Document Feeder Tray Lifting and Motor Segmentation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional auto document feeders (ADF) face issues with continuous document conveyance due to clutch mechanisms, leading to interrupted scanning operations and unnecessary document conveyance, which can damage sheets and shorten the device's lifespan.
Innovation Solution
A document feeder system with a tray lifting mechanism, conveying rollers, and sensors that control the conveying process to ensure continuous document discharge and prevent unnecessary conveyance by detecting document presence and absence, allowing for controlled motor operation and tray positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a clutch mechanism is used to control pickup roller rotation direction, then a single motor can realize both pickup and conveying operations, but document conveyance becomes interrupted and scanning operations are stopped
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the driving system into two independent motors: one dedicated to the pickup roller for picking up document sheets, and another dedicated to conveying rollers for conveying documents. This segmentation eliminates the need for a clutch mechanism to switch between pickup and conveying functions, allowing both operations to occur simultaneously and continuously without interrupting scanning processes.
2Ease of operation
If the pickup roller continues to pick up documents after scanning stops, then the ADF operation cannot be stopped until all documents are discharged, but this causes unnecessary conveyance and potential document damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs sensors to detect the presence or absence of document sheets in the conveying path and provides feedback to the control unit. When scanning stops, the control unit receives feedback from the sensor and automatically stops the pickup roller's operation, preventing unnecessary picking up and conveying of documents. This feedback mechanism ensures the ADF stops appropriately without requiring manual intervention and protects documents from unnecessary handling.
3Productivity
If conveying speed increases after scanning stops, then document discharge is faster, but unnecessary documents are conveyed and device lifetime is shortened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses sensors to detect in advance whether a document sheet is present in the conveying path before the conveying operation is activated. When scanning stops, the control unit checks the sensor feedback and only activates the conveying motor if a document is detected. This preliminary detection prevents unnecessary conveying operations, reducing wear on the conveying mechanism and extending device lifespan while maintaining efficient discharge when documents are actually present.
Data Source
AI summary
According to aspects of the present disclosures, when a cancel command is input during a document conveying process, drive of a conveying motor is stopped. Then, a movable plate of a feed tray is moved down from a supplying position to a lowermost position being a non-supplying position, and the drive of the conveying motor is restarted. The conveying motor is driven at least until a document sheet is discharged from a conveying path.