JPH06326825A - Picture reader - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To form a picture read section in a compact size by integrating a plane light source to light an original picture with a carrier guide plate forming the picture read section so as to secure a space in the vicinity of the picture read section. CONSTITUTION:The picture reader lighting a carried original S and reading a picture the lighted original S is provided integrally with an original carrier guide 5 and an original lighting plane light source. The plane light source adopts a light emitting diode (LED) 7 as a lighting source. Then the picture read section is constituted to read the original S having a picture on one surface and the original S is read through a transparent section 5a provided to an upper original carrier guide plate 5 while being carried in a direction B. The plane-shape light emitting diode LED 7 is provided integrally with the carrier guide plate 5 and plural LEDs 7 are arranged in the direction of the width of the original while its lighting plane is directed to a lower surface in a lower recessed part of the carrier guide plate 5 thereby lighting the upper surface of the original S passing the lower side of the carrier guide plate 5.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image reading apparatus for illuminating an original being conveyed and reading an image of the illuminated original by an image sensor or the like in a facsimile copying machine or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional image reading apparatus, a document is sandwiched by a conveyance roller and conveyed while being read through a transparent section provided on a conveyance guide plate of a reading section. The surface of the original is illuminated with a fluorescent lamp through the transparent portion of the conveyance guide plate.

An original image illuminated by a fluorescent lamp is imaged on an image reading image sensor such as CCD by an imaging lens via a reflecting mirror.

However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, since a linear light source such as a fluorescent lamp is used as a light source for illuminating an original, a space for the linear light source such as a fluorescent lamp is a big problem in downsizing the apparatus. It was. Further, in order to secure a space for a linear light source such as a fluorescent lamp, a certain distance is required between the respective conveying rollers, and the document flutters in the image reading section, and the image is formed on the image reading sensor such as CCD. There was a problem that the image was distorted.

Also, an electronic file is known as a device having an image reading device. This apparatus stacks a plurality of originals on an original placing table, separates the originals one by one, conveys them to an image reading unit, records the read images on an optical disc, a magneto-optical disc, etc., and displays them on a display unit. I am trying.

However, there is a limit to the number of documents that can be stacked on the document mounting table, and in the case of a large number of documents, the documents must be stacked several times. In the above conventional example,
Because you can only visually see the amount of originals remaining on the original table, you may not notice that you are running out of work and you will not be aware that you are ready for the next recording. However, there is a problem in that work efficiency is poor, such as having to keep an eye on the remaining amount of documents near the apparatus.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The first object of the present invention is to reduce the size of the apparatus and prevent the original from fluttering.

A second object of the present invention is to notify the operator that the number of loaded originals has decreased and to enable a large amount of originals to be read efficiently.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is an image reading apparatus that illuminates an original image and reads the original image with an image reading sensor such as a CCD, and illuminates a conveyance guide plate forming an image reading unit and the original image. And a guide plate and the planar light source are integrated.

The flat light source is a light emitting diode,
It uses plasma, electroluminescence, etc. as a light source.

Further, according to the present invention, the fact that the number of manuscripts to be recorded is small is notified by the display and sound of the display section so that the operator can know even if he / she is doing other work, and a large amount of manuscripts can be efficiently processed. It can be recorded in.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the image reading apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a reading unit of an image reading apparatus according to the present invention. The image reading unit shown in FIG. 1 is configured to read a document (upper side in the drawing) having an image on one side. In FIG. 1, S is a document, and 1.3 is a drive / conveyance roller, which is driven by a motor (not shown). Numerals 2 and 4 are driven conveyance rollers, which are in contact with the drive conveyance rollers 1 and 3, respectively, at a constant pressure.

The respective conveying rollers 1, 2, 3, 4 are
The document S is rotated in the direction of the arrow in the figure, and the document S is conveyed in the direction B while being read through the transparent portion 5a provided on the upper document conveyance guide plate 5.

Reference numeral 7 denotes a planar light emitting diode (hereinafter referred to as an LED), which is provided integrally with the conveyance guide plate 5. A plurality of LEDs 7 are arranged in the document width direction, are arranged in the lower recess of the transport guide plate 5 with the light emitting plane facing downward, and the document S passing under the transport guide plate 5 is arranged.
Illuminate the upper surface of.

Conventionally, the LED has been insufficient in light quantity as a means for illuminating a document, but in recent years, the light quantity of the LED has increased, and the LED is incorporated in the conveyance guide plate 5, that is, in the vicinity of the document conveyance path. By arranging a plurality of them and arranging them in a plane, they can be used as means for illuminating an original image. The original image is illuminated by the LED 7, passes through the transparent portion 5a of the transport guide plate 5 and the optical path A through the reflection mirror 8, and is focused on the image reading sensor 10 such as a CCD by the imaging lens 9. The white plate portion 6a provided on the lower document conveyance guide plate 6 has a certain reflection density that serves as a reference when shading correction is performed to correct light amount unevenness of each LED before the image of the document S is read. A white surface is formed.

Although a light emitting diode is used as a light source for illuminating a document in the above embodiment, the guide plate 5 is used.
Any flat emission light source (a light emission source such as plasma or electroluminescence) that is integrated with the above may be used.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In this embodiment, a flat light emitting light source (light emitting diode in this embodiment) 7 for illuminating a document is integrated with the conveyance guide plate 5 before and after the image reading unit. By arranging the LEDs 7 in front of and behind the image reading unit, an increase in the amount of light can be obtained. Although the LEDs 7 have large individual light amount unevenness, the light amount unevenness can be reduced by arranging the LEDs 7 in two rows before and after the image reading unit.

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 3, a cold cathode tube 7 is a light emitting source for illuminating a document. Reference numeral 11 is a reflecting plate as a flat light source for reflecting the light from the cold cathode tube 7, 12 is a light guide plate, and 13 is a light guide plate.
Is a diffuser. The light emitted from the cold cathode tube 7 is reflected by the reflection plate 11, guided by the light guide plate 12 and the diffusion plate 13, and illuminates the document S. That is, in the third embodiment, the light emitting source itself does not emit plane light and is integrated with the guide plate 5.

The description of the original image reading operation in the second and third embodiments is the same as that in the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 shows an image recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

In FIG. 4, reference numeral 21 is an image recording device which is a main body, and 22 is a display device, which has a plate shape using a liquid crystal fluorescent display tube or the like.

Reference numeral 24 is a paper feed tray for supporting the original.
Reference numeral 25 is a document stacking table, and 26 and 27 are side plates for restricting the side position of the document, and the document is mounted on the document stacking table 25 so as to be movable in the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction. Reference numeral 28 denotes a sheet-shaped document 29, and a half-moon-shaped sheet feeding roller that rotates clockwise. Denoted at 30 and 31 are rollers for separating and feeding, 30 is a feed roller which rotates in the clockwise direction, and 31 is a reverse rotation roller for separation which similarly rotates in the clockwise direction. 32 and 3
Reference numeral 4 is a conveying roller which rotates clockwise, and 33 and 35 are pressing rollers which are pressed against the conveying rollers 32 and 34 and follow them. Reference numeral 36 is a transparent window portion elongated in the axial direction for reading the image on the lower surface of the original, and 37 is a similar transparent window portion for reading the image on the upper surface of the original.

The transparent windows 36 and 37 may be slit-shaped holes. Further, the transparent windows 36 and 37 are provided at positions slightly shifted in the carrying direction as shown in the figure.

Numerals 38 and 39 are reading units, which are flat light sources 40 which illuminate the front and back of the original through transparent windows 36 and 37.
41, plane mirrors 42 and 43, imaging lenses 44.4
5, having one-dimensional image sensors 46 and 47 such as CCD.

A recording device 48 records the read image information on a recording medium such as an optical disk. Reference numeral 49 is a paper discharge roller, 50 is a pressing roller that is pressed against and follows the paper discharge roller 49, and 51 is a paper discharge tray.

The operation of the mechanism of this apparatus will be described below.

First, a large number of originals 28 are set on the mounting table 25. When a switch (not shown) is turned on, a motor 8 (not shown) provided on the main body starts.

The original 28 is fed to the separating portion by the paper feed roller 29, and only the lowermost original 28 is fed to the next conveying roller 32 and pressing roller 33 by the action of the feed roller 30 and the reverse roller 31. Conveyor roller 32 and pressing roller 3
The manuscript 28 conveyed by 3 is read by the reading units 38 and 39 on the lower surface through the transparent window portion 36 and on the upper surface through the transparent window portion 37, and converted into an electric signal. Here, by displacing the transparent windows 36 and 37 slightly, the irradiation positions of the linear light sources 40 and 41 are displaced so that the back side image cannot be seen through in a thin document. The image signal after being converted into an electric signal is separated by a separation circuit (not shown), one of which is displayed on the display device 22 in real time, and the other is displayed by the optical disk device 48.
Recorded on the optical disc.

On the other hand, the original document read through the transparent windows 36 and 37 is discharged onto the tray 51 by the transport rollers 34 and 35 and the discharge rollers 49 and 50.

With the above operation, the originals 28 are sequentially fed, the position of the uppermost surface of the original stack is lowered, and as shown in FIG. 5, the original detection sensor lever 52 rotates counterclockwise about 52a. The edge comes off the document detection sensor 53. When the document detection sensor 53 does not detect the document detection sensor lever, a buzzer (not shown) is sounded, and the display 22 indicates that the document remaining amount is low.
As a result, the operator knows that the remaining amount of the original document is small even if he / she is doing other work. By stacking the original document stack 28a to be recorded next on the original document 28 currently being recorded, a large number of original documents can be continuously formed. The work efficiency can be improved because it can be recorded.

FIGS. 6 and 7 are views showing another embodiment according to the present invention, and are side views of the remaining amount detectors of FIGS. 8 and 7.
In the above-described embodiment, the operator was informed that the remaining amount of the original was low in the device for feeding the loaded originals from the bottom surface. However, in the present embodiment, the device for feeding the loaded originals from the top surface is used. In the above, when the remaining amount of the original document is low, the operator can be notified with an arbitrary remaining amount.

In the figure, reference numeral 25 denotes a document placing table 134 rotatably attached about 25a as an axis, and a document placing table pushing up lever which rotates about 134a as an axis.

An original detection sensor 133 detects the presence or absence of an original by an original detection sensor lever 132 that rotates around 132a as an axis, and controls the upper surface of the original 28 to always be a constant position based on a signal from this sensor. Has been done.

Reference numeral 137 is a light bulb as a light source, and 138 is a light bulb 1.
A lens 136 for collecting the light of 37, a light bulb 137
The sensor 135 for receiving the light of the sensor is fixed to the document placing table 25, and the sensor 1
A light blocking member shaped as shown in the figure so that the amount of light received by 37 changes, 139 is a slit that regulates the amount of light entering the sensor 136, and 140 is an amplifier that amplifies the output of the sensor 136.

When the number of loaded originals decreases, the original placing table 25 rotates counterclockwise about the axis 25a.
The light blocking member 135 fixed to the document table 25 moves up. The light incident on the sensor 136 changes as the light blocking member 135 moves. The amount of change is amplified by the amplifier 140, digitized by the A / D converter 141, and input to the CPU 142.

At this time, when the original remaining amount storage switch 143 is turned on at an arbitrary original remaining amount, the CPU 14 at that time is turned on.
The value input in 2 is stored in the memory device 144. Then, from the time of the next recording, the CPU 142 causes the A / D conversion 141
The value input from the above is compared with the value stored in the memory device 144, and when the same value, that is, the certified remaining amount of the original document is reached, the buzzer 145 is sounded to give an alarm and the display 22 reaches the predetermined remaining amount. It can be displayed to notify the operator that it has become. Therefore, the operator knows that the remaining amount of the original has decreased even if he / she is doing other work, and the original 28a to be recorded next is put under the original 28 currently being recorded, so that a large number of originals can be continuously formed. The work efficiency can be improved because it can be recorded.

[0038]

As described above, according to the present invention,
By integrating the flat light source for illuminating the original image with the conveyance guide plate forming the image reading unit, a space near the image reading unit can be secured and the image reading unit can be made compact. Further, the image reading unit becomes compact, and the distance between the pair of conveying rollers (C in FIG. 1) arranged before and after the image reading unit is shortened, whereby image distortion,
Problems such as flapping of the manuscript are also eliminated.

Further, according to the present invention, the operator can be informed by the display and the sound when the remaining amount of the original document becomes low. That is, when a large number of originals are divided and recorded several times, other work can be performed without worrying about the remaining amount of the originals, and continuous recording can be performed, so that work efficiency is improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an image reading unit in an image reading apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of an image reading unit showing a second embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of an image reading unit showing a third embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of an image recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram of a document remaining amount detector.

FIG. 6 is a schematic configuration diagram of another embodiment of a document remaining amount detector.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an alarm circuit.

FIG. 8 is a schematic configuration diagram of a detection unit of a document remaining amount detector.

[Explanation of symbols]

 S Document 5 Transport guide plate 7 Planar light emitting diode 10 Image reading sensor

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An image reading apparatus for illuminating an original being conveyed and reading an image of the illuminated original, wherein an original conveying guide and a flat light source for illuminating the original are integrally provided. . 2. An image reading apparatus for illuminating a conveyed document and reading an image of the illuminated document, and a feeding unit for separating and feeding a plurality of stacked documents one by one.
An image reading apparatus, comprising: a detection unit that detects the remaining amount of the stacked documents and a unit that gives an alarm based on the output of the detection unit.