Short focal length optical imaging system

Claim 1

An imaging system including a planar document supporting surface adapted to maintain a document fixed duriNg imaging thereof, an opaque light responsive member supported adjacent said document supporting surface to define an imaging zone therebetween with its surface facing the document supporting surface capable of having a reflective image created thereon, a short focal length optical imaging device positioned in the imaging zone between the document supporting surface and a surface of said light responsive member, said imaging device including a plurality of transparent lens strips having lenses formed thereon, the lens strip closest said document supporting surface being adapted to invert and revert light rays and form an intermediate image, the lens strip closest said light responsive member being adapted to invert and revert light rays and project the intermediate image toward said light responsive member, said imaging device also including a single reverting prism located between said lens strips and one of said surfaces having at least one reflective surface for reverting light rays from all the lenses in said imaging device through reflection as they pass from the document supporting surface to said light responsive surface for creating a right-reading image on the light responsive surface facing the document supporting surface means to move said light responsive surface in a path of movement parallel to the document supporting surface in the same direction in which light rays are reverted by said reverting prism and means to move said imaging device in a path of movement parallel to said light responsive Surface in the same direction at a speed substantially half of the speed of the light responsive surface.