Dual Regulation Members for Mixed-Width Sheet Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing image reading apparatuses struggle to detect and read documents of varying widths placed in a mixed manner, as they often fail to accurately position and regulate sheets with significant width differences, leading to incomplete detection and feeding issues.

Innovation Solution

The apparatus incorporates a movable first regulation member and a second regulation member, along with rotating portions and a sensor system, to align the midpoint of these members with the sheet conveying path, ensuring that both edges of sheets, regardless of width, are properly regulated and detected, allowing for accurate feeding and reading of documents with different widths.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the regulation plates are adjusted to the document having the largest size, then the largest documents can be properly regulated, but documents having smaller sizes cannot be properly detected

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to handle documents of different widthsVSAvoiddetection accuracy of document edges

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The single regulation plate is divided into two separate regulation plates (first regulation plate and second regulation plate) positioned at different locations. This segmentation allows each plate to regulate different edges of documents, enabling proper detection and regulation of documents with varying widths without requiring adjustment to the largest document size.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the document tray are assigned different regulation functions. The first regulation plate is positioned to regulate one edge while the second regulation plate is positioned to regulate the other edge, creating local quality variations that allow accurate detection across different document widths without uniform regulation throughout.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Adaptability or versatility

If only one edge is regulated by the regulation plates for smaller documents, then the regulation plates can accommodate smaller sizes, but complete detection of document edges is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccommodation of documents with varying widthsVSAvoidcompleteness of document detection

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The regulation function is segmented between two separate regulation plates, with each plate responsible for regulating a specific edge of the document. This ensures that both edges of documents with smaller widths are properly regulated and detected, improving reliability while maintaining adaptability to various document sizes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The regulation system transitions from a single-point regulation approach to a two-dimensional regulation approach by introducing a second regulation plate. This dimensional expansion allows simultaneous regulation of both left and right edges, ensuring complete detection regardless of document width.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

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

This configuration enables reliable detection and feeding of documents with varying widths, improving the accuracy of sheet detection and preventing premature termination of the feeding process, even when documents of different sizes are mixed on the tray.

Implementation Method 1

a first rotating portion to be rotated by being pushed by the sheet supported on the supporting portion; a second rotating portion to be rotated by being pushed by the sheet supported on the supporting portion; and a sensor portion configured to generate a signal in accordance with rotations of the first rotating portion and the second rotating portion

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMechanical rotation detection:

Data Source

PatentUS8913309B2Image reading apparatus and image forming apparatus

Publication Date: 2014.12.16 CANON KK

AI summary

An image reading apparatus that includes an image reading portion, a tray, a first regulation member movable in a width direction on the tray, a second regulation member movable in association with the first regulation member, a first rotating portion and a second rotating portion that are each capable of being rotated by a sheet on the tray, and a sensor portion configured to generate a signal based on rotations of the first and second rotating portions. The first rotating portion is located between the first regulation member and the second regulation member that regulate both edges of a sheet having a minimum width, and the second rotating portion is located between the other edge of a sheet having a smaller width and the first regulation member, when sheets having different widths are supported on the tray with each having one edge aligned with the first regulation member.