Patent ID: 6593995
Filing Date: 2003-07-15
Classification: G03B

Abstract:
In a dual mode document handler in which documents are imaged by a document imager by (a) scanning a document on the upper surface of a large stationary document platen by moving said document imager under the lower surface of said larger stationary document platen, or by (b) feeding documents with a document transporting system past a moving documents imaging station on the upper surface of a smaller platen with said document imager positioned under the lower surface of said smaller platen, wherein the documents are fed by said document transporting system to said upper surface of said smaller platen, the improvement comprising:mounting said smaller platen adjacent to but independently movable relative to said larger stationary document platen with a small gap in between said smaller platen and said larger stationary document platen, biasing said smaller platen for said independent movement towards said larger stationary document to allow different spacing of said upper surface of said smaller platen from said document transporting system for different thickness of said documents being fed from said document transporting system to said upper surface of said smaller platen, providing a flexible transition member bridging said gap between said lower surface of said smaller platen and said lower surface of said larger stationary document platen, said document imager being biased towards said lower surface of said smaller platen and said lower surface of said larger stationary document platen, and said document imager having platen engagement members allowing lateral movement of said document imager relative to said lower surface of said smaller platen and said lower surface of said larger stationary document platen and said flexible transition member, said platen engagement members maintaining the document imaging focus of said document imager relative to both said independently movable smaller platen and said larger stationary document platen.