JPH03135268A - Optical picture reader and reflector unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To miniaturize and lighten a reflector unit by providing the reflector unit where reflectors are fixed so that reflected light beams are mutually cross to an optical picture reader. CONSTITUTION:Reflector fixed boards 21 are inserted from both ends of a central shaft 22 and tighten by nuts for central shaft fixing 23 from both ends of a central shaft 22 from an external-side. Then, spring boards 25 for fixing six surfaces of the reflectors excluding an incident surface and a projection surface are fixed to one reflector fixed board by vises at six places. Thus, six reflectors 24 are inserted between the spring boards 25 which are thus fixed and the reflector fixing boards 21 so that the reflecting surfaces face an internal- side and the spring boards 25 of the other end are fixed by the vises 26, whereby the reflectors are completed. Thus, the reflector unit can be miniaturized and lightened by constituting the reflectors in such a way that reflected light beams are respectively cross.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical image reading device used in facsimile scanners and the like.

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, there has been a remarkable development of equipment that handles images as digital images, such as image input devices for personal computers, digital copying machines, and facsimile machines.

The same is true for recent office equipment in general, and one of the important points in the development of this equipment is to make it smaller and lighter.

A conventional optical image reading device will be described below.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a conventional optical image reading device.
1 is a document, 2 is a light source that illuminates the document 1, 3, 4, 5, 6
．． 7 is a reflector that reflects the light reflected by the original 1, 8 is an optical lens, and 9 is a light sensor.

The operation of the optical image reading device configured as described above will be described below.

First, the light emitted from the light source 2 is diffusely reflected by the original 1, and a portion of this reflected light is reflected by the reflectors 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 in this order. The light reflected by the reflector 7 is imaged by the optical lens 8 to form an image plane on the surface of the optical sensor 9, which is read by the optical sensor 9 as an image of the document surface. Here, the reason why many reflectors are used from the original 1 to the optical lens 8 to completely bend the optical path is that the optical lens 8 is connected to the optical sensor 9.
A fairly long optical path length is required to form images of two sides of the original on a surface, but by bending that optical path,
This is to make the device as small as possible. Note that the person indicates the document moving direction.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, such a conventional configuration has a problem in that there is a limit to miniaturization, and the shape of the fixing base for fixing each reflector becomes complicated.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and aims to provide an optical image reading device that is smaller and lighter in size and has a simpler shape.

Means for Solving the Problems To achieve this object, the optical image reading device of the present invention has a configuration in which reflectors are fixed so that the optical paths intersect with each other in order to use space effectively without wasting it. There is.

Effect This configuration provides a long optical path length in a small space,
The entire device can be made smaller and lighter, and the simpler shape of the reflector unit makes processing easier and reduces man-hours.

EXAMPLE An example of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a side view of an optical image reading device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the same parts as in FIG. 4 are given the same numbers, and their explanations will be omitted.

In the figure, 10 is a reflector unit, B is an incident surface, and C is an exit surface. In this embodiment, it is a regular octagonal prism, and only the entrance surface and the exit surface allow light to pass therethrough, while the other surface is configured to allow internal reflection. 102L~10
f' is a reflector capable of internal reflection.

The operation of the optical image reading apparatus of this embodiment configured as described above will be described below.

A part of the light emitted from the light source 2 and reflected by the original 1 enters the reflector unit 10, and then the light is reflected by the reflector unit 10a.

It is reflected six times in total in the order of 10b, 10C, 10d, and 108.1Of, and with a sufficiently long optical path length, it is emitted from the exit surface at an angle of 90' with respect to the incident light, and is imaged by optical lens 8. .

Next, the specific configuration of the reflector unit 1Q will be explained with reference to all the drawings.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a reflector unit in an embodiment of the present invention. In Fig. 2, 21 is a reflector fixing plate, 22 is a central shaft with D-cuts and threads on both ends;
23 is a nut for fixing the central axis, 24 is a reflector, 25 is a spring plate for fixing the reflector (hereinafter referred to as a spring plate), and 26 is a screw for fixing the spring plate (hereinafter referred to as a screw).

Further, D indicates incident light, and E indicates emitted light.

Although FIG. 2 shows only one end of the unit, it is symmetrical and the other end is similarly shaped. To assemble this unit, first insert the reflector fixing plates 21 from both ends of the center shaft 22 and tighten the center shaft fixing nuts 2 from the outside.
Tighten with 3. Next, a spring plate 26 is fixed to one of the reflector fixing plates with six screws 26 for fixing the reflector on the inner surface excluding the entrance surface and the exit surface. Spring plate 25 fixed in this way
Insert the six reflectors 24 between the reflector fixing plate 21 and the reflector fixing plate 21 so that the reflective surfaces face inward, and finally insert the spring plate 26 at the other end.
By fixing with screws 26, the reflector 10 is completed.

As described above, according to this embodiment, by configuring the entire reflector so that the reflected lights intersect with each other, it is possible to reduce the size and weight of the reflector unit.

In this embodiment, a regular octagonal prism is used as the reflector unit, but it goes without saying that other polygonal prisms may also be used.

Next, other embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a reflector unit of an optical image reading device according to another embodiment of the present invention. It shows.

The reflector unit shown in FIG. 3 is a regular octagonal prism-shaped transparent material, and the entrance surface and exit surface are cut out so as to be perpendicular to the incident light and the exit light, respectively.

In addition, except for the entrance surface F, the exit surface G, the top surface H, and the bottom surface (not shown), the entire outer surface of the transparent material is coated with silver or copper so that it can be used as a reflecting mirror. The reason why the entrance and exit surfaces are cut out to be perpendicular to the optical path is to prevent light from being refracted at the entrance and exit surfaces during input and output. Here, DI and D2 represent incident light, and El and IC2 represent emitted light.

In this way, by coating the outside of a solid object and utilizing internal reflection, it can be made even smaller and lighter than the method shown in Figure 2, resulting in a significant reduction in the number of parts and man-hours. can.

Moreover, by doing this, it is possible to prevent dust from adhering to the reflective surface and reducing the amount of light.

Effects of the Invention As described above, the present invention provides an optical image reading device with a reflector unit in which reflectors are fixed so that the reflected lights intersect with each other, thereby making it possible to reduce the size and weight of the entire device. Furthermore, since the shape of the reflector unit is simplified, it is possible to obtain the effects of cost reduction and counterfeiting.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a side view of an optical image reading device in one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a reflector unit of the device, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a reflector unit in another embodiment of the present invention. 4 are side views of a conventional optical image reading device. 1... Original, 2... Light source, 8...
...Optical lens, 9... Optical sensor, 10...
...Reflector unit.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) a light source that illuminates the original; a reflection unit that reflects light reflected from the original so that the optical paths intersect with each other; and an optical lens that forms an image of the light reflected by the reflection unit;
An optical image reading device equipped with a sensor that detects imaged light. (2) A reflector unit that has an entrance surface and an exit surface, and has a polygonal prism-shaped reflector inside other than the entrance surface, exit surface, top surface, and bottom surface.