Electrophotography – Document handling
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-08
2004-03-30
Grainger, Quana M (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Document handling
C399S107000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06714756
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART STATEMENT
The invention relates to an image reading apparatus that optically reads an original surface of a sheet, and to an image processing apparatus mounted with the image reading apparatus to form an image on a sheet based on image data from this image reading apparatus.
Higher image quality, greater multi-functionality and more compactness in the image reading apparatuses, image forming apparatuses and copiers have been made recently along with the sudden development of the electronic technologies and optical technologies.
An image reading apparatus uses CCD, which is an optical conversion means for converting an original image to electrical signals to precisely optically read an original surface and employs high resolution having a large numbers number of pixels. An image forming apparatus equipped with such image reading apparatus not only has a copying function, but also has a printer function to receive print data from data processing apparatuses, such as facsimile function and external personal computer, to print that data. Further, the image forming apparatus has a function to output image data acquired by an image reading apparatus to a data processing apparatus, such as a personal computer. A single unit image forming apparatus is provided with a plurality of functions in an effort to occupy less business space and to improve efficiency.
FIG. 8
shows an external view of an image forming apparatus
210
having such plural functions. Below an image reading apparatus housing
217
and above an image forming apparatus housing
218
, a discharge tray
216
is disposed. The image forming apparatus
210
greatly reduces a substantial setup space because the discharge tray
216
for storing sheets formed with images thereon is disposed inside the housing without protruding to the outside of the image forming apparatus
210
. Furthermore, the image reading apparatus described above that sets an original on a platen glass
162
which is mounted on the housing
161
as shown in FIG.
9
and that optically reads the original image to an image sensor
172
, such as a CCD, by the cooperative operation of a first carriage
163
and a second carriage
167
, is known.
To describe this image reading apparatus in further detail, an original placed on the platen glass
162
is illuminated by a light source
164
disposed in the first carriage
163
. Light reflected from the original passes an aperture
165
in the first carriage
163
and the light path is deflected in the sub-scanning direction by a first mirror
166
. The image on the original whose light path has been deflected is deflected downward by a second mirror
168
on the second carriage
167
and is then deflected in the direction of a lens
171
by a third mirror
169
. The image collected in the lens
171
is converted to electrical signals by the CCD
172
mounted to a CCD substrate
173
. Then, at the CCD
172
, the image converted to electrical signals is processed by an image processing circuit on a control board (not shown in the drawings) disposed in the housing
161
.
The structure is formed such that the light path passing via the three mirrors
166
,
168
and
169
from the original surface to the lens
171
is always the same length and the first carriage
163
sub-scans at the speed V which is twice greater in speed than that of the second carriage
167
.
In this way, because a plurality of cassettes for a variety of sheet sizes is stored in a stacked state in the image forming apparatus, it requires a space to remove the sheets on the discharge tray above the discharge tray, so that the image forming apparatus naturally becomes larger in the height direction. Also, as the image forming apparatus becomes larger in the height direction, the position for forming the image reading apparatus becomes higher to prevent easy handling of the original on the image reading apparatus.
An apparatus to solve such issue is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication (KOKAI) No. 8-133554 which teaches forming a protrusion on a part of the bottom surface of the image reading apparatus, as shown in
FIG. 10
, and establishing a storage space for the discharge tray parallel to this protruding portion.
The structure disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 8-133554 uses the protruding portion
301
on the bottom of the image reading apparatus
300
together with the interconnecting portion of the image forming apparatus
305
and by arranging electrical components
302
of the optical system in this protruding portion. Thus, it is possible to decrease the image reading apparatus
300
in the height direction. Furthermore, the entire apparatus including the image reading apparatus is made more compact because the space formed next to this protruding portion
301
is also used as the storage space
303
of the discharge tray
306
.
However, in the apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 8-133554, the protruding portion
301
and the discharge portion
307
are arranged side by side, so that enough storage space can not be formed (removal space). Thus, the removal of the sheet is not easy and there is a problem of not being able to visually confirm the sheet discharged to the discharge tray
306
.
Furthermore, an original feeding mechanism
304
to automatically supply the originals stored on the discharge tray
306
to the top of the platen
309
, is located above the storage space
303
on the discharge tray
306
. A sufficiently strong frame for the entire image reading apparatus is essential to provide stable support for this original feeding mechanism. For that reason, as the image reading apparatus becomes heavier, it becomes, then, essential to increase the strength of the frame of the image forming apparatus to support this image reading apparatus thereby creating the problem of increasing the weight of the entire apparatus system including the image reading apparatus and the image forming apparatus.
Also, the handling of the originals and sheets is inconvenient because the setting direction of the originals supplied by the original feeding mechanism
304
and the direction of removal of the sheets with images thereupon are different.
An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and to provide an image forming apparatus including an image reading apparatus, which improves the operability of setting an original and taking out a sheet having an image formed thereon, makes the height direction more compact, reduces the weight and has stability.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An image reading apparatus of the invention is designed to be disposed above an image forming apparatus to form a storage space with an upper surface of the image forming apparatus. The image reading apparatus includes a platen for reading an original; an original feeding mechanism to feed the original to one side of the platen and to discharge the same; reading means disposed under the platen and arranged such that the reading means is moved to read the original immovably placed on the platen and stopped at a predetermined position to read the original passing over the platen with the original feeding means; control means connected to the reading means to control a reading operation of the reading means; and a housing including a first bottom surface to form the storage space, and a second bottom surface protruding from the first bottom surface to be mounted to the image forming apparatus. The second bottom surface of the housing is formed at one side of the platen so that the control means and the original feeding mechanism are disposed above the second bottom surface.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2000-235338 (2000-08-01), None
Patent Abstract of Japan, No. 08133554, publication date May 28, 1996, Applicant Ricoh Co., Ltd.
Patent Abstract of Japan, No. 11194565, publication date Jul. 21, 1999, Applicant Ricoh Co., Ltd.
Grainger Quana M
Kanesaka and Takeuchi
Nisca Corporation
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