JP3314605B2 - Image reading device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to an image reading apparatus provided in a copying machine, a facsimile machine, or the like, for reading an image of a document transferred one by one.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art This type of image reading apparatus reads an image of a document at a predetermined reading position while the document is being transported.

[0003]

However, foreign matters such as rubber scum, rubber scum due to roller abrasion, paper dust, and dust often adhere to the original. Therefore, if the image is read in that state, the foreign matter is recorded as it is on the recorded image, or a black or white streak is recorded due to the movement of the foreign matter in the reading unit, thereby deteriorating the image quality. Was causing it.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an image reading apparatus capable of removing foreign matters on a document before reading an image and improving the quality of a recorded image. To provide.

[0005]

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is configured as follows. According to the first aspect of the present invention, in an image reading apparatus in which an image on a document conveyed in one direction is read at a predetermined reading position, a lowermost portion of a document supply tray for stocking a document before image reading is provided. The document transfer path leading to the reading position is curved downward from above by a pair of guide members for guiding the document transfer, and at the end of the curved document transfer path and at the curved portion of the outer guide member, the document is transferred. A recess is provided for accommodating foreign matter dropped from the reading surface side.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the image reading apparatus according to the first aspect, the concave portion is provided immediately after the transfer roller provided immediately before the reading position. According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the image reading apparatus according to the first or second aspect, the recess includes a scraping means for scraping off a foreign substance attached to a reading surface side of the document.

Therefore, any one of claims 1 to 3
According to the invention described in the paragraph, before reading the document image, the foreign matter on the document is removed.

[0008]

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

(First Embodiment) A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

As shown in FIG. 1, a recording paper cassette 13 for stocking recording paper and a recording mechanism 12 for recording on recording paper fed from the recording paper cassette 13 are provided at a lower portion of the apparatus main body 11. A recording paper tray 14 for receiving recorded recording paper is provided.

An image reading device 21 is provided above the main body 11 of the apparatus.
Is provided, and the configuration will be described in detail below.
The image reading device 21 includes first and second light transmitting plates 22 and 23, and an upper surface of the first light transmitting plate 22 forms a reading position of a stationary original. The upper surface of the second translucent plate 23 constitutes the reading position of the moving document. A light source 24 for irradiating the original with light, a plurality of reflection mirrors 25 for changing the path of reflected light from the original, a condenser lens 26 for condensing the light, Image sensor 27 for reading upper image information
And are provided. When reading a moving original, the light source 24 is stopped below the second light transmitting plate 23. When reading a stationary original, the reflecting mirror 25 on the original and the object side is moved to the first transparent plate. It is moved along the lower surface of the light plate 22. The cover 31 is arranged on the apparatus main body 11 so as to be openable and closable. The cover 31 includes a document supply tray 32 for stocking a moving document before image reading, a document discharge tray 33 for stocking a moving document after image reading, and a guide mechanism 34 disposed between the trays 33, 32.
And

In the vicinity of the boundary between the document supply tray 32 and the guide mechanism 34, separation rollers 35 and 36 for separating documents one by one are provided in the guide mechanism 34. The separation rollers 35 and 36 and the document discharge tray 3
A plurality of transfer rollers 37 are provided between the transfer document 3 and the transfer document 3, and a transfer force is applied to the moving document separated by the separation rollers 35 and 36. Guide plates 38 and 39 for forming a document transfer path 41 are arranged between the separation rollers 35 and 36 and the second light transmitting plate 23. Second translucent plate 23
, And one guide plate 39 located immediately adjacent to the second light-transmitting plate 23 has a document transfer path 4.
A recess 40 extending in the width direction is formed. The concave portion 40 constitutes a removing means for removing foreign matter. An inclined surface 40a is formed at the edge of the concave portion 40 on the side of the second light-transmitting plate 23, and is inclined downward toward the feeding side in the paper feeding direction. Thus, paper jams can be prevented beforehand.

When reading an image of a moving original on the original supply tray 32, the originals are separated one by one by separation rollers 35 and 36, and are separated along a second original transfer path 41 along guide plates 38 and 39. It is transported so as to pass over the light transmitting plate 23. Then, an image on the document is read on the second light transmitting plate 23. The data of the read image is transmitted via a telephone line, or recorded on a recording sheet by the recording mechanism 13.

When the document passes through the document transfer path 41, foreign matter such as dust attached to the reading surface of the document is dropped and stored in the recess 40. The foreign matter is accommodated in the concave portion 40 by being directly dropped into the concave portion 40 from the original,
Alternatively, the guide plate 39 is dropped before reaching the concave portion 40.
Along the inside of the concave portion 40.

Therefore, the first embodiment has the following advantages. (1) Foreign matter such as dust on the moving document is removed before the moving document reaches the reading position on the second translucent plate 23.
It is possible to prevent foreign matter from being recorded as it is on a recorded image, or to prevent recording of a black or white streak, thereby improving image quality. (2) As a configuration for removing the foreign matter, the guide plate 3
Since only the concave portion 40 is provided in 9, there is no need to add a new component for removing foreign matter, and the configuration is simple. (3) Since foreign matter is removed before the moving original reaches the second light transmitting plate 23, the upper surface of the second light transmitting plate 23 can be prevented from being stained, and cleaning of the second light transmitting plate 23 can be prevented. Time and effort can be reduced. (4) Since the inclined surface 40a is formed at the edge of the concave portion 40 on the side of the second translucent plate 23, that is, the edge on the sending side in the paper feeding direction, which is inclined downward toward the feeding side in the paper feeding direction. By preventing the leading edge of the document from being caught on the opening edge of the concave portion 40, paper jam can be prevented beforehand.

(Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, focusing on parts different from the first embodiment.

In the second embodiment, the recess 40
The upper end opening is covered with an auxiliary guide plate 42, and the auxiliary guide plate 42 is provided with a plurality of slits 43 extending along the document transfer path 41.

Therefore, in the second embodiment,
Since the upper end opening of the concave portion 40 is covered by the auxiliary guide plate 42, the moving document can be smoothly transported along the auxiliary guide plate 42. In addition, since the auxiliary guide plate 42 has a plurality of slits 43, the auxiliary guide plate 42
Does not hinder the accommodation of foreign matter.

(Third Embodiment) Next, a third embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. 5, focusing on parts different from the first and second embodiments.

In the third embodiment, a plurality of ridges 44 extending along the document transfer path 41 are formed on one guide plate 39 in the document transfer path 41 leading to the second translucent plate 23. In addition, a continuous concave portion 45 for accommodating foreign matter is formed between the ridges 44.

Therefore, in the third embodiment,
The contact area between the guide plate 39 and the moving document is reduced, the frictional resistance between them is reduced, and the moving document can be fed smoothly.

(Fourth Embodiment) Next, a fourth embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. 6, focusing on parts different from the first, second and third embodiments.

In the fourth embodiment, the recess 40
Brush 4 as a removing means for removing foreign matter inside
6 and a hole 47 for discharging foreign matter is provided on the bottom wall of the concave portion 40.

Therefore, the foreign matter on the original is surely scraped off by the brush 46, and the scraped foreign matter is
7, foreign matter in the recess 40 can be easily cleaned. The present invention can be embodied by the following modifications. (A) Changing the position of the recess 40. For example, recess 4
0 is provided at the end of the document tray 32 on the sending side. (B) A hole 47 for discharging foreign matter shown in FIG. 6 is also provided on the bottom wall of the recess 40 of another embodiment. (C) A hole 47 for discharging foreign matter is opened on the outer surface of the apparatus, and a passage for guiding the hole 47 and the opening is provided. With this configuration, foreign matter is discharged from the hole 47 to the outside of the apparatus, which is convenient for handling such as cleaning. (D) Combining the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 with another embodiment. That is, the continuous concave portion 45 is formed in the concave portion 40 on the guide plate 39 on the document feeding side with respect to the concave portion 40. With such a configuration, the foreign matter dropped in the continuous concave portion 45 is securely accommodated in the concave portion 40.

Further, the technical idea grasped from the above embodiment will be described below. (1) The image reading device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein a hole 47 for discharging foreign matter is provided in a bottom wall of the concave portion 40. With this configuration, the foreign matter can be easily removed from the recess 40. (2) The image reading apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the removing means includes scraping means (46, 49) for scraping foreign matter. With this configuration, the removal of the foreign matter from the document is reliably performed. (3) The image reading device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein an inclined surface (40a) that is inclined downward toward the feeding side is formed at an edge of the concave portion (40) on the sending side in the paper feeding direction. With this configuration, paper jam can be prevented beforehand.

[0026]

As exemplified in the above embodiments, the present invention has the following effects. Claims 1 to 3
According to the invention described in any one of the above, the foreign matter on the document can be removed, and the image quality can be improved.

[0027]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a facsimile apparatus embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view showing a second embodiment.

FIG. 4 is also a plan view.

FIG. 5 is a partial sectional view showing a third embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a partial sectional view showing a fourth embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Device main body, 12 ... Recording mechanism, 21 ... Image reading device, 32 ... Document supply tray, 37 ... Transfer roller, 38,
39: guide plate as a guide member, 40: recess, 40
a: slope, 41: document transfer path, 44: ridge, 45: continuous concave part as concave part, 46: brush as scraping means, 47: hole.

────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-7-323966 (JP, A) JP-A-7-281488 (JP, A) JP-A-6-343123 (JP, A) JP-A-4- 169439 (JP, A) Japanese Utility Model Application Hei 2-75443 (JP, U) Japanese Utility Model Application Sho 57-46952 (JP, U) Japanese Utility Model Application Hei 4-93852 (JP, U) (58) Fields surveyed (Int. ⁷ , DB name) B65H 5/38 B65H 5/00 G03G 15/00 H04N 1/00

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. An image reading apparatus in which an image on a document conveyed in one direction is read at a predetermined reading position, the document ranging from a document supply tray stocking the document before image reading to a lowermost reading position. The transport path is curved downward from above by a pair of guide members for guiding the document transport, and drops from the document reading surface side to the curved end of the curved document transport path and to the curved portion of the outer guide member. An image reading device provided with a concave portion for accommodating a foreign substance. 2. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said recess is provided immediately after a transfer roller provided immediately before a reading position. 3. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said recess includes a scraping means for scraping off a foreign substance attached to a reading surface side of a document.