JPH08289177A - Image input device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] To provide an image input device capable of performing a handling operation easily and accurately. [Structure] A document table 4 having a subject surface and a lens 1
With the camera head 2, and the camera head 2 with the document table 4
A column 3 that can be raised and lowered from a document table 4 that is supported so as to be positioned above, and an illumination device 5 for illuminating an object 50.
6 is provided. The support column 3 for supporting the camera head 2 is constructed so as to be able to rise and fall from an oblique position of the document table 4, and the illuminating devices 5, 6 are configured to be foldable on the side surface portion 4b of the document table 4. The illumination devices 5 and 6 are housed so as not to project from the subject mounting surface 4a of the document table 4. Further, the illuminating devices 5 and 6 are configured so as to also serve as a light source for the transmissive illuminating device when they are stored.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image input device configured to display a subject such as a document on a screen of a monitor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 12 shows a structural example of a conventional image input apparatus of this type. In FIG. 12A, 100
Is a lens, 101 is a camera head, 102 is an arm, 1
03 is a post, 104 is a document table, 119 is a base, and 105
Is an illuminating device (right side), and 106 is an illuminating device (left side). The camera head 101, the arm 102, the post 103, the lighting device 105, and the lighting device 106 are foldable so that the image input device can be easily carried anywhere.

A camera head 1 having a lens 100
01 is pivotally supported by the arm 102 so as to be rotatable about a fulcrum 107 within a certain range. The arm 102 is pivotally supported by the post 103 so as to be rotatable about a fulcrum 108 within a certain range. Furthermore, the post 103 is pivotally supported by the base portion 119 so as to be rotatable about a fulcrum 109 within a certain range. The camera head 101, the arm 102, and the post 103 have a fulcrum 107, a fulcrum 108, and a fulcrum 109.
When each of them is rotated around the center, it is locked at the imaging position (state shown) and the storage position.

Further, 110 is an unlock button,
By pushing this, the camera head 101 can be released from the locked state. Reference numeral 111 denotes a lock release button, and reference numeral 112 denotes a lock release button. By pushing the respective buttons 111 and 112, the arm 102 and the post 103 can be released from the locked state. The illuminating device 105 and the illuminating device 106 are pivotally supported by the base 119 so as to be rotatable within a fixed range with respect to the document table 104, and are so-called free stop mechanisms so that they can be stopped at any angular position during rotation. Is provided.

Further, reference numeral 113 is a video monitor connected to the image input device, and displays a document or the like placed on the subject placement surface 104a of the document table 104. A power switch (SW) 114 of the main body of the image input device and an illumination switch 115 of the illumination device are provided adjacent to one side of the document table 104. A base 119 is integrally provided on the entire rear surface of the document table 104, and the base 119 is formed so as to project from the subject placement surface 104a. A pivoting means (not shown) for the fulcrum 109, the illumination device 105, and the illumination device 106 is provided on the protruding portion of the base 119.

Next, an operation procedure at the time of image pickup of a document in the image input device will be described. First, the camera head 10
1, the arm 102 and the post 103 are locked at the positions shown in FIG. In addition, the lighting device 105
The illumination device 106 is also rotated to the position shown in FIG. Then, at the time of image capturing, the power switch 114
By turning on, it becomes possible to capture an image. Also,
At this time, the white balance is automatically adjusted, and the lens 100 is attached to the subject placement surface 104 of the document table 104.
A is focused and the angle of view is set to the wide end.

Next, the original 116 to be imaged is placed by the operator in the substantially central portion of the subject placing surface 104a. As a result, the document 116 placed on the subject placement surface 104a is displayed on the screen of the monitor 113.
At this time, the operator can adjust the position and the angle by moving the document 116 so that the document 116 placed on the monitor 113 is almost in the center of the screen. The operator also adjusts the size (angle of view) of the document 116 displayed on the screen of the monitor 113 by operating the zoom button of the operation panel 117 provided on the front portion of the document table 104, if necessary. You can

The operation panel 117 is also provided with auto and manual focus buttons so that the user can focus as necessary. If there are few light sources near the main body of the image input device and the original document 116 projected on the monitor 113 is difficult to see, the illumination switch 1
By turning on 15 to turn on the illumination device 105 and the illumination device 106, the shortage of the light source is compensated.

On the other hand, the folding operation when the image input device is stored will be described. First, the lighting device 105 and the lighting device 106 are folded. As shown in FIG. 12A, the illumination device 105 is rotated in the direction of arrow A until it comes into contact with the subject mounting surface 104a of the document table 104. Further, the lighting device 106 is rotated in the direction of arrow B until it comes into contact with the lighting device 105.

Next, as shown in FIG. 12A, the lock release button 110 is pushed to move the camera head 101 to the arrow C.
Rotate in the direction to lock it in the storage position. Then, press the unlock button 111 to move the arm 102 to the arrow D
Rotate in the direction to lock it in the storage position. Then, the lock release button 112 is pressed to rotate the post 103 in the direction of arrow E to lock it in the storage position. This completes the folding operation of each member during storage,
FIG. 12B shows the apparatus main body in the state of storage. When carrying, the carrying handle 118 is pulled out from the document table 104. Note that when assembling the image input device at the time of image capturing, this can be performed in the reverse operation to that at the time of storage.

[0011]

However, the conventional image input device has the following problems.
1. Post 103, lighting device 105, and lighting device 106
A base portion 119 for supporting the sheet in a foldable manner is formed so as to project from the subject placement surface 104a in the entire rear area of the document table 104. Therefore, the subject, for example, the original 1
When it is desired to enlarge the end portion 116a of the operation panel 117 side of the document 16, when the document 116 is moved in the direction of arrow S in FIG. 12A, the document 116 comes into contact with the side surface 119a of the base portion 119, and thus in such a case. The operability had to deteriorate.

2. The storage positions of the illuminating device 105 and the illuminating device 106 are set in the image pickup range of the camera (that is, the document table 1
04 object setting surface 104a). Therefore, the illumination device 105 and the illumination device 106 must be kept standing upright from the document table 104 even in an environment where the illumination of these illumination devices is not required at the time of image capturing. As described above, since the illumination device 105 and the illumination device 106 stand up from the original table 104 even when they are not used, they interfere with the operator's arm or the like when moving the subject, especially during image pickup, and they are difficult to handle. The operation was extremely complicated.

In view of the above situation, it is an object of the present invention to provide an image input device which enables easy and appropriate handling operation.

[0014]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An image input apparatus according to the present invention is a document table having a subject placement surface, a camera head provided with a lens, and the document document supporting the camera head so as to be positioned above the document table. A column that can be undulated from a table and an illuminating device for illuminating a subject are provided, and the column that supports the camera head is configured to be capable of undulating from an oblique position of the document table, and the illumination device is the document table. It is configured to be foldable on the side surface of the.

Further, in the image input device according to the present invention, the illuminating device is housed so as not to project from the subject mounting surface of the document table.

Further, in the image input device according to the present invention, the illuminating device is configured so as to also serve as a light source for the transillumination device when the illuminating device is housed.

[0017]

According to the present invention, the supporting column for supporting the camera head is constructed so as to be capable of being raised and lowered from an oblique position of the document table, and the illuminating device is pivotally supported so as to be foldable to the side surface portion of the document table, that is, outside the imaging area. By thus securing a wide subject mounting surface and accommodating the illuminating device in the proper place on the document table, the degree of freedom of the subject at the time of image pickup can be effectively expanded, thereby significantly improving the operability. it can.

Further, especially when the lighting device is housed, the cost of the entire device can be reduced by using the light source of the lighting device also as the light source for transillumination.

[0019]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the image input device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. In FIG. 1, 1 is a lens, 2 is a camera head, 3 is a post, and 4
Is a document table, 5 is an illumination device (right side R), 6 is an illumination device (left side L), and 13 is a transillumination device. The document table 4 includes a subject placement surface 4a having a transillumination device 13, a side surface portion 4b for accommodating the illumination device 5 and the illumination device 6, respectively.
It has.

The camera head 2 equipped with the lens 1 is
It is rotatably supported with respect to the column 3 by a rotating mechanism described later. The column 3 is pivotally supported about the fulcrum 7 so as to be rotatable with respect to the document table 4 within a predetermined range. The column 3 is also adapted to be locked at an image pickup position shown in FIG. 1 and a storage position described later when the column 3 is rotated around the fulcrum 7.

Further, the fulcrum 7 is provided at the rear left corner of the document table 4 in FIG. 1, and the support column 3 is pivotally supported from the oblique position of the document table 4 so as to be capable of undulating. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 8 denotes a release lever for releasing the locked state of the support column 3. When the support column 3 is rotated, the release lever 8 releases the locked state of the support column 3.

The illuminating device 5 and the illuminating device 6 are rotatably supported on both side surfaces 4b of the document table 4. These illuminating device 5 and illuminating device 6 are housed on both side portions 4b of the document table 4 as shown in FIG. 1 in a normal bright indoor environment. The left and right lighting devices 5 and 6 are mirror images of each other and have the same basic configuration. Here, the illuminating device 5 will be described, but the illuminating device 6 has the same configuration unless otherwise specified. The lighting device 5 includes a lamp case 14, joints 16, joints 17, and support pipes 18 as main components.
It has.

The transillumination device 13 includes a milky white diffusion plate provided on the same surface as the object mounting surface 4a of the document table 4 or at a position slightly lower (recessed) and a document table below the diffusion plate. 4 and a light source (for example, a fluorescent lamp) incorporated inside. Detailed description of these components of the transillumination device 13 will be omitted. Further, in the appearance of the transillumination device 13, only the milky white diffuser plate is visible, and its size a × b is preferably set to a dimension of 317 × 230 mm, and the Japanese Industrial Standard A4 horizontal size (297 × 210 mm). ) Is constructed a little larger than. Further, this diffuser plate substantially coincides with the photographing area at the wide end, and thus it can be used as one guide when the subject is placed on the subject placing surface 4a.

Further, reference numeral 9 is a video monitor connected to the image input device, and displays a subject such as a document placed on the document table 4. A power switch 10 of the main body of the image input device is provided near the side surface of the fulcrum 7. Reference numeral 11 denotes an operation panel provided on the front portion of the document table 4, and includes an illumination switch (SW) 12 of the illumination device 5 and the illumination device 6 or the transmission illumination device 13, and a lens 1.
There is a zoom or focus button for controlling the.

Next, referring to FIG. 1, a procedure for normal image pickup of a subject will be described. At the time of shooting, the support column 3 that supports the camera head 2 and the camera head 2 are set to the imaging position shown in FIG. When the power switch 10 is turned on, the image capturing state is set. At this time, the white balance is automatically adjusted, and at the same time, the lens 1 focuses on the document table 4 (subject mounting surface 4a), and
Set the angle of view to the wide end. When a subject is already placed in the image pickup area of the document table 4, the subject is brought into focus.

Subsequently, when the operator places an object, such as the original 50 to be imaged, on the original table 4 at substantially the center,
The original document 50 placed on the subject placement surface 4 a is displayed on the screen of the monitor 9. At this time, the operator appropriately moves the document 50 on the subject placement surface 4a to adjust the position and angle so that the document 50 placed on the monitor 9 is displayed in the substantially central portion of the screen. The operator further operates the zoom button of the operation panel 11 provided on the front portion of the document table 4 to adjust the size (angle of view) of the document 50 displayed on the screen of the monitor 9 as necessary. To do. In this case, the operation panel 11 is provided with auto and manual focus buttons, and the focus can be adjusted as necessary by operating these buttons.

Further, in the apparatus of the present invention, in order to improve the handling of the subject at the time of photographing, the convex portions are reduced as much as possible from the subject placing surface 4a of the document table 4, so that the degree of freedom of placing the subject is increased. I am doing it. That is, in the illuminating device 5 and the illuminating device 6 at the time of storage (state of FIG. 1), the lamp case 14, the joint 16, and the joint 17 are stored at a position that does not project from the subject mounting surface 4 a of the document table 4. The specific position is such that the upper surfaces of the lamp case 14, the joint 16, and the joint 17 when they are stored are held on the same plane as or slightly lower than the subject mounting surface 4a. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a support column 3 for supporting the camera head 2 is provided.
The fulcrum 7 is disposed at the rear part and the left corner of the document table 4 when viewed from the front part. In this embodiment, the rear left corner is arranged as described above, but the rear right corner may be arranged.

Therefore, since the subject placement surface 4a of the document table 4 is substantially flat except for the viewpoint 7 of the support column 3, the subject such as the document 50 placed on the subject placement surface 4a is partially excluded. It can move freely in all directions, front, back, left and right. With this, for example, when it is desired to enlarge the d portion of the document 50,
The original 50 can be easily moved so that the d portion is located on the optical axis 51 of the lens 1 (the state of the original 50 at this time is shown by a dotted line in FIG. 1). It is possible to immediately display the desired portion of the document 50.

When photographing a transmissive original such as a film or an OHP sheet, first, the illumination switch 12 provided on the operation panel 11 is turned on. The illumination switch 12 in the device of the present invention also serves as a power source for the illumination device 5, the illumination device 6, and the transillumination device 13. The illuminating device 5 and the illuminating device 6 are provided with a position sensor 59, which will be described later, and detect the housed state shown in FIG. These detection signals are always shown in FIG. 9 and FIG.
Is transmitted to the system controller (syscon) 80 provided inside the device as shown in FIG. 6 (these will be described in detail later with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10), and the lighting device 5 and the lighting device 6 are stored. At a certain time, the position sensor 59 is turned on and the lighting switch 12 is turned on (see FIG. 1).
0, step S1). Then, the light source (not shown) of the transillumination device 13 is controlled to be turned on (step S3).

When the light source of the transillumination device 13 is turned on, light is diffused over the entire area of the diffuser plate. When the lighting switch 12 is turned on, the white balance is automatically set again. Then, the subject of a transmissive original such as a film is placed on the diffusion plate of the transillumination device 13. In this way, in the case of a subject of a transmissive document, light can be transmitted from below and a clearer subject image can be displayed on the screen of the monitor 9. Further, in particular, when a negative image such as a negative film is taken, a normal positive image can be displayed by operating the negative / positive inversion button provided on the operation panel 11.

Although it is used as described above during normal photographing, when there are few light sources near the main body of the image input apparatus and the original 13 projected on the monitor 9 is difficult to see, etc.
The lighting device 5 and the lighting device 6 are assembled and used as shown in FIG. The case of assembling the lighting device 5 and the lighting device 6 will be described later.

Here, in FIGS. 2 to 4, the illumination device 5 is used.
The structure of the lighting device 6 will be described. Since the illumination device 5 and the illumination device 6 are in a mirror image relationship as described above, this structural description will be given for the illumination device 5. 2 and 3 are structural explanatory views of the lighting device 5, and FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of the lock means thereof. In the figure, 14 is a lamp case, 1
6 is a joint, 17 is a joint, and 18 is a support pipe. The lamp case 14 is formed in a bag shape with one side surface opened in the entire length region in the longitudinal direction, and the fluorescent lamp 15 is held therein. In FIG. 2B, 19 is a reflector,
Reference numeral 20 denotes a socket (dotted line), the reflecting surface of the reflecting plate 19 is formed by a curved surface, and is formed along the longitudinal direction of the lamp case 14 over substantially the entire length region. Further, the reflection plate 19 is provided so that its reflection surface faces the opening 14 a of the lamp case 14. Socket 20
Is 1 at both ends of the lamp case 14 in the longitudinal direction.
They are individually provided and fixed by the reflection plate 19. The fluorescent lamp 15 is held by the pair of sockets 20. Although it is configured to be removable from the socket 20 of the fluorescent lamp 15, a detailed description of this configuration will be omitted.

The illumination device 5 in the storage state shown in FIG. 2A is stored so that the opening 14a of the lamp case 14 faces the side surface 4b of the document table 4. In this state, the illuminating device 5 is locked with respect to the original 4, that is, even if some load is applied from the directions of arrows F, G, H, and I in the figure, this state is maintained. There is.

The locking means of the lighting device 5 will be described with reference to FIG. Note that FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view when viewed from the direction of arrow e in FIG. In the figure, 52 is a lock release button for releasing the locked state of the lighting device 5, 53 is a lock plate integrally provided on the lock release button 52, and 54 is a pair of slidably supporting the lock plate 53. A support shaft, 55 is a lock spring, 56 is a lock hole provided in the joint 16, 57 is a pair of regulating plates provided on the side surface portion 4b of the document table 4, 58 is a lock pin, and 59 is a position sensor.

The lock release button 52 is a pair of support shafts 5 that engage with long holes 53c formed in the lock plate 53.
4, it is held so as to be slidable in the directions of arrows J and K by a predetermined amount. The lock plate 53 has a lock spring 55.
Thus, the lock release button 52 is held so that a part of the lock release button 52 projects from the opening window 16a provided in the joint 16. The lock plate 53 also includes an arm portion 53a and a lock claw 53b formed at the tip thereof, and by operating the lock release button 52, the lock plate 53 moves in the same direction as the lock plate 53 (arrows J and K directions). It has become.

When the illuminating device 5 is housed, the regulation plate 57 abuts against the bottom surfaces of the lamp case 14 and the joint 16 as shown in FIG. 4, and even if a load is applied from the direction of arrow F, it opposes the load. Then, the lighting device 5 is held and regulated so as not to rotate in that direction. The lock pin 58 provided on the regulation plate 57 on the joint 16 side is formed in a columnar shape having, for example, a conical portion 58a at its tip, and a lock groove 58b is formed at a predetermined position of the straight portion of the columnar shape. In the state shown in FIG. 4, the lock claw 53b of the lock plate 53 is engaged with the lock groove 58b of the lock pin 58. Lock plate 5
Since 3 is biased in the direction of arrow J, this engagement state cannot be easily released.

Further, a lock hole 56 provided in the joint 16
Is formed by a long hole having a predetermined length, and the long side direction of the long hole is the sliding direction J of the lock plate 53,
It is in the same direction as K. The width of the long hole in the direction of the short side is set to be slightly larger than the diameter of the lock pin 58, whereby positioning with respect to the lighting device 5 at the time of storage is performed, and at the same time, arrows H and I in FIG. Even if some load is applied from the direction, the lighting device 5 can be held in the locked state.

When the lighting device 5 is in the locked state,
The contact piece 59a of the position sensor 59 provided on the joint 16 is in contact with the lock pin 58, and the detection signal is ON at this time.
It becomes the state of. In this embodiment, the position sensor 59 uses a mechanical detection switch. The mechanical detection switch is not limited to this example, and an optical sensor such as a phototransistor or a magnetic proximity switch may be used. One position sensor 59 is provided for each joint 16 of the illuminating device 5 and the illuminating device 6, and these detection signals are always sent to the system controller 80 built in the device as shown in FIG. Has been sent.

In the housed state of the illuminating device 5, these position sensors 59 are in the ON state, and as shown in FIG. 10, the illuminating switch 12 provided on the operation panel 11 is operated in this state. (Step S1), the signal is sent to the system controller 80, and the transillumination device 13 is turned on, and the fluorescent lamp 15 of the illumination device 5 is prohibited from being turned on (step S3). Further, when the illumination switch 12 is operated in a state in which the detection signal of the position sensor 59 is OFF (that is, when the illumination device 5 is not in FIG. 2A), the signal is sent to the syscon 80 and the fluorescence of the illumination device 5 is emitted. The lamp 15 is turned on, and the transmission illumination device 13 is controlled to be turned off (step S4).

The illuminating device 5 is further constructed so that each joint rotates by a predetermined amount for folding, adjusting the irradiation angle of light, and the like. That is, as shown in FIG. 2A, the lamp case 14 is axially supported so as to be rotatable with respect to the joint 16 in the arrow L direction by a predetermined amount. The joint 16 is pivotally supported on the support pipe 18 so as to be rotatable in the direction of the arrow M by a predetermined amount. Further, the support pipe 18 is pivotally supported by the joint 17 so as to be rotatable in the direction of the arrow N by a predetermined amount. Further, the joint 17 is pivotally supported by the document table 4 so as to be rotatable in the arrow O direction by a predetermined amount. As described above, the rotary unit is configured to be rotatable by a plurality of rotary units, but each rotary unit is provided with a rotary mechanism to be described later so that it can be stopped at any angle during the rotary motion. There is.

Next, an example of the structure of the rotating mechanism will be described.
5 (a) and 5 (b) show the rotating mechanism in this embodiment. The basic structure of the rotating mechanism provided in each rotating portion is substantially the same. In the figure, 2
1 is a rotation base, 22 is a rotation member, 23 is a flat spring, 2
4 is a holding plate. The rotation base 21 is formed of a plastic member having excellent slidability and wear resistance,
Here, a resin material such as Duracon is used. The rotating member 22, the pressing plate 24, and the flat spring 23 are formed of a metal steel plate having excellent wear resistance and corrosion resistance. The flat spring 23 has, for example, a thin conical shape.

In the case of incorporating such a rotating mechanism, the sliding hole 22a formed in the rotating member 22 is engaged with the small cylindrical portion 21a of the rotating base 21, and the flat spring 23 is superposed on it. Finally, the holding plate 24 is screwed to the rotating base 21. By fixing the holding plate 24 with screws,
The flat spring 23 is compressed by a predetermined amount, and the sliding surface 21b of the rotating base 21 and the sliding surface 22b of the rotating member 22 are pressed against each other by a predetermined amount of an appropriate load. As a result, the rotation base 2
When trying to rotate 1 and the rotating member 22 in mutually opposite directions, the frictional force generated by the pressure contact force between the sliding surface 21b and the sliding surface 22b produces a torque that attempts to regulate the rotation. Therefore, the rotation base 21 and the rotation member 2
In order to rotate 2, it is necessary to apply a predetermined load or torque sufficient to overcome the restriction torque.
Further, the pressure contact force allows each rotating portion to stop at any position in its rotating range.

The load generated by the flat spring 23 can be changed by changing the amount of the width 1 shown in FIG. 5 (b). Further, although the flat spring 23 is used as the torque generating means here, the present invention is not limited to this, and a corrugated washer or a general coil spring may be used.

Each rotating part of the lighting device 5 is provided with a rotating mechanism constructed as described above. For example, this rotating mechanism is applied to the rotating part between the lamp case 14 and the joint 16. Will be explained. In FIG. 4, the lamp case 1
In the case of the rotating portion P of the lamp case 14 and the joint 16, for example, by making one side of the lamp case 14 and the joint 16 correspond to the holding plate 24 and the other side to the rotating member 22, The joint 16 is rotatably connected via a rotation mechanism. In this case, the rotating member 22 or the pressing plate 24 may be configured by the lamp case 14 or the joint 16 itself. The turning mechanism can be similarly applied to the other turning parts.

Now, when the lighting device 5 is used, its assembling operation will be described. Note that, in particular, FIG. 2 and FIG.
Shall be referred to. First, the unlock button 52
By pressing (FIG. 2A), the lighting device 5 is unlocked. When the lock release button 52 is pressed, the lock plate 53 shown in FIG. 4 slides in the direction of arrow K. As a result, the lock claw 53b is locked by the lock groove 53b of the lock pin 58.
It comes off. Then, the lighting device 5 is erected while the lock release button 52 is pressed, and at this time, the support pipe 18 is configured to rotate in the arrow N direction with the joint 17 as a fulcrum (FIG. 3A). ). Also, the lighting device 5
By standing up, the detection signal of the position sensor 59 is turned off.
(See FIG. 10).

The support pipe 18 is shown in FIG.
From the position of (a), it is rotated approximately 90 ° in the direction of arrow N, and
Stop at the position shown in (a). Further, although the support pipe 18 rotates with respect to the joint 17 in the range of approximately 90 degrees as described above, it is regulated by the regulation means (not shown) so as not to rotate further. In addition, as this regulation means,
In the rotating mechanism of the rotating portion of the joint 17 and the support pipe 18, it can be configured by providing a stopper member or the like at an appropriate position.

Next, the lamp case 14 is rotated in the direction of arrow M. At this time, the joint 16 rotates with respect to the support pipe 18. The joint 16 is approximately 9 in the direction of the arrow M from the position of FIG.
It rotates 0 ° and stops at the position shown in FIG. Even in this case, the joint 16 is rotated within a range of about 90 ° with respect to the support pipe 18, but is regulated by a regulation means (not shown) so that the joint 16 cannot be further rotated. At the position shown in FIG. 3B, the support pipe 18 stands upright substantially perpendicular to the document table 4 and the subject mounting surface 4a.
The lamp case 14 is held substantially horizontally.

Further, the lamp case 14 is rotated in the direction of arrow L from the state shown in FIG. 3 (b). At this time, the lamp case 14 rotates with respect to the joint 16.
The lamp case 14 is rotatable with respect to the joint 16 in the direction of arrow L from the position of FIG.
It is regulated by a regulation means (not shown) so as not to rotate further. Further, since the lamp case 14 can be stopped at any angle during the rotation by the above-described rotation mechanism, the operator can freely adjust the irradiation angle of the light within the rotation range of about 90 °. Has become.

Further, in order to adjust the irradiation angle of light, the entire illuminating device 5 can be rotated with respect to the document table 4. At this time, the joint 17 is configured to rotate with respect to the document table 4, and is rotatable about 30 ° in the direction of arrow O from the position shown in FIG. It should be noted that it is regulated by a regulation means (not shown) so as not to rotate further.

The lighting device 5 (similar to the lighting device 6) is thus assembled and FIG. 6 shows a specific example of their use. Note that, in FIG. 6, the lamp case 14 and the support pipe 18 are held at a position rotated by an appropriate amount in order to adjust the irradiation angle of light. In this state, when the illumination switch 12 of the operation panel 11 is operated (FIG. 10, step S1), the signal is as shown in FIG.
As shown in the block diagram of FIG.
At this time, the position sensors 59 of the lighting device 5 and the lighting device 6
Since the detection signal of is in the OFF state (that is, other than the storage position) (step S2), the lighting device 5 and the lighting device 6 are detected.
The fluorescent lamp 15 is controlled to be turned on (step S4). As a result, the light source can be supplemented even when the amount of light around the device is small, so that the subject can be clearly displayed on the screen of the monitor 9.

On the other hand, when the lighting device 5 is stored, its folding operation will be described. Note that, in particular, FIG. 1 and FIG.
~ Reference is made to FIG. In this storage operation,
Any of the pillar 3, the lighting device 5, and the lighting device 6 may be folded. For example, the lighting device 5 and the lighting device 6
However, if it is in a standing state as shown in FIG. 6, an operation reverse to the above-described assembling operation is performed.

Next, the operation of storing the camera head 2 and the support column 3 will be described. As described above, the camera head 2 is rotatably supported by the column 3 so that the camera head 2 can assume the use position (dotted line) and the storage position (solid line) shown in FIG. 8A. Here, the rotation operation of the camera head 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 7A is a top view of the apparatus main body, and FIG. 7B is a view as seen from the arrow V of FIG. 7A. The camera head 2 has an irregular shape having a cylindrical portion 2a enclosing the lens 1 and a block 2b enclosing substrates (not shown) for controlling the lens 1 and performing image signal processing. Further, the block 2b of the camera head 2 when used is configured to be positioned in the same direction as the extending direction of the support column 3 as shown in FIG.

The camera head 5 is pivotally supported by a joint block 60 fixed to the tip of the column 3. A joint surface 2c of the camera head 2 with the joint block 60 is formed by an inclined surface cut in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the support column 3. In addition, the joint block 6 of the camera head 2
A rotation mechanism is provided at the connecting portion with 0, whereby the camera head 2 is pivotally supported so as to be movable by a predetermined angle with respect to the joint block 60 (support 3). The rotation mechanism is the same as that described above.

The camera head 2 is shown in FIG.
It is rotated in the arrow X direction shown in (a). Then,
The camera head 2 rotates about the center shaft 61 of the support column 3. As shown in FIG. 8A, the camera head 2 is rotatable in a range of approximately 90 degrees from a use position (dotted line) to a storage position (solid line), but is not further rotated by a regulation means (not shown). Is regulated. The camera head 2 in the storage position is held horizontally with respect to the center shaft 61 of the column as shown in FIG.

The camera head 2 is rotated to the storage position, and then the release lever 8 is pushed to release the locked state of the column 3. Then, the column 3 is rotated in the direction of the arrow W to lock the camera head 2 in the storage position. Also, the camera head 2
A cushioning material 2d is provided on the surface of the document table 4 facing the document table 4. A rubber member is used as the cushioning material 2d in the device of the present invention, but the invention is not limited to this. In the stored state, the cushioning material 2d provided on the camera head 2 is in contact with the subject mounting surface 4a of the document table 4 to prevent damage to the subject mounting surface 4a of the document table 4. Further, a damper mechanism (not shown) is provided at the fulcrum 7 to prevent a sudden fall during the operation (when unlocking). As shown in FIG. 8 (b), the apparatus main body when stored is such that a carrying handle 25 for carrying can be pulled out from the document table 4.

By the way, in the above-described embodiment, the illumination device 5 (and the illumination device 6) and the light source of the transillumination device 13 are provided separately and independently, and the undulating position of the illumination device 5 is detected by the detecting means, and the detection thereof is performed. A signal is used to selectively control which one is turned on. Further according to the invention, the lighting device 5
It is possible to use the light source of (1) as a source for transmitted illumination. Next, an example in which this light source is also used will be described.

FIG. 11 is a schematic sectional view showing a state in which the lighting device (lighting device 5 or lighting device 6) in this case is housed. The same reference numerals are used for substantially the same members as those in the above-mentioned embodiment. In the figure, 70 is a diffusion plate and 71 is a light guide plate. The diffusion plate 70 is integrally provided on the document table 4, and the upper surface 70a thereof is provided on the same plane as the subject mounting surface 4a of the document table 4 or at a position slightly lower.
The diffusion plate 70 is formed of milky white acrylic resin.

The light guide plate 71 is provided inside the document table 4, and its end surface 71a is set to be flush with the side surface portion 4b of the document table 4 or slightly lower. Also,
The light guide plate 71 is formed of a transparent resin material, and the device of the present invention uses a transparent acrylic material. Furthermore, a dot shape 73 is silk-printed in a grid shape on the lower surface 71b of the light guide plate 71 (the surface opposite to the diffusion plate 70), and the pitch n between the dots is the optical axis 51 of the lens (of the document table 4). It is set to become narrower as it gets closer to the center.

Further, the position of the light guide plate 71 in the height direction with respect to the original table 4 is determined by the fluorescent lamp 1 of the illuminating device during storage.
5 is provided so as to be substantially the same as the center 72. Furthermore, the end surface 71a of the light guide plate 71 (side surface portion 4b of the document table 4) and the surface of the fluorescent lamp 15 (the side close to the light guide plate 71).
The distance m between and is preferably set to 5 mm or less.

In such a structure, the operation panel 11
When the illumination switch 12 is operated, the signal is sent to a system controller (not shown) to turn on the fluorescent lamp 15. Then, the light applied to the end surface 71 a of the light guide plate 71 is guided inside the light guide plate 71. The irradiated light 74 travels inside the light guide plate 71 while being reflected on the inner wall (boundary surface with air) of the light guide plate 71 several times. Each time the light interferes with the inner wall of the light guide plate 71, some light leaks to the outside (outside the light guide plate 71), so the amount of light proceeds while decreasing. The emitted light 74 interferes with the dots 73 printed on the lower surface of the light guide plate 71, so that the path of the light is converted from the direction of the diffusion plate 70 to be substantially vertical. The light 74 thus converted in the vertical direction is emitted to the outside of the light guide plate 71.

Further, the light source (fluorescent lamp 15) is the light guide plate 7.
The light irradiation rate is inevitably decreased toward the central portion of the document table 4 provided at both ends of the dot plate 1. However, since the light is evenly irradiated to the entire surface of the diffusion plate 70 as much as possible, the pitch of the dots 73 is small. n is made finer toward the center of the document table 4. As a result, the diffusion plate 70 emits light over its entire surface with a substantially uniform amount of light. In this case, if it is desired to further use the lighting device upright, it can be assembled and used as described in the above-described embodiment. Also at this time, when the illumination switch 12 is operated, the fluorescent lamp 15 is turned on, and a good image can be obtained.

By thus configuring the light source of the illuminating device so that it can also be used for transmitted illumination, the size and weight of the device main body can be reduced, and the cost of the entire device can be reduced. is there. Even in this case, proper operation of the device is guaranteed.

The present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments.
The specific numerical values and the like used in the above embodiments are not limited to them, and can be appropriately changed within the scope of the present invention.
For example, the rotating mechanism provided in each rotating portion of the lighting device has been described as a preferable example in which the rotating angle is 90 °, but it can be set to an appropriate angle larger or smaller than this. is there.

[0064]

As described above, according to the present invention, the supporting column for supporting the camera head is constructed so as to be capable of being raised and lowered from an oblique position of the document table, and the illuminating device is provided on the side surface of the document table, that is, outside the image pickup area. By foldably supporting the shaft, the degree of freedom of the subject at the time of image pickup can be effectively expanded, and the operability can be significantly improved. Also, by storing the lighting device outside the imaging area of the camera head,
There is no need to stand up the lighting device other than when it is in use, so there is no risk of interference with obstacles when operating (moving) the subject. Further, particularly when the lighting device is housed, the light source of the lighting device is also used as the light source for transillumination, so that there is an advantage that the cost of the entire device can be reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an overall configuration of an image input device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2A is a perspective view showing the configuration and operation of an illumination device according to the image input device of the present invention, and FIG.
It is sectional drawing which follows the line.

3 (a) and 3 (b) are perspective views showing the configuration and operation of the illumination device according to the image input device of the present invention, respectively.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of a lock unit of the illumination device according to the image input device of the present invention.

FIG. 5A is a perspective view and FIG. 5B is a sectional view showing a configuration example of a rotating mechanism of an illumination device according to the image input device of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a state during assembly and use of the image input apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 7A is a plan view for explaining the rotating operation of the camera head during storage in the image input device of the present invention.
(B) is a side view.

8 (a) and 8 (b) are perspective views for explaining the operation of the image input device of the present invention during storage.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a system controller in the image input apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the undulating position detecting means of the illumination device in the image input device of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of essential parts showing a modified example of the embodiment of the image input apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a configuration example of a conventional image input device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 lens 2 camera head 3 post 4 manuscript table 5 lighting device (right side) 6 lighting device (left side) 7 fulcrum 8 release lever 13 transmissive lighting device 14 lamp case 16 joint 18 support pipe 19 reflector 20 socket 21 turning base 22 times Moving member 23 Flat spring 24 Presser plate 52 Lock release button 53 Lock plate 54 Support shaft 55 Lock spring 56 Lock hole 57 Restriction plate 58 Lock pin 59 Position sensor 70 Diffuser plate 71 Light guide plate 72 Center 73 Dot shape

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Agency reference number FI Technical display location H04N 5/253

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A document table having a subject mounting surface, a camera head provided with a lens, a column that can be raised and lowered from the document table for supporting the camera head above the document table, and a subject is illuminated. And a illuminating device for supporting the camera head, the strut supporting the camera head can be erected from an oblique position of the document table, and the illuminating device can be folded on a side surface of the document table. Image input device. 2. The image input device according to claim 1, wherein the illumination device is housed so as not to project from the subject mounting surface of the document table. 3. The image input device according to claim 1, wherein the illuminating device is configured so as to also serve as a light source for the transillumination device when the illuminating device is housed.