Portable laser diode scanning head

• US 5,468,949 A
• Filed: 06/11/1993
• Issued: 11/21/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Barkan, Edward, Swartz, Jerome, Metlitsky, Boris, Barkan, Eric F., Shepard, Howard M., Adelson, Alexander M., Krichever, Mark J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hajec, Donald
• Assistant Examiner(s): FRECH, KARL D
• Application Number:
  US08/074,641
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462, 235/467, 235/472
• US Class Current: 235/472.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2207/1011 Aiming
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10633 by oscillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10861 sensing of data fields affixed to objects or articles, e.g. coded labels postal sorting B07C3/14, conveying articles B65G47/48
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners

Abstract

A portable laser diode scanning head, aimable at each symbol to be read, emits and receives non-readily-visible laser light, and is equipped with a trigger-actuated aiming light arrangement for visually locating and tracking each symbol. A compact laser diode optical train and an optical folded path assembly, as well as an interchangeable component design and an integral window construction for the head also are disclosed.

Claims

1. A light scanning system for reading light-reflective indicia, comprising:

(a) a hand-held scanning head having a body portion and a handle portion;

(b) means within the body portion for generating a scanning light beam and for directing said light beam along a first optical path toward said indicia for reflection therefrom;

(c) sensor means mounted in the body portion for detecting the variable intensity of at least a returning portion of said light beam traveling along a second optical path away from said indicia back toward the head;

(d) said handle portion being connected to said body portion and accommodating at least one printed circuit board such that said circuit board is adapted to be electrically connected to said scanning light beam generating means; and

(e) means for changing said at least one printed circuit board or for adding a further printed circuit board in said handle portion to change system operation.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the head has a forward portion facing toward said indicia, and a rearward portion;

and wherein the sensor means is mounted in the forward portion and is pointed toward said rearward portion; and

further comprising a collecting mirror located in the rearward portion.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein said means for generating a scanning light beam comprise a first light source, and optical scanning means.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein said first light source is located in the forward portion and its beam is directed rearwardly along said first optical path to said optical scanning means.

5. The system according to claim 2, wherein said handle portion is snap-mountable and demountable from the body portion.

6. The system according to claim 3, and further comprising a second light source mounted in the system for generating an aiming light beam to visually illuminate that portion of a reference plane on which light reflected from an indicia disposed on said portion of the reference plane may be read.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein said second light source illuminates a circular spot region near the center of the indicia during the reading of the indicia.

8. The system according to claim 6, wherein said second light source is a single light emitting diode.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the handle portion is selectable from a set of inter-changeable handle portions, each containing different components of the light scanning system to adapt the head to different user requirements.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the handle portion has a radially-outwardly extending upper flange portion of generally rectangular cross-section which is resilient and deflectable in a radially-inward direction, such that for the insertion of the upper flange portion into a neck portion of the body portion, the upper flange portion bears against a collar portion of the body portion and is radially-inwardly deflected until the flange portion clears the collar portion, at which time, the upper flange portion, due to its inherent resilience, snaps back to its initial undeflected position and engages behind the collar portion with a snap-type locking action.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein said sensor means are mounted in the body portion for generating an electrical signal indicative of the detected variable light intensity of said returning portion;

and further comprising signal processing means mounted in the body portion for processing the electrical signal generated by the sensor means, and for generating a signal indicative of said indicia; and

also comprising decode means mounted in said handle portion and operative for decoding the signal indicative of said indicia to data descriptive of said indicia being read.

12. The system according to claim 11;

and further comprising an electrical interlock between the body portion and the handle portion, and operative for electrically connecting the decode means in said handle portion to means in the body portion when said handle portion is mounted on the body portion.

13. The system according to claim 1;

and further comprising a manually-actuatable trigger means on the body portion for actuating the light scanning system to initiate a reading of said indicia upon manual actuation of the trigger means by the user.

14. The system according to claim 1, wherein said body portion is composed of two housing portions, including an upper housing and a lower housing which are assembled together by a snap-fit engagement.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the lower housing is constituted of a light-blocking opaque material but the upper housing is constituted of a light-transmissive transparent synthetic plastic material.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the scanning light beam and the returning portion both pass through the transparent upper housing;

and further comprising a cover of light-blocking material covering the entire exterior surface of the transparent upper housing, except for a window region and an indicator region.

17. The system according to claim 1, wherein said means for generating and directing are mounted within and on an optical cradle.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the cradle has an upper part and a lower part which are assembled together by snapping engagement.

19. The system according to claim 1, wherein said indicia are bar code symbols.

20. The system according to claim 1, wherein the changing means includes a removable handle end on the handle portion.

21. A method of reading light-reflective indicia, comprising the steps of:

(a) generating a scanning light beam within a body portion of a hand-held scanning head having a handle portion, and directing the light beam along a first optical path toward the indicia for reflection therefrom;

(b) detecting the variable intensity of at least a returning portion of the light beam traveling along a second optical path away from the indicia back toward the head;

(c) removably accommodating at least one printed circuit board within the handle portion; and

(d) changing said at least one printed circuit board or adding a further printed circuit board in the handle portion.