US 4,536,077 A · Multi-mode scanner

Abstract

A multi-mode scanner having a first automatic simplex scan mode, a second automatic duplex scan mode, and a third manual simplex scan mode, the scanner including a pair of scan stations for scanning opposing sides of a document, automatic document feeder means for separating a document to be scanned from a document supply and transporting the document to the first one of the scan stations where one side of the document is scanned in the first mode, and thereafter inverting the document and transporting the inverted document to the second one of the scan stations where the opposite side of the document is scanned in the second mode; a platen for manually accepting a document to be scanned in the third mode, and a movable scan carriage positionable in accordance with the mode selected having presettable optics to convey image rays from either the first or second scan station or from the platen to a scanning array.

Claims9

Dependent claims

A document scanner comprising:

(a) a document supply tray;
(b) first and second scan stations;
(c) means forming a path for conveying documents removed from said tray past said first and second scan stations in succession and back to said tray, said path including means to invert the document as the document is moving from said first scan station to said second scan station whereby one side of the document is scanned at said first scan station and the other side at said second scan station;
(d) document transport means for transporting documents from said tray along said path past said first and second scan stations and back to said tray;
(e) each of said first and second scan stations including a scanning slit through which the document moving along said path is viewed;
(f) means for illuminating said scanning slits and the document portion thereover;
(g) at least one scanning array;
and
(h) optical means for selectively transmitting images of the document portion viewed through said scanning slits of said first and second scan stations to said array whereby both sides of the document are scanned.

6 more elements

A multi-mode raster scanner adapted in a first mode to scan one side of a moving document, in a second mode to scan the reverse side of a moving document, and in a third mode to scan one side of a stationary document, comprising:

(a) a first scan station for said first mode;
(b) a second scan station for said second mode;
(c) a platen for supporting a document to be scanned in said third mode;
(d) a document supply tray;
(e) means forming a generally U-shaped document path for conducting a document to be scanned from said tray past said first and second scan stations and back to said tray, said document path including means to invert the document before the document reaches said second scan station;
(f) document transport means for moving documents from said tray along said document path and back to said tray during said first and second modes;
(g) said first and second scan station each including a scanning slit through which the document is scanned;
(h) at least one scanning array;
(i) optical means for transmitting document images from said first and second scan stations through the first and second scan station scanning slits to said array or from said platen to said array;
and
(j) carriage means supporting said array and said optical means for selective movement into scanning relation with said first and second scan stations in said first and second modes, or for scanning movement past said platen in said third mode.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Multi-mode scanner

Life of this patent

Multi-mode scanner

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims9