JP2014110495A - Image reader and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem that there is no function for improving a sanitary state of a document in an image reader and there is no device for performing efficient disinfection in a device for performing disinfection by using an ultraviolet ray.SOLUTION: An image reader includes: transportation means for transporting a document in a transportation path; image reading means for reading an image of the document transported by the transportation means; an ultraviolet ray lamp for irradiating the document transported by the transportation means with an ultraviolet ray for disinfection; and reflection means which is disposed on a side opposite the ultraviolet ray lamp across the transportation path, and reflects the ultraviolet ray which is emitted from the ultraviolet ray lamp and passes through the document toward the document.

Description

  The present invention relates to an image reading apparatus that reads an image of a document, and an image forming apparatus including the image reading apparatus.

  Conventionally, a copying machine or the like is provided with an image reading device that reads an image of a document. In the image reading apparatus, a document fed from an automatic document feeder is read in a sub scanning direction by a scanner unit stopped at a predetermined position (see Patent Document 1).

  By the way, in recent years, consumers are more and more health-conscious and safe.

  Regarding the sterilization of sheets, an apparatus (banknote transaction apparatus) having a function of sterilizing banknotes is known (see Patent Document 2).

  In this type of banknote transaction apparatus, as a banknote sterilization means, a sterilization method by heating, ultraviolet rays, chemical application, etc. is shown.

JP 2007-180845 A JP-A-3-209595

  None of the conventional image reading devices have a function of performing a sterilization process for improving the sanitary condition of the document.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an image reading apparatus that can efficiently sterilize while conveying a document.

  An image reading apparatus of the present invention includes a conveying unit that conveys a document whose image is read by an image reading unit in a conveyance path, and an ultraviolet lamp that irradiates ultraviolet rays to sterilize the document conveyed by the conveying unit, Reflecting means provided on the opposite side of the ultraviolet lamp across the conveyance path and reflecting the ultraviolet rays emitted from the ultraviolet lamp and passing through the original toward the original.

  According to the present invention, the sanitary condition of the document can be improved, and the reflecting means is disposed on the opposite side of the ultraviolet lamp, so that the document can be sterilized efficiently.

Sectional drawing of the ultraviolet lamp vicinity concerning this invention. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an image reading apparatus according to the present invention. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention. The figure which shows the deviation distance from the ultraviolet irradiation degree concerning this invention, and an ultraviolet lamp center part. Sectional drawing of the ultraviolet lamp vicinity concerning 2nd embodiment of this invention. Sectional drawing of the image reading apparatus concerning 2nd embodiment of this invention. Sectional drawing of the image forming apparatus concerning 2nd embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows the modification of 2nd embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows the modification of 2nd embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, an example of an image forming apparatus having a document feeding apparatus and an image reading apparatus capable of reading image information on a sheet as a sheet conveying apparatus is illustrated, and a copying machine is further exemplified as the image forming apparatus. To explain.

  An image forming apparatus having an image reading apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of an ultraviolet lamp according to the present embodiment, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an image reading apparatus, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus, and FIG. FIG.

[Overall configuration of image forming system]
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 11 denotes a color image forming apparatus. The color image forming apparatus 11 includes a color printer 101 and an image reading apparatus 201 disposed on the color printer 101.

[Image forming apparatus configuration]
The color printer 101 forms an image on a sheet based on the image read by the image reading device 201. The configuration of the color printer 101 will be described below.

  An image forming unit 4 is arranged at the center of the color printer 101. The image forming unit 4 is configured as a known electrophotographic print engine, and includes an electrophotographic process means 152, a fixing device 153, and laser writing (not shown). Built-in equipment. Here, the toner image formed on the photosensitive drums 43, 44, 45, and 46 is sequentially transferred to the sheet conveyed to the image forming unit 4, and conveyed to the fixing device 153, and is thermally fixed by the fixing roller 41. Is done. A sheet feeding unit 3 that feeds sheets to the above-described image forming unit 4 is disposed below the color printer 101. The sheet feeding unit 3 includes upper and lower two-stage sheet stacking cassettes 29 and 30 arranged so as to be able to be pulled out with respect to the apparatus main body. The color printer 101 can perform double-sided printing. A double-sided reversing path 50 is disposed in the horizontal direction below the image forming unit 4, and is connected to the double-sided reversing path 50 below and horizontally. An arranged double-sided path 52 is provided. A sheet reversing path 48 is disposed near the sheet discharge unit 8 of the color printer 101.

[Description of color printer operation]
Hereinafter, an image forming operation and a sheet conveying operation in the color printer 101 will be described. In the color printer 101, a laser beam corresponding to an image signal for an image of a document generated by the scanner unit 66 is output by an exposure control unit (not shown) of the image forming unit 4. In the color printer 101, the laser light is irradiated to the photosensitive drums 43, 44, 45, and 46, and electrostatic latent images are formed on the photosensitive drums. Further, the electrostatic latent image is developed by a developing unit (not shown). Is developed into a toner image.

  On the other hand, in the color printer 101, a sheet is fed from one of the sheet stacking cassettes 29 and 30 of the sheet feeding unit 3 described above, and the fed sheet is conveyed to the image forming unit 4 by a conveyance roller. Then, the developer (toner) on the photosensitive drums 43 to 46 is transferred to a sheet by a transfer unit (not shown), and an image transfer process based on the image of the document is performed.

  The sheet onto which the developer has been transferred is conveyed to the fixing device 153 where the developer is fixed. The sheet that has passed through the fixing roller 41 is conveyed to the sheet discharge unit 8. At this time, the image forming surface is conveyed to the sheet storage unit 111 while being in an upward state (facing up). By reversing the sheet by the sheet reversing path 48 before ejecting the sheet from the color printer 101, it is possible to eject the sheet with the image forming surface facing downward (face down).

  When images are formed on both sides of the sheet, the sheet that has passed through the fixing roller 41 is guided to the duplex reversing path 50, and then the sheet is switched back and guided to the duplex path 52. Thereafter, the sheet is sent again to the image forming unit 4 with the image forming surface facing down, and the sheet on which the image forming process for the second surface has been completed is discharged from the color printer 101 as described above. The sheet discharged from the color printer 101 is discharged to the tray 27.

[Image reader configuration]
Next, the configuration of the image reading apparatus 201 will be described. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the image reading apparatus. The image reading apparatus 201 includes a scanner unit 66 and an ADF 210 as image reading means for reading an image of a document. The ADF 210 feeds the original S one by one on the flow reading glass 20 as a transparent glass. The ADF 210 is configured to be openable and closable with respect to the scanner unit 66, and acts to press a document placed on the platen 18. The scanner unit 66 optically reads an image of a document conveyed by the ADF 210 or a document placed on the platen 18, photoelectrically converts it, and inputs it as image information.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the image reading apparatus has a contact image sensor 24 as a first reading means for reading an image on one side of a document conveyed on the flow reading glass 20. The contact image sensor 24 is fixed at a predetermined position (position shown in FIG. 1) on the ADF 210 side, and reads an image on one side of a document conveyed on the flow reading glass 20.

  In addition, the image reading apparatus includes a second reading unit that reads an image on the other side of the document. The second reading unit includes a movable scanner unit 204 having a lamp 202, a mirror 203, and the like, mirrors 205 and 206, a lens 207, an image sensor 208, and the like. This second reading means is provided on the scanner unit 66 side. The second reading unit stops the scanner unit 204 at a predetermined position (the position shown in FIG. 1), and reads an image on the other side of the document being conveyed on the flow reading glass 20 on the scanner unit 204. Alternatively, the second reading unit reads the image on the other side of the document placed on the flow reading glass 20 while moving the scanner unit 204 along the flow reading glass 20.

  The scanner unit 66 includes a show-through prevention member 30 as a show-through prevention unit that prevents the show-through of the document at a position facing the contact image sensor 24. The show-through prevention member 30 is provided so as to be movable from a position facing the contact image sensor 24 to a position (dotted line position shown in FIG. 2) that does not hinder image reading by movement of the scanner unit 204.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the show-through prevention member 30 is provided on the scanner unit 204 side facing the contact image sensor 24 through the platen 18.

  Next, the ADF 210 has a document tray 64 on the upper side. The document S on the document tray 64 is sequentially fed from the uppermost document by the paper feed roller 17. The fed document S is separated and fed one by one by the separation conveyance roller 19. When the separately fed document S passes over the flow reading glass 20 of the scanner unit 66, an image is read by one or both of the scanner unit 204 and the contact image sensor 24. The document S from which the image has been read is discharged onto the discharge tray 65 by the discharge roller 16.

[UV lamp configuration]
A configuration of an ultraviolet lamp 301 as sterilizing means according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The ultraviolet lamp 301 is disposed on the downstream side of the separation roller 19 and on the upstream side of the conveying roller 15. At the same time, it is arranged above the upper guide plate 304 and arranged to irradiate the upper guide plate 304 with ultraviolet rays. An ultraviolet light reflector 302 is provided on the back surface of the ultraviolet lamp 301. The ultraviolet reflector 302 is an aluminum plate that can efficiently reflect ultraviolet rays. As shown in FIG. 4, it is known that the degree of ultraviolet irradiation decreases as the distance from the ultraviolet lamp 301 increases. Therefore, it is desirable that the distance between the upper guide plate 304 and the ultraviolet lamp 301 be as close as possible.

  The ultraviolet lamp 301 emits a wavelength of 254 nm, which is most effective for ultraviolet sterilization, and sterilizes the document by irradiating the document guided and conveyed by the lower guide plate 303 and the upper guide plate 304 with ultraviolet rays. That is, the upper guide plate 304 is provided with a slit 402, and the ultraviolet light irradiated from the ultraviolet lamp 301 is transmitted through the slit and irradiated to the document. The lower guide plate 303 is made of a transparent member that transmits ultraviolet rays.

  A curved ultraviolet reflecting plate 305 is disposed below the lower guide plate 303 with the curved portion facing upward. That is, the ultraviolet reflecting plate 305 is provided on the opposite side of the ultraviolet lamp 301 across the document conveyance path formed by the lower guide plate 303 and the upper guide plate 304.

[Detailed description of paper feeding operation and sterilization operation]
Next, the paper feeding operation and the sterilization operation will be described in detail.

  First, when the document S is set on the document tray 64, the document S is detected by a sensor (not shown), the ADF 210 is ready to start operation (standby state), and the system operation is started by pressing the start key or the like. Then, first, the ultraviolet lamp 301 is turned on. Then, the scanner unit 204 is moved to the flow reading position and stopped. In response to the paper feed start signal, the document feed operation is started.

  When the paper feeding operation starts, first, the pickup roller 17 starts to descend around a shaft (not shown). When the document reaches the topmost document on the document tray 64, the document S is fed. Thereafter, the document S is conveyed by the separation roller 19.

  The document S that has passed through the separation roller 19 is conveyed while being irradiated with ultraviolet rays by the ultraviolet lamp 301 on the surface of the document (upper side in FIG. 1).

Here, the sterilization operation by ultraviolet rays will be described in detail.
The ultraviolet rays radiated from the ultraviolet lamp 301 pass through the slit 402 and reach the surface of the document S. Then, the surface of the document S being conveyed is sterilized. The ultraviolet rays that reach the document S partially attenuate and pass through the document S. Then, a sterilization process is performed on the back surface of the document S (the lower side in FIG. 1). The ultraviolet rays that have passed through the document S then reach the lower guide plate 303, pass through the lower guide plate 303, and then reach the ultraviolet reflection plate 305. The ultraviolet reflector 305 is curved and reflects ultraviolet light so that the reflected light is collected. That is, the ultraviolet rays are reflected by the ultraviolet reflecting plate 305 and the direction thereof is changed so as to go to one point. The direction in which the reflected light travels is substantially the same as the direction toward the center of curvature of the ultraviolet reflector 305. The reflected ultraviolet light passes through the lower guide plate 303 again and reaches the back surface of the document S. Then, the back side of the document S is sterilized.

  Further, the ultraviolet rays irradiated radially are also reflected by the reflecting plate 302 so as to irradiate the surface of the document S. The reflector 302 also serves as a shielding plate that prevents ultraviolet rays from leaking out of the ADF 210.

  Next, the document S is conveyed to the reading unit while being in close contact with the flow reading glass 20. When passing through the reading unit, the scanner unit 204 reads the document surface in the main scanning direction. The contact image sensor 24 reads the back side of the document. As a result, the entire document S is read. The read document S is sent to the conveyance roller 13 and is discharged from the discharge roller 16 onto the discharge tray 65.

  When this operation is repeated and the last sheet reading operation of the document S is completed, the ultraviolet lamp 301 is turned off and the last sheet is discharged to the discharge tray 65.

  In this embodiment, a light source having a wavelength of 254 nm is used as the ultraviolet lamp. However, an LED may be used as the ultraviolet lamp, and in this case, a wavelength near 365 nm is used.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the ultraviolet lamp 301 is disposed between the separation roller 19 and the transport roller 15, but the present invention is not limited to this, and it may be anywhere in the document transport path.

  In this embodiment, the sanitary condition of the document can be improved. Here, if an ultraviolet lamp for sterilization is arranged so as to irradiate ultraviolet rays from one side (front surface) of the original, the ultraviolet rays pass through the original, so that a certain degree of sterilization action is expected also on the back side. it can. However, the sterilization effect on the back surface is inferior to the sterilization effect on the front surface. Providing a separate ultraviolet lamp for irradiating ultraviolet rays from the back side in order to compensate for the low sterilization effect on the back side increases the cost. In this embodiment, since the ultraviolet reflecting plate 302 is provided facing the ultraviolet lamp 301, the original can be sterilized efficiently. Further, since the ultraviolet reflecting plate 302 is curved and the reflected light is collected, the bactericidal power by the reflected light from the ultraviolet reflecting plate 302 is also high.

(Second Embodiment)
Hereinafter, a preferred second embodiment of the present invention will be exemplarily described with reference to the drawings. In addition, about an apparatus structure, only a different point from 1st embodiment is demonstrated. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the ultraviolet lamp according to the second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the image reading apparatus, and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus.

[Image reader configuration]
The configuration of the image reading device 215 will be described.
The image reading device 215 includes a scanner unit 66 and ADF 211 for reading a current image. The ADF 211 feeds the original S one by one on the flow reading glass 20 as a transparent glass. The ADF 211 is configured to be openable and closable with respect to the scanner unit 66, and acts to press a document placed on the platen 18. The scanner unit 66 optically reads an image of a document conveyed by the ADF 211 or a document placed on the platen 18, photoelectrically converts it, and inputs it as image information.

  A platen roller 82 and rollers 83 and 84 are provided above the flow reading glass 20 in order to stabilize the document transportability in the flow reading glass 20. The platen roller 82 and the rollers 83 and 84 are arranged with a predetermined gap with respect to the flow-reading glass 20.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the image reading apparatus has reading means for reading an image on one side of a document conveyed on the flow reading glass 20. The reading unit includes a movable scanner unit 204 having a lamp 202, a mirror 203, and the like, mirrors 205 and 206, a lens 207, an image sensor 208, and the like. This reading means is provided on the scanner unit 66 side. The reading unit stops the scanner unit 204 at a predetermined position (position shown in FIG. 6), and reads one image of the original conveyed on the flow reading glass 20 on the scanner unit 204.

  Next, the ADF 211 has a document tray 64 on the upper side. The document S on the document tray 64 is sequentially fed from the uppermost document by the paper feed roller 17. The fed document S is separated and fed one by one by the separation conveyance roller 19. The separated and fed document S is scanned by the scanner unit 204 when it passes over the flow reading glass 20 of the scanner unit 66. The document S from which the image has been read is discharged onto the discharge tray 65 by the discharge roller 16.

  A transport path 81 is provided between the discharge roller 16 and the transport roller 15. When reading the other side of the document, the document S is transported to the discharge roller at one end, and then switched back and transported from the transport path 81 to the transport roller 15. In this way, the front and back sides of the document are reversed and again passed through the flow reading glass 20, and the other image is read by the image sensor 208 via the scanner unit 204 at that time.

[UV lamp configuration]
The ultraviolet lamp 301 is disposed on the downstream side of the roller 84 and on the upstream side of the conveying roller 13. Then, the document S that has been read is sterilized. At the same time, it is arranged above the inner guide plate 306 and arranged to irradiate ultraviolet rays toward the inner guide plate 306. An ultraviolet light reflector 302 is provided on the back surface of the ultraviolet lamp 301. It is desirable that the distance between the ultraviolet lamp 301 and the inner guide plate 306 be as close as possible.

  The ultraviolet lamp 301 emits a wavelength of 254 nm which is most effective for ultraviolet sterilization, and irradiates the original document guided and conveyed by the inner guide member 306 and the outer guide member 307 with ultraviolet rays. At this time, the inner guide plate 306 is provided with a slit 400, and the ultraviolet light irradiated from the ultraviolet lamp 301 passes through the slit and irradiates the original with ultraviolet light. Further, the outer guide plate 307 is made of aluminum, and can efficiently reflect ultraviolet rays. As this aluminum, for example, a mirror surface specification such as A1050 is suitable. Here, aluminum is used as the material of the outer guide plate 307. However, the material is not particularly limited as long as the surface of the outer guide plate 307 on the document passing surface side is treated so as to reflect ultraviolet rays. . When the wavelength of the ultraviolet light is 254 nm, it is possible to efficiently reflect the ultraviolet light if it is processed with a surface roughness of about 10 nm.

[Detailed description of paper feeding operation and sterilization operation]
Next, the paper feeding operation and the sterilization operation will be described.
The document S whose image has been read by the image reading section passes through the roller 84 and is conveyed while the ultraviolet lamp 301 irradiates the back surface of the document with ultraviolet rays.

Here, the sterilization operation by ultraviolet rays will be described in detail.
The ultraviolet rays radiated from the ultraviolet lamp 301 pass through the slit 400 and reach the back surface of the document S. Then, the back surface of the document S being conveyed is sterilized. The ultraviolet rays that reach the document S partially attenuate and pass through the document S. Then, the surface of the document S is sterilized. The ultraviolet rays that have passed through the document S then reach the outer guide plate 307 and are reflected. The reflected ultraviolet light reaches the surface of the document S again, and sterilizes the surface of the document S.

  Further, the ultraviolet rays irradiated radially are also reflected by the reflecting plate 302 so as to irradiate the back surface of the document S.

  Thereafter, the document S is discharged from the discharge roller 16 onto the discharge tray 65.

  In addition, although the slit 400 of the inner side guide plate 306 demonstrated here demonstrated typically in one case, you may provide multiple slit 401 as shown in FIG. At this time, the minimum shape and size necessary for guiding the document S are set so as not to block the ultraviolet rays irradiated from the ultraviolet lamp 301 as much as possible.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the inner guide plate 309 may be formed of a transparent member that transmits ultraviolet rays. The outer guide plate 307 is made of aluminum such as A1050 and can efficiently reflect ultraviolet rays. Since the light is reflected efficiently, the bactericidal power of the reflected light is high.

  In the second embodiment, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment described above, the outer guide plate 307, which is a conveyance guide that forms a conveyance path, also serves as a reflection means that reflects ultraviolet rays, so the apparatus is downsized. There is an effect.

301 UV lamp 305 UV reflector

Claims (4)

Conveying means for conveying a document whose image is read by the image reading means in the conveying path;
An ultraviolet lamp for irradiating ultraviolet rays to sterilize the document conveyed by the conveying means;
An image reading device, comprising: a reflection unit provided on a side opposite to the ultraviolet lamp across the conveyance path and configured to reflect ultraviolet rays emitted from the ultraviolet lamp and passing through the document toward the document. apparatus.   The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reflection unit also serves as a conveyance guide that forms the conveyance path.   The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reflection unit is curved and reflects ultraviolet rays so that the ultraviolet rays are collected. An image reading apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet based on an image read by the image reading unit.

Images