Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.

Kyocera Mita Corporation

Kei Ouchi

Takaaki Murase

Masahiro Higashitani

Yasuyuki Horiguchi

Katsuhiko Okamoto

Hirotoshi Tagawa

Sou Takahashi

Ryotaro Todokoro

An image reading apparatus is provided with: a reading processing unit which moves a reading unit, causes a light emitting unit to emit a first amount of light, reads an electric charge generated by a photoelectric conversion unit, and reads an image of a document placed on a document placing surface on the basis of the read electric charge; and a detection processing unit which causes a light emitting unit to emit a second amount of light greater than the first amount of light, reads an electric charge generated by the photoelectric conversion unit, and detects the size of the document placed on the document placing surface on the basis of the read electric charge.

Image reading apparatus, image forming apparatus, and document size detection method

According to the present disclosure, a reading module includes a light source, an optical system, and a sensor. The optical system images, as image light, reflection light of light with which the light source has irradiated a document. The sensor converts the thus imaged image light into an electric signal. The optical system includes a mirror array in which a plurality of reflection mirrors are connected together, and a plurality of aperture stop portions. The reflection mirrors each reflect light at an angle that is different, as seen in a main scanning direction, from an angle at which an adjacent one of the reflection mirrors reflects light. The plurality of aperture stop portions are disposed on one side of the mirror array with respect to an orthogonal direction which is orthogonal to the main scanning direction.

Reading module, and image reading device and image forming apparatus therewith

A reading module has a light source, an optical system having a mirror array and an aperture stop portion, a sensor in which a plurality of image regions where the image light is converted into an electrical signal are arranged; a housing; and a light-shielding wall shielding stray light striking the image regions. In the mirror array, a plurality of reflective mirrors whose reflection surfaces are aspherical concave surfaces are coupled together in an array in the main scanning direction. The optical system is fixed to on the case housing at one point in the main scanning direction, and the light shielding walls are arranged at a positions displaced deviated by a predetermined amount from boundaries between the image regions in the direction opposite to the fixed side of the optical system.

Reading module having reflection mirror array, image reading device comprising same, and image forming apparatus therewith

A reading module of the present disclosure is provided with a light source, an optical system, and a sensor. The optical system images, as reading light, reflected light of light radiated from the light source to an illumination object. The sensor converts the reading light imaged by the optical system into an electric signal. The optical system is provided with a mirror array in which a plurality of reflection mirrors are disposed in an array in a prescribed direction and a plurality of aperture stop portions that adjust an amount of the reading light. Each of the reflection mirrors is disposed at a prescribed distance from an adjacent one of the reflection mirrors in a prescribed direction.

Reading module and image forming apparatus provided with the same

Provided is a reading module including a light source, an optical system, and a sensor. The optical system images reflected light of light emitted from the light source to the document, as image light. The sensor converts the imaged image light into an electric signal. The optical system includes a mirror array in which a plurality of reflection mirrors are connected, and a plurality of aperture stops. Neighboring reflection mirrors reflect light at different angles viewed from the main scanning direction.

Reading module and image reading device including same, and image forming apparatus

A reading module has a light source, an optical system imaging, as image light, reflected light of light radiated from the light source to a document, a sensor where a plurality of imaging regions for converting the image light imaged by the optical system into an electrical signal are arranged next to each other in the main scanning direction, and a housing the light source, the optical system, and the sensor. The optical system has a mirror array where a plurality of reflection mirrors whose reflection surfaces are aspherical concave surfaces are coupled together in an array in the main scanning direction, and an aperture stop portion adjusting the amount of the image light reflected from the reflection mirror. The amount of the image light striking the reflection mirror is increasingly small from opposite end parts of the reflection mirror toward its central part in the main scanning direction.

Reading module and image reading device and image forming apparatus therewith

A reading module has a light source, an optical system, and a sensor. The optical system images, as image light, reflected light of light radiated from the light source to a document. In the sensor, the image light imaged by the optical system is converted into an electrical signal. The optical system has a mirror array and an aperture stop portion. In the mirror array, reflection mirrors are coupled together in an array in the main scanning direction. The aperture stop portion has a first aperture adjusting the amount of the image light reflected from a reflection mirror and a second aperture shielding stray light entering the first aperture from an adjacent reflection mirror. Between the first and second apertures, a reflection reduction mechanism is provided that reduces reflection, toward the first aperture, of light other than the image light traveling from the second to first aperture.

An image reading device has a reading module including a light source, an optical system having a mirror array where reflection mirrors are coupled together in the main scanning direction and an aperture stop portion, a sensor where imaging regions for converting the image light imaged by the optical system into an electrical signal are arranged, and a housing, and has a reference drawing pattern determining connection positions between the imaging regions. The reference drawing pattern is composed of a plurality of pixel cut lines arranged to correspond to boundary lines between the reflection mirrors. The optical system is fixed on the housing at one point in the main scanning direction, and the pixel cut lines are arranged such that their distances from the boundary lines in the main scanning direction increase the farther away from the fixed position of the optical system in the main scanning direction.

Image reading device and image forming apparatus therewith

An image reading apparatus includes a light irradiator, an optical system and a photoelectric converter. The optical system includes a reflection mirror unit and an aperture unit. The reflection mirror unit includes first and second reflection areas successively provided in a main scanning direction. The aperture unit includes a light shielding portion and first and second light passing holes for allowing the passage of the light reflected by each of the first and second reflection areas. The photoelectric converter includes a light receiving surface having first and second light receiving areas configured to receive the light passed through each of the first and second light passing holes and successively arranged in the main scanning direction. A length of the light receiving surface along the main scanning direction is set to be equal to or longer than that of the image reading area along the main scanning direction.

Image reading apparatus

A light guide includes an incident surface, an exit surface and a reflective surface. The reflective surface is located opposite to the exit surface to extend in the main scanning direction and includes a plurality of light reflecting patterns formed to reflect the incident light toward the exit surface. The light reflecting patterns have an oval hemispherical shape rising toward the exit surface and a first diameter of the oval hemispherical shape along a sub-scanning direction is equal to or longer than a second diameter thereof along the main scanning direction. The light reflecting patterns are formed to vary the ratio of the first diameter to the height of the oval hemispherical shape depending upon the location on the reflective surface in the main scanning direction.

Light guide and illumination device

A light guide includes an incident surface provided at least at an end portion of the light guide in a longitudinal direction, and receiving light from a light source, an output surface constituting a part of an outer peripheral surface, and outputting the light introduced through the incident surface, a reflecting surface extending along the optical axis so as to oppose the output surface, and including a plurality of reflection patterns that reflect the introduced light toward the output surface, and a reflecting plate opposed to a region in the outer peripheral surface other than the incident surface, the output surface, and the reflecting surface, and reflecting the light from the light source. The outer peripheral surface includes a sloped portion formed so as to come closer to the reflecting plate in a direction away from the incident surface in the longitudinal direction.

Illuminating device and image reading device

A light guide member includes a main body part, and an entrance surface, a strip-shaped exit surface and a strip-shaped reflecting surface that are formed on the main body part. The illumination light is output from the exit surface. The reflecting surface extends in the first direction on a face placed opposite to the exit surface of the main body part and reflects the illumination light. The reflecting surface includes, on a flat face, a reflection pattern surface provided with a plurality of minute reflective concave parts having a function of reflecting the illumination light toward the exit surface. The reflective concave parts each include a deflection surface which deflects the illumination light in a direction in which a reflection angle widens in a cross sectional view in a second direction that is orthogonal to the first direction in a horizontal direction, and then reflects the illumination light.

Light guide member, illuminating device, and image reading apparatus and image forming apparatus using same

An image reading device is provided. The image reading device suppresses uneven intensity of light emitted on a subject, by disposing a diffusion plate between the subject and a plurality of luminescence portions, and an image forming device that includes this image reading device. The image reading device includes an illumination portion that irradiates light onto a subject. The illumination portion includes: a plurality of LED's disposed at predetermined intervals in a main scanning direction; and an elliptical diffuser plate that is disposed between the subject and the plurality of LED's and diffuses light emitted by the plurality of LED's in a higher diffusion rate in the main scanning direction than in a sub-scanning direction.

Image reading device and image forming device

The present invention aims at providing an image reading device and an image forming apparatus including a light guiding body having a first emission surface and a second emission surface. A color copy machine includes a luminescence portion including: LEDs composed of a plurality of dot-shaped luminescence members disposed at predetermined intervals in a main scanning direction and/or an elongated luminescence member that is formed to extend in the main scanning direction; and a light guiding body that is disposed between the LEDs and an original, and has a light incidence portion disposed on a side to the LEDs and an emission portion disposed on a side to the original. The emission portion has a first emission surface and a second emission surface that is formed on a different plane from a plane including the first emission surface.

Luminescent image reading device and image forming apparatus

The present invention is aimed at providing an image reading device that suppresses generation of a so-called edge shadow while suppressing uneven intensity of light emitted onto an original. A color copy machineincludes an illumination portionthat irradiates an original G with light. The illumination portionincludes a plurality of LEDsdisposed at predetermined intervals in a main scanning direction, an elliptical diffuser platethat is disposed between the plurality of LEDsand the original G and causes the light emitted by the plurality of LEDsto diffuse, and a second reflection mirrorB that reflects light, which is a portion of the light diffused by the elliptical diffuser plateand not directly irradiated onto the original G, so as to irradiate the light onto the original G.

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Kei Ouchi