JP2011032004A - Optical reader and recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

Regardless of the size of an object to be read, the object to be read is brought into close contact with a reading unit for optically reading the surface of the object to be read for reliable reading.
A surface scanner 111 for optically reading the surface of a card type recording medium Sb and a transport mechanism 100 for transporting the card type recording medium Sb to the surface scanner 111 are provided. And extending in the width direction of the transport path A in which the card type recording medium Sb is transported by the transport mechanism 100 and attached toward the transport path A so as to be close to the card type recording medium Sb located in the transport path A. The concave portion 61 that guides the card type recording medium Sb to the position passing through the center C in the width direction of the surface scanner 111 is provided at the manual insertion port 15 that is connected to the conveyance path A.
[Selection] Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical reading apparatus and a recording apparatus including the optical reading apparatus.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an optical reading device of a copying machine or a scanner device, a reading object is conveyed by a conveying unit constituted by a roller or the like to a reading unit that optically reads the surface of the reading object, and the reading object is read by the reading unit. There is known a device in which an object to be read is sandwiched between an urging member that is pressed against a reading unit and the reading unit is read and the reading unit is in close contact with the reading object (for example, see Patent Document 1).

JP 2009-124660 A

However, in the conventional optical reading apparatus, it is not easy to deal with reading objects of various widths and thicknesses. For example, if the width of the reading object is small with respect to the urging member, or if the width is small and the thickness is large, the urging member may be inclined. For this reason, the reading unit cannot be brought into close contact with an object to be read appropriately, which may affect the reading quality.
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances. Regardless of the size of the reading object, the reading object can be reliably read by bringing the reading object into close contact with the reading unit that optically reads the surface of the reading object. The purpose is to do so.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes an optical reading unit that optically reads the surface of a reading target, and a transport mechanism that transports the reading target to the optical reading unit, the optical reading unit Is formed in a longitudinal shape, extends in the width direction of the conveyance path through which the reading object is conveyed by the conveyance mechanism, and is directed toward the conveyance path so as to be close to the reading object positioned in the conveyance path. An optical reading apparatus is provided, wherein a guide portion that guides the reading object to a position that passes through the center in the width direction of the optical reading portion is provided in an insertion port that is biased and connected to the conveyance path. .
According to this configuration, the reading object is guided to the center in the width direction of the optical reading device extending in the width direction of the conveyance path by the guide portion provided in the insertion port. It can be read as if sandwiched at the center of the device. Accordingly, the optical reading device biased with respect to the reading object can be prevented from being tilted regardless of the size of the reading object, and the optical reading apparatus can be brought into close contact with the reading object, thereby reliably reading. It can be performed.

In the above configuration, the apparatus includes a plurality of conveyance rollers arranged in the width direction of the conveyance path, and the guide unit guides the reading object to a position straddling at least two or more of the conveyance rollers. good.
In this case, since the reading object is conveyed by at least two conveying rollers in the width direction, it is possible to prevent the reading object from being conveyed in an inclined state, and to be read regardless of the size of the reading object. Goods can be transported stably.

The conveying roller is configured to be capable of executing an alignment operation in which a leading end of the reading object is abutted against an alignment plate to adjust the orientation of the reading object, and detects an alignment state of the reading object during the alignment operation. An alignment detection sensor may be provided, and the guide unit may guide the reading object to a position that can be detected by the alignment detection sensor.
In this case, when the leading end of the reading object is brought into contact with the alignment plate by the transport roller and aligned, the reading target object is guided to the alignment detection sensor by the guide unit, so the alignment state is maintained regardless of the size of the reading object. Correct detection and alignment.

In addition, a medium detection sensor that detects that the reading object is inserted from the insertion port may be provided, and the guide unit may guide the reading object to a position that can be detected by the medium detection sensor. .
In this case, since the reading object is guided to the medium detection sensor by the guide unit, insertion of the reading object can be reliably detected regardless of the size of the reading object.
Further, the guide part may be a concave part that guides both side ends of the reading object narrower than the insertion port.
In this case, the reading object can be guided by a simple configuration in which the concave portion is provided in the insertion port. Further, since the concave shape portion is depressed, it does not get in the way when a reading object having a width larger than the width of the concave shape portion is inserted into the insertion port.

The present invention also provides an optical reading unit that optically reads the surface of a recording medium, a conveyance mechanism that conveys the recording medium to the optical reading unit, and recording on the recording medium that is conveyed by the conveyance mechanism. The optical reading unit is configured in a longitudinal shape, extends in the width direction of a conveyance path along which the recording medium is conveyed by the conveyance mechanism, and is close to the recording medium positioned in the conveyance path And a guide unit that guides the recording medium to a position that passes through the center in the width direction of the optical reading unit at the insertion port that is urged toward the transport path and continues to the transport path. A recording apparatus is provided.
According to this configuration, the recording medium is guided to the center in the width direction of the optical reading device extending in the width direction of the transport path by the guide portion provided in the insertion port. It can be read as if sandwiched in the center. Accordingly, the optical reading device biased with respect to the recording medium can be prevented from tilting regardless of the size of the recording medium, and the optical reading device can be brought into close contact with the recording medium, so that reading can be performed reliably. Can do.

  According to the present invention, regardless of the size of the reading object, the reading object is brought into close contact with the optical reading unit that optically reads the surface of the reading object, and can be read reliably.

1 is an external perspective view of a dot impact printer in an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a printer body. FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the printer body. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a front portion of the printer main body.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a front perspective view showing an appearance of a dot impact printer (recording apparatus) according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view showing the printer main body 11. FIG. 3 is a side sectional view showing the dot impact printer 10 of FIG.
A dot impact printer 10 as a recording apparatus shown in FIG. 1 includes a plurality of recording wires provided in a recording head 18 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) via an ink ribbon (not shown) that is fed out from a ribbon cartridge (not shown). Then, the recording medium Sa (reading object) is pressed and dots are formed on the recording surface of the recording medium Sa to record characters, symbols, images, and the like.
The dot impact printer 10 includes an optical reading device 200 (see FIG. 3), and can read characters, symbols, images, and the like displayed on the surface of the recording medium Sa by the optical reading device 200.
In the following description, the left side in FIG. 3 is the front (front) side, and the right side in FIG. 3 is the rear (rear) side.

Recording media that can be used in the dot impact printer 10 include a cut sheet cut to a predetermined length and a continuous sheet in which a plurality of sheets are connected. Cut sheets include, for example, cut paper and cut copy paper, as well as passbooks, postcards, envelopes, cards, etc. Continuous sheets are continuous paper with multiple sheets connected or continuous with copy paper connected. Includes copy paper.
The recording medium Sa shown in FIG. 1 is a passbook, and the passbook here is in the form of a booklet in which a plurality of recording sheets are bound, and the inner surface of the booklet is the recording surface. . Further, a magnetic stripe MS is provided on the back cover of the passbook. Various information can be magnetically recorded and read in the magnetic stripe MS.
In the following description, of the four sides of the rectangular recording medium Sa, the side that is inserted toward the dot impact printer 10 is the leading end, and the side that faces the leading end is the trailing end.

As shown in FIG. 1, the dot impact printer 10 includes an upper cover 12, an upper case 13, and a lower case 14 as exterior bodies, and a recording medium Sa is inserted in front of the upper case 13 and the lower case 14. Or the manual feed port 15 (insertion port) which discharges is opening. In addition, the lower case 14 is provided with a medium insertion base 60 that protrudes forward from the manual insertion slot 15.
As shown in FIG. 2, the dot impact printer 10 includes a printer main body 11 covered with an upper cover 12, an upper case 13, and a lower case 14. The printer main body 11 includes a lower main body portion 11A and an upper main body portion (not shown) supported by a shaft 11C at a rear end portion of the lower main body portion 11A. The lower main body portion 11A includes an upper case 13 and a lower portion. It is stored in the case 14 (FIG. 1). The upper main body is rotated by an operation of an open / close lever (not shown) installed on the left side surface of the upper main body, and when the upper main body is opened, the inside of the printer main body 11 is exposed.

2 and 3, the printer main body 11 includes a main body frame including a base frame 16, a right side frame 17A, and a left side frame 17B, a recording mechanism including a recording head 18 (recording unit), and a carriage 19. Part 20, platen 21, first drive roller 22A, first driven roller 22B, second drive roller 23A, second driven roller 23B, third drive roller 124A, third driven roller 124B, lower guide surface 24A, upper guide Information recorded on the magnetic stripe MS of the recording medium Sa, the conveying mechanism 100 having the surface 24B, the medium conveying motor 26 and the drive wheel train 27, the alignment mechanism 30 having the alignment plate 28 for aligning the recording medium Sa, and the like. Including a magnetic data reading unit 29 having a magnetic head 34 for reading and a magnetic stripe MS reading. When the magnetic information processing execution, in order to suppress the floating of the recording medium Sa, has a media pressure unit 35 that presses from the recording medium Sa, a.
The optical reading device 200 includes a front surface scanner 111 (optical reading unit), a back surface scanner 112, and a transport mechanism 100.

A right side frame 17 </ b> A and a left side frame 17 </ b> B are erected on substantially both ends of the base frame 16. A carriage guide shaft 31 is bridged between the side frames 17A and 17B, and a flat lower guide surface 24A is fixed between the side frames 17A and 17B. An upper guide surface 24B is disposed above the lower guide surface 24A so as to face the lower guide surface 24A. The space between the lower guide surface 24A and the upper guide surface 24B constitutes a transport path A in which the recording medium Sa is transported, and the transport path A is a front medium guide portion 24 positioned on the front side of the platen 21, In addition, a rear medium guide portion 25 is provided on the rear side of the platen 21. The recording medium Sa inserted from the manual feed port 15 is conveyed to the platen 21 side through the front medium guide unit 24 or to the surface scanner 111 side of the rear medium guide unit 25 beyond the platen 21.
A recording head 18 is disposed above the platen 21 so as to face the platen 21.

The carriage 19 is slidably inserted into the carriage guide shaft 31 and is driven via an endless drive belt (not shown) by forward or reverse rotation of a carriage drive motor (not shown) that drives the carriage 19. The reciprocating movement is guided by the carriage guide shaft 31. The movement direction of the carriage 19 is the main scanning direction that coincides with the direction indicated by the symbol X in FIG. 1, that is, the axial direction of the carriage guide shaft 31 and the longitudinal direction of the platen 21. The range of movement (scanning) of the carriage 19 is between the pair of side frames 17A and 17B. Note that the direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction X of the carriage 19, that is, the direction indicated by the symbol Y in FIG.
While the recording head 18 mounted on the carriage 19 travels in the main scanning direction together with the carriage 19, the recording wire protrudes from a wire protruding portion (not shown) facing the platen 21 at the front end surface thereof to form an ink ribbon. The ink on the ink ribbon is applied to the recording medium Sa conveyed between the platen 21 and the recording head 18 to perform recording on the recording medium Sa. The ink ribbon is folded and stored in a ribbon cartridge (not shown) mounted on the main body frame or the carriage 19 and is fed out as the carriage 19 is scanned.
The platen 21 extends in the traveling direction of the carriage 19 and is formed in a planar shape. Both ends of the platen 21 are urged toward the recording head 18 by an urging spring 41 and are elastically supported and conveyed. Displaces vertically depending on the thickness.

In the transport mechanism 100, the first drive roller 22A and the first driven roller 22B are arranged on the front side of the printer main body 11 with respect to the platen 21 and the recording head 18, and the second drive roller 23A and the second driven roller 23B are The platen 21 and the recording head 18 are arranged on the rear side of the printer main body 11, and the third driving roller 124 </ b> A and the third driven roller 124 </ b> B are arranged on the rear side of the surface scanner 111. The first driving roller 22A and the first driven roller 22B are arranged in a vertical direction to make a pair, and the second driving roller 23A and the second driven roller 23B are arranged in a vertical direction to make a pair, a third The driving roller 124A and the third driven roller 124B are arranged in the vertical direction to make a pair.
The first driving roller 22A, the second driving roller 23A, and the third driving roller 124A are driving rollers that are rotationally driven by the medium transport motor 26 and the driving wheel train 27, and are a first driven roller 22B and a second driven roller 23B. And the third driven roller 124B are respectively driven by the springs 42A, 42B, and 42C with a predetermined pressing force toward the first drive roller 22A, the second drive roller 23A, and the third drive roller 124A. It is. Accordingly, the first driving roller 22A and the first driven roller 22B are rotationally driven in opposite directions, the second driving roller 23A and the second driven roller 23B are rotationally driven in opposite directions, and the third driving roller 124A. And the third driven roller 124B are rotationally driven in directions opposite to each other.

  The first driving roller 22A is configured by inserting a plurality of cylindrical rollers 2 (conveying rollers) through a first roller shaft 32 extending in the width direction of the recording medium Sa. Each roller 2 is disposed at substantially equal intervals in the axial direction of the first roller shaft 32, and is exposed in the transport path A from the opening of the lower guide surface 24 </ b> A. Similarly to the first drive roller 22A, the first driven roller 22B, the second drive roller 23A, the second driven roller 23B, the third drive roller 124A, and the third driven roller 124B have a plurality of rollers inserted through the shaft. Configured. In each of the first driven roller 22B, the second driving roller 23A, the second driven roller 23B, the third driving roller 124A, and the third driven roller 124B, the position where each roller 2 is provided is the first driving roller 22A in the axial direction. It is the same position as each roller 2. Thus, since each roller 2 is arrange | positioned at intervals, while the amount which provides roller 2 can be reduced and the contact area of the upper and lower rollers 2 does not increase more than necessary, the medium which drives each roller 2 The load on the transport motor 26 can be reduced.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the drive wheel train 27 is disposed outside the right side frame 17A. The drive wheel train 27 includes a motor pinion 51 that is rotatably and integrally fixed to a drive shaft of a medium transport motor 26 that can rotate forward and backward. The driving force from the motor pinion 51 causes the driving rollers to rotate in the same direction by the reduction gear 52, the second driving gear 53B, the intermediate gear 54, the first driving gear 53A, a driving belt (not shown), etc. The recording medium Sa is conveyed into the printer main body 11. The first drive roller 22A, the second drive roller 23A, and the third drive roller 124A shown in FIG. 3 are denoted by reference symbol F in FIG. 3 along the sub-scanning direction when the medium transport motor 26 is rotating forward. As shown, when the recording medium Sa is transported into the printer main body 11 and the medium transport motor 26 is reversely rotated, the recording medium Sa is transported in the direction of ejection from the printer main body 11 as indicated by reference numeral R in FIG. To do.

The alignment mechanism 30 is a mechanism for aligning the recording medium Sa before recording on the recording medium Sa by the recording head 18 or before reading the recording medium Sa by the optical reading device 200.
The alignment mechanism 30 includes a first drive roller 22A, a first driven roller 22B, a front medium guide 24, an alignment plate 28, and an alignment motor (not shown) that drives the alignment plate 28. The alignment mechanism 30 changes the direction of the recording medium Sa by abutting the leading end of the recording medium Sa against the alignment plate 28 protruding in the conveyance path A, and aligns the recording medium Sa.

The dot impact printer 10 includes various sensors that detect the recording medium Sa in the vicinity of the scanning position of the recording head 18.
In the vicinity of the first drive roller 22 </ b> A, a plurality of medium detection sensors 47 that detect the presence or absence of the recording medium Sa in the transport path A are installed along the main scanning direction of the carriage 19. The medium detection sensor 47 is a reflection-type optical sensor that includes a light source that emits light toward the conveyance path A and a light receiving unit that detects the reflected light, or a light source that receives light from the light source so as to face the conveyance path A. Is a transmissive optical sensor. The medium detection sensor 47 is a sensor for detecting the insertion of the recording medium Sa from the manual feed slot 15 and the completion of discharging of the recording medium Sa from the inside of the printer main body 11.
A medium width sensor 55 that detects the width of the recording medium Sa is mounted on the carriage 19, and the medium width sensor 55 is scanned on the platen 21 together with the carriage 19. Therefore, the position of the recording medium Sa can be obtained by detecting the end of the recording medium Sa in the width direction by the medium width sensor 55 during scanning of the carriage 19 and associating the detected position with the scanning position of the carriage 19.
That is, in the dot impact printer 10, since the position of the recording medium Sa can be detected by the medium width sensor 55, the recording medium Sa is inserted by controlling the carriage 19 corresponding to the detected position of the recording medium Sa. Regardless of the position, recording by the recording head 18 can be performed, and further, reading by the optical reader 200 can be performed. That is, in the dot impact printer 10, recording and reading can be executed by inserting the recording medium Sa from an arbitrary position in the width direction of the manual feed slot 15.

Further, eight alignment detection sensors 58 are arranged behind the first drive roller 22A along the main scanning direction of the carriage 19 with a space therebetween. These eight alignment detection sensors 58 are configured by, for example, a light emitting unit (LED or the like) and a light receiving unit (phototransistor or the like) that are vertically opposed to each other across the transport path A, like the medium detection sensor 47, and a recording medium. The presence or absence of Sa is detected. These alignment detection sensors 58 detect the presence or absence of the recording medium Sa abutted against the alignment plate 28 in a state where the alignment plate 28 protrudes into the conveyance path A. Thereby, based on the output of the alignment detection sensor 58, it can be determined whether or not the inclination of the recording medium Sa after the alignment by the alignment plate 28 with respect to the transport direction is within an allowable inclination range. For example, when two adjacent detection sensors 58 aligned in the main scanning direction simultaneously detect the recording medium Sa, it is determined that the alignment is completed.
Further, the dot impact printer 10 includes the drive control of the medium transport motor 26, the travel control of the carriage 19, the control of the recording operation by the recording wire of the recording head 18, the control of the reading operation of the optical reading device 200, etc. As a control unit for controlling the whole, for example, a control board unit (not shown) is provided below the rear side of the printer main body 11.

  Here, operations related to the alignment of the dot impact printer 10 will be described. First, the alignment plate 28 projects into the transport path A when the power is turned on. Next, when the dot detection printer 10 detects the recording medium Sa inserted from the manual insertion slot 15 by the medium detection sensor 47, the dot impact printer 10 drives the first drive roller 22A. The recording medium Sa is transported by the first driving roller 22A and the first driven roller 22B, and the leading end of the recording medium Sa is abutted against the alignment plate 28 for alignment. Thereafter, the dot impact printer 10 detects the state of the leading end of the recording medium Sa by the alignment detection sensors 58 arranged in front of the alignment plate 28, and determines whether the alignment is correctly performed. If it is determined by this determination that the recording media Sa have been correctly aligned, the recording media Sa are transported to the recording head 18 or the optical reading device 200, and recording or reading is executed. On the other hand, if it is determined that the alignment of the recording media Sa is not correctly performed, the dot impact printer 10 can perform the alignment operation again, and if the alignment cannot be performed even after repeated alignment operations. The recording medium Sa is discharged from the manual feed slot 15.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the back scanner 112 is an image sensor that reads information such as characters, symbols, and images recorded on the back side of the recording medium Sa. The front surface scanner 111 is an image sensor that is arranged at a position facing the back surface scanner 112 and reads information recorded on the front surface side of the transported recording medium Sa. The front surface scanner 111 and the back surface scanner 112 are arranged between the second drive roller 23A and the third drive roller 124A, and continuously read information on the recording medium Sa being conveyed. The front surface scanner 111 and the rear surface scanner 112 are, for example, CIS (Contact Image Sensor) type image reading sensors, and light output from light sources such as flat glass surfaces 111A and 112A that are in close contact with the recording medium Sa and LEDs. An irradiation unit (not shown) for irradiating the reading area of the recording medium Sa, a plurality of light receiving sensors (not shown) arranged in a line in the main scanning direction (X direction), and a signal from the light receiving sensor And an output unit (not shown) for outputting to the control board unit. Although the CIS type is used as the front surface scanner 111 and the back surface scanner 112 here, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) type may be used.

As shown in FIG. 2, the back scanner 112 is formed in a longitudinal shape extending in the width direction of the dot impact printer 10 substantially in parallel with the platen 21, and the glass surface 112A extends from the opening of the lower guide surface 24A to the rear medium. It is exposed to the guide part 25.
As shown in FIG. 3, the front surface scanner 111 is provided above the back surface scanner 112 so that the glass surface 111A faces the glass surface 112A, and has a longitudinal shape substantially the same length as the back surface scanner 112 in the width direction. Is formed. Further, both ends in the longitudinal direction of each of the front surface scanner 111 and the back surface scanner 112 are in positions that coincide with each other in the width direction.
An urging member 113 is provided above the surface scanner 111, and the surface scanner 111 is urged by the urging member 113 so as to be close to the recording medium Sa of the rear medium guide unit 25. The urging member 113 presses the front surface scanner 111 against the back surface scanner 112 side with a substantially uniform force across the width direction. Here, as the urging member 113, a coil spring, a leaf spring, an elastic elastomer, or the like can be used.
Further, a space where a recording medium having a predetermined thickness can enter is provided between the glass surface 111A and the glass surface 112A. When the recording medium Sa is read, the surface of the recording medium Sa is transferred by the conveyed recording medium Sa. When the scanner 111 is pushed upward and the urging member 113 contracts, the recording medium Sa can pass between the glass surface 111A and the glass surface 112A. In other words, in the optical reading apparatus 200, the recording medium Sa is pressed against the back scanner 112 side by the front surface scanner 111 urged by the urging member 113, so that the recording medium Sa and the glass surfaces 111A and 112A are securely brought into close contact with each other. , Improve the reading quality.

By the way, the dot impact printer 10 can also use a card type recording medium Sb (read object) smaller than the recording medium Sa.
FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the front part of the printer main body 11. Here, although the front surface scanner 111 is not illustrated in FIG. 4, as described above, the front surface scanner 111 has substantially the same length as the back surface scanner 112 in the width direction, and faces the upper side of the back surface scanner 112. Is provided.
4 shows a rectangular card type recording medium Sb (reading object) as a recording medium together with the printer main body 11. The card type recording medium Sb is an ID card formed with a width smaller than that of the recording medium Sa, and information to be read by the front surface scanner 111 and the back surface scanner 112 is recorded on the front and back surfaces thereof. Here, the width W of the recording medium Sa is slightly smaller than the interval L between the inner ends of the rollers 2 positioned at both ends of the arbitrary three rollers 2 arranged in the width direction. For this reason, depending on the position where the card type recording medium Sb is inserted into the manual feed slot 15, the card type recording medium Sb may be held only by one roller 2 in the width direction.

The manual feed slot 15 connected to the transport path A has a medium insertion table 60 that protrudes substantially horizontally forward, and this medium insertion table 60 is formed wide so as to correspond to the travelable range of the carriage 19 and is used for main scanning. Extends along the direction. The medium insertion stand 60 supports the card type recording medium Sb and the recording medium Sa inserted into the manual insertion slot 15 from below, and stabilizes the insertion of the recording medium.
Further, the medium insertion table 60 is formed with a concave portion 61 (guide portion) extending in the transport direction of the card type recording medium Sb. The concave portion 61 is formed by recessing the upper surface of the medium insertion table 60 by one step, and is positioned at the center in the width direction of the medium insertion table 60. Furthermore, the position where the concave portion 61 is provided coincides with the position of the center C in the width direction of the front surface scanner 111 and the back surface scanner 112 in the width direction of the dot impact printer 10. The width of the concave portion 61 is formed slightly larger than the width of the card type recording medium Sb, and the card type recording medium Sb placed on the concave shape portion 61 has both sides in the width direction of the concave portion 61. Both ends in the width direction are guided and conveyed by the wall 61A.

The two medium detection sensors 47 </ b> A and the alignment detection sensors 58 </ b> A provided side by side at the center of the dot impact printer 10 overlap the concave portion 61 at the position in the width direction of the dot impact printer 10. That is, the card type recording medium Sb guided by the concave portion 61 and conveyed toward the surface scanner 111 is detected by the two medium detection sensors 47A and the two alignment detection sensors 58A.
The concave portion 61 straddles two rollers 2 </ b> A provided side by side at the center of the dot impact printer 10 among the rollers 2 of the first drive roller 22 </ b> A at a position in the width direction of the dot impact printer 10. . That is, the card-type recording medium Sb guided by the concave portion 61 and conveyed to the surface scanner 111 side has a first driven roller 22A and a pair of rollers 2A, the first driven roller 22A having a center in the width direction. The two rollers 2 of the roller 22B are nipped and conveyed.

Here, an outline of the reading operation of the card type recording medium Sb by the dot impact printer 10 will be described.
First, when the card type recording medium Sb is inserted into the manual feed slot 15 so as to be placed on the concave shape portion 61, the card type recording medium Sb guided by the concave shape portion 61 is placed on the medium detection sensor 47A. The dot impact printer 10 detects the insertion of the card type recording medium Sb by the medium detection sensor 47A, and drives the first driving roller 22A. The card-type recording medium Sb is conveyed by the two rollers 2A in the center in the width direction and the roller 2 of the first driven roller 22B paired with the roller 2A, and the leading end of the card-type recording medium Sb is abutted against the alignment plate 28 to be aligned. Done. At this time, since the card type recording medium Sb is guided by the concave portion 61 so as to pass over the two center alignment detection sensors 58A, the alignment state of the card type recording medium Sb can be reliably detected. Further, since the card type recording medium Sb is abutted against the alignment plate 28 by the two sets of rollers 2 adjacent to each other in the width direction, the card type recording medium Sb is rotated in the horizontal plane in the transport direction of the card type recording medium Sb. Tilt (skew) can be corrected and alignment can be performed effectively. Further, since the card-type recording medium Sb is guided to the two sets of rollers 2 adjacent in the width direction by the concave portion 61, there is no need to provide a dedicated roller for conveying the card-type recording medium Sb having a small width. Can simplify the structure.

  Thereafter, when it is determined that the card-type recording medium Sb is correctly aligned, the card-type recording medium Sb is transported to the surface scanner 111 side by the second driving roller 23A and the second driven roller 23B, and the surface scanner 111 and the back surface scanner 112, and is continuously sandwiched between the front surface scanner 111 and the back surface scanner 112 by the front surface scanner 111 urged by the urging member 113. The surface is read. At this time, since the card-type recording medium Sb is guided by the concave portion 61 so as to pass through the center portion passing through the center C in the width direction of the front surface scanner 111 and the rear surface scanner 112, the front surface scanner 111 is guided by the rear surface scanner 112. The front scanner 111 and the back scanner 112 can be brought into close contact with the card type recording medium Sb.

That is, since the card-type recording medium Sb is not conveyed toward the end in the width direction of the front surface scanner 111 and passes through the center portion, the inclination of the front surface scanner 111 even when the card-type recording medium Sb having a small width is read. And the front surface scanner 111 and the back surface scanner 112 can be brought into close contact with the card type recording medium Sb. In particular, when the size in the width direction of the card type recording medium Sb is half or less of the length of the surface scanner 111, the surface scanner is inserted when the card type recording medium Sb is biased and inserted to either end of the manual feed slot 15. There is a high possibility that the surface scanner 111 is tilted. If the surface scanner 111 is largely tilted, there is a possibility that a portion where the surface scanner 111 does not adhere is formed. In the present embodiment, since the card type recording medium Sb is guided to the center C, it is possible to prevent the surface scanner 111 from being tilted regardless of the width of the card type recording medium Sb.
When the reading is completed, the transport mechanism 100 is rotated in the reverse direction, and the card type recording medium Sb is discharged to the manual feed slot 15 through the concave portion 61.
Here, the card type recording medium Sb has been described as being read by the front surface scanner 111 and the back surface scanner 112 after being aligned. However, after the alignment, recording is performed on the card type recording medium Sb by the recording head 18, and thereafter Reading may be performed.

As described above, according to the embodiment to which the present invention is applied, the card-type recording medium Sb is extended in the width direction of the rear medium guiding portion 25 by the concave portion 61 provided in the manual feed port 15. Since the front surface scanner 111 is guided to the center C in the width direction, the card type recording medium Sb can be read by being sandwiched between the center portions of the front surface scanner 111. Accordingly, regardless of the size of the card type recording medium Sb in the width direction, the surface scanner 111 biased with respect to the card type recording medium Sb can be prevented from being tilted, and the surface scanner 111 is in close contact with the card type recording medium Sb. Therefore, reading can be performed reliably.
Further, the card type recording medium Sb is transported by two sets of rollers 2 arranged in the width direction among the rollers 2 of the pair of upper and lower first drive rollers 22A and first driven rollers 22B arranged in the width direction. The mold recording medium Sb can be prevented from being conveyed in an inclined state, and the card type recording medium Sb can be stably conveyed regardless of the size of the card type recording medium Sb in the width direction.

Further, when aligning the leading end of the card type recording medium Sb against the alignment plate 28 by the first drive roller 22A and the first driven roller 22B, the card type recording medium 58 is moved to the two alignment detection sensors 58A by the concave portion 61. Since Sb is guided, the alignment state can be detected correctly and aligned reliably regardless of the size in the width direction of the card type recording medium Sb.
Further, since the card-type recording medium Sb is guided to the medium detection sensor 47 by the concave portion 61, insertion of the card-type recording medium Sb can be reliably detected regardless of the size of the card-type recording medium Sb in the width direction.
Furthermore, the card-type recording medium Sb can be guided with a simple configuration in which the concave portion 61 is provided in the manual feed port 15. Further, since the concave portion 61 is depressed, it does not get in the way when a recording medium such as the recording medium Sa having a width larger than the width of the concave portion 61 is inserted into the manual feed port 15.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this. In the said embodiment, although the concave shape part 61 was demonstrated as a thing straddling the two rollers 2A of the center part among the rollers 2 of the 1st drive roller 22A in the position of the width direction of the dot impact printer 10. The present invention is not limited to this, and the concave portion 61 may guide the card type recording medium Sb to a position straddling at least two or more rollers 2 in the width direction. Two rollers 2 may be provided to guide the card type recording medium Sb to a position straddling the three rollers 2.
In the above embodiment, the concave portion 61 is described as being formed slightly larger than the width of the card type recording medium Sb and guiding the card type recording medium Sb. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Instead, a concave shape portion having a plurality of widths may be provided in the center of the medium insertion table 60 in the width direction so that recording media having various widths can be guided to the center portion of the surface scanner 111. . For example, a concave portion shallower than the depth of the concave shape portion 61 may be formed outside the concave shape portion 61 in the width direction according to the width of the recording medium Sa.
Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to a dot impact type printer, but can also be applied to an ink jet type printer or a thermal printer that records an image by heating a thermal medium. Furthermore, it is not limited to a device used as an independent printer such as the dot impact printer 10, but may be incorporated in other devices (ATM (Automated Teller Machine), CD (Cash Displacer), etc.) Applicable to various devices.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 2 ... Roller (conveyance roller), 10 ... Dot impact printer (recording device), 15 ... Manual feed port (insertion port), 18 ... Recording head (recording part), 28 ... Alignment plate, 30 ... Alignment mechanism, 47 ... Medium Detection sensor, 58 ... alignment detection sensor, 61 ... concave shape part (guide part), 100 ... transport mechanism, 111 ... surface scanner (optical reading part), 200 ... optical reader, A ... transport path, C ... center, Sa ... Recording medium (reading object), Sb ... Card type recording medium (reading object).

Claims (6)

An optical reading unit that optically reads the surface of the reading object; and a transport mechanism that transports the reading object to the optical reading unit;
The optical reading unit is configured in a longitudinal shape, extends in a width direction of a conveyance path through which the reading object is conveyed by the conveyance mechanism, and is close to the reading object positioned in the conveyance path. Energized towards the transport path,
A guide unit that guides the reading object to a position that passes through the center in the width direction of the optical reading unit at the insertion port that is continuous with the conveyance path;
An optical reader characterized by the above. Having a plurality of transport rollers arranged side by side in the width direction of the transport path;
The guide unit guides the reading object to a position straddling at least two or more transport rollers;
The optical reader according to claim 1. Alignment detection is configured such that an alignment operation for adjusting the orientation of the reading object by abutting the tip of the reading object with the alignment roller by the transport roller and detecting an alignment state of the reading object during the alignment operation Equipped with sensors,
The guide unit guides the reading object to a position detectable by the alignment detection sensor;
The optical reader according to claim 2. A medium detection sensor for detecting that the reading object is inserted from the insertion port;
The guide unit guides the reading object to a position detectable by the medium detection sensor;
The optical reading device according to claim 1, wherein: The guide part is a concave part that guides both side ends of the reading object narrower than the insertion port;
The optical reading device according to claim 1, wherein: An optical reading unit that optically reads the surface of the recording medium, a conveyance mechanism that conveys the recording medium to the optical reading unit, and a recording unit that records on the recording medium conveyed by the conveyance mechanism,
The optical reading unit is configured in a longitudinal shape, extends in a width direction of a conveyance path through which the recording medium is conveyed by the conveyance mechanism, and is close to the recording medium positioned in the conveyance path. Energized towards
A guide unit for guiding the recording medium to a position passing through the center in the width direction of the optical reading unit at the insertion port connected to the conveyance path;
A recording apparatus.

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