ADF Scanner Feed Timing Control for Short-Sheet Jam Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing scanners with automatic document feeding functions face an increased likelihood of paper jams when attempting to increase reading speed by shortening the gap between paper sheets.
Innovation Solution
A scanner with a transport mechanism that adjusts feeding conditions based on the size of the medium, delaying the feeding of subsequent sheets when the current sheet is shorter than a threshold, ensuring adequate separation to prevent jams.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the gap between paper sheets is shortened to increase reading speed, then productivity is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to increased likelihood of paper jams
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the sheet feeding mechanism adaptive rather than fixed. The control unit dynamically adjusts the feeding timing of subsequent sheets based on real-time detection of the current sheet's transport state and size characteristics. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to maintain high speed feeding for normal-sized sheets while automatically slowing down or pausing when processing short sheets, thereby resolving the contradiction between productivity and reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback control through the control unit that continuously monitors the transport state of each sheet and uses this information to regulate the feeding of subsequent sheets. The system detects whether a sheet has been successfully processed and adjusts the timing of the next sheet's feeding accordingly. This feedback mechanism prevents paper jams by ensuring proper separation between sheets while maintaining high overall processing speed
2Productivity
If continuous feeding is performed without size-based control, then productivity is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to inconsistent handling of different document sizes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by treating different sheet sizes with different feeding control strategies. Rather than using a uniform feeding rate for all sheets, the system identifies the size characteristics of each sheet and applies appropriate feeding timing adjustments specific to that sheet's dimensions. This allows precise control for short sheets while maintaining efficient continuous feeding for standard-sized sheets
Data Source
AI summary
A scanner with an automatic document feeding function includes a transport mechanism, a processor, and a scan sensor. The transport mechanism transports a medium stacked on a sheet feed section to a scanning position and ejects the medium after scanning. The processor controls the transport mechanism. The scan sensor scans the medium at the scanning position in a transport path. The processor determines a type of the medium transported by the transport mechanism. When the medium is a first medium of which a size in the transport direction is less than or equal to a threshold value, the processor performs control to delay feeding of a next medium, compared to when the medium is a second medium of which a size in the transport direction is greater than the threshold value and which is identical to the first medium except for the size.