Sealed Imaging Window Isolating Stray Light
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Solution Overview
Problem
The close proximity of aiming, illuminating, indicating, and object sensing systems in imaging readers causes light leakage and contamination, leading to interference with the imaging process and reduced reading performance due to stray light and environmental contaminants.
Innovation Solution
A light-transmissive window is positioned in direct, sealed contact with the imaging module's chassis, environmentally sealing and optically isolating the interior compartment to prevent light leakage and contamination, enhancing reading performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the window is spaced apart from the imaging module, then the systems can be mounted separately, but light leakage and stray reflections occur that interfere with imaging
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into multiple light-tight compartments that separately contain the imaging system, aiming system, illuminating system, indicating system, and object sensing system. This segmentation allows each system to be independently mounted and managed while preventing light interference between them.
Solution Approach 2:
Light-tight partitions and sealed compartments act as intermediaries between the various optical systems and the window. These barriers block stray light and reflections from reaching the imager, while still allowing the window to be positioned for optimal imaging performance.
2Volume of moving object
If multiple systems are located in close proximity, then device size is reduced, but light from aiming, illuminating, indicating, and object sensing systems leaks into the imager compartment
Solution Approach 1:
The compact chassis is internally segmented into multiple light-tight compartments using partitions and sealed structures. Each compartment houses a specific system (imaging, aiming, illuminating, indicating, or object sensing), enabling close proximity arrangement while preventing light leakage between systems.
Solution Approach 2:
Light-tight partitions and sealed compartments with appropriate sealing structures prevent light leakage while maintaining a compact overall structure. These thin barrier structures effectively block stray light without requiring large spacing between systems.
3Reliability
If the window is spaced from the chassis, then environmental sealing is reduced, but mounting flexibility is improved
Solution Approach 1:
The window is pre-sealed to the front surface of the chassis before final assembly. This preliminary sealing action ensures environmental protection is established early in the assembly process, while still allowing flexible mounting of internal components through the sealed structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealed window structure acts as a flexible barrier that provides environmental sealing while allowing the internal compartment layout to be optimized for manufacturing and component mounting flexibility.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Prevents stray light from interfering with the imaging system and protects against dust, moisture, and contaminants, thereby improving the accuracy and reliability of target reading.
Implementation Method 1
The window environmentally seals, optically isolates, and resists entry of stray aiming and/or illuminating and/or indicating and/or object sensing light into, the interior compartment
Implementation Method 2
such a spaced-apart window, which could rearwardly reflect, for example, the aiming and/or illuminating lights back to the imaging system in the chassis
Data Source
AI summary
A light-transmissive window is positioned in direct, sealing contact with a chassis of an imaging module for reading a target by image capture. The chassis has a plurality of interior compartments, each having an opening. An imager, an aiming light source, and an illuminating light source are mounted on a common printed circuit board and individually contained in the compartments. The window covers each opening and environmentally seals, optically isolates, and resists entry of the light from the aiming and/or illuminating light sources into, the interior compartment.