High speed low inertia scanning system for a copying machine

Claim 2

In a system of the type adapted to scan a document placed on a flat platen for projecting information contained thereon on a line-by-line basis to a moving image recording surface, the improvement comprising: a. a flat platen having first and second opposite edges parallel with each other; b. means defining a folded optical path extending between said platen and said surface, the respective end portions of said path being perpendicular to said platen and said surface, which optical path means include at least a pair of mirrors and a lens; c. first support means mounting said mirrors for oscillating movement in constant parallel relationship with each other for scanning said platen from said first edge to said second edge thereof; d. second support means mounting one of said mirrors for shifting movement during said oscillating movement, said first and second support means cooperating such that during said movement of said mirrors the angle defined by adjoining portions of the optical path is varied according to the tangent function of the angle and such that at least two portions of the optical path are varied in length according to the cosine function of the angle thereby to maintain the length of said optical path substantially constant; and e. one of said mirrors extending in one direction for a distance at least as great as the distance between said edges whereby scanning is achieved without moving any of said mirrors along a path in parallel relation with said platen.

Claim 3

In a system of the type adapted to scan a document placed on a flat platen for projecting information contained thereon on a line-by-line basis to a moving image recording surface, the improvement comprising: a. means defining a folded optical path extending between said platen and said surface, the respective end portions of said path being perpendicular to said platen and said surface, which optical path means include at least a pair of mirrors and a lens; b. pivot means mounting said mirrors for oscillating movement in constant parallel relationship with each other and about respective parallel spaced axes thereby to scan a document on said platen from one edge to the opposite edge thereof; c. cam means mounting one of said mirrors for shifting movement during said oscillating movement; and d. said pivot means and said cam means cooperating such that during said oscillating and shifting movement of said mirrors the angle defined by adjoining portions of the optical path is varied according to the tangent function of the angle and such that at least two portions of the optical path are varied in length according to the cosine function of the angle thereby to maintain the length of said optical path substantially constant.

Claim 4

In a system of the type adapted to scan a document placed on a flat platen for projecting information contained thereon on a line-by-line basis to a moving image recording surface, the improvement comprising: a. means defining a folded optical path extending between said platen and said surface, the respective end portions of said path being perpendicular to said platen and said surface, which optical path means include at least a pair of mirrors and a lens; b. pivot means mounting said mirrors for oscillating movement in constant parallel relationship with each other and about respective parallel spaced axes thereby to scan a document on said platen from one edge to the opposite edge thereof; c. cam means mounting one of said mirrors for shifting movement during said oscillating movement; and d. said pivot means and said cam means cooperating such that during said oscillating and shifting movement of said mirrors the angle defined by adjoining portions of the optical path is varied according to the tangent function of the angle and such that at least two portions of the optical path are varied in length according to the cosine function of the angle thereby to maintain the length of said optical path substantially constant.

Claim 5

The improvement according to claim 2 further defined by: a. said pivot means including movable pivot means mounting said one mirror for pivoting movement about an axis parallel with and generally equidistant of the opposite edges thereof; b. said pivot means including fixed pivot means mounting the other mirror for pivoting movement about an axis parallel with and generally equidistant of the opposite edges thereof; c. said pivot means also including a linkage assembly connecting said mirrors in parallel relationship; and d. said cam means being engaged with said movable pivot means for imparting reciprocal movement thereto.

Claim 6

The improvement according to claim 2 further defined by: a. said pivot means including movable pivot means mounting said one mirror, said movable pivot means cooperating with said cam means such that said one mirror pivots about an axis contained in the plane of the face thereof and which shifts from one edge of said one mirror to the opposite edge thereof about an arcuate path; b. said pivot means also including fixed pivot means mounting the other mirror for pivoting movement; and c. said pivot means also including a linkage assembly connecting said mirrors.

Claim 11

In a system of the type adapted to scan a document placed on a flat platen for projecting information contained thereon on a line-by-line basis to a moving image recording surface, the improvement comprising: a. a lens; b. a first mirror; c. a second mirror; d. a linkage assembly connecting said first and second mirrors in parallel relationship; e. means mounting said mirrors to define a folded optical path passing through said lens and extending between said platen and said surface with the respective end portions of said path being perpendicular to said platen and said surface and with said second mirror being disposed between said first mirror and said lens, said mounting means including means for oscillating said mirrors about respective axes thereof and for shifting only one of said mirrors during said oscillating movement so that an angle defined by adjoining portions of the optical path is varied according to the tangent function of the angle and so that at least two portions of the optical path are varied in length according to the cosine function of the angle thereby to maintain the length of the optical path constant during scanning.

Claim 12

In a system of the type adapted to scan a document placed on a flat platen for projecting information contained thereon on a line-by-line basis to a moving image recording surface, the improvement comprising: a. a lens; b. a first mirror; c. a second mirror; d. a linkage assembly connecting said first and second mirrors in parallel relationship; e. means mounting said mirrors to define a folded optical path passing through said lens and extending between said platen and said surface with the respective end portions of said path being perpendicular to said platen and said surface and with said second mirror being disposed between said first mirror and said lens, said mounting means including means for oscillating said mirrors about respective axes thereof and for shifting only one of said mirrors during said oscillating movement so that an angle defined by adjoining portions of the optical path is varied according to the tangent function of the angle and so that at least two portions of the optical path are varied in length according to the cosine function of the angle thereby to maintain the length of the optical path constant during scanning.

Claim 13

The improvement according to claim 7 further defined by: a. said one mirror being said second mirror; b. said mounting means including fixed pivot means for said first mirror; c. said mounting means including movable pivot means for said second mirror; and d. cam means engaged with said movable pivot means thereby to impart compound pivoting and reciprocal movement to said second mirror.

Claim 14

The improvement according to claim 7 further defined by: a. said one mirror being said first mirror; b. a rectilinear cam element; c. an arcuate cam element arranged to be engaged by said rectilinear cam element; d. said mounting means including support means mounting said first mirror for movement with one of said cam elements and for fixedly mounting the other of said cam elements thereby to provide said shifting movement for said first mirror; and e. fixed pivot means mounting said second mirror.

Claim 15

The improvement according to claim 7 wherein said mounting means oscillates each of said mirrors through a relatively small acute angle.

Claim 16

The improvement according to claim 10 wherein said acute angle is in the order of thirty degrees.

Claim 17

A scanning system adapted to scan alternately from two parallel, spaced, flat platens for projecting information on a line-by-line basis from the selected platen to a single, moving, image recording surface, said system comprising: a. a lens; b. first, second and third mirror carriages connected together by a linkage system for simultaneous movement; c. a first mirror mounted on said first carriage by selector means permitting the first mirror alternately to occupy either of two positions relative to the first carriage; d. a second mirror mounted on said second carriage and cooperating with said first mirror, when the same occupies one of said positions, to define a first folded optical path passing through said lens and extending between one of said platens and said surface; e. a third mirror mounted on said third carriage and cooperating with said first mirror, when the same occupies the other of said positions, to define a second folded optical path passing through said lens and extending between the other of said platens and said surface; f. drive means engaged with said linkage assembly for oscillating all of said mirrors about respective transverse axes; and g. cam means cooperating with said drive means for shifting at least one of said mirrors during such oscillatory movement so that an angle defined by adjoining portions of the selected one of said first and second optical paths is varied according to the tangent function of the angle and so that at least two portions of the selected optical path are varied in length according to the cosine function of the angle thereby to maintain the length of the selected optical path constant during scanning.

Claim 18

A scanning system adapted to scan alternately from two parallel, spaced, flat platens for projecting information on a line-by-line basis from the selected platen to a single, moving, image recording surface, said system comprising: a. a lens; b. first, second and third mirror carriages connected together by a linkage system for simultaneous movement; c. a first mirror mounted on said first carriage by selector means permitting the first mirror alternately to occupy either of two positions relative to the first carriage; d. a second mirror mounted on said second carriage and cooperating with said first mirror, when the same occupies one of said positions, to define a first folded optical path passing through said lens and extending between one of said platens and said surface; e. a third mirror mounted on said third carriage and cooperating with said first mirror, when the same occupies the other of said positions, to define a second folded optical path passing through said lens and extending between the other of said platens and said surface; f. drive means engaged with said linkage assembly for oscillating all of said mirrors about respective transverse axes; and g. cam means cooperating with said drive means for shifting at least one of said mirrors during such oscillatory movement so that an angle defined by adjoining portions of the selected one of said first and second optical paths is varied according to the tangent function of the angle and so that at least two portions of the selected optical path are varied in length according to the cosine function of the angle thereby to maintain the length of the selected optical path constant during scanning.

Claim 19

The system according to claim 12 further defined by: a. said drive means being connected to said first carriage; and b. clutch means operable in response to positioning of said first mirror by said selector means for alternately engaging said second and third carriages with said first carriage.

Claim 20

The system according to claim 12 further defined by: a. said one mirror being said first mirror; b. said linkage assembly including separate fixed pivot means for said second and third carriages; and c. said linkage assembly including movable pivot means for said first carriage, said cam means being engaged with said movable pivot means thereby to impart reciprocal movement to said first carriage.

Claim 21

The system according to claim 12 further defined by: a. said linkage assembly including fixed pivot means for said first carriage; and b. said cam means including a pair of rectilinear cam elements in engagement with a pair of arcuate cam elements, respectively, one of said pair of cam elements being connected with respective second and third carriages, the other pair of cam elements being fixed thereby to impart said shifting movement to both of said second and third mirrors.

Claim 22

The system according to claim 12 wherein said linkage assembly is adapted to oscillate said mirrors through a relatively small acute angle during each stroke of the scanning cycle.

Claim 23

The system according to claim 16 wherein said acute angle is in the order of thirty degrees.

Claim 24

In a system of the type adapted to scan a document placed on a flat platen for projecting information contained thereon on a line-by-line basis to a moving image recording surface, the improvement comprising: a. a lens; b. a first mirror; c. means mounting said first mirror for oscillating movement about an axis thereof for scanning said platen from one edge to the opposite edge thereof; d. a second mirror having an area substantially less than the area of the first mirror; e. a linkage arrangement connecting said first and second mirrors in parallel relationship to define a folded optical path passing through said lens and extending between said platen and said surface, with respective end portions of the path being perpendicular to said platen and said surface and with the second mirror being disposed between said first mirror and said lens; and f. cam means cooperating with said linkage arrangement to impart bodily shifting movement to one of said first and second mirrors thereby to maintain the length of said optical path constant.

Claim 25

In a system of the type adapted to scan a document placed on a flat platen for projecting information contained thereon on a line-by-line basis to a moving image recording surface, the improvement comprising: a. a lens; b. a first mirror; c. means mounting said first mirror for oscillating movement about an axis thereof for scanning said platen from one edge to the opposite edge thereof; d. a second mirror having an area substantially less than the area of the first mirror; e. a linkage arrangement connecting said first and second mirrors in parallel relationship to define a folded optical path passing through said lens and extending between said platen and said surface, with respective end portions of the path being perpendicular to said platen and said surface and with the second mirror being disposed between said first mirror and said lens; and f. cam means cooperating with said linkage arrangement to impart bodily shifting movement to one of said first and second mirrors thereby to maintain the length of said optical path constant.

Claim 26

The improvement according to claim 18 further defined by: a. said one mirror being said second mirror; b. said mounting means supporting said first mirror for oscillating movement about a fixed pivot axis contained within the plane of said first mirror; and c. said second mirror being supported by movable pivot means, said cam means cooperating with said movable pivot means thereby to impart reciprocal movement thereto.

Claim 27

The improvement according to claim 19 wherein said first and second mirrors are oscillated through a relatively small acute angle and wherein the stroke of reciprocal movement imparted to said second mirror is substantially less than the length of the document to be scanned.

Claim 28

The improvement according to claim 18 further defined by: a. said one mirror being said first mirror; and b. said cam means including a rectilinear cam element engaged with an arcuate cam element, one of said cam elements being mounted with said first mirror for movement therewith, the other of said cam elements being fixed thereby to impart said bodily shifting movement to said first mirror.

Claim 29

The improvement according to claim 21 wherein said first and second mirrors are oscillated through a relatively small acute angle.