Shade member

Abstract

To provide a shade material capable of allowing a stand-type scanner to accurate read by eliminating the effects of ambient lighting.SOLUTION: A shade material 10 improves the reading accuracy object to be read in an image reading unit 202 of a stand 201 of a stand scanner 200. The shade material 10 includes: a scanner mounting part 20 composed of multiple upper piece forming parts 102, which is attached to the image reading unit 202; and a shield cylinder part 30 that is constituted of multiple side forming parts 101 and is configured to shield the light from the outside, and the interior space of which, when used, expands as separating away from the scanner mounting part 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a shade member that covers the periphery of a scanner.

Background Art

[0002] Among scanners, there are, for example, stand-type image scanners. In such a scanner, an image reading unit equipped with an image sensor is attached to the tip of the stand portion.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, when reading a document using a stand-type scanner as disclosed in Patent Document 1, there is a problem that normal reading may not be possible due to the influence of lighting attached to the ceiling or the surroundings. In particular, since the lighting existing on the ceiling or in the surroundings varies in distance, brightness, and color, the reading results vary, and there are cases where normal reading cannot be performed.

[0005] The present invention has been made based on the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a shade member that can eliminate the influence of ambient lighting and perform accurate reading in a stand-type scanner.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a shade member for improving the reading accuracy of an object to be read in an image reading unit of a stand of a stand-type scanner, the shade member being composed of a plurality of upper piece forming parts and having a scanner mounting part attached to the image reading unit, and being composed of a plurality of side surface forming parts for shielding light from the outside and having an internal space that expands as it moves away from the scanner mounting part during use, and a shielding cylinder part formed so as to expand.

[0007] Further, another aspect of the present invention is that, in the above-described invention, it is preferable that the appearance of the shielding cylinder part is provided in a pyramid shape, and a reflecting inner surface part for reflecting the light emitted from the light source is provided inside the shielding cylinder part.

[0008] Further, another aspect of the present invention is that, in the above-described invention, it is preferable that the shielding cylinder part is composed of four side surface forming parts, and an opening is provided between the side surface forming part disposed on the front side of the user in the use state among the four side surface forming parts and the base of the stand-type scanner.

[0009] Further, another aspect of the present invention is that, in the above-described invention, it is preferable that fold lines for folding when assembling or folding into a sheet shape when not in use are provided between adjacent side surface forming parts of the shielding cylinder part.

[0010] Further, another aspect of the present invention is that, in the above-described invention, when the scanner mounting part is on the upper side, a downward extension part extending downward from the shielding cylinder part is continuously provided on the shielding cylinder part, and a stepped locking part is provided across the end part extending in the vertical direction of the downward extension part and the lower end part of the shielding cylinder part.

Advantages of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, in a stand-type scanner, it is possible to provide a shade member capable of performing accurate reading by eliminating the influence of ambient illumination.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] Hereinafter, the shade member 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the shade member 10. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the configuration of the shade member 10. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which the shade member 10 is attached to the image reading unit 202 of the stand-type scanner 200.

[0015] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the shade member 10 includes a scanner mounting portion 20, a shielding cylinder portion 30, a downward extension portion 40, a locking portion 50, a protective packing 70, a reflective inner surface portion 80, a light source 90, and a mounting fitting 91. In the following description, when explaining each part of the shade member 10, the terms of each part of the shade plate material 100 described later may be used for the explanation.

[0016] The scanner mounting portion 20 is a portion for mounting on the image reading portion 202, which is provided on the tip side of the stand 201 of the stand-type scanner 200 (see FIG. 3). In this embodiment, four upper piece forming portions 102 are provided in the scanner mounting portion 20, and a slit 22 is provided between adjacent upper piece forming portions 102. Therefore, in the state shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, when the upper piece forming portions 102 that are close to each other with the slit 22 in between contact the periphery of the image reading portion 202 of the stand-type scanner 200, the interval of the slit 22 is widened so that the upper piece forming portions 102 move away from each other.

[0017] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an opening 23 is provided on the upper end side of the scanner mounting portion 20, and the image reading portion 202 of the stand-type scanner 200 is inserted through this opening 23. Also during this insertion, the interval of the slit 22 is widened so that the upper piece forming portions 102 move away from each other as described above.

[0018] When attaching the scanner mounting portion 20 to the image reading portion 202 of the stand-type scanner 200, it is preferable to use a binding band B1 as shown in FIG. 3. This binding band B1 can use, for example, a long surface fastener in order to facilitate attachment and detachment. However, the binding band B1 may use a belt-like member other than the surface fastener, or an elastic member that can expand and contract.

[0019] Inside the binding band B1, an elastic member (not shown), such as a sponge, is arranged to eliminate gaps such as the slit 22 and other uneven portions, enabling tightening with the binding band B1.

[0020] The shielding cylinder portion 30 is a portion provided in a flaring cylindrical shape and is for shielding light directed toward the document to be read from the outside. In the present embodiment, the shielding cylinder portion 30 is provided with a quadrangular pyramid shape (pyramid shape) in terms of its appearance.

[0021] The downward extending portion 40 is a portion that extends downward from the shielding cylinder portion 30 in the usage state of the shade member 10. In the present embodiment, the downward extending portion 40 is provided in a triangular shape such that it gradually protrudes downward from the user side (front side) sitting on the seat toward the back side in the installed state of the shade member 10. Thereby, an opening 60 is formed between the shielding cylinder portion 30 and the base 203 on the user side (front side) of the shade member 10 (see FIG. 3).

[0022] A locking portion 50 is provided across the lower end portion of the shielding cylinder portion 30 and the back side end portion of the downward extending portion 40. The locking portion 50 is a portion that is locked so that the shade member 10 does not move by coming into contact with the stepped portion 204 (see FIG. 3) of the base 203 of the stand-type scanner 200. That is, the lower end portion of the shielding cylinder portion 30 and the back side end portion (the end portion extending in the vertical direction) of the downward extending portion 40 are, for example, orthogonal. Therefore, the lower end portion of the shielding cylinder portion 30 comes into contact with the upper surface of the stepped portion of the base, and the back side end portion of the downward extending portion 40 comes into contact with the side surface of the stepped portion of the base, thereby locking the shade member 10 so that it does not move downward and backward.

[0023] Here, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, a protective packing 70 is attached to the lower end side of the shade member 10. The protective packing 70 covers the edge of the lower end of the shade member 10 and has a width extending upward (toward the scanner attachment portion 20 side) by a predetermined amount (a certain distance) from the portion covering the edge on both the front and back surfaces. Further, the protective packing 70 is a member made of a resin such as vinyl chloride or elastomer. By covering the relatively sharp edge of the lower end of the shade member 10, it is possible to prevent problems such as damaging the user's fingers.

[0024] Also, the inner surface side of the cylindrical shape formed by the scanner attachment portion 20, the shielding cylinder portion 30, and the lower extension portion 40 serves as a portion that reflects light. In the following description, such an inner surface side that reflects light is referred to as a reflective inner surface portion 80. This reflective inner surface portion 80 is provided, for example, to be white or metallic in color. A typical example of the reflective inner surface portion 80 being metallic is one that uses a film with aluminum vapor deposition, but alternatively, the reflective inner surface portion 80 may be formed by pasting an aluminum foil or the like.

[0025] Note that the surface of the shade member 10 is provided in a desired color, and such a color may be, for example, a dark color system with suppressed gloss that is gentle on the user's eyes. However, the color of the surface of the shade member 10 can be set to any color, and an image may be formed on the surface of the shade member 10.

[0026] FIG. 4 is a view showing the state of the shade member 10 seen from the lower side. As shown in FIG. 4, a light source 90 such as an LED is attached to the reflective inner surface portion 80 of the shade member 10 via a mounting bracket 91. The mounting bracket 91 is provided with a substantially L-shaped cross section by connecting, for example, two long plate-shaped metal plate portions so as to be orthogonal. This mounting bracket 91 is attached to the lower side of the reflective inner surface portion 80 on the side surface forming portion 101a side (the side close to the base 203 when installed) in a state where its longitudinal direction is substantially horizontal with respect to the upper surface of the base 203.

[0027] Further, the light source 90 is a linear light source in which a plurality of LED elements, which are light-emitting portions, are linearly arranged. However, light sources other than the above may be used. For example, light sources such as fluorescent lamps and cold cathode tubes may be used. Also, for example, a light source other than a linear one, such as a point light source, may be used.

[0028] Regarding the assembly method of assembling the shade member 10 having the above-described configuration from the shade plate material 100, it will be described below. In the following description, the assembly method of assembling the shade member 10 from the shade plate material 100 and the description of each part of the shade plate material 100 will be given together.

[0029] FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the configuration of the shade plate material 100 before assembling the shade member 10. Note that the shade plate material 100 before FIG. 5 shows the back side of the shade member 10. The shade plate material 100 shown in FIG. 5 uses a plate-shaped (sheet-shaped) laminate material with a laminate film attached to the front and back surfaces of cardboard. The back surface of the shade plate material 100 shown in FIG. 5 corresponds to the reflection inner surface portion 80 and is provided to be, for example, white or metallic in color.

[0030] Further, the shade plate material 100 is provided with side surface forming portions 101 (101a to 101d), upper piece forming portions 102 (102a to 102d), short fold lines 103 (103a to 103d), long fold lines 104 (104a to 104d), adhesive margin portions 105, and slits 22 (22a to 22c).

[0031] The side surface forming portions 101a to 104d are portions that become the shielding cylinder portion 30 or the shielding cylinder portion 30 and the downward extension portion 40 when the shade member 10 is assembled by bending or the like. Hereinafter, among the side surface forming portions 101a to 101d, the side surface forming portion 101a is the first side surface forming portion 101a, the side surface forming portion 101b is the second side surface forming portion 101b, the side surface forming portion 101c is the third side surface forming portion 101c, and the side surface forming portion 101d is the fourth side surface forming portion 101d.

[0032] In addition, when the shade member 10 is assembled by bending or the like, the upper piece forming portions 102a to 102d are portions that become the scanner mounting portion 20, and each of the upper piece forming portions 102a to 102d is provided in a substantially trapezoidal shape. Hereinafter, among the upper piece forming portions 102a to 102d, the upper piece forming portion 102a is the first upper piece forming portion 102a, the upper piece forming portion 102b is the second upper piece forming portion 102b, the upper piece forming portion 102c is the third upper piece forming portion 102c, and the upper piece forming portion 102d is the fourth upper piece forming portion 102d.

[0033] Further, the first side surface forming portion 101a and the first upper piece forming portion 102a are adjacent to each other with the short fold line 103a therebetween, and the second side surface forming portion 101b and the second upper piece forming portion 102b are adjacent to each other with the short fold line 103b therebetween. Also, the third side surface forming portion 101c and the third upper piece forming portion 102c are adjacent to each other with the short fold line 103c therebetween, and the fourth side surface forming portion 101d and the fourth upper piece forming portion 102d are adjacent to each other with the short fold line 103d therebetween. In the following description, as necessary, the short fold line 103a is the first short fold line 103a, the short fold line 103b is the second short fold line 103b, the short fold line 103c is the third short fold line 103c, and the short fold line 103d is the fourth short fold line 103d.

[0034] Here, the shape formed by the adjacent first side surface forming portion 101a and the first upper piece forming portion 102a is provided in a substantially triangular shape, but the top portion on the side of the first upper piece forming portion 102a of the triangular shape is cut out. Note that the shape formed by the adjacent third side surface forming portion 101c and the third upper piece forming portion 102c is also a triangular shape in which the top portion on the side of the third side surface forming portion 101c is cut out, similar to the above.

[0035] In addition, the second side surface forming portion 101b is provided in a form in which a downward extension portion 40 is added to the first side surface forming portion 101a described above. Similarly, the fourth side surface forming portion 101d is also provided in a form in which a downward extension portion 40 is added to the first side surface forming portion 101a.

[0036] Here, the first side forming portion 101a and the second side forming portion 101b are adjacent to each other with the fold long line 104a in between, and the second side forming portion 101b and the third side forming portion 101c are adjacent to each other with the fold long line 104b in between. Also, the third side forming portion 101c and the fourth side forming portion 101d are adjacent to each other with the fold long line 104c in between, and the fourth side forming portion 101d and the glue margin portion 105 are adjacent to each other with the fold long line 104d in between. In the following description, as necessary, the fold long line 104a is referred to as the first fold long line 104a, the fold long line 104b is referred to as the second fold long line 104b, the fold long line 104c is referred to as the third fold long line 104c, and the fold long line 104d is referred to as the fourth fold long line 104d.

[0037] Also, the glue margin portion 105 is adjacent to the fourth side forming portion 101d with the above-mentioned fourth fold long line 104d in between. Also, the slit 22 is a narrow groove or a cut that separates the adjacent upper piece forming portions 102a to 102d. In the following description, as necessary, the slit 22 existing between the first upper piece forming portion 102a and the second upper piece forming portion 102b is referred to as the first slit 22a, the slit 22 existing between the second upper piece forming portion 102b and the third upper piece forming portion 102c is referred to as the second slit 22b, and the slit 22 existing between the third upper piece forming portion 102c and the fourth upper piece forming portion 102d is referred to as the third slit 22c.

[0038] In the shade plate material 100 having the above-described configuration, from the state shown in FIG. 5, by valley-folding the first fold long line 104a, as shown in FIG. 6, the first side forming portion 101a rises with respect to the second side forming portion 101b at a predetermined angle. At this time, the first upper piece forming portion 102a also rises with respect to the second upper piece forming portion 102b at a predetermined angle. The above-mentioned predetermined angle becomes approximately 90 degrees after assembly, but at an intermediate stage of assembly as shown in FIG. 6, it may naturally be an angle other than approximately 90 degrees (the same applies to the following intermediate stages of assembly).

[0039] Next, by valley-folding the second fold line long line 104b in the state shown in FIG. 6, the second side surface forming portion 101b rises with respect to the third side surface forming portion 101c as shown in FIG. 7. At this time, the third side surface forming portion 101c is in a state of facing the first side surface forming portion 101a.

[0040] Next, by valley-folding the third fold line long line 104c in the state shown in FIG. 7, the fourth side surface forming portion 101d rises with respect to the third side surface forming portion 101c as shown in FIG. 8. At this time, the adhesive margin portion 105 comes close to the first side surface forming portion 101a.

[0041] Also, before and after reaching the state shown in FIG. 8, a double-sided tape is attached to the adhesive margin portion 105, or an adhesive or the like is applied, and by valley-folding the fourth fold line long line 104d in the state shown in FIG. 8, the adhesive margin portion 105 is aligned with the first side surface forming portion 101a and then overlapped and pressed. Then, when the adhesive margin portion 105 is fixed to the first side surface forming portion 101a, the shade member 10 as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 9 is formed.

[0042] Note that the adhesive margin portion 105 may be configured to be detachable from the first side surface forming portion 101a. For example, one-sided fastener (hook side or loop side) is attached to the adhesive margin portion 105 via a double-sided tape or an adhesive, etc., and the other-sided fastener (loop side or hook side) is also attached to the portion of the first side surface forming portion 101a where the adhesive margin portion 105 is overlapped via a double-sided tape or an adhesive, etc. By configuring in this way, a configuration in which the adhesive margin portion 105 is detachable from the first side surface forming portion 101a can be realized.

[0043] After this, by valley-folding each of the fold line short lines 103a to 103d, each of the upper piece forming portions 102a to 102d forms a predetermined angle with respect to each of the side surface forming portions 101a to 101d. At this time, each of the slits 22a to 22c is in a state of spreading as it goes upward.

[0044] Before and after each of the above-mentioned bends and fixing the margin portion 105 to the first side surface forming portion 101a, a mounting bracket 91 is attached to the lower side of the reflective inner surface portion 80 on the side of the side surface forming portion 101a (the side close to the base 203 when installed), for example, via an attachment member such as double-sided tape. Further, a light source 90 is fixed to this mounting bracket 91. At this time, the light source 90 and the mounting bracket 91 are attached in a state where their longitudinal directions are substantially horizontal with respect to the upper surface of the base 203.

[0045] Note that the power cord connected to the light source 90 is arranged so as to pass through the locking portion 50, thereby preventing the power cord from interfering with the shade member 10.

[0046] As described above, the shade member 10 is assembled from the shade plate material 100.

[0047] After the shade member 10 is assembled in this way, the image reading unit 202 of the stand-type scanner 200 is inserted through the opening 23, and then, as shown in FIG. 3, a binding band B1 is wound around the outer peripheral surfaces of the slits 22a to 22b to fix the upper piece forming portions 102a to 102d around the image reading unit. Thereby, the attachment of the image reading unit 202 of the stand-type scanner 200 is completed.

[0048] <4. Regarding the effects> The shade member 10 having the above-described configuration improves the reading accuracy of the object to be read in the image reading unit 202 of the stand 201 of the stand-type scanner 200. This shade member 10 is composed of a plurality of upper piece forming portions 102, a scanner attachment portion 20 attached to the image reading unit 202, and a plurality of side surface forming portions 101 that shield light from the outside and are formed such that the internal space expands as it moves away from the scanner attachment portion 20 during use, and includes a shielding cylinder portion 30.

[0049] In the shade member 10 configured as described above, by attaching the scanner attachment portion 20 to the image reading portion 202 and installing the shielding cylinder portion 30 so as to cover the object to be read (document), it is possible to perform accurate reading by eliminating the influence of ambient illumination light, such as illumination light from the ceiling.

[0050] Also, in the present embodiment, the outer appearance of the shielding cylinder portion 30 is provided in a pyramid shape, and inside the shielding cylinder portion 30, a reflective inner surface portion 80 that reflects the light emitted from the light source is provided.

[0051] When configured in this way, due to the outer appearance of the shielding cylinder portion 30 being in a pyramid shape, it is possible to easily realize a configuration in which the shade member 10 is folded along the fold short line 103 and the fold long line 104, as compared with the case where the outer appearance of the shielding cylinder portion is in a conical shape. Further, when the outer appearance of the shielding cylinder portion is in a conical shape, if it is configured to be folded along the fold line, the conical shape is likely to be distorted, but when the outer appearance of the shielding cylinder portion 30 is in a pyramid shape, it is easy to keep the pyramid shape undistorted.

[0052] Also, due to the presence of the reflective inner surface portion 80, even if a light source such as a separate LED light source is arranged inside the shade member 10, it is possible to easily guide the light from the light source to the object to be read.

[0053] Also, in the present embodiment, the shielding cylinder portion 30 is composed of four side surface forming portions 101a to 101d, and an opening 60 is provided between the side surface forming portion 101c, which is arranged on the front side of the user in the use state among the four side surface forming portions 101a to 101d, and the base 203 of the stand-type scanner 200.

[0054] By configuring in this way, it is possible to easily set the object to be read (document) to the specified reading position through the opening 60. Also, the object to be read (document) can be visually recognized through the opening 60.

[0055] In addition, in the present embodiment, the shielding cylinder portion 30 is provided with short folding lines 103 and long folding lines 104 (folding lines) for bending during assembly or folding into a sheet shape when not in use, between the side surface forming portions 101 adjacent to each other.

[0056] With this configuration, when assembling the shade member 10, the shade member 10 can be easily manufactured by bending the shade plate material 100 along the short folding line 103 and the long folding line 104 (folding line). Also, when the shade member 10 is not in use, the scanner attachment portion 20 can be removed from the image reading portion 202, and the shade member 10 can be folded along the short folding line 103 and the long folding line 104.

[0057] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, when the scanner attachment portion 20 is on the upper side, the shielding cylinder portion 30 is continuously provided with a downward extension portion 40 that extends downward from the shielding cylinder portion 30, and a stepped locking portion 50 is provided across the end portion extending in the vertical direction of the downward extension portion 40 and the lower end portion of the shielding cylinder portion 30.

[0058] In this case, since the locking portion 50 can be locked to the stepped portion 204 of the base 203, it becomes easy to position the base 203 and the shade member 10 with respect to the document.

[0059] <5. Modification Example> The above describes an embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention can be variously modified otherwise. This will be described below.

[0060] In the above-described embodiment, the case where the shielding cylinder portion 30 is pyramid-shaped has been described. However, the shielding cylinder portion 30 may have a shape other than pyramid-shaped. For example, the shielding cylinder portion 30 can adopt various shapes such as a conical shape, a hexagonal pyramid shape or other polygonal pyramid shapes, and a bullet shape.

[0061] Also, in the above-described embodiment, the binding band B1 is wound around the outer peripheral side of the scanner attachment portion 20 to attach the scanner attachment portion 20 to the image reading portion 202. However, the shade member 10 may be supported by the image reading portion 202 by a method other than such a method. For example, the image reading portion 202 may be covered from above, and the covering portion may serve as a support portion, and the shade member 10 may be suspended.

[0062] Also, after the use of the shade member 10 is completed, after removing the binding band B1, the shade member 10 may be folded. In this case, at least one of the crease short lines 103a to 103d is bent so that at least one of the side surface forming portions 101a to 101d overlaps with the other side surface forming portions 101a to 101d, and a compact sheet shape can be obtained. Thereafter, the shade member 10 can be stored by storing it in a predetermined storage location.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0063] 10… Shade member, 20… Scanner mounting part, 22, 22a~22c… Slits, 22a… First slit, 22b… Second slit, 22c… Third slit, 23… Opening, 30… Shielding cylinder part, 40… Lower extension part, 50… Locking part, 60… Opening, 70… Protection packing, 80… Reflective inner surface part, 90… Light source, 91… Mounting bracket, 100… Shade sheet material, 101, 101a~101d… Side forming parts, 101a… First side forming part, 101b… Second side forming part, 101c… Third side forming part, 101d… Fourth side forming part, 102, 101a~102d… Upper piece forming parts, 102a… First upper piece forming part, 102b… Second upper piece forming part, 102c… Third upper piece forming part, 102d… Fourth upper piece forming part, 103, 103a~103d… Short fold lines, 103a… First short fold line, 103b… Second short fold line, 103c… Third short fold line, 103d… Fourth short fold line, 104… Long fold line, 104a… First long fold line, 104b… Second long fold line, 104c… Third long fold line, 104d… Fourth long fold line, 105… Glue margin part, 200… Stand-type scanner, 201… Stand, 202… Image reading part, 203… Base, 204… Step-shaped part, 300… Storage box, B1… Binding band

Claims

1. A shade member for improving the reading accuracy of an object to be read in an image reading unit of a stand of a stand-type scanner, comprising: a scanner attachment portion composed of a plurality of upper piece forming portions and attached to the image reading portion; a shielding cylinder portion composed of a plurality of side surface forming portions, shielding light from the outside, and formed such that an internal space expands as it moves away from the scanner attachment portion during use; and when the scanner attachment portion is on the upper side, a downward extension portion extending downward from the shielding cylinder portion is continuously provided on the shielding cylinder portion, and a stepped locking portion is provided across an end portion extending in the vertical direction of the downward extension portion and an end portion on the lower side of the shielding cylinder portion. A shade member characterized by the above.

2. The shade member according to Claim 1, wherein the appearance of the shielding cylinder portion is provided in a pyramid shape, and a reflective inner surface portion for reflecting light emitted from a light source is provided inside the shielding cylinder portion. A shade member characterized by the above.

3. The shade member according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the shielding cylinder portion is composed of four side surface forming portions, and an opening is provided between the side surface forming portion disposed on the front side of the user in the use state among the four side surface forming portions and the base of the stand-type scanner. A shade member characterized by the above.

4. The shade member according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein crease lines for folding during assembly or folding into a sheet shape when not in use are provided between the adjacent side surface forming portions of the shielding cylinder portion. A shade member characterized by the above.

Images