JPH0337782B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Application of the Invention] The present invention relates to a transmission document reading device for a facsimile machine and a document reading method using the device.

[Prior art]

A transmission original reading device conventionally used in facsimiles uses a CCD sensor array and a reduction optical system to read the original. However, this conventional technique has the disadvantage that the device becomes large. For example, the main scanning line density is 8 based on the CCITT G3 standard.
When reading books/mm, 256mm width (compatible with B4 width),
Assuming that each bit pitch of the CCD sensor array is 0.014 mm, the focal length of the lens used must be approximately 35 mm, so the object-image distance from the document surface to the CCD sensor array surface is approximately 380 mm. Furthermore, since it is necessary to form a plane image on the CCD sensor array surface, the document transport system must also be fed in a plane. Therefore, it is difficult to make the reading device smaller than the document width in the width direction, and this has been a major impediment to downsizing the facsimile as a whole.

[Purpose of the invention]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art and to provide a reading device suitable for miniaturization of facsimile machines.

[Summary of the Invention] The present invention reduces the size of a reading device by adopting a configuration in which a document to be read is bent into a curved shape and conveyed in the direction of its generatrix.

The reading method using this device is as follows: (a) The document to be read is bent into a curved shape and conveyed in the direction of its generatrix.

(b) Scan in a line-sequential manner across the above generatrix.

(c) Reading with a close-contact sensor reading unit arranged along an arbitrary curve or a reading sensor unit combining optical fibers and photo sensors arranged at the ends.

(d) Illuminating the reading section with a point light source array or line light source arranged along an arbitrary curve.

A combination of methods (a) to (d) can be used.

[Embodiments of the invention]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIGS. 1 and 2 show a reading device according to this embodiment.

1a and 1b indicate guides that guide the document 5 in a curved state, and the guides include planar (non-curved surface portions) left and right guide portions that extend in the document feeding direction (the generatrix direction of the document) and are integrated with the left and right guide portions. It is composed of a curved guide section formed in the shape of a curved surface.

In the middle part of the curved cylindrical paper guides 1a and 1b,
A photoelectric conversion element such as a contact type sensor array and a reading sensor section 2 in which an LED array or the like is arranged as a reading irradiation light source are provided in a curved cylindrical shape that is almost the same as the paper guide 1b. The feed rollers 3a and 3b are crown-shaped paper feed rollers made of rubber or the like, and are driven by a motor (not shown) and rotate at the same speed. The rollers 4a and 4b are crown-type rollers made of rubber or the like, and feed rollers 3a and 3, respectively.
b is pressed by a spring (not shown) and driven.
The original 5 is a transmission original to be read, and the reading sensor section 2 has a curved cylinder section containing a number of photoelectric conversion elements and an irradiation light source capable of reading the width of the original 5 at a required main scanning line density.

The operation of this reading device will be explained. When the original 5 is inserted between the paper guides 1a and 1b with the reading surface facing the reading sensor 2, the original 5 is sent to the reading sensor section 2 by the feed roller 3a and the roller 4a. The original 5 is read by the reading sensor section 2 in main scanning (line scanning in the width direction). Further, the sub-scan paper is fed by the feed rollers 3a and 4a, and the feed rollers 3b and 4b, and then the paper is discharged. In this case, manuscript 5 is
Since the document can be bent into a curved cylindrical shape and scanned, the reading device does not require a document width as large as the conventional planar feed. Furthermore, since the reading sensor section 2 does not require a reduction optical system as in the conventional case, the paper guide 1
It is mounted inside the device b, making it possible to miniaturize the reading device.

As explained above, in the embodiment, it is possible to make the width of the reading device smaller than the width of the transmitted document, which has been difficult in the past. Further, the document to be transmitted can be easily transported without creating creases or the like. Furthermore, a long optical path due to a reduction optical system is no longer necessary, making it possible to realize a reading device that is dramatically smaller than ever before.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to realize a document reading device that can be miniaturized, and the document guide is composed of a curved surface portion and a non-curved surface portion, and the document is guided in a curved state by the guide, and the contact sensor Since the curved surface portion and the non-curved surface portion of the guide are configured to face each other, it is possible to miniaturize the entire facsimile apparatus without being limited by the diameter of the curved surface portion of the guide.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of the vicinity of the center of a reading device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a front view of the same example. 2...Reading sensor section, 5...Document.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 Consisting of a planar left and right guide section extending in the document feeding direction and a curved upper guide section integrally formed with the left and right guide sections, the guide guides the document in a curved state and guides the document along the guide. a conveyance means for conveying the document in the document feeding direction; and a contact type for reading the width of the document at a necessary main scanning line density, which is arranged in a curved manner inside the guide and across the left, right, and upper guide portions. a sensor and an illumination source;
A facsimile apparatus comprising a scanning means for scanning the original in a direction perpendicular to the original feeding direction and along the left and right guide portions and the upper guide portion of the guide to read image information.