JP3165008B2 - Image scanner and printer equipped with image scanner - 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 scanner for reading an original screen and a printer equipped with the image scanner.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, an image scanner is mounted on a carriage, an original image is read by the image scanner while moving the carriage, and the read image signal is converted into a recording signal. 2. Description of the Related Art Printers that perform printing by driving a printer have been widely used.

[0003] A printer equipped with an image scanner will be described below using a thermal transfer printer as an example. FIG.
FIG. 1 shows an example of such a thermal transfer printer. An image scanner 4 is mounted together with a thermal head 3 on a carriage 2 reciprocated along a platen 1. The image scanner 4 is provided on the upstream side of the thermal head 3 in the printing direction of the carriage 2, and reads an original image by moving the carriage 2 rightward in the drawing with the original set. . The document image read as an optical signal by the image scanner 4 is converted into a color signal by a CPU (not shown), and the thermal head 3 is driven and recorded based on the color signal. Note that 2 in FIG.
The carriage 2 indicated by the dashed line indicates the leftmost position in this thermal transfer printer, that is, the home position.

The image scanner 4 used in this thermal transfer printer has a structure as shown in FIG. That is, a light emitting element 6 such as an incandescent lamp and a cathode ray tube, a lens 7 for narrowing down light emitted from the light emitting element, and a reflected light of the light emitted from the light emitting element 6 are received in a main body case 5 made of resin or the like. And the like. Light that has exited from the main body through an opening 9 formed on the front surface of the main body case 5 is reflected by an image portion of a document (paper), enters the inside of the case through the opening 9, and is received by the light receiving element 8, The intensity of the reflected light is output to the outside of the image scanner 4 through the cable 10 as an electric signal.

[0005]

In the image scanner 4 having the above-described configuration, when the image scanner 4 has been used for a long time, the main body case 5 is locally heated to 110 to 120 near the light emitting element 6 due to the heat of the light emitting element 6. ° C, which may cause burns, etc., as well as deteriorating print quality due to temperature rise inside the body of the thermal transfer printer. In particular, an image of using an incandescent lamp as a light emitting element in order to respond to lower prices Some scanners have a remarkable temperature rise.

[0006]

The present invention SUMMARY OF] has been made in view of the above problems, in claim 1, a printer key
Mounted on the carriage, and the original is moved when the carriage moves.
An image scanner configured to read images
I, have a light-receiving element for receiving reflected light from the original image of the light emitted from the light emitting element and the light emitting element into the case made of a resin material, the thermal effects of at least the light emitting element of the case Inside the part to receive through the air layer
By having a two-wall structure composed of a wall and an outer wall ,
The air layer is a heat diffusion layer .

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a key for a printer is provided.
Mounted on the carriage, and the original is moved when the carriage moves.
An image scanner configured to read images
I, have a light-receiving element for receiving reflected light from the original image of the light emitted from the light emitting element and the light emitting element into the case made of a resin material, the thermal effects of at least the light emitting element of the case Good thermal conductive material between the receiving parts
By having a two-wall structure consisting of the inserted inner wall and outer wall ,
The high-heat conductive material between the walls is a heat diffusion layer .

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the image scanner is mounted on a carriage together with a recording head.

[0009]

[0010]

[0011]

The above-described means operates as follows.

In the image scanner according to the first aspect, the portion affected by the light emitting element, which is a heating element, has two walls, and an air layer is interposed therebetween. Diffusion occurs, and heat is transmitted to the external case in a diffused state, so that the temperature rises as a whole. As a result, the whole body becomes hot, but the temperature rise is suppressed.

Further, in the image scanner according to the second aspect of the present invention, since a material having good heat conductivity is further interposed between the two walls, the heat of the inner wall is made of the material having good heat conductivity. And diffused as a whole, and when it reaches the outer wall, it is in a state of thermal diffusion.

In the printer according to the third aspect, since the heat generation of the case of the image scanner is suppressed, the rise in the temperature of the carriage can be suppressed as a result.

[0015]

[0016]

[0017]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an image scanner 1 according to the present invention.
1 shows the structure of Example 1. As shown, an incandescent lamp 12 as a light emitting element is disposed at an upper left portion (in the figure) of a main body case 13. A semi-circular reflecting plate 13 is provided behind the incandescent lamp 12, and a cylindrical lens 14 for narrowing down emitted light is provided in front of the incandescent lamp 12. Further, inside the main body case 13, there is provided a lens unit 15 for narrowing down the reflected light of the emitted light reflected from the original or the like, and a plurality of CCDs as light receiving elements for detecting the reflected light narrowed down by the lens unit 15. Element 1
6 are provided. In addition, an opening 18 is formed in the center of the main body case 13 in the upper part of the figure, and the incandescent lamp 1 is formed.
Light emitted from the main body case 1 is transmitted through the opening 18.
3, the light reflected by the original section is again introduced into the main body case 12 through the opening 18. The main body case 13 is formed of a heat-resistant resin material, and the left side wall (side plate) 19, 20 near the incandescent lamp 12 in the figure has a double structure. With this configuration, the air layer 21 between the walls is used as a heat diffusion layer. As a result, even if the resin material does not easily transmit heat, the diffused heat is transmitted to the outer wall 19 through the air layer 21 because the air layer 21 exists.
The temperature rises as a whole, not just in local areas. For this reason, there is no place where the temperature rises extremely, and 70-80
° C.

In addition, not only the air layer 21 but also a thin plate made of a member (not shown) having good thermal conductivity such as aluminum is interposed (inserted) between the walls 19 and 20 of the image scanner 11 shown in FIG. Thus, the temperature rise can be further suppressed. In this case, since a member having better heat conductivity than air is interposed, the generated heat is spread in a short time over the entire surface of the member. Therefore, the heat is diffused to the entire wall 19, so that the temperature does not locally increase, and the temperature of the outer wall 19 of the main body case 13 can be suppressed to about 60 to 70 ° C. A greater effect was obtained as compared with the case of the air layer of the first embodiment.

Furthermore, as a result of mounting the image scanner having the structure of the above-described two embodiments on a serial printer, the temperature inside the printer apparatus can be reduced despite the long-term use (to prevent the temperature of the image scanner from rising). The rise was also suppressed, and good printing results were obtained.

FIG. 2 shows an image scanner 4 according to the present invention.
The carriage 30 of the thermal printer equipped with the image scanner 4 is different from the printer equipped with the conventional image scanner 4 described above in that the side wall 31 near the light emitting element 6 of the carriage 30 of the printer equipped with the image scanner 4 is shown. Between the two walls 31a, 31 via an air space
b.

As shown in the figure, the image scanner 4
It is mounted at a position on the left side of the thermal head 3. Since the structure of the image scanner 4 itself is not different from the conventional one, a detailed description is omitted. The left wall 31 in the figure of the carriage 30 on which the image scanner 4 is mounted has two walls 31a and 31b with an air layer between them.
It has a structure. As a result, it was possible to prevent a local temperature rise in this portion 31 near the incandescent lamp 6, and the temperature rise could be suppressed to 70 to 80 ° C.

It has been found that by inserting a thin plate 32 of a thermally conductive material such as aluminum between the walls 31a and 31b, the temperature can be further prevented from rising to 60 to 70 ° C.

In this embodiment, a thermal printer has been described as an example. However, as long as the printer is equipped with an image scanner, it can of course be applied to an ink jet printer, a wire dot printer, etc., regardless of the system. is there.

Further, even when an image scanner using a fluorescent lamp, a cathode ray tube or the like as a light emitting element instead of the incandescent lamp as described above is used, the temperature rise can be suppressed and the control of the printer can be simplified. It was confirmed.

[0026]

[Effect] As described above, two sheets consisting of the inner wall and the outer wall
By using the air layer between the walls as a heat diffusion layer, it is possible to suppress a rise in the temperature of the image scanner or the carriage, thereby reducing the danger and deteriorating the print quality when used in a printer. Can be prevented. Ma
Also, a good heat conductive member between the inner wall and the outer wall having a two-wall structure
Inserts a diffuser to spread the local temperature rise of the image scanner or carriage,
Since the layers can be held down, the risk is reduced, and the deterioration of print quality when used in a printer can be prevented.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional structure diagram illustrating a structure of an image scanner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram for explaining a carriage portion of the thermal transfer printer according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional structure diagram illustrating a structure of a conventional image scanner.

FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram for explaining a configuration of a conventional thermal transfer printer.

[Explanation of symbols]

 4,11 Image scanner 6,12 Light emitting element 13 Main body case 19,20 Wall of main body case 31 Wall formed on carriage

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A printer mounted on a carriage of a printer,
Configured to read the original image when the carriage moves
A image scanner that is, have a light-receiving element for receiving reflected light from the original image of the light emitted from the light emitting element and the light emitting element into the case made of a resin material, at least the light emission of the case The heat-affected portion of the element has a two-wall structure including an inner wall and an outer wall with an air layer interposed therebetween, so that the air layer between the walls is a heat diffusion layer. Image scanner. 2. A printer mounted on a carriage of a printer,
Configured to read the original image when the carriage moves
A image scanner that is, have a light-receiving element for receiving reflected light from the original image of the light emitted from the light emitting element and the light emitting element into the case made of a resin material, at least the light emission of the case The part of the element that is affected by heat is separated from the inner and outer walls with a good heat conductive material inserted between them.
A two-walled structure to provide a good heat conductive material between the walls
An image scanner characterized by having a heat diffusion layer . 3. A printer comprising the image scanner according to claim 1 and a recording head mounted on a carriage.