JPH0678108A - Document reader - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To read a sheet document as well as a book document by selectively reading the sheet document and the book document and changing the direction of a read means. CONSTITUTION:A reader 22 has the aperture part turned upward in the case of the sheet document, and it is rotated at 180 deg. in the direction of an arrow 38 to have the aperture part turned downward in the case of the book document. This direction change depends on which of the reflection face of an upper guide plate 11 or the upper face of a document scale 31 the reader 22 is read. The reflection face of the plate 11 is white and has a reflection factor higher than that of black of the upper face of the scale 31; and therefore, the reader 22 is rotated 180 deg. to have the aperture part turned downward and performs the read operation when a reflection factor higher than that of a book table 25 is detected though a book document 24 is detected by a book sensor 26. The reader 22 is moved in the direction of an arrow D to detect the size of the document 24; and when a return sensor 28 detects the reader 22, the reader 22 is moved in the direction of an arrow E at the time of detecting the reader 22 to scan the document 24, and the picture is read. Thus, the sheet document as well as the book document is read as it is.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an original reading apparatus applied to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine for copying sheet originals and book originals.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional image forming apparatus, there is known a document reading apparatus capable of setting and reading an image of a page to be copied with the image surface thereof facing upward when copying a book document.

[0003]

However, in this original reading apparatus, since the automatic original feeding apparatus for feeding the sheet original is separate, the book original and the sheet original can be set and read in the same original reading apparatus. There is a problem that lacks convenience.

Therefore, according to the present invention, in order to solve such a problem, it is possible to set the image surface of the page to be copied of the book original with the image side facing upward, and moreover, it is possible to read a double-sided sheet original having images on both front and back sides. It is an object of the present invention to provide a high-quality document reading device.

[0005]

The invention according to claim 1 is
The present invention has been made in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, and includes a sheet document setting unit for setting a sheet document, a sheet document reading unit for reading the sheet document, a book document setting unit for setting a book document, and a book document. A book manuscript reading unit for reading, a reading unit for selectively reading the sheet manuscript and the book manuscript, and a reversing unit for changing the direction of the reading unit when reading the sheet manuscript or the book manuscript. It has been configured.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the original reading apparatus according to the first aspect, the sheet original is a double-sided sheet original having images on both front and back sides, and the sheet original set section to the sheet original reading section. A sheet feeding section conveying path as a passage for the double sided sheet original, a sheet feeding section conveying means for conveying the double sided sheet original to the sheet feeding section conveying path, and a double sided sheet provided on the sheet original reading section. Detecting means for detecting the trailing edge of the sheet original, discharge conveying means provided downstream of the sheet original reading portion for discharging and conveying the double-sided sheet original, and the feeding means starting from the end of the paper feeding portion conveying path. Provided in the vicinity of the end of the sheet feeding section transporting path, which is connected to the middle stream of the sheet section transporting path and forms a loop with the sheet feeding section transporting path, and which reverses the image of the double-sided sheet document;
When the double-sided sheet original is read, the double-sided sheet original has a path switching unit that selectively guides the double-sided sheet original to the reversing unit conveyance path or the sheet original reading unit, and the detection unit sets the rear end of the double-sided sheet original. When it is detected, the paper feed section transporting means and the discharge transporting means are reversed, and the path switching means is displaced so as to guide the double-sided sheet document to the reversing section transporting path.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the original reading apparatus according to the first aspect, the book original reading section is provided with a transparent book original pressing member, and the reading means is provided when the sheet original is read. Is stationary at a fixed position, the sheet original is conveyed, and when the book original is read, the reading means scans the book original pressing member.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the document reading apparatus according to the first, second or third aspect, a portion having a first reflectance in the sheet document reading portion and the first portion in the book document setting portion are provided. The reading means detects the difference between the reflectances of the first reflectance and the second reflectance and the orientation of the reading means is changed. It is configured to detect.

[0009]

According to the present invention, a sheet document setting unit for setting a sheet document, a sheet document reading unit for reading the sheet document, a book document setting unit for setting a book document, and a book document reading unit for reading the book document. And a reversing means for changing the direction of the reading means when reading the sheet original or the book original. Therefore, the sheet original can be read by one reading means. Also, the book document is read.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the book original and the double-sided sheet original are read by the above-described structure and means.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the sheet original reading portion has a portion having a first reflectance, and the book original setting portion has a portion having a second reflectance different from the first reflectance. The direction of the reading unit is detected by providing the reading unit and detecting the difference in reflectance between the first reflectance and the second reflectance.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

First, the overall configuration of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In the figure, reference numeral R indicates a document reading device according to the present invention. The document reading device R is composed of two units, an upper unit 32 and a lower unit 33. The upper unit 32 reads a sheet original document setting unit RA for setting the sheet original document 2, a sheet feeding unit RB for feeding and conveying the sheet original document 2, a sheet original document reading unit RC for reading the sheet original document 2, and a book original document 24. A book document reading unit RD including the contact glass 23 and a sheet discharge unit RE for discharging the sheet document 2 are provided. The lower unit 33 includes a book document setting unit RF for setting the book document 24.

The upper unit 32 has a contact glass 23.
The lower unit 33 can be opened and closed at the boundary.

Hereinafter, the sheet original document setting section RA, the sheet feeding section RB, the sheet original document reading section RC, and the book original document reading section R described above.
D, the paper discharge section RE, and the book document setting section RF will be sequentially described.

The sheet manuscript setting section RA is provided for the sheet manuscript 2
A table 1 on which the table 1 is placed, a set sensor 3 arranged at the tip of the table 1 for detecting the presence or absence of a sheet original 2 on the table 1, and a sheet original 2 set on the table 1.
Plate 48 that abuts on the tip of the and aligns its tip position
And a calling lever 30 that is rotatable by a predetermined angle to press the sheet original 2 set on the table 1 when a start button (not shown) is pressed.

The sheet feeding section RB is arranged below the sheet original 2 pressed by the calling lever 30, and is rotated once by a one-rotation drive device (not shown) to separate and feed the lowest sheet original 2. A calling roller 29, a separating roller pair 4 arranged behind the guide plate 48 for receiving and conveying the sheet original document 2 fed by the calling roller 29, and a pullout for receiving and conveying the sheet original document 2 conveyed by the separating roller pair 4. Roller pair 5 and separation sensor 6 for detecting the leading edge of the sheet original 2 conveyed by the pull-out roller pair 5.
And the sheet original 2 conveyed by the pull-out roller pair 5
And a registration roller pair 9 that receives and conveys the sheet original 2 conveyed by the conveyance roller pair 7.

Further, in the paper feeding section RB, as a path for the sheet original 2 from the separation roller pair 4 to the pullout roller pair 5,
A curved guide plate (not shown) forms a conveying path 19 for inverting the image surface of the sheet original 2. This conveying path 1
9 is connected to the conveying roller pair 7. A conveyance path A is formed as a path for the sheet original 2 from the conveyance roller pair 7 to the registration roller pair 9. Below the conveying roller pair 7, a reversing roller pair 18 that receives and conveys the sheet original 2 that is traveling backward from the resist roller pair 9 is disposed. Inversion roller pair 1
A reversing path C for reversing the image surface of the sheet document 2 is formed by a curved guide plate (not shown) from 8 to the conveying roller pair 7. As a path for the sheet original 2 from the registration roller pair 9 to the conveyance roller pair 7 via the reversal roller pair 18, a sideways J-shaped reversal portion conveyance path 20 different from the conveyance path A is formed and conveyed. The roller pair 7 forms a part of a loop path connected to the transport path A.

A branch claw 17 is provided in the vicinity of the resist roller pair 9 sandwiched between the transport path A and the reversing section transport path 20. The branching claw 17 has a function of switching the path of the sheet document 2 to the sheet document reading unit RC or the reversing unit conveyance route 20. The branch claw 17 is provided so as to be selectively rotated by a predetermined angle by a document feeding control device (not shown) between a position indicated by a solid line and a position indicated by a chain double-dashed line.

Next, the sheet document reading section RC will be described. In the vicinity of the right side of the registration roller pair 9, the sheet original 2
An upper guide plate 11 having a hole 37 for detection is arranged. The lower surface of the upper guide plate 11 is colored white with high reflectance that diffusely reflects light. Below the upper guide plate 11, a lower guide plate 13 having a hole 36 that coincides with the hole 37 in the vertical direction is arranged substantially parallel to the upper guide plate 11 at a predetermined interval. The hole 37 of the upper guide plate 11 and the lower guide plate hole 36 are provided on the vertical line. Reflector hole 37
Above the table is a photo interrupter type book sensor 2.
6 and a registration sensor 8 for detecting the leading edge of the sheet document
Is attached. At the right end of the lower guide plate 13, a contact glass 10 for a sheet original, which constitutes a reading unit for the sheet original 2, is provided.

A reading device 22 for selectively reading the sheet original 2 and the book original 24 is provided between the contact glass 10 and the contact glass 23. The reading device 22 reverses the vertical direction when reading the sheet original 2 and when reading the book original 24, and reciprocates along the contact glass 23 when reading the book original 24.

Next, the structure of the reading device 22 will be described.
In FIG. 2, reference numeral 41 indicates a cylindrical case having an opening 41a at the top. The case 41 is attached to the device so as to be able to rotate 180 ° about its central axis. An equal-magnification imaging element array 44 is arranged from the center of the case 41 to the opening 41a. Light sources 42 that emit white light for illuminating an original are arranged on both sides of the unity-magnification imaging element array 44. Below each of the light sources 42, a reflecting plate 43 that covers the lower part of the periphery of each of the light sources 42 is arranged. The reflecting plate 43 is formed in a band-like shape to collect the light of the light source 42 at a predetermined position on the exposure center 42a located above the opening 41a. Same-magnification imaging element array 4
A CCD 45 of the same size is arranged on the image plane of No. 4, and the image information of the sheet original 2 or the book original 24 is read.

Contact glass 23 for book document 24
Is supported by contact glass frames 39 on both sides thereof. A home position sensor 27 for detecting a home position of the reading device 22 is provided on the right side of the reading device 22 (shown by a solid line), and the reading device 22 is provided on the left side facing the home position sensor 27.
A return sensor 28 for detecting the return position of the reciprocating movement (indicated by a chain double-dashed line) is arranged.

The book document reading unit RD includes a reading device 2
2, contact glass 23, contact glass frame 39,
Home position sensor 27 and return sensor 2
It is mainly composed of 8.

Next, the paper discharge section RE will be described. Downstream of the upper guide plate 11 and the contact glass 10, the sheet original 2 conveyed by the resist roller pair 9 and finished reading
A pair of transport rollers 12 for receiving and transporting is provided.
Downstream of the transport roller pair 12, a sheet discharge section transport path 21 for reversing the sheet original 2 by a curved guide plate (not shown).
Are formed. In the substantially central portion of the paper discharge section transport path 21,
A paper ejection sensor 15 for detecting the ejection of the sheet original 2
Is provided. At the end of the paper discharge portion transport path 21, a paper discharge roller pair 14 that receives and transports the sheet original 2 that is transported by the transport roller pair 12 is disposed. A stacker 16 for stacking and storing the read sheet originals 2 is disposed on the exit side of the pair of discharged rollers 14.

Next, the book document setting section RF will be described. 1 and 3, reference numeral 25 indicates a rectangular book table on which the book document 24 is placed. Figure 3
As shown in, the book table 25 has a thickness such that its upper surface occupies a position slightly higher than the contact glass 23,
Contact glass 2 even if one sheet 2 is placed
Adhesion with 3 is improved. The book table 25 is made of an elastic material so that it can absorb the thickness of a thick original such as the book original 24. The book table 25 is supported by the book table base 33a so that the bottom surface and four surfaces thereof are surrounded.
At least the upper surface of the book table 25 is a book manuscript 2
No. 4 is colored with a different light reflectance, for example, yellow.

At a position adjacent to the book table 25,
Original scale 31 for positioning book original 24
Is arranged so as to be vertically movable with respect to the book table base 33a. The document scale 31 is made of a rigid body and is arranged at a position corresponding to the position directly below the reading device 22 located at the home position of the sheet document reading unit RC. As shown in FIG. 3, the upper surface of the manuscript scale 31 occupies a position slightly higher than the upper surface of the book table 25 so that the book manuscript 24 can be easily set on the book table 25 and the reflectance of light is increased. It has a low black color.
A manuscript scale base 34 made of an elastic material is arranged below the manuscript scale 31, and the upper unit 32 and the lower unit 3 are arranged.
The document scale 31 can be lowered until the upper surface of the document scale 31 becomes the same height as the image surface of the book document 24 when the document scale 3 is closed.

A book table hole 35 is formed in the lower guide plate 13 of the book table 25 just below the hole 36 to vertically penetrate the book table 25.
At the bottom of the book table hole 35, a sheet document reading unit R
A photo interrupter-type book sensor 26 that is paired with the book sensor 26 provided on the C side is provided, and the sensor sets the originals regardless of the thickness of the originals set on the book table 25. Is detected. An open / close sensor 40 for detecting opening / closing of the upper unit 32 is provided at an end of the book table base 33a opposite to the original scale 31.

Next, the opening / closing mechanism of the upper unit 32 with respect to the lower unit 33 will be described. FIG. 4 shows a side view when FIG. 1 is viewed from the right side. In FIG. 4, reference numeral 46 indicates a link connecting the upper and lower units. The link 46 is
The lower unit 33 and the upper unit 32 constitute a 4-bar linkage, and the opening / closing mechanism composed of the 4-bar linkage is
The upper unit 32 is supported in parallel with respect to the lower unit 33.

Next, the operation of the document reading device R will be described with reference to FIG.
Will be described with reference to.

First, the sheet original 2 is set on the table 1. Sheet original 2 on table 1 is set sensor 3
The sheet original 2 is set at a predetermined position with its leading edge abutting the guide plate 48. When a start button (not shown) is pressed, the calling lever 30 operates in the direction of the arrow to press the sheet original 2. Call lever 30
After completion of the pressing operation of, the calling roller 29 makes one rotation by a one-rotation driving device (not shown), and the lowest sheet original 2
One sheet is separated and sent to the separation roller pair 4, the sheet original 2 is sent to the pullout roller pair 5, and the sheet original 2 is sent.
Is detected by the separation sensor 6. Based on this detection, the driving of the separation roller pair 4 is stopped.

Next, the separated sheet original 2 travels through the paper feed section transport path 19 and the transport roller pair 7 through the transport path A toward the registration roller pair 9. At this time, the branch claw 17 is at the position indicated by the solid line, and guides the sheet original 2 to the registration roller pair 9. When the registration sensor 8 detects the leading edge of the sheet original 2, the image reading of the sheet original 2 starts. And
Image reading is started when the front end of the sheet original 2 is conveyed to the exposure center 42a of the reading device 22 by an original document conveyance control device (not shown), and when the rear end of the sheet original 2 is detected by the registration sensor 8, the rear end is exposed. Center 42
The image reading is completed at the time point a. The sheet original 2 that has been read is conveyed roller pair 12 and paper ejection roller pair 1.
4 and the sheet is discharged to the stacker 16. The sheet original 2 is discharged to the stacker 16 by the sheet discharge sensor 1.
Detected at 5.

When the separation sensor 6 detects the trailing edge of the preceding sheet original 2, the second and subsequent succeeding sheet originals 2 are fed by repeating the above feeding operation. The state where the sheet original 2 has disappeared from the table 1 is detected by the set sensor 3.

Next, the operation of feeding and reading a double-sided sheet original having images on the front and back sides will be described. Transport path A
The rear edge of the double-sided sheet original that has passed through the registration sensor 8
Is detected and when the image reading is completed, the transport roller pair 12, the paper discharge roller pair 14, and the registration roller pair 9 start reverse rotation, and at the same time, the branch claw 17 moves from the solid line position in the drawing to the position indicated by a chain double-dashed line. Is displaced to. The reverse roller pair 18 also rotates in the same direction at the same time as the reverse rotation. At this point, the image reading on the back side has not yet started. The double-sided sheet document is conveyed by the reversing roller pair 18 by switching the path of the branching claw 17, and then passes through the reversing path C to convey the roller pair 7.
Is carried to the carrying path A. When the trailing edge of the double-sided sheet document (the leading edge when reading the front side image) passes through the registration roller pair 9, the trailing edge (the leading edge when reading the front side image) is detected by the registration sensor 8 and It returns to the position indicated by the solid line. At the same time, the pair of registration rollers 9, the pair of conveyance rollers 12 and the pair of discharge rollers 14 also return to the normal rotation, and the reversed double-sided sheet document is conveyed again to the sheet document reading section RC by the registration roller pair 9 with its rear end as the leading end. Then, the image reading on the back side is started. This reading operation is the same as that of the sheet original 2 having an image on one side. When the image reading on the back side of the double-sided sheet document is completed, the sheet is discharged in the same operation as the sheet document 2 described above. The subsequent double-sided sheet document is fed when the front end of the preceding double-sided sheet document is read by the registration sensor 8.

Next, the reading operation of the reading device 22 will be described. In FIG. 1, the opening 41a of the reading device 22 is facing upward when reading a single-sided sheet original or a double-sided sheet original, and when reading a book original 24, the reading device 22 rotates 180 ° in the direction of the arrow 38. The opening 41a faces downward.

First, the upper unit 32 is lifted from the lower unit 33, the book document 24 is set on the book table 25 with its document image surface facing upward, and the upper unit 32 is pushed down to close the lower unit 33. Then, the book sensor 26 detects the setting of the book document 24.

When a start button (not shown) is pressed, the orientation of the reading device 22 is determined. The determination as to whether the reading device 22 faces upward or downward is made based on whether the reading device 22 reads the reflective surface of the upper guide plate 11 or the upper surface of the original scale 31. In the case of FIG. 1, the reading device 22 is facing upward, and the reflection surface of the upper guide plate 11 is white and has a higher reflectance than the black color of the upper surface of the original scale 31, so in such a case, that is, the book sensor 26 causes the book original to be read. If 24 is detected, but a reflectance higher than that of the book table 25 is detected,
For reading the book document 24, the reading device 22 is set to 1
The opening 41a is turned downward by reversing 80 °. Then, the reading operation of the book document 24 is started. The book table 25 is yellow and has a reflectance different from that of the book document 24. The downward reading device 22 moves in the direction of arrow D from its home position to detect the size of the book document 24. When the return sensor 28 detects the reading device 22, the reading device 22 moves in the opposite direction (direction of arrow E) and scans the book document 24 to read an image. Image reading by the above size reading,
Only the size of the book document 24 is performed. Reader 2
When 2 moves to the home position, the home position sensor 27 detects the reading device 22 and stops at that position.

[0038]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Since the sheet original and the book original are read by changing the direction by one reading means, a document feeding device including a sheet original setting unit, a paper feeding unit, a sheet original reading unit, and a paper ejection unit for the sheet original is provided. It can be opened and closed as a unit, and in the case of book originals, it can be set in the book original set part with the reading means facing down and the book original is closed, and it is not necessary to turn over every time the page of the book original is changed, it is easy to use Sheet documents can also be read.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effects of the above-described invention, the book original can be easily read and the double-sided sheet original can also be read by the configuration and operation described above.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, due to the above-described structure and operation, it can be made compact without providing a sensor.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a document reading apparatus showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing an internal configuration of the reading device shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the lower unit showing a state in which no book original is set.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing an opening / closing mechanism of the upper unit with respect to the lower unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

A A conveyance path (as a paper feeding section conveyance path) C Inversion path R Original reading device RA Sheet original setting section RC Sheet original reading section RD Book original reading section RF Book original setting section 2 Sheet original 7 (As a feeding section conveying means) Transport roller pair 8 (registration sensor as trailing edge detecting means for sheet document) 9 registration roller pair 12 (as sheet feeding portion transporting means) transport roller pair 14 (as discharging transporting means) ) Paper discharge roller pair 17 Branching claw 20 (including passage switching means) 20 Conveying path for reversing portion (including reversing path C) Reading device 23 (as reading means) Contact glass 24 (as book original pressing member) 24 Book original 32 Upper unit 33 Lower unit

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Shinji Imoto 1-3-6 Nakamagome, Ota-ku, Tokyo, Ricoh Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Akira Hirose 1-3-3 Nakamagome, Ota-ku, Tokyo・ In Ricoh Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Yukitaka Nakazato 1-3-6 Nakamagome, Ota-ku, Tokyo ・ In Ricoh Co., Ltd.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A sheet document setting section for setting a sheet document, a sheet document reading section for reading the sheet document,
A book manuscript setting unit for setting a book manuscript and a book manuscript reading unit for reading the book manuscript, and a reading unit for selectively reading the sheet manuscript and the book manuscript, and reading the sheet manuscript or the book manuscript At this time, the document reading apparatus further comprises a reversing unit that changes the direction of the reading unit. 2. The original reading device according to claim 1, wherein the sheet original is a double-sided sheet original having images on both front and back sides, and the double-sided sheet extending from the sheet original set portion to the sheet original reading portion. A paper feed section transport path serving as a document path, a paper feed section transport means for transporting the double-sided sheet document to the paper feed section transport path, and a rear end of the double-sided sheet document provided in the sheet document reading section. Detecting means for detecting, discharging and conveying means provided downstream of the sheet document reading section for discharging and conveying the double-sided sheet document, and a middle stream of the sheet feeding section conveying path starting from the end of the sheet feeding section conveying path. And a reversing section conveying path that forms a loop with the sheet feeding section conveying path and reverses the image of the double-sided sheet document, and is provided near the end of the sheet feeding section conveying path when reading the double-sided sheet original. And a path switching unit that selectively guides the double-sided sheet document to the reversing unit conveyance path or the sheet document reading unit, and when the detection unit detects the rear end of the double-sided sheet document, the sheet feeding unit An original reading device, wherein the conveying means and the discharge conveying means are reversed, and the passage switching means is displaced so as to guide the double-sided sheet original to the reversing portion conveying path. 3. The document reading device according to claim 1, wherein the book document reading section is provided with a transparent book document pressing member, and when reading the sheet document, the reading means is made stationary at a fixed position. At the same time, when the sheet original is conveyed and the book original is read, the reading means scans the book original pressing member. 4. The document reading device according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the sheet document reading portion has a portion having a first reflectance,
Each of the book document setting portions is provided with a portion having a second reflectance different from the first reflectance, and the reading unit detects the difference between the reflectances of the first reflectance and the second reflectance. An original reading device characterized in that the orientation of the reading means is detected by doing so.