Registers – Coded record sensors – Particular sensor structure
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-31
2001-11-06
Frech, Karl D. (Department: 2876)
Registers
Coded record sensors
Particular sensor structure
C235S462450, C235S472010
Reexamination Certificate
active
06311894
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an optical scanning device, such as a bar code scanner.
A bar code scanner is a device for reading the bar code on the surface of a commodity as an identification symbol to identify it, by optically scanning the bar code.
In connection with such a bar code scanner, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication 2-178888 has disclosed a lightweight, portable bar code scanner.
FIG. 32
is a front view of a laser scanning head
110
used in the bar code scanner.
FIG. 33
is a vertical sectional view taken along line I-I′ of FIG.
32
.
FIG. 34
is a transverse sectional view taken along line XXXIV-XXXIV′ of FIG.
33
. Numeral
111
indicates the body section. In the figures, the emitted light from a laser diode (hereinafter, referred to as LD)
133
passes through a focusing lens
132
and strikes a scanning mirror
119
b.
As the scanning mirror
119
b
is rotated by a scanning motor
124
, this causes the reflected light to scan. The reflected light passes through a window
114
, hits the bar code (not shown) located outside the head, and scans it. The reflected light from the bar code passes through the window
114
, taking the reverse route of the emitted light, and strikes a condenser mirror
119
a,
which gathers the rays of light on a photosensor
117
, which then senses the light.
The conventional optical system is characterized by selectively sensing the reflected light and scattered light from the vicinity of the area on which the emitted light is actually projected by causing the scanning mirror
119
b
to force the emitted light to scan at the same time that the condenser mirror
119
a
scans the visual field of the photosensor
117
. This configuration minimizes the effect of external light. The scanning mirror
119
b
and condenser mirror
119
a
are integrally formed and caused to scan by the scanning motor
124
. (Hereinafter, they are referred to as an integral scanning and receiving mirror
119
).
In the prior-art optical system, the LD
133
, focusing lens
132
, integral scanning and receiving mirror
119
, and photosensor
117
are used as bar code scanner component parts. They have to be positioned and assembled, which makes it difficult to reduce costs. Because the incident angle of light to the integral scanning and receiving mirror
119
is small (close to vertical incidence), the LD
133
and photosensor
117
have to be separated a suitable distance away from the integral scanning and receiving mirror
119
so that they may not block the reflected light. This makes it difficult to make the scanner more compact.
Furthermore, the focusing lens
132
for determining the position of the focal point of the emitted light is designed to have the ability to read the bar code relatively away from (several tens of centimeters from) the bar code scanner. In addition, the gathering mirror
119
a
is designed to have a much larger area than that of the scanning mirror
119
b
according to the distance to the bar code. With such a configuration, the large moving part requires the scanning motor
124
to produce a greater driving force, which makes it difficult to make the bar code scanner more compact. Moreover, an attempt to combine the scanning mirror
119
b
composed of a plane mirror and the condenser mirror
119
a
of a concave mirror into an integral structure raises the problem of complicating the mirror manufacturing method.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide an optical scanning device capable of reducing the number of component parts constituting the optical scanning device while making use of the advantages of the prior art, and thereby not only making the scanning device more compact but also reducing costs.
The foregoing object is accomplished by providing an optical scanning device according to a first aspect of the present invention, comprising: a light source; a condenser lens gathers rays of emitted light from the light source; a reflecting section that reflects the light gathered by the condenser lens; an optical scanning section which includes a fixed section and a moving section and which causes the light reflected by the reflecting section to scan an object to be scanned; and a photodetecting section that receives and detects light returned from the object scanned by the optical scanning section, wherein the reflecting section and the photodetecting section are integrally formed on the moving section of the optical scanning section.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an optical scanning device comprising: a light source; a condenser lens that gathers rays of light from the light source; an optical scanning section which includes a fixed section and a moving section and which causes the light gathered by the condenser lens to scan an object to be scanned; and a photodetecting section that receives and detects light returned from the object scanned by the optical scanning section, wherein the light source and photodetecting section are integrally formed on the moving section of the optical scanning section.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5241174 (1993-08-01), Ando
patent: 5302812 (1994-04-01), Li et al.
patent: 5589680 (1996-12-01), Swartz et al.
patent: 5693929 (1997-12-01), Dvorkis et al.
patent: 6052191 (2000-04-01), Brayden, Jr. et al.
patent: 6188504 (2001-02-01), Marakami et al.
patent: 2-178888 (1990-07-01), None
patent: 10-20226 (1998-01-01), None
L.Y. Lin, et al., “Microactuated Micro-XYZ Stages For Free-Space Micro-Optical Bench”, Proceedings of MEMS-97,IEEE(0-7803-3744-1/97), 1997, pp. 43-48.
Jun-ichi Shimada, et al., “Gradient-index microlens formed by ion-beam sputtering”,Applied Optics, vol. 31, No. 25, Sep. 1, 1992, pp. 5230-5236.
S. Linder, et al., “Photolithography in Anisotropically Etched Grooves”, Proceedings of MEMS-96,IEEE(0-7803-2985-Jun. 1996), pp. 38-43.
Kubo Mitsunori
Miyajima Hiroshi
Cyr Daniel St.
Frech Karl D.
Frishauf, Holtz Goodman, Langer & Chick, P.C.
Olympus Optical Co,. Ltd.
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