JPH063472Y2 - Scanner sensor positioning structure - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial application] The present invention relates to a sensor part positioning structure of a scanner that reads an optical code recorded on a medium, and more particularly to a sensor part positioning structure of a scanner with improved reading performance. .

[Conventional technology]

FIGS. 4 and 5 show the structure of a conventional scanner that scans, for example, the surface of the paper on which the optical code is recorded.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of a conventional scanner,
FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of the sensor unit shown in FIG.

In the figure, 1 is a lower case, 2 is an upper case, 3 is a switch operation knob, 4 is a window hole, 5 is a sensor part, 5a and 5b are bases, 6 is a ball lens, 7 is a fiber, and 8 is a stopper. , 8a
Is a through hole, 9 is a cap, 9a is a detection window, 10 is a circuit board, 11
Indicate wires respectively.

When scanning with a pen-type scanner, a pair of lower case 1 and upper case 2 obtained by vertically dividing a substantially cylindrical shape is held by hand. In this lower case 1, the sensor portion 5 is housed in the tip portion thereof, the circuit board 10 electrically connected to the sensor portion 5 is housed in the center thereof, and the wire 11 wired to the circuit board 10 is housed. It is arranged from the rear end portion toward the outside. The upper case 2 has a switch operation knob 3 for pressing the push button switch mounted on the circuit board 10.
A window hole (4) for exposing the pressing operation portion of the device to the outside is opened, and the switch operation knob (3) is installed so as to cover the opening side surface of the semi-cylindrical case of the lower case (1).

Flexible projecting pieces are integrally formed at the tip portions of the lower case 1 and the upper case 2 so as to be in contact with the long side surfaces of the sensor unit 5. On the outer periphery of this protruding piece, a substantially cylindrical trapezoidal fastening body 8 is attached in a strongly fitted state in contact with the longitudinal side surface of the sensor portion 5, and the fitting force of this fastening body 8 causes the sensor portion to The sensor portion 5 is positioned and fixed by strongly contacting the longitudinal side surface of 5 with the inner surface of the protruding piece.

In this state, the tip of the sensor unit 5 which is positioned and fixed is
It is a locking portion that is integrally formed by penetrating an oval-shaped through hole 8a in the inner periphery of the stopper body 8 and projecting from the end surface of the stopper body 8 facing the lower case 1 and the upper case 2. A male screw is formed.

On the other hand, a pair of semi-cylindrical projecting pieces are integrally provided at the rear end portions of the lower case 1 and the upper case 2, and the wire 11 with the cord bush attached to the inner circumference of the projecting pieces. A rear end stopper that is housed and formed with a through hole that tightly fits the outer circumference of the pair of protruding pieces is mounted.

As shown in FIG. 5, the sensor unit 5 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape at its center and a substantially conical tip end, and its rear end has a shape larger than that of the straight body at the center. It has a cubic external shape.

The outer shape of the sensor unit 5 is composed of a pair of bases 5a and 5b which are vertically divided in the longitudinal direction. One of the bases 5a accommodates a Y-shaped fiber 7 having a Y-shaped receiving groove formed by a light guide body, one Y-shaped receiving groove extending toward the front end and two Y-shaped receiving grooves extending toward the rear end. It is formed to do.

A recess is formed at the tip of one of the bases 5a, and this recess and one receiving groove follow. On the other base 5b,
A recess similar to the recess provided in the one base 5a is formed. A ball lens 6 that collects light with the medium is housed between the pair of recesses in a state where a part of the ball lens 6 is exposed from the tip of the outer shape.

The two receiving grooves extending to the rear end side of one of the bases 5a are respectively followed by a pair of large and small storage recesses formed for storing a light emitting element and a light receiving element (not shown). The light-emitting surface of the light-emitting element housed in the large housing has a 2
One of the fibers 7 faces one end face, and the light emitted by the light emitting element passes through one fiber 7 at the rear end and the fiber 7 extending to the front end, which is the path path for the emitted light. Then, it is condensed by the ball lens 6. The ball lens 6 at the tip of this light guide path is irradiated with light from the medium and is condensed by the fiber 7 extending to the tip. The light from the collected medium passes through the fiber 7 extending to the tip part which is a light guide path common to the received and emitted light rays and the other fiber 7 at the rear end part which is the light guide path for the received light ray. The light receiving surface of the light receiving element housed in the small housing is irradiated.

A pressing body made of an elastic member is arranged above the branch point of the fiber 7 housed in the receiving groove, and a plurality of engaging pieces integrally extending from one base body 5a to the other base body 5b are engaged. The mating prevents the fiber 7 from moving inside the receiving groove. Also, in this state, the ball lens
Similarly, 6 and the light emitting and light receiving elements are held and fixed between the pair of bases 5a and 5b.

The ball lens 6 that is the end of the light guide path of the sensor unit 5 is the stopper 8
The position projected from the end surface of the male screw that is the locking portion provided on the is set by surrounding the substantially cubic portion of the rear end of the sensor unit 5 with a pair of walls protruding on the inner circumference of the lower case 1. ing. The cap 9 having the detection window 9a at the tip of the substantially conical shape is screwed into the male screw serving as the locking portion of the stopper 8.

The inner circumference of the cap 9 accommodates a detection window 9a formed of a cylindrical hole having a small diameter in order to limit the region of light whose front end reciprocates with the medium, and the sensor section 5 following the detection window 9a. And a female screw is formed on the inner wall of the cavity. Then, for example, when a problem such as foreign matter clogging of the detection window 9a occurs, the cap 9 can be removed and repaired.

[Problems to be solved by the device]

However, the sensor part 5 of such a conventional scanner is
Since the positioning structure is configured to attach the cap 9 with the side surface of the sensor unit 5 sandwiched and fixed between the lower case 1 and the upper case 2, the cap 9 is attached after repair work such as replacing the cap 9 or the like. Again, there is a problem in that, when it is attached again, the positional relationship between the ball lens 6 that is the end of the light guide path and the detection window 9a shifts, and the detection accuracy varies.

Therefore, it is a technical object of the present invention to provide a sensor part positioning structure of a scanner that can perform stable reading without depending on the attachment / detachment work state of the cap 9.

[Means for solving the problem]

In order to solve the above technical problems, in a sensor part positioning structure of a scanner according to the present invention, a light emitting element that emits light for illuminating a medium on which a symbol is optically recorded,
A light receiving element for receiving the light of the light emitting element reflected on the medium, and a light guide path for guiding the light emitted by the light emitting element onto the medium, and guiding the light reflected on the medium to the light receiving element, A sensor unit including a light-emitting element, a light-receiving element, and a base body that holds and fixes the light guide path in a predetermined positional relationship, a case that holds the sensor section, and a light emitting and receiving side end portion of the light guide path of the sensor section. And a cap that is detachably locked to the case in which a detection window for reciprocating light between the light emitting / receiving side end and the medium is formed, and the sensor unit attached to the cap in a direction. And an elastic member that urges,
The sensor part is brought into contact with the cap by the urging force of the elastic member, and the entire sensor part is housed and held by the case and the cap.

[Action]

 The above technical means operates as follows.

That is, at the time of attaching the cap, the sensor portion is biased by the elastic member and comes into close contact with the cap, and the sensor portion is accurately positioned in the cap.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to FIGS. It should be noted that description of the same and functional parts as those described in the conventional example will be omitted.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a scanner showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of the sensor unit shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. It is a principal part sectional view which shows the positioning state of a sensor part.

In the figure, 20 is a lower case, 21 is an upper case, 22 is a switch operation knob, 23 is a window hole, 24 is a sensor section, and 24a and 25b.
Is a base, 25 is a ball lens, 26 is a fiber, 27 is a receiving groove, 28 is a pressing body, 29 is a coil spring, 30 is a receiving wall, 31
Is a stopper, 31a is a through hole, 32 is a cap, 32a is a detection window, 33
Is a circuit board, and 34 is a wire.

First, the structure will be described. At the tip of the lower case 20, as shown by the broken line in FIG. 3, there is a flexible pressing piece that partially contacts the bottom surface of the longitudinal center portion of the sensor section 24, and A pair of guide pieces for slidably guiding the two side faces of the longitudinal central portion of the adjacent sensor portions 24 in the longitudinal direction of the sensor portion 24 are provided so as to project in the longitudinal direction of the lower case 20.
Similarly, a pressing piece and a guide piece are also provided in a protruding manner at the tip of the upper case 21 so as to face each other, and the outer periphery of the pressing piece and the guide piece has a stopper 31 with the sensor portion 24 housed therein. The upper and lower cases 21 are fitted with the through holes 31a of the , 20 and 20 are stopped by a stopper 31. Sensor part 24 in this state
Is configured to move slidably in the longitudinal direction in a state where its plane and bottom are in contact with the protrusions at the inner tips of the pair of pressing pieces.

On the other hand, in the lower case 20, a receiving wall 30 is provided so as to project from the rear end portion of the sensor portion 24 housed in the inner wall of the bottom surface by a predetermined distance, and the rear end surface of the sensor portion 24 is One end of a coil spring 29, which is an elastic member for biasing, abuts. This receiving wall 30 is a coil spring
It is composed of a pair of opposing walls that elastically scissor the outer circumference of 29, and a wall that is in contact with one end of the coil spring 29 at right angles to the walls.

The coil spring 29 is held in a state where a cylindrical rod protruding from the rear end surface of the base body 24a of the sensor portion 24 is inserted, and can be contracted until the rod comes into contact with the receiving wall 30. Is made. The sensor portion 24 biased by the coil spring 29 protrudes toward the tip by a predetermined amount as shown by the chain double-dashed line in FIG. 3, and is formed slightly rearward from the tip of the sensor portion 24. The stepped portion, which is the contacted portion thus formed, is configured to abut the stepped contacting portion formed on the inner circumference of the cap 32.

Next, the operation will be described. When the female screw on the inner circumference of the cap 32 and the male screw protruding from the end of the stopper 31 are screwed together and locked, the contact portion of the cap 32 is By pressing the stepped portion of the sensor portion 24, the sensor portion 24 retracts in the direction of contracting the coil spring 29.

At this time, since the light-receiving / light-emitting elements are held and fixed in the bases 24a and 24b from the ball lens 25 of the sensor portion 24, the positional relationship does not change, and the contact portion of the cap 32 is urged by the coil spring 29. It comes into close contact with the step of the sensor section 24. As a result, the positional relationship between the detection window 32a and the ball lens 25 depends only on the cap 32, eliminating an unstable element as in the conventional configuration, and the sensor unit 24 is accurately positioned with respect to the cap. . Therefore, even if the cap 32 is not completely locked to the stopper 31, the original reading performance of the scanner is maintained.

Also, the sensor part 24 of the scanner is the cap 32 and the case.
Since it is stored and held in 20, 21, 31
Does not directly contact the medium on which the optical code is recorded, and the sensor unit 24 is protected when the scanner is used.

In addition, if you use the scanner for a long time,
The tip portion of 32 becomes worn and deteriorates due to the sliding contact with the medium, and it is necessary to replace it.
No special process or tool is required for positioning with 32, and cap 32 can be replaced very easily.

[Effect of device]

As described above, according to the present invention, the cap is brought into contact with the sensor part, and the cap is attached to the case against the elastic force of the urging member. The positional relationship between the light emitting / receiving side end of the sensor section and the detection window of the cap is always kept constant. Therefore, even if there is no step for adjusting the position of the sensor unit,
Since the sensor unit is accurately positioned in the cap only depending on the accuracy of the cap components, repair work such as replacement of the cap can be performed very easily, and deterioration of the reading performance of the scanner due to this work can be prevented.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a scanner showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a structure of a sensor unit shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are cross-sectional views of a main part showing a positioning state of the sensor part, which are configuration diagrams showing a conventional example. In the figure, 20 is a lower case, 21 is an upper case, 23 is a window hole, 24 is a sensor part, 24a and 25b are bases, 25 is a ball lens, 28 is a pressing body, 29 is a coil spring, and 30 is a receiving wall. ,
31 is a stopper, 31a is a through hole, 32 is a cap, 32a is a detection window,
Are shown respectively.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A light emitting element that emits light for illuminating a medium on which a symbol is optically recorded, a light receiving element that receives light of the light emitting element reflected on the medium, and the light emitting element While guiding the emitted light onto the medium,
A light guide path that guides the light reflected on the medium to the light receiving element, a sensor section that includes the light emitting element, the light receiving element, and a base body that holds and fixes the light guide path in a predetermined positional relationship, and a sensor section that holds the sensor section. And a case having a detection window formed at the light emitting / receiving side end of the light guide path of the sensor section and having a detection window for reciprocating light between the light emitting / receiving side end and the medium. A cap that is locked to the sensor part, and an elastic member that biases the sensor part toward the cap, and causes the sensor part to contact the cap with the biasing force of the elastic member, and the entire sensor part. A sensor part positioning structure for a scanner, characterized in that the case is housed and held by the cap.