Image reading and forming device

Claim 2

An image scanning apparatus, characterized by comprising: means (La, 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10) for scanning target areas from a first edge area to a second edge area, the target area including original document areas (2); means (15, 16-1, 16-2) for producing image signal representative of the shade of darkness of areas scanned by said scanning means (La, 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10) , the image signals having dark image signals corresponding to the darkness of the target areas except the original document areas and bright image signals corresponding to the darkness of the target areas brighter than the target areas corresponding to the dark image area; means (17) for detecting a first bright image signal and a last bright image signal which are the first signal and the last signal in the bright image signals produced by the producing means (7, 16-1, 16-2) in the scanning direction; means (18, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 34, 36, 38, 39, 40, 42, 50, 48) for eliminating the image signal from the image signals corresponding to the first edge areas to the first bright image signals and from the last bright image signal to the image signal corresponding the image signal corresponding to the second edge area; and means (31) for forming an image on an image forming medium in accordance with the image signal from the eliminating means (18, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 34, 36, 38, 39, 40, 42, 50, 48).

Claim 3

An image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said scanning means (La, 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10) includes: means (La) for emitting light rays to illuminate the target areas; and means for moving the emitting means (La) in the second direction.

Claim 4

An image forming apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that said producing means (15, 16-1, 16-2) includes means (7) for sensing the light rays reflected from the target areas to generate the image signals.

Claim 5

An image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by further comprising: a transparent base (1) on which a original sheet (2) having the original document areas is placed, for allowing the light rays to pass therethrough; and means (11) for covering the original sheet (2) to set the sheet on the base (1), the base (1) being covered by the covering means (1) in a closing state and being uncovered by the covering means (1) in a opening state.

Claim 6

An image reading apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the cover means (1) has a surface which absorbs the light rays.

Claim 7

An image reading apparatus according to claim 5 or 6, characterized by further comprising means (32) for sensing a closing state of the covering means (11) to generate a closing signal and a opening state of the covering means (11) to generate a opening signal.

Claim 8

An image reading apparatus according to claim 7, characterized by further comprising means (23, 34, 40) for comparing the image signal with a first reference level between the that of the bright image signal and that of the dark image signal in accordance with the closing signal and comparing the image signal with a second reference level between the that of the bright image signal and that of the dark image signal in accordance with the opening signal.

Claim 9

An image reading apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising means (23, 34, 40) for comparing the image signal with a first reference level between the that of the bright image signal and that of the dark image signal.

Claim 10

An image reading apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the scanning means (La, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10) includes means (La) for emitting light rays on the target areas and the producing means (7, 16-1) for detecting the light rays from the target areas to generate the image signal and (16-1) means for converting the image signal into digital dot signals.

Claim 11

An image reading apparatus according to claim 10, characterized by further comprising means (20, 38, 39) for storing digital dot signals corresponding to one reading line on the target areas and outputting the stored dot signals to the eliminating means (18, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 34, 36, 38, 39, 40, 42, 50, 48).

Claim 12

An image reading apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by further comprising means (23, 34, 40) for comparing the image signal with a first reference level between the that of the bright image signal and that of the dark image signal to generate the first bright signal and the last bright signal.

Claim 13

An image reading apparatus according to claim 2 or 12, characterized in that the eliminating means (18, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 34, 36, 38, 39, 40, 42, 50, 48) includes means (21, 22, 42, 48, 50) for converting the image signals to the bright image signal in response to the image signal corresponding to the first edge area, and deenergizing the converting means (21, 22, 42, 48, 50) to permit output of the image signal in response to the first bright signal.

Claim 14

An image reading apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that the converting means (21, 22, 42, 50) converts the image signals to the bright image signal in response to the last bright image signal.