Document Tray Control Unit Prevents Unnecessary Lifting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional document reading apparatuses face challenges in efficiently handling nonstandard-size mixed documents, leading to potential skew and increased wear on components due to unnecessary lifting and lowering of the document tray, especially when switching between different applications.
Innovation Solution
A control method for the reading apparatus that includes a control unit for lifting and lowering the document tray based on specific conditions, with a determining unit that ensures a predetermined period elapses before performing lowering control, thereby reducing unnecessary operations and prolonging component life.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the document tray is lifted up automatically when documents are stacked on it, then reading preparation is completed faster, but unnecessary lifting and lowering operations increase component wear
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit monitors application execution status and provides feedback to determine whether to perform lifting operations. By detecting whether an application is actually executed, the system avoids unnecessary lifting and lowering of the document tray, thereby reducing component wear while maintaining efficient reading preparation when needed.
2Productivity
If the document tray is lifted up immediately to improve reading speed, then reading efficiency increases, but unnecessary operations occur when applications are switched or not executed
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback from application execution monitoring to control lifting operations. The control unit determines whether to lift the document tray based on actual application execution, avoiding unnecessary operations when applications are switched or not executed, thereby eliminating wasted time and resources.
3Manufacturing precision
If documents are stacked to contact the document guide for standard-size documents, then skew is prevented, but nonstandard-size documents cannot be properly fed
Solution Approach 1:
The document guide is made movable rather than fixed, allowing it to adapt its position dynamically. For standard-size documents, the guide contacts the documents to prevent skew. For nonstandard-size documents, the guide can be positioned differently or retracted, enabling proper feeding while maintaining alignment precision for each document type.
Data Source
AI summary
A reading apparatus to convey a document set on a document tray and to read an image of the conveyed document includes a control unit and a determining unit. The control unit performs lifting control for lifting the document tray in a case where a first condition is satisfied and performs lowering control for lowering the document tray in a case where a second condition is satisfied. The determining unit determines whether a predetermined period elapses after the lifting control of previous time is started. The control unit does not perform the lowering control even if the second condition is satisfied in a case where the determining unit determines that the predetermined period does not elapse.