JPH11122429A - Image reader - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To correct an optical path by changing and adjusting it even though there is an error at a relative installation position of an image original mount base and an image pickup device and to appropriately read an image by arranging a reflecting means whose reflection angle can be adjusted on an optical path of the original mount base and the image pickup device. SOLUTION: A reflecting mirror that is mounted inside a housing 84 is elastically put between the three adjusting screws 92 and a supporting spring 94 and is held by elastically pressing corresponding parts of the screws 92 from the rear with the spring 94 respectively with a part which touches against the periphery of its reflecting surface brought into contact with the three screws 92 in a state in which the reflecting surface is facing on the side of an opening part 88. Furthermore, because the reflecting mirror 84 in this state is held in a three point supporting state, each adjusting screw 92 can be held without backlash because the angle of the reflecting surface of the mirror 84 against the housing 86 can unequivocally be changed and adjusted by an adjustment operation which performs extension and contraction operations of the front edge of each screw 92 toward the mirror 84 side.

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 reading image data with a photoelectric conversion element.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, an image reading apparatus is used in a photographic printer for exposing an image recorded on a photographic film such as a negative film to a photosensitive material such as photographic paper. In such a photographic printer, it is necessary to accurately read information of an image.

An image processing apparatus for reading an image recorded on a photographic film by a scanner and recording an image on a recording material, displaying an image on a disc display, and the like using the image data obtained by the reading. In this case, an image reading apparatus for reading various information on a photographic film is used in the same manner as described above.

The image reading apparatus used as described above is
It is configured as illustrated in FIG. This is because a film 12 on which an image is recorded is placed on a table 10 of the apparatus main body.
Is set, and a light source 16 is set.
Is diffused through the diffusion box 18 and then transmitted through the film 12. The light transmitted through the film 12 is condensed by a lens 20, forms an image on an image reading surface of a CCD scanner 24 mounted on a case 22 of the apparatus main body, is converted into an electric signal, and is transmitted to an image processing circuit unit 26. It is configured to be.

In such an image reading apparatus, the film 1
2 and the CCD scanner 24 have poor parallelism, the image recorded on the film 12 cannot be properly formed on the image reading surface of the CCD scanner 24.

Conventionally, in such an image reading apparatus, the work of adjusting the position of the film carrier 14 placed on the table 10 with a shim with respect to the CCD scanner 24 fixed to the case 22 with high accuracy is performed. This is performed so that the film 12 placed on the table 10 and the CCD scanner 24 are parallel with high precision.

[0007]

As described above, the operation of adjusting the film carrier 14 and the CCD scanner 22 placed on the table 10 in parallel is performed by adjusting the fulcrum corresponding to the fulcrum of the film carrier 14 on the back surface of the film carrier 14. Since it is performed by sticking shims having different thicknesses as needed, it is troublesome, and since the work is performed by moving the heavy film carrier 14, the work is difficult and time-consuming. In addition, since the film carrier 14 is heavy, an error easily occurs after the position adjustment by the shim, and it is difficult to set the film 12 and the CCD scanner 24 in parallel so that the image can be read properly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new image reading apparatus which can be set so that an image can be read properly by an easy adjustment operation.

[0009]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image reading apparatus for reading a document placed on a table and having an image recorded thereon by an image pickup device.
Reflecting means is provided between the table and the image pickup device for reflecting light transmitted through the document toward the image pickup device and adjusting a reflection angle.

With the above-described configuration, even if there is an error in the relative installation position between the table and the image sensor,
The optical path connecting them can be changed and adjusted by the reflection means so that an appropriate image can be read.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image reading apparatus comprising:
An image reading device for reading an original placed on a table and having an image recorded thereon by an image sensor, wherein a three-point support member is held between the table and the image sensor by three adjusting members, and And a reflecting mirror for changing and adjusting an optical path connecting the table and the imaging device by operating the three adjusting members.

With the above-described configuration, even if there is an error in the relative installation position between the table and the image pickup device, the optical path connecting them is adjusted by the position of the reflecting mirror and the reflection angle by three adjusting members. Can be changed and adjusted so that an appropriate image can be read.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the image reading apparatus of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. Hereinafter, a digital lab system 30 in which the image reading apparatus according to the present embodiment is configured as a part of the system will be described first.

FIG. 9 shows a schematic configuration of a digital laboratory system 30 according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 10 shows an appearance of the digital laboratory system 30. As shown in FIG. 9, the digital lab system 30
It includes a line CCD scanner unit 32 as an image reading device, an image processing unit 34, a laser printer unit 36, and a processor unit 38. Further, as shown in FIG. 10, the line CCD scanner unit 32 and the image processing unit 34
Is provided in the input unit 40, and the laser printer unit 36
And the processor unit 38 are provided in the output unit 42.

The line CCD scanner section 32 is for reading a film image recorded on a photographic film such as a negative film or a reversal film, which is an image original. The line CCD scanner unit 32 includes:
Line CC in which R, G, and B photometric sensors are arranged in three rows
A D (imaging element) is provided, reads a film image by the line CCD, and outputs R, G, and B color image data.

The image processing section 34 performs image processing such as various corrections on the input image data and outputs the image data to the laser printer section 36 as recording image data. Also,
The image processing unit 34 outputs the image data subjected to the image processing to an external device as an image file (for example, outputs the image data to a storage medium such as a memory card, or transmits the image data to another information processing device via a communication line). It is also possible.

The laser printer unit 36 has a laser light source for irradiating R, G, and B laser beams.
The printing paper is irradiated with a laser beam modulated in accordance with the image data for recording input from 4, and an image is recorded on the printing paper by scanning exposure. Further, the processor unit 38 performs each process of color development, bleach-fix, washing, and drying on the photographic paper on which the image is recorded by the scanning exposure by the laser printer unit 36. Thus, an image is formed on the printing paper.

The digital lab system 30 as described above
The line CCD scanner unit 32 as an image reading device which is a part of the input unit 40 used in the embodiment is a photograph set on a film carrier 54 mounted on a carrier table 52 provided on a table 50 of the apparatus main body in the input unit 40. The image of the film is captured by an imaging unit 56 disposed above the table 50.
It is configured to read by.

A light source (not shown), a dimming filter, and a diffusion box (not shown) are provided below the carrier table 52.
8, the light of the light source is dimmed by the dimming filter, then diffused by the diffusion box, and transmitted through the photographic film in the film carrier 54 integrally attached to the carrier table 52. And is configured to project the image onto the imaging unit 56.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the case of the image pickup section 56, as shown in FIG. 1, an image pickup unit 60, a drive mechanism for moving and adjusting the magnification of the image, and an optical path between the photographic film and the line CCD are adjusted. And an optical path adjusting means are arranged.

The image pickup unit 60 is constructed by integrating a CCD unit 62 and a lens unit 64. The CCD unit 62 has a line CCD scanner 66 disposed therein and a black shutter (not shown).

The lens unit 64 is provided with a lens (not shown) and a focusing mechanism for moving and adjusting the lens for focus adjustment. Then, the light beam transmitted through the photographic film is transmitted to the line CC by the lens unit 64.
The image data is scanned by the line CCD scanner 66 by transporting the photographic film while being imaged on the D scanner 66.

The imaging unit 60 is mounted on an imaging frame 68 of a driving mechanism. This drive mechanism moves the imaging unit 60 in a substantially horizontal direction. For this reason, the imaging frame 68 is attached to the machine base 70 fixed to the table 50 by a slide guide (not shown) so as to be slidable in a substantially horizontal direction. Further, a ball screw feed mechanism is mounted between the machine base 70 and the imaging frame 68 so that the imaging frame 68 can be moved.

To constitute this ball screw feed mechanism,
A screw shaft 72 is rotatably mounted between two support plates 76 erected on the machine base 70. A ball bush 74 is mounted on an intermediate portion of the screw shaft 72. When the screw shaft 72 is rotated forward or backward, the ball bush 74 is moved in the axial direction of the screw shaft 72 by the screw groove of the screw shaft 72. It is configured to perform a feeding operation.

One end of the screw shaft 72 is connected to the screw shaft 72.
Is connected to the output shaft of the step motor 80 via a belt transmission mechanism 78 configured by winding an endless belt between a pulley provided at one end of the motor and a pulley provided on the output shaft of the step motor 80. By rotating and controlling the step motor 80 by a control signal of a control unit (not shown), the screw shaft 72 is rotated by a required angle to move and adjust the imaging unit 60 integrated with the imaging frame 68 in a substantially horizontal direction. I have.

As shown in FIG. 1, a reflecting mirror 84 is provided for constituting an optical path adjusting means for bending the optical path 100 so that the optical path 100 projected from the film carrier 54 on the table 50 is incident on the image pickup unit 60. ing. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the reflecting mirror 84 is supported by a fine adjustment structure. That is, the reflecting mirror 84 is mounted inside a rectangular box-shaped housing 86, and is arranged on the front surface of the housing 86 so as to face an opening 88 opened in a rectangular shape.

As shown in FIG. 4, one side of the opening 88 is opened so as to coincide with one side of the front plate of the housing 86, and the periphery of the opening 88 is surrounded by an inverted U-shaped frame plate portion 90. It is formed to be. At three points near the two free ends of the frame plate portion 90 and at the center of the upper side of the drawing, screw holes are respectively formed, and adjustment screws 92 as adjustment members are screwed. The adjusting screw 92 has a knob 92A for rotating the head by hand, and a pressing plate 92B for abutting the front surface of the reflecting mirror 84 at the tip thereof.

The reflecting mirror 84 has three adjusting screws 9
The back side portion corresponding to the portion supported by 2 is supported by a support spring 9.
By being elastically supported at 4, it is held in a three-point support state.

As shown in FIG. 3 to FIG.
Reference numeral 4 is formed by bending the spring plate material so that the planar projection shape becomes a triangular shape and the side shape becomes a mountain shape, and further, each free end portion is bent so as to be parallel to the back surface of the reflecting mirror 84. A through hole is formed in the top surface of the chevron of the support spring 94, and the support spring 94 is fastened to the back plate 86 A of the housing 86 with a screw 96 and a nut 98 and arranged.

As described above, the reflecting mirror mounted in the housing 86 has three reflecting screws 92 with the reflecting surface facing the opening 88 and the portion surrounding the reflecting surface.
, And the corresponding portions of the adjustment screws 92 are elastically pressed by the support springs 94 from the back surface side, so that the three adjustment screws 92 and the support springs 94 are elastically sandwiched. Will be retained. Further, in this state, the reflecting mirror 84 is held in a three-point supporting state. Therefore, by adjusting the adjusting screw 92 to extend and retract the tip of the adjusting screw 92 toward the reflecting mirror 84, the reflecting surface of the reflecting mirror 84 with respect to the housing 86 is adjusted. Can be uniquely changed and adjusted. That is, the reflecting mirror 84 supported at three points is held without play.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the line CCD scanner section 32, if there is a device assembly error in the positional relationship between the film carrier table 52 on the table 50 of the apparatus body and the image pickup unit 60, the carrier table 52 The image of the upper photographic film cannot be properly formed on the line CCD scanner 66. Therefore, the error between them is corrected by the optical path adjusting means.

Next, the reflecting mirror 84 as the optical path adjusting means is used.
The operation of correcting using will be described. First, in this correction work, a photographic film 106 on which an image of parallel lines as shown in FIG. 6 is set is set on the film carrier 54, and is set on the carrier table 52. Then, the image of the parallel line is projected on the line CCD scanner 66 by the optical path 100 through which the image is reflected by the reflecting mirror 84. In this state, the photographic film 106 is conveyed and scanned by the line CCD scanner 66, and the line CCD scanner 6 shown in FIG.
The signals output at both ends 66A, B and the central part 66C of the sixth unit 6 are examined. When each signal is an output waveform of the sine curve waveform 102 shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 8, there is an error, so that the contrast of each parallel line becomes clear by turning each adjustment screw 92 appropriately. The correction is completed by making an adjustment so as to obtain a rectangular waveform 104 shown by a solid line in FIG.

That is, this correction is performed as shown in FIG.
The optical path 100 is in a direction perpendicular to the photographic film on the carrier table 52, is reflected by the reflecting mirror 84, and
This is performed by adjusting the reflection angle of the reflecting mirror 84 so that the light path enters the D scanner 66 in a direction perpendicular to the D scanner 66.

The optical path adjusting means can be formed not only of the reflecting mirror 84 but also of a prism or other optical parts capable of changing and adjusting the optical path.

Next, the operation and operation of the image reading apparatus according to the present embodiment configured as described above will be described. In this image reading apparatus, a film carrier 54 is placed on a film carrier table 52 of a table 50 of the apparatus main body, a light beam from a light source (not shown) is transmitted through the film, and is condensed by a fixed focus lens 68 of a lens unit 64. An image is formed on the line CCD scanner 66 and scanned to read image data.

At this time, if necessary, the magnification of the image formed on the line CCD scanner 66 is changed and adjusted to a required magnification. This adjustment is performed by controlling the driving of the stepping motor 80 by a control unit (not shown).
0 is adjusted by moving.

[0037]

As described above, according to the image reading apparatus of the present invention, the table on which the image document is placed and the reflection means whose reflection angle can be adjusted are arranged on the optical path between the image pickup device and the image pickup device. Even if there is an error in the relative installation position between the table and the image sensor, the error can be corrected by changing and adjusting the optical path by the reflection means, so that an image can be read properly.

In the case where the optical path adjusting means is configured to hold the reflecting mirror in a three-point support state with three adjusting screws,
By appropriately adjusting the three adjusting screws, there is an effect that the optical path set to be reflected by the reflecting mirror can be appropriately changed and adjusted by a simple operation.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing a main part of an image reading apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic explanatory diagram for explaining a state of optical path change adjustment of the image reading apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a housing portion containing a reflecting mirror as an optical path adjusting unit in the image reading apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a front view of a housing portion containing a reflecting mirror as an optical path adjusting unit in the image reading apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a support spring disposed in a housing portion containing a reflecting mirror serving as an optical path adjusting unit in the image reading apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a front view illustrating an image used for an optical path change adjustment operation in the image reading apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a front view showing a line CCD scanner used in the image reading apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a waveform diagram illustrating an output waveform detected during an optical path change adjustment operation in the image reading apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a schematic block diagram of a digital laboratory system configured using the image reading device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a digital laboratory system configured using the image reading device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a schematic configuration explanatory view illustrating a schematic configuration of a main part in a conventional image reading apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 40 input unit 50 table 52 carrier table (table) 54 film carrier 56 imaging unit 60 imaging unit 62 CCD unit 64 lens unit 66 line CCD scanner (imaging element) 68 imaging frame 84 reflecting mirror (reflecting means) 86 howbang 88 opening ( (Reflecting means) 90 Frame plate (Reflecting means) 92 Adjusting screw (Reflecting means) (Adjusting member) 94 Support spring (Reflecting means) 100 Optical path

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An image reading apparatus for reading a document placed on a table and having an image recorded thereon by an image sensor, wherein the light transmitted through the document is transmitted between the table and the image sensor. An image reading apparatus, comprising: a reflection unit that reflects light in a direction of an image sensor and that can adjust a reflection angle. 2. An image reading apparatus which reads an original placed on a table and on which an image is recorded by an image sensor, wherein three adjusting members are provided between the table and the image sensor. An image reading apparatus, comprising: a reflecting mirror that is held in a supporting state and that adjusts an optical path connecting the table and the imaging element by operating the three adjustment members.