US Patent 7859221 Wireless scanner system, head and method

A scanning system includes a scanner head that scans along a scan path back and forth across a web. The scanner head is wireless and gets its operating power from an on-board electrical energy storage device, such as a battery or a capacitor. The scanner head docks to a charging station that provides electrical energy to the scanner head for charging the electrical energy storage device. The electrical energy is transferred by an energy coupling relationship that is magnetic field, electric field or direct electrical connection. The magnetic field relationship uses a charging circuit coil and core that mates with scanner head coil and core when the scanner head is docked. The electric field relationship uses a charging side electrically conductive plate that mates with a scanner head electrically conductive plate when the scanner head is docked.