Document Tray Rotation for Automatic Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing image reading apparatuses with automatic document feeders require user intervention to align documents, which affects operability, especially when the document tray is inclined to the front side, making it difficult to set and retrieve documents efficiently.
Innovation Solution
An image reading apparatus with a document tray that rotates around a shaft, featuring a detection unit to sense document absence, and a control unit that adjusts the tray's position to lower an abutment portion, allowing automatic alignment and feeding without user intervention, enabling easier document setting and retrieval.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the document tray is inclined to the front side to enable user viewing from low viewpoint position, then the user can view the document stacking surface more easily, but the user must perform additional operations to incline the tray, which adversely affects operability of document setting
Solution Approach 1:
The document tray is automatically inclined to the front side before the user performs document setting operations. The control unit detects when no document is present on the tray and proactively adjusts the inclination angle to provide optimal viewing conditions, eliminating the need for users to manually perform inclination operations while holding documents.
2Ease of operation
If the document tray is inclined to the front side, then the user can view the document stacking surface from low viewpoint position, but the user needs to perform operation for inclining the tray while holding document, which affects operability
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs the tray inclination adjustment in advance, before the user needs to set documents. The control unit monitors document presence and automatically adjusts the tray inclination to the optimal viewing angle when the tray is empty, so that users can immediately proceed with document setting without interruption or additional operations.
3Ease of operation
If the abutment portion is lowered after document feeding is complete, then the document tray can be easily returned to initial position, but the tray must be rotated which requires time
Solution Approach 1:
The document tray inclination is adjusted periodically based on document presence detection. The control unit automatically switches between the inclined viewing position (when tray is empty) and the initial position (when documents are being fed), creating a rhythmic pattern of position changes that optimizes both viewing ease and operational efficiency without requiring manual intervention.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances operability by automating document alignment and feeding, reducing user effort and improving the efficiency of the document handling process, even when the tray is inclined, allowing for seamless operation and easy document retrieval.
Implementation Method 1
a document tray that rotates around a shaft... allowing automatic alignment and feeding without user intervention
Data Source
AI summary
An image reading apparatus includes a first stacking unit having a stacking surface, and an abutment portion that abuts a document stacked on the stacking surface, a feeding unit, a reading unit, a second stacking unit, a first detection unit, a rotating shaft, a drive unit, and a control unit. The second stacking unit receives the document fed by the feeding unit and read by the reading unit. The first detection unit detects presence or absence of the document stacked on the first stacking unit. The drive unit rotates the first stacking unit around the rotating shaft rotatably supporting the first stacking unit. At a predetermined timing after the first detection unit detects the absence of the document on the first stacking unit, the control unit controls the drive unit to rotate the first stacking unit in a direction with which the abutment portion is lowered.