in a state where the opening cover 300 is attached to the rear cover 205, the reflective optical sensor 100 (holding member 101) located at a position where the inch size standard document is detected in the regulation unit 301 moves. It regulates the movement to the possible direction (predetermined direction) MD1. Such a configuration may be used.

10, 20 Image reader 100 Reflective photosensor 101 Holding member 102 Gripping part 201 Document base glass 202 Reading unit 204 Housing 204a Wall 204b Housing opening 205 Rear cover 205a Opening MD Predetermined direction PS space

Claims (7)

The manuscript stand on which the manuscript is placed and
A reading unit that reads an image of the document placed on the document stand while moving in a predetermined direction in the housing.
In order to identify the size of the original, a sensor provided in the housing and detecting whether or not the original is present at a predetermined position on the platen, and a sensor.
A holding member that holds the sensor and
A rear cover that covers a predetermined space on the rear side of the platen and is provided with a rear cover opening on the upper surface.
Have,
The platen is attached to the housing and
The holding member is movable in the housing and
A grip portion is provided at one end of the holding member, and the one end passes through the housing opening of the rear wall of the housing and extends to the predetermined space.
The predetermined space is behind the wall and
The rear cover opening is open toward the predetermined space.
The image reading device is characterized in that the grip portion can be operated from above the rear cover via the rear cover opening. The image reading device according to claim 1, wherein the holding member is movable in the predetermined direction in the housing. The image reading device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the holding member holds the sensor at the other end. The image reading device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising an opening cover that covers the rear cover opening. The opening cover has a restricting portion that protrudes with respect to the holding member.
The image reading device according to claim 4, wherein the regulating unit is located in the vicinity of the holding member and restricts the movement of the holding member in the predetermined direction. The image reading device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a control board is provided in the predetermined space. The image reading device according to claim 6, wherein the control board is connected to the reading unit by an electric cable.

Images