Original reading apparatus and original reading and recording apparatus using the same

An original reading and recording apparatus comprising:

• a platen roller for conveying an original;
• an original insertion port;
• guide means for guiding the original from said original insertion port toward said platen roller;
• original reading means disposed at a position substantially at the back of said platen roller with respect to the direction in which the original is guided by said guide means, said original reading means being provided with a solid state image sensor for converting the optical image of the original into an electrical signal, and an imaging optical system for forming the optical image of the original on said solid state image sensor, said imaging optical system comprising an array of plurality of small imaging elements and being disposed in opposed relationship with said platen roller;
• recording means disposed substantially at the back of said original reading means with respect to the direction in which the origianl is guided by said guide means, said recording means being adapted to form an image on a recording medium correspondingly to a received image signal;
• recording medium containing portion provided at a position substantially at the back of said recording means with respect to the direction in which the original is guided by said guide means, said recording medium containing portion being adapted to contain therein a recording medium wound in the form of a roll, the recording medium being supplied from said containing portion to said recording means;
• and
• original supply means for supplying the original to the lower portion of said platen roller,
• wherein the original is conveyed from the lower portion of said platen roller to the upper portion thereof and is separated from said platen roller at the upper portion thereof, said imaging optical system being oriented so as to be opposed to the original at the upper portion of said platen roller and such that the optical axis of said imaging optical system faces obliquely downwardly relative to said platen roller, and
• wherein said original reading means is opposed to the upper portion of said platen roller, said recording means is disposed obliquely upwardly of said original reading means, and said apparatus has a box member covering said platen roller, said reading means, said recording means and said recording medium containing portion, the upper portion of said box member being upwardly inclined with respect to the direction in which the original is guided by said guide means;
• and said box member comprising said original insertion port, an original discharging port, and a recording material discharging port, said original discharging port being disposed between said original insertion port and said recording material discharging port, the original discharging direction from said original discharging port and the recording material discharging direction from said recording material discharging port being substantailly opposite to the original insertion direction into said original insertion port.

An original reading apparatus comprising:

• a platen roller for conveying an original to be read;
• a reading assembly having a solid state image sensor for generating an electrical signal corresponding to the original;
• a first arm;
• means for fixing one end of said reading assembly to said first arm;
• a second arm;
• means for relatively movably engaging the other end of said reading assembly with said second arm;
• means for pivotably supporting said first and second arms;
• and
• biasing means for resiliently biasing said reading assembly toward said platen roller.