1. A method for processing documents having folds, comprising the steps of:
manually dropping a document having a fold onto a generally horizontal conveyor;
scanning the document at a scanner to obtain optical image data for the document;
flattening the fold of the document between the step of manually dropping and scanning, wherein the step of flattening folds of the document comprises flattening folds of the documents while the documents are in a generally horizontal orientation.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the document is contained within an envelope and the method comprises the steps of:
feeding the envelope to a cutting station; and
severing one or more edges of the envelope at the cutting station.
3. The method of claim 2 comprising the step of pulling apart the envelope to present the documents for removal from the envelope.
4. The method of claim 3 comprising the step of reorienting the document between the steps of dropping and scanning.
5. The method of claim 1 comprising the step of analyzing the image data to determine a characteristic of the document.
6. The method of claim 5 comprising the step of sorting the document into one of a plurality of bins in response to the determined characteristic.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of flattening comprises flattening folds in the document along substantially the entire length of the document prior to the document entering the scanner.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of flattening comprises:
positively entraining a first end of the document; and
allowing a portion of the document to slide relative the first end as the document passes through the flattening element.
9. The method of claim 1 comprising the step of bending the documents after the step of scanning the documents.
10. A method for processing documents, comprising the steps of:
manually dropping a document onto a generally horizontal conveyor;
scanning the document at a scanner to obtain optical image data for the documents;
re-orienting the document without nipping the document as the conveyor conveys the document toward the scanner; and
nipping the document between opposing drive elements after the document is dropped onto the conveyor, wherein the opposing drive elements are operable to drive the document toward the scanner.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of re-orienting comprises re-orienting the document as the document is conveyed in a generally horizontal orientation.
12. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of dropping a document comprises dropping a packet of overlying documents onto the conveyor and wherein the step of nipping the documents comprises singulating the documents to serially feed the documents to the conveyor.
13. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of nipping comprises flattening the document.
14. The method of claim 10 comprising the step of analyzing the image data to determine a characteristic of the document.
15. The method of claim 14 comprising the step of sorting the document into one of a plurality of bins in response to the determined characteristic.
16. A system for processing documents, comprising:
a generally horizontal conveyor configured to receive and convey documents dropped onto the conveyor;
a scanner for obtaining optical image data for the documents dropped onto the conveyor; and
a nip configured to nip the documents between opposing drive elements after the documents are dropped onto the conveyor and while the documents are in a generally horizontal orientation, wherein the opposing drive elements are operable to drive the documents toward the scanner.
17. The system of claim 16 comprising a re-orientation element operable to re-orient the documents as the conveyor conveys the documents toward the scanner.
18. The system of claim 16 comprising a flattener for flattening the documents as the documents are conveyed in a generally horizontal orientation.
19. The system of claim 18 wherein the flattener engages a first end of the document while allowing a second end of the document to be displaced away from the engaged end.
20. The system of claim 16 wherein the conveyor drives the documents into the nip.
21. The system of claim 16 wherein the conveyor drives the documents in a generally horizontal orientation.
22. A system for processing documents, comprising:
a generally horizontal conveyor configured to receive and convey documents dropped onto the conveyor;
a scanner for obtaining optical image data for the documents dropped onto the conveyor;
a re-orientation element operable to re-orient the documents as the conveyor conveys the documents toward the scanner; and
a nip configured to nip the documents between opposing drive elements after the documents are dropped onto the conveyor, wherein the opposing drive elements are operable to drive the documents toward the scanner.
23. The system of claim 22 wherein the conveyors conveys the documents in a generally horizontal orientation.
24. The system of claim 22 comprising a flattener for flattening the documents as the documents are conveyed in a generally horizontal orientation.
25. The system of claim 24 wherein the flattener engages a first end of the document while allowing a second end of the document to be displaced away from the engaged end.
26. The system of claim 22 wherein the conveyor drives the documents into the nip.
27. The system of claim 22 wherein the conveyor drives the documents in a generally horizontal orientation.
28. A method for processing documents, comprising the steps of:
manually dropping a document onto a generally horizontal conveyor;
scanning the document at a scanner to obtain optical image data for the documents;
re-orienting the document as the conveyor conveys the document toward the scanner in a generally horizontal orientation; and
nipping the document between opposing drive elements after the document is dropped onto the conveyor, wherein the opposing drive elements are operable to drive the document toward the scanner.
29. The method of claim 28 wherein the document is contained within an envelope and the method comprises the steps of:
feeding the envelope to a cutting station; and
severing one or more edges of the envelope at the cutting station.
30. The method of claim 29 comprising the step of pulling apart the envelope to present the documents for removal from the envelope.
31. The method of claim 30 comprising the step of reorienting the document between the steps of dropping and scanning.
32. The method of claim 28 comprising the step of analyzing the image data to determine a characteristic of the document.
33. The method of claim 32 comprising the step of sorting the document into one of a plurality of bins in response to the determined characteristic.
34. The method of claim 28 comprising the step of flattening folds in the document along substantially the entire length of the document prior to the document entering the scanner.
35. The method of claim 34 wherein the step of flattening comprises:
positively entraining a first end of the document; and
allowing a portion of the document to slide relative the first end as the document passes through the flattening element.
36. The method of claim 28 wherein the step of dropping a document comprises dropping a packet of overlying documents onto the conveyor and wherein the step of nipping the documents comprises singulating the documents to serially feed the documents to the conveyor.
37. The method of claim 28 wherein the step of nipping comprises flattening the document.
38. The method of claim 28 comprising the step of analyzing the image data to determine a characteristic of the document.
39. The method of claim 38 comprising the step of sorting the document into one of a plurality of bins in response to the determined characteristic.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A liquid crystal display device comprising:
a substrate;
a cover layer which defines a tunnel-shaped cavity on the substrate;
a support part extended from the cover layer and corresponding to an edge of the tunnel-shaped cavity;
a liquid crystal layer in the tunnel-shaped cavity;
first and second electrodes which apply an electric field to the liquid crystal layer; and
a sealant layer which seals the tunnel-shaped cavity.
2. The liquid crystal display device of claim 1, wherein
the tunnel-shaped cavity comprises entrance portions at opposing ends thereof, wherein the entrance portions expose an inner area of the tunnel-shaped cavity, and
the support part corresponds to the entrance portions.
3. The liquid crystal display device of claim 2, wherein the support part comprises a plurality of portions each corresponding to the edge of the tunnel-shaped cavity.
4. The liquid crystal display device of claim 2, wherein the support part overlaps with the tunnel-shaped cavity when viewed in a plan view.
5. The liquid crystal display device of claim 2, wherein the support part comprises a same material as the cover layer.
6. The liquid crystal display device of claim 2, wherein the cover layer and the support part form a single, unitary, indivisible member.
7. The liquid crystal display device of claim 2, wherein the support part is between the substrate and the cover layer, and has a column shape in a plan view.
8. The liquid crystal display device of claim 2, wherein
the cover layer comprises:
a cover portion separated from the substrate and substantially parallel to an upper surface of the substrate; and
a sidewall portion which connects the upper surface of the substrate and the cover portion, and
the support part is extended from the sidewall portion.
9. The liquid crystal display device of claim 2, wherein the support part has a polygonal shape when viewed in a plan view.
10. The liquid crystal display device of claim 2, further comprising
a plurality of tunnel-shaped cavities, and
the support part is a single, unitary, indivisible member which corresponds to edges of adjacent tunnel-shaped cavities.
11. The liquid crystal display device of claim 2, wherein
the tunnel-shaped cavity has a rectangular shape when viewed in a plan view, a length, and a width perpendicular to the length, and
a center line which extends along a lengthwise direction of the tunnel-shaped cavity and passes through a center portion of a width direction comprises a bent portion.
12. The liquid crystal display device of claim 11, wherein the center line comprises two straight lines inclined with respect to each other.
13. The liquid crystal display device of claim 12, wherein
the substrate comprises:
a gate line extended in a first direction;
a data line extended in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction; and
a thin film transistor connected to the gate line and the data line, and
the center line comprises:
a first center line extended in the second direction, and
second center lines respectively connected to opposing ends of the first center line and inclined with respect to the second direction.
14. The liquid crystal display device of claim 13, wherein
the first center line overlaps the liquid crystal layer when viewed in the plan view, and
the second center lines are not overlapped with the liquid crystal layer when viewed in the plan view.
15. The liquid crystal display device of claim 11, wherein the center line is a curved line.
16. A liquid crystal display device comprises:
a substrate;
a cover layer which defines a tunnel-shaped cavity on the substrate;
a liquid crystal layer in the tunnel-shaped cavity;
first and second electrodes which apply an electric field to the liquid crystal layer; and
a sealant layer which seals the tunnel-shaped cavity,
wherein a center line which extends along a lengthwise direction of the tunnel-shaped cavity and passes through a center portion of a width direction vertical to the lengthwise direction of the tunnel-shaped cavity, comprises a bent portion.
17. The liquid crystal display device of claim 16, wherein the center line comprises two straight lines inclined with respect to each other.
18. The liquid crystal display device of claim 17, wherein
the substrate comprises:
a gate line extended in a first direction;
a data line extended in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction; and
a thin film transistor connected to the gate line and the data line, and
the center line comprises:
a first center line extended in the second direction, and
second center lines respectively connected to opposing ends of the first center line and inclined with respect to the second direction.
19. The liquid crystal display device of claim 18, wherein
the first center line overlaps the liquid crystal layer when viewed in a plan view, and
the second center lines are not overlapped with the liquid crystal layer when viewed in the plan view.
20. The liquid crystal display device of claim 16, wherein the center line is a curved line.