EP0394072A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Rotary reflecting devices for use in optical scanning apparatus
Assignee: Fujitsu Ltd
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Filing: 1990-04-20
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2010-04-20
Abstract
Abstract A rotary reflecting device (18; 32), for use in optical scanning apparatus, of the type being rotatable about an axis of rotation therethrough and having a plurality of reflectors (20; 38) positioned at respective different angular locations around that axis, is characterised in that each of the said reflectors (20; 38) has two mutually-adjacent substantially planar reflecting faces (20a, 20b; 38a, 38b) which meet in a line (21) of intersection that is inclined with respect to the said axis of rotation, and in that the respective said lines (21) of intersection of adjacent reflectors (20; 38) of the device are inclined respectively at different angles (ϑ₁) with respect to the said axis of rotation. The use of such a rotary reflecting device in optical scanning apparatus, for reading bar codes for example, can enable a satisfactory scanning pattern to be produced without the need for additional, and/or comparatively large, components such as are required in prior art optical scanning apparatus, thereby permitting a reduction in the overall size and cost of the apparatus.
Inventors
- 👤 Hiroaki Katoh
- 👤 Yoshitaka Murakawa
- 👤 Toshimasa Miyazaki
- 👤 Nobuyuki Kitamura
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 01:13
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B5/00; G02B5/08; G02B5/09
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
114 words
A rotary reflecting device (18; 32) for use in optical scanning apparatus, which device (18; 32) is rotatable about an axis of rotation therethrough and has a plurality of reflectors (20; 38) positioned at respective different angular locations around that axis, characterised in that each of the said reflectors (20; 38) has two mutually-adjacent substantially planar reflecting faces (20a, 20b; 38a, 38b) which meet in a line (21) of intersection that is inclined with respect to the said axis of rotation, and in that the respective said lines (21) of intersection of adjacent reflectors (20; 38) of the device are inclined respectively at different angles (ϑ₁) with respect to the said axis of rotation.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
114 words
A rotary reflecting device (18; 32) for use in optical scanning apparatus, which device (18; 32) is rotatable about an axis of rotation therethrough and has a plurality of reflectors (20; 38) positioned at respective different angular locations around that axis, characterised in that each of the said reflectors (20; 38) has two mutually-adjacent substantially planar reflecting faces (20a, 20b; 38a, 38b) which meet in a line (21) of intersection that is inclined with respect to the said axis of rotation, and in that the respective said lines (21) of intersection of adjacent reflectors (20; 38) of the device are inclined respectively at different angles (ϑ₁) with respect to the said axis of rotation.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
43 words
A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the angle (ϑ₂) between the said two reflecting faces (20a, 20b; 38a, 38b) of each reflector is different from the angle (ϑ₂) between the said two reflecting faces of an adjacent reflector of the device.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
39 words
A device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein each of the said reflectors (38) has a third substantially planar reflecting face (38c) which meets one of the other faces (38a, 38b) at a further line of intersection.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
180 words
An optical scanner for scanning coded bars by means of a laser beam to read a bar code of the coded bars, comprising: a light source for generating a laser beam; a rotary polygon mirror having a plurality of reflecting portions provided thereon around an axis of rotation thereof for reflecting the laser beam from said light source toward the coded bars, each of said reflecting portions of said rotary polygon mirror including a plurality of flattened reflecting faces having different inclination angles from each other with respect to the axis of rotation such that an inclination angle of a line of intersection between adjacent ones of said flattened reflecting faces of each of said reflecting portions with respect to the axis of rotation is different from an inclination angle of a line of intersection between adjacent ones of said flattened reflecting faces of each of adjacent ones of said reflecting portions on the opposite sides of the reflecting portion with respect to the axis of rotation; and a photodetector for detecting diffused signal light diffused by the coded bars.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
180 words
An optical scanner for scanning coded bars by means of a laser beam to read a bar code of the coded bars, comprising: a light source for generating a laser beam; a rotary polygon mirror having a plurality of reflecting portions provided thereon around an axis of rotation thereof for reflecting the laser beam from said light source toward the coded bars, each of said reflecting portions of said rotary polygon mirror including a plurality of flattened reflecting faces having different inclination angles from each other with respect to the axis of rotation such that an inclination angle of a line of intersection between adjacent ones of said flattened reflecting faces of each of said reflecting portions with respect to the axis of rotation is different from an inclination angle of a line of intersection between adjacent ones of said flattened reflecting faces of each of adjacent ones of said reflecting portions on the opposite sides of the reflecting portion with respect to the axis of rotation; and a photodetector for detecting diffused signal light diffused by the coded bars.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
59 words
An optical scanner according to claim 4, wherein an included angle between adjacent ones of said flattened reflecting faces of each of said reflecting portions of said rotary polygon mirror is different from an included angle between adjacent ones of said flattened reflecting faces of adjacent ones of said reflecting portions on the opposite sides of the reflecting portion.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
66 words
An optical scanner according to claim 4 or 5, wherein said rotary polygon mirror has six reflecting portions, and each one of each pair of said reflecting portions which are positioned on the opposite sides with respect to the axis of rotation has a plurality of flattened reflecting faces which have the same arrangement as those of the other one of said pair of reflecting portions.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
25 words
An optical scanner according to claim 4, 5 or 6, wherein said reflecting portions are provided on an outer periphery of said rotary polygon mirror.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
42 words
An optical scanner according to claim 4, 5 or 6, wherein said rotary polygon mirror has a tubular configuration which is open at the top thereof, and said reflecting faces are provided on an inner periphery of said tubular rotary polygon mirror.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
137 words
A rotary polygon mirror adapted to produce a scanning pattern constituted from a plurality of scanning lines of different directions, said rotary polygon mirror having a plurality of reflecting portions provided around an axis of rotation thereof, each of said reflecting portions having a plurality of flattened reflecting faces having different inclination angles from each other with respect to the axis of rotation such that an inclination angle of a line of intersection between adjacent ones of said flattened reflecting faces of each of said reflecting portions with respect to the axis of rotation is different from an inclination angle of a line of intersection between adjacent ones of said flattened reflecting faces of each of adjacent ones of said reflecting portions on the opposite sides of the reflecting portion with respect to the axis of rotation.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
137 words
A rotary polygon mirror adapted to produce a scanning pattern constituted from a plurality of scanning lines of different directions, said rotary polygon mirror having a plurality of reflecting portions provided around an axis of rotation thereof, each of said reflecting portions having a plurality of flattened reflecting faces having different inclination angles from each other with respect to the axis of rotation such that an inclination angle of a line of intersection between adjacent ones of said flattened reflecting faces of each of said reflecting portions with respect to the axis of rotation is different from an inclination angle of a line of intersection between adjacent ones of said flattened reflecting faces of each of adjacent ones of said reflecting portions on the opposite sides of the reflecting portion with respect to the axis of rotation.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
60 words
A rotary polygon mirror according to claim 9, wherein an included angle between adjacent ones of said flattened reflecting faces of each of said reflecting portions of said rotary polygon mirror is different from an included angle between adjacent ones of said flattened reflecting faces of adjacent ones of said reflecting portions on the opposite sides of the reflecting portion.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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