JP2785774B2 - Handy scanner - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a handy scanner, and more particularly to a handy scanner for inputting image information and character information to a personal computer, a word processor, a portable information terminal or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Heretofore, as a completely close contact type image sensor used for a handy scanner, there has been proposed a structure in which an image sensor having a large number of photoelectric conversion elements formed on a transparent substrate is combined with an optical fiber converging member. (Japanese Patent Application No. 5-77228). FIG. 3A is a perspective view showing a configuration of a small-sized handy scanner equipped with the perfect contact image sensor, and FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA ′ in FIG. FIG. 3 (A) and (B)
As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional handy scanner comprises a linear light source 21, a roller 22, a linear image sensor 23 formed on a transparent substrate, an image sensor support 24 having a slit, and an optical fiber converging member 26. And a housing 25 that covers them all.

[0005] The linear image sensor 23 is fixed to an image sensor support 24, and is fixed to the image sensor support 24.
The input and output of the drive signal and the output signal are performed via the. The image sensor 23 has an optical fiber converging member 2 so that the optical fiber portion of the optical fiber converging member 26 is in close contact with a pixel row composed of a large number of one-dimensionally arranged photoelectric conversion elements.
6 is adhered. Further, the optical fiber converging member 26
It is fixed to the housing 25.

Next, the operation of the conventional handy scanner will be described. The light emitted from the linear light source 21 is
The light passes through the slit of the image sensor support 24 and the transparent portion of the linear image sensor 23, enters the optical fiber converging member 26, is transferred while repeating total reflection in the optical fiber portion, and is irradiated and reflected on the original 20. This reflected light is transferred again through the optical fiber converging member 26 and detected by the linear image sensor 23.

As described above, in the conventional handy scanner, the original 20 just below the linear image sensor 23 is
While reading the light / dark information of the linear area, the roller 22 and the optical fiber converging member 26 are moved in close contact with the document 20 while holding the housing 25 by hand, and the movement obtained from the rotation of the roller 22 Based on distance information,
The two-dimensional image information of the document 20 is obtained.

Here, in order to read the document 20 with high accuracy, good adhesion between the document 20 and the optical fiber portion is required. Therefore, it is important to align the roller 22 with the optical fiber converging member 26. If there is a deviation between the two, the adhesion between the optical fiber converging member 26 and the document 20 is impaired as shown in FIG. 4A or FIG. 4B. Even if the alignment is complete, the elasticity of the roller 22 when the case 25 is pressed by hand causes the same positional relationship as in FIG. 4A, and the adhesion is impaired.

Therefore, an image input device (handy scanner) having a configuration in which a sensor unit and a document are kept in close contact with each other using a spring has been conventionally known (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-48859). FIG. 5 is a sectional view of an example of a conventional handy scanner described in this publication. This conventional handy scanner includes a housing 1, a line sensor 2, a spring 3 connecting the line sensor 2 to the housing 1, a roller 4, and a movement measuring device 5. When the spring 3 is extended, the line sensor 2 is assembled so as to slightly protrude with respect to the roller 4 and the movement measuring device 5.

In this handy scanner, when the line sensor 2 is pressed against a document while holding the housing 1 by hand, the roller 4
The line sensor 2 until the moving measurement device 5 comes into close contact with the document.
Is displaced upward in the figure against the spring force of the spring 3. Thus, the close contact between the sensor unit and the document is ensured.

[0009]

In general, if the housing of the handy scanner is small, scanning can be performed while checking the area being input, and the sensor unit can be closely attached to a narrow place such as a spelling part of a book. Therefore, the usability of the handy scanner is improved.

However, as described above, the conventional handy scanner shown in FIG.
There is a problem in the adhesion between the document 20 and the document 20. Further, the conventional handy scanner shown in FIG. 5 can secure the above-mentioned adhesion, but has a built-in spring 3, so that it is difficult to reduce the size of the housing. In addition, the number of parts is large, which leads to an increase in manufacturing cost.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a small-sized handy scanner with good adhesion between a document and a sensor unit without increasing the number of parts.

[0012]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a linear light source for emitting light to a linear area and a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements disposed below the linear light source. Are linearly arranged as a pixel row, and a plurality of optical fiber portions arranged in close contact with the photoelectric conversion element are bundled, and the light emitted from the linear light source is irradiated on the original, and the original is An optical fiber converging member that guides reflected light from the photoelectric conversion element, a roller that rotates on the original to obtain information on the moving distance, and a surface opposite to the linear image sensor of the optical fiber converging member is closely attached to the original, A handy scanner comprising a linear light source, a linear image sensor, an optical fiber converging member, and a roller, each of which surrounds and supports the roller, and a housing movable by the roller. Bar bundling member is characterized in that it is chamfered projecting the region of the optical fiber portion corresponding to the portion in close contact with the pixel columns in the side surface of the original side.

According to the present invention, since the optical fiber converging member is chamfered so as to protrude only in the region of the optical fiber portion, even if there is a displacement between the roller and the optical fiber converging member, the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements of the image sensor are provided. The distance between the optical fiber portion corresponding to the original and the document can be reduced as compared with the related art.

[0014]

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a handy scanner according to the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA ′ in FIG. This embodiment comprises a linear light source 21, a roller 22, a linear image sensor 23, an image sensor support 24, an optical fiber converging member 27 with a chamfer, and a housing 25. The linear image sensor 23 is configured to have a pixel row in which a large number of photoelectric conversion elements are one-dimensionally arranged on a transparent substrate using a thin film semiconductor such as amorphous silicon.

The optical fiber converging member 27 with a chamfer is chamfered on a side surface that comes into contact with the document 20 except for an optical fiber portion that is in close contact with a pixel row of the linear image sensor 23. That is, the chamfered optical fiber converging member 27 is chamfered so that a region of the optical fiber portion corresponding to a portion of the linear image sensor 23 that is in close contact with the pixel row is protruded on the side surface on the original side.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. The light emitted from the linear light source 21 passes through the slit of the image sensor support 24 and the transparent portion of the linear image sensor 23 where there is no pixel row, enters the optical fiber converging member 27, and repeats total reflection in the optical fiber portion. The document 20 is illuminated while being reflected, and is reflected there. The reflected light from the document 20 is transferred through the optical fiber converging member 27 and detected by the linear image sensor 23.

Thus, the linear image sensor 2
3, while reading the light and dark information of the line-shaped area of the original 20 directly below, holding the housing 25 by hand, moving the roller 22 and the optical fiber converging member 27 in close contact with the original 20, and further moving the roller Two-dimensional image information of the document 20 is obtained based on the information on the moving distance obtained from the rotation of the document 22.

Here, since the optical fiber converging member 27 is chamfered, even if there is a deviation between the roller 22 and the optical fiber converging member 27 as in FIG.
The distance between the optical fiber portion corresponding to the pixel row of the image sensor 23 and the document 20 can be reduced as compared with the related art. Further, since a spring for ensuring adhesion is not required, the size of the housing can be reduced, and the production cost can be reduced by reducing the number of components.

In the above description, an image sensor formed on a transparent substrate is used, but the present invention is not limited to this. FIG. 2A is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the handy scanner according to the present invention, and FIG. 2B is a sectional view taken along line AA 'in FIG. This embodiment comprises a linear light source 21, a roller 22, a chamfered optical fiber converging member 27, a linear image sensor 28 flip-mounted on the optical fiber converging member 27, and a housing 25.

As the linear image sensor 28, a charge-coupled device (CCD) formed of crystalline silicon, a MOS image sensor, or the like is used. The optical fiber converging member 27 is chamfered on a side surface that comes into contact with the document 20 except for an optical fiber portion in a portion in close contact with a pixel row of the linear image sensor 28.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. The light emitted from the linear light source 21 is obliquely incident on the optical fiber converging member 27,
The original 20 is irradiated through the wall of the optical fiber section 7. The reflected light from the original 20 is transmitted to the optical fiber focusing member 2.
7 while reading the light / dark information of the linear area of the original 20 directly below the linear image sensor 28 while being transferred through the optical fiber section of FIG.
Then, the roller 22 and the optical fiber converging member 27 are brought into close contact with each other and moved, and two-dimensional image information of the document 20 is obtained based on information on the moving distance obtained from the rotation of the roller 22.

Here, since the optical fiber converging member 27 is chamfered, even if there is a deviation between the roller 22 and the optical fiber converging member 27 as in FIG.
The distance between the optical fiber portion corresponding to the pixel row of the image sensor 28 and the document 20 can be reduced as compared with the related art. Further, since a spring for ensuring adhesion is not required, the size of the housing can be reduced, and the production cost can be reduced by reducing the number of components.

[0023]

As described above, according to the present invention,
The optical fiber converging member is chamfered so as to protrude only the optical fiber area, and even if there is a deviation between the roller and the optical fiber converging member, the gap between the optical fiber part corresponding to the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements of the image sensor and the document. The distance between the optical fiber converging member 26 and the document 20 can be improved compared to the conventional hand scanner without a spring, and the spring for securing the adhesion can be improved. Can be dispensed with, so that the size of the housing can be reduced and the production cost can be reduced by reducing the number of parts.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view and a sectional view of a first embodiment of a handy scanner according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view and a sectional view of a second embodiment of the handy scanner according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view and a sectional view of an example of a conventional handy scanner.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a state in which the adhesion between the handy scanner and the document in FIG. 3 is shifted.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional handy scanner with improved adhesion to a document.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 20 original 21 linear light source 22 roller 23 linear image sensor formed on transparent substrate 24 image sensor support 25 housing 27 chamfered optical fiber converging member 28 flip-mounted linear image sensor

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] A linear light source that emits light to a linear area; and a linear image sensor that is arranged below the linear light source and has a configuration in which a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements are arranged one-dimensionally as pixel rows. An optical fiber in which a plurality of optical fiber portions arranged in close contact with the photoelectric conversion element are bundled, and the light emitted from the linear light source irradiates a document and guides reflected light from the document to the photoelectric conversion element. A converging member, a roller that rotates on the document to obtain information on the moving distance, and the linear light source and the linear image sensor such that the surface of the optical fiber converging member opposite to the linear image sensor is in close contact with the document. A handy scanner having a housing that surrounds and supports the optical fiber converging member and the roller, and is movable by the roller. Handy scanner, characterized in that the bar converging member is chamfered to protrude region of the optical fiber portion corresponding to the portion in close contact with the pixel columns in the side surface of the original side. 2. The linear image sensor according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements arranged one-dimensionally on a transparent substrate are formed, and light emitted from the linear light source is transmitted to a transparent portion of the transparent substrate. 2. The handy scanner according to claim 1, wherein the light passes through the optical fiber converging member after being transmitted. 3. The linear image sensor has a structure in which a plurality of one-dimensionally arranged photoelectric conversion elements are formed on a crystalline semiconductor substrate, and the linear light source emits light to avoid the linear image sensor. 2. The handy scanner according to claim 1, wherein the light enters the optical fiber converging member obliquely.