Convey Guide Gap Control for Image Reading Apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional image reading apparatuses experience image blur and distortion due to impacts during original conveyance, particularly when the leading edge of the original abuts against the scoop-up member or delivery rollers, and existing countermeasures require cumbersome adjustments of biasing forces and are not suitable for stable conveyance of thick papers.
Innovation Solution
An image reading apparatus with a platen, a scoop-up guide portion, a convey guide portion, and a support structure that maintains constant gaps between the convey guide and scoop-up guide portions, and between the convey guide and the platen, using floating wheels and adjustable biasing forces to stabilize original conveyance and prevent image distortion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the gap between the first glass platen and convey guide is made narrow to suppress image blur, then image quality is improved, but the scoop-up member cannot reliably scoop up thick papers and conveyance stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The convey guide is made movable in the vertical direction through a support structure with a movable section, allowing the gap between the convey guide and platen to be dynamically adjusted. This enables the gap to be narrowed for thin papers to suppress image blur while being widened for thick papers to ensure reliable scoop-up and conveyance stability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the scoop-up member is made swingable to adapt to different papers, then adaptability is improved, but biasing force adjustments become cumbersome and operation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the vertical position parameter of the convey guide rather than swinging the scoop-up member. By moving the convey guide vertically to adjust the gap size, the system adapts to different paper types without requiring complex biasing force adjustments or swing mechanisms, thereby maintaining operational simplicity.
3Ease of operation
If the convey path is curved to guide the original, then conveyance guidance is improved, but swinging the scoop-up member hinders stable conveyance of thick papers
Solution Approach 1:
The convey guide is divided into a fixed section and a movable section. The fixed section maintains the curved convey path for guidance, while the movable section can be independently positioned vertically to provide adequate gap for thick papers, thus preserving both conveyance guidance and stability.
Data Source
AI summary
An image reading apparatus includes a platen which is set at an image reading position, a loading guide portion which is arranged upstream in a convey direction of an original to be adjacent to the platen and guides the original to an upper surface of the platen, a scoop-up guide portion which is arranged downstream in the convey direction of the original to be adjacent to the glass platen and guides a leading edge of the original, which has passed through the platen, by scooping up, a convey guide portion which is arranged to oppose the platen and scoop-up guide portion, to form a convey path between the convey guide portion and both of the platen and the scoop-up guide portion, a support portion which supports the convey guide portion to be slidable parallel to the platen, and a regulating portion which is arranged between the convey guide portion and the scoop-up guide portion to hold a constant gap between the convey guide portion and the scoop-up guide portion.