Curved Conveyor Roller Reduces ADF Scanner Height
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing image reading devices with automatic document feeders (ADF) have a U-shaped document conveying path that increases the height of the device, making it difficult to reduce the overall height and complicates the design.
Innovation Solution
The image reading device incorporates a curved document conveying path with a conveyor roller that reverses the document direction, allowing the first and second image sensors to read both sides of the document while the conveyor roller is positioned lower than the document contact surfaces, reducing the device's height and simplifying the configuration by eliminating the need for additional rollers and guides.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a U-shaped document conveying path is used in the ADF-type image scanner, then both sides of the document can be read simultaneously, but the height of the image reading device becomes large
Solution Approach 1:
The patent repositions the conveyor roller from a vertical U-shaped path to a horizontal curved path that extends in the lateral direction. This dimensional change allows the document conveying mechanism to achieve double-sided scanning capability while maintaining a compact vertical profile, effectively moving the complexity from the vertical dimension to the horizontal dimension.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a curved document conveying path instead of a straight or angular path. The curved path allows the document to be redirected horizontally beneath the contact glass, enabling the conveyor roller to be positioned lower while still achieving the necessary document reversal for double-sided scanning.
2Ease of operation
If additional rollers and guides are added to create a U-shaped conveying path, then document reversal is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the document reversal function with the existing conveyor roller mechanism. Instead of adding separate rollers and guides to create a U-shaped path, the invention integrates the reversal capability into a single curved path that the existing conveyor roller can accommodate, thereby reducing the number of additional components needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The curved document conveying path serves multiple functions: it guides the document through the scanning area, enables document reversal for double-sided scanning, and allows the conveyor roller to be positioned in a space-efficient manner. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for dedicated reversal mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
An image reading device includes a conveyor unit (3) that conveys a document along a conveying path for ADF-type image scanning including a curved path. The conveyor unit (3) includes a conveyor roller (34) that reverses a conveying direction of the document in the curved path. The device further includes a first contact surface (17) that comes into contact with a first side of the document when the document is conveyed, a second contact surface (18) that comes into contact with a second side of the document when the document is conveyed, a first reading unit (11) that reads an image on the first side of the document, and a second reading unit (12) disposed above the second contact surface (18) and reading an image on the second side of the document. A part of the conveyor roller (34) is disposed lower than the first and second contact surfaces (17, 18) in an up down direction of the image reading device.