Patent US3897148A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3897148A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Optical scanning system
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1973-11-29
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Granted: 1975-07-29
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Expires: 1993-11-29
Abstract
Abstract A multiple carriage optical scanning system scans a stationary planar object onto a moving photoreceptive surface at a selected one of a plurality of magnification settings and locates the image at a fixed reference position on the photoreceptive surface regardless of the magnification selected. The scanning system includes a reciprocating lens and light source, the velocities thereof in the scanning direction being controlled by the magnification selected. The lens is supported on a lens carriage which locates the lens along its optical axis in accordance with the magnification selected. The lens carriage is supported for reciprocal motion in a scanning direction on a set of guide rails which are mounted on a second carriage which is movable in a direction perpendicular to the scanning direction and to the optical axis. Combined carriage motion effects the positioning of the lens along three coordinate directions to provide the desired magnification and image placement. The lens carriage is thereafter driven by a rotating drive arm which contacts the lens carriage at a radial position on the drive arm which determines the lens velocity. A set of mirrors are employed along the optical path for conjoint movement with the lens for focusing. Velocity and initial position of the light source is controlled by drive cam selection. A common drive source controls the synchronized motions of the photoreceptive surface, the lens and the light source. A second drive source controls the three dimensional positioning of the lens, positioning of the mirrors and drive cam selection.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert T Ritchie
- 👤 James C Rogers
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 20:22
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03G; G03G15/00; G03G15/04; G03G15/041; G03B; G03B27/00; G03B27/32; G03B27/52; G03B27/522; G03B27/525; G03B27/526
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
354 words
An optical scanning system for scanning a stationary object located on a planar object supporting surface and including a lens for projecting an image of the object to a moving photoreceptive surface moving at a constant velocity, and located at an image plane, said image being projected at a selected one of a plurality of magnifications and wherein the image is located at a fixed position with respect to the image plane regardless of the magnification selected comprising: a first carriage for supporting a second carriage and positionable with respect to the image plane in at least a first direction to a selected one of a plurality of positions and including at least one guide member positionable therewith; a second carriage movably mounted on said first carriage for reciprocal motion over a course defined by said guide member and positionable with respect to said first carriage in at least a second direction perpendicular to said first direction to a selected one of a plurality of positions, said second carriage supporting a subcarriage movably mounted thereon, said subcarriage supporting said lens and movable to a selected one of a plurality of positions in at least a third direction perpendicular to said first direction and to said second direction, one of said first, second and third directions being along the optical axis of the lens, conjugate path compensating means positionable to a selected one of a plurality of positions to maintain the projected image of the object at the same image plane for each of the positions of said lens along its optical axis; magnification selection control means for selecting one of a plurality of magnification settings; first drive means responsive to said magnification selection control mean for positioning said first carriage, said second carriage and said conjugate path compensating means in accordance with the magnification selected; second drive means responsive to the motion of the photoreceptive surface and to the position of the lens along the optical axis for reciprocating said second carriage and said lens over said course at a linear velocity dependent upon said lens position and the velocity of said photoreceptive surface.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
354 words
An optical scanning system for scanning a stationary object located on a planar object supporting surface and including a lens for projecting an image of the object to a moving photoreceptive surface moving at a constant velocity, and located at an image plane, said image being projected at a selected one of a plurality of magnifications and wherein the image is located at a fixed position with respect to the image plane regardless of the magnification selected comprising: a first carriage for supporting a second carriage and positionable with respect to the image plane in at least a first direction to a selected one of a plurality of positions and including at least one guide member positionable therewith; a second carriage movably mounted on said first carriage for reciprocal motion over a course defined by said guide member and positionable with respect to said first carriage in at least a second direction perpendicular to said first direction to a selected one of a plurality of positions, said second carriage supporting a subcarriage movably mounted thereon, said subcarriage supporting said lens and movable to a selected one of a plurality of positions in at least a third direction perpendicular to said first direction and to said second direction, one of said first, second and third directions being along the optical axis of the lens, conjugate path compensating means positionable to a selected one of a plurality of positions to maintain the projected image of the object at the same image plane for each of the positions of said lens along its optical axis; magnification selection control means for selecting one of a plurality of magnification settings; first drive means responsive to said magnification selection control mean for positioning said first carriage, said second carriage and said conjugate path compensating means in accordance with the magnification selected; second drive means responsive to the motion of the photoreceptive surface and to the position of the lens along the optical axis for reciprocating said second carriage and said lens over said course at a linear velocity dependent upon said lens position and the velocity of said photoreceptive surface.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
62 words
The optical scanning system set forth in claim 1 including: a movable light source for scanning said stationary object, a plurality of selectable drive means for driving said movable light source at a corresponding plurality of velocities, drive selection control means responsive to the magnification selection control means for selecting one of said selectable drive means in accordance with the magnification selected.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
125 words
The optical scanning system set forth in claim 2 further including: a drive source, means connected to said drive source for moving said photoreceptive surface at said constant velocity; said plurality of selectable drive means including at least one first cam member driven by said drive source and a first cam follower resiliently urged against said cam member for driving said movable light source; said second drive means including a second cam member driven by said drive source and a second cam follower resiliently urged against said second cam member for reciprocating said second carriage; said first cam follower being driven in an uphill direction when said second cam follower being driven in a downhill direction thereby balancing the torque load on said drive source.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
The optical scanning system set forth in claim 1 wherein said third direction being along said optical axis.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
76 words
The optical scanning system set forth in claim 4 wherein said second drive means includes a drive arm pivotable about a pivot and means for pivoting said drive arm, said drive arm contacting said second carriage at a radial position extending from said pivot dependent upon the selected position of said subcarriage in said third direction for imparting reciprocal motion to said second carriage with a velocity dependent upon said constant velocity and said radial position.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
55 words
The optical scanning system set forth in claim 5 wherein said second carriage includes a plurality of drive surfaces displayed from one another in said first and said third directions and wherein said drive arm contacts a selected one of said plurality of drive surfaces in accordance with the selected position of said first carriage.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
60 words
The optical scanning system set forth in claim 6 wherein said plurality of drive surfaces further being displaced from one another in said second direction and further including biasing means for biasing said second carriage against said drive arm, said second carriage assuming said selected position in said second direction in accordance with the selected position of said first carriage.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
64 words
The optical scanning system set forth in claim 1 wherein said first drive means includes a drive source and a driven member mounted to said frame of said second carriage for imparting motion to said subcarriage and a flexible drive connection connected between said drive source and said driven member, said flexible drive connection flexing when said second drive means reciprocates said second carriage.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
48 words
The optical scanning system set forth in claim 1 wherein said conjugate path compensating means includes mirror means located in the optical path between the stationary object and the image plane for directing light rays therebetween and wherein said mirror means being positioned by said first drive means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
343 words
An optical scanning system for scanning a stationary object located on a planar object supporting surface and including a lens for projecting an image of the object to an image plane at a moving photoreceptive surface moving at a constant velocity, said image being projected at a selected one of a plurality of magnifications and wherein the image is located at a fixed position with respect to the image plane regardless of the magnification selected comprising: a first carriage for supporting a second carriage and positionable with respect to the image plane in a first direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens to a selected one of a plurality of positions and including at least one guide member fixedly secured thereto and positionable therewIth; a second carriage movably mounted on the guide member of said first carriage for reciprocal motion over a course defined by said guide member in a scanning direction perpendicular to said first direction and said optical axis and including a subcarriage movably mounted thereon, said subcarriage supporting said lens and movable to a selected one of a plurality of positions to position said lens along the optical axis thereof; mirror means located in the optical path between the stationary object and the image plane for directing light rays therebetween and positionable to a selected one of a plurality of positions to maintain the projected image of the object at the same image plane for each of the positions of said lens along its optical axis; magnification selection control means for selecting one of a plurality of magnification settings; first drive means responsive to said magnification selection control means for positioning said first carriage, said second carriage, said subcarriage and said mirror means in accordance with the magnification selected; second drive means responsive to the motion of the photoreceptive surface and to the position of the lens along its optical axis for reciprocating said second carriage and said lens over said course at a linear velocity dependent upon said lens position and the velocity of said photoreceptive surface.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
343 words
An optical scanning system for scanning a stationary object located on a planar object supporting surface and including a lens for projecting an image of the object to an image plane at a moving photoreceptive surface moving at a constant velocity, said image being projected at a selected one of a plurality of magnifications and wherein the image is located at a fixed position with respect to the image plane regardless of the magnification selected comprising: a first carriage for supporting a second carriage and positionable with respect to the image plane in a first direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens to a selected one of a plurality of positions and including at least one guide member fixedly secured thereto and positionable therewIth; a second carriage movably mounted on the guide member of said first carriage for reciprocal motion over a course defined by said guide member in a scanning direction perpendicular to said first direction and said optical axis and including a subcarriage movably mounted thereon, said subcarriage supporting said lens and movable to a selected one of a plurality of positions to position said lens along the optical axis thereof; mirror means located in the optical path between the stationary object and the image plane for directing light rays therebetween and positionable to a selected one of a plurality of positions to maintain the projected image of the object at the same image plane for each of the positions of said lens along its optical axis; magnification selection control means for selecting one of a plurality of magnification settings; first drive means responsive to said magnification selection control means for positioning said first carriage, said second carriage, said subcarriage and said mirror means in accordance with the magnification selected; second drive means responsive to the motion of the photoreceptive surface and to the position of the lens along its optical axis for reciprocating said second carriage and said lens over said course at a linear velocity dependent upon said lens position and the velocity of said photoreceptive surface.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
62 words
The optical scanning system set forth in claim 10 including: a movable light source for scanning said stationary object, a plurality of selectable drive means for driving said movable light source at a corresponding plurality of velocities, drive selection control means responsive to the magnification selection control means for selecting one of said selectable drive means in accordance with the magnification selected.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
125 words
The optical scanning system set forth in claim 11 further including: a drive source, means connected to said drive source for moving said photoreceptive surface at said constant velocity; said plurality of selectable drive means including at least one first cam member driven by said drive source and a first cam follower resiliently urged against said cam member for driving said movable light source; said second drive means including a second cam member driven by said drive source and a second cam follower resiliently urged against said second cam member for reciprocating said second carriage; said first cam follower being driven in an uphill direction when said second cam follower being driven in a downhill direction thereby balancing the torque load on said drive source.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
74 words
The optical scanning system set forth in claim 10 wherein said second drive means includes a drive arm pivotable about a pivot and a drive means for pivoting said drive arm, said drive arm contacting said second carriage at a radial position extending from said pivot dependent upon the selected position of said subcarriage for imparting reciprocal motion to said second carriage with a velocity dependent upon said constant velocity and said radial position.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
60 words
The optical scanning system set forth in claim 13 wherein said second carriage includes a plurality of drive surfaces displaced from one another in said first direction and in the direction of said optical axis and wherein said drive arm contacts a selected one of said plurality of drive surfaces in accordance with the selected position of said first carriage.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
57 words
The optical scanning system set forth in claim 14 wherein said plurality of drive surfaces further being displaced from one another in the direction of said scanning direction and wherein said second carriage being biased against said drive arm to assume a position in said scanning direction in accordance with the selected position of said first carriage.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
22 words
The optical scanning system set forth in claim 15 wherein said drive arm includes a roller surface for contacting said drive surfaces.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
19 words
The optical scanning systEm set forth in claim 16 wherein said drive surfaces each comprise a separate roller surface.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
74 words
The optical scanning system set forth in claim 11 wherein said second drive means includes a drive arm pivotable about a pivot and a drive means for pivoting said drive arm, said drive arm contacting said second carriage at a radial position extending from said pivot dependent upon the selected position of said subcarriage for imparting reciprocal motion to said second carriage with a velocity dependent upon said constant velocity and said radial position.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
53 words
The optical scanning system set forth in claim 11 further including: a drive source; means connected to said drive source for moving said photoreceptive surface at said constant velocity; means connected to said drive source for driving said selectable drive means; means connected to said drive source for driving said second drive means.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-07-28 | 1979-01-27 | 1979-07-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-07-28 | 1983-01-27 | 1983-07-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-07-28 | 1987-01-27 | 1987-07-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |