Image reading device

Abstract

To reduce the operating area required when setting an original. [Solution] An image reading device 1 comprising a cylindrical housing 2, a cylindrical document setting section 4 arranged within the housing 2 and into which a cylindrically rolled document 3 is set, a document tip entrance 6 into which the document 3 set in the document setting section 4 rotates under the influence of rotational forces RL and RR, causing the leading edge 5 of the document 3 in the rotation direction to enter, a transport path 7 arranged within the housing 2 along which the document 3 that has entered the document tip entrance 6 is transported in the transport direction F under the influence of a transport force Cf, a reading section 8 that reads an image of the document 3 transported along the transport path 7, and a discharge section 9 from which the document 3 read by the reading section 8 is discharged.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image reading device. [Background technology]

[0002] An example of this type of conventional image reading device is disclosed in Patent Document 1. Patent Document 1 discloses a scanner device in which a document is inserted through an inlet, passes through a reading area of ​​a reading means in a housing, and is discharged from a document discharge outlet along a curved guide member. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-36272 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the scanner device described in Patent Document 1, a document is inserted into the inlet in a vertically oriented, flat state. The document is then taken into the housing from the inlet. Therefore, the operating area required to set a document in the inlet is larger than the scanner device itself, and an area for the document to be set is also required, resulting in a larger overall operating area. Furthermore, because a vertically oriented document inserted into the document feed slot is cantilevered, its orientation is unstable. Therefore, the user must support the document to maintain its orientation while it is being fed into the housing. This support is especially necessary for long documents such as A3 size documents. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above problem, the image reading device of the present invention is characterized by comprising a cylindrical housing, a cylindrical document setting section arranged within the housing in which a document rolled up in a cylindrical state is set, a document tip entrance into which the document set in the document setting section rotates under rotational force, causing the leading edge of the document in the rotation direction to enter, a transport path arranged within the housing along which the document that has entered the document tip entrance is transported in the transport direction under transport force, a reading section that reads an image of the document transported along the transport path, and a discharge section into which the document read by the reading section is discharged. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of an image reading apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the image reading device according to the first embodiment in a state where a document is set with a left-handed orientation. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the image reading apparatus according to the first embodiment in a state before a document is set. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional perspective view of an image reading apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is an overall perspective view illustrating how a document is set in the image reading device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating a state in which a document is transported in the image reading apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a main part corresponding to FIG. 6 of the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a main part for explaining removal of a document from the image reading device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the image reading device according to the first embodiment in a state where a document is set with the document wound clockwise. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating that the operating area of ​​the image reading apparatus as a whole according to the first embodiment can be reduced. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The present invention will now be briefly described. In order to solve the above problem, an image reading device according to a first aspect of the present invention is characterized by comprising a cylindrical housing, a cylindrical document setting section arranged within the housing in which a document rolled up in a cylindrical state is set, a document tip entrance into which the document set in the document setting section rotates under rotational force, causing the leading edge of the document in the rotation direction to enter, a transport path arranged within the housing along which the document that has entered the document tip entrance is transported in the transport direction under transport force, a reading section that reads an image of the document transported along the transport path, and a discharge section into which the document read by the reading section is discharged. Here, the term "cylindrical" in "cylindrical document setting section" does not necessarily mean that the document setting section is cylindrical in the strict sense, but is used in a good sense as long as the document setting section can be said to be cylindrical as a whole. In other words, it is sufficient that when a document rolled up in a cylindrical shape is set in the document setting section, the cylindrical rolled state of the document is maintained, and it is also acceptable for the document setting section to include a portion that is not cylindrical.

[0008] According to this aspect, the document setting device includes a cylindrical document setting section disposed within the cylindrical housing, in which a document rolled up in a cylindrical shape is set. In other words, the document setting section is formed in a cylindrical shape. Furthermore, the document is configured to be set in the cylindrical document setting section, not in a flat state, but rolled up in a cylindrical shape. As a result, the original is set in the cylindrical original setting section in a rolled-up state, eliminating the need for an area for setting the original as in the past, and making it possible to reduce the operating area. Also, the original set in the original setting section is supported over its entire length, rather than in a cantilevered state as in the past, so its posture is stable and it does not require support from the user as in the past. Furthermore, the document set in the document setting unit receives a rotational force and rotates, causing the leading edge of the document in the rotation direction to enter the document leading edge inlet.The document that has entered the document leading edge inlet is then fed by a conveying force along the conveying path in the conveying direction, and the image of the document is read by the reading unit.The conveying path and the reading unit are both located within the cylindrical housing, just like the document setting unit.This allows the operating area of ​​the entire image reading device to be reduced.

[0009] An image reading device according to a second aspect of the present invention is an aspect dependent on the first aspect, characterized in that the housing is formed in a cylindrical shape. Here, the term "cylindrical" in "the housing is formed in a cylindrical shape" does not necessarily mean that the housing is cylindrical in the strict sense, but is used in a good sense as long as the housing can be said to be cylindrical as a whole. In other words, it is used in a good sense as long as the reading unit, the transport path, etc. are arranged inside in addition to the cylindrical document setting unit, and the housing can be said to be cylindrical as a whole. For example, it is used in a sense that includes an ellipse in a plan view.

[0010] According to this aspect, the housing is formed in a cylindrical shape. That is, by designing the cylindrical shape of the housing to match the cylindrical shape of the document setting section, it is possible to prevent wasted space from being generated and reduce the overall operating area of ​​the image reading device.

[0011] An image reading device according to a third aspect of the present invention is an aspect dependent on the second aspect, characterized in that the discharge section is located outside the document setting section and along the inner surface of the housing, the inner surface of the housing is used as part of its components, and the document discharged has a curved surface that follows the inner surface of the housing.

[0012] According to this aspect, the discharge section is located outside the document setting section and along the inner surface of the housing, and the document discharged to the discharge section has a curved surface that conforms to the inner surface of the housing. That is, the discharge section is provided along the inner surface of the cylindrical housing, not on the outside. This eliminates the need for an area outside the housing for the document discharged to the discharge section, thereby further reducing the operating area.

[0013] An image reading device according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is an aspect dependent on the third aspect, and is characterized in that the discharge section has a removal section created by removing a portion of the upper side of the housing, and the document discharged to the discharge section can be removed from the removal section.

[0014] According to this aspect, the document discharged to the discharge section can be taken out from the take-out section, which makes it easy to take out the document discharged to the discharge section.

[0015] The image reading device according to the fifth aspect of the present invention is an aspect dependent on the fourth aspect, and is characterized in that the removal portion is curved from the upper side to the lower side of the housing.

[0016] According to this aspect, the removal section is formed by cutting out a curved line from the top side to the bottom side of the housing, so that the document discharged to the discharge section has an exposed area formed in a curved line, making it even easier to remove the document.

[0017] An image reading device according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is an aspect dependent on the fourth aspect, in which the document setting unit includes a cylindrical peripheral wall, a set guide disposed within the peripheral wall and protruding upward, and a set opening between an upper portion of the set guide and an upper portion of the peripheral wall for inserting the document toward the lower portion. The document wound into a cylindrical shape is inserted through the set opening and set in the area between the set guide and the inner surface of the peripheral wall, and is subjected to the rotational force to enter the document leading end inlet. This aspect can also be subordinate to any one of the second to fifth aspects.

[0018] According to this aspect, the document setting section includes the cylindrical peripheral wall, the setting guide disposed within the peripheral wall, and the setting opening for placing the document in. This allows the document, which is wound into a cylindrical shape, to be placed into the document setting section through the setting opening with the setting guide positioned at the center of the cylindrical document, making it easy for the user to set the document. Furthermore, when the original document is inserted through the setting opening into a cylindrical state, it is set in the area between the setting guide and the peripheral wall. A cylindrically wound original document will attempt to return to a flat state due to a restoring force if there is nothing to maintain its wound state. Therefore, the set original document expands toward the inner surface of the peripheral wall due to the restoring force resulting from the cylindrical winding, and comes into contact with the inner surface of the peripheral wall. This stabilizes the set state of the original document set in the original setting section, and by rotating the original document in this stable state, the leading edge can enter the original leading edge inlet.

[0019] An image reading device according to a seventh aspect of the present invention is an aspect dependent on the sixth aspect and is characterized in that it includes a rotation imparting section that imparts the rotational force to the document set in the document setting section.

[0020] According to this aspect, the rotation imparting section is configured to impart the rotational force to the document set in the document setting section. As a result, the document is set in the document setting section and the rotational force is imparted from the rotation imparting section to the document in a stable state in contact with the inner surface of the peripheral wall. Since the document receives the rotational force from the rotation imparting section in this stable state, the rotational force is effectively transmitted to the document, allowing the document to smoothly enter the document leading edge inlet.

[0021] An image reading device according to an eighth aspect of the present invention is an aspect dependent on the sixth aspect, and is characterized in that the distance between the set guide and the inner surface of the peripheral wall becomes smaller from top to bottom. This aspect can also be subordinate to the seventh aspect.

[0022] According to this aspect, the gap between the set guide and the inner surface of the peripheral wall is configured to decrease from top to bottom. In other words, the set guide is configured so that its outer diameter is small at the top and increases toward the bottom. This makes it easy to insert the cylindrically wound document from the setting opening toward the bottom because the outer diameter of the set guide is small at the top. Furthermore, the document inserted so as to surround the set guide from all sides increases in outer diameter toward the bottom, so the document receives a force in the direction of increasing the diameter of the cylindrical document due to the expansion of the outer diameter of the set guide, i.e., a force in the direction of expanding. This makes it easier for the outer surface of the cylindrically wound document to come into contact with the inner surface of the peripheral wall.

[0023] An image reading device according to a ninth aspect of the present invention is an aspect dependent on the first aspect, and is characterized in that the document tip entrance has a first entrance and a second entrance through which the document enters depending on the winding direction of the document rotating in response to the rotational force. Here, the "winding direction of the document" means whether the document is wound clockwise or counterclockwise in a plan view when the document is wound cylindrically and set in the document setting section. The definitions of clockwise and counterclockwise winding will be described later. This aspect can also be subordinate to any one of the second to eighth aspects.

[0024] According to this aspect, the document front end inlet includes the first inlet and the second inlet through which the document enters depending on the winding direction of the document, which allows the user to insert the cylindrically wound document into the document setting unit without worrying about the winding direction of the document, making handling easy.

[0025] An image reading device according to a tenth aspect of the present invention is an aspect dependent on the ninth aspect, and is characterized in that it comprises a rotation imparting unit capable of imparting rotational forces in both counterclockwise and clockwise directions to the document set in the document setting unit, and the leading edge of the document rotated by the rotation imparting unit enters the first entrance or the second entrance.

[0026] According to this aspect, the rotation imparting unit can impart rotational forces in both counterclockwise and clockwise directions to the document set in the document setting unit. The leading edge of the document rotated by the rotation imparting unit enters the first inlet or the second inlet. This allows a user to insert the document into the document setting unit without worrying about the winding direction of the cylindrically wound document, and the rotation of the rotation imparting unit allows the leading edge of the document to enter the first inlet or the second inlet. Furthermore, the original is set in the original setting section and is applied with the rotational force from the rotation applying section in a stable state in contact with the inner surface of the peripheral wall. That is, since the original receives the rotational force from the rotation applying section in a stable state within the original setting section, the rotational force is transmitted to the original more effectively, and the original smoothly enters the original leading edge entrance.

[0027] An image reading device according to an eleventh aspect of the present invention is an aspect dependent on the tenth aspect, characterized in that the first entrance is provided with a first detection unit that detects the entry of the leading edge of the document, and the second entrance is provided with a second detection unit that detects the entry of the leading edge of the document, and if both the first detection unit and the second detection unit are in a non-detecting state at a predetermined time after the counterclockwise or clockwise rotational force is applied to the document, the direction of the rotational force is controlled to be switched to the opposite direction.

[0028] According to this aspect, the first entrance is provided with the first detection unit, and the second entrance is provided with the second detection unit. If both the first detection unit and the second detection unit are in a non-detecting state a predetermined time after the counterclockwise or clockwise rotation force is applied to the document, the control unit controls the direction of the rotation force to be reversed. This allows a user to insert the document into the document setting unit without worrying about the winding direction of the cylindrically wound document, and the leading edge of the document can automatically enter the first entrance or the second entrance due to the rotation of the rotation applying unit.

[0029] An image reading device according to a twelfth aspect of the present invention is an aspect dependent on the ninth aspect, and is characterized in that the conveying path comprises a first conveying path having the first inlet and a second conveying path having the second inlet, the downstream end of the first conveying path in the conveying direction and the downstream end of the second conveying path merge to form a third conveying path, and the reading unit is arranged on the third conveying path. This aspect can also be subordinate to the tenth or eleventh aspect.

[0030] According to this aspect, the downstream end of the first transport path in the transport direction and the downstream end of the second transport path merge to form a third transport path, and the reading unit is disposed on the third transport path. As a result, the leading edge of the document rolled into a cylindrical shape enters the first entrance or the second entrance depending on the direction of roll, and the first transport path and the second transport path merge to be transported on the third transport path, which is a common transport path. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which transport paths are disposed for each direction of roll of the document, the image reading device can be made more compact. Furthermore, the reading unit reads the image of the document being transported along the third transport path, which is the common transport path. As a result, both the document entering through the first entrance and the document entering through the second entrance are read by the reading unit while being transported along the third transport path. In other words, the images of the document entering through the first entrance and the document entering through the second entrance can be read under the same conditions.

[0031] An image reading device according to a 13th aspect of the present invention is an aspect dependent on the 12th aspect, and is characterized in that the reading unit has a first reading unit that reads an image on the first side of the document and a second reading unit that reads an image on the second side of the document, and in that, in a planar view with respect to a straight line passing through the third conveying path, the first reading unit and the second reading unit are arranged line-symmetrically, the first conveying path and the second conveying path are arranged line-symmetrically, and the center of the cylindrical set guide is located on the straight line.

[0032] According to this aspect, the first reading unit and the second reading unit are arranged line-symmetrically with respect to the straight line passing through the third transport path in a plan view, and the first transport path and the second transport path are arranged line-symmetrically. Furthermore, the center of the cylindrical set guide is configured to be located on the straight line. As a result, regardless of whether the document is wound left-handed or right-handed, the line-symmetrical arrangement can stabilize the transportability of the document.

[0033] [Embodiment] An image reading device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to FIGS. In the following explanation, the three mutually orthogonal axes are referred to as the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis, as shown in each figure. The directions indicated by the arrows on the three axes (X, Y, Z) are the + directions of each axis, and the opposite directions are the - directions. The Z-axis direction corresponds to the vertical direction, i.e., the direction in which gravity acts, the +Z direction indicates a vertically upward direction, and the -Z direction indicates a vertically downward direction. The X-axis and Y-axis directions correspond to horizontal directions. The +Y direction indicates the front direction of the device, and the -Y direction indicates the rear direction of the device. The +X direction indicates the right direction of the device, and the -X direction indicates the left direction of the device.

[0034] The image reading device of this embodiment is a scanner capable of reading an image on a document. Here, the image means anything visually recorded on the document, such as characters, figures, tables, pictures, photographs, etc. The original document may be a sheet that can be rolled into a cylindrical shape, such as an A4 or A3 sheet on which the image is recorded.

[0035] [Embodiment 1] As shown in Figures 1 to 5, the image reading device 1 of embodiment 1 includes a cylindrical housing 2, a cylindrical document setting section 4 arranged inside the housing 2 and in which a cylindrically rolled document 3 (Figures 2 and 5) is set, and a document leading edge entrance 6 into which the leading edge 5 of the document 3 in the rotational direction enters as the document 3 set in the document setting section 4 rotates due to rotational forces RL and RR. Furthermore, the image reading device 1 is arranged within the housing 2 and is equipped with a transport path 7 along which the original 3 that has entered the original tip entrance 6 is subjected to a transport force Cf and transported in the transport direction F, a reading unit 8 that reads the image of the original 3 transported along the transport path 7, and an ejection unit 9 from which the original 3 read by the reading unit 8 is ejected.

[0036] <Case> As shown in FIG. 1, the image reading device 1 of this embodiment includes a cylindrical housing 2 as a component that forms the exterior. In this embodiment, the housing 2 is formed in a cylindrical shape. Here, in this specification, the term "cylindrical" does not necessarily mean that the housing 2 is cylindrical in the strict sense, but rather is used in a positive sense as long as the housing 2 can be said to have a cylindrical shape overall. For example, it may be a cylindrical body that is elliptical in plan view. Note that the cylindrical housing 2 is not limited to a cylindrical shape, and may be a polygonal cylindrical shape such as a rectangular cylindrical shape. In this embodiment, the top of the housing 2 is open upward. A cap (not shown) may be provided on the top of the housing 2. This allows the open top to be covered with the cap to protect the inside when the image reading device 1 is not in use. It is preferable that the cap is formed in a cylindrical shape like the housing 2 so that the overall appearance of the image reading device 1 is cylindrical.

[0037] <Manuscript setting section> 1 to 5, the image reading device 1 has a document setting unit 4 disposed in a housing 2. As described above, the document setting unit 4 is formed in a cylindrical shape so that a document rolled up in a cylindrical shape can be set therein. Here, the document setting unit 4 being "cylindrical" does not necessarily have to be cylindrical in the strict sense, but may be anything that can be said to be cylindrical overall. In other words, when the document 3 rolled up in a cylindrical shape is set in the document setting unit 4, it is sufficient that the state of the document 3 rolled up in a cylindrical shape is maintained, and it may include a portion that is not cylindrical.

[0038] In this embodiment, the document setting section 4 is configured to include a cylindrical peripheral wall 11, a setting guide 14, and a setting opening 16. The set guide 14 is disposed inside the cylindrical peripheral wall 11 and protrudes upward from the bottom. The cylindrical peripheral wall 11 has a bottom 19, and the set guide 14 is fixed to the bottom 19. The setting opening 16 is an opening between the upper portion 13 of the setting guide 14 and the upper portion 15 of the peripheral wall 11 for inserting the document 3 toward the lower portion 12 of the setting guide 14 . 4, the gap G between the outer surface 18 of the set guide 14 and the inner surface 17 of the peripheral wall 11 is configured to gradually decrease from top to bottom. In other words, in this embodiment, the gap G is created by forming the outer surface 18 of the set guide 14 into a conical shape.

[0039] As shown in Figure 5, the original 3 rolled up into a cylindrical shape is inserted downward through the setting opening 16 and set in the area 20 between the set guide 14 and the inner surface 17 of the peripheral wall 11. If there is nothing to maintain the rolled state, the original 3 rolled up into a cylindrical shape will return to a flat state due to its restoring force. Therefore, the set original 3 will expand toward the inner surface 17 of the peripheral wall 11 due to the restoring force and come into contact with the inner surface 17 of the peripheral wall 11. The original 3, which is rolled up into a cylindrical shape, is set in area 20 of the original setting section 4 and is subjected to rotational forces RL and RR, which will be described later, so that the leading edge 5 of the original 3 in the rotation direction enters the original leading edge entrance 6.

[0040] The original 3 wound into a cylindrical shape can be easily made by, for example, manually winding a flat original 3. The cylindrically wound original 3 will be wound left or right depending on the direction in which it is inserted into the setting opening 16. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, if the cylindrically wound original 3 is labeled with reference numeral 21 at one end and reference numeral 22 at the other end, and the original 3 is inserted with one end 21 facing downward and the other end 22 facing upward, the original will be set in a left-handed state. Conversely, if the original 3 is inserted with the other end 22 facing downward, the original will be set in a right-handed state. Here, the winding direction of the original 3 in a wound state is defined as left-handed when it is wound from the center toward the outside as shown by the solid line in Figure 5, i.e., counterclockwise, and right-handed when it is wound from the center toward the outside as shown by the dashed line in Figure 5, i.e., clockwise.

[0041] <Document tip entrance> In this embodiment, the following configuration is provided so that the leading edge 5 of the document 3 can enter the document leading edge entrance 6 whether the document 3 is set in the document setting section 4 in a left-handed state or in a right-handed state. First, as shown in FIG. 2, the document leading edge entrance 6 has a first entrance 61 and a second entrance 62 through which the leading edge 5 of the document 3 enters depending on the winding direction of the document 3 that rotates in response to the rotational forces RL and RR described below, i.e., whether it is left-handed or right-handed. The transport path 7 includes a first transport path 71 having a first entrance 61 and a second transport path 72 having a second entrance 62. The downstream end of the first transport path 71 in the transport direction F and the downstream end of the second transport path 72 merge to form a third transport path 73. The third transport path 73 is a straight path. The reading unit 8 is disposed on the third transport path 73, which is a straight path.

[0042] The first inlet 61 and the second inlet 62 are formed by the inlet forming member 27 and the inner surface 17 of the peripheral wall 11. The inlet forming member 27 has a base portion 28 and a guide portion 29. The base portion 28 is disposed opposite the set guide 14 and has a concave curved surface 30. The concave surface 30 and the inner surface 17 of the peripheral wall 11 form a substantially circular setting opening 16 in the document setting section 4. As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the concave surface 30 and the inner surface 17 of the peripheral wall 11 form an area 20 in the document setting section 4 where the document 3 is set. In this embodiment, the first inlet 61 is formed as a gap or opening formed by the first end 281 of the base portion 28 facing the inner surface 17 of the peripheral wall 11 at a distance from the inner surface 17. The second inlet 62 is formed as a gap or opening formed by the second end 282 of the base portion 28 facing the inner surface 17 of the peripheral wall 11 at a distance from the inner surface 17 of the peripheral wall 11.

[0043] The guide portion 29 is integrally provided to protrude from the convex curved surface 31 opposite the concave curved surface 30 of the base portion 28 at a position on a straight line L passing through the third transport path 73. In other words, the guide portion 29 is disposed at the center of the base portion 28 in a horizontal direction (Y-axis direction) that intersects with the direction of the straight line L (X-axis direction). The guide portion 29 has a shape that tapers in the transport direction F. A first surface 291 forming one tapered surface of the guide portion 29 constitutes a part of the first transport path 71 together with the convex curved surface 31 of the base portion 28. A second surface 292 forming the other tapered surface of the guide portion 29 constitutes a part of the second transport path 72 together with the convex curved surface 31 of the base portion 28.

[0044] The peripheral wall 11 is integrally connected to a first path forming member 711 that forms part of the first transport path 71 at the first inlet 61. The first path forming member 711 is further integrally connected to a third path forming member 731 that is one of the third transport path 73. Furthermore, the peripheral wall 11 is integrally connected to a second path component 722 that constitutes the second transport path 72 at the second inlet 62. The second path component 722 is further integrally connected to the other third path component 732 of the third transport path 73.

[0045] <Rotation imparting part> In this embodiment, the document setting unit 4 includes a rotation imparting unit 23 that imparts a rotational force to the document 3 set in the area 20. The rotation imparting unit 23 is configured to be able to switch between a left-handed rotational force RL, which corresponds to a counterclockwise rotation, and a right-handed rotational force RR, which corresponds to a clockwise rotation, and apply these rotational forces to the document 3. The rotation imparting units 23 are provided at two locations spaced approximately 180 degrees apart in the circumferential direction in a horizontal plane. As a specific structure, the rotation imparting unit 23 is configured by providing a rotary roller 24 on the peripheral wall 11. A through hole 32 is provided in the peripheral wall 11. A portion of the rotary roller 24 protrudes from the inner surface 17 of the peripheral wall 11 through the through hole 32 so as to be able to come into contact with the surface of the document 3.

[0046] The rotating roller 24 has rollers 26 fixed to a rotating shaft 25 that is provided along the Z-axis direction. Two or more rollers 26 are fixed to the rotating shaft 25 at a distance from each other in the Z-axis direction. When the rotating shaft 25 rotates, the rollers 26 rotate integrally. Rotational power is transmitted to the rotating shaft 25 from a motor (not shown), causing it to rotate. As shown in FIG. 4, here, two rollers 26 are provided at positions below the upper portion 13 and above the lower portion 12 of the set guide 14 in the Z-axis direction. As described above, when the original 3 rolled up in a cylindrical shape is set in the area 20 of the original setting section 4, it is subjected to rotational forces RL and RR (Figure 2), so that the leading edge 5 of the original 3 in the rotation direction enters the first entrance 61 or the second entrance 62 of the original leading entrance 6.

[0047] In this embodiment, the first entrance 61 is provided with a first detector 331 that detects the entrance of the leading edge 5 of the document 3. The second entrance 62 is provided with a second detector 332 that detects the entrance of the leading edge 5 of the document 3. Here, the first detector 331 and the second detector 332 are mechanical lever sensors, but are not limited to this and may be, for example, an optical sensor or the like. If the first and second detection units 331 and 332 are both in a non-detecting state after a predetermined time has elapsed since the counterclockwise rotational force RL or the clockwise rotational force RR was applied to the document 3, a control unit (not shown) is configured to control the direction of the rotational force to be switched to the opposite direction. The predetermined time is set to the rotation time required for the leading edge 5 of the document 3 to rotate one or more revolutions. Here, if the first detection unit 331 is in a non-detecting state a predetermined time after a counterclockwise rotational force RL is applied to the document 3, the direction of the rotational force is switched to a clockwise rotational force RR, which is the opposite direction.

[0048] The control unit controls the operation of the rotation applying unit based on the detection information of the first detection unit 331 and the second detection unit 332. The control unit further controls the transport operation by the transport unit 34 and the reading operation of the image of the original 3 by the reading unit 8, which will be described later. The control unit includes a CPU, a flash ROM, and a RAM. The CPU performs various arithmetic processing in accordance with programs stored in the flash ROM and controls the overall operation of the image reading device 1. The flash ROM, which is an example of a storage means, is a non-volatile memory that can be read and written. The RAM, which is also an example of a storage means, temporarily stores various pieces of information. An operation panel (not shown) is disposed on the housing 2 of the image reading device 1. For example, a bendable operation panel is disposed along the outer peripheral surface of the housing 2.

[0049] <Transportation route> As shown in FIG. 2, the transport path 7 is provided with a transport section 34 that applies a transport force Cf to the document 3 to feed it in the transport direction F. The transport section 34 is made up of transport rollers. As part of the transport section 34, a first transport roller 341 is provided on the first transport path 71. The first transport roller 341 is provided at two locations along the transport direction F. Furthermore, as part of the transport section 34, a second transport roller 342 is provided on the second transport path 72. The second transport roller 342 is provided at two locations along the transport direction F. The first transport roller 341 is provided in a state in which it can come into contact with the original 3 via a through-hole (not shown) formed in the first path forming member 711, and can apply a transport force Cf to the original 3. The second transport roller 342 is provided in a state in which it can come into contact with the original 3 via a through-hole (not shown) formed in the second path forming member 722, and can apply a transport force Cf to the original 3.

[0050] The first transport rollers 341, 341 are arranged so as to contact the original 3 that has entered the first entrance 61 from the same side as the rotating roller 24. In the first transport path 71, the original 3 expands due to the restoring force resulting from being rolled into a cylindrical shape, and comes into contact with the first transport rollers 341, 341. Therefore, a transport force Cf due to the rotation of the first transport rollers 341, 341 is applied to the original 3, and the original 3 can be sent in the transport direction F. The second transport rollers 342, 342 are also arranged to contact the document 3 that has entered the second entrance 62 from the same side as the rotating roller 24. In the second transport path 72, the document 3 expands due to the restoring force resulting from being wound into a cylindrical shape, and comes into contact with the second transport rollers 342, 342. Therefore, a transport force Cf due to the rotation of the second transport rollers 342, 342 is applied to the document 3, and the document 3 can be sent in the transport direction F.

[0051] The conveying section 34 further includes a third pair of conveying rollers 35 that sandwich the document 3 from both sides and apply a conveying force Cf to the document 3. The third pair of conveying rollers 35 is provided at two locations along the conveying direction F. As the third transport roller pair 35, one third transport roller 351, which is one of the pair, is provided on one third path component 731 that forms the third transport path 73. One third transport roller 351 is provided in a state in which it can come into contact with one side of the document 3 through a through-hole (not shown) formed in one third path component 731. Furthermore, as the third transport roller pair 35, the other third transport roller 352 of the pair is provided on the other third path component member 732 that forms the third transport path 73. The other third transport roller 352 is provided in a state in which it can come into contact with the other surface of the document 3 through a through hole (not shown) that is formed in the other third path component member 732.

[0052] The first transport roller 341, the second transport roller 342, and the third transport roller pair 35 are rotated by rotational power transmitted from a motor (not shown) via a gear train 40 that forms a power transmission mechanism. The gear train 40 is disposed further below the bottom 19 of the peripheral wall 11. The image reading device 1 of this embodiment is configured to be less likely to tip over by disposing heavy components such as a drive motor in addition to the gear train 40 at the bottom to lower the center of gravity. In this embodiment, both the third transport roller 351 and the other third transport roller 352 are drive rollers that rotate by receiving the power, but one of them may be configured as a driven roller.

[0053] 2, the reading unit 8 includes a first reading unit 81 that reads an image on a first side of the document 3, and a second reading unit 82 that reads an image on a second side opposite to the first side. The first reading unit 81 is disposed between one of the third transport rollers 351, 351 provided at the two locations in the transport direction F. Similarly, the second reading unit 82 is disposed between the other of the third transport rollers 352, 352 provided at the two locations in the transport direction F. An original detection unit (not shown) is provided at a position downstream of the position where the first transport path 71 and the second transport path 72 of the transport path 7 join and upstream of the third transport roller pair 35. The third transport path 73, where the image of the original 3 is read by the reading unit 8, is configured to transport the original 3 with high precision based on the position information of the leading edge 5 of the original 3 sensed by the original detection unit.

[0054] <Discharge section> As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, in this embodiment, the discharge section 9 is located outside the document setting section 4 and along the inner surface 36 of the housing 2. The discharge section 9 is configured to exist along the entire periphery of the inner surface 36 of the housing 2. The discharge section 9 is connected to the third transport path 73. The discharge section 9 has the inner surface 36 of the housing 2 as a part of its constituent elements and is equipped with a partition section 37. The partition screen portion 37 is configured to exist around the entire periphery along the inner surface 36 of the housing 2. A portion of the partition screen portion 37 is formed using the outer surface of the peripheral wall 11. That is, a portion of the partition screen portion 37 is integrally connected to one third path component member 731 at a connection point P1, and is further integrally connected to the peripheral wall 11 at a connection point P2. The other portion of the partition screen portion 37 is integrally connected to the other third path component member 732 at a connection point P3, and is further integrally connected to the peripheral wall 11 at a connection point P4. That is, the document 3 discharged from the third conveying path 73 to the discharge section 9 is configured to have a curved surface that follows the inner surface 36 of the housing 2 in the area between the inner surface 17 of the housing 2 and the partition screen section 37.

[0055] 1 and 5, in this embodiment, the discharge section 9 is formed by cutting away a portion of the upper side of the housing 2 to form a take-out section 38. The document 3 discharged to the discharge section 9 can be taken out from the take-out section 38. Specifically, the take-out section 38 is cut away in a curved shape from the upper side to the lower side of the housing 2. As a result, as shown in FIG. 1, the partition screen section 37 is exposed to the outside at the portion corresponding to the take-out section 38. In this embodiment, a cover 39 is installed on the top surface of the partition section 37 that forms the discharge section 9. With the cover 39 installed, the setting opening 16 of the document setting section 4 and the top of the discharge section 9 are open. Here, the cover 39 is divided into two, a first cover 391 and a second cover 392, but it may also be made as a single unit without being divided. 2 and 3 show the state where one of the first covers 391 is removed.

[0056] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, in this embodiment, as described above, the reading unit 8 has a first reading unit 81 that reads an image on the first side of the document 3, and a second reading unit 82 that reads an image on the second side of the document 3, which is opposite to the first side. In plan view, the first reading unit 81 and the second reading unit 82 are arranged line-symmetrically with respect to the position of the straight line L passing through the third transport path 73, and the first transport path 71 and the second transport path 72 are arranged line-symmetrically with respect to the position of the straight line L. Furthermore, the cylindrical set guide 14 is arranged so that its center C is located on the straight line L. The first reading unit 81 and the second reading unit 82 are each equipped with an image reading sensor (CIS: Contact Image Sensor) as a processing unit that performs image reading processing, and are elongated in the Z-axis direction as shown in Fig. 4. The image of the document 3 being conveyed is read as it passes through the reading position of the CIS.

[0057] <Description of Image Reading Operation by Image Reading Apparatus of Embodiment 1> (1) As shown in Fig. 5, the original 3 is rolled up and inserted from above into the original setting section 4 of the image reading device 1. The set original 3 is expanded by the restoring force toward the inner surface 17 of the peripheral wall 11 and the concave curved surface 30 of the inlet forming member 27 located around it. Then, the original 3 comes into contact with the inner surface 17, the rotation imparting section 23, and the concave curved surface 30. (2) Next, a read start switch (not shown) is turned ON. This causes the rotation roller 24 of the rotation applying unit 23 to start rotating, and in this embodiment, a counterclockwise rotational force RL is applied to the set document 3 for a predetermined period of time. When the read start switch is turned ON, the first conveyance roller 341, the second conveyance roller 342, and the third conveyance roller pair 35 that form the conveyance unit 34 also start rotating.

[0058] (3) When the winding direction of the set document 3 is left-handed as shown in FIG. 2, in other words, counterclockwise, the rotational force RL moves the leading edge 5 of the document 3 toward the first entrance 61 and enters the first entrance 61 within the specified time. (4) The entry of the leading edge 5 into the first entrance 61 is detected by the first detection unit 331, and the original 3 receives a conveying force Cf from the first conveying roller 341 that forms part of the conveying unit 34 and is conveyed along the first conveying path 71 in the conveying direction F. That is, the original 3 receives the conveying force Cf and the rotational force RL and is conveyed in the conveying direction F.

[0059] (5) Subsequently, the document 3 receives the conveying force Cf from the third conveying roller pair 35 and is conveyed along the third conveying path 73 in the conveying direction F. At this point, the document 3 receives the conveying force Cf from the third conveying roller pair 35, the conveying force Cf from the first conveying roller 341, and the rotation force RL from the rotation imparting unit 23 and is conveyed along the conveying path 73 in the conveying direction F. (6) When the original 3 is transported along the third transport path 73, the image of the original 3 is read by the first reading unit 81 and the second reading unit 82. The third transport path 73, where the image of the original 3 is read, is configured to transport the original 3 with high precision based on the position information of the leading edge 5 of the original 3 sensed by the original detection unit. As described above, the original detection unit is provided at the entrance of the third transport path 73. (7) The original 3, whose image has been read on the third transport path 73, is sent to the discharge section 9. FIGS. 6 and 7 show a state in which the leading edge of the original 3 has entered the discharge section 9, but the trailing edge of the original 3 is still within the first transport path 71 and the third transport path 73. (8) When the trailing edge of the original 3 passes through the third transport path 73, the entire original 3 is discharged to the discharge section 9. Figure 8 shows the state in which the original 3 discharged to the discharge section 9 is being lifted upward by the removal section 38 and is about to be removed.

[0060] (9) In the above step (3), if the winding direction of the set document 3 is right-handed as shown in Fig. 9, in other words, clockwise, the document 3 is rotated by the rotational force RL, but even after the predetermined time has elapsed, both the first detector 331 and the second detector 332 remain in a non-detecting state. Based on this non-detecting state, the state in which the original rotational force RL is applied to the document 3 is switched to a state in which a rotational force RR in the opposite direction to the rotational force RL is applied. (10) The leading edge 5 of the document 3 moves toward the second entrance 62 due to the rotational force RR, and enters the second entrance 62 within the predetermined time. (11) The entry of the leading edge 5 into the second entrance 62 is detected by the second detection unit 332, and the document 3 receives a conveying force Cf from the second conveying roller 342 that forms part of the conveying unit 34 and is conveyed in the conveying direction F along the second conveying path 72. (12) After this, the steps are the same as those described above in (5) to (8).

[0061] In this embodiment, in the step (2) above, the rotating roller 24 is set to apply a counterclockwise rotational force RL to the set document 3 for a predetermined time, but it may also be set to apply a clockwise rotational force RR in the opposite direction for a predetermined time. In this case, in the above step (3), the leading edge 5 of the document 3 does not enter the first entrance 61 within the specified time, so after the specified time has elapsed, the state switches to one in which a rotational force RL in the opposite direction to the rotational force RR is applied. Then, the leading edge 5 of the document 3 moves toward the first entrance 61 due to the rotational force RL, and enters the first entrance 61 within the predetermined time. The subsequent steps are the same as those from (4) to (8).

[0062] <Explanation of Effects of First Embodiment> (1-1) The image reading device 1 of this embodiment is provided with a cylindrical document setting section 4 that is disposed inside a cylindrical housing 2 and into which a cylindrically rolled document 3 is set. In other words, the document setting section 4 is formed in a cylindrical shape. Furthermore, the document 3 is configured to be placed in the cylindrical document setting section 4 and set not in a flat state but in a cylindrically rolled state. As a result, the original 3 is set in the cylindrical original setting section 4 in a rolled-up state, eliminating the need for an area for the original to be set as in the past, and making it possible to reduce the operating area. Furthermore, the original 3 set in the original setting section 4 is not in a cantilevered state as in the past, but is supported all over, so its posture is stable and it does not require support from the user as in the past. (1-2) Furthermore, the document 3 set in the document setting unit 4 receives rotational forces RL and RR and rotates, causing the leading edge 5 of the document 3 in the rotation direction to enter the document leading edge inlet 6. The document 3 that has entered the document leading edge inlet 6 is then further subjected to a conveying force Cf and conveyed along the conveying path 7 in the conveying direction F, and the image of the document 3 is read by the reading unit 8. Both the conveying path 7 and the reading unit 8 are arranged inside the cylindrical housing 2, just like the document setting unit 4. This allows the operating area of ​​the image reading device 1 as a whole to be reduced.

[0063] 10 is a plan view showing that the operating area of ​​the entire image reading device 1 can be reduced. A normal image reading device 100 is shown on the left side of the image reading device 1 of this embodiment. The image reading device 100 includes a document setting unit 101, an image reading unit 102, and a document discharge unit 103. A flat document 104 is set in a flat state in the document setting unit 101. The document 104 is transported by a transport unit (not shown), the image is read by the image reading unit 102, and the document is discharged in a flat state to the document discharge unit 103. It can be easily understood that the image reading device 1 of this embodiment can reduce the overall operating area compared to the normal image reading device 100. For example, by comparing the dimension a and the dimension b along the Y axis, it can be easily understood that the image reading device 1 of this embodiment can reduce the overall operating area compared to the normal image reading device 100.

[0064] (2) In this embodiment, the housing 2 is formed in a cylindrical shape. By designing the cylindrical shape of the housing 2 to match the cylindrical shape of the document setting unit 4, it is possible to reduce wasted space and reduce the overall operating area of ​​the image reading device 1. (3) In addition, in this embodiment, the discharge unit 9 is located outside the document setting unit 4 and along the inner surface 36 of the housing 2, and the document 3 discharged to the discharge unit 9 has a curved surface that follows the inner surface 36 of the housing 2. In other words, the discharge unit 9 is provided along the inner surface 36 inside, not outside, the cylindrical housing 2. As a result, an area for the document discharged to the discharge unit 9 is not required outside the housing 2, and the operating area can be further reduced.

[0065] (4) In addition, in this embodiment, the original 3 discharged to the discharge section 9 can be removed from the removal section 38. This makes it easy to remove the original 3 discharged to the discharge section 9. (5) In this embodiment, the removal section 38 is formed by cutting out a curved line from the top to the bottom of the housing 2. This creates an exposed area in a curved line for the document 3 discharged to the discharge section 9, making it even easier to remove the document 3.

[0066] (6) In this embodiment, the document setting section 4 includes a cylindrical peripheral wall 11, a setting guide 14 disposed within the peripheral wall 11, and a setting opening 16 for inserting the document 3. This allows the user to insert the document 3, which is rolled up into a cylinder, into the document setting section 4 through the setting opening 16 with the setting guide 14 positioned at the center of the cylindrical document 3, making it easy for the user to set the document 3. Furthermore, when the original 3 is rolled up into a cylindrical shape, it is placed through the setting opening 16 and set in the area 20 between the set guide 14 and the peripheral wall 11. The original 3 rolled up into a cylindrical shape will attempt to return to a flat state due to its restoring force if there is nothing to maintain its rolled state. Therefore, the set original 3 spreads out toward the inner surface 17 of the peripheral wall 11 due to the restoring force resulting from being rolled up into a cylindrical shape, and comes into contact with the inner surface 17 of the peripheral wall 11. This stabilizes the set state of the original 3 set in the original setting section 4, and by rotating the original 3 in this stable state, the leading edge 5 can be inserted into the original leading edge inlet 6.

[0067] (7) In this embodiment, the gap G ( FIG. 4 ) between the set guide 14 and the inner surface 17 of the peripheral wall 11 is configured to decrease from top to bottom. In other words, the set guide 14 is configured so that the outer diameter is small at the upper portion 13 and increases toward the lower portion 12. This allows the cylindrically wound document 3 to be easily inserted through the setting opening 16 toward the bottom 19 because the outer diameter of the upper portion 13 of the set guide 14 is small. Furthermore, when the document 3 is inserted so that it surrounds the set guide 14, the outer diameter of the set guide 14 increases toward the lower portion 12. Therefore, the document 3 receives a force in the direction that increases the diameter of the cylindrically wound document 3 due to the expansion of the outer diameter of the set guide 14, i.e., a force in the direction that expands the document 3. This makes it easier for the outer surface of the cylindrically wound document 3 to come into contact with the inner surface 17 of the peripheral wall 11.

[0068] (8) In this embodiment, the document leading edge entrance 6 includes a first entrance 61 and a second entrance 62 through which the leading edge 5 of the document 3 can enter depending on the winding direction of the document 3. This allows the user to insert the cylindrically wound document 3 into the document setting unit 4 without worrying about the winding direction, making handling easy. (9) In addition, in this embodiment, the rotation applying unit 23 can apply rotational forces RL and RR in both the counterclockwise and clockwise directions to the document 3 set in the document setting unit 4. The leading edge 5 of the document 3 rotated by the rotation applying unit 23 enters the first entrance 61 or the second entrance 62. This allows the user to insert the document 3 into the document setting unit 4 without worrying about the winding direction of the cylindrically wound document 3, and the rotation of the rotation applying unit 23 can cause the leading edge 5 of the document 3 to enter the first entrance 61 or the second entrance 62. Furthermore, when the document 3 is set in the document setting section 4 and is in a stable state in contact with the inner surface 17 of the peripheral wall 11, the rotation forces RL and RR are applied to the document 3 from the rotation applying section 23. That is, since the document 3 receives the rotation forces RL and RR from the rotation applying section 23 in a stable state within the document setting section 4, the rotation forces RL and RR are transmitted to the document 3 more effectively, and the document 3 smoothly enters the document leading edge inlet 6.

[0069] (10) In this embodiment, the first entrance 61 is provided with a first detector 331, and the second entrance 62 is provided with a second detector 332. If the first detector 331 and the second detector 332 are both in a non-detecting state a predetermined time after the counterclockwise or clockwise rotational forces RL and RR are applied to the document 3, the directions of the rotational forces RL and RR are controlled to be switched to the opposite directions. This allows the user to insert the document 3 into the document setting unit 4 without worrying about the winding direction of the cylindrically wound document 3, and the rotation of the rotation applying unit 23 allows the leading edge 5 of the document 3 to automatically enter the first entrance 61 or the second entrance 62.

[0070] (11) In addition, in this embodiment, the downstream end of the first transport path 71 in the transport direction F and the downstream end of the second transport path 72 join together to form the third transport path 73, and the reading unit 8 is disposed on the third transport path 73. As a result, the leading edge 5 of the original 3 rolled up into a cylindrical shape enters the first entrance 61 or the second entrance 62 depending on the winding direction, and the first transport path 71 and the second transport path 72 join together to be transported on the third transport path 73, which is a common transport path. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which a transport path is disposed for each winding direction of the original 3, the image reading device 1 can be made more compact. Furthermore, the reading unit 8 reads an image of the original 3 being transported on the third transport path 73, which is the common transport path. As a result, the original 3 entering from the first entrance 61 and the original 3 entering from the second entrance 62 are both read by the reading unit 8 while being transported on the third transport path 73. In other words, the images of the original 3 entering from the first entrance 61 and the original 3 entering from the second entrance 62 can be read under the same conditions.

[0071] (12) In this embodiment, the first reading unit 81 and the second reading unit 82 are arranged in line symmetry with respect to the line L passing through the third transport path 73 in a plan view, the first transport path 71 and the second transport path 72 are arranged in line symmetry, and further, the center C of the cylindrical set guide 14 is configured to be positioned on the line L. As a result, regardless of whether the winding direction of the original 3 is left-handed or right-handed, the transportability of the original 3 can be stabilized by the line symmetry arrangement.

[0072] [Embodiment 2] Next, an image reading device 1 according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Unlike the first embodiment, the image reading device 1 of the second embodiment does not include the rotation imparting unit 23 that imparts rotational forces RL and RR to the document 3 set in the document setting unit 4. That is, this embodiment corresponds to the structure in FIG. 2 in which the rotation imparting unit 23 is eliminated. In this embodiment, the rotational forces RL and RR are manually applied to the set document 3. The other configurations and corresponding effects are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0073] Specifically, when the document 3 is set in the document setting section 4 with the document wound left (FIG. 2), after the reading start switch is turned on, the user manually applies a counterclockwise rotational force RL to the document 3. This causes the leading edge 5 of the document 3 to enter the first entrance 61. When the document 3 is set in the document setting section 4 with the document wound clockwise (FIG. 9), the user is configured to manually apply a clockwise rotational force RR to the document 3. This causes the leading edge 5 of the document 3 to enter the second entrance 62. The description after the leading edge 5 of the document 3 enters the first entrance 61 or the second entrance 62 is the same as in the first embodiment, and therefore will be omitted. Even in a structure that does not include the rotation imparting portion 23, effects other than those obtained by the rotation imparting portion 23 can be obtained in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

[0074] [Embodiment 3] Next, the image reading device 1 according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In the first embodiment, the document leading end inlet 6 is provided with a first inlet 61 and a second inlet 62 so as to accommodate both left-handed and right-handed winding directions of the document 3. However, in this embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, the document leading end inlet 6 does not have both the first inlet 61 and the second inlet 62. In other words, this embodiment corresponds to a structure in which one of the first inlet 61 and the second inlet 62 is removed from FIG. 2.

[0075] In the image reading device 1 of this embodiment, when the structure is provided with only the first entrance 61, the rotation imparting unit 23 is configured to impart only a counterclockwise rotational force RL to the document 3. In this structure, the user sets the wound document 3 in the document setting unit 4 so that it is wound left-handed. The set document 3 receives the rotational force RL and moves, and the leading edge 5 enters the first entrance 61. On the other hand, in a structure having only the second entrance 62, the rotation imparting unit 23 is configured to impart only a clockwise rotational force RR to the document 3. In this structure, the user sets the rolled document 3 in the document setting unit 4 so that it is rolled to the right. The set document 3 receives the rotational force RR and moves, with the leading edge 5 entering the second entrance 62. The description after the leading edge 5 of the document 3 enters the first entrance 61 or the second entrance 62 is the same as in the first embodiment, and therefore will not be repeated. Note that the rotational forces RL and RR may be applied to the document 3 manually, as in the second embodiment. Even in a structure in which only one of the first entrance 61 and the second entrance 62 is provided as the document leading end entrance 6, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained in addition to the effects obtained in a structure in which both entrances are provided.

[0076] Other Embodiments The image reading device 1 according to the present invention is based on the configuration of the embodiment described above, but it is of course possible to modify or omit some of the configuration within the scope of the gist of the present invention. In the above embodiment, the set guide 14 has been described as having a conical shape, but is not limited to a conical shape. It may also be a pyramidal shape such as a triangular pyramid or a square pyramid, or a cylindrical or prismatic shape of uniform thickness. To make the image reading device 1 less likely to tip over, in addition to or in addition to lowering the center of gravity, the diameter of the bottom surface of the image reading device 1 may be made larger than that of the upper members. [Explanation of symbols]

[0077] 1...image reading device, 2...casing, 3...original, 4...original setting section, 5...leading edge, 6... document leading edge entrance, 61... first entrance, 62... second entrance, 7... transport path, 71...first conveying path, 711...first path component, 72...second conveying path, 722... second path component member, 73... third conveying path, 731...one third path component member, 732...the other third path component member, 8...reading unit, 81...first reading unit, 82...second reading unit, 9...discharge unit, 11...periphery wall, 12...Lower part of set guide, 13...Upper part of set guide, 14...Set guide, 15...upper portion of the peripheral wall, 16...setting opening, 17...inner surface of the peripheral wall, 18... outer surface of the set guide, 19... bottom, 20... area, 21... one end of the rolled document, 22...other end of the wound document, 23...rotation applying portion, 24...rotation roller, 25...rotating shaft, 26...roller, 27...inlet forming member, 28...base portion, 281...first end portion, 282...second end portion, 29...guide portion, 291...first surface of guide portion, 292...second surface of guide portion, 30...concave curved surface, 31...convex curved surface, 32...through hole, 331...first detection portion, 332...second detection portion, 34...conveying section, 341...first conveying roller, 342...second conveying roller, 35...third conveying roller pair, 351...one third conveying roller, 352... the other third conveying roller, 36... the inner surface of the housing, 37... the partition surface portion, 38...removal portion, 39...cover, 391...first cover, 392...second cover, 40...Gear train, C...Center of set guide, Cf...Conveying force, F...Conveying direction, G...interval, L...straight line, P1, P2, P3, P4...connection points, RL...Counterclockwise rotational force, RR...Clockwise rotational force

Claims

1. A cylindrical housing; a cylindrical document setting unit disposed within the housing, on which a cylindrically wound document is set; a document leading edge inlet into which the leading edge of the document in the rotation direction enters when the document set in the document setting section receives a rotational force and rotates; a transport path disposed within the housing, along which the document that has entered the document leading end inlet is transported in a transport direction by a transport force; a reading unit that reads an image of the document transported along the transport path; a discharge section to which the document read by the reading section is discharged, An image reading device characterized by:

2. 2. The image reading device according to claim 1, The housing is formed in a cylindrical shape. An image reading device characterized by:

3. 3. The image reading device according to claim 2, The discharge section is a document setting unit positioned outside the document setting unit and along the inner surface of the housing; The inner surface of the housing is a part of the component, The document to be discharged has a curved surface that conforms to the inner surface of the housing. An image reading device characterized by:

4. 4. The image reading device according to claim 3, The discharge section is A portion of the upper side of the housing is cut away to form an extraction portion, The document discharged to the discharge section can be taken out from the take-out section. An image reading device characterized by:

5. 5. The image reading device according to claim 4, The removal portion is formed by cutting in a curved line from the upper side to the lower side of the housing. An image reading device characterized by:

6. 2. The image reading device according to claim 1, The document setting unit includes: A cylindrical peripheral wall; a set guide disposed within the peripheral wall and protruding upward; a setting opening between an upper portion of the setting guide and an upper portion of the peripheral wall, for inserting the document toward the bottom, The document rolled into a cylindrical shape is inserted through the setting opening and set in the region between the setting guide and the inner surface of the peripheral wall, and is subjected to the rotational force to enter the document leading end inlet. An image reading device characterized by:

7. 7. The image reading device according to claim 6, a rotation applying unit that applies the rotational force to the document set in the document setting unit, An image reading device characterized by:

8. 7. The image reading device according to claim 6, The distance between the set guide and the inner surface of the peripheral wall decreases from top to bottom. An image reading device characterized by:

9. 2. The image reading device according to claim 1, the document leading end inlet includes a first inlet and a second inlet through which the document enters according to the winding direction of the document rotating by receiving the rotational force; An image reading device characterized by:

10. 10. The image reading device according to claim 9, a rotation applying unit capable of applying a rotation force in both counterclockwise and clockwise directions to the document set in the document setting unit; a leading edge of the document rotated by the rotation applying unit enters the first entrance or the second entrance; An image reading device characterized by:

11. 11. The image reading device according to claim 10, the first entrance includes a first detection unit that detects the entrance of the leading edge of the document; the second entrance includes a second detection unit that detects the entry of the leading edge of the document; When both the first detection unit and the second detection unit are in a non-detecting state at a time when a predetermined time has elapsed since the counterclockwise or clockwise rotational force was applied to the document, the direction of the rotational force is controlled to be switched to the opposite direction. An image reading device characterized by:

12. 10. The image reading device according to claim 9, The transport path is a first transport path having the first inlet; a second transport path having the second inlet; a downstream end of the first transport path in the transport direction and a downstream end of the second transport path join together to form a third transport path; the reading unit is disposed on the third transport path; An image reading device characterized by:

13. 13. The image reading device according to claim 12, The reading unit a first reading unit that reads an image on a first surface of the document; a second reading unit that reads an image on a second side of the document; In a plan view with respect to a straight line passing through the third transport path, the first reading unit and the second reading unit are arranged symmetrically with respect to a line, the first transport path and the second transport path are arranged symmetrically with respect to a line, The center of the cylindrical set guide is located on the straight line. An image reading device characterized by:

Images