Document scanning system with tethered platen element providing sheet-fed and platen scanning functions

摘要

A modular scanning system (10) consisting of a first scanning unit (11) and a plurality of tethered scanning (13) and digital capture elements (150, 160) providing both sheet-fed, platen, and digitally captured documents and photographs. The first scanning unit (11) includes all the mechanisms necessary to permit sheet-fed scanning of documents. The platen scanner (13) provides a second scanning unit which performs platen scanning of documents on a glass top (26) of the platen scanner (13). Since the platen scanner (13) is detachable, the user has the option to select the platen scanning functionality but with the additional flexibility of selectively mounting or storing the platen element.