Portable image scanner having manual or automatic feed

A portable image scanner for scanning a document to optically read an image on the document, comprising:

• a scanner body including a bottom, a motor having sufficient motive force to move said scanner body, driving rollers disposed on said bottom and driven by said motor for imparting a relative motion to the document to be scanned, image reading means for optically reading out the image data on the document while relatively moving the document, and a document sensor for detecting the document placed opposite to said bottom;
• a cover member detachably attached to said scanner body to define a document passage between itself and said scanner body and to cover said bottom of said scanner body;
• said cover member being provided with press rollers which come into contact with said driving rollers of said scanner body so as to forward the document through said document passage by said driving rollers of said scanner body and said press rollers of said cover member when being united with said scanner body, wherein said scanner body and cover member have cooperative engaging means composed of substantially L-shape hooks formed on said cover member, and corresponding engaging holes formed in said scanner body for receiving said hooks, and serving to securely unite said scanner body and cover member with each other;
• and
• a document feeder having a document tray for stacking one or more documents thereon, said document feeder being positionable in a first position fully detached from said scanner body and cover member and in a second position attached to at least one of said scanner body and cover member which are united with each other, for sending out said documents one by one into said document passage formed between said united scanner body and cover member.

A portable image scanner for scanning a document to optically read out image data on the document and deliver said image data to an external image processing device, comprising:

• a scanner body including a housing having a bottom with a scanning slit, a mounting frame mounted resiliently on said bottom through spring means, a motor having sufficient motive force to move said scanner body mounted on said bottom, two rows of driving rollers which rows are respectively supported by parallel driving shafts held by said mounting frame and driven by said motor for imparting a relative motion to the document to be scanned, image reading means confronting said scanning slit between said rows of driving rollers and adapted for optically reading out the image data on the document while relatively moving the document, a circuit board mounted on said mounting frame and including an image processing circuit, a control circuit and an interface circuit, and a document sensor including a sensor lever which is operated by the document placed opposite to said bottom of the scanner body and switching means which is actuated by said sensor lever and adapted for detecting the document placed opposite to said bottom;
• a cover member detachably attached to said bottom of said scanner body to derive a document passage between said cover member and said scanner body, and including press rollers coming into contact with said driving rollers on said scanner body when uniting said scanner body and cover member;
• said scanner body and cover member having cooperatives engaging means composed of substantially L-shape hooks formed on said cover member, and corresponding engaging holes formed in said scanner body for receiving said hooks, and serving to securely unite said scanner body and cover member with each other;
• said document being forwarded through said document passage by said driving rollers of said scanner body and said press rollers of said cover member when being united with said scanner body;
• said scanner body separated from said cover member being permitted to move on said document by driving said driving rollers while scanning the image of said document;
• and
• a document feeder having a document tray for stacking one or more documents thereon, and separation means including at least one separation roller and separation pad for permitting said documents to pass one by one, said document feeder being positionable in a first position fully detached from said scanner body and cover member and in a second position attached to at least one of said scanner body and cover member which are united with each other, for sending out said documents one by one into said document passage defined between said united scanner body and cover member.

A portable image scanner for scanning a document to optically read out an image on the document, which comprises:

• a scanner body including a bottom, a motor, driving rollers disposed on said bottom and driven by said motor for imparting a relative motion to the document to be scanned, image reading means for optically reading out the image data on the document while relatively moving the document, and a document sensor for detecting the document placed opposite to said bottom,
• a cover member detachably attached to said scanner body to define a document passage between said cover member and said scanner body and to cover said bottom of said scanner body,
• said cover member being provided with press rollers which come into contact with said driving rollers of said scanner body so as to forward the document through said document passage by said driving rollers of said scanner body and said press rollers of said cover member when being united with said scanner body, and
• a document feeder having a document tray for stacking one or more documents thereon,
• said document feeder being positionable in a first position fully detached from said scanner body and cover member and in a second position attached to at least one of said scanner body and cover member which are united with each other, for sending out said documents one by one into said document passage formed between said united scanner body and cover member.

A portable image scanner for scanning a document to optically read out image data on the document and deliver said image data to an external image processing device, which comprises:

• a scanner body including a housing having a bottom with a scanning slit, a mounting frame mounted resiliently on said bottom through spring means, a motor having sufficient motive force to move said scanner body mounted on said bottom, two rows of driving rollers, which rows are respectively supported by parallel driving shafts held by said mounting frame and driven by said motor for imparting a relative motion to the document to be scanned, image reading means confronting said scanning slit between said rows of driving rollers and adapted for optically reading out the image data on the document while relatively moving the document, a circuit board mounted on said mounting frame and including an image processing circuit, a control circuit and an interface circuit, and a document sensor including a sensor lever which is operated by the document placed opposite to said bottom of the scanner body and switching means which is actuated by said sensor lever and adapted for detecting the document placed opposite to said bottom, and
• a cover member detachably attached to said bottom of said scanner body to define a document passage between said cover member and said scanner body, and including press rollers coming into contact with said driving rollers on said scanner body when uniting said scanner body and cover member,
• said scanner body and cover member having cooperatives engaging means composed of substantially L-shape hooks formed on said cover member, and corresponding engaging holes formed in said scanner body for receiving said hooks, and serving to securely unite said scanner body and cover member with each other;
• and
• said document being forwarded through said document passage by said driving rollers of said scanner body and said press rollers of said cover member when being united with said scanner body;
• said scanner body separated from said cover member being permitted to move on said document by driving said driving rollers while scanning the image of said document;
• and
• a document feeder having a document tray for stacking one or more documents thereon, and separation means including at least one separation roller and separation pad for permitting said documents to pass one by one, said document feeder being positionable in a first position fully detached from said scanner body and cover member and in a second position attached to at least one of said scanner body and cover member which are united with each other, for sending out said documents one by one into said document passage defined between said united scanner body and cover member.

A portable image scanner for scanning a document to optically read an image on the document, comprising:

• a scanner body including a housing having a bottom, a motor having sufficient motive force to move said scanner body, driving rollers driven by said motor for imparting a relative motion to the document to be scanned, a mounting frame for supporting said driving rollers, said mounting frame being mounted resiliently on said housing through spring means, and image reading means for optically reading out the image data on the document while relatively moving the document, and a document sensor for detecting the document placed opposite to said bottom;
• a cover member detachably attached to said scanner body to define a document passage between itself and said scanner body and to cover said bottom of said scanner body, said cover member being provided with press rollers which come into contact with said driving rollers of said scanner body so as to forward the document through said document passage by said driving rollers of said scanner body and said press rollers of said cover member when being united with said scanner body;
• and
• a document feeder having a document tray for stacking one or more documents thereon, said document feeder being positionable in a first position fully detached from said scanner body and cover member and in a second position attached to at least one of said scanner body and cover member which are united with each other, for sending out said documents one by one into said document passage formed between said united scanner body and cover member.