Ncr Corporation

Jonathan D Bassett

Charles K Wike, Jr

Rex A Aleshire

Joseph M Lindacher

David E Weeks

A laser diode alignment apparatus and method for an optical scanner which independently minimizes lateral and angular deviation of a laser beam from the scanner axis. The alignment apparatus includes a socket member and a plug member. The socket member includes a cylindrical wall portion, including a circular inner ridge having an inwardly facing spherical surface, and a base portion coupled to the cylindrical wall portion having a rearwardly facing spherical surface and a circular aperture therethrough. The plug member contains the laser diode and includes a cylindrical front end portion including a spherical front edge section, having the same curvature as the rearwardly facing spherical surface, and a spherical center portion coupled to the cylindrical front end portion having the same curvature as the inwardly facing spherical surface. The plug member has a beam origin point coinciding with the diode's combined center of rotation and pivot point. The alignment method centers a screen, having a reference point, on the axis and at the focal point of the scanner, places the laser beam origin point on the scanner axis, and moves the laser diode until the laser beam image coincides with the reference point on the screen.

Laser diode alignment apparatus and method for optical scanners

A portable bar code scanner comprises a housing member having a pair of sloping supporting surfaces oriented at an angle to each other and a floor portion on which is mounted a reflecting mirror. One of the sloping supporting surfaces includes a transparent substrate. A portable hand-held optical scanner is positioned adjacent the other sloping supporting surface for projecting a plurality of scanning light beams in the form of a scan pattern at the reflecting mirror which reflects the scan pattern onto the transparent substrate over which a bar code label is passed enabling the scanning light beams to scan the bar code label. A magnet mounted adjacent the other sloping supporting surface is sensed by a sensor mounted in the hand-held scanner for generating control signals which are used in operating the scanner in different modes of operation depending on whether the scanner is mounted on the housing or when the scanner is used to freely scan a bar code label.

Dual mode optical scanning system

A portable bar code scanner includes a support member and a housing member rotatably mounted on the support member and having a pair of sloping supporting surfaces oriented at an angle to each other and a floor portion on which is mounted a reflecting mirror. One or both of the sloping supporting surfaces may include a transparent substrate. A source of scanning light beams such as a hand-held scanner is mounted adjacent the other sloping supporting surface for projecting a plurality of scanning light beams in the form of a scan pattern at the reflecting mirror which reflects the scan pattern onto the transparent substrate over which a bar code label is passed enabling the scanning light beams to scan the bar code label. The housing member may be rotated up to one hundred and eighty degrees to position the transparent substrate in a number of scanning positions.

Growing community of inventors

Ithaca, NY, United States of America

Jonathan D Bassett