US 6,982,815 B2
Image reading apparatus
Kazuyoshi Tsutsumi, Kawasaki (Japan)
Assigned to Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Tokyo (Japan); and Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo (Japan)
Filed on Sep. 10, 2001, as Appl. No. 9/948,640.
Prior Publication US 2003/0151778 A1, Aug. 14, 2003
Int. Cl. H04N 1/04 (2006.01); H02P 8/00 (2006.01); G05B 19/40 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 358—474 1 Claim
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An image reading apparatus comprising:
a document glass which supports a document at a predetermined reading-out position;
a document conveying mechanism which conveys the document past the reading-out position;
a scanning/reading-out mechanism moved along the document glass to scan the document set to the reading-out position and read out an image from the document;
only one drive source which drives the document conveying mechanism and scanning/reading-out mechanism;
switching means which allows a drive force from the drive source to be transmitted to any one of the document conveying mechanism and scanning/reading-out mechanism and selective switching to be made between their drive force transmission paths; and
control means which operates the image reading apparatus in a first mode for operating the scanning/reading-out mechanism to allow the scanning of the document set to the reading-out position and the reading of an image out of the document or in a second mode for stopping the scanning/reading-out mechanism to a predetermined position and operating the document conveying mechanism to allow the scanning of the document and the reading of the image out of the document;
wherein a first unit and a second unit are provided, the first unit including said document conveying mechanism and the second unit being separated from the first unit, having the scanning/reading-out mechanism and including said drive source and said control means,
wherein said image reading apparatus further comprises:
at least one sensor which detects the document in the first unit, wherein each sensor is connected to said control means by a corresponding optical fiber cable not exposed on the outer sides the first and second units wherein each of the corresponding fiber cables includes a first optical fiber cable disposed within the first unit and a second optical fiber cable disposed within the second unit, wherein the first and optical fiber cables are attached to each other.