JP3132993B2 - Image reading device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image reading apparatus for reading character or graphic information recorded on a sheet medium such as paper or transparent film as an electric image signal, and in particular, to various reading modes. The present invention relates to an image reading apparatus having versatility.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally used image reading apparatuses include:
There are a flatbed type, an automatic document feed (ADF) type, a type having both a flatbed and an ADF, and a type called a handy scanner.

[0003] The flatbed type is a type in which an original is placed on an original plate made of a transparent plate and read by running a reading unit. In addition to reading one sheet-shaped original, a bound book is read. There is a feature that can be. A
The DF type can automatically feed the stacked sheet media one by one and continuously read them, but cannot read a book or the like. Therefore, a device that has both a flatbed reading unit and an ADF reading unit and is capable of performing both automatic feeding reading of a sheet-like medium and reading of a book or the like is used as a general-purpose device. On the other hand, the hand scanner is used as a small and simple device, but is convenient for reading a part of a large document.

In the ADF type apparatus, a feed roller composed of a pair of upper and lower rollers is disposed before and after a reading unit, and a document is nipped by the feed roller to feed in the sub-scanning direction. At the entrance of the paper path, there is provided a paper separation and supply device comprising a pair of a paper feed roller (pick roller) and a separation pad. A normal ADF-type device is designed to easily remove paper when a paper jam occurs.
The upper roller of the feed roller and either the pick roller or the separation pad are mounted on the upper frame pivotally attached to the lower frame so that the paper path is opened when the upper frame is opened. .

The reading unit of the ADF reading unit provided in the flatbed type apparatus is common to the reading unit of the flatbed reading unit, and has a structure in which the reading unit is located on the lower frame side. The structure is such that the paper is fed out from the bottom of the stacking sheet, that is, from the bottom. In an ADF-type apparatus that performs only reading, the reading unit may be provided on either the upper or lower side. However, a relatively large number of structures are used in which the upper unit is provided with the reading unit and the reading unit is provided in the upper frame. When scanning both sides of an original with an ADF-type device,
Of course, the reading unit must be provided on both the upper frame and the lower frame.

The most versatile conventional image reading apparatus as described above has a structure in which a flatbed type reading apparatus and a double-sided reading type ADF type reading apparatus are added. With such an apparatus, it is possible to read a book, read a sheet-shaped document on a flatbed, and read one side and both sides of a sheet-shaped document by automatic paper feeding.

[0007]

When a part of a large original is read by a flatbed type reading apparatus, the original must be folded and placed on a flatbed for reading. For this reason, there is a problem that the original document is inevitably creased at one place. Also, with an ADF-type device, it is impossible to read a document exceeding the maximum specification of the device.

Although a hand scanner can read a part of a large document without folding the paper, the conventional hand scanner is positioned as an inexpensive and simple device, and has a narrow reading width. The reading operation is very troublesome. Of course, it is technically possible to provide a hand scanner with a wide reading width, but the request to read a part of a large document without folding the paper does not occur so often. It is uneconomical to prepare a hand scanner with a wide reading width only for the purpose.

Therefore, the present invention is required for a flatbed type image reading apparatus provided with a double-sided reading type ADF reading unit and an ADF only type image reading apparatus which have been widely used in conventional office work. It is an object of the present invention to obtain a technical means which enables a part of a large document to be read without folding a sheet when it occurs.

[0010]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image reading apparatus which is arranged along a lower surface of a transparent platen of a flatbed reading section.
The lower reading unit 2 that travels in the lower frame 3
Automatic document feeder attached to the flatbed reading section
The reading section 4 can be freely opened and closed on the lower frame 3 around the pivot section 28.
The automatic document feeding and reading unit includes an upper frame 6 attached to the
Upper roller 12 of a feed roller axially mounted on the upper frame 6 side on the upstream and downstream sides of the paper path sandwiching the reading position of No. 4
a, 13a, the upper frame.
The system 6 includes a reading unit 7 having a light source lamp 21.
The upper frame 6 and the lower frame 3 are detachable from each other at the pivotal connection portion 28. The upper frame 6 and the lower frame 3 are connected by a flexible cable 32, and the upper frame 6 removed from the lower frame 3 is used as a hand scanner. It is characterized in that it can be used.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the image reading apparatus of the first aspect, a reading unit built in the lower frame 3 is provided.
The knit 2 is a color-reading type reading unit .

[0012] According to a third aspect, around pivot point 28
Upper frame 6 attached to the lower frame 3 so that it can be opened and closed
And a light source lamp 21 mounted on the upper frame.
Reading unit 7 and a paper path sandwiching the reading unit
On the upstream and downstream sides of the upper frame 6
Image reading with upper rollers 12a and 13a
In the apparatus, the pivotal connection between the upper frame 6 and the lower frame 3
The part 28 is detachable, and the upper frame 6 and the lower frame 3
Are connected by a flexible cable 32, and are upper rollers 12a and 13a of a feed roller which is axially attached to the upper frame 6.
And that the relative vertical position with respect to the reading unit 7 incorporated in the upper frame can be adjusted in the direction in which the upper rollers 12a and 13a move relatively upward with the upper frame 6 removed from the lower frame 3. It is a feature.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the image reading apparatus of the third aspect, the upper frame 6 is an upper frame of an ADF reading section attached to the flatbed reading section, and the reading frame incorporated in the lower frame 3. The unit 2 is a color-reading type reading unit.

The invention according to claim 5 is the invention according to claims 1, 2, and 3
Or the image reading device according to item 4,
The feed motor 17 for driving the upper rollers 12a and 13a is raised.
The upper frame removed from the lower frame 3 for the frame 6 side
The frame 6 is used as a self-propelled scanner .

[0015]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a flat bed type or ADF type image reading apparatus is used for normal business use, and the upper frame is used when a large document needs to be partially read. By detaching the lower frame 6 from the lower frame 3 and using it as a hand scanner, it is possible to cope with a reading operation in a wider mode than in the related art.

According to the invention of claim 3, from the lower frame.
Remove the upper frame by hand scanner or self-propelled
When used as a canner, upper roller 1 of feed roller
2a and 13a correspond to the reading unit 7 of the upper frame.
Move upward, and the thickness (optically equivalent
Plate on a document and read it.
It would be possible to read books etc. by doing work
Reading is performed while the original is pressed by the glass plate 35.
May be blurred due to the lifting of the original.
As a result, clearer reading is possible.

According to the second and fourth aspects of the present invention, the flat
Color reading of reflective documents is possible in the bed reading section
In addition, the ADF scanning unit reads color
The upper frame 6 can be attached to the lower frame 3
From the hand scanner or self-propelled scanner
You can use it.

According to the invention of claim 5, claims 1 to
In addition to obtaining the same effect as the invention of the fourth aspect, the hand scanner
The feed speed in the sub-scanning direction when used as
More stable when performing partial reading of large documents, etc.
Reading is possible.

Further , according to the first to fifth aspects of the present invention, the upper frame can be easily exchanged, and by preparing various upper frames and lower frames as units, the combination of the upper frame and the lower frame can be used to meet the usage conditions. It is possible to obtain an image reading device that matches, and even if a new reading operation is required, it is possible to respond by simply replacing a part of the device. As a result, an image reading apparatus that can respond to changes in the use situation more economically can be obtained.

[0020]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 4 show a double-sided reading type A
1 shows an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a flatbed image reading apparatus having a DF reading section. FIG. 3 shows AD
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating an F reading unit, in which a lower reading unit 2 that travels along the lower surface of a transparent document table of a flatbed reading unit is accommodated in a lower frame 3, and the lower reading unit 2 is ADF reading is performed at a position below the document path 5 of the ADF reading unit 4.

The ADF reading section 4 is provided with an upper frame 6, in which an upper reading unit 7 is accommodated. The path of the automatically fed document 8 is formed between the pick roller 9 and the separation pad 11 and between the upper rollers 12a, 13a and the lower rollers 12b, 13b of the two feed rollers 12, 13. 1
In the position between 2 and 13, the paper is
Pass between two. Upper roller 12 for both feed rollers
a, 13a and the separation pad 11 are mounted on the upper frame 6, and the lower rollers 12b, 13b of the feed roller and the pick roller 9 are mounted on the lower frame 3.

The paper feed table 14 on which the document supplied to the ADF reading section is mounted is provided with a document cover 15 of the flatbed reading section.
The stacker 16 for storing the read original is mounted on the lower frame 3.

As shown in FIG. 1, a paper feed motor 17 for rotating the feed rollers 12, 13 and the pick roller 9 is housed in the upper frame 6, and is driven by a gear train.
The two feed rollers 12, 13 and the pick roller 9 are simultaneously driven.

The upper frame 6 has a structure which can be opened upward by a pivotal connection structure of a pin 18 and a hole 19 shown in an enlarged manner in FIG. 2, and is mounted on the lower frame 3. When the upper frame 6 is opened, the upper rollers 12a, 1
3a and the separation pad 11 move upward together with the upper frame 6, and the document path 5 is opened.

The upper and lower reading units 7, 2 shown in FIG.
Is a reading unit of a reduction optical system having a built-in light source lamp 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25 are reflecting mirrors for obtaining a predetermined optical path length, 26 is an imaging lens, and 27 is a one-dimensional image sensor.

The image reading apparatus according to the present invention has a structure in which the pivoting portion 28 that rotatably connects the upper frame 6 to the lower frame 3 is detachable. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the pin 18 projecting from the upper frame 6 has a shape in which a part of its peripheral surface is chamfered in parallel,
The hole 19 provided in the bracket 29 projecting upward from the lower frame 3 pivotally supporting the pin is provided with a slit 31 having a width wider than the chamfer width L of the pin 18 by a play gap. During the normal opening and closing operation of the upper frame 6, the pin 18 rotates in the hole 19, but the upper frame 6 is fully opened, and the chamfering direction of the pin 18 is directed toward the slit 31. , The upper frame 6 is separated from the lower frame 3.

The upper frame 6 thus removed
Is placed on the original 8 as shown in FIG. 4 and the upper frame 6 is pushed and moved by hand, or the feed motor 17 is driven to rotate the upper rollers 12a and 13a of the feed roller. By moving on the original 8,
Used as a hand scanner or self-propelled scanner. Power and signals to the upper frame 6 are provided by a cable 32 connecting the upper frame 6 and the lower frame 3. Cable 3
By making the length 2 sufficiently long, the upper frame 6 of the ADF reading section can be used as a hand scanner or a self-propelled scanner having a wide reading width for reading a part of a large document.

In the case of an image reading apparatus in which an ADF reading section is added to a flatbed reading section and the ADF reading section is a single-side reading apparatus, the reading unit is provided only on the lower frame side. Cannot be used as On the other hand, if the ADF-only image reading apparatus is a single-side reading type apparatus, the structure of the present invention can be adopted by providing the reading unit 7 on the upper frame side. .

The ADF-only image reading apparatus illustrated in FIG. 5 employs a top-loading sheet feeding structure to read the surface of a document by a reading unit 7 built in the upper frame 6. In this structure, the pick roller 9 is mounted on the upper frame side, and the separation pad 11 is mounted on the lower frame side. The paper feed table 14 is vertically slidably mounted on the lower frame 3, and is driven up and down by a rack and pinion 33 in accordance with the amount of paper 8 loaded. The reading unit 7 in FIG.
It is of a close contact type, and a read image of approximately the same size is formed on the light receiving surface of the one-dimensional image sensor 27 by the rod lens 34. In addition to the above-described structure, the structure for mounting the upper frame 6 to the lower frame 3 and the structure for mounting the feed rollers 12, 13, the stacker 16 and the paper feed motor 17 are the same as those of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. The same is true.

In the apparatus shown in FIG. 5, the upper frame 6 is detached from the lower frame 3 and can be used as a hand scanner or a self-propelled scanner.

An ADF-only image reading apparatus cannot read a book. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, a glass plate 35 is separately prepared, the glass plate 35 is placed on the spread book 36, and the upper frame 6 detached from the lower frame 3 is run thereon. Thereby, reading of the book 36 can be enabled. In this case, since the optical path length of the reading unit 7 differs by the thickness of the glass plate 35, the reading unit 7
Or a mechanism for raising and lowering the upper rollers 12a and 13a of a feed roller which is a running roller when used as a hand scanner or a self-propelled scanner. As another method, an optical path length conversion mechanism as disclosed in JP-A-7-159907 can be used.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show an example of a structure for raising and lowering the upper rollers 12a and 13a of the feed roller. In this structure, the upper rollers 12a and 13a are pivotally mounted on the tip of a bracket 38 that can swing around a fulcrum shaft 37 mounted on the upper frame. This bracket has a fulcrum shaft 37
, And an auxiliary wheel 39 is axially mounted at an end thereof. The bracket 38 is urged by a spring 41 shown in FIG. 7 so that the upper rollers 12a and 13a swing downward.

When the upper frame 6 is mounted on the lower frame 3, the weight of the upper frame 6 is supported by the fitting or contact portion with the lower frame 3. Therefore, the weight of the upper frame does not act on the upper rollers 12a and 13a of the feed roller, and the upper rollers 12a and 13a are elastically pressed by the lower rollers 12b and 13b by the urging force of the spring 41, and the paper is nipped by the elastic force. I do. On the other hand, when the upper frame 6 is removed from the lower frame 3 and placed on the glass plate 35,
Since the weight of the upper frame 6 acts on the upper rollers 12a and 13a, the spring 41 is bent and the upper rollers 12a and 13a are deflected.
The bracket 38 rotates around the fulcrum shaft 37 in the direction in which the 3a moves upward, and stops at the position where the upper rollers 12a, 13a and the auxiliary wheels 39 abut on the glass plate 35.

Accordingly, the upper rollers 12a, 13a and the auxiliary wheels 39 are designed so that the amount of upward movement of the upper rollers 12a, 13a when they both contact the upper surface of the glass plate 35 is equal to the plate thickness of the glass plate 35. In this case, as shown in FIG. 6, reading is performed by setting the optical path length of the reading unit 7 when placing the glass plate 35 on the original (book) and reading the same length as the optical path length when reading the ADF. Can be.

When used as a hand scanner or a self-propelled scanner, the structure for vertically moving the reading unit 7 and the upper rollers 12a and 13a of the feed roller is as follows.
In addition to the structure shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a wedge-shaped stopper is slid, and a reading unit and an upper roller urged toward the stopper are raised and lowered, and a stopper and a detent portion are provided at two places. Various mounting structures, such as a structure in which the reading unit and the upper roller are mounted on the upper frame via members, can be adopted.

In an image reading apparatus having an ADF reading unit and a flatbed reading unit as shown in FIG. 3, a reading unit corresponding to a color is provided as the lower reading unit 2 so that the light source of the upper reading unit 7 can be changed. Lamp 21
By using the reading optical system of the lower reading unit and the reading optical system, color reading of a transparent original is possible. Further, according to the structure of the present invention, since the upper frame 6 can be easily removed from the lower frame 3, if the upper frame 6 is replaced with, for example, one having a built-in color-reading upper reading unit, both sides of a color document can be read. become. If it is not necessary to use it as a hand scanner or to perform double-sided reading, a device that does not have a built-in reading unit as the upper frame 6 can be provided at low cost.

Also in the apparatus shown in FIG. 5, the lower reading unit 2 is connected to the lower frame 3 as indicated by an imaginary line in the drawing.
By replacing the unit with a built-in one, the device becomes capable of double-sided reading by the ADF. By replacing the upper reading unit 7 of the device that performs double-sided reading with a color-compatible unit, the lower reading unit By using the light source lamp and the optical system of the upper reading unit, a device capable of reading a transparent document in color can be provided. Can be realized.

[0038]

According to the structure of the present invention described above,
Large document reading and book reading are performed by using a flat bed type image reading device with an ADF reading unit or an ADF only type image reading device as a hand scanner or a self-propelled scanner with a wide reading width. This makes it possible to provide a more versatile image reading apparatus.

According to the structure of the present invention, the combination of the upper frame and the lower frame can be easily changed. For example, when the color reading needs to be performed, the upper frame has a built-in color reading unit. There is an effect that the device can be recombined according to the situation, for example, by replacing the device with a new one.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a main part of a flatbed image reading apparatus having an ADF reading unit.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a pivot structure of the apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a state of use as a hand scanner.

FIG. 5 shows an ADF-only image reading apparatus.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing a state of use as a hand scanner.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the elevating operation of the upper roller.

[Explanation of symbols]

 3 Lower frame 6 Upper frame 7 Upper reading unit 12 Feed roller 13 Feed roller 17 Feed motor 21 Light source lamp 28 Pivot 32 Cable

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-4-315362 (JP, A) JP-A-5-185659 (JP, A) JP-A-62-25556 (JP, A) JP-A-62-556 30461 (JP, A) JP-A-1-114257 (JP, A) JP-A-2-28564 (JP, A) JP-A-6-62177 (JP, A) JP-A-6-62181 (JP, A) JP-A-6-103208 (JP, A) JP-A-8-298575 (JP, A) JP-A 63-92457 (JP, U) JP-A 62-77953 (JP, U) JP-A 64-16758 (JP, U) JP-A-2-51453 (JP, U) JP-A-5-18168 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H04N 1/00-1 / 00 108 H04N 1/04-1/207

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] 1. A flat bed reading section under a transparent platen.
The lower reading unit (2) running along the surface
It is housed in (3) and attached to the flatbed reading unit.
The moving original feed and reading unit (4) has a lower frame around the pivot (28).
Equipped with an upper frame (6) that can be freely opened and closed on (3),
The image reading apparatus having a document feed reader (4) upstream of the paper path sandwiching the reading position and a downstream side on a feed roller which is rotatably attached to the upper frame (6) side to the roller (12a, 13a), the upper The frame (6) is a reading unit equipped with a light source lamp (21)
(7), the pivot portion (28) of the upper frame (6) and the lower frame (3) is detachable, and the upper frame (6) and the lower frame (3) are connected to the flexible cable (32). ),
An image reading device, wherein the upper frame (6) detached from the lower frame (3) can be used as a hand scanner. 2. A reading unit incorporated in a lower frame (3).
2. The reading unit according to claim 1 , wherein the reading unit is a color-reading type reading unit.
The image reading device according to claim 1. 3. Opening the lower frame (3) around the pivot (28).
The upper frame (6), which can be closed freely, and this upper frame
Reading unit (7) with light source lamp (21) mounted on
And the upstream and downstream sides of the paper path sandwiching the reading unit.
Feed roller, which is mounted on the upper frame (6) side.
In the image reading apparatus provided with the rollers (12a, 13a), the pivotal connecting portions (28) of the upper frame (6) and the lower frame (3) are detached.
Yes, the upper frame (6) and the lower frame (3) are flexible.
The upper rollers (12a, 13a) and the upper frame of the feed roller , which are connected by the cable (32) and are attached to the upper frame (6).
The vertical position relative to the reading unit (7) built in (6)
With the upper frame (6) removed from the lower frame (3),
An image reading device, wherein the position of the upper roller (12a, 13a) can be adjusted in a direction in which the upper roller moves relatively upward. 4. An upper frame (6) is an upper frame of an automatic document feeding and reading section attached to the flatbed reading section,
4. The image reading apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the reading unit (2) built in the lower frame (3) is a color-compatible reading unit. 5. An upper roller (12a, 13a) of a feed roller.
The driving paper feed motor ( 17) is provided on the upper frame (6) side,
Remove the upper frame (6) from the frame (3)
5. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, which is used as a journal .