Abstract:
An image reading apparatus includes a first reading part which reads a first side of a document, a second reading part located on a document discharge path which reads a second side of the document with an image sensor, a path narrowing member positioned across from the image sensor on the document discharge path; and an adjusting unit, wherein the adjusting unit adjustably moves the path narrowing member closer to and farther away from the image sensor in order to correspondingly move the document closer to and farther away from the image sensor. The image reading apparatus is capable of increasing reading speed when a one-side reading of a document is performed as well as minimizing any damage done to data produced by the reading when a double-side reading of a document is performed. Thus, the present invention is capable of increasing a reading speed when an one-side reading is performed as well as minimizing any damages done to data produced by the reading when a double-side reading is performed, and an image forming apparatus including the same.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 2005-58097, filed Jun. 30, 2005, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   Aspects of the present invention relate to an image reading apparatus and image forming apparatus including the same, and more particularly, to an image reading apparatus including a plurality of image sensors for a double-side reading (i.e., reading images of both sides of a document sheet at a time), and an image forming apparatus including the same. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   In general, an image reading apparatus has a function of reading an image of a document to convert it into computer readable image data. Such image reading apparatuses can be divided into two types: a flatbed type, which includes an image reading platform for accommodating a document and an image sensor that moves reciprocatingly along the image reading platform to read an image of the document; and an automatic document feeding type, which reads an image of the document by making the document move past a stationary image sensor. 
   As described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-187144 (publication date: Jul. 2, 2004) entitled “IMAGE READING APPARATUS,” an image reading apparatus in combination with the flatbed and automatic document feeding types has been recently developed.  FIG. 1  shows the combination-type image reading apparatus disclosed in the aforementioned patent laid-open publication. 
   As shown in  FIG. 1 , an image reading apparatus  100  includes an image reading platform  110  having an image sensor part  111  and a light exposing part  112  therein, and an automatic document feeder  120  provided at an upper side portion of the image reading platform  110 . 
   The light exposing part  112  is configured to be reciprocated right and left in the image reading platform  110  to irradiate light on a document  1  placed on the image reading platform  110 . A reflected light from the document  1  is transmitted to the image sensor part  111  which produces data using the reflected light. 
   Further, the automatic document feeder  120  includes a paper-feeding part  121 , a first reading part  122 , a second reading part  123  and a paper discharge part  125 . After being supplied to the paper-feeding part  121 , a document is initially moved past the first reading part  122  while one side of the document is read through the light exposing part  112  and the image sensor part  111  positioned below the document, then is moved past the second reading part  123  while the other side of the document is read by an image sensor part  124 , and finally is discharged through the paper discharge part  125 . 
   The image sensor part  124  installed at the second reading part  123  is usually provided with a contact image sensor. In such a case, the document is moved past the second reading part  123  while its surface makes contact with the contact image sensor. 
   However, in a case where the reading of the document is performed using an automatic document feeder  120 , the document is always moved with its surface making contact with the image sensor part  124  of the second reading part  123 , even when double-side printing is not performed. This unnecessary contact between the image sensor part  124  and the document creates a problem in that the quality of data produced by reading the document is degraded as the image sensor part  124  is damaged or foreign matters are attached to the image sensor part  124 . 
   Further, as shown in  FIG. 1 , in a case where the contact image sensor is used as the image sensor part  124 , the image sensor part  124  is installed so that the distance between the image sensor part  123  and the side of the document being read by the image sensor part  124  decreases in order to read the image of the document correctly, which causes a problem because the transferring speed of the document is substantially lowered. 
   Accordingly, this leads to a reduction of the document reading speed when a one-side reading is performed using the automatic document feeder  120 , since the document is moved past the second reading part  123  at a lowered transferring speed. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Accordingly, it is one aspect of the present invention to provide an image reading apparatus including a plurality of image sensors for a double-side reading, which is capable of increasing a reading speed when a one-side reading is performed as well as minimizing any damage done to data produced by the reading when a double-side reading is performed, and an image forming apparatus including the same. 
   The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present invention can be achieved by providing an image reading apparatus, which includes a paper-feeding part to supply a document, a first reading part to read a first side of the document, a second reading part, provided at a paper discharge path of the document having passed through the first reading part, to read a second side of the document, wherein the second reading part comprises: an image sensor provided at one side of the paper discharge path; a path narrowing member provided at the other side of the paper discharge path so as to face the image sensor, the path narrowing member being moved between a narrowing position where the path narrowing member is located closer to the image sensor to narrow the paper discharge path and an opening position where the path narrowing member opens the paper discharge path entirely; and a driving unit to move the path narrowing member. 
   According to an aspect of the present invention, the path narrowing member is disposed so as to slide toward and away from the image sensor. 
   According to an aspect of the present invention, the driving unit comprises a cam member to drive the path narrowing member towards and away from the image sensor. 
   According to an aspect of the present invention, the driving unit further comprises an elastic member interposed between the path narrowing member and the cam member. 
   According to an aspect of the present invention, the apparatus further comprises a controller to control a rotation of the cam member according to a one-side printing or a double-side printing mode selection by a user. 
   According to an aspect of the present invention, the path narrowing member has a rotating member rotating between the narrowing position and the opening position. 
   According to an aspect of the present invention, the rotating member comprises a cam member. 
   According to an aspect of the present invention, the apparatus further comprises a controller to control a rotation of the cam member according to a one-side printing or a double-side printing mode selection by a user. 
   The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present invention can be achieved by providing an image reading apparatus, comprising a paper-feeding part to supply a document; a first reading part to read a first side of the document; a body part having a paper discharge path and a supplementary paper discharge path formed therein, which discharge the document having passed through the first reading part; a second reading part, provided at the paper discharge path, to read a second side of the document; and a transferring guide part which rotates to guide the document having passed through the first reading part into either of the paper discharge path and the supplementary paper discharge path. 
   According to an aspect of the present invention, the apparatus further comprises a controller to control a rotation of the cam member according to a one-side printing or a double-side printing mode selection by a user. 
   According to an aspect of the present invention, an image forming apparatus comprises the image reading apparatus. 
   Additional aspects and/or advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     These and/or other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompany drawings, in which: 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a cross sectional view of a conventional image reading apparatus; 
       FIG. 2  shows a cross sectional view of an image reading apparatus in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 3  offers a conceptual view of one portion of  FIG. 2  to explain its operation; 
       FIG. 4  is a block diagram describing a control relation of  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 5  describes a cross sectional view of an image reading apparatus in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention; and 
       FIG. 6  presents a cross sectional view of an image forming apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
   Reference will now be made in detail to the present embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below in order to explain the present invention by referring to the figures. 
   As shown in  FIG. 2 , an image reading apparatus  200  in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention includes an image reading platform  210  having an image sensor part  211  and a light exposing part  212  therein, and an automatic document feeder  220  provided at an upper side of the image reading platform  210 . 
   The light exposing part  212  is configured to be reciprocated right and left in the image reading platform  210  to irradiate light on a document  1  placed on a platen glass  213 . A reflected light from the document  1  is transmitted to the image sensor part  211  which produces data using the reflected light. 
   The automatic document feeder  220  includes a paper feeding part  221 , a first reading part  223 , a second reading part  224  and a paper discharging part  229 . 
   Further, the automatic document feeder  220  includes a body part  201  having a paper feeding path  202  which connects the paper feeding part  221  to the first reading part  223 , and also having a paper discharge path  203  which connects the first reading part  223  to the paper discharge part  229 . The paper discharge path  203  is also referred to as a document discharge path. 
   After being supplied to the paper feeding part  221 , the document is moved past the first reading part  223  through transferring rollers  222 , which are disposed on the paper feeding path  202 , while its one side is read through the light exposing part  212  and the image sensor part  211  positioned below the document. Although these documents may be paper, it is contemplated that other types of print media may be used in accordance with the present invention, such as overheads, transparencies, etc. 
   The light exposing part  212  and the image sensor part  211 , which are both located in the image reading platform  210 , are used to read the document  1  placed on the platen glass  213 . Alternatively, the light exposing part  212  and the image sensor part  211  may also be used to read a document passing through the automatic document feeder  220  when the light exposing part  212  is positioned at the first reading part  223 . 
   Therefore, in the present invention, it is contemplated that the light exposing part  212  and the CCD sensor part  211  are included not only in the image reading platform  210  but also in the first reading part  223 . 
   After being moved past the first reading part  223 , the document is moved past the second reading part  224  through the paper discharge path  203  while its other side is read by the contact image sensor  225 , and then is discharged through the paper discharge part  229 . 
   The contact image sensor  225  of the second reading part  224  is provided at an upper surface of the paper discharge path  203 . 
   Furthermore, as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the second reading part  224  has a path narrowing member  226  which is provided at a lower surface of the paper discharge path  203  so as to face the contact image sensor  225 , an elastic member  227  provided at a lower side of the path narrowing member  226 , and a cam member  228  provided at a lower side of the elastic member  227 . 
   Herein, the path narrowing member  226  and the elastic member  227  are accommodated in and supported by the body part  201  so as to enable a sliding motion in an upper and lower direction. 
   The cam member  228  includes a driving motor, and reciprocates the elastic member  227  upward and downward by a controller  232  (see  FIG. 4 ) separately provided at the image reading apparatus  200 , thereby in turn reciprocating the path narrowing member  226  vertically toward and away from the contact image sensor  225 . 
   By the vertical reciprocating motion of the path narrowing member  226 , the paper discharge path  203  is narrowed or opened under the contact image sensor  225 .  FIG. 3  offers drawings for explaining this motion of the path narrowing member  226 . In  FIG. 3 , the left drawing illustrates a state in which the path narrowing member  226  is located at an open position, and the right drawing illustrates a state in which the path narrowing member  226  is located at a narrow position. 
   When the document is read using the automatic document feeder  220 , the path narrowing member  226  as described above is located in the open position or the narrow position by the operation of the cam member  228  according to whether a one-side or double-side reading on the document is performed. 
   In a case of one-side reading, the document is read only by the light exposing part  212  and the image sensor part  211  of the first reading part  223 , and is not read by the contact image sensor  225  of the second reading part  224 . At this time, the cam member  228  is rotated as in the left drawing of  FIG. 3 , so that the path narrowing member  226  is located at the opening position, thus allowing the document, which has already passed through the first reading part  223  and paper discharge path  203 , to be transferred out to the paper discharging part  229  without its surface making contact with the contact image sensor  225 . Therefore, it is possible to prevent the contact image sensor  225  from being damaged and to prevent foreign matters from being transferred from the document to the contact image sensor  225 . Additionally, there is a benefit in that the transferring speed of the document is increased when compared to the situation where the paper discharge path  203  is narrowed. 
   In a case of double-side reading, the document is read by the second reading part  224  as well as the first reading part  223 . Therefore, as shown in the right drawing of  FIG. 3 , the cam member  228  is driven to rotate so that the path narrowing member  226  is moved upward so as to be located at the narrow position, thus allowing the document, which has already passed through the first reading part  223  and paper discharge path  203 , to be transferred with its surface making contact with the contact image sensor  225 . The contact image sensor  225  is activated to read the document transferred with its surface contacted therewith. At this time, the elastic member  227  has a function to press the document transferred thereto through the paper discharge path  203  into the contact image sensor  225  by elastically pressing the path narrowing member  226  upward in order to improve the quality of document readability. 
   The combination of the path narrowing member  226 , the cam member  228 , and the elastic member  227  may be referred to as an adjusting unit. The adjusting unit may be configured to include any combination of these elements and other elements, in accordance with this and/or other aspects of the present invention. 
   The cam member  228  may be rotated, for example, in forward and backward directions, by the control of the controller  232  according to input of the double-side reading or the one-side reading mode by a user through a user interface part  231  provided at the image reading apparatus  200 . Alternatively, the cam member  228  may be operated manually by a user through a manual operation part (not shown) provided at, for example, the body part  201 . There are many different ways to control the cam member  228  in order to move the path narrowing member  226  back and forth between an open and a narrow position. 
   Further, unlike the first embodiment, a cam may be used as a rotating member for narrowing a path, and the narrowing and opening of the paper discharge path  203  may be performed by the forward and backward rotation of the cam. In such a case, the controller  232  rotates the cam forward and backward according to whether the user selects the selection of the double-side reading mode or the one-side reading mode, so that the paper discharge path  203  can be narrowed or opened. Undoubtedly, in this case, the cam can also be provided so as to be manually operated. It is contemplated that there are numerous ways to operate the cam if it is used as a rotating member for narrowing a path, and the invention should not be limited to those described herein. 
   The rotating member for narrowing a path can also be constituted by any other type of rotable member, such as a lever and the like, as well as the cam, which is operated for the narrowing and opening of the paper discharge path  203 . This rotating member is also referred to as an adjusting member. 
   In a case where the rotatable member, such as a cam, a lever or the like, is used as the rotating member for narrowing a path, a spring or the like may be installed at its rotating axle so that its rotating axle can be elastically rotated. Therefore, it is possible to contact the document transferred through the paper discharge path  203  with the contact image sensor  225  by elastically pressing it toward the contact image sensor  225 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 5 , there is shown a cross sectional view of an image reading apparatus in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. A paper reading apparatus  300  includes a paper-feeding part  321 , a first reading part  323 , a second reading part  324  and paper discharge part  329 , and their construction and operation are identical to those of the first embodiment. This paper reading apparatus is not limited to reading paper. It may also read other types of print media, such as overheads, transparencies, etc. 
   Unlike the first embodiment, in this second embodiment, a supplementary paper discharge path  304 , which functions as a transferring path of a document discharged from the first reading part  323 , is formed in a body part  301  in which a paper feeding path  302  and a paper discharge path  303  are formed. 
   The paper discharge path  303  and the supplementary paper discharge path  304  are connected with the first reading part  323 , and a document passing through the first reading part  323  can be discharged by selecting one of the two paths, either the paper discharge path  303  or the supplementary paper discharge path  304 . The selection of the paper discharge path  303  or the supplementary paper discharge path  304  is made by rotating a transferring guide part  305  provided at a common inlet of the two paths  303  and  304 . 
   In a case of double-side reading, the transferring guide part  305  is rotated so that the paper discharge path  303  is opened while, at the same time, the supplementary paper discharge path  304  is closed. Therefore, the document passing through the first reading part  323  is transferred through the paper discharge path  303 , read in the second reading part  324 , and then discharged to the outside through the paper discharge part  329 . 
   On the other hand, in a case of one-side reading, the transferring guide part  305  is rotated so that the supplementary paper discharge path  304  is opened while, at the same time, the paper discharge path  303  is closed. Therefore, the document passing through the first reading part  323  is discharged through the supplementary paper discharge path  304 . In a discharging end portion of the supplementary paper discharge path  304 , a supplementary paper discharge part  330  is provided. Accordingly, in a case of one-side printing, as the document passes through the supplementary paper discharge path  304 , the transferring speed of the document is increased, so that the overall reading speed of the document is advantageously increased. Additionally, since the document does not pass through the paper discharge path  303 , damage to a contact image sensor  325  of the second reading part  324  by its contact with the document does not occur. 
   Like the first embodiment, in this second embodiment, the transferring guide part  305  may be rotated forward and backward automatically by the control of a controller (not shown) which receives a mode selection input of one-side or double-side reading by a user. Alternatively, the transferring guide part  305  can be operated manually by a user&#39;s direct operation. There are numerous different ways to rotate the transferring guide part  305 , and the invention should not be limited to those described herein. 
   As described above, in the second embodiment, since the discharging path of the document is altered according to whether the user wants one-side or double-side reading, some constructions, such as the path narrowing member  226  (see  FIG. 3 ), the cam member  228 , and the like, are unnecessary. Therefore, the second reading part  324  provided on the paper discharge path  303  is formed using the partially narrowed paper discharge path  303  as in the prior art. 
   As shown in  FIG. 6 , an image forming apparatus  400  in accordance with an embodiment includes an image reading apparatus  410  described above in the first embodiment or the second embodiment. 
   The image forming apparatus  400  also includes a paper supply part  420  for supplying paper, an image forming part  430  for forming an image on the paper supplied from the paper supply part  420 , a paper discharge part  440  for discharging the paper on which the image is formed, and a main body housing  401  for enclosing and supporting the aforementioned parts. The image reading apparatus  410  is mounted in the main body housing  401 . 
   In a case where the image reading apparatus  410  is included in the image forming apparatus  400  to form one body, reading the document and transmitting document data obtained from the reading in the image reading apparatus  410  are both performed according to the control of a controller (not shown) provided in the image forming apparatus  400 . The document data read by the image reading apparatus  410  is transmitted to the image forming part  430  to be printed on the paper, photocopied to the document, stored in a storing part (not shown) of the image forming apparatus  400 , or transmitted to an external device, such as a computer or the like, connected to the image forming apparatus  400 . 
   In accordance with aspects of the image reading apparatus and the image forming apparatus including the same of the present invention, when one-side reading is performed, the document reading speed can be increased for reduction in frictional resistance on the document being transferred. Moreover, when double-side reading is performed, quality degradation of the double-side reading can be prevented since it is possible to minimize damage done to the image sensors used. 
   Although a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.