Image reading unit and overhead image reading device

• US 8,941,896 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2011
• Issued: 01/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PFU Limited (Fujitsu Limited)
• Original Assignee: PFU Limited (Fujitsu Limited)
• Inventors: Takabatake, Masanari
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Cheukfan
• Application Number:
  US13/075,720
• Publication Number:
  US 20110286052A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,399 Days
• Field of Search: 358/473, 358/497, 358/494, 358/474, 358/488, 358/483, 358/482, 358/505, 358/514, 250/239, 250/216, 250234-236, 250/208.1, 382/312, 382/31
• US Class Current: 358/497
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00395 Arrangements for reducing operator input input arrangements for job or mode instructions or parameters H04N1/00962; intelligent menu interfaces H04N1/00437
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00798 Circuits or arrangements for the control thereof, e.g. using a programmed control device or according to a measured quantity
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00816 Determining the reading area, e.g. eliminating reading of margins
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00896 using a low-power mode, e.g. standby
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/02855 in combination with a light guide, e.g. optical fibre, glass plate light-guides per se G02B6/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/193 using electrically scanned linear arrays , e.g. linear CCD arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0081 Image reader H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/02456 Scanning element, e.g. CCD array, photodetector
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/02462 Illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0436 Scanning a picture-bearing surface lying face up on a support H04N2201/0434 takes precedence; using cylindrical picture bearing surfaces H04N1/06; with manual scanning H04N1/107
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0452 Indicating the scanned area, e.g. by projecting light marks onto the medium

Abstract

An image reading unit includes an image reading section that reads an image of a document in a one-dimensional direction by one-dimensionally aligned imaging elements, a light source that irradiates an image reading region by the image reading section with light, and a rotation head that holds the image reading section and the light source in a manner that the image reading section and the light source are rotatable relative to the document about a rotation axis which is parallel to an alignment direction of the imaging elements.

Claims

1. An image reading unit comprising:

an image reading section including one-dimensionally aligned imaging elements to read an image of a document in a one-dimensional direction;

a lens for converging light from the document to the image reading section;

light sources each of which irradiates an image reading region read by the image reading section with light; and

a rotation head that holds the image reading section, the lens, and the light sources in a manner that the image reading section, the lens, and the light sources are rotatable relative to the document about a rotation axis which is parallel to an alignment direction of the imaging elements, wherein

the light sources are disposed at both sides of the lens in a direction of the rotation axis, and

the image reading section and the light sources are disposed such that an irradiation plane indicating an irradiation range by the light sources overlaps with a scanning plane indicating a range of reading in the image reading by the image reading section.

2. The image reading unit according to claim 1, wherein the rotation axis is positioned inside a plane that is identical to the scanning plane.

3. The image reading unit according to claim 1, wherein the image reading section rotates about the rotation axis to read the image of the document.

4. An overhead image reading device comprising:

an image reading unit including;

an image reading section including one-dimensionally aligned imaging elements to read an image of a document in a one-dimensional direction,

a lens for converging light from the document to the image reading section,

light sources each of which irradiates an image reading region read by the image reading section with light, and

a rotation head that holds the image reading section, the lens, and the light sources in a manner that the image reading section, the lens, and the light sources are rotatable relative to the document about a rotation axis which is parallel to an alignment direction of the imaging elements, wherein the light sources are disposed at both sides of the lens in a direction of the rotation axis, and the image reading section and the light sources are disposed such an irradiation plane indicating an irradiation range by the light sources overlaps with a scanning plane indicating a range of reading in the image reading by the image reading section; and

an arm that is fixed to a placement surface on which the document is placed and supports the image reading unit.

5. The overhead image reading device according to claim 4, wherein the arm is connected to a base that is placed on the placement surface, and the arm is fixed to the placement surface when the base is placed on the placement surface.

6. The overhead image reading device according to claim 4, further comprising an imaging range display section that displays an imaging range in a case of reading the image of the document by the image reading section.

7. The overhead image reading device according to claim 6, further comprising a human sensor that detects approach of a human, wherein

the imaging range display section displays the imaging range based on a detection result of the human sensor.