Patent ID: 6259100
Filing Date: 2001-07-10
Classification: B65H

Abstract:
An optical sensor for detecting a document moving along a document path by providing at least two light paths across the document path, the document breaking at least one of the light paths as it moves along the document path to indicate the presence of the document, the optical sensor comprising:a photo-emitter emitting light across the document path to provide a first light path;a first reflector optically coupled to the photo-emitter to receive and reflect the light emitted by the photo-emitter;at least a second reflector optically coupled to the first reflector to receive the light from the first reflector and to reflect the light across the document path to provide a second light path;a photo-detector disposed across the light path from the second reflector and optically coupled to the second reflector, the photo-detector operable to detect the presence of the document by detecting when the document has broken at least one of the light paths; anda further reflector optically coupling the second reflector to the photodetector, wherein the further reflector is across the document path from the photo-detector, the further reflector receiving the light and reflecting it across the document path to the photo-detector to provide at least a third light path.