JPS63119374A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To use the titled device in common with an output printer for an electronic computer or a communication equipment with small-sized and a simple constitution by providing an electric signal reception section receiving an electric signal from an external interface unit to a scanning type image forming device. CONSTITUTION:In mounting the image forming device to an external interface unit, they are connected electrically through an electric signal reception section 17, an internal power supply 16 is turned off and power is supplied via an external interface. The external interface unit converts the output of the computer or a signal sent through a telephone line or the like into the output signal of the image forming device by using a control section 19 and prints out it onto a recording sheet 9 through an electric signal reception section 17 and the control section 15 by using the thermal head 12. On the other hand, a scanning roller driving roller 18 is driven by the signal of the control section 19 and the scanning roller 3, a belt 10 and a carrier roller 11 are driven accordingly to carry the recording sheet 9.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention is an image processing system that receives an optical signal from an original image while scanning the original, and converts the optical signal into an electrical signal to extract original image information as an electrical signal. The present invention relates to a scanning image forming apparatus that includes an input section and an image output section that is connected to the image input section and records an image on a recording sheet in response to the above-mentioned electrical signals.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, this type of image forming apparatus has been small, lightweight, and easy to carry.In particular, an image sensor such as a COD performs main scanning of the original image, and a scanning roller provided at the tip of the apparatus body is rolled along the surface of the original. Manual image forming apparatuses that manually perform sub-scanning have become widely used in recent years because they are convenient to carry and can easily copy documents at any location.

On the other hand, electronic computers, communication devices, etc. are equipped with their own output printers, and conventionally, it would have been completely unthinkable to use the above-mentioned image forming apparatus for such output printers. However, as society becomes increasingly information-oriented, there has been a desire to develop an output printer that is small, lightweight, and easy to carry.

[Purpose of the invention]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus of the above type that has a small and simple configuration and can be used also as an output printer for electronic computers and communication equipment.

[Summary of the invention]

The image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes an image input section that receives an optical signal from the document image while scanning the document, converts the light signal into an electric signal, and extracts the document image information as an electric signal, and is connected to the image input section. A scanning image forming apparatus includes an image output section that records an image on a recording sheet in response to the above-mentioned electrical signals, and an electrical signal receiving section that is connected to an external interface unit and receives electrical signals from the electrical signal receiving section. The present invention is characterized in that means is provided for connecting an electrical signal from the external interface unit to the image output section via the electrical signal receiving section when connected to the external interface unit.

〔Example) Embodiments of the present invention shown in the drawings will be described below.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention. In the figure, 1 indicates the main body of the image forming apparatus, and 2 indicates a document. The image forming apparatus includes an image input unit that receives a reflected light signal from an image of the original while scanning the original, and converts the reflected light signal into an electrical signal to extract original image information as an electrical signal;
The apparatus includes an image output section that is connected to the image input section and records an image on a recording sheet in accordance with the above electric signal.

In the illustrated embodiment, the image input section includes a scanning roller 3 that scans the surface of the document, and a dustproof glass 4 that is provided parallel to the document 2 to prevent dust and other foreign matter from entering the main body of the apparatus. , a lamp for illuminating the document surface, such as an LE
D lamps 5a and 5b, a mirror 6 that reflects the optical signal reflected from the document, a condensing lens 7 that collects the reflected light, and an image sensor that receives the optical signal condensed by the condensing lens 7, for example. Equipped with CCD8.

The image output unit also includes an image output recording sheet 9 (thermal paper in the illustrated embodiment), a recording sheet conveying roller 11 that is driven via a belt 1o by the rotation of the scanning roller to send out the recording sheet, It is equipped with a thermal head 12 that writes an image on the recording sheet in response to an electrical signal from the image input section.

In the figure, 13 is a platen, 14 is a roller for stabilizing the movement of the image forming apparatus when the image forming apparatus is manually scanned, and 15 is an image sensor 8, lamps 5a and 5b, a thermal head 12, and an external device to be described later. A control section 16 indicates a power supply for controlling signals input from the interface unit.

First, the operation when the above image forming apparatus is used as a normal manual scanning type copying apparatus will be explained.

First, the original 2 is set on a flat plate such as a desk or a wall. The scanning roller 3 also serves as an on/off switch for the internal power supply 16, and when the image forming apparatus is brought into contact with the document surface 2, the scanning roller 3 is pushed into the image forming apparatus, and at the same time, the power supply 16 is turned off. Turns on. When the power source 16 is turned on, the document illumination LED lamps 5a and 5b are lit.
The surface of the document is irradiated, and the reflected light from the document 2 is imaged on the surface of the CCD sensor 8 through the mirror 6 and the condensing lens 7. C
The optical signal is converted into an electrical signal by the OD sensor 8 and sent to the control section 15, which further drives the thermal head 12 to write an image on the recording sheet.

When the image forming apparatus manually scans along the original 2 in the direction of the arrow, the scanning roller 3 rotates in accordance with the original 2, and transfers the recording sheet to the recording sheet conveying roller 11 via a gear or belt 10 or the like.
The recording sheet is conveyed in accordance with the document scanning speed, preventing image synchronization blur, etc., and outputting the image. Further, the scanning roller 3 or the conveyance roller 11 is configured to be stopped only when the image forming apparatus is scanned in the A direction by a known means such as a one-way clutch (not shown).

According to the present invention, in the above-mentioned type of image forming apparatus,
An electrical signal receiving section 17 that is connected to an external interface unit and receives electrical signals therefrom; and an electrical signal receiving section 17 that receives electrical signals from the external interface unit via the electrical signal receiving section 17 when the electrical signal receiving section is connected to the external interface unit. and connection means for connecting the image output unit to the image output unit.

This image forming apparatus is provided with a detection means for detecting the connection of the external interface unit when the external interface unit is connected to the electrical signal receiving section 17.

The electrical signal receiving section disconnects the image input section from the image output section and connects the external interface unit to the image output section when the connection of the external interface unit is detected. The device is configured to turn off the internal power of the device. When the above-mentioned external interface unit is connected, the scanning roller is rotated by the rotation of the scanning roller driving member provided in the external interface unit, thereby driving the recording sheet conveying means which rotates in synchronization with the scanning roller.

FIG. 2 shows a state in which the image forming apparatus described above is attached to an external interface unit and the external interface and the image forming apparatus are connected at the electrical signal receiving section 17. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 18 denotes a roller that comes into pressure contact with and drives the scanning roller 3 of the image forming apparatus, and is rotationally driven by a drive device (not shown) in accordance with a human power signal.

Further, 19 is a control section of the external interface unit.

When the image forming apparatus is attached to the external interface unit, the image forming apparatus and the interface are electrically connected through the electrical signal receiving section 17. As described above, the image forming apparatus is provided with a means for detecting attachment to the interfine, and upon detection, the internal power supply 16 is always turned off, and the scanning roller 3 is brought into contact with the scanning roller driving roller 18. However, the internal power supply 16 is not consumed and power is supplied via the external interface.

The external interface unit converts a signal from the outside, for example, an output from a computer or a signal transmitted through a telephone line, etc., into an output signal of the image forming apparatus using the control section 19, and transmits the signal to the thermal head 12 through the electrical signal receiving section 17 and the control section 15. The image is printed onto the recording sheet 9 using the .

On the other hand, the scanning roller driving roller 18 of the external interface unit is also rotationally driven by a signal from the control section 19, and the scanning roller 3, belt 10, and conveying roller 11 are driven accordingly to convey the recording sheet. When the external interface unit is attached, the internal power supply 16 is turned off, and the photoelectric signal conversion section of the illumination LED lamps 5a and 5b, that is, the image sensor 8, is not energized, thereby preventing deterioration of the durability of these devices. As described above, in this image forming apparatus, the internal power supply 16 is used only when the image forming apparatus is used as a manual scanning copying apparatus, so even if the electromotive force of the internal power supply 16 drops, can also be used as a printer,
Furthermore, since stable power is supplied, it is possible to obtain stable images.

The internal power supply 16 of the manual scanning type copying apparatus may be a storage battery, which is automatically charged by connecting the interface unit.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, the present invention has a simple configuration that combines the functions of a scanning copying device and the functions of a small printer for computers, communication equipment, etc., which is extremely important in the information-oriented industry. A forming device can be provided.

In addition, since the image forming apparatus has an external interface attachment/detachment detection means, it is possible to switch the electric signal tip to the built-in optical-to-electrical signal converter or electric signal receiver upon detection, reducing the burden on the electric circuit. The built-in power supply is turned on and off to prevent durability deterioration of the document illumination lamp and CCD sensor, and when used as a printer, it is driven by a stable external power supply, which has the effect of obtaining more stable image output.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the image forming apparatus when it is attached to an external interface unit. 1... Image forming apparatus main body

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Receiving an optical signal from the original image while scanning the original,
It includes an image input section that converts this into an electrical signal and extracts the original image information as an electrical signal, and an image output section that is connected to the image input section and records an image on a recording sheet according to the electrical signal. In a scanning type image forming apparatus, an electric signal receiving section is connected to an external interface unit and receives an electric signal therefrom, and when connected to the external interface unit, an electric signal is received from the external interface unit via the electric signal receiving section. An image forming apparatus comprising means for connecting an electric signal to the image output section. 2. The image input section has a scanning roller that scans the document surface, a light source that irradiates the document surface with light, and an optical-electrical signal converter that converts an optical signal from the document surface into an electrical signal, The above-mentioned image output section has a recording sheet conveying means that works in conjunction with the above-mentioned scanning roller, and a writing means that writes an image on the conveyed recording sheet, and also includes the above-mentioned light source, optical-electrical signal converting section, and The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an internal power source for driving the writing means. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a detection means for detecting connection of the external interface unit when connected to the electric signal receiving section. 4. When the detection means detects the connection of the external interface unit, the electric signal receiving section disconnects the image input section from the image output section and outputs the image from the external interface unit. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, which is configured to be connected to the image forming apparatus. 5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the internal power supply is turned off when the connection of the external interface unit is detected by the detection means. 6. A patent in which, when the above external interface unit is connected, the scanning roller is rotated by the rotation of a scanning roller driving member provided on the external interface unit, and a recording sheet conveying means that is synchronously interlocked with the rotation of the scanning roller is driven. An image forming apparatus according to claim 2.