JPH05139601A - Picture image reader - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a picture image reader capable of holding safely thick originals, reading picture images with high accuracy and recovering smoothly the originals without giving any overload to a transfer rollers or the like by providing a drive controlling means for controlling the drive means to draw timely an original ejecting tray in and out of a housing. CONSTITUTION:An original ejecting tray 40, a drive means 50 and a drive controlling means are provided such that the original ejecting tray 40 is normally received in a housing 1 and if necessary drawn out of the housing 1. Thus, thick originals P or the like can be safely held, and high accuracy picture image reading and original recovery can be more smoothly carried out without giving an overload to transfer rollers 8 or the like. Also, the drive controlling means is formed of a CPU ROM having a function of automatically drawing out the original ejecting tray 40 when the thickness of the originals P exceed the reference one, so that an operator can handle quickly the originals P without considering one by one the thickness or the like of the originals P and the originals can be smoothly ejected and recovered.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a moving original type image reading apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In FIG. 10, reference numeral 1 denotes a housing, which is composed of an upper case 2 and a lower case 3, and has an original insertion port 1A.
And a document discharge port 1B. In this case 1, CC
An image reading unit 10 including D and the like and a document conveying mechanism are stored. The image reading unit 10 is drive-controlled based on a signal from a host computer or the like. on the other hand,
The document transport mechanism is composed of guide plates 4, 5 and 6 that form a transport path and a plurality of transport rollers 8. The document P inserted into the carry-in path 7 from the document insertion port 1A is discharged through the image reading unit 10. Transport to exit 1B.

In FIG. 10, reference numeral 11 is a start sensor for rotating the conveying roller 8 when the document P is detected, and 12 is the image reading unit 1 when the document P is detected.
This is a reading start sensor for driving 0 to start reading an image. Further, 9 is a pressure contact roller.

In such an image reading apparatus, when the document P is inserted into the carry-in path 7 through the document insertion port 1A, the start sensor 1
1 works to rotate and drive each of the transport rollers 8. Therefore, the sheet P is sent along the transport path (4, 5, 6).
Then, when the image is moved to the image reading unit 10, the reading start sensor 12 operates and the image on the original P is automatically read. Thereafter, the document P is discharged from the document discharge port 1B to the outside of the housing 1.

[0005]

By the way, as the spread and the diversification progress, the size of the apparatus becomes larger, and various kinds of documents P such as size, paper thickness, weight, etc. are applied. There is.

Particularly, when a thick original (P1) is inserted here, the weight of the original P1 shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. A load is applied and smooth transportation is hindered. In addition, the risk of damage to the devices (8, 9) is increasing.

On the other hand, when the original P2 is bent due to the weight of the portion protruding from the original discharge port 1B like the original P2, the original P is lifted in the image reading section and high-precision reading cannot be performed. Further, the rear end 4E of the guide plate 4 damages the document P2. Furthermore, a large amount of originals P, P1, P2
If you want to read images continuously, the document outlet 1B
This is inconvenient because the operator is located in the area and must collect the documents.

On the other hand, it is conceivable to provide a document receiver 15 shown by a two-dot chain line at the document discharge port 1B. However, if the document receiver 15 is uniformly and fixedly provided, it becomes a hindrance when the image is not read.
Also, depending on the manuscript to be applied, it may be a useless long item,
This is a factor that makes the interior layout difficult.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image reading apparatus which can collect an original document outside the housing only when necessary.

[0010]

An image reading apparatus according to the present invention has an original document feeding mechanism and an image reading unit housed in a housing, and reads an image while feeding an original document in a predetermined direction. In the document, a document discharge tray mounted so as to be reciprocally movable in the document transport direction and capable of projecting and retracting from the housing, a driving means for reciprocating the document discharge tray, and a document discharging tray projecting from the housing at appropriate times. Drive control means for controlling the drive means so as to be retracted.

[0011]

According to the present invention having the above-described structure, if the drive control means is constructed so as to operate when the thickness of the document is larger than the reference thickness, for example, when the thickness of the inserted document is judged to be the reference thickness or more, The drive control unit controls the drive unit to cause the document discharge tray to project outside the housing. Therefore, a thick and heavy document can be collected. On the other hand, when it is not used, the drive means is controlled to perform the retracting operation. Therefore, the document discharge tray is stored in the housing and does not interfere.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the present image reading apparatus has the same basic configuration as that of the conventional example (FIG. 10), and the document discharge tray 40, driving means (50, 50M, 50D), and drive control means (31). , 32) are provided so that the document discharge tray 40 can be projected to the outside of the housing 1 only when necessary, and can be retracted or stored in the housing 1 when not in use.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 40 denotes a document discharge tray,
It is composed of a plurality of grid members 41 and has a planar shape shown in FIG. The document discharge tray 40 is mounted so as to be capable of reciprocating in the left-right direction along the guide plate 4 in the housing 1 and projecting and retracting from the housing 1. In addition, in the grid member 41 at the side end,
A plurality of slits 42 are provided. The purpose will be described later in relation to the movement detector 64.

Next, the driving means drives the document discharge tray 4
0 is forcibly reciprocated, and in this embodiment, it is composed of the tray feed roller 50 shown in FIG. 1, the tray motor 50M and the try bar 50D shown in FIG. Tray motor 5
The drive control means (31, 32) controls reversible rotation of 0M in a timely manner.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 61 is a thickness detector disposed so as to face the carry-in path 7, and reference numeral 62 is the front end of the conveyed document P at a predetermined position (the document discharge tray pulled into the housing 1). A tip position detector for detecting that the tip position of 40 has been reached,
Reference numeral 63 denotes a protrusion position detector that detects a state in which the document discharge tray 40 is maximally protruded, and 64 cooperates with a slit 42 provided in the document discharge tray 40 to detect whether the document discharge tray 40 is moving. Is a movement detector that
Is a pull-in position detector for confirming the position of the document discharge tray 40 pulled into the housing 1. These detectors 6
A detection device 60 for drive control is formed from 1, 62, 63, 64, and 65.

In this embodiment, the drive control means controls the drive of the entire apparatus in FIG. 3 by the drive control means.
It is built by using the components and their functions.

In FIG. 3, the control unit 30 is a CP
U31, ROM 32, RAM 33, timer 34, interface 35, operation panel 36, image RAM 37
And the like, and is configured to automatically read an image based on an image reading command signal S transmitted from a host computer or the like and automatically transmit read data to the host computer or the like.

The control unit 30 is provided with a conveying roller 8M.
Driver 8D, tray motor 50M driver 5
The image reading unit 10 including a CCD sensor is connected via the 0D and the A / D converter 10C.

Various programs shown in FIGS. 4 to 9 are stored in the ROM 32, and the CPU 31 executes the programs at appropriate times.

FIG. 4 mainly shows a setting program for automatically setting whether or not the driving means (50) causes the document discharge tray 40 to project outside the housing 1. In this embodiment, paying attention to the fact that when the thickness of the original P is large, the weight is large and the size is large, and when the inserted original P is thicker than the set reference thickness, that is, the thickness detector 61. Is ON (S
At the time of T14), the flag "1" is set in the RAM 33, and the document discharge tray 40 for the document P is projected. If NO is determined in ST14, the flag is set to "0".

However, in this embodiment, the non-use mode (ST22 of FIG. 5) and the use mode (ST23 of FIG. 5) are further input from the host computer side and / or the operation panel 36.
It is supposed to be able to set. When the non-use mode is set (YES in ST22), the thickness detector 61 is turned ON-OF.
The document discharge tray 40 is not projected regardless of F. on the other hand,
When the use mode is set, even if the thickness detector 61 is OFF, the document discharge tray 40 is projected for the document.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show a projecting operation program for automatically projecting the document discharge tray 40 out of the housing 1. That is, the document discharge tray 40 is stored in the housing 1 (the pull-in position detector 65 is ON).
In this case, the document P that has passed through the image reading unit 10
When the leading edge of the document reaches the leading edge of the document discharge tray 40 and the leading edge position detector 62 is turned on (YES in ST25), the driving means (50M) is driven and controlled to cause the document discharge tray 40 to move.
Is projected outside the housing 1 (ST26).

This projecting operation is stopped when the image reading of the document P is completed (YES in ST27). Further, when the original discharge tray 40 is in a full stroke (maximum) protruding state (the protruding position detector 63 is ON), the document discharging tray 40 is stopped (ST29, 30).

That is, the document P can be smoothly discharged without sliding on the document discharge tray 40 by setting the conveyance speed of the document P and the projecting operation speed of the document discharge tray 40 to be the same. When the projecting operation is completed in ST31, ST20 and 21 are passed through again, and the document discharge tray 40 is projected by the remaining amount.

Further, FIG. 7 shows an emergency stop program, and when the document discharge tray 40 is projected by the driving means (50M), the movement detector 64 cooperates with the slit 42 to discharge the document. Judge that tray 40 has stopped (ST
40), the tray motor 50M is brought to an emergency stop. The protection is provided when the front end of the document discharge tray 40 projects to a person or a wall. It works as an interrupt function.

Incidentally, "M" in ST44 is the slit 42
It is a value determined from the interval between black and white marks. Therefore,
Once "N" is set, and when the value of N becomes zero (0), an emergency stop is supposed (ST41,
42). Therefore, malfunction can be prevented.

Next, FIG. 8 shows an arbitrary pull-in operation program. In this embodiment, when a pull-in signal is issued from the operation panel 36, the tray motor 50M is rotated in the reverse direction to pull in the document discharge tray 40 into the housing 1. Let When the retracted position detector 65 is turned on, it is stopped (ST51, 52).
Therefore, the document discharge tray 40 can be completely stored in the housing 1.

On the other hand, FIG. 9 is an arbitrary projecting program, and by appropriately generating a projecting command signal from the operation panel 36, the document discharge tray 40 can be arbitrarily projected outside the housing 1 (ST60). ~ 62).

Here, the drive control means is the same as that shown in FIG.
~ CPU31 and R for executing various programs shown in FIG.
It is clear that it is understood to be composed of OM32.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. (Arbitrary projecting operation) When the document discharge tray 40 is to be projected in a state shown by a chain double-dashed line in FIG.
A protrusion command signal is output from the operation panel 36. Then,
The CPU 31 as the drive control means executes the arbitrary protrusion program (ST60 to 62) shown in FIG. The tray motor 50M is rotationally controlled so that the document discharge tray 40 is projected. Therefore, regardless of the type of the document P, the document P from the document discharge port 1B can be continuously collected.

The document discharge tray 40 can be stored in the housing 1 by executing the arbitrary pull-in operation program shown in FIG. This can be arbitrarily performed by operating the operation panel 36.

(Emergency stop operation) In both the above-mentioned optional projecting / pulling-in operation (FIGS. 8 and 9) and the automatic operation (FIGS. 5 and 6), the tray motor 50M is irrespective of the rotation. When the document discharge tray 40 is in a stopped state, the drive control means (31, 32) emergency stop the tray motor 50M (ST40 to 43 in FIG. 7).

(Automatic protrusion operation) Now, consider a case where the operation panel 36 or the host computer is not set to either the non-use mode or the use mode.

First, when the document P is inserted into the carry-in path 7 through the document insertion port 1A shown in FIG. 1, the start sensor 11 is turned on (ST10 in FIG. 4). Then, the CPU 31 drives the carry motor 8M to feed the document P to the left in FIG. 1 (ST1).
1). When the leading edge of the document P is detected by the reading start sensor 12, the carry motor 8M is stopped.

If the inserted document P has a preset reference thickness or more, a flag "1" is set in the RAM 33 (ST14, 15). If not, flag “0”
Is set (ST14, 16).

Here, there is a reading start command (see FIG. 5).
When the answer is YES in ST20, the CPU 31 drives the carry motor 8M again to feed the document P. This transport speed is slow. When reaching the image reading unit 10, the image on the document P is read (ST21).

Then, the flag is "1" (ST24
YES), the leading edge of the document P reaches the leading edge of the document discharge tray 40, and the leading edge position detector 62 is turned on (ST25).
YES), the CPU as drive control means
31 drives the drive means (50M) in the protruding direction (S).
T26). Therefore, the document discharge tray 40 is
It carries out synchronous movement (forward movement) while carrying. In other words, it begins to protrude outside the housing 1.

Image reading is once completed (ST in FIG. 6).
27), the CPU 31 turns off the conveyance motor 8M and the CCD of the image reading unit 10 and stops the document discharge tray 40 (ST28, 31). On the other hand, when the document discharge tray 40 protrudes by a predetermined amount and the protruding position detector 63 is turned on (ST29), the CPU 31 stops the tray motor 50M (ST30).

However, according to this embodiment, the document discharge tray 40, the driving means (50, 50M, 50D) and the drive control means (31, 32) are provided, and the document discharge tray 40 is provided.
Is always stored in the housing 1 and can be projected out of the housing 1 only when necessary. Therefore, a thick original P or the like can be safely held, and the transport roller 8 or the like is overloaded. Therefore, high-accuracy image reading and document collection can be performed more smoothly. Also, it does not get in the way.

Further, the drive control means is CPU 31, ROM
When the original P is formed of 32, and has a thickness equal to or larger than the reference thickness, the original eject tray 40 has a function of automatically protruding (ST15 in FIG. 4, ST26 in FIG. 5). It can be handled quickly without having to think about thickness etc. one by one.

Further, since the drive control means (31, 32) is configured to move (forward) the document discharge tray 40 in synchronization with the feeding speed of the document P, the document P is damaged. It can be smoothly discharged and collected.

Further, since the drive control means (31, 32) is designed to stop the document discharge tray 40 (ST31) at the end of reading (ST27 in FIG. 6), the document P is damaged from this point as well. Don't give In addition, the protruding position (ST2
Since the tray motor 50M is stopped (ST30) in 9), the length of the document discharge tray 40 can be fully utilized to reliably collect a large document P.

When the document discharge tray 40 cannot move during the projecting operation (ST40), the tray motor 50M is used.
Since it is configured to emergency stop (ST43),
It is safe even if it hits a person or a wall, and the document output tray 4
The protection of 0 is perfect.

Further, the drive control means (31, 32) is
Since it is formed so as to be capable of arbitrarily projecting and retracting (FIGS. 8 and 9), it is possible to operate with wide applicability as needed.

Further, as shown in ST22 and ST23 of FIG. 5, the non-use mode and the use mode can be set, so that the document discharge tray 40 can be automatically projected at any time or stored in the opposite direction. Can be left alone.

[0046]

According to the present invention, the document discharge tray, the drive means, and the drive control means are provided, and the document discharge tray is always housed in the housing, and is projected outside the housing only when necessary. With such a configuration, it is possible to safely hold thick originals and the like, and to perform high-precision image reading and original collection more smoothly without imposing an overload on the conveying rollers and the like. Also, it does not get in the way.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a view mainly for explaining mechanical components of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is also a diagram for explaining a document discharge tray.

FIG. 3 is likewise a block diagram mainly for explaining electronic components.

FIG. 4 is likewise a flowchart for explaining a protrusion setting operation.

FIG. 5 is also a flowchart (1) for explaining the automatic projecting operation.

FIG. 6 is likewise a flowchart (2) for explaining the automatic projecting operation.

FIG. 7 is likewise a flow chart for explaining an emergency stop operation.

FIG. 8 is likewise a flow chart for explaining an optional pull-in operation.

FIG. 9 is likewise a flow chart for explaining an optional projecting operation.

FIG. 10 is a side sectional view showing a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Case 1A Document Insertion Port 1B Document Discharge Port 4, 5, 6 Guide Plate (Document Transport Mechanism) 7 Carrying Path 8 Transport Roller (Document Transport Mechanism) 9 Pressing Roller 10 Image Reading Unit 11 Start Sensor 12 Scanning Start Sensor 30 Control Unit 31 CPU (drive control means) 32 ROM (drive control means) 36 Operation panel 40 Document discharge tray 41 Lattice member 42 Slit 50 Tray feed roller (drive means) 50M Tray motor (drive means) 50D driver (drive means) 60 Detection Device 61 Thickness detector 62 Tip position detector 63 Projection position detector 64 Movement detector 65 Pull-in position detector

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An image reading apparatus having a document feeding mechanism and an image reading unit, which are stored in a housing, and which reads an image while feeding a document in a predetermined direction, wherein the housing is reciprocally movable in the document feeding direction. A document discharge tray mounted so as to be capable of projecting and retracting, a drive means for reciprocating the document discharge tray, and a drive control means for controlling the drive means so as to cause the document discharge tray to project and retract from the casing in a timely manner. An image reading device characterized in that