Image reading device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9264572-B2
Application number	US-201214350268-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 24, 2012
Priority date	Oct 25, 2011
Publication date	Feb 16, 2016
Grant date	Feb 16, 2016

Abstract

An image reading device including: concave first lens mirrors that are arranged in an array shape along a main scanning direction and that collimate scattered light reflected by an irradiated object and reflect the scattered light as a substantially parallel bundle of rays that are angled in a sub-scanning direction; planar mirrors that reflect light from the first lens mirrors; apertures that are arranged in an array shape and that allow light from the planar mirrors to pass through by way of openings that are arranged in an array shape and that are light-shielded therearound for selectively allowing light to pass through; concave second lens mirrors that are arranged in an array shape into which light from the apertures is incident and that reflect the light from the apertures as converged light; and light receivers that have light receiving areas on which light from the second lens mirrors is incident and that form images that correspond to light from the openings.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An image reading device, comprising:
concave first lens mirrors that are arranged opposite to an irradiated object in an array shape along a main scanning direction and that collimate scattered light reflected by the irradiated object and reflect the scattered light toward a side of the irradiated object as a substantially parallel bundle of rays that are angled in a sub-scanning direction;
planar mirrors that reflect light from the first lens mirrors in a direction opposite to the irradiated object;
apertures that are arranged in an array shape and that allow light from the planar mirrors to pass through by way of openings that are arranged in an array shape and that are light-shielded therearound for selectively allowing light to pass through;
concave second lens mirrors that are arranged in an array shape into which light from the apertures is incident and that reflect the light from the apertures as converged light; and
light receivers that have light receiving areas on which light from the second lens mirrors is incident and that form images that correspond to light from the openings.

2. The image reading device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
light sources that irradiate light along the main scanning direction; and
concave mirrors that reflect the light from the light sources in a direction toward the irradiated object as substantially parallel light.

3. The image reading device according to claim 2 , further comprising
a frame that houses or holds the light sources, the concave mirrors, the first lens mirrors, the planar mirrors, the apertures, the second lens mirrors and the light receivers.

4. The image reading device according to claim 2 , wherein
the light sources are arranged in an array shape along the main scanning direction of the irradiated object; and
the concave mirrors are arranged so as to extend in the main scanning direction of the irradiated object.

5. The image reading device according to claim 1 , further comprising
a light source; and
a light-guiding member that irradiates light from the light source onto an irradiated section of the irradiated object.

6. The image reading device according to claim 5 , further comprising
a frame that houses or holds the light source, the light-guiding member, the first lens mirrors, the planar mirrors, the apertures, the second lens mirrors and the light receivers.

7. The image reading device according to claim 5 , wherein
the light-guiding member is a rod shaped light-guiding member that allows light that enters from the light source to propagate and irradiates the propagating light along the main scanning direction of the irradiated object.

8. The image reading device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first lens mirrors are arranged in an array shape along the main scanning direction so that adjacent mirrors reflect the scattered light reflected by the irradiated object in different directions from each other in order that light reflected by the first lens mirrors does not cross when viewed from the sub-scanning direction.

9. The image reading device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first lens mirrors are arranged in an array shape along the main scanning direction so that mirrors that reflect the scattered light reflected by the irradiated object as an angled, substantially parallel bundle of rays to one side in the sub-scanning direction, and mirrors that reflect the scattered light reflected by the irradiated object as an angled, substantially parallel bundle of rays to the other side in the sub-scanning direction are alternately adjacent in order that light reflected by the first lens mirrors does not cross when viewed from the sub-scanning direction.

10. The image reading device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first lens mirrors are arranged in a staggered shape with a read line that extends in the main scanning direction of the irradiated object as a center so that mirrors that are arranged on one side in the sub-scanning direction and mirrors that are arranged on the other side in the sub-scanning direction are alternately adjacent.

11. The image reading device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first lens mirrors and the second lens mirrors are arranged in a staggered shape with a read line that extends in the main scanning direction of the irradiated object as a center so that pairs of a first lens mirror and a second lens mirror that are arranged on one side in the sub-scanning direction and pairs of a first lens mirror and a second lens mirror that are arranged on the other side in the sub-scanning direction are alternately adjacent.

Assignees

• Minobe Tadashi
• Nakanishi Takahito
• Matsumura Seiichi
• Funakura Tetsuo
• Kawano Hiroyuki
• Okamoto Tatsuki
• Matsuzawa Taku
• Matsumoto Yasunori
• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Minobe Tadashi
• Nakanishi Takahito
• Matsumura Seiichi
• Funakura Tetsuo
• Kawano Hiroyuki
• Okamoto Tatsuki
• Matsuzawa Taku
• Matsumoto Yasunori

Classifications

• H04N2201/0081

  Image reader (H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence) · CPC title

• H04N1/19 Primary

  using multi-element arrays · CPC title

• H04N2201/02483

  Housing or part of the housing, e.g. bottom plate (H04N2201/02481 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04N1/0305

  with multiple folds of the optical path · CPC title

• H04N2201/02493

  Additional optical elements not otherwise provided for, e.g. filters, polarising plates, masks or apertures · CPC title