Optical: systems and elements – Mirror – Plural mirrors or reflecting surfaces
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-19
2001-04-17
Shafer, Ricky D. (Department: 2872)
Optical: systems and elements
Mirror
Plural mirrors or reflecting surfaces
C359S855000, C359S857000, C359S831000, C359S871000, C359S883000, C359S848000, C355S067000, C358S494000, C358S496000, C358S497000, C399S221000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06217179
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical reflection panel, and more particularly to an optical reflection panel with a substrate made of thermosetting plastic material. The optical reflection panel additionally includes a reinforcing structure for increasing the mechanical strength of the optical reflection panel.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many kinds of optical devices, such as image scanner, copier, are widely used nowadays. All these optical devices are equipped with an optical reflection module for reflecting the light beam during image scanning. The conventional optical reflection module used in a commercial optical image scanner generally includes three or four reflection mirrors made of glass therein.
FIG. 1
shows the arrangement of the components of a conventional image scanner and the optical path thereof.
The image scanner includes several glass reflection mirrors
11
,
12
,
13
,
14
, an optical lens
3
and an image sensing element
4
(such as a conventional Charge Coupling Device, CCD). The four glass reflection mirrors
11
,
12
,
13
,
14
are arranged in an interior space of a conventional optical reflection module
5
as shown in
FIG. 2
for reflecting and refracting the light beam
2
during image scanning. The light beam refracted by the glass reflection mirrors
11
,
12
,
13
, and
14
finally will pass through a light passage
52
formed on rear side of the optical reflection module
5
and project onto the optical lens
3
of the image scanner (referring to FIG.
1
).
In order to reduce manufacturing cost and material cost of the scanner, the manufacturers always try to research the way to save cost of respective components or the entire frame of the module. However, the conventional optical reflection modules all employ reflection mirrors made of glass material which itself is made at considerably high cost. Therefore, with such conventional glass reflection mirrors, the cost can be reduced only to a quite limited extent.
Furthermore, it is impossible to drill a through hole onto the glass reflection mirror. Therefore, when mounting the glass reflection mirror, such as the mirrors
11
, in the optical reflection module
5
, it is necessary to form a U-shaped cavity
51
a predetermined position of the module
5
and then insert each end of the glass reflection mirror
11
into the cavity
51
and finally fixedly clamp the glass reflection mirror
11
with a clip
6
. Such conventional structure leads to increment of cost for a number of clips and assembling steps.
In addition, when assembling the glass reflection mirror
11
in the housing of the module, the glass reflection mirror is positioned by an inclination angle for optical refraction. It is very difficult to clamp and hold the glass reflection mirror
11
with the clip
6
in a narrow space so that the working efficiency can be hardly promoted.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide an optical reflection panel including a thermosetting plastic substrate. The surface of the substrate is processed, whereby one surface of the optical reflection panel is formed as an optical reflection surface instead of the glass reflection mirrors widely used in the existing scanners or copiers. By means of the measure of the present invention, the problems existing in the conventional glass reflection mirrors can be effectively solved and the cost for material can be reduced. Moreover, the assembling procedure can be facilitated and the production efficiency can be greatly promoted.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an optical reflection panel with a reinforcing structure for increasing the mechanical strength of the optical reflection panel and controlling the deformation amount thereof within a standard of the conventional glass reflection mirrors. Because the optical reflection panel of the present invention is made of a thermosetting plastic substrate, during injection molding, the reinforcing structure can be integrally formed to facilitate the manufacturing of the product.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide an optical reflection panel with projecting lock lugs so that the reflection panel may be easily mounted in an optical reflection module. The projecting lock lug may be further formed with a through hole. A screw can be passed through the through hole of the lock lug to secure the optical reflection panel on a frame body of the optical reflection module without any clip. Therefore, the assembling procedure is simplified and the cost for the parts is saved.
The present invention can be best understood through the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein:
REFERENCES:
patent: 35344 (1862-05-01), Willard
patent: 3484328 (1969-12-01), Austin et al.
patent: 3856384 (1974-12-01), Kryzhanousky
patent: 4422893 (1983-12-01), Duchateau et al.
patent: 5687017 (1997-11-01), Katoh et al.
patent: 401011219 (1989-01-01), None
patent: 406208076 (1994-07-01), None
Dougherty & Troxell
Shafer Ricky D.
Umax Data Systems Inc.
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