JPS63190468A - Picture reader - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To accurately read picture information of a designated read range by carrying an original up to a picture read section while the original is clipped between a transparent pressing board and a digitizer for read range designation. CONSTITUTION:After an original S is placed on the digitizer 50 while the picture information is directed upward in the platen glass 52, the original S is pushed onto the platen glass 52 and desired read range among the picture information carried to the original S is designated by using a mouse from the upper face of the platen glass 52. While the original S is clipped between the digitizer 50 and the platen glass 52 on the original platen 46, the original is carried in the subscanning direction along guide bars 24a, 24b. Thus, the original S is not meandered nor deformed in the carrying and accurate carrying is applied. Thus, very accurate picture reading is applied.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an image reading device, and more particularly, the present invention relates to an image reading device, and more particularly, the present invention relates to an image reading device, and more specifically, to an image reading unit, a document carrying image information is held between a digitizer for setting a reading range and a transparent pressure plate. The present invention relates to an image reading device that is configured to transport a document, thereby enabling smooth transport of a document and accurate reading of image information in a predetermined range.

For example, in the fields of printing and plate making, image scanning reading and recording systems are widely used to electrically process image information carried on manuscripts and create film masters for the purpose of streamlining work processes and improving image quality. It is being

This image scanning reading/recording system basically consists of an image reading device and an image recording device. That is, in the image reading device, image information of a document that is conveyed in a sub-scan direction in an image reading section is main-scanned by a photoelectric conversion element and converted into an electrical signal. Next, the image information photoelectrically converted by the image reading device is subjected to arithmetic processing such as gradation correction and edge enhancement according to the plate-making conditions by the image recording device, and then converted to an optical signal consisting of a laser beam, which is used to record film, etc. The information is recorded and reproduced on a record carrier made of photosensitive material. Note that this recording carrier is developed by a predetermined developing device and used as a film original for printing or the like.

Incidentally, an image reading device may require a function of photoelectrically converting only a predetermined range of image information out of the image information carried on a document and providing it to an image recording device. Therefore, for example, after specifying the reading range of image information using a mouse or the like with the original placed on the digitizer, the original is transported to the image reading unit by the transport means, and based on the reading range data by the digitizer, There are devices that are configured to read predetermined image information.

However, with such devices, the document may meander while being conveyed to the image reading unit by the conveyance means, or the conveyance speed may change, making it impossible to accurately read the image information in the specified range. occurs frequently. In addition, if the document placed on the digitizer is a sheet of film or paper that is easily deformed, the deformation not only reduces the positioning accuracy in the image reading unit, but also may cause damage during transportation. However, there is a possibility that a situation may occur in which the reading operation becomes impossible.

On the other hand, in devices such as normal copying machines, which place the original on a transparent original plate placed in the image reading section, accurate image information can be read because there is no need for a means to transport the original. becomes possible.

However, the document must be set so that the surface carrying the image information is oriented temporarily, and it is impossible to specify the reading range of the image information in this state. Therefore, with such an image reading device, it is necessary to measure the reading range of image information in advance using another device, etc., and to accurately set the original on the original plate, which is extremely troublesome. Some shortcomings have been pointed out.

The present invention has been made in order to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages, and is an image reading device capable of reading a desired range of image information from among the image information carried on a document. By configuring the document so that it can be conveyed to the image reading section while being held between the digitizer and the transparent pressure plate, it is possible to smoothly convey the document to the image reading section, and also to ensure that the image information in the specified reading range is An object of the present invention is to provide an image reading device that can read images accurately.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a digitizer that sets a reading range of image information carried on the original while the original is placed thereon, and a transparent pressure plate that cooperates with the digitizer to hold the original. and a conveyance means for conveying the digitizer and the transparent pressure plate to an image reading section while holding a document between them.

Next, preferred embodiments of the image reading device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1O indicates an image reading device according to the present embodiment, and this image reading device 10 includes a document input unit 1.
2, an image reading section 14, and an image scanning section 16. In this case, the document input section 12 and the image reading section 14 are arranged on the first housing 18, and the image scanning section 16 is arranged inside the second housing 20 that defines the upper space of the image reading section 14. configured. Note that the document input section 12 and the image reading section 14 communicate with each other through a passage 22 defined in the second housing 20.

Horizontal and mutually parallel guide bars 24a and 24b are arranged between the document input section 12 and the image reading section 14, and both ends of these guide bars 24a and 24b are supported on the first housing 18. Tables 26a, 26b and 28a, 28b
Supported by Further, the guide bars 24a, 24
A ball screw 34, whose both ends are supported by bearings 30 and 32, is arranged in parallel between b. In this case, the ball screw 34 is rotationally driven by a drive motor 36 provided within the first housing 18. That is, ball screw 3
A pulley 38 is engaged with the end on the side of the image reading unit 14 of No. 4, and a pulley 42 is also engaged with the rotating shaft 40 of the drive motor 36.
These pulleys 38 and 42 are connected to the belt 44
connected by.

On the other hand, a document table 46 holding a document S carrying image information is movably supported by the guide bars 24a and 24b. That is, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the document table 46 is connected to a base 48, a digitizer 50 supported on the base 48 via elastic support mechanisms 54a to 54d, and a document S. The digitizer 50 includes a platen glass 52 that is a transparent pressure plate that is pressed onto the digitizer 50. Base 48
A female thread member 56 is disposed in the center of the ball screw 34, and the ball screw 34 is screwed into the female thread member 56. Furthermore, guide holes 58a and 58b are formed on both sides of the female threaded member 56, and guide bars 24a and 24b are inserted through these guide holes 58a and 58b.

As shown in FIG. 4, the elastic support mechanisms 54a to 54d disposed on the upper surface of the base 48 support the second cylindrical portion 62 supported within the first cylindrical portion 59 via the support Fi60. A shaft 68 having a plate 66 projecting upward from the first cylindrical portion 59 is inserted into the second cylindrical portion 62 . A threaded portion 70 is formed on the lower end side of the shaft 68, and this threaded portion 70 has stopper nuts 72a, 72.
b are screwed together.

A spring 74 is interposed between the lower surface of the plate 66 and the upper surface of the second cylindrical portion 62, and the shaft 68 is urged upward by the elastic force of the spring 74. Here, the plate 6G provided at the upper end of the shaft 68 supports the digitizer 50 surrounded by the frame 76 from below.

The base 48 is surrounded by a frame plate 78 having a substantially U-shaped cross section. In this case, hinge members 80a and 80b are attached to the sides of the frame plate 78. Hinge members 80a, 8
0b is the main body part 82 attached to the frame plate 78 and the adjustment screw B.
4, the support part 86 is movable in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG.

Here, a frame 9o having an oval-shaped cross section is fixed to the hinge 88, and a frame 92 having a U-shaped cross-section is further fixed to the inner peripheral portion of this frame 90. And these frames 90.92
A flat platen glass 52 is held between them.

Incidentally, elastic bodies 93a to 93c are attached to the upper surface of the frame plate 78 facing the frame plate 92 to absorb shock.

In the outer part of the frame body 90, a handle part 96 is attached to the center of the side opposite to the hinge 88, which has an abbreviated cross-section and has a lock hole 94 formed in the center thereof. On the other hand, the handle portion 96
A lock member 98 is attached below. This locking member 98 has a main body part 100, a support part 104 which can be displaced in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. It is comprised of a lever 108 in the shape of an abbreviation that is pivoted. In this case, the locking member 98 is
The claw portion 106b of 8 engages with the lock hole 94 of the handle portion 96, thereby locking the platen glass 52 to the base 4B side.

On the other hand, an image scanning section 16 is provided above the image reading section 14 . This image scanning unit 16 includes a laser light source 110 that outputs laser light, a galvanometer mirror 112 that deflects the laser light at high speed, and a galvanometer mirror 11 that deflects the laser light at high speed.
2, and a photomultiplier 116 that photoelectrically converts the laser beam reflected by the document S in the image reading section 14 to form an image signal. In this case, the reflected light from the original S is reflected by a pair of cylindrical lenses 118a and 118.
After being focused by b, the fiber bundle 120a,
120b to photomultiplier 116.

The image reading device according to this embodiment is basically configured as described above, and its operation and effects will be explained next.

First, the lock is released by pressing with a finger or the like the operating portion 106a of the lever 108 that constitutes the opening/picking member 98 on the document table 46, and the platen glass 52 is lifted up via the handle portion 96 (see FIG. 2). .

Next, in this state, the original S is placed on the digitizer 50 in an upward state so that its image information is directed toward the platen glass 52, and then the platen glass 52 is pressed against the original S. In this case, the claw portion 106 of the lever 108
b engages with the lock hole 94 of the handle portion 96 to be in a locked state. Therefore, a desired reading range is specified from the top surface of the platen glass 52 using a mouse or the like in the image information carried on the document S.

Here, the digitizer 50 is pressed toward the platen glass 52 by four elastic support mechanisms 54a to 54d arranged on the base 48. That is, the shaft 68 constituting the elastic support mechanisms 54a to 54d presses the plate 66 disposed at the upper end thereof upward by the elastic force of the spring 74. As a result, the digitizer 50 is moved to the platen glass 52 by the plate 66.
Since the document S is pushed up toward the platen glass 52, the document S becomes flat along the platen glass 52, and its flatness is optimally maintained. Therefore, the reading range of the document S can be set extremely accurately using a mouse or the like. In addition,
If a thin platen glass 52 is used, the accuracy of the reading range by the digitizer 50 can be further improved.

Next, the document table 46 is conveyed to the image reading section 14 under the driving action of the drive motor 36 . That is, as the rotation shaft 40 of the drive motor 36 rotates, the belt 44
The ball screw 34 rotates through the ball screw 34, and the document table 46 is conveyed to the image reading unit 14 side while being supported by the guide bars 24a and 24b through the female screw member 56 screwed into the ball screw 34.

When the document table 46 reaches a predetermined portion of the image reading section 14, the image scanning section 16 starts reading the image information carried by the document S. In this case, the laser light source 110
The laser light output from the galvanometer mirror 11
After being deflected at a high speed by 2, it enters a mirror 114. Next, the laser beam reflected by the mirror 114 is applied to the document S, which is conveyed in the sub-scanning direction by the drive motor 36.
is main-scanned in a direction perpendicular to FIG. 1 through the platen glass 52.

Here, the original platen 46 holds the original S between the digitizer 50 and the platen glass 52 with the guide bar 24a.
, 24b in the sub-scanning direction. Therefore, the document S does not meander or deform during transportation, and extremely accurate transportation is performed. Therefore, the laser light irradiated onto the original S from the image reading section 14 is accurately guided to the image reading range specified in the original input section 12. As a result, it becomes possible to perform extremely accurate image reading operations.

Note that the image information carried on the original S is transmitted as reflected light to the fiber bundle 1 via cylindrical lenses 118a and 118b.
After being focused on the ends of 20a and 120b, the light is guided to the photomultiplier 116. Photo multiplier 11
6 photoelectrically converts the reflected light to form a predetermined image signal.

As described above, according to the present invention, in an image reading device capable of reading image information in a predetermined range of a document, a reading range is specified while the document is held between a digitizer and a transparent pressure plate; The document is configured to be transported to an image reading section together with a digitizer and a transparent pressure plate.

Therefore, since the state at the time of specifying the reading position of the document is maintained even when reading the image, it is possible to accurately read the image information in the specified range. Further, since the original is conveyed while being held between the digitizer and the transparent pressure plate, the original does not meander or deform during the conveyance, and the original is conveyed extremely smoothly.

Although the present invention has been described above with reference to preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.
Of course, various improvements and changes in design are possible without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an image reading device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective explanatory diagram of a document table in the image reading device according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a document table in the image reading device according to the present invention. Partial sectional view FIG. 4 is a sectional configuration diagram showing an elastic support mechanism in an image reading device according to the present invention. 10... Image reading device 12... Original input unit 14... Image reading unit 16... Image scanning unit 18.20... Housing 24a, 24b... Guide bar 34... Ball screw 36... Drive motor 46... Original table 4
8... Base 50... Digitizer 5
2...Platen glass 54a-54d...Elastic support mechanism 80a, 80b...Hinge member 98...Lock member 110...Laser light source

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) A digitizer that sets the reading range of image information carried on the original with the original placed thereon, a transparent pressure plate that cooperates with the digitizer to hold the original; An image reading device comprising a digitizer and a conveying means for conveying the transparent pressure plate to an image reading section. (2) In the apparatus according to claim 1, the digitizer is supported via an elastic support means on a base that is moved by a conveyance means, and is pressed toward the transparent pressure plate by the elastic support means. An image reading device configured as follows. (3) In the apparatus according to claim 1, the conveying means is configured to convey the image to the image reading section under the rotational action of a ball screw while the digitizer and transparent pressure plate are guided by a guide bar. reading device.