BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows an overall view of an exemplary sheet-fed image-scanning apparatus of the present invention.
FIG. 2 shows a view of the rigid mainframe.
FIG. 3 shows a view of the rigid mainframe combined with the second light source.
FIG. 4 shows a view of the rigid mainframe combined with the transmission module.
FIG. 5 shows a view of the rigid mainframe combined with the holding module.
FIG. 6 shows another view of the rigid mainframe combined with the holding module.
FIG. 7 shows a top view of the carriage module.
FIG. 8 shows a bottom view of the carriage module.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
FIG. 1 to FIG. 8 show a sheet-fed image-scanning apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The sheet-fed image-scanning apparatus 100 of this embodiment is used to scan the image of an object put on a tray, where both the object and the tray are not shown in these figures. As is shown by these figures, the sheet-fed image scanning apparatus 100 comprises five main components, as listed below:
1. A rigid mainframe 200 made up of metal or other material of high rigidity. The rigid mainframe 200 provides a moving route 10, which allows the tray to move into or out from the sheet-fed image-scanning apparatus 100. The rigid mainframe also serves as a main body so that other components of the sheet-fed image-scanning apparatus 100 can be mounted thereon. Aside from the main components that will be introduced later, the rigid mainframe 200 is equipped with a tray-sensing unit 220 that detects whether the tray is put at the entrance of the moving route 10 or not. The moving route 10 has a first vertical side, a second vertical side, a first lateral side, and a second lateral side. Referring to the directions labeled on FIG. 2˜FIG. 6, in this embodiment the up and down sides serve as the first and second vertical sides of the moving route 10 respectively, and the right and left sides serve as the first and second lateral sides of the moving route 10 respectively. However, the directions can also be reversed.
2. A carriage module 300 mounted on the rigid mainframe 200. The carriage module 300 is located on the up side of the moving route 10 and comprises a first light source 320 and a sensing module 340. The first light source 320 illuminates the object on the tray when the object is a reflective document. The sensing module 340, which can be implemented by a CCD, detects light reflect from or penetrated through the object so as to scan the image of the object.
3. A second light source 400 mounted on the rigid mainframe 200. The second light source 400 is located on the down side of the moving route 10 and illuminates the object on the tray when the object is a transparency document.
4. A transmission module 500 mounted on the rigid mainframe 200. The transmission module 500 is responsible for moving the tray into and out from the sheet-fed image-scanning apparatus 100.
5. A holding module 600 mounted on the rigid mainframe 200. The holding module 600 keeps the tray from deviation while the tray is moving within the moving route 10.
Rather than providing a moving route by combining two plastic components, in this embodiment the moving route 10 is provided by the rigid mainframe 200. Since the rigid mainframe 200 is made up of metal or other rigid material, it is robust and durable even if its volume is small. In other words, the sheet-fed image-scanning apparatus 100 of this embodiment can be smaller than the sheet-fed image-scanning apparatuses of the prior art. Another benefit of utilizing the rigid mainframe 200 is that comparing with plastic components, the rigid mainframe 200 can be manufactured with high precision.
In addition, as is shown in FIG. 5, the holding module 600 comprises a first holding unit pair 610, a second holding unit pair 620, and a third holding unit pair 630. In this embodiment, the first holding unit pair 610 having two mutually dependent vertical holding units is realized by a first holding wheel pair 610 having two vertical holding wheels interconnected by an axle. The first holding wheel pair 610 is mounted on the rigid mainframe 200 and located on the up side of the moving route 10. While the tray is moving within the moving route 10, the first holding wheel pair 610 applies a force on the tray toward the down side of the moving route 10. The second holding unit pair 620 having two mutually dependent vertical holding units is realized by a second holding wheel pair 620 having two vertical holding wheels interconnected by an axle. The second holding wheel pair 620 is mounted on the rigid mainframe 200 and located on the down side of the moving route 10. While the tray is moving within the moving route 10, the second holding wheel pair 620 applies a force on the tray toward the up side of the moving route 10. The structure of the third holding unit pair 630 is unique and different from that of the first and second holding wheel pairs 610 and 620. More specifically, the third holding unit pair 630 having two mutually independent vertical holding units is realized by a third holding wheel pair 630 having two vertical holding wheels, which are not interconnected by an axle. The third holding wheel pair 630 is mounted on the rigid mainframe 200 and located on the up side of the moving route 10. While the tray is moving within the moving route 10, each of the two holding wheels of the third holding wheel pair 630 applies a force on the tray toward the down side of the moving route 10.
Besides, as is shown in FIG. 6, to prevent the tray from laterally deviating from the moving route 10, the holding module 600 further comprises a guiding track 640 and two lateral holding units 650 and 660. The guiding track 640 is mounted on the rigid mainframe 200 and located on the down side of the moving route 10. The tray has a groove thereunder corresponding to the guiding track 640 on the rigid mainframe 200. While the tray is moving within the moving route 10, the guiding track 640 combines with the groove on the tray, so that the tray is kept from lateral deviation. In another embodiment, the holding module 600 comprises a groove set on the rigid mainframe 200 beneath the moving route 10 while the tray has a guiding track thereunder. While the tray is moving within the moving route 10, the guiding track of the tray combines with the groove on the rigid mainframe 200, so that the tray is kept from lateral deviation. As the two lateral holding units 650 and 660, both of them are mounted on the rigid mainframe 200 and located on the right side of the moving route 10. While the tray is moving within the moving route 10, each of the two lateral holding units 650 and 660 applies a force on the tray toward the left side of the moving route 10. The aforementioned components that hold the tray laterally are unique and are not included in the sheet-fed image-scanning apparatuses of the prior art.
Although the sheet-fed image-scanning apparatus 100 includes both the first light source 320 and the second light source 400, however, in other embodiments of the present invention the sheet-fed image-scanning apparatus 100 can also include only one of the first light source 320 and the second light source 400. If the sheet-fed image-scanning apparatus 100 includes the first light source 320 but not the second light source 400, the sheet-fed image-scanning apparatus 100 can only be used to scan reflective documents. If the sheet-fed image-scanning apparatus 100 includes the second light source 400 but not the first light source 320, the sheet-fed image-scanning apparatus 100 can only be used to scan transparency documents.
Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.
Patent Application
20070253038
