Hand scanner apparatus

Abstract

A hand scanner support and paper guide apparatus is disclosed for mechanically scanning a thin sheet, e.g. a sheet of paper, using a scanner designed to be hand-held. The apparatus includes a housing which includes a planar upper wall which serves as a flat surface along which the thin sheet is moved. A support assembly is connected to the housing and supports the scanner a spaced distance above the planar upper wall as the thin sheet is moved past the scanner. A guide assembly is connected to the housing and guides the thin sheet in a straight path as the thin sheet is moved along the planar upper wall. A drive assembly is housed within the housing and moved the thin sheet past the scanner. The drive assembly includes a driven, thin-sheet-contacting element such as a cylindrical roller; and a slot, in the planar upper wall, permits the cylindrical roller to contact and move the thin sheet as it lies on the planar upper wall. The scanner support assembly includes a first support element which supports the scanner from below the scanner; and the scanner support assembly also includes a second support element which supports the scanner from above the scanner. The first support element may be a U-shaped bar that extends across the planar upper wall in spaced relation thereto. The second support element may be a flexible strap.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.