Importance

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Abstract

A bar code scanner has a laser which produces a beam incident on a deflector, such as a polygon, which projects a scan beam out of the scanner so as to scan a bar code; light reflected or scattered from the code being detected so as to provide signals from which the bar code may be decoded. In order to insure that the scan beam is incident on the code, a bright oblong spot is provided by a second laser and a mirror which deflects the beam from the second laser along a path, generally paralleling the scan beam, through a cylindrical lens, and intersecting the scan beam approximately in the center of the scan on the code. The laser producing the aiming spot and the deflector drive circuits are initiated upon actuation of a trigger. The laser which produces the scan beam (the scan laser) is inhibited by circuits responsive to the movement of the deflector so that the scan laser is not turned on until the deflector is able to scan the beam from the scan laser thereby insuring that the total laser power which may illuminate a small area is within radiation, health and safety limits.

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First Claim