Facsimile and static presentation processing – Facsimile – Picture signal generator
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-11
2001-03-27
Lee, Cheukfan (Department: 2722)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Facsimile
Picture signal generator
C358S406000, C358S497000, C355S075000, C399S211000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06208438
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the art of copying and printing machines, and more particularly, to an image reader in this art for photoelectrically reading out an image of an original to generate a corresponding electric signal.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There has been long known and widely used such an image reader that has a casing, a stage glass mounted to the casing for supporting an original bearing an image to be read out thereon with the image facing downward, a press plate adapted to be optionally laid over the stage glass for pressing the original placed on the stage glass thereto, a photoelectric image reading head having a light source means for projecting light beams to the original placed on the stage glass from a lower side thereof therethrough and a photoelectric converting means for receiving and converting light beams reflected from the original into an electric signal corresponding to the image.
With regard to such a reflection type image reader, it has been proposed by Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication Sho 59-165044 to provide illumination means below the four corners of the stage glass to facilitate an action of confirming the position of an original placed on the stage glass prior to the reading out thereof in apprehension of the original being displaced as a result of pressing by the press plate, as it often occurs when an open page of a book is the original to be read out. Further, it has been proposed by Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication Sho 61-295549 to operate a scanning type image reading head for about two times of scanning reciprocation with an actuation of only the illumination means thereof in response to a pressing of a switch for confirming the position of the original so that an action of confirming the position of the original under an illumination is available in the meantime. Still further, it has been proposed by Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication Hei 3-13932 to draw some reference marks for positioning originals such as frames by lines showing the contours of several regular sheet sizes on the stage glass with a fluorescent material observable by human eyes but not responded by the photoelectric image reading head, in addition to a provision of the illumination means below the stage glass for confirming the positions of originals.
When the reference marks for positioning originals such as the frames by lines are provided in the stage glass as proposed in the above-mentioned Publication Hei 3-13932, the reference marks must be such that are observable by human eyes but not responded by the photoelectric image reading head as described above. Still further, when the reference marks are such frames of lines showing the regular sizes of sheets, although a coincidence of a peripheral edge of an original with a frame of line is directly observable as looked down from above when the original is a sheet of a regular size, if an image, not a peripheral edge, of an original is to be positioned relative to the stage glass at a particular positional or directional relationship, the reference marks provided in the stage glass are not directly observable from above as they are covered by the original. Therefore, even when an illumination means is provided under the stage glass, the reference marks in such a thickness as to be not responded by the photoelectric image reading head will not be clearly observable from above through the original.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above restrictions of the art of providing the original positioning reference marks for assisting the positioning of an original relative to the stage glass on the stage glass itself, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a reflection type image reader having a novel original positioning reference mark free of such restrictions.
In order to accomplish the above-mentioned object, the present invention proposes an image reader comprising a casing, a stage glass mounted to the casing for supporting an original bearing an image to be read out thereon with the image facing downward, a press plate adapted to be optionally laid over the stage glass for pressing the original placed on the stage glass thereto, a photoelectric image reading head having a first light source means for projecting light beams to the original placed on the stage glass from a lower side thereof therethrough and a photoelectric converting means for receiving and converting light beams reflected from the original into an electric signal corresponding to the image, a substantially transparent original positioning sheet optionally mounted over the stage glass in a predetermined positional relationship thereto, the original positioning sheet bearing an original positioning reference mark, and a second light source means for projecting light beams to the original placed on the stage glass from the lower side thereof therethrough and the original positioning sheet placed thereon when the original is placed between the stage glass and the original positioning sheet mounted thereover.
When the stage glass is illuminated from the lower side thereof by the second light source means as described above, even when an original is placed on the stage glass with its surface bearing an image facing downward, if the original is not a page of an open book or a particularly thick sheet but an ordinary paper sheet, the image of the original is clearly observable through the original from above, i.e. from the back thereof. Therefore, when a substantially transparent original positioning sheet bearing an original positioning reference mark is prepared, so as to be optionally mounted over the stage glass in a predetermined positional relationship thereto, an original placed on the stage glass as sandwiched between the original positioning sheet and the stage glass allows an operator to position the original relative to the reference mark of the original positioning sheet laid over the original by confirming an image of the original observable through the original illuminated from the lower side thereof, so that any optional part of the image of the original is readily precisely positioned relative to the stage glass. When such a positioning operation has been finished, then leaving the original positioning sheet as held in the position, the press plate may be laid over the original positioning sheet, and the photoelectric image reading head may be operated to execute the reading out of the original.
Since the original positioning reference mark provided in the original positioning sheet is positioned on the back of the original relative to the photoelectric image reading head, in the reflection type original reading in which light beams are projected to the front surface of the original and the original is read out by the light beams reflected at the front surface of the original, the read out image is not disturbed by the original positioning reference mark as long as the original is a normal white opaque sheet.
To be adaptable to a case that the original is a transparent or semi-transparent sheet, the original positioning reference mark may be made of a fine line drawn in a color observable by human eyes from an upper side of the original positioning sheet, with a band layer of a white painting material provided on a lower surface of the original positioning sheet to extend along the color line, or the original positioning reference mark may be drawn by a fluorescent material observable by human eyes but not detectable by the photoelectric image reading head.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the stage glass and the original positioning sheet may each be of a rectangular contour, and the original positioning sheet may be removably mounted at a portion thereof extending along an edge of the rectangular contour thereof to either the stage glass or the casing along an edge of the rectangular contour of the stage glass.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, the original positioning sheet may be wound u
Hanzawa Hiroshi
Watanabe Hitoshi
Lee Cheukfan
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
Riso Kagaku Corporation
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