Document Reader Placement Layout to Hide Boundary Lines

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing document reading devices suffer from low precision due to gaps or boundary lines between components within the capturing range of the image capturing member, which affect the accuracy of document reading, especially when documents of maximum size are placed on the placement portion.

Innovation Solution

The document reading device includes a placement portion with a boundary line that is covered by the document when it is at its maximum size, and is formed by a gap between multiple members, with a mark for adjusting document position and a loading portion that allows documents to be loaded and transported, enhancing precision by minimizing the impact of these gaps.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the placement portion is constructed with multiple members, then the structural complexity is reduced and ease of manufacture is improved, but gap lines appear between members within the capturing range causing measurement precision to deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of manufactureVSAvoidmeasurement precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

A light-shielding member (intermediary element) is introduced between the image capturing member and the placement portion. This member includes a light-shielding area that blocks light in the gap region, preventing gap lines from being captured. The intermediary element resolves the contradiction by allowing the multi-member construction for ease of manufacture while eliminating the harmful optical effect of gaps through selective light blocking.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Area of stationary object

If the boundary line is positioned at the edge of the placement portion, then the area of the placement portion is maximized, but the boundary line appears in the captured image causing measurement precision to deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvearea of placement portionVSAvoidmeasurement precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The light-shielding member acts as an intermediary that blocks light from the boundary line area. By positioning the light-shielding area to correspond to the boundary line location, the boundary line is obscured in the captured image while the placement portion maintains its maximum area for document placement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The light-shielding member introduces local quality variation by selectively blocking light only in the boundary line region while allowing light from the document area to pass through. This localized light shielding ensures the boundary line does not appear in the captured image while maintaining full placement area.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Measurement precision

If the gap between members is minimized, then measurement precision is improved by reducing gap lines, but the device complexity increases and ease of manufacture deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemeasurement precisionVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Rather than minimizing the physical gap between members (which would increase manufacturing complexity), a light-shielding member is introduced as an intermediary optical element. This approach maintains the simple multi-member construction for ease of manufacture while eliminating gap line artifacts through selective light blocking, thus improving measurement precision without increasing device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP4141553B1Document reading device and image forming apparatus
Publication Date: 2026.05.06 FUJIFILM BUSINESS INNOVATION CORP
  • EP4141553B1 patent drawingFigure 1-1
  • EP4141553B1 patent drawingFigure 1-2
  • EP4141553B1 patent drawingFigure 1-3

AI summary

A document reading device includes: an image capturing member that captures an image of a document; a placement portion that is disposed below the image capturing member and that has a boundary line between multiple surfaces at a position at which the boundary line is covered by the document when the document has a maximum size that the image capturing member is capable of imaging and the document is placed on the placement portion; and a document reading member that reads the document that is placed on the placement portion.