JP2601569B2 - Document cassette - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a document cassette suitably used for setting a document carrying image information in a reading section of an image reading apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the field of printing and plate making, an image scanning reading and reproducing system for electrically processing image information carried on a document to create a film original plate for the purpose of streamlining work processes, improving image quality, and the like. Used.

In this case, in an image reading apparatus constituting the system, a reading document positioned and accommodated in a document cassette is transported to a reading section, and the reading section transports the document cassette in a sub-scanning direction while transmitting illumination light in a main scanning direction. Irradiates the image information two-dimensionally.

The present applicant has proposed a document cassette used in such an image scanning reading and reproducing system, and has already filed a patent application.

In this case, the document cassette has a pair of support plates at least one of which is formed of a transparent material, and light reflected or transmitted from a document sandwiched between these support plates is transmitted to a reading unit. The image information is read by being photoelectrically converted by an optical / electrical conversion element such as a CCD provided in the printer.

Here, when reading the image information of the document by the reading section, if there is a scratch or the like on the front side or the back side of the document, the damaged portion is read by a CCD or the like and is exposed on the image. In addition, in some cases, Newton's rings are generated and also exposed on the image.

Therefore, a liquid having substantially the same light refractive index as the original is filled between the transparent support plate and the original surface so that the liquid flows into a damaged portion existing in the original, and the damage is substantially reduced. The portions also have the same light refractive index as other document portions to prevent the damaged portion and Newton's ring from being exposed on the image during reading. However, bubbles are generated when the liquid flows, and if these bubbles remain on the document, they will be exposed as a bubble pattern when reproduced as image information. Therefore, the bubbles on the document are removed by pressing the bubbles on the document with a finger through the cover member to move the bubbles into an air reservoir provided on the support plate or the cover member.

[0008]

However, even if air bubbles are removed as described above, there are the following problems.

That is, the cover member has a pin member mounted at an end thereof and is configured to be openable and closable with respect to the cassette frame. However, the position of the pin member supported by the cassette frame of the document cassette is set at the upper surface of the document. Higher than
When the document is closed, the document is separated from the cover member.
Therefore, there is a problem that the bubbles return to the original position even if the bubbles are moved from above the document by pressing with a finger.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, it is conceivable that the position of the pin member is formed lower than the upper surface of the document so that the cover member and the document are brought into close contact with each other. On the contrary, there arises a problem that the document and the cover member cannot be brought into close contact with each other.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and has as its object to provide a document cassette capable of easily discharging bubbles on a document.

[0012]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention relates to a document cassette loaded in an image reading apparatus, comprising: a support member on which a document is placed; A cover member that can be opened and closed with respect to the cassette body using a hinge pin having a notch in a part of an end portion provided as a support shaft, and an engaging member that engages the hinge pin with the cassette body, closes the cover member. When the document is held between the support member and the cover member, a gap is formed between the notch portion of the hinge pin and the document cassette body.

[0013]

In the document cassette, since a notch is provided at a part of an end of a hinge pin having a circular cross section, when the cover member is closed, the notch of the hinge pin is located on the lower side and the notch is formed. The document cassette body is separated, and the cover member is not supported by the document cassette body, but is supported by the document, so that the document and the cover member are more closely contacted, and air bubbles can be easily removed.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A preferred embodiment of the document cassette according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 denotes a document cassette according to the present embodiment. The original cassette 10 includes a frame 12 having a substantially rectangular shape, and a support glass plate 1 mounted in a rectangular opening 14 defined in the center of the frame 12.
6 and a cover glass plate 18 detachably attached to an end of the frame 12. The supporting glass plate 16 is formed with a groove 19 used as an air reservoir when removing bubbles using oil or the like.

The original cassette 10 is loaded in an image reading apparatus to be described later and transported in the direction of arrow A. Both sides of a frame 12 constituting the original cassette 10 extend in the direction of arrow A. V-shaped grooves 20a and 20b are formed.

At the end of the frame 12, a rectangular groove 28 is formed.
a and 28b are formed, and leaf springs 30a and 30b having a side surface shape shown in FIG. 2 are attached to the grooves 28a and 28b. The leaf springs 30a and 30b have one ends formed in a flat shape, and are fixed to the grooves 28a and 28b by a screw member 29. At the lower end of the screw member 29, a cap 31 for preventing oil leakage is mounted. The leaf spring 3
An arc portion 32 curved in an arc shape is provided at an intermediate portion between 0a and 30b.
Is formed at the other end, and an inclined portion 34 inclined outwardly from the grooves 28a and 28b is formed.

On the other hand, the grooves 28a and 28b and the arc 3
2, one end of the cover glass plate 18 is engaged. The cover glass plate 18 has a first glass frame plate 36 which is curved in a substantially U shape attached to one end thereof, and is provided between the first glass frame plate 36 and one end of the cover glass plate 18. The hinge pin 38 is inserted. The side surfaces on both ends of the hinge pin 38 have a shape in which a part of a circle is cut out, and have an arc surface 48 and a notch surface 50. The ends of the hinge pins 38 protrude on both sides of the cover glass plate 18, and the protruding portions are formed in the grooves 28a, 28b.
And the arc portion 32. Thereby, the cover glass plate 18 is attached to the frame 12 so as to be freely opened and closed. Further, the other end of the cover glass plate 18 is configured to be able to be locked by a stopper member 40 provided on the frame 12. A second glass frame plate 39 curved in a substantially U-shape is attached to the other end portion, and forms a bulging portion 42 whose leading end portion engaging with the stopper member 40 is thin.
The operation member 41 and the swelling portion 42
And a spring 46 for engaging the lock member 44 with the frame 12 (see FIG. 4). Therefore, when the cover glass plate 18 is closed,
The bulged portion 42 of the second glass frame plate 39 is engaged only from above by the lock member 44 of the stopper member 40 without being supported by the frame 12.

Next, an image reading apparatus in which the original cassette 10 according to the above-described embodiment is loaded will be described.

In FIG. 3, reference numeral 80 denotes an image reading device. A cassette attaching / detaching portion 84 is provided at one upper end of a casing 82 constituting the image reading device 80. Document cassette 1 in body 82
0 is introduced and derived.

A cassette insertion port 86 is provided adjacent to the cassette attaching / detaching portion 84, and the cassette insertion port 8 is provided.
6, one end of the transport mechanism 100 is arranged, and the other end of the transport mechanism 100 extends above a rotary table described later. The transport mechanism 100 includes a frame 102 on which the rods 1 extend along the transport direction.
A plurality of guide rollers 106 are supported via the cover 04.
The outer peripheral surface of the guide roller 106 has an arc-shaped cross section,
The outer peripheral surface is a V-shaped groove 20a, 2
Ob is engaged in point contact with the inner wall surface defining 0b.

A plurality of transport rollers 132 are supported on the frame 102 via a rod 130 along the transport direction. The transport rollers 132 abut the frame 12 of the original cassette 10 and are driven by a rotation drive source 114. It is driven to rotate.

An original table 200 is provided below the transport mechanism 100.
Is in the sub-scanning direction (direction of arrow A) via the sub-scanning mechanism 202
It is arranged to be able to move forward and backward. The sub-scanning mechanism 202 includes a rotary drive source 204, and the document table 200 is displaced in the direction of arrow A by a ball screw 206 connected to the rotary drive source 204.

In the document table 200, the document cassette 10 is trimmed in the trimming direction, that is, the sub-scanning direction (the direction of arrow A).
Trimming mechanism 250 that moves forward and backward in a direction orthogonal to
Is provided. The trimming mechanism 250 is mounted on the platen 20.
0, and one end of a ball screw 254 is connected to the rotary drive source 252. The ball screw 254 extends in the trimming direction, is fitted to a nut member (not shown) provided on the trim table 256, and the other end is supported by the document table 200.

A rotation mechanism 300 for rotating the original cassette 10 by a predetermined angle and a rotation mechanism 3
And a positioning mechanism 400 for positioning and holding the original cassette 10 on the turntable 302 constituting the sheet feeder.

The positioning mechanism 400 includes a rotary drive source 402 fixed to the lower surface side of the trim base 256, and rotates the locking plate 414 via a cam plate 404 which is engaged with the rotary shaft of the rotary drive source 402. By doing so, the positioning of the original cassette 10 is fixed.

A light source 450 constituting a transmission illumination mechanism is provided in the housing 82 so as to extend in the main scanning direction substantially orthogonal to the direction of arrow A. Below the light source 450, the light source 450 is led out of the light source 450. An image reading unit 500 that photoelectrically reads the illumination light L to be emitted is provided. The image reading unit 500 includes an imaging lens 516 that can move forward and backward in the optical axis direction under the driving action of the rotation driving source 506, and a photoelectric conversion that can move forward and backward with respect to the imaging lens 516 under the driving action of the rotation driving source 522. Part 52
8 is provided. The photoelectric conversion unit 528 includes CCDs 530a to 530c, and each of the CCDs 530a to 530c photoelectrically reads the color image information carried on the document S as image information corresponding to each color of RGB.

The original cassette 10 and the image reading apparatus 80 in which the original cassette 10 is loaded according to the present embodiment are basically constructed as described above. Next, the operation thereof will be described.

When using the original cassette 10, first, the cover glass plate 18 is opened, and the original S is placed on the supporting glass plate 1 while being filled with a transparent liquid having a refractive index substantially equal to that of glass.
6 on the upper surface. Thereafter, the cover glass plate 18 is closed, the operation portion 41 is displaced, and the swelling portion 42 of the second glass frame plate 39 is inserted below the lock member 44 by the contraction of the spring 46. Thereafter, by releasing the operation unit 41, the spring 46 is also released, and the lock member 4 is released.
4 presses the bulging portion 42 (see FIG. 4).

At this time, in the grooves 28a and 28b, the frame 1
2, leaf springs 30a, 3
0b, the first glass frame plate 3 of the cover glass plate 18
Six hinge pins 38 are engaged. Therefore, when the cover glass plate 18 is opened as shown in FIG. 2, the arc surface 48 of the hinge pin 38 rotates in contact with the frame 12 with the displacement operation of the cover glass plate 18, and the operation smoothly proceeds. Will be On the other hand, when the cover glass plate 18 is closed, since the hinge pin 38 has the notch surface 50, H (H
The hinge pin 38 and the frame 12 are separated at a distance of> 0) (see FIG. 5). Therefore, the first of the cover glass plate 18
The glass frame plate 36 is not supported by the frame 12 when the cover glass plate 18 is closed. On the other hand, the arc surface 48 on the upper surface side of the hinge pin 38 is
a, 30b are engaged with the arc portion 32. The second glass frame plate 39 side of the cover glass plate 18 is also
Are pressed only from above by the lock member 44, and are not supported by the frame 12. Therefore, when the cover glass plate 18 is closed,
The cover glass plate 18 is supported only by the document S. With this configuration, the document S and the cover glass plate 18 adhere to each other without being curved, so that the bubbles are easily removed, and the bubbles do not return to the document again after the removal.

The original cassette 10 thus prepared
Is loaded in the image reading device 80, but bubbles return to the original even if the original cassette 10 is vibrated by the conveying means such as the guide roller 106 and the conveying roller 132 inside the device 80. There is no.

[0032]

According to the original cassette according to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

In the document cassette, a notch is provided at a part of the end of the hinge pin having a circular cross section. When the cover member is closed, the hinge pin and the document cassette main body are separated from each other, and the cover member is only for the document. Will be supported. Therefore, the document and the cover member are more closely adhered to each other, so that the bubbles on the document can be easily removed and the bubbles can be prevented from returning to the document.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially exploded perspective view of a document cassette according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a main part of a cover glass plate according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the image reading apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a document cassette according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of an engagement state of a hinge pin according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Original cassette 12 ... Frame 14 ... Opening 16 ... Support glass plate 18 ... Cover glass plate 20a, 20b ... V-shaped groove part 30a, 30b ... Leaf spring 38 ... Hinge pin 40 ... Stopper member

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A document cassette loaded in an image reading apparatus, comprising a supporting member on which a document is placed, and a hinge pin having a notch at a part of an end having a circular cross section as a support shaft. A cover member that can be opened and closed with respect to the main body,
An engaging member for engaging the hinge pin with the cassette body, wherein when the cover member is closed and the document is sandwiched between the support member and the cover member, a gap is formed between the notch portion of the hinge pin and the document cassette body. A document cassette characterized by being formed.