Imaging Engines for Use With Indicia Readers and Components Thereof
AssigneeZebra Technologies Corporation
InventorsAlexander J. Naney, Michael A. Mottola, Vladimir Gurevich
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Concepts described in the present disclosure relate to imaging engines used in indicia readers, such as barcode readers. The imaging engine includes a printed circuit board, an imaging sensor, and imaging optics. Also, it includes an aiming assembly with an aiming illumination source and an aiming optics assembly. The assembly has an optic element holder and a first optical lens arrangement, where the optical holder includes at least one feature for active alignment in the XYZ direction. These arrangements produce different aim light patterns when projected on a surface.
Claims14
An imaging engine for use in an indicia reader, comprising:
- a printed circuit board forming a mounting substrate;
- an imaging sensor mounted on the printed circuit board and configured to capture image data over a field of view (FOV);
- imaging optics assembly configured to form the FOV for the imaging sensor;
- and
- an aiming assembly having an aiming illumination source, an aiming-assembly chassis, and an aiming optics assembly, the aiming optics assembly having an optic element holder and a first optical lens arrangement positioned within the optic element holder,
- wherein:
- the aiming-assembly chassis is at least one of a Zink and a Zink-alloy chassis;
- the aiming illumination source is coupled to the aiming-assembly chassis such that the aiming-assembly chassis is a heatsink for the aiming illumination source;
- the optic element holder is a polycarbonate optic element holder;
- the first optical lens arrangement includes an optical polymer collimator lens;
- the optic element holder includes at least one active alignment feature for engagement with an active alignment arm or an active alignment apparatus;
- and
- the optical element holder is actively aligned relative to the aiming illumination source.
A method of manufacturing an imaging engine for use in an indicia reader, the method comprising:
- providing a printed circuit board forming a mounting substrate;
- mounting an imaging sensor on the printed circuit board, the imaging sensor configured to capture image data over a field of view (FOV);
- assembling an imaging optics assembly to form the FOV for the imaging sensor;
- providing an aiming assembly having an aiming illumination source, an aiming-assembly chassis, and an aiming optics assembly, the aiming optics assembly having an optic element holder and a first optical lens arrangement positioned within the optic element holder;
- coupling the aiming illumination source to the aiming-assembly chassis such that the aiming-assembly chassis is a heatsink for the aiming illumination source, the aiming-assembly chassis being at least one of a Zink and a Zink-alloy chassis;
- and
- actively aligning the optical element holder relative to the aiming illumination source,
- wherein the optic element holder is a polycarbonate optic element holder, the first optical lens arrangement includes an optical polymer collimator lens, and the optic element holder includes at least one active alignment feature for engagement with an active alignment arm or an active alignment apparatus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.