JP3023181U - Reflective scanning device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) 【Abstract】 PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To place in the main frame casing of a personal computer to stabilize the scanning speed and direction,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a reflective scanning device which saves the space required for the scanning operation, simplifies the scanning operation, reduces the cost of the user's assembly, and is compatible with the computer system. A housing (1) detachably mounted in a main frame casing, an imaging device (3) provided in the housing (1) for scanning an object to be scanned, and an imaging device provided in the housing (1) to image the object to be scanned. 3 scan points 5
4 and a driving device 5 provided in the housing 1 for controlling the feeding operation of the feeding device 1.
And

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Technical field to which the device belongs]

 The present invention relates to a reflective scanning device, and more particularly, to a reflective scanning device that can be installed in a casing of a mainframe of a computer.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 In recent years, research and development of optical scanners have progressed more and more, and it is no exaggeration to say that scanning devices are now indispensable because they are widely used as peripheral equipment of computers. Generally, two types of scanning devices, a tabletop type and a handy type, are widely used.

[0003]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 However, in any of the above scanning devices, it is necessary to secure a place for placing the scanning device for use or a place necessary for scanning, and it may be difficult to secure such a place.

Further, conventionally, the scanning device and the mainframe of the computer are combined as two separate bodies, and therefore, after the scanning device is purchased, the hardware of both the computer and the scanning device must be used without fail. Must be connected and connected with a connecting line. However, this is not something that can be done easily unless you are familiar with the structure of the computer, and its connection and settings have become a major concern for users.

Further, in the handy type scanning device, when the user scans, the scanning device must always scan toward the object to be scanned, but the moving speed of the scanning device of the user is irregular. Since it was not stable, there was a risk of errors such as scanning omissions.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is arranged in the casing of the main frame of a personal computer to stabilize the scanning speed and direction, save the space required for the scanning operation, and perform the scanning operation. It is an object of the present invention to provide a reflection type scanning device which can be simplified and does not need to be connected by the user himself, can be reduced in cost, and can be matched with a computer system.

[0007]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 A solution to the above-mentioned problems of the present invention is a reflection type scanning device which is housed in a mainframe casing of a computer and scans an object to be scanned, and a housing which is detachably mountable in the mainframe casing. An imaging device provided in the housing for scanning an object to be scanned, a feeding device provided in the housing for allowing the object to be scanned to pass a scanning point of the imaging device, and a feeding device provided in the housing. And a driving device for controlling the feeding drive of the scanning device.

[0008] Preferably, an upper cover pivotally attached to the upper portion of the housing is provided so that a user can open the upper cover to clean the internal device of the reflection type scanning device, and cannot pass through the imaging device. Maintenance operations such as taking out the object to be scanned can be performed.

The image pickup device includes a light source for irradiating an object to be scanned, a charge-coupled device (CCD) that receives a reflected light reflected from the object to be scanned, and generates an electronic signal. A reflecting mirror for vertically injecting the reflected light reflected from the object to be scanned into the charge coupled device; and a lens provided between the charge coupled device and the reflecting mirror for converging the reflected light to the charge coupled device. And a control circuit for processing the electronic signal output from the charge-coupled device to display an image of the scanned object on the screen of the computer.

The driving device is provided on one side of a cover and a control motor such as a DC motor or a stepping motor that applies a rotational driving force to the gear set, and is electrically connected to the motor. It is preferable to have a sensor that senses the position of the object to be scanned, controls the start timing of the motor, and allows the object to enter the reflective scanning device.

The feeding device includes a first roller installed on the upper cover, a second roller provided in the housing at a position facing the first roller, the first roller and the second roller. Between the first roller and the second roller in the cover, and a conveyance path that is provided between the first and second rollers so that the object to be scanned can enter the space of the reflection type scanning device. And a spring for elastically biasing the first and second rollers to the front and back surfaces of the object to be scanned according to the thickness of the object to be scanned, while elastically abutting each other. When the motor is activated and the second roller rotates in conjunction with the gear set, the object to be scanned inserted at one end of the transport path passes a scanning point of the imaging device. , Configured to escape from the other end of the transport path Is preferred.

Outside the entrance side of the housing, there are provided adjusting plates arranged on both sides of the object to be scanned so as to guide the object to be scanned and whose position can be adjusted according to the size of the object to be scanned. It is preferable.

Further, the driving device includes a gear set and a motor that applies a rotational driving force to the gear set, and the feeding device includes a support plate on which an object to be scanned is placed, The support plate may be configured to move in and out of the imaging device to drive an object to be scanned through a scanning point of the imaging device by driving the driving device. The scanned object sent by this support plate is opaque.

Further, when a sensor detects that an object to be scanned has entered the image pickup apparatus, the image pickup apparatus is continuously scanned for a required time by a program control of software, and an end portion of the object to be scanned is scanned. It is preferable to include a control circuit unit that stops the imaging device when the sensor detects the completion of the scanning up to and causes the object to be scanned out of the scanning position by the program control of the software.

In addition, a setting unit that presets the feed length of the object to be scanned in the control circuit, and an entrance distance of the object to be scanned that is provided in the control circuit and is set in the control circuit are set. A control circuit unit may be provided that causes the object to be scanned to exit the scanning device when the length exceeds the feed length.

The reflective scanning device is preferably accessible to a standard interface of a magnetic disk drive in a computer or an interface circuit on a motherboard of a computer.

[0017]

[Embodiment of device]

 Preferred embodiments according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the reflection type scanning device includes a housing 1, an upper cover 2 pivotally mounted above the housing 1, an imaging device 3, a feeding device 4, and a driving device 5.

The image pickup device 3 includes a light source 31, a charge coupled device 32, a reflecting mirror 33, a lens 34, and a control circuit 35. The feeding device 4 includes a first roller 41, a second roller 42, a pair of springs 43, and a transport path 44. The drive device 5 includes a gear set 51, a motor 52, and a sensor 53, and the gear set 51 includes a timing belt 511.

As shown in FIG. 2, all the devices of the present invention are provided in the housing 1, and the housing is similar to the one in which the soft disk drive or the optical disk drive is mounted in the main frame casing. Fixing 1 to the main frame casing of a personal computer (personal computer) completes the installation of this device on the personal computer.

The operation of each component of the first embodiment will be described below. When the user inserts the object to be scanned into the entrance of the transport path 44 and the sensor 53 detects the entry of the object to be scanned, the motor 52 is activated to rotate the gear set 51, and in conjunction with this, the second roller 42 is operated. When the first and second rollers 41 and 42 come into contact with each other, both rollers 41 and 42 rotate integrally, and the object to be scanned passes the scanning point of the image pickup device 3.

At this time, since the image pickup apparatus 3 has also been started and scanning is in progress, the object to be scanned is scanned. On the other hand, the light source 31 irradiates the object to be scanned with a light beam, which is reflected by the object to be scanned and enters the reflecting mirror 33, where it is reflected at a right angle and projected onto the charge-coupled device 32. It is condensed by the lens 34. In this way, the charge coupling device 32 receives the reflected light from the object to be scanned and generates an electronic signal.

The electric signal output from the charge-coupled device 32 is processed by the control circuit 35 and then displayed as an image of the object to be scanned on the screen of the personal computer through the computer interface.

The spring 43 may be provided above the first roller 41 in the upper cover 2 or below the second roller 42, but in this embodiment, it is provided above the first roller 41. There is. This is because the first roller 41 and the second roller 42 are in close contact with each other, and the elastic force thereof is self-adjusted according to the thickness of the scanned object, and the first and second rollers are provided on the front and back surfaces of the scanned object. The rollers 41 and 42 can be closely attached.

When the object to be scanned has completely entered the inside of the scanning device, the sensor can no longer detect the object to be scanned, and instead, the imaging device 3 scans continuously for a required time by the program control of the software. To do.

When the end of the object to be scanned is separated from the scanning point 54, the imaging device 3 immediately stops scanning. Then, the motor 52 drives the gear set 51 by the program control of the software to rotate the gear set 51 in the reverse direction, and the object to be scanned is withdrawn from the scanning position. A control circuit unit for performing these series of program controls may be provided in the control circuit (not shown).

When the feed length of the scanned object is preset in the control circuit via the setting unit (not shown), the length of the scanned object entering the scanning device is preset. A control circuit unit may be provided in the control circuit for controlling the motor to rotate in the reverse direction so that the object to be scanned is withdrawn from the scanning device when the length becomes longer than the maximum length. As a result, the installation of the sensor 53 can be omitted.

In FIG. 2, the upper cover 2 is pivotally attached to the upper part of the housing 1, and by opening the upper cover 2, the housing 1 can be pulled out from the main frame casing 100 of the computer. The reflective scanning device can be cleaned or can be pulled out if the scanned object is caught in the scanning device.

The image pickup device 3 may be replaced by a known contact image sensor (hereinafter referred to as “CIS” (contact image sensor)) (not shown). Since the CIS has the functions of the light source 31, the charge-coupled device 32, the reflecting mirror 33, the lens, and the like by itself, the use of the CIS element can effectively downsize the scanning device. .

FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of the present invention, and this reflection type scanning device includes a housing 6, an image pickup device 7, a feeding device 8 and a driving device 9.

The image pickup device 7 includes a light source 71, a charge-coupled device 72, a reflecting mirror 73, a lens 74, and a control circuit 75, as in the first embodiment. The feeding device 8 is a support plate having a frame structure, and the area surrounded by the frame on four sides is made of a transparent material. The support plate has an elastic cover 81 for holding an object to be scanned, the drive unit 9 includes a gear set 91 and a motor 92, and the gear set 91 includes a plurality of gears 911 and a rack 912. I have it. The rack 912 is fixed to the support plate.

The difference between the first embodiment and the second embodiment lies in the method of feeding the scanned object, and the operation of the second embodiment will be described below. The operation of the housing 6 and the image pickup device 7 is the same as that of the first embodiment, and therefore its explanation is omitted.

The gear set 91 rotates in association with the driving of the motor 92, and the support plate 8 is sent out of the scanning device by the continuous meshing operation of the gear 911 and the rack 912. The object to be scanned is placed on the sent-out support plate 8, and the object to be scanned is fixed to the support plate 8 by the elastic cover 81, and is pushed into the scanning device again. The pushed support plate 8 is scanned while the object to be scanned is passed therethrough while passing the scanning point of the image pickup device 7, and when the scanning is completed, the support plate 8 is again moved from the scanning device with the object to be scanned placed. It is sent out and the scanned object can be taken out.

The mechanism for moving the support plate 8 into and out of the scanning device can be designed, for example, similar to or with reference to the structure of the optical disk drive. Further, when the image pickup device 7 is provided above the support plate 8, the area surrounded by the frame of the support plate 8 is made of an opaque material, while the elastic cover 81 is made of a transparent material.

The housing is manufactured in the same size as the 5.25-inch magnetic disk drive or the 3.5-inch magnetic disk drive so as to fit the structure of the existing personal computer magnetic disk drive. In the first embodiment, in addition to the housing 1, an adjustment plate 1001 (see FIG. 2) for adjusting the feed width can be provided to restrict the entry of the scanned object into the scanning device.

FIG. 4 shows a third embodiment of the present invention, in which the reflective scanning device includes a housing 10, a front cover 11 pivotally mounted on the housing 10, an imaging device 12, a feeding device 13, and a drive. A device 14 is provided.

The image pickup device 12 includes a light source 121, a charge-coupled device 122, a lens 123, and a control circuit 124. The driving device 14 includes a gear set 141, a motor 142, and a sensor 143. The gear set 141 further includes a timing belt 1411.

The functions of all the components in FIG. 4 are almost the same as those of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, except that the relative positions of the front cover 11, the imaging device 12, and the feeding device are different. . In the first embodiment, the object to be scanned needs to be sent out from the scanning device along the original route by utilizing the reverse rotation of the motor after the completion of scanning, whereas in the third embodiment, The object to be scanned enters the scanning device from one end 1341 of the transport path 134 and is directly sent out from the other end 1342.

Next, due to the relative relationship of the devices inside the scanning device of the present invention shown in FIG. 4, the reflected light emitted from the light source to the object to be scanned and reflected is directly incident on the charge-coupled device 122, so The mirror can be omitted.

In the third embodiment, when the scanning device is not used, the scanning device is completely contained within the mainframe of the computer and the surface of the scanning device is flush with the surface of the mainframe. When scanning is performed, the housing 10 is pulled out from the main frame casing of the computer, and the transport path of the scanning device is separated from the outside of the main frame of the computer so that the scanning operation can be smoothly performed.

The interface between the scanning device and the computer of the present invention can directly use the standard interface of the magnetic disk drive in the computer.

[0042]

As is apparent from the above description, the present invention provides a reflective scanning device installed directly in the casing of a personal computer mainframe, thereby eliminating the scanning space required in conventional devices. In addition, the scanning speed and the scanning direction are defined, and the user can perform the scanning operation only by inserting the object to be scanned between the rollers of the scanning device or placing it on the support plate, which simplifies the scanning step. .

Further, a user who originally owns a scanning device and already has a computer can directly install the scanning device of the present invention for a magnetic disk drive provided in a housing of a computer mainframe. Just install it in the space.

Furthermore, the inconvenience of the user having to set the scanning device by himself / herself is eliminated, and the connecting parts between the computer and the scanning device, such as cables and connectors, can be omitted. Have.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional side view showing a schematic configuration of a reflective scanning device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an embodiment in which a reflection type scanning device according to the present invention is provided in a computer main frame.

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional side view showing a schematic configuration of a second embodiment of a reflective device according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional side view showing a schematic configuration of a third embodiment of the reflection type device according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 6, 10 Housing 2, 11, 81 Cover 3, 7, 12 Imaging device 31, 71, 121 Light source 32, 72, 122 Charge coupled device 33, 73 Reflector 34, 74, 123 Lens 35, 75, 124 Control Circuits 4, 8, 13 Feeding device 41, 131 First roller 42, 132 Second roller 43, 133 Spring 44, 134 Conveying path 5, 9, 14 Drive device 51, 91, 141 Gear set 52, 92, 142 Motor 53 , 143 Sensor 8 Support plate 100 Main frame casing 1001 Adjustment plate

Claims (10)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A reflection type scanning device for scanning an object to be scanned which is housed in a main frame casing of a computer, the housing being detachably mountable in the main frame casing, and provided in the housing. An image pickup device for scanning an object to be scanned, a feeding device provided in the housing for allowing the object to be scanned to pass a scanning point of the image pickup device, and a feed device provided in the housing for controlling a feed drive of the feeding device. And a driving device for driving the reflection type scanning device. 2. An upper cover pivotally attached to an upper portion of the housing, whereby a user opens the upper cover,
The reflection type scanning device according to claim 1, wherein maintenance operations such as cleaning of an internal device of the reflection type scanning device and taking out of a scanned object which cannot pass through the imaging device can be exerted. 3. The image pickup device includes a light source for irradiating an object to be scanned, a charge-coupled device for generating an electronic signal by receiving reflected light reflected by the object to be scanned, and a device coupled to the object to be scanned. A reflecting mirror for vertically injecting the reflected light to the charge-coupled device, a lens provided between the charge-coupled device and the reflecting mirror for converging the reflected light to the charge-coupled device, and output from the charge-coupled device. 3. A reflection type scanning device according to claim 1, further comprising a control circuit for processing the electronic signal and displaying an image of the object to be scanned on a screen of the computer. 4. The drive device is provided on one side of a cover, a control motor that applies a rotational driving force to the gear set, a cover, is electrically connected to the motor, and is connected to the object to be scanned. Sensing the position and controlling the start timing of the motor,
4. The reflection type scanning device according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor that allows the object to be scanned to enter the reflection type scanning device. 5. The feeding device includes a first roller installed on the upper cover, a second roller provided in the housing at a position facing the first roller, the first roller and the second roller. A conveyance path formed between the roller and a conveyance path for advancing the object to be scanned into the space of the reflection type scanning device, and a conveyance path provided above the first roller or under the second roller in the cover. The roller and the second roller are elastically brought into contact with each other, and the first and second rollers are elastically biased to the front and back surfaces of the object to be scanned according to the thickness of the object to be scanned, and a spring is provided. Then, when the motor is activated and the second roller rotates, the object to be scanned inserted into one end of the transport path passes through the scanning point of the imaging device and escapes from the other end of the transport path. It is comprised, It is characterized by the above-mentioned. The reflective scanning device according to any one of 1. 6. The outside of the entrance side of the housing is arranged at both sides of the scanned object so as to guide the scanned object.
The reflective scanning device according to claim 5, further comprising an adjusting plate whose position can be adjusted according to the size of the object to be scanned. 7. The feeding device includes a support plate on which an object to be scanned is placed, and the support plate moves into and out of the imaging device by driving the driving device to move the object to be scanned. The reflective scanning device according to claim 1, wherein the reflective scanning device is configured to pass a scanning point of the imaging device. 8. When a sensor senses that an object to be scanned has entered the image pickup apparatus, the image pickup apparatus is continuously scanned for a required time by program control of software to reach an end portion of the object to be scanned. 8. The reflection type scanning device according to claim 7, further comprising a control circuit unit for stopping the imaging device when the sensor detects the completion of the scanning and scanning the object to be moved out of the scanning position by software program control. apparatus. 9. A setting unit for presetting a feed length of an object to be scanned in a control circuit, and a feed unit provided in the control circuit, in which an entrance distance of the object to be scanned that has entered the imaging device is set. The reflection type scanning device according to claim 7, further comprising a control circuit unit that causes an object to be scanned to exit from the scanning device when the length exceeds the length. 10. The reflection type scanning device can be accessed with a standard interface of a magnetic disk drive in a computer or an interface circuit on a motherboard of a computer. The reflection type scanning device according to.