JPH0591062U - Document reader - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] A simple light source is provided to secure a sufficient irradiation light amount, and the structure is simplified and power consumption is reduced. [Structure] The image sensor 14 is mounted on both guide plates 6a and 6b.
It is arranged on the optical axis L orthogonal to the image information writing surface of the document 4 passing through the space. The light source 13 is arranged on one side of the reading optical axis L so as not to interfere with the reading optical axis L. Further, a mirror 15 is arranged on the other side of the optical axis L, and light emitted from the light source 13 in a direction other than the reading window 11 is reflected by the mirror 15 and radiated on the original 4 through the reading window 11.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a document reading device used in a facsimile machine, for example.

[0002]

[Prior Art]

 As a document reading device in a facsimile machine, there is one as shown in FIG. That is, a slit-shaped reading window 24 is provided through a part of a guide plate 23 that forms a transfer passage 22 for the original 21, and a light source 25 outside the transfer passage 22 irradiates the original 21 with light through the reading window 24. In addition, the image information on the original 21 is read by the image sensor 26 outside the transfer passage 22.

In this case, the image sensor 26 needs to be arranged on the optical axis L orthogonal to the image information writing surface of the document 21 in order to read the image information accurately. Therefore, the light source 25 needs to be arranged on the side of the optical axis L while avoiding the optical axis L.

[0004]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 However, if such an arrangement is adopted, naturally, the image information writing surface is irradiated with light from an oblique direction, and the irradiation light amount becomes insufficient. This is remarkable when the document 21 is read at high speed. In order to supplement this, a plurality of light sources 25 have been conventionally provided. Therefore, conventionally, there has been a problem that not only the configuration becomes complicated, but also the power consumption increases.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to secure a sufficient irradiation light amount by providing only one light source, simplifying the structure and consuming it. An object of the present invention is to provide a document reading device capable of reducing power consumption.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, in the present invention, a reading window is provided through a part of a guide wall forming a document transfer passage, and a document is provided by a light source outside the transfer passage. In an original reading device that irradiates light to the top and reads image information on the original by an image sensor outside the transfer passage, the light source is arranged on one side of the reading optical axis, and on the other side of the reading optical axis. A mirror for guiding the light from the light source into the transfer passage is arranged.

[0007]

[Action]

 Therefore, according to the present invention, the light source arranged on one side of the reading optical axis irradiates the original document with the light through the reading window, and the light emitted from the light source in a direction other than the reading window is read. It is reflected by a mirror provided on the other side of the optical axis and guided into the transfer passage. Therefore, the light from the light source is guided into the transfer passage without waste, and a sufficient amount of irradiation light can be obtained with one light source.

[0008]

【Example】

 An embodiment of a document reading apparatus in a facsimile apparatus embodying the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, the paper feed tray 1 and the paper discharge tray 2 are juxtaposed on the upper part of the device frame 3, and a space between the paper feed tray 1 and the paper discharge tray 2 is set in the device frame 3. The transfer passage 5 of the draft 4 is formed in a shape which is substantially U-shaped and inverted and curved. Then, the document 4 is supplied from the paper feed tray 1 into the transfer path 5, and the document 4 is discharged from the transfer path 5 onto the discharge tray 2.

A pair of guide plates 6 as guide walls are arranged in the apparatus frame 3 and are composed of an upper guide plate 6a and a lower guide plate 6b arranged in parallel with each other. A part of the transfer passage 5 is formed between the guide plates 6a and 6b, and the guide plate 6 is curved in a U shape.

The take-in roller 7 and the pair of feed rollers 8 are arranged in the transfer passage 5 on the upstream side of the guide plate 6, and as the rollers 7 and 8 rotate, the document 4 is placed between the guide plates 6 a and 6 b. Is supplied. A pair of feed roller 9 and feeding roller 10 are arranged in the transfer passage 5 at the downstream side of the guide plate 6, and as the rollers 9 and 10 rotate, the original 4 is transferred from the inside of the transfer passage 5 to the outside of the apparatus frame 3. Is discharged.

A slit-shaped reading window 11 extending in the width direction of the document 4 is formed in a lower guide plate 6b of the curved guide plate 6, and the reading window 11 is made of a transparent plate made of transparent glass or the like. 12 is attached. One light source 13 including a fluorescent lamp and the image sensor 14 are arranged in the apparatus frame 3 so as to face the reading window 11, and light is emitted from the light source 13 through the reading window 11 onto the document 4. The reflected light from the original 4 is guided to the image sensor 14 through the reading window 11 and the image is read.

The image sensor 14 is arranged on an optical axis L orthogonal to the image information surface of the document 4 passing between the guide plates 6 a and 6 b, and the light source 13 is arranged on the reading optical axis L. It is arranged on one side of the same optical axis L so as not to. A flat plate-shaped mirror 15 is arranged on the other side of the optical axis L, and the light emitted from the light source 13 in a direction other than the reading window 11 is reflected by the mirror 15 and passes through the reading window 11 and onto the original 4. Is irradiated. Although the mirror 15 is described as being on the other side of the reading optical axis L, in this specification, the mirror 15 may be arranged at a position other than 180 degrees as well as when it is separated from the light source 13 by 180 degrees. As long as the mirror 15 is in a position where the light from the light source 13 can be projected onto the document 4 through the reading window 11, it is assumed to be arranged on the other side.

In the document reading device, when the rollers 7 to 10 are rotationally driven, the document 4 is transferred along the transfer path 5. Then, the original 4 is irradiated with light from the light source 13 through the reading window 11, and the light emitted from the light source 13 in a direction other than the reading window 11 is reflected by the mirror 15, and is also passed through the reading window 11. 4 is illuminated. Then, the reflected light from the original 4 is guided to the image sensor 14 through the reading window 11 and the image is read. At this time, the image sensor 14 receives the light on the optical axis L orthogonal to the image information surface of the document 4, so that the image on the document 4 can be accurately read without distortion.

At this time, the image information writing surface of the original 4 is irradiated with light from both the light directly emitted from the light source 13 and the light reflected by the mirror 15, and the image information writing surface is exposed. Is irradiated with light having an amount of light substantially equal to that when a plurality of light sources 13 are provided. Therefore, even if only one light source 13 is provided on the side of the optical axis L, the amount of irradiation light is insufficient at the time of reading an image by the image sensor 14, and the image cannot be reliably read. Even at the time of high-speed reading of 4, it is possible to read reliably without causing a problem. Since only one light source 13 needs to be provided, the structure does not become complicated, the manufacturing cost can be reduced, and the power consumption can be suppressed.

Further, since the guide plate 6 is formed in a curved shape, the original 4 passing between the two guide plates 6a and 6b is always along the inner wall of the lower guide plate 6b located on the outer peripheral side due to its elastic restoring force. There is no fluttering within the width between the guide plates 6a and 6b after being transferred. That is, when the document 4 passes over the reading window 11, the document 4 is transported along the upper surface of the transparent plate 12 attached to the reading window 11 of the lower guide plate 6b, so that the image of the document 4 on the reading window 11 is transferred. The distance between the information writing surface and the image sensor 14 is always kept constant, and the image on the original 4 is not read in a blurred or distorted state, and the image can be read accurately without distortion. You can

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may be embodied by being configured as follows, for example. (1) As shown in FIG. 2, the reflecting surface of the mirror 15 should be concave rather than flat. According to this, since the light from the mirror 15 is focused on the original 4 and the amount of irradiation light can be further increased.

(2) As shown in FIG. 3, further dispose a concave mirror 16 on the back side of the light source 13. According to this, the light leaking to the back side of the light source 13 can be applied to the original 4 as well, so that the amount of irradiation light can be further increased as in the other example.

(3) Not only one mirror 15 but a plurality of mirrors 15 are arranged. This also makes it possible to further increase the amount of irradiation light as in the above-mentioned respective examples.

[0020]

[Effect of the device]

 As described above in detail, according to the present invention, it is possible to secure a sufficient irradiation light amount by providing only one light source, simplify the configuration, and reduce the manufacturing cost and the power consumption. It has an excellent effect that it can.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial sectional view showing an embodiment of a document reading apparatus embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing another example.

FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view showing another example.

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a conventional document reading device.

[Explanation of symbols]

4 manuscripts, 5 transfer passages, 6 guide plates as guide walls,
6b Lower guide plate, 11 reading window, 13 light source, 14
Image sensor, 15 mirrors, L optical axis.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A reading window is transparently provided in a part of a guide wall forming a document transfer passage, and a light source outside the transfer passage irradiates the document with light, and an image sensor outside the transfer passage allows the document to be read. In the document reading device for reading the image information, the light source is arranged on one side of the reading optical axis, and a mirror for guiding the light from the light source into the transfer passage is arranged on the other side of the reading optical axis. A document reading device characterized by: