JPH03125557A - Cassette carrier mechanism for picture reader - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To automate carrying of a cassette to an original platen by providing a displacement means parting a carrier roller in slide contact with the cassette carried to a prescribed position of the original platen from the cassette. CONSTITUTION:Since a 2nd carrier roller group 124 is parted from a cassette 20 under the action of a displacement means 140 provided to a carrier mechanism 100, a rotary table 302 is displaced smoothly and accurately in the turning direction, the trimming direction and the subscanning direction. On the other hand, after reading of picture information of a read original S is finished, the 2nd carrier roller group 124 is in slide contact under the action of the displacement means 140. Thus, the cassette 20 is fed to a 1st carrier roller group 122 under the turning of a carrier roller 138. The cassette 20 is carried quickly to a cassette loading and ejection section 14.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Industrial Application Field] The present invention provides a method for automatically transporting a cassette containing an original to be read to a document table, and for displacing the cassette in a desired direction on the document table. The present invention relates to a cassette conveyance mechanism of an image reading device configured to separate a conveyance roller that is in sliding contact with the cassette from the cassette.

[Prior Art] For example, in the fields of printing and plate-making, image scanning is used to electrically process image information carried on a document to create a film master for the purpose of streamlining work processes and improving image quality. Read and playback systems are widely used.

In this case, in the image reading device constituting the image scanning reading and reproducing system, the original to be read is substantially stored in a cassette, and the illumination light source is energized while the cassette is withdrawn in a sub-scanning manner via the original table. Illumination light is irradiated in the main scanning direction, so that the image information carried on the original to be read is read two-dimensionally.

Incidentally, the document table is provided with a table that can move forward and backward in the trimming direction with respect to the document table, and a rotary table is disposed in the center of the table, so that the operator can directly move the cassette to the rotary table. must be attached and detached. In addition, the work of attaching and detaching the cassette is complicated and inefficient, and a mechanism for automatically transporting the cassette to the document table has been desired.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, when attempting to transport the cassette to the rotary table via the transport mechanism, when the rotary table is displaced integrally with the cassette in the rotation direction, trimming direction, and sub-scanning direction. The transport mechanism interferes with the As a result, the rotary table cannot be smoothly displaced in the desired direction, and in practice,
A transport mechanism for effectively transporting cassettes to the rotary table has not yet been proposed.

The present invention has been made in view of the above, and includes a cassette transport mechanism for an image reading device that automatically transports a cassette to a document table and allows the cassette to be smoothly displaced in a predetermined direction such as a sub-scanning direction. The purpose is to promote

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a sub-scanning direction that is substantially perpendicular to the main-scanning direction of an illumination light source, and a rotation direction for adjusting the reading angle of the original to be read. , a cassette transport mechanism for transporting the cassette containing the original to be read to an original table movable in at least one direction in a trimming direction that is substantially the same as the main scanning direction; a plurality of conveyance rollers that roll on the cassette under action to convey the cassette, and at least a displacement that separates the conveyance roller, which is in sliding contact with the cassette conveyed to a predetermined position on the document table, from the cassette; It is characterized by having a means.

[Function] In the cassette transport mechanism of the image reading device according to the present invention configured as described below, the cassette containing the original to be read is transported to the document table under the rotational action of the transport rollers constituting the transport mechanism. When the cassette is moved to a predetermined position, the conveyance roller that is in sliding contact with the cassette is separated from the cassette under the action of the displacement means. Next, the cassette is displaced in a desired direction such as the sub-scanning direction, and the image information carried on the original to be read is read.

[Example] A cassette conveyance mechanism of an image reading apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail below by giving an example and referring to the accompanying drawings.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 10 indicates an image reading device incorporating the cassette transport mechanism according to this embodiment. A cassette attaching/detaching section 14 is formed at one end of the upper part of the casing 12 constituting the image reading device 10.
The cassette 20 is introduced into the casing 12 and the cassette 20 is taken out from the casing 12 through the cassette 12. Here, the cassette 20 has a frame 22, and V-shaped grooves 24a and 24b are formed on both sides of the frame 22 in the transport direction, and the frame 22 is provided with a light-transmitting member, such as a glass plate. 26 is attached. A glass plate 28, which is also a light-transmitting member, is swingably supported at one end of the frame 22, and the original document S to be read is held between this glass plate 28 and the glass plate 26 (see FIG. 5). ).

A cassette insertion opening 30 is provided adjacent to the cassette attachment/detachment section 14.
A linear solenoid 52 constituting a locking mechanism 50 is provided near the cassette insertion opening 30, and one end of a locking member 58 is swingably connected to the linear solenoid 52. Ru.

The transport mechanism 1 according to this embodiment is installed near the locking mechanism 50.
00 is disposed on one end side, and the other end side of this transport mechanism 100 extends above a rotary table which will be described later. As shown in FIG. 3, the transport mechanism 100 includes a frame 102, and a plurality of rods 104 are fixed upright to one end of the frame 102 along the transport direction.
A guide roller 106 is supported on 4. The outer circumferential surface of the guide roller 106 has an arcuate cross section, and this outer circumferential surface is engaged in point contact with the inner wall surface defining one of the single-shaped grooves 24a of the cassette 20. On the other end side of the frame 102,
Similarly, a guide roller 110 that is engaged with the other V-shaped groove 24b of the cassette 20 via a plurality of rods 108 is disposed along the conveyance direction, and the rod 108
is supported by the frame 102 via a leaf spring 112. For this reason, the guide roller 110 is normally inclined so as to approach the guide roller 106 side through the elastic force of the leaf spring 112.

A rotational drive source 114 is fixed to the frame 102, and one end of a timing belt 118 is engaged with a pulley 116 that is pivotally attached to a drive shaft of the rotational drive source 114. The timing bell [18] rotationally drives the roller pair 120, the first transport roller group 122, and the second transport roller group 124 through a rotational force transmission means 119 including a pulley and a gear train engaged with the timing bell [18]. The roller pair 120 is a pair of rollers 128aS that are in sliding contact with each other via springs 126, respectively.
128b, and the roller 128b is a roller 128a.
It is configured so that it can move forward and backward.

The first transport roller group 122 has a plurality of rotating shafts 130 rotated via a rotational force transmitting means 119, and is spaced apart from the rotating shafts 130 by a predetermined distance so as to engage with the upper surface of the frame 22 of the cassette 20. A pair of conveying rollers 132 are pivotally attached to the rotary shaft 130, and the conveying rollers 132 are urged downward under the tension of a spring 134 interposed in the rotating shaft 130.

On the other hand, the second preferential feed roller group 124 has a plurality of rotating shafts 136 that are similarly engaged with the rotational force transmitting means 119, and a pair of conveying rollers 138 are respectively attached to the rotating shafts 136, and The conveying roller 138 is configured to be movable up and down via a displacement means 140.

As shown in FIG.
A gear 144 is rotatably mounted on the drive shaft of the rotary drive source 142, and a gear 148 that is rotatably mounted on a drive rod 146 is meshed with the gear 144. The drive rod 146 extends in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction and is rotatably supported by the frame 102, and cam members 150 are engaged with both ends of the drive rod 146. A slide plate 152 is disposed adjacent to the cam member 150, and the slide plate 152 supports the rotating shaft 136 constituting the second transport roller group 124, and is interposed between the frame 102 and the slide plate 152. coil spring 15
It is constantly urged downward under the tensile action of No. 4. Furthermore, the upper end of each slide plate 152 is provided with a respective force l and member 1.
A block body 156 that can be freely engaged with 50 is fixed.

Below the first and second transport roller groups 1, 22, and 124 constituting the transport mechanism 100 according to the present embodiment, a document table 20 is provided.
0 is arranged so as to be able to move forward and backward in the sub-scanning direction (in the direction of the arrow) via the sub-scanning mechanism 202. As shown in FIG. 2, the sub-scanning mechanism 202 includes a rotational drive source 204, a ball screw 206 is connected to the rotational drive source 204, and the ball screw 206 is fixed to one side of the document table 200. While being fitted into the nut member 208, the document table 200
Both sides of are held by guide bars 210.

The cassette 20 is placed on the document table 200 in the trimming direction,
That is, a trimming mechanism 250 that moves forward and backward in a direction perpendicular to the sub-scanning direction (direction of arrow A) is provided. The trimming mechanism 250 has a rotational drive source 252 attached to the document table 200, and one end of a ball screw 254 is connected to the rotational drive source 252. This ball screw 254
extends in the trimming direction, is fitted into a nut member (not shown) provided on the trim table 256, and the other end is supported by the document table 200. A pair of guide bars 260 extending in the trimming direction and parallel to each other are fixed to the document table 200 .
56 is supported.

A relatively large-diameter opening 262 is formed in the trim base 256, and guide rollers 264a and 264b are supported on the same straight line as the guide rollers 106 and 110 that constitute the transport mechanism 100 in the vicinity of the opening 262. be done. Furthermore, a rotation mechanism 300 for rotating the cassette 20 by a predetermined angle on the trim base 256, and a position determining mechanism 400 for positioning and holding the cassette 20 on a rotary table 302 constituting the rotation mechanism 300 are provided.

A gear train is connected to a rotation drive source (not shown) constituting the rotation mechanism 300, and this gear train meshes with a ring-shaped gear 318 fixed to the rotary table 302, and the rotary table 302 It is supported by a support roller (not shown) provided on the trim base 256.

The positioning mechanism 400 includes a rotational drive source 402 fixed to the lower surface side of the trim base 256.
A cam plate 404 is engaged with the rotating shaft.

On the other hand, a rack member 406 is disposed on the rotary table 302 at an angular position for attaching and detaching the cassette 20 and at a position engaging the cam plate 404.
is the coil spring 4], and the cam plate 4 through the elastic force of 0.
It is always biased towards the 04 side.

A pinion 412 is engaged with the rack member 406, and one end of a locking plate 414 is locked to the pinion 412, and the locking plate 414 is bent on the way.

On the other hand, a stopper 41B is fixed to the rotary table 302 facing the locking plate 414, and a stopper 41B is fixed to the rotary table 302.
A guide roller 4301438 is provided that fits into the 0-1 character-shaped grooves 24a and 24b and supports the cassette 20.

A light source 450 constituting a transmitted illumination mechanism is provided within the housing 12 and extends in the main scanning direction substantially perpendicular to the arrow.
An image reading unit 500 that photoelectrically reads the illumination light derived from the light source 450 is disposed below the light source 450.

The image reading unit 500 includes a bracket 502, and the bracket 502 is oriented in the optical axis direction (arrow 1 direction in FIG. 2).
It is configured to be engaged with a ball screw 504 extending in the direction of the optical axis and to be movable back and forth in the optical axis direction under the driving action of a rotational drive source 506 connected to the ball screw 504. A rotary table 510 is attached to the upper part of the bracket 502 via a support shaft 508.
is supported, and the bracket 50 is supported on this rotary table 510.
A belt 514 that engages with a rotational drive source 512 fixedly attached to 2 is stretched. A plurality of imaging lenses 516 are housed in holders 518 and spaced apart from each other by equal angles on the rotating table 510.

Further, a ball screw 520 is supported by the bracket 502 and extends parallel to the ball screw 504 in the optical axis direction, and a rotational drive source 522 is connected to an end of the ball screw 520. It is engaged with screw 520. A holder 528 is attached to the movable base 526,
A first CCD 530 into which illumination light separated into three directions by a prism (not shown) is introduced into the holder 528.
a, a 20th CD 530b, and a third CCD 530c are provided. At that time, the first CCD 530a to the third CCD 530a to
The CCD 530c photoelectrically reads the color image information carried on the original document S to be read as image information corresponding to each color of R, G, and B.

The image reading apparatus incorporating the cassette transport mechanism according to this embodiment is basically constructed as described above, and its operation will be described next.

When the cassette 20 containing the desired document S to be read is inserted into the cassette insertion opening 30 from the cassette attachment/detachment section 14,
The leading end of the cassette 20 is held between the pair of rollers 120, and the rotational drive source 114 is driven. Therefore, the pair of rollers 120, the first conveying roller group 122, and the second photographing and conveying roller group 124 are integrally rotationally driven via the boot IJ 116, the timing belt 118, and the rotational force transmitting means 119. Therefore, the frame body 22 is attached to the roller pair 120.
The cassette 20 with the cassette 20 sandwiched therebetween is transferred 3 4 toward the first transport roller group 122, and the transport rollers 132 constituting the first transport roller group 122 roll on the upper surface of the frame 22, and the frame V-shaped grooves 24a formed on both sides of 22,
Guide rollers 106 and 110 are fitted to 24b, and the cassette 20 is moved toward the second transport roller group 124.

At that time, the rod 10 supporting the guide roller 110
8 is connected to the guide roller 106 through the elastic force of the leaf spring 112.
The cassette 20 is tilted to the side and the guide roller 10
6 and 110, the guide roller 110 is swung outward against the elastic force of the leaf spring 112. Therefore, the cassette 20 is resiliently supported by the respective guide rollers 106 and 110.

Conveyance rollers 138 that constitute the second conveyance roller group 124 and guide rollers 43 provided on the rotary table 302
After the tip of the force cell 1-20 is supported in contact with the stopper 41B under the guiding action of 0.438, the rotational drive source 1
14 is stopped.

Next, the rotational drive source 40 that constitutes the positioning mechanism 400
2 is driven, and the cam plate 404 is rotated by a predetermined angle so that its small diameter portion faces the rack member 406. Therefore, the rack member 406 is displaced toward the cam plate 404 through the elastic force of the coil spring 410, the pinion 412 meshed with the rack member 406 is rotated, and the cassette 20 is pressed by the locking plate 414. be done.

After the cassette 20 is positioned and held on the rotary table 302, the rotational drive source 142 constituting the displacement means 140
is driven. Therefore, the drive rod 146 is rotated via the gears 144.14B, and the cam members 150, which are engaged with both ends of the drive rod 146, are rotated through the block body 1.
56. Therefore, the slide plate 152 is raised relative to the frame 102 against the tensile force of the coil spring 154, and the second transport roller group 124 supported by the slide plate 152 is separated from the cassette 20 (
(See Figure 4a).

Next, in order to adjust the angular position of the read document S held in the cassette 20, the rotation 5 6 mechanism 300 is driven as necessary. Further, in order to trim the read document S, the trimming mechanism 250 is driven as necessary. That is, the trim table 256 is displaced in a direction substantially perpendicular to the sub-scanning direction under the driving action of the rotational drive source 252, and thereby the trimming operation of the original document S to be read is performed mechanically.

By the way, after the cassette 20 is carried into the housing 12,
The locking mechanism 50 is driven to prevent a new cassette 20 from being erroneously introduced into the housing 12. That is, the linear solenoid 52 is driven, the locking member 58 is rotated, and the end of the locking member 58 is inserted into the cassette insertion opening 3.
0 and prevents a new cassette 20 from being carried into the housing 12 through the cassette insertion opening 30.

On the other hand, after the cassette 20 is positioned with respect to the document table 200, the rotational drive source 204 constituting the sub-scanning mechanism 202 is driven, and the document table 200 is moved through the guide bar 210 under the rotational action of the ball screw 206. The light source 450 is energized while being conveyed in the sub-scanning direction (in the direction of the arrow). Therefore, the illumination light derived from the light source 450 is
The color image information carried on the read original S is extracted as an optical signal by transmitting it in the main scanning direction, and the image information as an optical signal is moved onto the optical axis P under the action of the rotational drive source 512 in advance. Predetermined imaging lens 51 arranged
6 to each CCD 530a to 530C.

As a result, the color image information as the optical signal becomes R
It is photoelectrically read by the CCDs 530a to 530c corresponding to each color of IG and B. During this time, the document table 200 is being conveyed in the sub-scanning direction in the direction of the arrow, and the document S to be read is illuminated two-dimensionally with illumination light, and its color image information is taken out, and the color image information is extracted from each of the CCDs 530a to 53.
All data will be read by 0c.

After the reading work of the read original S is completed, the sub-scanning mechanism 20
The document table 200 is
After moving in the opposite direction to the arrow, trimming mechanism 2
50 and the rotating mechanism 300 are driven as necessary to position the rotating table 302 at the position for attaching and detaching the cuff set 20. Here, by driving the rotary drive source 142 constituting the displacement means 140 and lowering the slide plate 152, the conveyance rollers 138 constituting the second feeding roller group 124 are moved to the cassette 20.
(See Figure 4). Furthermore, a rotational drive source 402 that constitutes the positioning mechanism 400
The large diameter side of the cam plate 404 is connected to the rack member 4 under the driving action of
06, the locking plate 414 is separated from the cassette 20 and retracted into the rotary table 302.

Therefore, the boot IJ'l 16 is rotated in the opposite direction to that described above under the driving action of the rotational drive source 114 that constitutes the conveyance mechanism 100, and the timing belt 118 and the rotational force transmission means 1 are rotated.
19, the second transport roller group 124, first transport roller group 122, and roller pair 120 are driven, whereby the cassette 20 is led out from the cassette attachment/detachment section 14. At that time, the locking member 5 is placed under the action of the locking mechanism 50 in advance.
8 is removed from the cassette insertion port 30, the cassette 20 can be commanded to the outside through the cassette insertion port 30.

As described above, in this embodiment, when the cassette 20 is transported to the document table 200 under the action of the transport mechanism 100 and the cassette 20 is positioned at a predetermined position on the rotary table 302, the cassette 20 is 2 conveyance roller group 12
A plurality of conveyance rollers 138 constituting 4 are in sliding contact with each other. Therefore, if you try to drive the rotation mechanism 300, trimming mechanism 250, and sub-scanning mechanism 202 in this state, it will be blocked by the second transport roller group 124 and the rotation table 3 will be blocked.
02 cannot be smoothly displaced in the desired direction.

However, as described above, the second conveyance roller group 124 is separated from the cassette 20 under the action of the displacement means 140 provided in the conveyance mechanism 100 (see FIG. 4a).
), it is possible to smoothly and accurately displace the rotary table 302 in the rotation direction, trimming direction, and sub-scanning direction.

On the other hand, after the reading operation of the image information carried on the document S to be read is completed, the 90 second transport roller group 124 is brought into sliding contact with the cassette 20 under the action of the displacement means 140 (
(See Figure 4). As a result, the cassette 20 is sent out toward the first transport roller group 122 under the rotational action of the transport roller 138, and the cassette 20 is transferred to the cassette attachment/detachment section 14.
can be transported quickly.

[Effects of the Invention] The cassette transport mechanism of the image reading apparatus according to the present invention configured as described above has the following effects.

After the cassette containing the original to be read is conveyed to a predetermined position on the document table, the conveying roller that is in sliding contact with the cassette is separated from the cassette under the action of the displacement means, so that the cassette is moved to the desired position. It is possible to smoothly transport the paper in a direction such as the sub-scanning direction. This makes it possible to automatically carry out the work of transporting the cassette to the document table.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a displacement means constituting a cassette transport mechanism according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image reading device incorporating the cassette transport mechanism, and FIG. 3 is a perspective illustration of the cassette transport mechanism. 4 are explanatory diagrams of the operation of the displacement means, and FIG. 5 is a perspective explanatory diagram of the cassette. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Image reading device 14... Cassette attachment/detachment part 20... Cassette 100... Transport mechanism 120...
- Roller pair 122, 124... Conveyance roller group 138... Conveyance roller 140... Displacement means 1
42...Rotary drive source 150...Cam member 15
2...Slide plate 156...Block body 20
0... Original table 202... Sub-scanning mechanism 25
0...Trimming mechanism 300...Rotating mechanism 400
...Positioning mechanism 500...Image reading section 1 2

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) a sub-scanning direction substantially perpendicular to the main-scanning direction of the illumination light source; and a rotation direction for adjusting the reading angle of the original to be read;
A cassette conveyance mechanism that conveys the cassette containing the read document to a document table that is freely displaceable in at least one direction in a trimming direction that is substantially the same as the main scanning direction, the mechanism comprising: an action of a rotational drive source; Displacement means includes a plurality of conveyance rollers that roll on the cassette below and convey the cassette, and at least moves the conveyance roller that is in sliding contact with the cassette conveyed to a predetermined position on the document table away from the cassette. A cassette transport mechanism for an image reading device, comprising: