JPH0310564A - Image scanner - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make the scanner main body small and to reduce the space required for a reflecting light by providing a transparent member and a reflection member so as to advance a reflected light from an original while being bent in the transparent member for plural number of times thereby ensuring the optical length of the reflected light. CONSTITUTION:An image sensor 4 and a lens 5 are arranged in a direction so that the light radiating from a transparent member 13 is made incident. When a light source section 3 is lighted, a reflected light 6 from the original 1 is reflected at first in a mirror 12 and made incident in the transparent member 13. The reflected light 6 made incident in the transparent member 13 is repetitively reflected in reflecting members 14 opposite to each other and advanced in the transparent member 13 while being bent for plural number of times. Then the light radiates from the end of the transparent member 13, the image is formed through the lens 5 and subject to photoelectric conversion by the image sensor 4. Then the information of the original 1 is detected as an electric signal.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an image scanner device, that is, an image scanner device that reads information on a document using light reflected from the document.

[Prior Art] FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a scanner body of a conventional image scanner device disclosed in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 62-155561, and FIG. 6 is a side view of FIG. 5.

In the figure, reference numeral (1) is the document, (2) is the casing of the scanner body placed on the document (1), and this gauging (2) has an opening (2a) on the surface facing the document (1).
) is formed. (3) is a light source unit that is fixed to the casing (2) and irradiates light onto the document (1) from the opening (2a); (4) is an image sensor that is fixed to the upper part of the casing (2) and performs photoelectric conversion; (5) is the casing (2)
This is a lens provided within the document (1) for reducing and forming an image of the reflected light (6) from the original (1) on the image sensor (4).

(7) is a casing (6) that rolls over the original (1).
This encoder roller (7) is connected to an encoder (not shown), and is connected to the scanner body in the sub-scanning direction (arrow A in the figure).
direction) is detected. (8) is gauging 2
) are provided at the bottom of the scanner body to keep the scanner body perpendicular to the document (1).
) are support shafts that support the encoder roller (7) and the auxiliary roller (8), respectively.

Next, the operation will be explained. When the original (1) is irradiated with light by turning on the light source section (3), the reflected light (6) is reduced and imaged onto the image sensor (4) by the lens (5). In the image sensor (4), a drive circuit (not shown) sequentially performs photoelectric conversion in the main scanning direction, thereby detecting information on the original (1).

Further, in the sub-scanning direction, by manually moving the main body of the apparatus and rotating the encoder roller (7) over the document (1), the amount of movement is detected by a connected encoder or the like. Therefore, each time the scanner body moves by a predetermined amount, the photoelectric conversion operation in the main scanning direction is performed, thereby detecting the information of the entire document (1) as an electrical signal.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] In the conventional image scanner device configured as described above, the reading width of the document (1) is reduced to the incident width of the image sensor (4) by the lens (5). Therefore, a predetermined optical path length of the reflected light (6) is required, which poses the problem of increasing the size of the scanner body.
There was a problem that these problems had to be solved.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image scanner device that can reduce the space required for reflected light from a document and can downsize the scanner body.

[Means for Solving the Problems] An image scanner device according to the present invention includes a transparent member so that reflected light from a document is incident thereon, and the reflected light travels through the transparent member by bending a plurality of times. In addition, the transparent member is provided with a reflective material that reflects reflected light into the transparent member.

[Function] In the present invention, when reflected light from a document is incident on the transparent member, the reflective material reflects the reflected light into the transparent member so that the reflected light bends multiple times and travels through the transparent member. do.

[Example] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on figures showing examples thereof.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the scanner body of an image scanner device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an enlarged main part of the first section, and FIGS. Same-
Or equivalent parts are given the same reference numerals and their explanations are omitted.

In the figure, reference numeral (11) is a casing provided with an opening (l1m), (12) is a mirror provided within the casing (11) that reflects the reflected light (6) from the original (1), and <13 ) is the reflected light (
6) a flat transparent member provided on the optical path, (14)
is a reflective material deposited on both sides of the transparent member (13),
This reflective material (14) allows the reflected light (6) to be reflected by the transparent member (1).
3) It progresses through multiple bends. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the reflective material (14) is deposited on areas other than the incident part and the outgoing part of the reflected light (6).

In addition, the image sensor (4) and lens (
5) is arranged in such a direction that the light emitted from the transparent member (13) is incident thereon.

In the image scanner device configured as described above, when the light source section (3) is turned on, the reflected light (6) from the original (1) is first reflected by the mirror (IZ) and then reflected by the transparent member (13). is incident on the The reflected light <6) incident on the transparent member (13) is repeatedly reflected by the reflecting members (14) facing each other, and travels through the transparent member (13) while being bent a plurality of times.

Then, the light is emitted from the end of the transparent member (13), is imaged by the lens (5), and photoelectrically converted by the image sensor (4) as in the conventional example. Thereafter, information on the document (1) is detected as an electrical signal in the same manner as in the conventional example.

At this time, the optical path length of the reflected light (6) needs to be the same length as conventional methods, but the reflected light (6) is bent multiple times using the transparent member (13) and the reflective material 14). Since the scanner is made to advance while maintaining the optical path length, the space required for the optical path can be shortened in the height direction of the scanner body while maintaining the optical path length.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the reflected light (6) is transmitted through the transparent member (13).
It was possible to use the mirror (12) independently to make the light incident on the light, but for example, as shown in Figure 3, the transparent member (13) may be modified so that the reflective material (14) also functions as the mirror (12). It's okay.

Further, in the above embodiment, a hand scanner type image scanner device that performs sub-scanning manually is shown as an image scanner device, but it may also be of a stationary original type type as shown in FIG. 4, for example. The document stationary image scanner device shown in FIG. 4 includes a light source section (3), an image sensor (4), and a lens (.5) similar to those in the above embodiment.

Sub-scanning is performed by moving a reading unit (21), which is a scanner body having a transparent member (13), a reflective material (14), etc., along a shaft (22) by a motor or the like. In addition, the code (23) is the manuscript (1)
This is the glass surface on which the original is placed.

Further, the present invention can be applied to a moving document image scanner device in which the document is sub-scanned by a motor or the like and the document is read by a fixed scanner body.

Furthermore, the present invention can be applied to both color and monochrome image scanner devices, and the shapes and arrangements of the light source section, image sensor, and lens may be implemented as described above depending on the shape of the image scanner device. Needless to say, it is not limited to the examples.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a film-like material that is vapor-deposited on the transparent member (13) is used as the reflective material 14), but it may also be a plate-like material that can be attached by other methods such as adhesion or fitting. The shape and attachment method are not particularly limited. Further, the reflective material may be provided only at a position where reflected light is reflected.

Further, in the above embodiment, a flat plate-shaped transparent member (13) is shown, but it may be of other shapes. Further, the material may be made of glass or plastic, and is not particularly limited.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, the image scanner device of the present invention is provided with a transparent member and a reflective material, and the reflected light from the document is
Since it was made to advance by bending multiple times within the transparent member,
This has the effect that the space required for the reflected light can be reduced while maintaining the optical path length of the reflected light, and the scanner body can be made smaller.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a scanner body of an image scanner device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an enlarged main part of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram showing an image scanner device according to still another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram showing an example of a scanner main body of a conventional image scanner device. 6 is a side view of FIG. 5. In the figure, (1) is the original, (3) is the light source, (4) is the image sensor, (5) is the lens, (6) is the reflected light,
(13) is a transparent member, and (14) is a reflective material. In each figure, the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts. Shape 1 Diagram 4 1441 Murazaishin 2 Diagram 6 Diagram Otsu

Claims (1)

[Claims] a light source unit that irradiates light onto the original; a transparent member into which reflected light from the original is incident; and a transparent member provided on the transparent member so that the reflected light travels through the transparent member by bending a plurality of times; a reflective material that reflects the reflected light into the transparent member;
an image sensor that detects information on the document using light emitted from the transparent member; and an image sensor that is provided between the image sensor and the transparent member and reduces and condenses the light emitted from the transparent member onto the image sensor. An image scanner device comprising: an imaging lens;