JP4838993B2 - Image reading apparatus and copying apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image reading apparatus and a copying apparatus.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is an image reading apparatus that optically reads an original image by exposing and scanning the original and forming exposure light passing through the original on a CCD linear image sensor. In order to obtain good image data in an image reading apparatus that reads an original image using a CCD linear image sensor, a sufficient exposure amount is required for exposure of the original.

  The sensitivity of a color CCD linear image sensor that also supports reading of color images is lower than the sensitivity of a monochrome CCD linear image sensor that supports reading of only monochrome images. For this reason, when a color CCD linear image sensor is used, a larger exposure amount is required than when a monochrome CCD linear image sensor is used.

  Further, in order to obtain high resolution image data, a larger exposure amount is required than in the case of obtaining low resolution image data.

  Under such circumstances, recent image reading apparatuses tend to increase the amount of light. And with such an increase in the amount of light, the amount of heat generated from the exposure lamp tends to increase.

  However, excessive heat generation causes a problem in the reading operation of the image reading apparatus and the quality of the read image. For example, there are image reading apparatuses that require cooling means depending on the type of exposure lamp used.

  By the way, in the above-mentioned image reading apparatus, a document mounted on the contact glass is exposed and scanned by running a traveling body equipped with an exposure lamp and a mirror along the document below the contact glass. Some of the reflected light is reflected on a CCD linear image sensor by using a mirror. In such an image reading apparatus, in order to reflect the reflected light from the document, the mirror mounted on the traveling body together with the exposure lamp is disposed upward.

  However, in such an image reading apparatus, since the mirror that reflects the reflected light from the document is disposed upward, foreign matter such as dust is easily deposited on the reflecting surface of the mirror. If foreign matter such as dust accumulates on the reflecting surface of the mirror, light cannot be reflected at the location where dust or the like is deposited. As a result, the reflected light from the document cannot be satisfactorily guided to the CCD linear image sensor, and there is a problem that the image data of the portion where the foreign matter exists is lost or becomes unclear image data. .

  In order to solve this problem, there is provided an image forming apparatus in which a dust-proof cover is provided above a mirror disposed with a reflection surface facing upward, and when the document image is read, the dust-proof cover is opened by an actuator such as a solenoid. Yes (for example, see Patent Document 1).

JP-A-5-11362

  However, the technique described in Patent Document 1 does not consider measures for heat generation of the exposure lamp.

  In the technique described in Patent Document 1, a dustproof cover, a solenoid, and the like must be mounted on the traveling body. For this reason, a traveling body enlarges and the drive mechanism for moving this traveling body will also enlarge.

  Further, even in the technique described in Patent Document 1, foreign matter such as dust may be deposited on the reflecting surface, and once deposited, it becomes impossible to reflect light at the place where dust or the like is deposited, This causes a problem that the image data of the portion where the foreign substance exists is lost or becomes unclear image data.

  An object of the present invention is to obtain an image reading apparatus capable of cooling a light source without providing a complicated mechanism or increasing the size of a traveling body.

  Another object of the present invention is to prevent foreign substances such as dust from accumulating on an optical member without complicating the structure and increasing the size of the apparatus.

The image reading apparatus according to claim 1 is a light source that emits light toward a document, a photoelectric conversion element that generates image data according to the amount of received light, and light that is emitted from the light source and passes through the document. An optical member for receiving light by a photoelectric conversion element, a traveling body on which the light source and the optical member are mounted, a moving mechanism for reciprocating the traveling body in the sub-scanning direction, and a forward or backward movement of the traveling body An opening that opens from at least one of the sides toward the light source, and a flow path member that is provided in the traveling body and forms a flow path from the light source to the optical member .

  Here, the forward movement direction is the direction in which the traveling body advances when the document is exposed and scanned, and the backward movement direction is the direction in which the traveling body returns to the position at which the exposure scanning of the document starts after exposure scanning. means.

  Therefore, by reciprocating the traveling body when reading the document image, air introduced from the opening is blown to the light source when the traveling body moves in at least one of the forward movement direction and the backward movement direction. It is done.

According to a second aspect of the invention, in the image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said opening is open toward the light source from the backward side of the traveling body.

  Therefore, when the traveling body is moved in the backward movement direction, that is, when the traveling body returns to the position where the document starts exposure scanning after exposure scanning, the air is introduced from the opening.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the image reading apparatus according to the second aspect , the flow path member fixes the light source to the traveling body and blocks passage of air between the light source and the traveling body. .

  Therefore, it is possible to prevent the air introduced from the opening from slipping through between the light source and the traveling body by reciprocating the traveling body.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the image reading apparatus according to the third aspect , the flow path member is formed of a material having a heat dissipation effect.

  Therefore, the light source can also be cooled by radiating the heat generated from the light source.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a copying apparatus comprising: the image reading apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects; and an image forming apparatus that prints out an image based on image data read by the image reading apparatus. It has.

  Therefore, it is possible to print out an image with good image quality based on image data with good image quality obtained by the operation of the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

According to the image reading apparatus of the first aspect of the present invention, the light source that emits light toward the document, the photoelectric conversion element that generates image data according to the amount of received light, and the light emitted from the light source and passing through the document An optical member that causes the photoelectric conversion element to receive light, a traveling body on which the light source and the optical member are mounted, a moving mechanism that reciprocates the traveling body in the sub-scanning direction, and a forward side of the traveling body or To provide an opening that opens from at least one side of the return side toward the light source, and a flow path member that is provided in the traveling body and forms a flow path from the light source to the optical member. By reciprocating the traveling body when reading the document image, the air introduced from the opening is blown to the light source when the traveling body moves in at least one of the forward movement direction and the backward movement direction. It is possible, it is possible to cool the light source without or size of the provided or running body a complicated mechanism. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent the accumulation of foreign matters such as dust on the optical member without complicating the structure and increasing the size of the apparatus.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the image reading apparatus according to the first aspect, the opening opens from the backward side of the traveling body toward the light source, and therefore the traveling body is moved in the backward movement direction. In other words, since air can be introduced from the opening when the traveling body returns to a position where exposure scanning of the document starts after exposure scanning of the document, during backward movement that does not directly affect the reading of the document image. The mirror can be cleaned.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the image reading device according to the second aspect , the flow path member fixes the light source to the traveling body and allows air to pass between the light source and the traveling body. In order to cut off, it is possible to prevent the air introduced from the opening from slipping through between the light source and the traveling body by reciprocating the traveling body, so that the air is introduced from the opening and blown to the light source. Air can be more reliably guided to the optical member, and foreign matters such as dust accumulated on the optical member can be blown away from the optical member by the flow of air.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the image reading apparatus according to the third aspect , since the flow path member is formed of a material having a heat dissipation effect, the light source can also be radiated by radiating heat generated from the light source. Therefore, the light source can be cooled more effectively.

According to a copying apparatus of a fifth aspect of the present invention, the image reading apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, and an image forming apparatus that prints out an image based on the image data read by the image reading apparatus, Therefore, it is possible to print out an image with good image quality based on image data with good image quality obtained by the operation of the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 4 .

  An embodiment for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. This embodiment shows an application example to a flat bed type scanner device as an image reading device.

  First, the overall configuration of the scanner device will be schematically described. FIG. 1 is a longitudinal side view schematically showing a scanner apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The scanner device 1 has a housing-shaped scanner housing 3 having a contact glass 2 on the upper surface. A document P to be read is placed on the contact glass 2 with the reading surface in FIG.

  A white reference plate 4 used for shading correction is provided in the vicinity of the contact glass 2 of the scanner housing 3. Since shading correction is a known technique, description thereof is omitted.

  On the upper side of the scanner housing 3, a document pressing plate C that presses the document P placed on the contact glass 2 is provided.

  Inside the scanner housing 3 are a first traveling body 7 as a traveling body on which an exposure lamp 5 as a light source and a mirror 6 as an optical member are mounted, a second traveling body 10 on which mirrors 8 and 9 are mounted, and a lens. 11 and a line sensor 12 having a plurality of CCDs (Charge Coupled Devices) as one-dimensionally arranged photoelectric conversion elements, an exposure optical system 13 is provided. The first and second traveling bodies 7 and 10 are provided so as to be able to reciprocate in the left-right direction in FIG. 1, and are driven by a stepping motor (not shown) as a moving mechanism provided in the scanner housing 3. The vehicle travels along the contact glass 2 at a speed ratio of 2: 1 in the left-right direction in FIG.

  Here, the forward movement direction refers to the direction in which the first traveling body 7 and the second traveling body 10 travel when the document is exposed and scanned, and the backward movement direction refers to the first traveling body 7 and the first traveling body 7 after the document is exposed and scanned. It means a direction in which the second traveling body 10 returns to the position where the exposure scanning of the document starts. Further, the forward movement side means the left side in FIG. 1, and the backward movement side means the right side in FIG.

  In the scanner housing 3, a sensor board 15 on which the line sensor 12 is mounted, and a signal processing board 16 that performs various data processing based on output signals from the sensor board 15 are provided. The sensor board 15 and the signal processing board 16 are connected by a cable 14.

  Next, a characteristic configuration of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal side view schematically showing the first traveling body 7. The first traveling body is provided with the exposure lamp 5 and the mirror 6 such that the longitudinal direction thereof is parallel to the main scanning direction. The exposure lamp 5 is fixed to the first traveling body 7 via a heat dissipation material 17 as a flow path member. The heat dissipation material 17 is formed of a material having a heat dissipation effect. Here, as a material having a heat dissipation effect, for example, a material that has a higher heat dissipation effect when attached via the heat dissipation material 17 than when the exposure lamp 5 is directly attached to the first traveling body 7 is used. Good. In addition, the heat radiating material 17 of this Embodiment is formed with the silicon sheet. The heat dissipating material 17 is continuously provided between the exposure lamp 5 and the first traveling body 7 in the main scanning direction. As a result, the passage of air between the exposure lamp 5 and the first traveling body 7 is blocked.

  Further, the first traveling body 7 is provided with a reflecting material 18 at a position on the left side in FIG. Although the description is omitted because it is a known technique, the reflector 18 functions to compensate for the amount of light when the document is exposed by reflecting the light emitted from the exposure lamp 5 toward the document.

  In FIG. 2, a slit 19 serving as an opening that opens toward the exposure lamp 5 is provided below the reflector 18. The slit 19 is provided so as to open at a position different from the plane orthogonal to the reciprocating direction of the first traveling body 7. Here, the surface orthogonal to the reciprocating direction of the first traveling body 7 means a plane including the coordinate axes in the vertical direction and the front and back directions in FIG. More specifically, the slit 19 extends along the reciprocating direction so that the air introduced from the slit 19 is guided to the exposure lamp 5 when the first traveling body 7 moves in the forward direction or the backward direction. Thus, it is provided so as to face the exposure lamp 5 from the backward movement side. In the present embodiment, the slit 19 is provided so as to open from the backward movement side of the first traveling body 7 toward the exposure lamp 5.

  In addition, a slit 20 penetrating the first traveling body 7 is provided between the exposure lamp 5 and the reflector 18 in the first traveling body 7 in the vertical direction in FIG. The slit 20 can guide the reflected light from the document to the mirror 6.

  In such a configuration, when the original image is read, the contact glass 2 is caused to travel along the contact glass 2 by the stepping motor while the exposure lamp 5 is turned on. The original P placed thereon is exposed and scanned.

  The light irradiated on the original P by this exposure scanning is reflected on the original surface and reflected by the mirrors 6, 8, 9, and then imaged on the line sensor 12 via the imaging lens 12. As a result, light emitted from the exposure lamp 5 serving as a light source and passing through the original is received by each CCD serving as a photoelectric conversion element. Image light imaged on each CCD in the line sensor 12 is photoelectrically converted by each CCD in the line sensor 12 and converted into a voltage signal having a voltage value corresponding to the amount of light.

  Here, since the first traveling body 7 of the present embodiment is provided with a slit 19 that opens from the backward movement side of the exposure lamp 5 toward the exposure lamp 5, the first traveling body 7 is reciprocated. When the first traveling body 7 travels in the backward movement direction, air is introduced from the slit 19. The air introduced from the slit 19 flows in the direction indicated by the arrow A in FIG. 2 and is blown to the exposure lamp 5. The exposure lamp 5 can be cooled by this air.

  Further, in the first traveling body 7 of the present embodiment, a heat radiating material 17 that is a flow path member fixes the exposure lamp 5 to the first traveling body 7 and between the exposure lamp 5 and the first traveling body 7. Therefore, the air blown to the exposure lamp 5 is blocked by the heat radiating material 17 from passing through the forward side of the exposure lamp 5 and repelled by the heat radiating material 17. 2 flows in the direction indicated by arrow B in FIG. 2 and passes on the reflecting surface of the mirror 6. As a result, the reflecting surface of the mirror 6 can be cleaned and foreign matter such as dust can be prevented from accumulating on the mirror 6. Further, even if foreign matter such as dust is accumulated on the mirror 6, the reflection of the mirror 6 is caused by blowing off foreign matter such as dust accumulated on the reflecting surface of the mirror 6 by the air flow indicated by the arrow B in FIG. The surface can be cleaned.

  As described above, according to the scanner device 1 of the present embodiment, the exposure lamp 5 can be cooled only by reciprocating the first traveling body 7 at the time of reading a document image. The light source can be cooled without increasing the size of the traveling body.

  Further, according to the scanner device 1 of the present embodiment, the reflection surface of the mirror 6 is cleaned only by reciprocating the first traveling body 7 at the time of reading a document image, so that the structure is complicated and the size of the device is large. Therefore, it is possible to prevent foreign matters such as dust from accumulating on the reflecting surface of the mirror 6 for a long period of time.

  Furthermore, according to the scanner device 1 of the present embodiment, the reflection surface of the mirror 6 is cleaned every time the first traveling body 7 is reciprocated when reading the document image. It is possible to more effectively prevent the foreign matter from accumulating.

  Here, if foreign matter such as dust is accumulated on the mirror 6, if air from the slit 19 is introduced when the first traveling body 7 moves in the forward movement direction, the document P is being read. There is a concern that the foreign matter may move. For this reason, there is a concern that the loss of image data may occur at a plurality of locations, or the image may be blurred over a wide range.

  However, since the slit 19 of the present embodiment is provided on the left side (return side) in FIG. 2 with respect to the exposure lamp 5, the air from the slit 19 moves when the first traveling body 7 moves in the backward direction. Is introduced. As a result, the mirror 6 can be cleaned when moving in the backward movement direction that does not directly affect the reading of the document P. Therefore, the influence on the read image is minimized and the mirror is cleaned more effectively. be able to.

  Further, according to the scanner device 1 of the present embodiment, the exposure lamp 5 can be cooled and the reflection surface of the mirror 6 can be cleaned only by reciprocating the first traveling body 7 when reading the document image. Therefore, the light source is cooled without providing a complicated mechanism or enlarging the traveling body, and foreign matters such as dust accumulate on the reflecting surface of the mirror 6 without complicating the structure and enlarging the apparatus. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the loss of image data and the generation of unclear image data.

  In the present embodiment, the scanner apparatus 1 that performs monochrome image reading has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention may be applied to a color scanner apparatus that performs color image reading.

  Another embodiment for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 3 is a longitudinal front view showing a copying apparatus according to another embodiment for carrying out the present invention. The copying apparatus 29 according to the present embodiment includes the scanner apparatus 1 as the image reading apparatus described in the various embodiments described above and the printer 30 as the image forming apparatus provided below the scanner apparatus 1. Yes.

  Formed inside the casing 31 of the printer 30 is a paper transport path 36 that extends from a tray 32 for stacking paper to a discharge stacker section 35 via an electrophotographic printer engine 33 and a fixing device 34. Around the photoconductor 37 provided in the printer engine 33, there are a charger 38 for uniformly charging the surface of the photoconductor 37, an exposure device 39 for exposing an image of a document read by the scanner device 1 on the photoconductor, A developing unit 40 that visualizes the latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive member 37 by exposing it to toner, and a transfer unit that transfers the developed image to the sheet conveyed through the sheet conveying path 36. 41, and a cleaning device 42 for cleaning the surface of the photoreceptor 37.

  In such a configuration, the image of the document read by the scanner device 1 is formed on the sheet conveyed by the printer engine 33 with the timing adjusted in the sheet conveyance path 36 and fixed by the fixing unit 34.

  As described above, according to the copying apparatus 29 of the present embodiment, an image of a document read by the scanner apparatus 1 described in the above-described embodiment is formed on a sheet by the printer engine 33, whereby the scanner described above. An image having a good image quality based on the image data having a good image quality acquired by the apparatus 1 can be printed out.

  In the present embodiment, a printer engine that forms an image by an electrophotographic method is used. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention may be applied to a printer engine that forms an image by an inkjet method.

It is a vertical side view which shows roughly the scanner apparatus of one form which implements this invention. It is a vertical side view which shows a 1st traveling body roughly. It is a vertical front view which shows the copying apparatus of another form which implements this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image reader 5 Light source 6 Optical member 7 Traveling body 17 Flow path member 19 Opening part 29 Copying apparatus 30 Image forming apparatus

Claims (5)

A light source that emits light toward the document;
A photoelectric conversion element that generates image data according to the amount of received light;
An optical member that causes the photoelectric conversion element to receive light emitted from the light source and passing through the document;
A traveling body on which the light source and the optical member are mounted;
A moving mechanism for reciprocating the traveling body along the sub-scanning direction;
An opening that opens from at least one of the forward side and the backward side of the traveling body toward the light source;
A flow path member provided in the traveling body and forming a flow path from the light source to the optical member;
An image reading apparatus comprising:   The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the opening opens from the backward side of the traveling body toward the light source. The image reading apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the flow path member fixes the light source to the traveling body and blocks passage of air between the light source and the traveling body. The image reading apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the flow path member is formed of a material having a heat dissipation effect. An image reading apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4 ,
An image forming apparatus that prints out an image based on the image data read by the image reading apparatus;
A copying apparatus comprising:

Images