JPH0242867A - Reader - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily execute a setting in a using condition and to dispense with a storage place by arranging a mirror and a lens to form a light path in the vicinity of an original platen glass, exposing it outside when a read is executed, and housing it inside when it is not executed. CONSTITUTION:When respective members of a stopper 52 is extended, a projector 6 directs a projecting part in a horizontal direction and held in a condition in which the projection and movement of a film can be executed. By folding the connecting part of the stopper 52, the projector 6 is rotated by 90 deg. in making a shaft 53 into a center and held in the condition in which the light-inputting part is directed just upward. In such a condition, by a slide rail 54, the projector 6 can be made to retreat at the rear part side of a reader 1 main body along with a guide member 55. As a result, at the time of an ordinary read when an original is mounted on an original base 2, the action of an operator cannot be hindered. At the time of projecting the film, the projector 6 is fixed in a prescribed position in an approximately intermediate part in the depth direction of the main body 1.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a reading device for reading original documents in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, and more specifically to a reading device capable of reading photographic film.

[Prior art]

In recent years, digital copying machines that can store and process the image information of scanned originals as electrical signals have been put into practical use, making it easy to perform positive inversion from normal photographic film, that is, negative film. As a result, there is an increasing desire to obtain copies directly from photographic film. 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is a copying machine that obtains an enlarged copy from a small transparent original such as a photographic film, as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 198439/1983.

This is done by additionally installing a projector, reflecting mirror, etc.
A film image is enlarged and projected onto a platen glass and read by a scanning optical system.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

By the way, in the above-mentioned apparatus, there is a mirror for reflecting the projected image enlarged and projected in the horizontal direction by the projector onto the document table glass, and a diffused projection light reflected by this mirror is converted into substantially parallel light and then transferred to the document table glass. A Fresnel lens is attached to the document table glass to guide the document downward, but attaching these lenses is cumbersome and, of course, when scanning normal opaque documents, these must be removed, making it difficult to store them. A place is required. Furthermore, when reading a projected image, an unnecessary document table glass is used, so there is a loss of light quantity and there is also the problem of poor illumination efficiency.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and by arranging the mirror and lens in the main body of the device without interfering with the reading of opaque originals, no storage space is required and lighting efficiency is improved. The purpose is to provide a reading device that can.

[Means to solve the problem]

The reading device according to the present invention includes a document table glass on the upper surface on which an opaque original is placed, and reads an image of the opaque document via the document table by a reading section disposed inside.
A reading device that also reads an image of a transparent original that is enlarged and projected onto the reading unit is disposed near the original table glass so that it can be exposed and stored inside and out, and when exposed to the outside, the image of the transparent original can be projected. The present invention is characterized in that it includes a mirror and a lens that form an optical path that guides light to the reading section without passing through the document table glass.

[Effect]

When a mirror and a lens disposed near the document table glass are exposed to the outside, the projected light of the transparent document is guided to the reading section without passing through the document table glass, and the image is read. When this reading is not performed, the mirror and lens are housed inside.

〔Example〕

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be specifically described below based on drawings showing embodiments thereof. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of a reading device main body in a reading device according to the present invention (hereinafter referred to as the device of the present invention). The reading device main body 1 is provided with a document table glass 2 on its upper surface, and a pair of rails 5a and 5b are disposed on the inner bottom facing each other with their longitudinal direction being the width direction of the reading device main body 1. , 5b, a rectangular parallelepiped-shaped reading head 3 whose longitudinal direction is orthogonal to the extending direction thereof is placed in a straddling state. The reading head unit 3 has a plurality of solid-state image pickup devices (CCDs) inside thereof, with its entrance side facing upward, as shown in the longitudinal cross-sectional view of FIG.
) are arranged in a row, and are equipped with a reading lens 32 made of, for example, a converging Rondo lens, a light source 31, etc., which are arranged in a row with their longitudinal direction facing the reading head part 3, respectively. When reading a normal original, that is, an opaque original, the light source 31 is turned on, and the reflected light image of the opaque original placed on the original platen glass 2 is reflected by the reading lens 32. Read through sensor 3
3, the reading sensor 33 main-scans the document, and pulleys 4a and 4b provided on rails 5a and 5b to be rotationally driven by motors 4c, respectively.
And the wires strung over these? a and 7b, the reading head section 3 moves over the rails 5a and 5b to the reading device main body 1.
The document is sub-scanned by being moved in the width direction, that is, in the horizontal direction.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view from the front side showing how the reading device main body 1 is equipped with a projector, a mirror, etc. when enlarging and reading a small transparent original such as a photographic film according to the main part of the present invention. . First, the device of the present invention is as described above.
Instead of projecting the image of the film to be read in an enlarged manner onto the platen glass as in the past, the projected light is guided to the reading section without passing through the platen glass. The lens is placed near the platen glass, but when conventional mirrors and lenses are used to form an optical path for enlarging and projecting the entire image of one frame of film, these are extremely large, so There is not enough space near the document table to accommodate a reading device, and the document table protrudes greatly from the main body of the device.Therefore, in this embodiment, the entire projected image is read and scanned by moving the reading section. The reading unit is kept stationary, the film image is partially enlarged and projected, and by moving the film, the projection area for the reading unit is changed to read and scan the entire image. Moreover, it does not require a large lens, and can be miniaturized and easily applied to a normal reading device.

It should be noted that the projector is provided with a moving mechanism for moving the film, and as a matter of course, the movement of the film and the signal processing of the reading section are performed in synchronization.

The projector 6 is configured to be installed substantially horizontally at a position higher than the upper surface of the right side edge of the reading device main body 1, and its projected light is irradiated onto a mirror 9 provided on the left side of the document platen glass 2. Ru. Reading device main body 1 of projector 6
As shown in the right side view of FIG. 3, the mounting is carried out by sliding in the depth direction with a slide rail 54 attached to the right side of the reader body 1 with its length direction being the depth direction of the reader body 1. The reading device main body l is mounted on the upper part of the guide member 55.
The projector 6 is supported by a shaft 53 supported in the depth direction of the
This is achieved by pivoting the lower center of gravity of the projector 6, which allows the projector 6 to rotate around the shaft 53. A stopper 52 is provided between the rear end of the projector 6' and the lower part of the guide member 55, and the stopper 52 is made by connecting two members of approximately the same size so that they can be bent freely at the intermediate part thereof.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, by extending each member of the stopper 52, the projector 6 is held in a state in which the light emitting part is directed horizontally and the film can be projected and moved, and the stopper 52 is connected. By bending the portion, the projector 6 is rotated 90 degrees around the axis 53 and held in a vertical state with the light projecting section facing directly upward.
As shown in FIG. 4, in this state, the projector 6 together with the guide member 55 can be retracted to the rear side of the reader main body 1 by the slide rail 54, and as a result,
During normal reading when a document is placed on the document table 2, the operation of the operator is not hindered. In other words, the slide rail 54
is provided to evacuate the projector 6, and when projecting a film, the projector 6 is fixed at a predetermined position approximately in the middle of the reader main body 1 in the depth direction.

The projector 6 is equipped with a light source 40 on its rear side (right side in FIG. 2), and in order from the light source 40 side to the front are condenser lenses 42a and 42b, and a cylindrical lens 4.
3.44, film holder 70 for holding the film to be projected. A projection lens 46 and an image rotation prism 47 are arranged, and a reflecting mirror 41 and a cooling fan 50 are arranged behind the light source 40, respectively.

The film holder 70 is designed to hold long pieces of film that are usually cut into lengths of several frames for storage, and are both transparent as shown in the external perspective view of FIG. Thin plate-shaped holding plate 70a and mounting plate 70 made of material
The one side edges of b are hinged together so that they can be opened and closed tightly, and the mounting plate 70b has a recess 71 that is approximately equal in thickness and width to the film for placing and positioning the film. and a plurality of dowels 72 are formed, and the holding plate 70a has a plurality of protrusions 73 fitted into the dowels 72, and a linear pattern 74, 74 for focusing by 8F (autofocus) described later. are formed near both ends of the presser plate 70a in the longitudinal direction, with the longitudinal direction thereof being the width direction of the presser plate 70a. In other words, the film piece is placed on the mounting plate 7.
0b is placed in the recess 71, and the holding plate 70a and the placement Fi
70b, it is held in a sandwiched state. This suppresses warping of the film, provides uniform image quality when projected, and facilitates handling by the operator.

The film holder 70 is incorporated into the projector 6 so as to be movable in the horizontal direction, that is, in the direction orthogonal to the plane of the paper in FIG. 6th
The figure shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the film scanning unit that drives the projector 6, viewed from the front side, that is, from the projection lens 46 side.

The film scanning unit 80 is provided with a flat, vertically elongated guide hole 85 through which the film holder 70 is inserted, with the width direction of the film surface being the vertical direction, and passing through the projector 6 in the left-right direction. Film holder guides 84 for guiding the insertion of the film holder 70 are formed at four locations at the upper and lower parts near the upper and lower parts.
Alternatively, a plurality of free rollers 81 are provided between the lower portions to sandwich and support the film holder 70 from above and below. And between the free rollers 81 on the lower side is the motor 8.
A drive roller 82 is provided which is rotated by the drive roller 3, and the drive opening roller 82 is retracted when the film holder 70 is inserted or removed, and comes into pressure contact when the film holder 70 is inserted. With this configuration, the film holder 70 is moved in the direction of the arrow by the rotation of the drive roller 82 to scan the film image and also to select other frames on the same film. It is also possible to return the film holder 70 in the opposite direction by rotating the motor 83 in the opposite direction, thereby making it possible to cope with multiple scans of full-color images. 70
Since scanning is performed by moving the , highly accurate and stable scanning can be performed without uneven scanning.

The projection lens 46 of the projector 6 is reciprocated in the longitudinal direction of the optical axis by a motor 45, thereby focusing the projected light image.

On the left side of the document platen glass 2 on the upper surface of the reading device main body 1, there is a long side having a depth approximately equal to the depth of the platen glass 2.
A rectangular film reading opening 8 whose short side in the width direction is slightly wider than the width of the reading lens 32 in the sub-scanning direction is formed parallel to the document table glass 2. A Fresnel lens 10 having a screen surface on the lower surface is attached to the lens to seal it. Further, a mirror lid 11 is attached to the opening 8, the negative side edge of which is pivotally supported in the depth direction of the reader main body 1, and can be opened to the left side of the opening 8. The mirror 111 has a mirror 9 of approximately the same shape and size as the Fresnel lens 10 attached to its lower surface, and is irradiated by the projector 6 by keeping the mirror 111 tilted upward and to the right by approximately 45 degrees. It is configured to reflect the projected light image onto a Fresnel lens 10 vertically below, and when the film is not read by this projection, the mirror 9 and Fresnel lens 10 are housed so as to seal the opening 8. Like the projector 6, it does not interfere with the operator's movements during normal reading and can be easily set to use, and the longitudinal direction of the mirror lid 11 is perpendicular to the optical axis. Since it is mounted in such a way that it does not shift with respect to the optical axis and distortion does not occur in the projected image, the image can be read accurately.

The reading head section 3 is moved below the opening 8, and the reading lens 32 is placed on the screen surface of the lower surface of the Fresnel lens 10.
It is fixed at a position facing the incident side of the film, and this position becomes the film reading position of the reading head section 3.

Now, the optical path of the projected light image by the projector 6, mirror 9, and Fresnel lens 10 configured as above will be explained.

FIGS. 7 and 8 are a plan view and a side view showing the optical path. The illumination system by the projector 6 constitutes a Koehler illumination system, and by creating an image of the light source 40 in the pupil of the projection lens 46, a filament image of the light source 40 is not generated on the screen surface on the lower surface of the Fresnel lens 10. , all the light beams directed from the light source 40 to the projection lens 46 can be utilized.

First, the illumination light from the light source 40 is efficiently utilized by even the light rays traveling in the opposite direction to the film 75 being condensed by the reflecting mirror 41 and directed toward the light source 40, and guided to the condenser lenses 42a and 42b. condenser lens 42
The bundle of rays condensed at 42a and 42b is converged into a vertically long slit shape through a cylindrical lens 43, 44 that changes the aspect ratio, and is transmitted through a film 75 to the pupil of the projection lens 46 to form the light source 40. Connect the images vertically in a thin strip.

In other words, the cylindrical lenses 43 and 44 are
It is provided so that one frame image of No. 5 is illuminated in a vertically long slit shape over the entire length in the width direction in a part of the length direction of the film 75. After this vertically long optical image is emitted from the projection lens 46, it is rotated by 90 degrees by the image rotation prism 47 to become a horizontally long image, magnified, reflected by the mirror 9, and reaches the Fresnel lens 10. do. The diffusing light beams are then converged substantially parallel by the Fresnel lens 10, and an optical image of a long and thin film whose longitudinal direction coincides with the depth direction of the reader main body 1 is expanded on the lower screen surface. projected.

The reason why the film 75 is illuminated in a slit shape is as follows. In other words, in a configuration in which scanning is performed by moving the film 75 while keeping the reading head section 3 stationary, it is not necessary to illuminate the film so as to project the entire image of one frame. In this embodiment, it is only necessary to illuminate in the direction corresponding to the main scanning direction, that is, in the direction perpendicular to the set film surface, and almost no width in the horizontal direction is required. Therefore, by converging the illumination light from the light source 40 into a slit shape, the illuminance of the image on the screen surface can be increased compared to the conventional illuminance when the entire image is projected.
Even if the luminous intensity of the light source 40 is lower than the luminous intensity of the light source in the case of full projection, it is possible to ensure sufficient conventional illuminance that does not interfere with reading, so the power consumption of the light source 40, that is, the illumination system, can be suppressed. In addition, in a conventional overall projected image, there is a difference in illuminance between the center and the periphery due to unevenness in the light intensity of the light source, so the reading sensor performs correction reading of the illumination light in the main scanning and sub-scanning directions respectively before projection. However, in the present invention, by reading the reading sensor stationary, the film is moved in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis while the optical axis of the illumination light is always projected onto the reading sensor. Therefore, even if the film is moved and the projection area changes, the illuminance at the middle of the film's slit-shaped projected image always corresponds to the illuminance at the center of the conventional overall projected image. There is no need to perform correction in the movement direction, that is, in the sub-scanning direction, and it is sufficient to perform correction only in the main-scanning direction. In this embodiment, a cylindrical lens is used to converge the illumination light into a slit shape, but a linear Fresnel lens may be used instead.

Now, as mentioned above, the optical image of the film 75 is projected onto the screen surface on the lower surface of the Fresnel lens 10.
In order to read an image with high precision, the projected image must be accurately focused. This can also be done by the operator himself moving the projection lens 46 in the optical axis direction while looking at the projected image, but here, the above-mentioned motor 4
Focusing by AP using 5 is explained.

In this focusing, the contrast is determined from the detection signal of the reading sensor 33 using the pattern 74 formed on the film holder 7o, and the projection lens 46 is driven and focused based on the contrast. Pattern 74 is 1. Pattern 74a for coarse adjustment with a large pitch
and patterns 74b for fine adjustment with small pinch are arranged side by side in the width direction of the film holder 70, and the longitudinal direction of the slit-shaped illumination mentioned above and the direction in which these patterns are arranged side by side, that is, the longitudinal direction of the pattern 74. Since the pattern 74 is made to match, substantially the entire pattern 74 is projected at the same time, and the projected image is read by the reading sensor 33.

This read signal is given to a CPU (not shown), and the CPU
U is MTF (Modulation Transf)
er Function) value and issues a drive signal to the motor 45 to move the projection lens 46 to the position where the value is maximized. In this case, first read the projected image of the pattern 74a for coarse adjustment, move the projection lens 46 relatively largely to the position where the MTF value thereof is maximum, and then read the projected image of the pattern 74b for fine adjustment. reading,
While slightly moving the projection lens 46, it is similarly set at a position where its MTF value is maximized. In other words, the fact that the MTF value is maximized means that in the plurality of solid-state image sensors arranged in a row in the reading sensor 33, the difference in brightness between adjacent elements to recognize the white and black of the pattern, that is, the contrast is maximized. This means that the image is not blurred and is accurately focused, so you can judge that it is in focus.

Focusing using such a pattern 74 is performed before reading the film image, but focusing is performed in parallel with reading the film image using a pattern 76 as shown in the perspective view of the film holder in FIG. It is also possible to do so. This pattern 76 has a plurality of lines approximately equal to the length of the film holder arranged in parallel in the width direction of the film holder.
That is, when the film holder is set in the projector 6, it is provided at a position above or below the film piece. In other words, since the pattern 76 is always projected at a position closer to the front or further back on the screen surface together with the image of the film being moved, the part of the reading sensor 33 corresponding to that position is used as described above. At the same time as the focusing is performed based on the contrast, other parts of the reading sensor 33 read the original film image.

Note that the above-mentioned AF focusing is performed using the reading sensor 33.
However, instead of this, a dedicated sensor may be provided and the detection signal may be used for the detection.The configuration thereof will be explained next. FIG. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view of the front side of the reading device main body 1, showing an example of an AP sensor provided on the Fresnel lens 10, for example.
The AF sensor 90 has sensors S, S2 each using a CCD line sensor of an appropriate length on the lower part thereof, with their longitudinal direction aligned with the longitudinal direction of the reading sensor 33, and separated by an appropriate length from each other using a Fresnel lens. A beam splitter 91 is disposed at a position slightly above the upper surface of the projector 10, and a beam splitter 91 is disposed above the projector 6 to guide the projection light beam from the projector 6 to the sensors S, , S, respectively, with different optical path lengths. It is.

The beam splitter 91 determines the optical path length to the screen surface on the lower surface of the Fresnel lens 10, that is, the surface to be focused, and when the optical path length to the sensor SI is Ll and the optical path length to the sensor S2 is L2, Lz <L. <Ll and -
It is determined that L=L−L2. In other words, the sensors S and S2 are provided at equal distances from the screen surface and at positions corresponding to the rear and front sides, respectively, and as a result, the projection of the pattern of the film holder, etc. The contrast output signal value of each sensor that reads the image is not focused on the screen surface, for example, in a so-called front bin (or back focus) state where the focus is in front (or behind) the screen surface. If so, the output of sensor S2 (or S,) is higher than S, (
A relationship is obtained in which the 100 output values are the same when the two images are in focus on the screen surface, and AP is performed using this relationship.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the control procedure, in which the output value of sensor SI is set to so, and the output value of sensor S2 is set to 3.
2. First, in step S1, it is determined whether S, +32 is zero, and if it is zero, that is, if it is extremely front focused or rear focused, the projection lens is enlarged so that an output value is generated. It is caused to reciprocate (step S2).

Once the output is obtained, compare it and if s, > 52, then
In other words, when in the rear pin state, move toward the front pin direction, and S
, <32, that is, in the front bin state, the projection lens is moved by a predetermined amount toward the rear focus (steps S3 to S5). As a result, when S,=32, it is detected that the screen surface is in focus, and AF ends.

Note that the AP sensor 90 is removed from the Fresnel lens 10 when reading a film image after AF completion, but it may also be configured to be automatically installed or evacuated in conjunction with the metering operation. Alternatively, the AF sensor can be always provided at a position away from the Fresnel lens 10, such as between the opening 8 and the original platen glass 2, and the inclination angle of the mirror lid 11 can be changed and set only when the camera is stationary. A configuration may also be adopted in which an optical path to the sensor is formed to perform the AP operation.

Furthermore, in the focusing by the series of APs mentioned above,
The configuration uses a projected image of a pattern formed on a film holder made of a transparent material, but this is not particularly limited, except when AP is performed in parallel with reading the film image, and the projected image of the film is used. It is also possible to judge the contrast from the above, and in that case, as shown in the external perspective view of FIG. A film holder having openings 77, 77, .

Next, an example of the film image reading operation performed by the apparatus of the present invention constructed as described above will be explained. First, as shown in FIG. 2, the mirror lid 11 is opened and set at a predetermined angle, and the reading head 3 having the reading sensor 33, which has been read with correction in the main scanning direction, is placed below the opening 8. It is moved to the reading position, and the projector 6 is set to a projectable state. Then, the film holder 70 holding the film piece ytr to be read is transferred to the projector 6.
, the film holder pattern 74 is projected onto the screen surface by turning on the light source 40, and
Focusing is achieved by performing an AP operation using this projected image. When the focus is set, the film holder 70
is moved to project the reading start position of the desired frame of the film piece, and reading preparation is completed.

At this point, the vicinity of one end of the film piece in the longitudinal direction of one frame image is enlarged and projected in a slit shape, and after that, the reading signal of the reading sensor 33 is processed,
The entire enlarged image of one frame is read by synchronizing the movement of the film holder 70 by the motor 83 of the film scanning section 80, that is, the change of the projection area. Note that during this reading, the light source 31 of the reading head section 3
There is no need to turn on the light.

In this embodiment, the film holder is moved in the horizontal direction when reading, but it may be moved in the vertical direction instead. In that case, the longitudinal direction of the slit illumination area relative to the film is in the horizontal direction. Therefore, there is no need to rotate the projected light image by 90 degrees, and the image rotation prism can be omitted. Furthermore, in that case, the film holder is arranged in the projector with its longitudinal direction being the vertical direction, but if you do not want the film holder to protrude in the vertical direction of the projector due to space considerations, the external appearance perspective view shown in Fig. 13 may be used. A film scanning mechanism as shown in the figure may also be provided. This includes a film holder support member 80a that supports the film holder 70 so that the film image can be selected with the longitudinal direction of the film holder 70 in the horizontal direction, and a guide shaft 88a that supports the support member 80a in the vertical direction;
88b in the vertical direction. This movement is performed by, for example, a pulley 87 rotated by a motor 83a. This may be done using the pulley 86 and the wire 89 stretched between the pulleys 86 and the like. In other words, the film holder 70 is moved and scanned in the vertical direction with its longitudinal direction set in the horizontal direction.

〔effect〕

As described above, in the reading device according to the present invention, the mirror and lens that form the optical path for enlarging and projecting a small transparent original such as a film and guiding it to the reading unit are arranged near the original table glass, Since it is configured so that it can be exposed outside when reading, and stored inside when not being read, it is possible to avoid the trouble of attaching or removing these from the platen glass as in the past. It can be set up for use at any time and does not require storage space. Furthermore, since the projection light does not pass through the document table glass, the amount of light for reading is not lost, and the present invention has excellent effects such as improved illumination efficiency.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the main body of a reading device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front vertical sectional view when a transparent original is enlarged and projected, and FIG. 3 is a right side view thereof. Fig. 4 is a right side view showing the projector in a retracted state, Fig. 5 is an external perspective view of the film holder, Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view of the film scanning unit, and Figs. 7 and 8 are plan views showing the projection optical path. and a side view, FIG. 9 is an external perspective view showing the second embodiment of the film holder, FIG. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the equipped state of the AP sensor, and FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the AP control procedure. FIG. 12 is an external perspective view showing a third embodiment of the film holder, and FIG. 13 is an external perspective view showing another embodiment of the film scanning section. 1...Reading device body 3...Reading head section 6...
・Projector 9... Mirror 10... Fresnel lens 43.44... Cylindrical lens 45.
... Projection lens 47 ... Image rotation prism 70 ...
Film holder 80...Film scanning unit patent Applicant Minolta Camera Co., Ltd. Agent Patent attorney Noboru Kono

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A document platen glass is provided on the upper surface on which an opaque document is placed;
In a reading device that reads an image of the non-transparent original through the original platen by a reading unit disposed inside, and also reads an image of a transparent original that is enlarged and projected onto the reading unit, A mirror and a lens are provided nearby so that they can be exposed and stored inside and out, and when exposed to the outside, form an optical path that guides the projection light of the transparent original to the reading unit without passing through the original table glass. A reading device characterized by: