Optical: systems and elements – Deflection using a moving element
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-11
2002-07-30
Phan, James (Department: 2872)
Optical: systems and elements
Deflection using a moving element
C359S896000, C358S474000, C358S494000, C358S506000, C358S487000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06426823
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a vibration-proof device for an optic source element of upper transparency adapter, and particularly to a vibration-proof device used in a scanner having an upper transparency adapter (UTA) for preventing noises caused by the optic source element of the UTA.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1
is a lateral view of a conventional scanner equipped with an UTA, in which the scanner mainly includes a casing
200
having a top being installed with a glass panel
45
. A chassis
60
is installed within the casing
200
. The chassis
60
is movably coupled to a slide lever
70
disposed inside the casing
200
for moving forwards and backwards along the slide lever
70
under the glass panel
45
. An image sensing device (not shown) retained in the chassis
60
serves to scan a document
50
disposed over the glass panel
45
. The image sensing device is generally equipped with a an image detector such as CCD, CIS or CMOS (compensated metal oxide semiconductor).
As illustrated in
FIG. 1
, an upper transparency adapter (UTA) is formed by a cover
100
attached to the top of the casing
200
and an optic source clement
10
mounted in the cover
100
. The optic source element
10
is movably coupled to a slide lever
20
disposed in the cover
100
for moving synchronously with the chassis
60
, and serves as a light source as the document
50
positioned over the glass panel
45
is transparent, in order for the image sensing device to sense the image on the document
50
. As shown in the drawing, the optic source element
10
consists of a sliding carriage
14
and a light source
12
associated with the sliding carriage
14
for illuminating the document
50
. Consequently, the light source
12
is capable of being moved alone the glass panel
40
so as to illuminate light to pass through the document
50
placed thereunder, while the sliding carriage
14
is driven to move along the slide rod
20
The sliding carriage
14
is generally arranged with an AC to DC converter (not shown) and the light source
12
has a lamp electrically coupled to the AS to DC converter and a light-reflecting plate (not shown).
FIG. 2
is a partial perspective view of a conventional upper transparency adapter, in which only a slide rod
20
disposed at the center of the casing
100
is illustrated. As shown in the drawing, one end of the slide rod
20
is firmly secured to a support
26
′ attached to the inner surface of the casing
100
, and the sliding carriage
14
slidably coupled to the slide rod
20
is joined to a driving belt
25
. The driving belt
25
is wound around a pulley
23
proximate to the support
26
′ and driven by a servo motor (not shown) allowing the sliding carriage
14
to be driven by the driving belt
25
to slide along the slide rod
20
.
Referring to
FIG. 3
, the slide rod
20
is firmly secured to the support
26
′ with bolts
29
which securely fix the support
26
′ to the posts
28
′ protruded from the inner surface of the casing
100
. Due to the lack of manufacturing and assembling precision a gap G is usually formed between the light source
12
and the glass panel
40
. As abovementioned, the sliding carriage
14
is movably coupled to the slide rod
20
and the light source
12
are radially outwardly extended toward the opposing sidewalls of the casing
150
, so that when the driving belt
25
drives the optic source element
10
to slidably move along the slide rod
20
, the light source
12
tends to swing or oscillate to thereby cause the light source
12
to irregularly come in touch with the glass panel
40
. When the light source
12
irregularly comes in touch with the glass panel
40
during the moving course, noises will generate.
Furthermore, the swing or oscillation of the light source
12
during the scanning operation, not only generates the noise, but also adversely affects the scanning quality.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention has been designed for overcoming the shortcomings of the aforementioned conventional upper transparency adapter. The primary objective of the present invention is to provided a vibration-proof device that prevents the optic source element disposed in an upper transparency adapter of a scanner from swing or oscillating, thus eliminating noise when the scanner is in operation.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a vibration-proof device that can prevent the optic source element disposed in an upper transparency adapter of a scanner from swinging or oscillating, thus assuring the scanning quality.
In accordance with the above and other objectives, the present invention provides a vibration-proof device for an optic source disposed in an upper transparency adapter of a scanner, wherein the upper transparency adapter is secured to a casing of the scanner, to allow the scanner to scan a transparent document. The upper transparency adapter is composed of a cover attached to the top of the scanner, the optic source element mounted in the cover, a glass panel installed on the bottom of the cover and a slide rod mounted in the cover to which the optic source element is coupled, allowing the optic source element to slidably move along the glide rod proximate to the glass panel.
The vibration-proof device of the present invention comprises a supporter for coupling the slide rod, a positioning member erected from a base of the cover toward the glass panel for retaining the supporter in place in the cover, and an elastic member interposed between the supporter and the base of the cover so as to resiliently support the supporter to thereby constantly abut the optic source element against the glass panel by an appropriate elastic force rendered by the elastic member.
At the end of the positioning member facing the glass panel is formed with an enlarged portion for preventing the supporter from escaping from the positioning member. Since a conventional bolt is generally in a shape of elongated post with a head having a diameter greater than that of the post, so it can serve as the positioning member for the purpose of reducing production and assembly costs. Furthermore, the positioning member may be directly screwed into the cover, or screwably engaged with an engaging post protruded from an inner surface of the cover facing the glass panel.
The elastic member may be a spring, an elastic cylindrical rod, or the like and is adapted for sleeving the positioning member or the engaging post for engagement with the positioning member.
The supporter is formed with at least a hole for the insertion of the positioning member, so it can be slidably retained in position along the axial direction of the positioning member and resiliently supported by the elastic member for constantly abut the optic source element coupled to the slide rod connected with the supporter against the glass panel.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5986774 (1999-11-01), Han
patent: 6229636 (2001-05-01), Sheng
Hsiao Chun-I
Tseng Chi-Chih
Phan James
Shoemaker and Mattare
Umaxdata Systems, Inc.
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