Optical path folding apparatus

• US 20020018310A1
• Filed: 06/29/2001
• Published: 02/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BenQ Corporation (Qisda Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Acer Communications and Multimedia Inc (Qisda Corporation)
• Inventors: Hung, Tsan-Yao
• Granted Patent: US 6,582,088 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/861
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/023 for extending or folding an optical path, e.g. delay lines
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/10 Scanning systems

Abstract

An optical path folding apparatus of the present invention receives an incident light and reflects a reflection light on a lens set. The optical path folding apparatus comprises a first portion receiving the incident light and reflecting a first light beam, a second portion receiving the first light beam and reflecting a second light beam, a third portion receiving the second light beam and reflecting a third light beam, a fourth portion receiving the third light beam and reflecting a fourth light beam, a fifth portion receiving the fourth light beam and reflecting a fifth light beam, and a sixth portion receiving the fifth light beam and reflecting a reflection light on the lens set. In a preferred embodiment, the first portion and the fifth portion are coplanar on a first mirror, while the second portion, the fourth portion and the sixth portion are coplanar on a second mirror. Light reflected from a scanned object forms an image on the CCD by means of the lens set, wherein the light is reflected six times by the optical path folding apparatus.

Claims

1. An optical path folding apparatus, which is suitable for guiding an incident light to a lens set, comprising:

a first portion receiving the incident light and reflecting a first light beam;

a second portion receiving the first light beam and reflecting a second light beam;

a third portion receiving the second light beam and reflecting a third light beam;

a fourth portion receiving the third light beam and reflecting a fourth light beam;

a fifth portion receiving the fourth light beam and reflecting a fifth light beam; and

a sixth portion receiving the fifth light beam and reflecting a sixth light beam to the lens set;

wherein the first portion and the fifth portion are coplanar, and the second portion, the fourth portion and the sixth portion are coplanar.

2. An optical path folding apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the first portion and the fifth portion are located on a first mirror;

the second portion, the fourth portion and the sixth portion are located on a second mirror; and

the third portion is located on a third mirror.

3. An optical path folding apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the first portion is located on a first mirror;

the fifth portion is located on a second mirror;

the third portion is located on a third mirror; and

the second portion, the fourth portion and the sixth portion are located on a fourth mirror.

4. An optical path folding apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the first portion and the fifth portion are located on a first mirror;

the fourth portion is located on a second mirror;

the third portion is located on a third mirror; and

the second portion and the sixth portion are located on a fourth mirror.

5. An optical path folding apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the first portion and the fifth portion are located on a first mirror;

the second portion and the fourth portion are located on a second mirror;

the third portion is located on a third mirror; and

the sixth portion is located on a fourth mirror.

6. An optical path folding apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the first portion and the fifth portion are located on a first mirror;

the fourth portion is located on a second mirror;

the third portion is located on a third mirror;

the second portion is located on a fourth mirror; and

the sixth portion is located on a fifth mirror.

7. An optical path folding apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the first portion is located on a first mirror;

the fifth portion is located on a second mirror;

the third portion is located on a third mirror;

the second portion and the fourth portion are located on a fourth mirror; and

the sixth portion is located on a fifth mirror.

8. An optical path folding apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the first portion is located on a first mirror;

the fifth portion is located on a second mirror;

the third portion is located on a third mirror;

the fourth portion is located on a fourth mirror; and

the second portion and the sixth portion are located on a fifth mirror.

9. An optical path folding apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the first portion is located on a first mirror;

the fifth portion is located on a second mirror;

the third portion is located on a third mirror;

the fourth portion is located on a fourth mirror;

the second portion is located on a fifth mirror; and

the sixth portion is located on a sixth mirror.

10. An optical path folding apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the second portion and sixth portion are located on a first mirror;

the first portion, the third portion and the fifth portion are located on a second mirror; and

the fourth portion is located on a third mirror.

11. An optical path folding apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the sixth portion is located on a first mirror;

the second portion is located on a second mirror;

the fourth portion is located on a third mirror; and

the first portion, the third portion and the fifth portion are located on a fourth mirror.

12. An optical path folding apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the second portion and the sixth portion are located on a first mirror;

the third portion and the fifth portion are located on a second mirror;

the fourth portion is located on a third mirror; and

the first portion is located on a fourth mirror.

13. An optical path folding apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the second portion and the sixth portion are located on a first mirror;

the third portion is located on a second mirror;

the fourth portion is located on a third mirror; and

the first portion and the fifth portion are located on a fourth mirror.

14. An optical path folding apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the second portion and the sixth portion are located on a first mirror;

the third portion is located on a second mirror;

the fourth portion is located on a third mirror;

the fifth portion is located on a fourth mirror; and

the first portion is located on a fifth mirror.

15. An optical path folding apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the sixth portion is located on a first mirror;

the second portion is located on a second mirror;

the fourth portion is located on a third mirror;

the third portion is located on a fourth mirror; and

the first portion and the fifth portion are located on a fifth mirror.

16. An optical path folding apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the sixth portion is located on a first mirror;

the second portion is located on a second mirror;

the fourth portion is located on a third mirror;

the third portion and the fifth portion are located on a fourth mirror; and

the first portion is located on a fifth mirror.

17. An optical path folding apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the sixth portion is located on a first mirror;

the second portion is located on a second mirror;

the fourth portion is located on a third mirror;

the third portion is located on a fourth mirror;

the fifth portion is located on a fifth mirror; and

the first portion is located on a sixth mirror.

18. An optical path folding apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the incident light is perpendicular to the sixth light beam.

19. A scanner comprising the optical path folding apparatus of claim 1.