Document holder for a portable imaging apparatus

• US 8,781,311 B1
• Filed: 02/02/2013
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acuant Inc. (GB Group Plc)
• Original Assignee: CSSN Incorporated (GB Group Plc)
• Inventors: Hatzav, Iuval, Ben-Shahar, Ilan, Sharaby, Giyora, Hatzav, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): FULLER, RODNEY EVAN
• Application Number:
  US13/757,743
• Publication Number:
  US 20140219645A1
• Time in Patent Office: 528 Days
• Field of Search: 396/5
• US Class Current: 396/5
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/566 Accessory clips, holders, shoes to attach accessories to camera if integral part of camera body G03B17/02
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 27/323 Copying cameras G03B27/34 - G03B27/70 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 29/00 Combinations of cameras, projectors or photographic printing apparatus with non-photographic non-optical apparatus, e.g. clocks or weapons; Cameras having the shape of other objects combinations with flash apparatus G03B15/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00564 Constructional details relating to ergonomic aspects

Abstract

A detachable document-holding device for holding a document at a substantially fixated distance from a lens disposed at a back surface of a portable imaging apparatus. The document-holding device includes a document tray, a sliding interface having a hollow passage, and a mounting-structure and a base. The mounting-structure includes a sliding panel pivotally attached to an attachment panel. The tray and the sliding interface are pivotally interconnected. The base is securely attached to the back surface of the portable imaging apparatus, wherein the mounting-structure is operatively mounted onto the base. The hollow passage fittingly accommodates the sliding panel, facilitating a user to set the distance between the document and the lens. When in operational state, the tray is substantially perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens, wherein an image of the document, placed onto the tray, is reflected towards the lens.

Claims

1. A detachable document-holding-device for holding a document at a substantially fixated distance from a lens (20) disposed at a back surface (12) of a portable imaging apparatus, the lens having an optical axis, the document-holding-device (100) comprising:

(a) a document-tray (110), having an upper surface (112) and a rear face (116);

(b) a sliding interface (120) having a front face (126), an upper face (128) and a hollow passage (122) formed therein at a preconfigured location;

(c) a mounting-structure (130) comprising;

i. a generally planer sliding panel (132); and

ii. an attachment panel (134),

wherein said sliding panel (132) is pivotally attached by a first shaft mechanism (136) to said attachment panel (134), and wherein said pivotal motion is facilitated by said first shaft mechanism (136);

(d) a base (140); and

(e) an attachment/detachment configuration,

wherein said base (140) is securely attached to said back surface (12) of said portable imaging apparatus;

wherein said attachment/detachment configuration is adapted to attach said attachment panel (134) to said base (140), and wherein said mounting-structure (130) is operatively mounted onto said base (140);

wherein said document-tray (110) and said sliding interface (120) are pivotally interconnected, wherein said pivotal motion is facilitated by a second cylindrical shaft (155);

wherein said hollow passage (122) is preconfigured to fittingly accommodate said sliding panel (132), facilitating said sliding panel (132) to slide through said hollow passage (122), when moved by the user, to thereby set the distance between said document-tray (110) and the lens;

wherein when in operational state, said document-tray (110) is substantially perpendicular to said optical axis of the lens, and wherein said upper surface (112) of said document-tray (110) is facing the lens; and

wherein an optical path, having a fixated optical distance, is formed such that when a document (30) is placed onto said upper surface (112) of said document-tray (110), an image of said document (30) is reflected towards the lens of said portable imaging apparatus.

2. The document-holding-device as in claim 1, wherein said attachment/detachment configuration comprises rails (142) formed inside said base (140);

wherein said rails (142) are configured to fittingly host attachment panel (134); and

wherein said attachment panel (134) may be pushed to slide either in or out of said rails (142).

3. The document-holding-device as in claim 1, wherein said portable imaging apparatus is selected from a group including a tablet PC, a smartphone, a PDA and a digital camera, and wherein said portable imaging apparatus having a generally flat body.

4. The document-holding-device as in claim 3, wherein said digital camera includes and/or is operatively connected to a processor.

5. The document-holding-device as in claim 1, wherein said document is selected from a group including an ID card, a check, a driver'"'"'s license, a business card, a passport and a medical card.

6. The document-holding-device as in claim 1, wherein said document-tray (110) and said sliding interface (120) include a number of hollow elements (152, 154), securely disposed at preconfigured locations on said rear face (116) of said document-tray (110) and said upper face (128) of said sliding interface (120), and wherein the tubular openings formed in said hollow elements (152, 154) are cylindrical to fittingly accommodate said second cylindrical shaft (155).

7. The document-holding-device as in claim 6, wherein a number of said hollow elements (152) have a cylindrical external shape and at least one of said hollow elements (154) has a cuboid external shape,

wherein said hollow opening formed in said at least one cuboid hollow element (154) is equidistant from the three exposed faces of said cuboid hollow element (154) that are parallel to the rotational axis of said second cylindrical shaft (155);

and

wherein one (158) of said exposed faces of said cuboid hollow element (154) is substantially perpendicular to said upper surface (112) of said document-tray (110).

8. The document-holding-device as in claim 7, wherein said document-holding-device (100) is foldable, and wherein when in a folded state,

said sliding panel (132) is pivoted about said first shaft mechanism (136) towards said back surface (12) of said portable imaging apparatus (10), such that said sliding panel (132) is disposed adjacently to said back surface (12);

and

said document-tray (110) is pivoted about said second cylindrical shaft (155) towards said sliding panel (132), such that said document-tray (110) is substantially adjacent to said sliding panel (132) and said upper surface (112) of said document-tray (110) faces said sliding panel (132).

9. The document-holding-device as in claim 8, wherein said perpendicular face (158) of said cuboid hollow element (154) leans against said upper face (128) of said sliding interface (120), and wherein said upper face (128) serves as a stopper to document-tray (110).

10. The document-holding-device as in claim 7, wherein when in an unfolded, operational state,

said document-tray (110) is pivoted about said second cylindrical shaft (155) away from said sliding panel (132), such that said document-tray (110) is substantially perpendicular to said sliding panel (132), wherein said rear face (116) of said document-tray (110) leans against said front face (126) of said sliding interface (120) that serves as a stopper to said document-tray (110);

said sliding panel (132) is pivoted about said first shaft mechanism (136) away from said back surface (12) of said portable imaging apparatus (10), such that said sliding panel (132) is substantially perpendicular to said back surface (12) of the portable imaging apparatus (10), wherein a pair of stoppers (138) are preconfigured to sustain the substantially perpendicular configuration of said sliding panel (132) with respect to said back surface (12).

11. The document-holding-device as in claim 1 further comprising a fastening mechanism (160), used to fasten said sliding panel (132) to said sliding interface (120).

12. The document-holding-device as in claim 11, wherein said fastening mechanism (160) is selected from a group including a fastening screw, a boss type detachable mechanism, a biased plunger disposed inside an inner wall of said hollow passage (122) that fits into a selected bore out of a number of bores formed at preconfigured locations along said sliding panel (132) and any other type of fastening mechanisms known in the art.

13. The document-holding-device as in claim 12, wherein said preconfigured locations of each of said bores, formed along said sliding panel (132), are designed to fit at least one particular portable imaging apparatus (10).