Abstract: The compact design of a CIS device is exploited, resulting in a more compact scanning mechanism and in lighter and smaller scanning devices. The CIS is incorporated into a drive belt attached to the length of the CIS. The CIS is forced to traverse the document by a drive mechanism that pulls the entire belt and CIS across the document while maintaining the tension necessary to keep the document in the narrow depth of focus. This mechanism provides a uniform force on the CIS, reducing the possibility of yawing motion, and keeps the document in focus through the tension on the drive belt. The combined CIS and transport mechanism power requirements can be supplied by standard computer interfaces, requiring no additional power supplies. This new mechanism also hides the internal workings of the scanner behind a drive belt that is the size of the platen window.

Abstract: An apparatus for scanning a document, including scanning a photograph, the apparatus including a contact image sensor (CIS), the apparatus designed to reduce the friction between the contact image sensor and the document being scanned. The reduction is achieved by reducing the friction by use of a non-stick material or by reducing the static electricity forces or both. The preferred embodiment is a CIS whose housing is made of a non-stick material which also is static electricity dissipative.