Incremental printing of symbolic information – Light or beam marking apparatus or processes – Scan of light
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-28
2002-09-10
Pham, Hai (Department: 2861)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Light or beam marking apparatus or processes
Scan of light
C399S144000, C358S472000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06448995
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an image read/write head having both an image-reading function and an image-forming function, and to an image processing apparatus incorporating the same.
BACKGROUND ART
Image processing apparatuses, such as a facsimile apparatus, need to have both an image-reading function and an image-forming function. Further, there exists a demand to be met for the downsizing of such image processing apparatuses. Accordingly, image read/write heads have been proposed which are capable of reading images as well as forming images. One such image read/write head is of the construction shown in FIG.
19
. Image read/write head H shown includes a case
1
e
having an upper portion defining an opening fitted with a transparent cover
19
e.
In the case
1
e
is disposed a light source
3
e
for illuminating a reading line Se established on the transparent cover
19
e.
The case
1
e
is further fitted at the bottom thereof with an elongate substrate
4
e
having upper and lower surfaces
40
and
41
carrying a row of light-receiving elements
2
e
and a row of heat-generating elements
8
e,
respectively, longitudinally of the substrate
4
e.
With the image read/write head H thus constructed, a document D to be read is fed while intimately contacting the transparent cover
19
e
by rotation of a platen roller P
1
for feeding documents. In this process the document D is illuminated by light from the light source
3
e.
The light reflected by the document D is gathered by a lens
5
e
disposed between the reading line
5
e
and the light-receiving elements
2
e,
so that the image of the document D is formed on the row of the light-receiving elements
2
e.
In this way, the image data of the document D is obtained. On the other hand, recording paper K is fed while intimately contacting the heat-generating elements
8
e
by rotation of a platen roller P
2
for feeding recording paper. In this process the image of the document D is formed on the recording paper K by causing appropriate ones of the heat-generating elements
8
e,
which are selected according to the image data of the document, to generate heat.
As described above, the image read/write head H is constructed such that the document D is fed while intimately contacting the transparent cover
19
e
fitted in the opening defined in the upper portion of the case
1
e
, whereas the recording paper K is fed while intimately contacting the heat-generating elements
8
e
mounted on the lower surface
41
of the substrate
4
e.
Stated otherwise, the platen roller P
1
for feeding documents is positioned above the image read/write head H, while, on the other hand, the platen roller P
2
for feeding recording paper is positioned below the image read/write head H. Such positioning of the platen rollers P
1
and P
2
makes it difficult to reduce the vertical dimension of an image processing apparatus incorporating the image read/write head H, hence, to downsize the whole apparatus.
It is, therefore, a main object of the present invention to provide an image read/write head which, when incorporated in an image processing apparatus, allows such an image processing apparatus to be remarkably downsized.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image read/write head comprising:
a substrate having a first widthwise side portion, a second widthwise side portion, and an upper surface carrying a row of light-receiving elements longitudinally of the substrate;
an elongate case mounted to the upper surface of the substrate to enclose the light-receiving elements;
a transparent cover mounted to an upper surface of the case for contact with a document to be fed;
a light source disposed in the case for illuminating the document;
a lens unit disposed in the case for causing an image of the document illuminated by the light source to be formed on the light-receiving elements; and
a row of printing elements carried by the upper surface of the substrate at an excess portion which is provided by extending the first side portion beyond a lower edge of the case by a predetermined amount;
wherein the transparent cover is inclined such that the cover becomes progressively farther from the substrate as it extends toward the first side portion of the substrate.
In the above construction, the printing elements are, typically, heat-generating elements for recording an image on recording paper by thermal transfer printing or thermal recording. In constructing an image processing apparatus incorporating the image read/write head of the above construction, the platen roller for feeding the document for contact with the front surface of the transparent cover and the other platen roller for feeding the recording paper for contact with the printing elements are both positioned on the same side of the substrate, whereby the image processing apparatus can have a remarkably reduced thicknesswise dimension.
Further, since the transparent cover of the image read/write head is inclined in the manner described above, the platen roller for feeding the document and the platen roller for feeding the recording paper can be disposed with a positional relationship such as to have a reduced distance therebetween in a plane perpendicular to the major plane of the substrate with an adequate distance being secured between the two rollers in the major plane of the substrate. This arrangement enables further downsizing of the image processing apparatus in the thicknesswise dimension while allowing the respective feeding paths of the document and the recording paper to be set appropriately without any interference therebetween.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image read/write head comprising:
a substrate having a first widthwise side portion, a second widthwise side portion, and an upper surface carrying a row of light-receiving elements longitudinally of the substrate;
an elongate case mounted to the upper surface of the substrate to enclose the light-receiving elements;
a transparent cover mounted to an upper surface of the case for contact with a document to be fed;
a light source disposed in the case for illuminating the document;
a lens unit disposed in the case for causing an image of the document illuminated by the light source to be formed on the light-receiving elements; and
a row of printing elements carried by the upper surface of the substrate at an excess portion which is provided by extending the first side portion beyond a lower edge of the case by a predetermined amount;
wherein the lens unit is inclined toward the second side portion.
Like the image read/write head according to the first aspect of the present invention, this image read/write head has the platen roller for feeding the document and the other platen roller for feeding the recording paper, both positioned on the same side of the substrate, whereby an image processing apparatus incorporating this image read/write head can have a reduced thicknesswise dimension.
Further, this image read/write head has the lens unit inclined toward the second side portion of the substrate. Since the lens unit is adapted to cause an image at an image-reading line defined on the transparent cover to be formed on the row of light-receiving elements, the above construction is meant to have the reading line on the transparent cover displaced relative to the light-receiving elements on the substrate toward the second side portion of the substrate. Since the platen roller for feeding the document is positioned to come into contact with the reading line, this construction also can secure an adequate distance between the platen roller for feeding the document and the platen roller for feeding the recording paper, thereby allowing the respective feeding paths of the document and the recording paper to be set appropriately without any interference therebetween. Further, this construction can secure a sufficient optical path length between the reading line and the light-receiving elements thereby incr
Fujimoto Hisayoshi
Imamura Norihiro
Onishi Hiroaki
Takakura Toshihiko
Bednarek Michael D.
Pham Hai
Rohm & Co., Ltd.
Shaw Pittman LLP
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