JP5968963B2 - Optical information reader - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical information reading device that projects light onto a reading object such as a barcode and receives reflected light to read information, and belongs to a technical field having a structure particularly suitable for downsizing.

  Conventionally, for example, information on samples, reagents, parts, tools, etc. in hospitals, factories, etc. is displayed as a one-dimensional barcode (reading object) at a predetermined location on these objects, and this barcode information is displayed. Is read by a barcode reader (optical information reader). Such a barcode reader projects band-like light onto the barcode, and the reflected light from the barcode is imaged on a light receiving surface of an image sensor such as a CCD line sensor by a light receiving lens.

  In this way, the light receiving lens that receives the reflected light from the bar code must have the entire longitudinal direction in the field of view at a position relatively close to the bar code, so a wide viewing angle of, for example, 90 ° or more is required. Similarly, the band-shaped light projected onto the barcode needs to be widened in the longitudinal direction of the barcode, and it is required to have a light amount distribution that is as uniform as possible.

  Therefore, for example, in the barcode reader described in Patent Document 1, a plurality of (for example, six) LEDs are arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction of the CCD line sensor, that is, the direction in which the projection light is spread in a band shape. Moreover, a bowl-shaped light projecting lens is provided so as to extend in the direction in which the LEDs are arranged, whereby light from each LED is condensed in the width direction so as to secure the light quantity.

  On the other hand, in the barcode reader described in Patent Document 2, for example, a plurality of (for example, four) LEDs are used as described above, and the individual LEDs are arranged to be inclined to the outside, so that the light projected onto the barcode in a band shape Is uniformized in the longitudinal direction. Further, in order to reduce the number of LEDs and reduce the size of the light projecting system, each LED is covered with a diffusion plate (LED cap) that diffuses light.

JP 2002-111970 A JP 2005-25311 A

  However, each of the conventional barcode readers as described above has a plurality of LEDs arranged side by side, and in particular, the former conventional example has six LEDs arranged, leading to an increase in cost and an increase in power consumption. There are difficulties. Moreover, the larger the number of LEDs, the larger the light projection system, which is an obstacle to downsizing the barcode reader.

  In this regard, in the latter conventional example, while the light generated by each LED is diffused by the LED cap and the LED itself is mounted obliquely with respect to the electric circuit board, the number of LEDs is reduced. Four LEDs are required. In addition, the lead type LED must be mounted obliquely with respect to the electric circuit board, resulting in an increase in man-hours.

  In view of these points, the object of the present invention is to reduce the size of an optical information reading apparatus such as a barcode reader, in particular, by contriving the structure of a light projecting system, while suppressing an increase in cost and power consumption. There is to do.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a light projecting system that projects light from a light source onto a reading target such as a barcode by a light projecting lens, and a light receiving lens that receives reflected light from the reading target. Targeting an optical information reading device including a light receiving system that forms an image on a surface and a signal processing system that receives an output signal from the image sensor and reads information on the reading target, the light projecting system includes the light receiving lens. The light is projected in a band-like range that is long in a predetermined direction on a light projecting plane that is substantially orthogonal to the optical axis, and short in the width direction that is approximately orthogonal to the longitudinal direction.

Then, the projection lens, with an arc-shaped concave for incident surface the longitudinal direction in which light is incident from the light source, the said width direction to name an arcuate convex shape, and the curvature A constant toroidal surface in the longitudinal direction. On the other hand, the exit surface of the projection lens from which the light incident on the entrance surface exits toward the projection plane is a free-form surface that can obtain a predetermined light quantity distribution in the longitudinal direction of the projection plane. The width direction is linear. The light projecting lens is arranged so that the center of the arc of the incident surface is included in the light emitting portion of the light source when viewed in the width direction.

The “incident surface” of the light projecting lens means a range in which light incident from the light source exits from the exit surface without being reflected by the side surface of the lens .

  In the optical information reading apparatus having such a configuration, first, light emitted from a light source such as an LED in a light projecting system is projected in a band shape toward a reading target such as a barcode via a light projecting lens. At this time, the light projecting lens projects light so as to spread in the longitudinal direction of the light projecting plane where it is assumed that there is an object to be read, and accordingly, the number of light sources (LEDs, etc.) arranged in the longitudinal direction can be reduced accordingly. it can. Thereby, an increase in cost and an increase in power consumption can be suppressed, and the light projecting system can be downsized.

Further, the incident surface of the light projecting lens has an arc-shaped convex shape in the width direction, and has a function of condensing light incident on the light projecting lens from the light source in the width direction. It is easy to secure the amount of light per hit. In addition, since the incident surface has an arcuate concave shape in the longitudinal direction and the center of the arc is included in the light emitting portion of the light source, the arcuate convex shape in the width direction as described above. Thus, the focal point of the incident surface can be matched with the light emitting portion of the light source, and the light from this light source can be used efficiently.

  On the other hand, the exit surface of the light projecting lens is constituted by a free-form surface, and the light incident on the entrance surface can be appropriately distributed in the longitudinal direction as described above. For example, by making at least a part of the exit surface convex in the longitudinal direction and making at least another part concave in the longitudinal direction, the light quantity distribution in the longitudinal direction of light projected from the exit surface to the projection plane can be obtained. It can be set as appropriate.

In other words, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the shape of the incident surface of the light projecting lens allows the light from the light source to be efficiently collected in the width direction of the band-shaped projection light, while the exit surface is free in the longitudinal direction. The target light quantity distribution can be realized by the curved surface. By dividing the function into the entrance surface and the exit surface in this way, the shape of each surface is not complicated, and the design is facilitated .

Here, what is preferable as the light amount distribution in the longitudinal direction of the light projecting plane is that the light amount is larger than the intermediate portion at both ends. This is because, generally, as a distribution characteristic of light that has passed through the light receiving lens, the light amount increases near the optical axis of the light receiving lens, and the light amount decreases as the distance from the optical axis increases. This is because the characteristics are reduced and a flat light quantity distribution is obtained on the light receiving surface of the image sensor.

  For this purpose, two light sources and light projecting lenses are arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction, and a convex portion in the longitudinal direction is formed on the exit surface of each light projecting lens on the outer side away from the other light projecting lens. On the other hand, a concave portion is formed in the longitudinal direction on the inner side close to the other projection lens. In this way, the amount of light projected from each of the two projection lenses onto the projection plane can be set to increase on one side in the longitudinal direction of the projection plane and gradually decrease toward the opposite side. The preferable light quantity distribution is obtained by superimposing these two projection lights.

  Further, the light projecting system is provided with a window member so as to cover the light emitting surface side of the light projecting lens, and light shielding that blocks a part of the emitted light between the window member and the light projecting lens. A member may be provided. By blocking a part of the projection light by this light blocking member, the light amount distribution in the longitudinal direction of the light projection plane can be changed, so that it is possible to compensate for variations in the light amount distribution due to individual variations of parts used as light sources, for example. it can.

  Further, it is preferable that a surface-mount type LED is used as the light source, and a light-projecting electric circuit board on which the LED is arranged is arranged so as to be substantially orthogonal to the optical axis of the light-receiving lens. This makes it possible to reduce the size of the light projecting system in the direction of the optical axis of the light receiving lens (hereinafter also referred to as the front-rear direction of the optical information reading device), which is advantageous for downsizing the device.

  On the other hand, an optical element such as a mirror or a prism may be disposed in the light receiving system of the optical information reading device so that the optical path of the reflected light that has passed through the light receiving lens is refracted and guided to the imaging element. In this way, it is possible to reduce the size in the front-rear direction not only for the light projecting system but also for the light receiving system, which is advantageous for downsizing of the apparatus.

  In this case, the image pickup device is also of a surface mount type, and the signal processing electric circuit board on which the image pickup element is arranged is arranged so as to intersect the light projecting electric circuit board. Is preferred. If the two substrates are arranged so as to intersect with each other in this way, the mounting space can be reduced in either the front-rear direction or the upper-lower direction compared to using one large substrate.

  In addition, it is preferable that the stop portion for narrowing the reflected light from the barcode in the light receiving system is disposed in front of the light receiving lens, that is, upstream of the optical path to the light receiving lens. In this way, the incident angle of light to the light receiving lens is likely to be large, which is advantageous for increasing the viewing angle, and the light emitting angle from the light receiving lens is likely to be small, so the light receiving surface of the image sensor is reduced in size. Because it can. In addition, when an optical filter is disposed between the light receiving lens and the image sensor, there is an advantage that the incident angle of light to the filter tends to be small and the wavelength of light to be cut can be set stably. .

  Furthermore, in order to reduce the size of the apparatus, it is preferable to use a high-magnification lens as the light-receiving lens and shorten the distance from the light-receiving lens to the light-receiving surface of the image sensor. However, this reduces the depth of focus. Demand for positioning accuracy to the light receiving lens is increased. Therefore, it is preferable to provide a holding member that holds the light receiving lens slidably in the direction of the optical axis, and to position the light receiving lens via the holding member.

  In addition, the signal processing system of the optical information reading apparatus includes a microprocessor that inputs an analog output signal from the image sensor and digitizes it by a built-in AD converter, and converts the digitized signal into software You may comprise so that it may decode by a process. In this case, it is not necessary to provide an AD converter as a component on the electric circuit board separately from the microprocessor, so that the board can be made small, which is advantageous for downsizing of the apparatus.

  In the optical information reading apparatus according to the present invention, the light from the light source is projected in a band shape onto the reading target such as a barcode by the light projecting lens. The increase in power consumption can be suppressed, and the size of the apparatus can be reduced by downsizing the light projecting system. The incident surface of the light projecting lens is formed into a toroidal shape, and the amount of light can be suitably distributed by the free-form surface of the exit surface in the longitudinal direction of the projection light while preferably condensing in the width direction of the belt-shaped projection light.

It is the perspective view which looked at the barcode reader (optical information reading device) concerning one embodiment of the present invention from the diagonally upper part ahead. It is the perspective view which looked at the barcode reader from the front slanting lower part, Comprising: For convenience of explanation, a window member is removed and shown. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional perspective view cut along a cross section including the optical axis of a light receiving lens in order to show the structure of a barcode reader such as a light projecting system and a light receiving system. It is sectional drawing cut | disconnected by the longitudinal cross section containing the optical axis of a light reception lens. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of a light projection system and a light reception system. It is a top view which shows the structure of a light projection system and a light reception system seeing from upper direction. It is a top view which shows the structure of a light projection system seeing in the left-right direction. It is a graph which shows an example of the light quantity distribution of the projection light in a light projection plane. It is a top view which shows the structure of a light-receiving system seeing in the left-right direction. It is a graph which shows an example of the distribution characteristic of the light reception amount by a line sensor. It is explanatory drawing which shows the difference in the incident angle of the light to the light reception lens by the difference in the position of an aperture | diaphragm | squeeze part. It is a block diagram which shows schematic structure of a signal processing system. It is a timing chart figure showing parallel operation of each channel of an AD conversion part.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. A barcode reader 1 (optical information reader) according to the present embodiment is incorporated in a system for reading barcode information. Note that the embodiments described below are merely examples, and are not intended to limit the configuration and use of the present invention.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the case 2 of the barcode reader 1 is formed by assembling a lower case 20 and an upper case 21, which are resin molded products, as an example. As shown in each figure, the case 2 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape that is short on the front and back and top and bottom and is long on the left and right, and as shown in FIG. A window member 22 is disposed so as to face a one-dimensional bar code (read target) outside the figure.

  The window member 22 is a transparent belt-shaped resin plate and functions as an optical filter that cuts light having a short wavelength. The center of the window member 22 in the longitudinal direction, about 1/3 of the range, is a light receiving window 22a through which reflected light Lr (see FIGS. 3, 5, etc.) from the barcode passes, and the left and right sides thereof are respectively barcodes. The light projection window 22b through which the projection light Lf is transmitted. Further, a push button switch 24 and an indicator lamp 25 are disposed on the upper surface of the case 2.

  In FIG. 2, the bar code reader 1 is shown upside down, but the window member 22 is attached to the front surface of the case 2 with a double-sided tape 23 that also serves as a light shielding member. The light shielding function of the double-sided tape 23 will be described later. For the convenience of describing the internal structure of the barcode reader 1, the left and right sides in FIG. 2 are simply referred to as the left side and the right side is simply referred to as the left side in FIG. Call the right side.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the upper portion of the right rear corner of the case 2 is cut obliquely, and the cable 6 is attached so as to penetrate the inclined surface 2a formed here. Yes. The cable 6 conforms to a communication standard such as RS232C or USB, and can bidirectionally communicate with a host device of the system and can also supply power.

  3 and 4 show the internal structure of the bar code reader 1 cut along a transverse section and a longitudinal section including the optical axis X of the light receiving lens 41, respectively. As shown in these drawings, in the lower half of the case 2 (located on the upper side in FIGS. 3 and 4), there are a light projecting system 3 and a main part of the light receiving system 4 such as the light receiving lens 41. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4 only, the remaining part of the light receiving system 4 including the line sensor 40 (imaging device), the main board 50 of the electric circuit of the signal processing system 5 and the like are arranged in the upper half of the case 2. It is installed.

-Lighting system-
As shown in FIG. 5, the light projecting system 3 projects light from, for example, the LED 30 (light source) onto a one-dimensional bar code (not shown) by the light projecting lenses 31 and 32. A band-like light Lf that is long in the left-right direction and narrow in the vertical direction is projected on a virtual projection plane S (see FIG. 3) assuming a position. The light projection plane S is a virtual plane that is separated from the light receiving lens 41 by a predetermined distance in the direction of the optical axis X and is substantially orthogonal to the optical axis X.

  The barcode is composed of a black and white striped pattern displayed on the object by, for example, printing or direct marking. The projected range of the projection light Lf is set to a predetermined length (for example, about 100 mm) or more in the left-right direction so as to include the longitudinal direction of the bar code on which the striped pattern is arranged, and a strip shape of about 10 mm in the vertical direction. It has become. In order to spread the projection light Lf over such a wide range, the light projection lenses 31 and 32 are formed in a deformed shape that is long in the left-right direction as described below.

  In the present embodiment, one LED 30 and one light projecting lens 31, 32 are arranged on each of the left and right sides of the light receiving system 4. The LED 30 is of a surface mount type, and is a substrate 33 (see FIG. 5 is indicated by a virtual line). The substrate 33 is disposed so as to be substantially orthogonal to the direction of the optical axis X of the light receiving lens 41 (hereinafter also referred to as the front-rear direction of the barcode reader 1). Is smaller in the front-rear direction.

  The incident surfaces 31 a and 32 a of the light projecting lenses 31 and 32 on which the light from the LEDs 30 is incident are toroidal surfaces that surround the LEDs 30. That is, as shown in the vertical direction in FIG. 6, the incident surfaces 31a and 32a of the light projecting lenses 31 and 32 have an arcuate shape (concave shape) surrounding the LED 30 in the horizontal direction, and FIG. As shown in the left-right direction, the incident surfaces 31a, 32a are convex in the up-down direction.

  As shown in FIG. 7, since the emission surfaces 31b and 32b of the projection lenses 31 and 32 are formed in a straight line in the vertical direction, the projection lenses 31 and 32 are formed by the convex shapes of the incidence surfaces 31a and 32a. Functions as a condensing lens that focuses on the light emitting portion 30 a of the LED 30. For this reason, the light incident on the incident surfaces 31a and 32a of the light projecting lenses 31 and 32 while spreading upward and downward from the light emitting unit 30a is projected onto the light projecting plane S as a parallel light beam having a width of about 10 mm.

  Then, as described above with reference to FIG. 6, the incident surfaces 31 a and 32 a have an arc shape in the left-right direction, and are arranged so that the center of the arc is included in the light emitting portion 30 a of the LED 30. For this reason, the focal point as the condensing lens of the incident surfaces 31a and 32a having a convex shape in the vertical direction can be accurately matched with the light emitting portion 30a of the LED 30, and light emitted therefrom can be projected more efficiently. Projection toward the plane S is possible.

Specifically, the incident surfaces 31a and 32a may be obtained by rotating, for example, a curve represented by the following formula (1) around a vertical axis passing through the light emitting unit 30a of the LED 30 with a predetermined radius. . In Equation (1), the intersection of the optical axis X and the incident surfaces 31a and 32a indicated by the symbol “O” in FIG. 7 is the origin, the coordinate in the optical axis X direction is x, and the upper and lower Z-axis directions are The coordinate is expressed as z. Further, i = 1 to n (n is an integer), and α _i , c, and k may be set as appropriate.

  On the other hand, the exit surfaces 31b and 32b of the light projection lenses 31 and 32 are free curved surfaces in the left and right direction, and are preferably distributed in the left and right direction as shown in FIG. Realize light distribution. Hereinafter, the projection lens 31 will be described with reference to FIG. 6. The exit surface 31 b (32 b) of each projection lens 31 (32) is convex outwardly from the other projection lens 32 (31). On the other hand, a concave portion is formed on the inner side close to the other light projecting lens 32 (31).

Specifically, the exit surface 31b may be a free-form surface represented by the following formula (2), for example. As shown in FIG. 6, the expression (2) indicates that the most concave portion on the inner side of the emission surface 31 b is the origin “O” as shown in FIG. The coordinate is represented by y, and the coordinate in the optical axis X direction is represented by x as in the formula (1). Further, i = 1 to n (n is an integer), and α _i may be set as appropriate.

  Due to the shape of the exit surfaces 31b and 32b, the light Lf projected from the projection lens 31 (32) onto the projection plane S is collected in the region outside the exit surface 31b (32b). In the region inside the emission surface 31b (32b), it is diffused. As a result, the light quantity distribution of the light Lf projected from each of the light projecting lenses 31 and 32 increases on either the left or right side of the light projecting plane S as shown by the broken line and dashed line graphs in FIG. It gradually decreases from here to the other side.

  In the light projecting plane S, the two projection lights Lf overlap, and as shown by a solid line graph in FIG. Become. The reason why such a light quantity distribution is preferable will be described with reference to FIG. 10 in the description of the light receiving system 4 below.

  In the light projecting system 3 of the present embodiment, as described above, the double-sided tape 23 for attaching the window member 22 to the front surface of the case 2 is between the light projecting lenses 31 and 32 and the window member 22 (window portion). It functions as a light-shielding member provided in the. That is, openings 23a and 23b corresponding to the light receiving window 22a and the light projecting window 22b are formed in the double-sided tape 23, and the openings 23b corresponding to the light projecting window 22b are directed from the left and right sides toward the center. The upper and lower opening widths are gradually reduced.

  Then, a part of the projection light Lf is blocked at the opening 23b having such a small opening width, and the light amount distribution on the light projection plane S is changed. Therefore, by changing the shape of the opening 23b, the light amount distribution can be finely adjusted. For example, even if the light amount distribution varies due to individual variations of the LEDs 30, the emission surfaces 31b of the light projection lenses 31 and 32, for example. , 32b can be compensated relatively easily for variations in the light amount distribution.

-Light receiving system-
As shown in FIG. 9 in addition to FIGS. 3 to 6, the light receiving system 4 of the barcode reader 1 according to the present embodiment is a line sensor in which solid-state image sensors such as C-MOS and CCD are arranged one-dimensionally, for example. 40, the reflected light Lr from the barcode is condensed by the light receiving lens 41, and a barcode image is formed on the light receiving surface 40a of the line sensor 40. An electric signal is output from the line sensor 40 corresponding to the brightness of the barcode image formed on the light receiving surface 40a.

  As described above, the distribution of light passing through the light receiving lens 41 generally has a characteristic that the light amount increases near the optical axis X and decreases as the distance from the optical axis X increases (the broken line in FIG. 10). (Shown in the graph). Therefore, in order to reduce such a characteristic of the amount of received light and to realize a flat light amount distribution on the light receiving surface 40a of the line sensor 40, in the present embodiment, as described above, the amount of light of the projection light Lf on the light projecting plane S. The distribution is such that the light quantity is larger at the left and right ends than at the middle part (shown by a solid line graph in FIG. 10).

  That is, the desired light quantity distribution as shown by the solid line graph in FIG. 10 and the received light amount characteristic as shown by the broken line graph are combined, so that the line sensor 40 as shown by the virtual line graph in FIG. The distribution of the amount of the reflected light Lr received by is flat with high uniformity over the entire longitudinal direction of the barcode. Thereby, the reading accuracy of the barcode information is improved.

  In this embodiment, a mirror 42 is disposed behind the light receiving lens 41 (downstream of the optical path), and the light passing through the light receiving lens 41 is reflected, and the optical path is upward (as shown in FIGS. 4 and 8, etc.). It is refracted by about 90 degrees (downward). The line sensor 40 that receives the reflected light is of a surface mount type, and is mounted on the main board 50 such that the light receiving surface 40a faces downward (upward in FIGS. 4 and 8, etc.). .

  An IR cut filter 43 is disposed between the line sensor 40 and the mirror 42. The IR cut filter 43 is an optical filter that mainly cuts infrared light, and can cooperate with the window member 22 described above to remove light (noise) having an unnecessary wavelength from the reflected light Lr. Thereby, the reading accuracy of the barcode information is improved.

  On the other hand, in front of the light receiving lens 41 (upstream side of the optical path), there is provided a diaphragm portion 44a for restricting the reflected light Lr from the barcode. In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the diaphragm 44 a is formed on the holding member (lens holder 44) of the light receiving lens 41. In this way, the diaphragm 44 a is disposed in front of the light receiving lens 41. As shown in FIG. 6, there is an advantage that the incident angle of the reflected light Lr to the light receiving lens 41 can be easily increased.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 11 (a), when the stop 44a is provided behind the light receiving lens 41, as compared with the case where it is provided in front of the light receiving lens 41 as shown in FIG. 11 (b). The incident angle θ1 of the reflected light Lr tends to be small, and the outgoing angle θ2 tends to be large. For this reason, if it is going to implement | achieve a wide angle visual field, the light-receiving system 4 must be enlarged. Further, the light receiving surface 40a also becomes large, which may increase the size of the line sensor 40.

  On the other hand, when the stop 44a is provided in front of the light receiving lens 41 as in the present embodiment, the incident angle θ1 of the reflected light Lr tends to increase as shown in FIG. Easy to realize. On the other hand, since the light emission angle θ2 from the light receiving lens 41 tends to be small, even if the distance to the line sensor 40 increases, the light receiving surface 40a does not have to be so large, and the line sensor 40 can be easily downsized. . In addition, since the incident angle of light from the light receiving lens 41 to the IR cut filter 43 is reduced, there is also an advantage that the wavelength of the light to be cut can be easily set accurately.

  In addition, in this embodiment, the light receiving lens 41 is held in the front-rear direction (in the direction of the optical axis X) by the lens holder 44 in which the aperture portion 44a is formed. That is, a substantially rectangular dust-proof space is provided between the window member 22 (light-receiving window 22a) and the light-receiving lens 41 in the lower case 20, and the left and right walls of the lens holder 44 are formed on the left and right wall surfaces that define the dust-proof space. The sides of each are in sliding contact.

  Therefore, the light receiving lens 41 can be finely positioned by sliding the lens holder 44 back and forth after the lens holder 44 is assembled in the lower case 20. After the positioning, the lens holder 44 may be fixed to the lower case 20 with an adhesive or the like. As described above, when the light receiving lens 41 having a high magnification is used to reduce the size of the light receiving system 4 by performing the delicate positioning of the light receiving lens 41, the depth of focus becomes shallow and high positioning accuracy is required. It becomes possible to cope with that.

-Signal processing system-
The barcode reader 1 receives an electrical signal output from the line sensor 40 in accordance with the barcode image (striped light and dark) formed on the light receiving surface 40a as described above, and reads the barcode information. 5 is provided. As schematically shown in FIG. 12, the signal processing system 5 includes an amplification circuit 51, an AD conversion unit 52, a control unit 53, a memory 54, and a communication interface 55, and outputs an output signal from the line sensor 40. Signal processing in hardware and software.

  In the present embodiment, the AD converter 52 and the controller 53 are configured by the microprocessor P mounted on the main board 50, and an output signal (analog signal) from the line sensor 40 is an amplification circuit. After being amplified by 51, it is input to the microprocessor P and converted into a digital signal by the built-in AD converter 52. Then, the control unit 53 performs binarization and decoding processing by software processing.

  The control unit 53 mainly includes a CPU, a system bus, an input / output interface, and the like, and has a function of controlling the entire barcode reader 1. That is, the control unit 53 sends a control command to the drive circuit of the LED 30 by executing a predetermined program stored in the memory 54 to cause the LED 30 to emit light at a predetermined timing, and in synchronization with this, the amplifier circuit 51 receives the output signal of the line sensor 40 and performs the above-described processing.

  In the present embodiment, the control unit 53 uses a plurality of channels of the AD conversion unit 52 built in the microprocessor P, and, for example, operates two channels in parallel, thereby improving the conversion speed into a digital signal. . As an example, FIG. 13 shows the case of 4 channels. The conversion speed is quadrupled by shifting the timing of operation requests (indicated by arrows) sent to each channel of the AD converter 52 and operating each channel in parallel. become.

  The control unit 53 is also connected with, for example, a push button switch 24, an indicator lamp 25, and the like, and can perform control such as turning on the indicator lamp 25 during operation. The control unit 53 is connected to the host system of the barcode reader 1 such as a host device (not shown) via the communication interface 55 and the cable 6 so as to be capable of bidirectional communication.

  In this embodiment, the microprocessor P or the like constituting the signal processing system 5 as described above is mounted on the main board 50, and the board 30 of the light projecting system 3 has the LED 30 and its drive circuit as described above. Parts are mounted. The substrate 33 and the main substrate 50 of the light projecting system 3 are arranged so as to be substantially orthogonal to each other in the case 2 and are connected to each other, and the printed wirings are connected by a solder (or a connector).

  By arranging the two substrates 33 and 50 so as to intersect with each other in this way, the mounting space to be secured in the case 2 can be made smaller in the front-rear or upper-lower direction compared to using one large substrate. can do. In the present embodiment, the size of the case 2 in the front-rear direction is reduced by mounting the substrate 33 of the light projecting system 3 in the vertical direction.

  As described above, in the barcode reader 1 according to the present embodiment as described above, first, the light from the LED 30 in the light projecting system 3 is expanded in the left-right direction by the light projecting lenses 31, 32, thereby producing a one-dimensional barcode. Is projected in a band shape. For this reason, the number of LEDs 30 to be mounted on the substrate 33 of the light projecting system 3 is only two, which can suppress an increase in cost and power consumption, and is advantageous for downsizing the light projecting system 3. Moreover, by arranging the substrate 33 in the vertical direction, the light projecting system 3 can be reduced in size in the front-rear direction of the barcode reader 1.

  Further, the incident surfaces 31 a and 32 a of the light projecting lenses 31 and 32 are disposed as toroidal surfaces so that the center of the arc shape in the left and right direction is included in the light emitting portion 30 a of the LED 30. Thus, the focal points of the incident surfaces 31a and 32a that are convex in the vertical direction are aligned with the light emitting portion 30a of the LED 30, and the light from the LED 30 can be used efficiently and projected toward the barcode. .

  On the other hand, the exit surfaces 31b and 32b of the light projection lenses 31 and 32 are configured by free curved surfaces that are straight in the vertical direction and uneven in the left and right direction, and light incident on the incident surfaces 31a and 32a as described above. Can be appropriately distributed in the left-right direction. Then, the light receiving system 4 having a large amount of light near the optical axis as a distribution with a larger amount of light at the left and right ends on the light projecting plane S is attenuated, and a flat light amount distribution on the light receiving surface 40a of the line sensor 40. Can be realized.

  In other words, in the present embodiment, the shapes of the incident surfaces 31a and 32a of the light projecting lenses 31 and 32 allow the light from the LED 30 to be efficiently collected in the vertical direction, while the output surfaces 31b and 32b are free in the horizontal direction. The amount of light can be appropriately distributed according to the curved surface. By assigning the functions to the incident surfaces 31a and 32a and the emission surfaces 31b and 32b in this way, the shape of each surface is not complicated and the design is facilitated.

  In the present embodiment, the light receiving lens 41 having a high magnification is used to shorten the distance to the line sensor 40, and the light that has passed through the light receiving lens 41 is reflected by the mirror 42 to the line sensor 40. Thus, the light receiving system 4 is also downsized in the front-rear direction. In addition, since the aperture 44a is provided in front of the light receiving lens 41, the line sensor 40 can be downsized while ensuring a wide viewing angle, which is also advantageous for downsizing the light receiving system 4.

  Further, in the present embodiment, as described above, the substrate 33 of the light projecting system 3 on which the LEDs 30 are mounted is provided separately from the main substrate 50, and the line sensor 40 miniaturized on the main substrate 50 and the AD conversion are provided. The main board 50 can be considerably reduced in size by mounting the microprocessor 52 including the unit 52 and the memory 54. Then, by disposing the main board 50 thus reduced in size so as to be substantially orthogonal to the board 33 of the light projecting system 3, the necessary mounting space can be considerably reduced in the front-rear direction.

  That is, the barcode reader 1 according to the present embodiment is devised for the configuration of each of the light projecting system 3, the light receiving system 4, and the signal processing system 5, and is devised for the arrangement of the components constituting them, While realizing a wide-angle field of view for reading one-dimensional barcodes, uniforming the light quantity distribution in this field of view to ensure high barcode reading performance, the barcode reader 1 is considerably smaller than before, particularly in the front-rear direction. can do.

  As a result, as described above with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the case 2 of the barcode reader 1 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape that is long to the left and right, and the dimensions in the front-rear direction and the dimension in the vertical direction are substantially the same. ing. This increases the degree of freedom of installation when the barcode reader 1 is incorporated into the system.

-Other embodiments-
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, in the above-described embodiment, two surface mount type LEDs 30 are used as the light source, and the light emitted from each is projected by the light projecting lenses 31 and 32. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the light source is a lead type. The light source and the light projecting lenses 31 and 32 are not limited to two, and may be one, for example.

  Further, in the embodiment, the window member 22 in which the light projection window 22b and the light receiving window 22a are formed is attached to the case 2 with the double-sided tape 23, and this double-sided tape 23 is also used as a light shielding member. For example, a light shielding member may be provided separately from the double-sided tape 23 or a light shielding member may not be provided.

  In the light receiving system 4 of the above embodiment, the mirror 42 for refracting the optical path of the light from the light receiving lens 41 is provided, but a prism can be used instead. Further, although the lens holder 44 for holding the light receiving lens 41 is provided, this need not be provided, and it is not necessary to provide the diaphragm portion 44 a in the lens holder 44. The aperture 44a may be provided not behind the light receiving lens 41 but behind it.

  In the signal processing system 5 of the above embodiment, the analog signal output from the line sensor 40 is converted into a digital signal by the AD converter 52 built in the microprocessor P. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The conversion unit 52 can also be configured by a component different from the microprocessor P.

  Furthermore, in the above embodiment, apart from the main board 50, the board 33 on which the LEDs 30 of the light projecting system 3 are mounted is separated from the main board 50 so that the two boards 33, 50 are substantially orthogonal to each other, that is, about 90 degrees. Although it arrange | positions so that it may cross | intersect at an angle, it is not limited to this, For example, the two board | substrates 33 and 50 may cross | intersect at angles other than 90 degree | times, such as 60 degree | times and 75 degree | times, and do not cross | intersect. Further, they may be arranged side by side in the front-rear direction or the upper-lower direction. Alternatively, the substrate 33 of the light projecting system 3 may be integrated with the main substrate 50.

1 Bar code reader (optical information reader)
2 Case 22 Window member (window)
23 Double-sided tape (shading material)
3 Projection system 30 LED (light source)
30a Light emitting unit 31, 32 Light projection lens 31a, 32a Light incident surface 31b, 32b Light emission surface 33 Light emitting system electric circuit board 4 Light receiving system 40 Line sensor (imaging device)
40a Light receiving surface 41 Light receiving lens 42 Mirror (optical element)
44 Lens holder (holding member)
44a Aperture unit 5 Signal processing system 50 Main board (electric circuit board of signal processing system)
52 AD converter Lf Projected light Lr Reflected light P Microprocessor S Projection plane X Optical axis of light receiving lens

Claims (8)

A light projecting system that projects light from a light source onto a reading object by a light projecting lens, a light receiving system that forms an image of reflected light from the reading object on a light receiving surface of the image sensor by a light receiving lens, and an output signal from the image sensor And a signal processing system that reads the information to be read and receives the information,
The light projecting system is configured to project light in a band-like range that is long in a predetermined direction on a light projecting plane substantially orthogonal to the optical axis of the light receiving lens and short in a width direction substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction. The projection lens is
Incident surfaces which light enters from the light source, said with an arc-shaped concave shape in the longitudinal direction, to name an arcuate convex shape for the width direction, and constant toroidal surface curvature is in the longitudinal direction while that is,
The exit surface of the light projecting lens which the light incident on the incident surface is emitted toward the projection plane, the longitudinal direction of the light projection plane is a free curved surface such as a predetermined light intensity distribution is obtained Rutotomoni, The width direction is linear,
The optical information reading device , wherein the light projecting lens is arranged so that a center of an arc of an incident surface thereof is included in a light emitting portion of the light source when viewed in the width direction . The optical information reading device according to claim 1,
Two of the light source and the light projecting lens are arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction, and the exit surface of each light projecting lens has a convex portion in the longitudinal direction on the outer side away from the other light projecting lens. An optical information reading device in which a concave portion is formed in the longitudinal direction on the inner side near the other projection lens . In the optical information reading device according to claim 1 or 2,
In the light projecting system, a window member is disposed so as to cover the light exit surface side of the light projecting lens, and a part of the emitted light is blocked between the window member and the light projecting lens. An optical information reading device provided with a light shielding member . The optical information reader according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The optical information reading device, wherein the light source is a surface-mount type LED, and a light-projecting electric circuit board on which the LED is arranged is arranged so as to be substantially orthogonal to the optical axis of the light-receiving lens . The optical information reader according to claim 4 , wherein
The light receiving system is provided with an optical element that refracts the optical path of the reflected light that has passed through the light receiving lens and guides it to the imaging element.
The image pickup device is of a surface mount type, and the optical circuit board of the signal processing system on which the image pickup element is disposed is arranged so as to intersect the electric circuit board of the light projecting system. Reading device. In the optical information reading device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 ,
The optical information reading device, wherein the light receiving system is provided with a diaphragm portion for restricting reflected light from the reading object in front of the light receiving lens . In the optical information reader according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
An optical information reading apparatus , comprising: a holding member that holds the light receiving lens slidably in the direction of the optical axis; and the light receiving lens is positioned via the holding member . In the optical information reading device according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
The signal processing system includes a microprocessor that inputs an analog output signal from the image sensor and digitizes the signal by a built-in AD converter, and is configured to decode the digitized signal by software processing. An optical information reader .

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