JP2005057340A - Image reading and recording apparatus and facsimile machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image reading apparatus and a facsimile machine with excellent operability wherein an original carrying mechanism is simple and a flat bed type image reading and recording apparatus is downsized. <P>SOLUTION: When an original end detection means does not detect the presence of a part protruded from a platen, only image information on the platen is read, and on the other hand, when the original end detection means detects the presence of a part protruded from the platen, first image information on the platen is read and thereafter a first original carrying means carries an original, carries the protruded part onto the platen, second image information adjacent to the first image information is read and an image processing section composes the first and second image information items into one-set of image information. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a flat bed type image reading and recording apparatus including a reading unit having a document table on which a document is placed and a pressure plate, and a recording unit that forms an image on sheet-like recording paper.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Currently, in printers and facsimile apparatuses for home use, many line printers that form an image for each line while conveying recording paper are installed as recording apparatuses because of their compactness.
[0003]
On the other hand, with regard to the reading device, in order to prevent scratches and roller marks from remaining on important documents such as photographs and postcards, the platen on the platen is more suitable than the sheet conveyance reading device that conveys the document to a fixed reading unit. There has been a demand for a flat bed reading apparatus that places an original document thereon and performs an image information reading operation by moving a reading unit disposed under the platen.
[0004]
Here, as a recording apparatus in a flat bed reading and recording apparatus in which a flat bed reading device is arranged at the upper part of the main body and a recording apparatus is arranged at the lower part of the main body, an image can be formed on A4 size recording paper and Inkjet printers, which are one type of printer that prints line by line, are provided by printers whose outer shape is smaller than A4 size.
[0005]
However, since the flatbed reader places an A4 size document, the outer shape of the reader is larger than the A4 size. For this reason, the compactness of the recording apparatus is not utilized.
[0006]
By the way, when considering use at home, photographs, postcards, etc., which are originals that are desired to avoid sheet conveyance, are often smaller than A4 size. However, there are many A4 size originals that can be conveyed by a sheet such as an image printed out by a printer. For this reason, there is a demand for a flatbed reading device having a size smaller than the A4 size and a reading device capable of reading an A4 size sheet document.
[0007]
Here, in a conventional copying machine, a document conveying drive system for driving a belt member and a belt is disposed in a pressure plate unit disposed at an upper portion of a document table, and a document placed on a document placement table in the pressure plate unit is received. A mechanism for carrying the paper up to the document table by a belt member driven by a belt driving system is mounted. By using this mechanism, a document having a size larger than the document table size can be conveyed.
[0008]
Moreover, in the conventional apparatus which has the conveyance mechanism by a belt member, operativity is considered and size reduction is achieved (for example, refer patent document 1 and patent document 2).
[0009]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-281756
[Patent Document 2]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-312092
[0010]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the above-described conventional example, since the belt member and the document conveyance drive system are arranged in the pressure plate unit, there is a problem that the pressure plate unit becomes large and heavy and the operability of the apparatus is not good.
[0011]
Further, regarding the drive system, it is necessary to provide two types of drive systems, that is, a reading means drive system in the document table and a document transport drive system in the platen unit, and the drive system as a reading apparatus is complicated. There is a problem and it is not suitable for pursuing downsizing and simple operability.
[0012]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an image reading apparatus and a facsimile apparatus in which a document conveying mechanism is simple, a flatbed image reading / recording apparatus is small, and operability is excellent.
[0013]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention provides an image forming means for forming an image on a sheet, a document table on which a document is placed, a pressure plate disposed above the document table and rotatably attached to the document table unit. An image reading and recording apparatus comprising: a platen having a size smaller than a maximum size of a standard sheet disposed on the document table and capable of forming an image by the image forming unit; and disposed inside the document table and disposed on the platen. An image reading means for reading an image of a placed document, a first document conveying means disposed outside one end of the platen of the document table, and holding the document and feeding it to the platen; A second document conveying means disposed outside the other end of the platen of the document table, sandwiching the document and discharging it from the platen; and disposed within the document table, the first and second document conveyance means A document conveying driving means for driving, a document edge detecting means for detecting whether or not a document placed on the platen has a portion protruding from the platen, and a plurality of images read by the image reading means If the image processing unit for combining the image information into one image information and the document edge detection means do not detect that there is a portion protruding from the platen, only the image information on the platen is read, while the document When the end detection unit detects that there is a portion protruding from the platen, after reading the first image information on the platen, the first document conveying unit conveys the document, and the protruding portion is The second image information that is conveyed on the platen and is adjacent to the first image information is read, and the image processing unit includes the first image information and the second image information. An image reading and recording apparatus characterized by a control means for combining into a single image information.
[0014]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the entire reading and recording apparatus RW1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
[0015]
The reading and recording apparatus RW1 includes a reading apparatus unit 1 and a recording apparatus unit 2. The reading device unit 1 is arranged on the upper portion of the recording device unit 2 and is constituted by a pressure plate 11 and a document table 12.
[0016]
On the document table 12, a platen 13, a first document conveyance drive roller 14, and a second document conveyance drive roller 15 are arranged. The first document conveyance drive roller 14 and the second document conveyance drive roller 15 are The rollers are arranged outside the platen 13 so that the axes of both rollers are parallel to each other.
[0017]
A first document transport driven roller 17 and a second document transport driven roller 18 are arranged on the pressure plate 11. The pressure plate 11 is pivotally attached to the document table 12 with the hinge 19 as a rotation center. When the pressure plate 11 is closed with respect to the document table 12, the first document conveyance drive roller 14. And the first document transport driven roller 17, and the second document transport drive roller 15 and the second document transport driven roller 18 are in contact with each other.
[0018]
In addition, when the pressure plate 11 is opened with respect to the document table 12, the device user can easily place the document on the document table 12 so that the apparatus user can place the document on the document table 12. The rotation angle of the hinge 19 is configured so that a sufficient space is secured between the base 12 and the base 12.
[0019]
An operation unit 16 is disposed near the end of the document table 12 opposite to the hinge 19. The document edge detection sensor 121 is a sensor provided in the vicinity of the first document conveyance drive roller 14, and the document is placed on the platen 13 with the lever portion 121 a protruding from the document table 12. When it protrudes from the top, it rides on the lever part 121a, pushes down the lever part 121a, and detects that there is a protruding part of the document.
[0020]
Although the micro switch with a lever is used for the document edge detection sensor 121, a non-contact type detection means such as a photo interrupter may be used instead of the micro switch.
[0021]
Next, the configuration of the recording device unit 2 in the above embodiment will be described.
[0022]
FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1) of the recording device unit 2 in the reading and recording device RW1 that is Embodiment 1 of the present invention.
[0023]
First, the recording paper transport operation will be described.
[0024]
When the recording paper bundle 22 is placed on the recording paper placing table 21, a signal detected by a recording paper presence / absence detection sensor (not shown) is sent to the control unit of the reading and recording apparatus RW1, and the reading and recording apparatus RW1 has recording paper. Recognize that
[0025]
Next, a recording paper drive system (not shown) is operated, and the recording paper bundle 22 is separated one by one by the recording paper separation roller 23. The recording paper 24 separated by the recording paper separating roller 23 is composed of a recording paper transporting roller 26a and a recording paper transporting roller 26b which are disposed at positions facing each other with respect to the recording paper transporting path 25. The recording sheet 24 is conveyed to the image recording position 27 on the recording sheet conveying path 25 by the recording sheet conveying roller pair 26. At this position, the recording sheet 24 is temporarily conveyed. Stopped and held at the image recording position 27.
[0026]
At the image recording position 27, ink is ejected from the printing unit ejection port of the inkjet recording head 28 disposed above the recording paper conveyance path 25, and ink droplets adhere to the image recording surface of the recording paper 24, thereby Is formed. When the image recording for one line is completed, the pair of recording paper transport rollers 26 is rotated again, the recording paper 24 is transported leftward in FIG. 2, and when the recording paper 24 is transported by a certain amount, the recording paper is again transported. The conveyance of 24 is stopped and image recording of the next line is performed.
[0027]
When the image recording for one recording sheet is completed by repeating the above steps, the recording sheet 24 is provided with a recording sheet discharge roller 29a disposed at a position facing each other with respect to the recording sheet conveying path 25, and the recording sheet. A pair of recording paper discharge rollers 29 constituted by a paper discharge roller 29b is discharged from the recording paper discharge port 30 to the outside of the apparatus.
[0028]
Next, the occupied installation area of the recording device unit 2 will be described.
[0029]
FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the inside of the recording apparatus unit 2 in the above embodiment.
[0030]
The recording paper 24 shown in FIG. 3 is A4 size. As described with reference to FIG. 2, the recording sheet 24 is printed on the printing surface by the ink ejected from the printing unit ejection port of the inkjet recording head 28 while being conveyed by the recording sheet conveying roller 26 a and the recording sheet discharging roller 29 a. An image is formed.
[0031]
At this time, the inkjet recording head 28 ejects ink onto the recording paper 24 by reciprocating in the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the recording paper 24 (hereinafter referred to as “recording paper width direction”). Accordingly, in order to increase the printable area in the width direction of the recording paper 24, the moving area of the ink jet recording head is 28 to 28 'in FIG. 3, which is larger than the recording paper width dimension.
[0032]
Further, in the recording apparatus unit 2, a recording paper conveyance driving system 31 conceptually shown is disposed outside the recording paper width direction inkjet recording head moving region. For this reason, the dimension of the recording apparatus unit 2 in the recording sheet width direction is larger than the recording sheet width dimension. As described above, as shown in FIG. 3, the recording sheet conveyance direction dimension of the recording apparatus unit 2 is smaller than the recording sheet size A4, but the recording sheet width direction dimension is larger than the recording sheet size A4. The occupied installation area is substantially equal to the A4 size.
[0033]
FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the reading device unit 1.
[0034]
The control unit B1 includes a CPU and an image processing unit that are mounted on a substrate arranged inside the apparatus. The document reading unit B2 includes a CIS and a drive unit. The document transport unit B3 includes a document feeding unit (not shown), a document discharge unit (not shown), and a driving unit (not shown) that drives them.
[0035]
In addition, a recording unit B4, an operation unit B5, and a document edge detection sensor B6 are provided. The communication unit B7 is configured by an NCU equipped with a modem that performs communication with other models via a telephone line. The memory unit B8 is a memory unit that accumulates image data received via a line and image data read from the reading unit B2.
[0036]
FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of the reading unit 1 in the reading and recording apparatus RW1.
[0037]
In the reading unit 1, the endless belt member 101 is hooked on a pulley 102 disposed below the first and second document transport driving rollers 14 and 15, and a part of the belt member 101 is a reading unit 33 (see FIG. 6). ). In the present embodiment, the reading unit 33 is an electric element that irradiates a document surface with a light source (not shown) and electrically reads reflected light, and employs a contact image sensor (CIS). A motor M1 geared to the pulley 102 is rotated by a predetermined step number pulse signal, drives the belt 101, and moves the reading means 33 in the sub-scanning direction.
[0038]
In the drawing, the initial position 33d of the reading means 33 is a position where the leading edge position of the document coincides with the reading line. The arrow S direction is the sub-scanning direction, and the reading unit 33 reads the document surface while moving from the initial position 33d in the arrow S direction. When the reading is completed, the motor M1 is rotated in the reverse direction, the reading means 33 is moved to the initial position 33d, and the apparatus waits for the next reading operation.
[0039]
The endless belt member 103 is an endless belt member that is meshed with and engaged with a gear 104 attached to the shaft ends of the first and second document transport driving rollers 14 and 15, and the motor M <b> 2 is a gear. The first and second document transport driving rollers 14 and 15 can be rotationally driven by being connected to the gear 104 and rotating the motor M2. In this embodiment, the gear ratio and the roller diameter are set so that the document conveyance speeds by the first and second document conveyance drive rollers 14 and 15 are substantially constant.
[0040]
Next, the configuration of the reader unit 1 will be described.
[0041]
First, the operation of the reading unit when reading a document smaller than the size of the platen 13 will be described.
[0042]
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view (a cross-sectional view in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1) showing the reading unit 1, and is a cross-sectional view when reading a document having a size smaller than the platen 13.
[0043]
Here, the platen 13 of this embodiment has a slightly larger area than the A5 size. From the viewpoint of avoiding scratches and roller marks from among the documents handled at home, many of the originals such as photographs and postcards that are not preferably conveyed through the apparatus are A5 size or smaller. . Therefore, when considering use at home, the size of the platen is a sufficient area.
[0044]
A document 32 is placed on the upper surface of the platen 13. Next, the pressure plate 11 is closed and the document table 12 is closed. By doing so, the document 32 placed on the platen 13 is not displaced during the reading operation due to the weight of the pressure plate 11. At this time, since the document is not on the lever 121a (see FIG. 10) of the document trailing edge detection sensor 121, there is no signal from the detection sensor 121, and there is no portion where the document protrudes from the platen 13. The device unit 1 can be recognized.
[0045]
Here, when the operator depresses the copy start key 110 (see FIG. 5) on the operation unit 16, the reading unit 33 reads line data for each line and drives the motor every time one line is read. Then, the reading unit 33 is moved in the sub-scanning direction (the arrow direction in FIG. 1), thereby reading the image information on the document surface two-dimensionally. Thereby, the document on the platen 13 can be read.
[0046]
In this embodiment, the reading size when the document edge detection sensor does not detect the protruding portion of the document is A5 size. This A5 size is the default, and the copying operation can be started without the operator selecting the reading size. For example, the A5 size can be read. Further, the reading size can be switched by pressing a size selection key 111 (see FIG. 5) on the operation unit, and the selected reading size is displayed on the LCD display unit 112.
[0047]
The operator confirms that a desired reading size (for example, “postcard horizontal”) is selected while looking at the reading size displayed on the display unit, and presses the copy start key 110 shown in FIG. Then, the reading unit 33 is moved by a necessary sub-scanning moving distance (for example, a postcard width) to perform reading.
[0048]
In this embodiment, when the document edge detection sensor does not detect the protruding portion of the document, A5 portrait → postcard portrait → postcard landscape → A6 → photo L size each time the size selection key 111 shown in FIG. 5 is pressed once. → A5 vertical → ..... By performing size selection in this way, the reading means 33 is moved by the amount of movement necessary for sub-scanning, and the reading operation is completed. Therefore, the time required for the reading operation can be reduced without reading an extra sub-scanning area. In addition, the power required for lighting the light source and driving the motor can be reduced, leading to energy saving.
[0049]
Next, the operation of the reading unit 1 when reading a document larger than the size of the platen 13 will be described.
[0050]
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view (a cross-sectional view in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1) showing the reading unit 1, and is a cross-sectional view when a document 34 having a size larger than the platen 13 is placed.
[0051]
FIG. 8 is a perspective view for explaining the operation of reading the document 34 when the document 34 having a size larger than the platen 13 is placed.
[0052]
As shown in FIG. 8, a document 34 larger than the platen 13 is placed on the platen 13. Here, an A4 size document 34 is taken as an example of a document 34 larger than the platen 13.
[0053]
Here, a stopper as a document abutment index is located near the end of the platen 13 on the second document transport driving roller 15 side (hereinafter referred to as “the downstream end of the platen 13”) on the document table 12. The member 35 is arranged, and when the apparatus user sets the document 34, the front end of the document 34 is abutted and can be easily set near the downstream end of the platen 13.
[0054]
Next, the pressure plate 11 is closed and the original table 12 is closed. By doing so, the document 34 placed on the platen 13 is not displaced during the reading operation due to the weight of the pressure plate 11.
[0055]
At this time, the rear end portion of the document 34 protrudes from the platen 13, is sandwiched between the first document transport driving roller 14 and the driven roller 17, and can be transported. Since the document trailing edge is on the lever 121a of the document trailing edge detection sensor 121 provided in the vicinity of the first document conveyance driving roller 14, there is a signal from the detection sensor 121, and the document 34 is fed from the platen 13. The reader unit 1 can recognize that there is a protruding portion.
[0056]
Here, when the operator depresses the copy start key 110 (see FIG. 5) on the operation unit 16, the reading unit 33 reads line data for each line and drives the motor every time one line is read. Then, the reading means 33 is moved in the sub-scanning direction (arrow direction in the figure) to read the image information on the document surface two-dimensionally.
[0057]
In this embodiment, the A4 size is set as the default reading size when the document edge detection sensor detects a protruding portion of the document, and if the operator starts the copying operation without selecting the reading size, the A4 size is automatically set. The size is set to be read.
[0058]
In the case of the document 34 having a size larger than the platen 13, the motor M1 is driven, the reading means 33 is moved by a predetermined amount in the sub-scanning direction, the first image information that is the first half of the document 34 is read, and then the motor M2 is moved. Is driven to rotate the first and second document conveying drive rollers 14 and 15 to convey the document 34 by a predetermined amount. The carry amount is carried until the unread second-half head line reaches a predetermined position. Meanwhile, the motor M1 is driven in reverse, and the reading means 33 returns to the initial position 33d and is in a standby state for the next reading operation.
[0059]
When the unread second half is conveyed onto the platen 13, the motor M1 is driven again, the reading means 33 is moved in the sub-scanning direction, and the second image information that is the second half of the document 34 is read. In this case, the read first and second image information is combined into one image information by an image combining method to be described later, and in the case of copying, it is sent to the recording unit B4 and output to the own device, In the case of FAX transmission, it is sent to the communication unit B7 and sent to the partner machine.
[0060]
The image of a document 34 having a size larger than the size of the platen 13 is read in the above procedure. Although the pressure plate 11 is provided with first and second document conveyance driven rollers 17 and 18, a document conveyance drive source and a drive system for driving transmission are not provided, and the pressure plate 11 is simple. Light weight with a simple structure.
[0061]
For this reason, the operation of opening and closing the pressure plate 11 when placing the document 34 on the document table is easy, and the hinge 19 which is the rotation center when opening and closing the pressure plate 11 has a simple configuration corresponding to light weight. Yes, it can be formed at low cost. As for the document conveyance drive system, the document conveyance drive system is divided into the document table interior and the pressure plate interior, for example, the drive source is inside the document platen and part of the conveyance drive system is inside the platen. Therefore, the document conveyance drive system can be arranged with a simple configuration.
[0062]
Next, the synthesis of the first half image and the second half image will be described.
[0063]
In this embodiment, when combining the first image information and the second image information, in order to suppress the deviation of the preceding and following read images and to combine them accurately, the rear end portion of the first image information, The same portion of the document 34 as several lines is read from the leading end portion of the second image information.
[0064]
This overlapping portion is collated by the control unit B1 having an image processing unit, and the preceding and succeeding image information is combined with one image information with high accuracy. For this reason, the platen 13 has a main scanning direction of the A4 size document 34 (hereinafter referred to as a document width direction) substantially equal to the A5 size longitudinal dimension, but the transport direction of the document 34 is A5 size. It is slightly larger than the short dimension (half of the A4 size).
[0065]
That is, the distance sub-scan can be performed longer than the half of the A4 size by the overlapping amount. For example, in the case of an A4 size document 34, the reading unit 33 first scans the entire area of the platen 13 in the sub-scanning direction, reads the first image information that is the first half of the document 34, and then reads the document 34 into A5. The sheet is conveyed by the short size, and the entire area of the platen 13 in the sub-scanning direction is scanned to read the second image information that is the latter half of the document 34.
[0066]
As a result, an overlapping portion is formed at the rear end portion of the first image information and the front end portion of the second image information, and the overlapping portion is collated to synthesize the first and second image information with high accuracy. Can do.
[0067]
In the present embodiment, similarly to the above, the operator can select the reading size by using the size selection key 111 shown in FIG. 5, and even when a document 34 having a size larger than the platen 13 is set. Only the necessary size area in the document can be read.
[0068]
When a part protruding from the platen 13 is detected, each time the operator presses the size selection key 111 shown in FIG. 5 once, A4 → B5 → A5 horizontal → A5 vertical → postcard horizontal → postcard vertical → A6 → photo L → A4 →... Are sequentially switched, and the selected reading size is displayed on the LCD display unit 112. As a result, if the size is selected, the reading means 33 is moved by an amount necessary for the sub-scanning, and the reading operation is completed. Therefore, it is possible to copy an unnecessary portion without reading an extra sub-scanning area. Absent.
[0069]
Hereinafter, a reading operation when a document 34 having a size larger than the platen 13 is set and a reading size is selected by the size selection key 111 shown in FIG. 5 will be described.
[0070]
A reading size that does not require transport of an original 34 smaller than the A5 size (that is, smaller than the platen 13) or image synthesis is the same as that required for reading the original 34 smaller than the platen 13 and is necessary. By moving the reading means 33 only by the minimum movement amount, the reading time is shortened and the power consumption during driving is suppressed.
[0071]
On the other hand, when the portion that protrudes from the platen 13 is also read (that is, the original image information is read separately in the first half portion and the second half portion) and then combined, for example, when B5 size reading is selected, the entire area of the platen 13 is When reading, in order to read in the latter half part, the document 34 must be transported by the A5 short dimension, and it takes time to transport the document, and a pair of the first document transport driving roller 14 and the driven roller 17 is paired. Alternatively, there is a long time during which only one pair of the second document transport driving roller 15 and the driven roller 18 is transported, which easily causes problems in transport performance such as skew feeding and non-feeding.
[0072]
For this reason, the overlapping portions do not match, and there is a possibility that the read image is deteriorated or the composition fails at the time of image composition.
[0073]
Therefore, in this embodiment, even when the reading size is larger than that of the platen 13, the reading operation is performed so that the reading time is shortened, the conveyance performance is stabilized, and the image quality is not deteriorated. Hereinafter, the reading operation will be described.
[0074]
The maximum document length that can be read on the platen 13 is La (A5 size short dimension in this embodiment), the length of the overlapping portion is Lw, and the length of the read size of the selected document 34 is , Ld, and the total length of the platen 13 in the sub-scanning direction is Lp, Lp = La + Lw in the present embodiment from the above description.
[0075]
When reading the first image information (that is, the image information of the first half) of the document 34 placed on the platen 13, the sub-scanning movement amount (in the direction of arrow S in the drawing) of the reading means 33 is L1 = Ld−La. When the length is read, the driving of the motor M1 is stopped.
[0076]
Subsequently, the motor M2 is driven, the first and second document transport driving rollers are rotated, the document 34 is transported, and the second image information (that is, the image information of the latter half) is transferred to the reading position on the platen 13. Move (in the direction of arrow D in the figure). At this time, the driving of the motor M2 is stopped when the document 34 is conveyed by the distance L2 = Ld−Lp. During document conveyance, the reading unit 33 reversely rotates the motor M1, returns to the initial position 33d, enters a standby state, drives the motor M1 to rotate forward again, and the length of the sub-scanning total length Lp of the platen 13 in the sub-scanning direction. The second image information in the second half of the reading is read.
[0077]
As a result, the image information corresponding to the selected reading size is read, and thereafter, the image is synthesized by the above-described procedure. In this way, the reading unit 33 starts reading from the front end position of the document, and the total moving distance of the reading unit 33 can be reduced until the reading is completed up to the rear end position of the desired reading size. Reading time can be shortened.
[0078]
In addition, the document conveyance distance can be kept short, the area conveyed by only one pair of rollers is small, the conveyance performance is stable, and a good read image can be obtained. Disappear. It also improves the durability of the roller.
[0079]
Here, the document edge detection sensor 121 is located upstream of the document edge detection position (that is, the tangential position where the lever portion 121a forms the nip between the first document conveyance drive roller 14 and the driven roller 17). When the document 34 that is disposed and has a portion protruding from the platen 13 is set, the protruding portion is detected, and at the same time, the document 34 is securely clamped by the document conveyance drive roller 14 and the driven roller 17.
[0080]
Further, the distance Lss between the document abutting position of the stopper member 35 as an abutting index at the time of document setting and the lever portion 121a is determined by the first document conveying driving roller 14, the driven roller 17, and the second document conveying driving roller. 15 and the driven roller 18 are disposed at positions that are longer than the distance Lrr between the nips.
[0081]
As a result, when the document 34 having a protruding portion from the platen 13 is set, the document 34 that has been detected to have a protruding portion is always reliably transferred from the first document conveying drive roller 14 to the second document conveying drive roller 15. Can be transported.
[0082]
Next, the occupied installation area of the reader unit 1 will be described.
[0083]
The document 34 shown in FIGS. 6 and 8 is A4 size. As described above with reference to FIGS. 5 to 8, the platen 13 has a document width direction substantially equal to the A5 size longitudinal dimension, and the conveyance direction of the document 34 is slightly larger than the A5 size short dimension.
[0084]
Here, of the longitudinal end portions (upper and lower end portions in FIGS. 6 and 8) of the platen 13 inside the document table 12, the first document transport driving roller 14 is disposed outside the upstream end portion. On the outside of the downstream end, a second document transport driving roller 15 is arranged, and the longitudinal direction of the platen 13 and the first and second document transport driving rollers 14 and 15 transport the A4 size document 34. The conveyance direction 34 is vertical.
[0085]
For this reason, the dimension in the conveyance direction of the document 34 of the reading unit is larger than the A5 size short dimension and is substantially the same as the A4 size short dimension.
[0086]
On the other hand, on the outside of the short end of the platen 13 inside the document table 12, a conceptually illustrated document conveyance drive roller drive system, a stopper member 35 described later, a retraction mechanism for the document conveyance drive rollers 14 and 15, The hinge mechanism 19 of the pressure plate 11 is disposed. For this reason, the document conveyance width direction of the reading unit is larger than the A5 size longitudinal dimension and is substantially the same as the A4 size longitudinal dimension. Thus, the occupied installation area of the reader unit 1 is substantially equal to the A4 size.
[0087]
As described above, both the reading device unit 1 and the recording device unit 2 require an occupied installation area of approximately A4 size. Here, as shown in FIG. 1, in the reading and recording apparatus RW1 according to the first embodiment, the reading apparatus unit 1 is arranged above the main body and the recording apparatus unit 2 is arranged at the lower part of the main body. Further, the conveyance direction of the document 34 in the reading device unit 1 and the recording paper conveyance direction in the recording device unit 2 are parallel to each other. For this reason, the longitudinal direction of the entire reading device unit 1 and the longitudinal direction of the recording device 2 are parallel to each other, and the occupied installation area of the entire reading and recording device RW1 is small, and the reading and recording device RW1 itself. Is space-saving, and the use space of the reading and recording apparatus RW1 is also space-saving.
[0088]
Next, a configuration in which the stopper member 35 is retracted with the opening and closing of the pressure plate 11 will be described.
[0089]
In the reading and recording apparatus RW1 according to the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, when the pressure plate 11 is opened, the stopper member 35 protrudes above the upper surface of the document table 12, but when the pressure plate 11 is closed, 11, the stopper member 35 is buried below the upper surface of the document table 12.
[0090]
As the structure in which the stopper member 35 is retracted as the pressure plate 11 is opened and closed, the first plunger 41, the stopper lever 42, the stopper lever rotation center 42a, the stopper lever / shaft contact portion 42b, and the stopper shaft 43 A stopper shaft rotation center 43a is provided.
[0091]
FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing how the document 34 is moved in the reading unit 1 in the embodiment.
[0092]
FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the position of the document edge detection sensor in the reading device unit 1 in the embodiment.
[0093]
FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the position of the stopper member 35 when the pressure plate 11 is closed in the above embodiment.
[0094]
FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the position of the stopper member 35 when the pressure plate 11 is opened in the above embodiment.
[0095]
First, when the pressure plate 11 is closed, as shown in FIG. 11, the first plunger 41 is turned off, and the upper end of the stopper member 35 is buried below the upper surface of the document table 12.
[0096]
Next, when the pressure plate 11 is opened, a pressure plate open / close sensor (not shown) is turned on, and the first plunger 41 is turned on by a control means (not shown). When the first plunger 41 is in the ON state, as shown in FIG. 12, the stopper lever 42 is pulled rightward in FIG. 12 by the first plunger 41, and the stopper lever 42 rotates the stopper lever. It rotates clockwise about the center 42a.
[0097]
Then, the stopper shaft 43 receives a force in the upward direction in FIG. 12 at the stopper lever / shaft abutting portion 42b, and rotates counterclockwise around the stopper shaft rotation center 43a. Then, the stopper member 35 receives an upward force in FIG. 12 from the stopper shaft 43, and the upper end of the stopper member 35 protrudes above the upper surface of the document table 12.
[0098]
Further, when the pressure plate 11 is closed again, the first plunger is turned off, and the force pulling the stopper lever 42 is released. Therefore, the stopper member 35, the stopper shaft 43, and the stopper lever 42 are moved by their own weight, the stopper member is moved downward, and the stopper shaft 43 is rotated clockwise around the stopper shaft rotation center 43a. The stopper lever 42 rotates counterclockwise about the stopper lever rotation center 42a and returns to the state shown in FIG.
[0099]
Therefore, in FIG. 12, when the apparatus user places the A4 size document 34 on the platen 13, the A34 size is corrected by finely correcting the position of the document 34 after the document 34 is abutted against the stopper member 35. The document 34 can be easily set at the optimum position on the platen 13, and, as shown in FIG. 11, the stopper member 35 is buried below the upper surface of the document table 12 when the pressure plate 11 is closed. Even when an image of an A4 size original 34 shown in FIGS. 5 to 8 is read, high-quality original conveyance and image reading can be realized without interfering with the original conveyance.
[0100]
In addition, as described above, the vertical movement of the stopper member 35 is performed in conjunction with the opening and closing of the pressure plate 11, so that it is not necessary for the apparatus user to perform another operation, and thus the operability is more excellent.
[0101]
FIG. 13 is a perspective view schematically showing the periphery of the stopper member 35 in the above embodiment.
[0102]
As shown in FIG. 13, in this embodiment, the stopper member 35 is composed of a plurality of members in the document width direction, and the stopper shaft 42 is moved by the movement of the stopper lever 42 disposed near one end. 43 is rotated around the stopper shaft rotation center 43 a, and the plurality of stopper members 35 are moved up and down by the stopper shaft 43.
[0103]
Next, a configuration in which the first and second document transport driving rollers 14 and 15 are retracted as the pressure plate 11 is opened and closed will be described.
[0104]
In the reading and recording apparatus RW1 according to the first embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the first and second document conveying drive rollers 14 and 15 protrude upward from the upper surface of the document table 12, and are arranged on the pressure plate 11, respectively. The document 34 is nipped and conveyed by the first and second document conveyance driven rollers 17 and 18.
[0105]
However, when the pressure plate 11 is opened and the document 34 is placed on the platen 13, the first and second document transport driving rollers 14 and 15 are buried below the upper surface of the document table 12, so that the user of the apparatus can When the original 34 is placed on the platen 13 and the position of the original 34 is further finely adjusted, a resistance force is generated by the frictional force between the original conveying drive roller that does not rotate and the original 34, making it difficult to set the original 34. To prevent becoming.
[0106]
FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating the position of the first document conveyance driving roller 14 when the pressure plate 11 is closed.
[0107]
FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating the position of the first document conveyance driving roller 14 when the pressure plate 11 is opened.
[0108]
The retracting mechanism of the first document transport driving roller 14 includes a second plunger 51, a driving roller pressing spring 52, a roller lever 53, a roller lever rotation center 53a, and a roller lever / roller bearing contact portion 53b. , A roller bearing 54, a roller moving shaft 55, and a roller moving shaft rotation center 55a.
[0109]
First, when the pressure plate 11 is closed, as shown in FIG. 14, the second plunger 51 is in an OFF state, and the first document transport driving roller 14 protrudes above the upper surface of the document table 12. The first document transport driving roller 14 receives a pressing force from below by the drive roller pressing spring 52 and sandwiches the document 34 together with the opposing first document transport driven roller 17 so that the document transport force is increased. It is appearing.
[0110]
Next, when the pressure plate 11 is opened, a pressure plate opening / closing sensor (not shown) is turned on, and the second plunger 51 is turned on by a control means (not shown). When the second plunger 51 is turned on, the roller lever 53 is pulled leftward in FIG. 15 by the second plunger 51, as shown in FIG. It rotates counterclockwise around 53a.
[0111]
Then, the roller bearing 54 receives a force downward in FIG. 15 at the roller lever / roller bearing contact portion 53b and moves downward. Then, the first document conveyance drive roller 14 received by the roller bearing 54 receives a force downward in FIG. 15 and moves downward, and is buried below the upper surface of the document table 12.
[0112]
Further, when the roller bearing 54 moves downward, the roller moving shaft 55 receives a downward force in FIG. 15, and rotates counterclockwise around the roller moving shaft rotation center 55a.
[0113]
FIG. 16 is a perspective view schematically showing the periphery of the document conveyance drive roller in the embodiment.
[0114]
Here, as shown in FIG. 16, in the present embodiment, the second plunger 51 and the roller lever 53 are disposed near one end of the first document conveyance drive roller 14. Due to the downward movement of the roller bearing 54, the roller movement shaft 55 rotates about the roller movement shaft rotation center 55a. By this rotation, a downward force is also applied to the roller bearing on the opposite side, so that the vertical movement of the first document conveyance driving roller 14 in the document width direction operates smoothly.
[0115]
Further, when the pressure plate 11 is closed again, the second plunger 51 is turned off, and the force pulling the roller lever 53 is released. For this reason, the first document transport driving roller 14 and the roller bearing 54 are moved upward by the spring force of the driving roller pressing spring 52, and the roller lever 53 is rotated clockwise about the roller lever rotation center 53a. The roller moving shaft 55 rotates clockwise about the roller moving shaft rotation center 55a, returns to the state of FIG. 14, and the document 34 placed on the document table is moved to the first position. The document conveyance driving roller 14 and the first document conveyance driven roller 17 hold the document firmly.
[0116]
As described above, the first document transport driving roller 14 serving as the document transport means is buried below the top surface of the document table and protrudes from the top surface of the document table in conjunction with opening and closing of the pressure plate 11. Therefore, since it is not necessary for the device user to perform another operation, the operability is further improved.
[0117]
Further, in FIGS. 14 to 16, the retracting of the first document transport driving roller interlocked with the opening / closing of the pressure plate 11 has been described, but the retracting of the second document transport driving roller can also be described in the same manner as described above. it can.
[0118]
In the present embodiment, the stopper lever 42 and the roller lever 53 are moved by the first and second plungers as the pressure plate 11 is opened and closed, so that the stopper 35 is protruded / retracted, and the first and second documents are conveyed. Although the drive rollers 14 and 15 are retracted / protruded, the cam / link mechanism may be used to project / retract the stopper and the document conveying drive roller without using the plunger.
[0119]
【The invention's effect】
According to the first to fourth aspects of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the size of the apparatus main body, and to reduce the size of the document by the small and light pressure plate, the document conveyance system having a simple configuration, and the document edge detection sensor. Accordingly, there is an effect that the reading operation is switched accordingly, and the original image can be read reliably.
[0120]
According to the first to fourth aspects of the present invention, since the presence or absence of the portion protruding from the platen can be detected by the document edge detection sensor, the operator does not set the reading size at the time of reading. Regardless of the presence or absence of the portion, it is possible to read the image information of the original placed on the platen by the same operation of pressing the copy start button.
[0121]
Further, according to the first to fourth aspects of the present invention, by providing the document edge detection sensor at the above position, it is possible to prevent the document from being poorly transported and to transport the document accurately. .
[0122]
According to the fifth to eighth aspects of the present invention, a document image having a size larger than the size of the platen can be accurately measured by a compact and light pressure plate and a document transport system having a simple configuration while realizing a reduction in size of the apparatus main body. It can be read well and efficiently, i.e., when a document having a portion protruding from the platen is divided and read and then combined with image information, the image is combined into a conveying system such as skew by conveying only a pair of rollers. There is an effect that it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the reading position accuracy caused by it.
[0123]
Further, according to the fifth to eighth aspects of the invention, it is possible to shorten the time required to read all the originals. Therefore, there is an effect that operability is improved and energy saving and durability are improved. .
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the entirety of a reading and recording apparatus RW1 that is Embodiment 1 of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view (a cross-sectional view in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1) of the recording device unit 2 in the reading and recording device RW1 that is Embodiment 1 of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an internal plan view of the recording device section 2;
4 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a reading device unit 1. FIG.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of a reading unit 1 in the reading and recording apparatus RW1.
6 is a cross-sectional view (a cross-sectional view in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1) showing the reading unit 1, and is a cross-sectional view when reading a document having a size smaller than that of the platen 13. FIG.
7 is a cross-sectional view (a cross-sectional view in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1) showing the reading device section 1, and is a cross-sectional view when a document 34 having a size larger than the platen 13 is placed.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating an operation of reading a document when a document having a size larger than that of the platen is placed.
FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing how the document 34 is moved in the reading device section 1 in the embodiment.
FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a position of a document edge detection sensor in the reading device unit 1 in the embodiment.
11 is a view showing the position of the stopper member 35 when the pressure plate 11 is closed in the embodiment. FIG.
12 is a view showing the position of the stopper member 35 when the pressure plate 11 is opened in the embodiment. FIG.
FIG. 13 is a perspective view schematically showing the periphery of a stopper member 35 in the embodiment.
14 is a view showing the position of the first document transport driving roller 14 when the pressure plate 11 is closed. FIG.
FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating the position of the first document conveyance driving roller 14 when the pressure plate 11 is opened.
FIG. 16 is a perspective view schematically showing the periphery of the document conveyance drive roller in the embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
RW1 ... Reading / recording device,
1... Reading device section,
2 ... Recording device section,
11 ... pressure plate,
12: Document table,
13 ... Platen,
14: First document conveying drive roller,
15 ... Second document conveying drive roller,
21 ... Recording paper mounting table,
32. Manuscript,
51. Second plunger.

Claims (8)

An image comprising image forming means for forming an image on a sheet, a document table on which a document is placed, and a pressure plate disposed above the document table and rotatably attached to the document table unit. In the reading and recording device,
A platen having a size smaller than the maximum size of the standard sheet placed on the document table and capable of forming an image by the image forming means;
Image reading means arranged inside the document table and reading an image of the document placed on the platen;
First document conveying means disposed outside one end of the platen of the document table and holding the document and feeding it to the platen;
Second document conveying means disposed outside the other end of the platen of the document table and sandwiching the document and discharging it from the platen;
An original conveying driving means disposed inside the original table and driving the first and second original conveying means;
Document edge detection means for detecting whether or not the document placed on the platen has a portion protruding from the platen;
An image processing unit that combines a plurality of pieces of image information read by the image reading unit into one image information;
If the document edge detection means does not detect that there is a part protruding from the platen, only the image information on the platen is read, while the document edge detection means detects that there is a part protruding from the platen. In this case, after reading the first image information on the platen, the document is conveyed by the first document conveying means, the protruding portion is conveyed on the platen, and the second adjacent to the first image information. Control means for reading the image information, and the image processing unit synthesizes the first image information and the second image information into one image information;
An image reading and recording apparatus comprising: In claim 1,
The image reading and recording apparatus, wherein the document edge detection means is provided upstream of the platen in the document conveyance direction. In claim 2,
The image reading and recording apparatus, wherein the document edge detection means is provided upstream of the first document conveyance driving means. In claim 3,
An index for positioning the leading edge of the document at the downstream end of the platen in the document transport direction;
The distance L1 between the positioning index and the document edge detection means is the same position as the distance L2 between the first document conveyance means and the second document conveyance means or a position longer than the distance L2. An image reading and recording apparatus, wherein the document edge detection means is disposed. An image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet, a document table on which a document is placed, and a pressure plate that is disposed above the document table and is rotatably attached to the document table unit. In the image reading and recording apparatus
A platen having a size shorter than the maximum size of a standard sheet placed on the platen and capable of forming an image by the image forming means;
Image reading means arranged inside the document table and reading an image of the document placed on the platen;
First document conveying means disposed outside one end of the platen of the document table, sandwiching the document and feeding it to the platen;
Second document conveying means disposed outside the other end of the platen of the document table, sandwiching the document and discharging it from the platen;
An original conveying driving means disposed inside the original table and driving the first and second original conveying means;
Reading means that is arranged below the platen and that reads the original arranged opposite to the original surface line by line in the main scanning direction;
Reading movement means for moving the reading means in the sub-scanning direction;
A document edge detecting means for detecting whether or not there is a portion protruding from the platen among the documents placed on the platen;
Input means for inputting the read size of the original;
An image processing unit that combines a plurality of pieces of image information read by the image reading unit into one piece of image information;
When the document edge detection unit detects that there is a part protruding from the platen, and when a reading size longer than the platen is input from the input unit, the document on the platen is set according to the reading size. The reading means is moved by the predetermined length Li1 and the first image information is read. Then, the original is conveyed by the first and second original conveying means by the predetermined length Li2, and the platen A control unit that moves the reading unit by the entire length in the sub-scanning direction, reads the second image information, and combines the first and second image information with the image processing unit;
An image reading and recording apparatus comprising: In claim 5,
When combining the first image information and the second image information, there is an overlapping image area for reference, the length of the overlapping image area is Lw, and the input reading If the length in the conveyance direction of the original document is Ld, and the total length of the platen in the sub-scanning direction is Lp,
Li1 = Ld−Lp + Lw
Li2 = Ld-Lp
An image reading and recording apparatus. An image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet, a document table on which a document is placed, and a pressure plate that is disposed above the document table and is rotatably attached to the document table unit. In the image reading and recording apparatus
A platen having a size shorter than the maximum size of a standard sheet placed on the platen and capable of forming an image by the image forming means;
Image reading means arranged inside the document table and reading an image of the document placed on the platen;
First document conveying means disposed outside one end of the platen of the document table, sandwiching the document and feeding it to the platen;
Second document conveying means disposed outside the other end of the platen of the document table, sandwiching the document and discharging it from the platen;
An original conveying driving means disposed inside the original table and driving the first and second original conveying means;
Reading means that is installed below the platen and that reads a document placed opposite to the document surface line by line in the main scanning direction;
Reading movement means for moving the reading means in the sub-scanning direction;
Document edge detection means for detecting whether or not the document placed on the platen has a portion protruding from the platen;
Input means for inputting the read size of the original;
An image processing unit that combines a plurality of pieces of image information read by the image reading unit into one image information;
A facsimile transmission unit for transmitting image information read by the reading means through a telephone line in a facsimile procedure;
When the document edge detection unit detects that there is a part protruding from the platen, and when a reading size longer than the platen is input from the input unit, the document on the platen is set according to the reading size. The reading means is moved by the predetermined length Li1, the first image information is read, the original is conveyed by the first and second original conveying means by the length Li2, and the sub-scanning direction of the platen Control means for moving the reading means by the entire length, reading the second image information, and combining and transmitting the first and second image information;
A facsimile apparatus comprising: In claim 7,
The first image information and the second image information have overlapping image areas, the length of the overlapping image areas is Lw, and the input length of the input document in the reading direction is set to Lw. Is Ld, and the total length of the platen in the sub-scanning direction is Lp,
Li1 = Ld−Lp + Lw
Li2 = Ld-Lp
A facsimile machine characterized by being.

Images