Laser scanning module with rotatably adjustable laser scanning assembly

• US 8,746,563 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2012
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Hennick, Robert John, Spuches, Roberto
• Primary Examiner(s): Marshall, Christle I
• Application Number:
  US13/492,883
• Publication Number:
  US 20130327834A1
• Time in Patent Office: 730 Days
• Field of Search: 235439-441
• US Class Current: 235/439
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10831 Arrangement of optical elements, e.g. lenses, mirrors, prisms optical elements per se G02B
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners

Abstract

A laser scanning module employing a laser scanning assembly mounted within a module housing using a mechanism that allows the laser scanning assembly to be rotated to an angular position within the engine housing so that light collection, beam folding and light collection mirrors in the module housing are optically aligned. A PC board is mounted on a side of the housing and has a configuration of elongated apertures of open-ended and/or closed geometry, arranged in a non-parallel manner. An electromagnetic coil structure, associated with the laser scanning assembly, has a linear array of electrically-conductive pins that project through the configuration of elongated holes, at locations along the elongated holes that are determined by the angular rotation of the laser scanning assembly attained during optical alignment conditions during manufacture.

Claims

1. A laser scanning module, comprising:

a module housing having a light transmission aperture for the transmission of a laser scanning beam and collection of return laser light and optics mounted in said module housing for folding said laser scanning beam and collecting return laser light reflected or scattered from a scanned code structure;

a PC board disposed in or on said module housing and having a configuration of elongated apertures of open-ended and/or closed geometry formed therein in a non-parallel manner and one or more electronic circuits formed thereon with at least one electronic circuit having a conductor formed adjacent said elongated apertures; and

a laser scanning assembly disposed in said module housing and having a scanning subassembly including a mirror element and an electromagnetic coil structure with a set of electrically-conductive pins for scanning said laser scanning beam through said light transmission aperture and across a laser scanning field;

a scanning assembly pivot mechanism disposed in said module housing for (i) rotatably mounting said laser scanning assembly, including said scanning subassembly and said electromagnetic coil structure, about an axis of rotation within said module housing and (ii) allowing said laser scanning assembly to be rotated to an angular position about said axis of rotation;

wherein said set of electrically-conductive pins associated with said electromagnetic coil structure project through said configuration of elongated apertures formed in said PC board at locations along said elongated apertures determined by said angular position.

2. The laser scanning module of claim 1, comprising:

a visible laser diode (VLD), beam forming optics, and a barrel for containing said VLD and said beam forming optics and providing a laser beam production module for mounting within said module housing and generating a laser beam;

wherein said optics comprises a beam folding mirror and a light collection mirror disposed in said module housing;

wherein said beam folding mirror folds said laser beam and transmits said laser beam through an aperture formed in said light collection mirror, and said light collection mirror focuses return laser light rays to a point of focus within said module housing;

a photo-detector mounted on said PC board and located at said point of focus of said light collection mirror so as to detect the intensity of an analog laser light return signal focused at said point of focus and generate an electrical signal corresponding thereto;

signal processing circuitry on said PC board for converting the electrical analog scan data signal into a digital scan data signal including edge detection signals and/or digital count values; and

a programmed decode processor on said PC board for processing digital scan data and producing symbol character data of decoded bar code symbols.

3. The laser scanning module of claim 1, wherein said electromagnetic coil structure is integrated with said scanning assembly pivot mechanism.

4. The laser scanning module of claim 3, wherein said electromagnetic coil structure comprises an electromagnetic coil support structure for supporting (i) a drive coil terminated in a first pair of electrically-conductive pins and (ii) a sense coil terminated in a second pair of electrically-conductive pins.

5. The laser scanning module of claim 4, wherein said first and second pairs of electrically-conductive pins are aligned in a linear array mounted to a portion of said electromagnetic coil structure and said linear array of electrically-conductive pins project through said elongated apertures formed in said PC board at locations determined by said angular position of said laser scanning assembly.

6. The laser scanning module of claim 3, wherein said scanning subassembly comprises a cylindrical pivot post designed for rotatable mounting within a cylindrical recess formed in an interior wall surface of said module housing.

7. The laser scanning module of claim 6, wherein:

said scanning assembly pivot mechanism comprises a pair of support arms for supporting said scanning subassembly including said mirror element; and

said support arms extend from said cylindrical pivot post.

8. The laser scanning module of claim 1, wherein said electromagnetic coil structure is integrated with said scanning assembly pivot mechanism, and wherein said scanning assembly pivot mechanism comprises a cylindrical post portion that rotatably mounts within a cylindrical recess formed in a wall surface of said module housing, and wherein said scanning subassembly comprises:

a scanning element support framework supported by said cylindrical post portion;

wherein said electromagnetic coil structure is operably connected to said scanning element support framework; and

a scanning element supported by said scanning element support framework and having a front surface to which said mirror element is mounted and a rear surface to which a permanent magnet is mounted.

9. The laser scanning module of claim 8, wherein said scanning element support framework comprises upper and lower elements between which said scanning element is supported.

10. The laser scanning module of claim 9, wherein said electromagnetic coil structure comprises an electromagnetic coil support structure for supporting (i) a drive coil terminated in a first pair of electrically-conductive pins (ii) a sense coil terminated in a second pair of electrically-conductive pins.

11. The laser scanning module of claim 10, wherein said first and second pairs of electrically-conductive pins are aligned in a linear array mounted to a portion of said electromagnetic coil structure and said linear array of electrically-conductive pins project through said elongated holes formed in said PC board at locations determined by said angular position of said laser scanning assembly.

12. The laser scanning module of claim 9, wherein said scanning assembly pivot mechanism is integrated with said scanning element support framework and is molded as a single component.

13. The laser scanning module of claim 1, wherein said electromagnetic coil structure is integrated with said scanning assembly pivot mechanism, and wherein said scanning assembly pivot mechanism comprises a base portion rotatably mounted on said PC board.

14. The laser scanning module of claim 13, wherein said base portion is formed by a pair of base support plates that are slid together and rotatably connected to said PC board.

15. A laser scanning module, comprising:

a module housing;

a laser scanning assembly mounted within said module housing via a mechanism that allows the laser scanning assembly to be rotated to an angular position within the module housing;

a PC board mounted on a top side of said module housing and having a configuration of elongated apertures of open-ended and/or closed geometry arranged in a non-parallel manner; and

an electromagnetic coil structure associated with said laser scanning assembly and having an array of electrically-conductive pins that project through said configuration of elongated apertures at locations along the elongated apertures that are determined by the angular rotation of said laser scanning assembly.

16. A laser scanning module, comprising:

a module housing;

a laser scanning assembly mounted within said module housing via a mechanism that allows the laser scanning assembly to be rotated to an angular position within the module housing;

a PC board mounted on a bottom side of said module housing and having a configuration of elongated apertures of open-ended and/or closed geometry arranged in a non-parallel manner; and

an electromagnetic coil structure associated with said laser scanning assembly and having an array of electrically-conductive pins that project through said configuration of elongated apertures at locations along the elongated apertures that are determined by the angular rotation of said laser scanning assembly.