JP3076730B2 - Image scanner device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method of reading a drawing, a map, a picture, a handwritten character or the like, for example, visible image information recorded on a sheet of paper by a reading means incorporating a light source such as an LED or a fluorescent lamp. The present invention relates to an image scanner device that irradiates a recording surface, scans with a line image sensor, converts the data into image data via a CCD or the like, and inputs the data to a host computer, for example. The present invention relates to an image scanner device that can be input to a computer and can be manufactured at low cost.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as an image scanner for reading visible image information and inputting it to a host computer, an image scanner having a means for transporting an information medium and a reading means has been widely used. It is effectively used for efficient processing.

On the other hand, it is said that a handy scanner is effective in reading a relatively small amount of image information or an information medium that cannot be read by transport such as a book or a dictionary.

[0004]

However, the above-described conventional image scanner is effective when the number of information media to be read is large, but the shape and the thickness of the information media, especially the thickness, are different. There is a problem that the operation is complicated when reading the object. In the case of manufacturing a wide variety of image scanners corresponding to the specifications of the information medium, there is a problem that the specifications of the components are different for each model, the production efficiency is low, and it is difficult to reduce the production cost. is there.

[0005] On the other hand, handy scanners have the advantages of high production efficiency and low cost because they can be mass-produced. On the other hand, handy scanners have drawbacks in terms of operability and lower reading accuracy. , There is a problem that reliability is low. That is, since the handy scanner is used by hand, when the information medium is placed on a flat surface having irregularities (for example, when the information medium is overlapped with another information medium on a desk), the reading accuracy naturally decreases. . In addition, the handy scanner requires that the surface of the information medium be moved straight in a certain direction. However, in order to perform the operation accurately, skill is required, and a large amount of reading processing by the handy scanner cannot be expected. There is.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to solve the problems existing in the prior art and to provide an image scanner device which has good operability, can improve reading accuracy, and can be manufactured at low cost. .

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, a handy scanner is held with its reading portion and scanner roller facing the upper surface, and a sheet-shaped information medium can be conveyed on the upper surface. And a pair of drive rollers provided above the main body with their axes parallel to each other in a direction perpendicular to the direction of transport of the information medium, and a guide on the lower surface facing the handy scanner. A drive unit, wherein a driven roller is urged upward via a leaf spring on the downstream side of the main body in the information medium conveying direction, and an axis line is provided in a direction perpendicular to the information medium conveying direction. A technical method of making it possible to scan and read the recorded contents of an information medium via a reading unit of a handy scanner by transporting the information medium between the information medium and a guide. It was adopted.

In the above invention, the drive unit is selectively rotatable about one of the drive roller shafts on the downstream side in the transport direction of the information medium or a rotary shaft provided therefrom on the downstream side in the transport direction of the information medium. In addition, two pairs of drive rollers, a scanner roller and a driven roller are configured so that their opposing gaps are variable according to the thickness dimension of the information medium, and the upper surface of the leaf spring is configured to guide the information medium. be able to.

Next, the drive means of the drive roller is configured to be variable in rotation speed in accordance with the resolution of the handy scanner, and the drive means is provided with a rotation detection means, and the drive means is driven by a signal from the rotation detection means. Can be configured to be controllable.

Further, in the above invention, the guide and the handy scanner provided in the drive unit may be configured such that the surfaces facing the information medium are inclined such that the downstream side in the transport direction of the information medium is lower than the upstream side. it can.

Further, in the above invention, the gap between the guide provided in the drive unit and the handy scanner is formed to be larger than the thickness dimension of the information medium, and the drive unit is formed in a sheet shape from a flexible elastic material. The pressing member protrudes from the guide toward the handy scanner and the free end thereof is provided at a lower position toward the downstream side in the transport direction of the information medium, and the information member is pressed by the pressing member to the reading section of the handy scanner. It may be configured as follows.

In the above invention, the free end of the pressing member is configured to be in contact with the reading section of the handy scanner, or the information medium to be conveyed in the gap between the free end of the pressing member and the reading section of the handy scanner. Can be configured so as to correspond to the minimum thickness dimension.

In the above invention, the surface of the pressing member facing the handy scanner can be formed so that the contrast with the ground of the information medium becomes optically clear.

[0014]

According to the above construction, by incorporating a commercially available handy scanner into a main body having a drive unit interposed, the information medium can be accurately conveyed to the reading section of the handy scanner, and operability can be improved. At the same time, the reading accuracy can be improved and the reliability can be improved. In addition, since the drive unit is selectively rotatable, maintenance and inspection of the reading unit and / or the inside of the drive unit are facilitated. Further, since the free end of the pressing member faces the reading section of the handy scanner, the reading accuracy can be improved regardless of the thickness of the information medium.

[0015]

1 and 2 are a top perspective view and a bottom perspective view, respectively, showing an example of a handy scanner according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 and 2, a handy scanner 1 is formed, for example, in a pseudo T-shape when projected onto a plane, and has a built-in reading function element, and a recording content of an information medium via a reading unit 3 having a CCD 2. Is configured to be readable. Reference numeral 4 denotes a scanner roller and reference numeral 5 denotes an auxiliary roller, each of which is formed so as to slightly protrude from the bottom surface of the handy scanner 1 and to be rotatable. Reference numeral 6 denotes a cable, which is connected so as to be able to input a read signal to, for example, a host computer via an interface unit (not shown).

FIG. 3 is a schematic structural explanatory view showing an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 10 denotes an image scanner device, which is a handy scanner 1 shown in FIGS.
Has a main body 12 formed so as to hold the reading section 3 and the scanner roller 4 facing the upper surface, and to be able to convey a sheet-shaped information medium 11 on the upper surface in a direction indicated by an arrow. Then 13
Is a drive unit, and a rotating shaft 14 is provided above the main body 12.
(Coaxial with the drive roller 15). Reference numerals 15 and 16 denote two pairs of drive rollers, which slightly protrude from the lower surface of the drive unit 13 and are provided with their axes parallel to a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the information medium 11 is conveyed. The drive rollers 15 and 16 are formed so as to abut on driven rollers (not shown) provided on the main body 12 and the scanner roller 4, respectively.

Reference numeral 17 denotes a host computer which has a built-in driver 18 and is capable of inputting a read signal from the image scanner device 10 via an interface unit 19. Reference numeral 20 denotes a signal cable for connecting the image scanner device 10 and the host computer 17. 21 is power cable, 22 is CR
T. Reference numeral 23 denotes a motor circuit unit, which is provided in the image scanner device 10. Reference numeral 24 denotes a tension spring for locking the drive unit 13.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an essential part showing the image scanner device 10 in FIG. 3, and the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals as in FIG. In FIG. 4, 25 is a drive motor, 2
Reference numeral 6 denotes a pinion, which is fixed to an output shaft (not shown) of the drive motor 25. Reference numeral 27 denotes a drive shaft to which a gear 28 meshing with the pinion 26 and worms 29 and 30 are fixed. The worms 29, 30 are configured to be able to drive the drive rollers 15, 16 via worm gears (not shown) provided on the drive rollers 15, 16, respectively.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged side view of a main part of the drive unit 13 in FIGS. 3 and 4, and FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1 to 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals. 5 and 6, reference numerals 31 and 32 denote worm gears, which mesh with the worms 29 and 30 and drive the drive rollers 15 and 16, respectively.

Reference numeral 33 denotes a driven roller, which is biased upward by a leaf spring 34 having an L-shaped cross section, for example, on the downstream side of the main body 12 in the transport direction of the information medium 11.
In addition, the drive roller 15 and the axis are provided in parallel. The upper surface of the leaf spring 34 is formed so as to also serve as a guide for the information medium 11. A guide 35 is provided on the lower surface of the drive unit 13 so as to face the handy scanner 1.
The shaft 15 a of the drive roller 15 is supported at both ends by a bracket 12 a provided on the main body 12 via bearings 36. Reference numerals 37 to 39 denote bearings for supporting the driving rollers 15, 16 and the driving shaft 27, respectively.

The upper surfaces of the main body 12 and the handy scanner 1, the upper surfaces of the leaf springs 34, and the opposing surfaces of the guides 35 opposed thereto are inclined so that the downstream side in the transport direction of the information medium 11 is lower than the upstream side. It is preferable to configure them. The drive shaft 27 has a worm 29,
Since an axial thrust acts on the worm gears 31 and 32 to drive the worm gears 31, 32, the pinion 26 and the gear 28 are preferably formed as helical gears to cancel the thrust.

Reference numeral 40 denotes a slit disk, which is provided with slits 41 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, is fixed to the output shaft 42 of the drive motor 25, and is provided so as to face the slits 41. Together with the device 43, a rotation detecting means 44 is constituted.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described. 3 to 6, the host computer 1
When an instruction is issued from the main unit 1 through the driver 18
The control is transferred to the motor circuit section 23 in 2. Motor circuit 2
3 detects the state of the handy scanner 1, drives the drive motor 25, detects the number of rotations by a rotation detecting means 44 composed of a slit disk 40 and a light emitting / receiving device 43, and reads information by the reading unit 3 of the handy scanner 1. The content recorded on the medium 11 is read.

That is, the drive roller 25 is driven by the drive motor 25 via the pinion 26, the gear 28, the drive shaft 27, the worms 29 and 30, and the worm gears 31 and 32.
3 to 5, the driven roller 33 and the scanner roller 4 rotate counterclockwise in FIGS. 3 and 5, respectively.

In this state, when the information medium 11 is inserted between the guide 35 and the handy scanner 1 in a direction indicated by an arrow in FIGS. Since the sheet is conveyed at a predetermined speed in the same direction by the roller 4, the recording content is scanned and read by the reading section 3 of the handy scanner 1.
The data is input to the host computer 17 via the signal cable 20 and the interface unit 19. After the reading is completed, the information medium 11 includes the driving roller 15 and the driven roller 3.
3, and the same reading process is performed for the next information medium 11.

In the reading process, for example, the information medium 1
When the one with a large wall thickness is inserted as 1,
The drive unit 13 is a rotating shaft 14 shown in FIGS.
Since it rotates counterclockwise about a fulcrum (same as the shaft 15a shown in FIGS. 5 and 6), there is no problem in transporting the information medium 11. Further, since the driven roller 33 is slightly pressed down against the elasticity of the leaf spring 34, the information medium 11 can be discharged smoothly. That is, the drive roller 16 is driven by the scanner roller 4 by the weight of the drive unit 13, and the driven roller 33 is driven by the elasticity of the leaf spring 34.
, And can be retracted and returned by a change in the thickness of the information medium 11, so that the information medium 11 having a different thickness can be smoothly transported, and excess adjustment can be performed. No work is required.

Since the drive unit 13 is configured to be rotatable as described above, the information medium 11 can be rotated as described above.
In addition to automatically responding to fluctuations in the thickness of the information medium, it is possible to easily perform undesired jamming of the information medium 11, maintenance and inspection of the reading unit 3 and / or the drive unit 13, and other operations. it can.

Further, the information medium 11 formed by the handy scanner 1 and the guide 35 can be inserted by its own weight by forming the transfer path of the information medium 11 inclined as shown in FIGS. , Operability can be improved.

Next, control of the transport speed of the information medium 11 will be described. First, a reading speed (conveying speed of the information medium 11) adapted to the resolution is determined for the handy scanner 1, for example, a reading speed of 20 mm / sec for a resolution of 400 dpi, and a reading speed of 80 mm / sec for a resolution of 100 dpi. sec.

The mode selection is performed by a mode switch (not shown) provided in the handy scanner 1. Therefore, when a predetermined mode is selected by the handy scanner 1 and an input corresponding to the above mode is also made to the host computer 17 shown in FIG. 3, the host computer 17 is driven by the drive motor 25 shown in FIGS. An instruction is issued to rotate at a predetermined rotation speed.

The drive motor 25 is usually constituted by a DC motor, and the number of revolutions is variable according to the applied voltage value. Therefore, a DC voltage of, for example, 5 V or 10 V is applied by the mode selection, and the drive rollers 15 and 16 are driven. Since the information medium 11 is transported at a predetermined transport speed via the interface, the above-described reading processing can be executed.

Next, the reading accuracy can be improved by the rotation detecting means 44 constituted by the slit disk 40 provided on the output shaft 42 of the drive motor 25 and the light emitting / receiving device 43 provided opposite thereto. That is, when the thickness of the information medium 11 changes, the transport speed of the information medium 11 changes even if the drive motor 25 is driven by applying a predetermined voltage as described above. In such a case, the number of rotations of the output shaft 42 of the drive motor 25 is detected by the rotation detection means 44, and this detection signal is input to the host computer 17,
The rotation speed of the drive motor 25 is increased or decreased by a feedback control signal from the host computer 17. By such control, a change in the transport speed due to a change in the thickness of the information medium 11 can be prevented, and the matching of image information to be input to the handy scanner 1 and the reading accuracy can be improved.

FIG. 7 is a partial sectional side view showing another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a view in the direction of arrow B in FIG. 7 showing the same parts as in FIGS. 5 and 6. Are indicated by reference numerals. In FIGS. 7 and 8, reference numeral 51 denotes a pressing member, which is formed by a flexible elastic material such as stainless steel or a plastic material so that the projected shape on a plane is substantially concave, and a hole 52 is formed from the guide 35. The information medium 11 is provided so as to protrude toward the handy scanner 1 and to have its free end 53 at a lower position toward the downstream side in the transport direction of the information medium 11. The free end 53 is configured to press the information medium 11 against the reading unit 3 of the handy scanner 1.

When the information medium 11 is conveyed in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 5 according to the above configuration, the information medium 11 is pressed against the reading section 3 by the free end 53 of the pressing member 51. Even if the gap is set to be large, even if the information medium 11 is a thin paper, the reading process can be accurately and reliably performed without undesirably floating. In this case, the thickness of the pressing member 51 and the length from the fixed end to the free end 53 are appropriately set in consideration of the elastic modulus of the constituent material of the pressing member 51, the stiffness of the information medium 11, and the like. .

The free end 53 of the pressing member 51 may be configured to be in contact with the reading section 3 of the handy scanner 1, and the gap between the free end 53 of the pressing member 51 and the reading section 3 of the handy scanner 1 may be increased. , Information medium 11 to be transported
May be set in correspondence with the minimum wall thickness dimension.

The surface of the pressing member 51 facing the handy scanner 1 is colored with a reflectance lower than the color of the ground of the information medium 11 (usually white), for example, black, dark brown, dark red, or plated or the like. Means can be formed on a mirror surface. By forming in this manner, the contrast at the boundary with the information medium 11 becomes optically clear, the scanning range of the reading unit 3 is narrowed, and it is possible to prevent excessive reading.

[0037]

Since the present invention has the configuration and operation as described above, the following effects can be obtained. (1) By incorporating a commercially available handy scanner into the transport mechanism of the information medium, the information medium can be transported accurately, operability can be greatly improved, and reading accuracy and reliability can be improved. (2) The drive unit can automatically change the gap of the transport path according to the thickness of the information medium, and can be widely applied to the reading processing of a plurality of types of information medium. (3) Since the drive unit is selectively rotatable, emergency processing when jamming occurs and maintenance and inspection of internal components are easy. (4) Since the free end of the pressing member faces the reading section of the handy scanner, the reading accuracy can be improved regardless of the thickness of the information medium. (5) Since the configuration of the information medium transport mechanism and the information reading unit is simple, it can be manufactured at low cost.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a main part top perspective view showing an example of a handy scanner in an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view showing an example of a handy scanner according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration explanatory view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a main part showing the image scanner device 10 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged side view of a main part of a partial cross section showing the drive unit 13 in FIGS. 3 and 4;

FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along arrow A in FIG.

FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional side view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

8 is a view in the direction of arrow B in the main part in FIG. 7;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Handy scanner 12 Main body 13 Drive unit 15, 16 Drive roller 51 Pressing member

Claims (8)

(57) [Claims] 1. A main body which holds a handy scanner with its reading section and a scanner roller facing the upper surface and which is capable of conveying a sheet-shaped information medium on the upper surface, and a conveying direction of the information medium above the main body. A drive unit having two pairs of drive rollers provided with their axes parallel to each other in a direction perpendicular to the main body and having a guide on the lower surface facing the handy scanner. The driven roller is biased upward via a spring, and the axis is provided in a direction perpendicular to the direction of transport of the information medium, and the information medium is transported between the handy scanner and the guide to read the information by the handy scanner. An image scanner device characterized in that the recorded contents of an information medium can be scanned and read through a section. 2. The drive unit according to claim 1, wherein the drive unit is selectively rotatable about one drive roller shaft on the downstream side in the transport direction of the information medium or a rotation shaft provided on the downstream side in the transport direction of the information medium. The drive roller, the scanner roller, and the driven roller of the present invention are configured such that their opposing gaps are variable according to the thickness of the information medium and the upper surface of the leaf spring is configured to guide the information medium. The image scanner device according to claim 1, wherein 3. The driving means for driving the driving roller is configured to be variable in rotation speed in accordance with the resolution of the handy scanner.
3. An image scanner according to claim 1, wherein a rotation detecting means is interposed in said driving means, and a rotation speed of said driving means can be controlled by a signal from said rotation detecting means. 4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a guide provided on the drive unit and a surface of the handy scanner facing the information medium are inclined such that the downstream side in the transport direction of the information medium is lower than the upstream side. Item 4. The image scanner according to any one of Items 1 to 3. 5. A gap between a guide provided in a driving unit and a handy scanner is formed to be larger than a thickness dimension of an information medium, and a pressing member formed of a flexible elastic material in a sheet shape is guided to the driving unit. , The free end of the information medium is provided at a lower position toward the downstream side in the transport direction of the information medium, and the information medium is pressed against the reading section of the handy scanner by the pressing member. The image scanner according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: 6. The image scanner according to claim 5, wherein a free end of the pressing member is configured to contact a reading section of the handy scanner. 7. The image scanner according to claim 5, wherein the gap between the free end of the pressing member and the reading section of the handy scanner is formed corresponding to the minimum thickness of the information medium to be conveyed. 8. The image scanner device according to claim 5, wherein a surface of the pressing member facing the handy scanner is formed so that the contrast with the ground of the information medium becomes optically clear. .