Image analysis – Image sensing
Reexamination Certificate
1997-10-29
2002-09-03
Chen, Wenpeng (Department: 2624)
Image analysis
Image sensing
C358S497000, C312S223100, C399S381000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06445836
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to image processing apparatuses, and more particularly to an image processing apparatus which is suited for reducing space occupied thereby in an office or room.
Recently, it has become possible to process a large amount of data at a high speed due to the improved performance of central processing units (CPUs). As a result, image processing techniques have rapidly improved, and image reading apparatuses for business use and personal use have rapidly become popular due to this progress.
However, office space or room space in general is limited, and the space restrictions are strict particularly at the central parts of the city. For this reason, the large operation space required by the image reading apparatus and the image forming apparatus has become a problem, and it is desirable to make improvements from the point of view of space utilization efficiency.
Conventionally, there are image reading apparatus of an automatic document feed (ADF) type, a flat bed type, and a composite type which is a combination of the ADF and the flat bed type.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1
shows a flat bed type image reading apparatus which is presently used popularly as an apparatus for personal use. According to this flat bed type image reading apparatus, a document is placed on a document glass
72
, and the document is covered by a document holding cover
71
. When a switch which is not shown is turned ON, a read head (carrier)
73
moves back and forth to successively read the image of the document on the document glass
72
.
According to this apparatus, the space efficiency is poor because the apparatus occupies the space on a desk and the operation efficiency is poor because one document must be set at a time. In addition, it is necessary to set the document and operate the apparatus for each document and the operation region at the front must be open.
FIG. 2
shows a composite type image reading apparatus which is a combination of the ADF type and the flat bed type. This composite type apparatus is popularly used in general. According to this apparatus, when documents are stacked on a hopper part
74
, the documents are transported by a transport part
76
and are read by an image reader part
73
. The read documents are ejected to a stacker part
75
and successively stacked.
According to this apparatus, a plurality of documents are automatically and consecutively supplied and processed, and the operation is extremely efficient. However, the hopper part
74
and the stacker part
75
respectively project to the top and the side, and a large space is required for the operation region. As a result, the position where the apparatus may be set up becomes restricted, and improvements are desired from this point of view.
FIG. 3
shows an improved composite type apparatus which is a combination of the ADF type and the flat bed type, and the stacker part
75
is provided below the hopper part
74
. Hence, a document placed on the hopper part
75
is transported by the transport part
76
and is turned over by an U-shaped sheet guide. The document is read when the document passes above the image reader part
73
. The read document is ejected on the stacker part
75
below the hopper part
74
in the turned-over state and stacked.
Accordingly, the problem of requiring a large operation region because of the stacker part
75
which projects from the side of-the image reading apparatus is eliminated. However, as in the case of the flat bed type apparatus, the hopper part
74
exists at the top of the apparatus, and it is impractical to put things on the top of the apparatus because of the need to place the documents thereon.
Therefore the image reading apparatus which is presently used in general has the hopper part
74
and the stacker part
75
which respectively project to the top and the side of the apparatus, and a large operation region is required. For this reason, improvements are required from the point of view of realizing efficient utilization of the office space. In addition, the image reading apparatus also takes up a large space as a system, and it is difficult to set up the apparatus close to the user.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an image processing apparatus in which efficient utilization of office space can be realized.
The above object of the present invention is achieved by an image processing apparatus comprising a box-shaped case having an opening; and an image scanner part which carries out an information input operation and is disposed in the opening so that the image scanner part can be pulled out therefrom.
According to the invention, since the image scanner part disposed in the opening can be pulled out, the information input operation is carried out in a state where the image scanner part is pulled out from the box-shaped case. A document on which information to be input is recorded is placed on the image scanner part when the information input operation is carried out.
Accordingly, any components for inputting information are not provided at least on top of the image processing apparatus (that is, on top of the box-shaped case) and therefore it is possible to place other objects on top of the apparatus. In addition, it is possible to freely utilize not only the space on top of the apparatus but also the spaces at the front and back and on the right and left sides of the apparatus, because the image scanner part is accommodated in the box-shaped case after the information input operation is finished. Since there is no projection on the side faces of the apparatus for example, the position where the apparatus may be set up becomes less restricted and it is possible to reduce the space occupied by the apparatus in an office and the like.
The above image scanner part may be constructed so that the information input operation can be carried out in a state where the image scanner part is accommodated in the opening.
Hence, the image scanner part need not be pulled out from the box-shaped case when the information input operation is carried out. Accordingly, it is possible to freely utilize the space at the front of the apparatus when the information input operation is carried out. Therefore, it is possible to further reduce the space occupied by the apparatus in an office and the like.
The image processing apparatus may have a document cover for covering a document on which information to be input is recorded.
Hence, it is possible to prevent ambient light from entering the inside of the image scanner part. In addition, the document cover makes it possible to uniformly press the document against the image scanner part so that the information input operation can be carried out with high quality.
The above document cover may be disposed on the image scanner part.
When the image scanner part is accommodated into the box-shaped case, the document cover is simultaneously accommodated into the box-shaped case after the information input operation is finished. Hence it is possible to make the size of the image processing apparatus small after the information input operation is finished.
The above image processing apparatus may be configured so that the opening has a height greater than a height of the image scanner part so that a gap is formed on top of the image scanner part.
Hence, it is possible to carry out the information input operation of a thick document in a state where the image scanner part is accommodated in the box-shaped case.
The above document cover may be disposed in the box-shaped case so that the document cover can be pulled out therefrom.
Hence, the information input operation can be carried out without using the document cover. For example, when the information of a plurality of pages of a thick book is to be input, the document cover may disturb the information input operation because the operator has to push the book against an input surface (a document glass) of the image scanner part. In such a
Armstrong Westerman & Hattori, LLP.
Chen Wenpeng
Fujitsu Limited
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