Guiding Tray for Document Conveyance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Document conveying apparatuses face challenges in accommodating documents of varying widths, leading to skewed conveyance and increased size when not in use, as existing solutions require manual adjustment of side guides for different document sizes.
Innovation Solution
A document conveying apparatus with a document tray and a guiding tray of different widths, where the guiding tray is positioned differently based on the tray's state (open or closed) to accommodate various document sizes and prevent skewing, while allowing for compact storage when not in use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple document trays with different widths are provided to accommodate various document sizes, then documents of different widths can be conveyed without skewing, but the apparatus size increases and storage space is required
Solution Approach 1:
The guiding tray is designed to be movable between a usage position (where it supports small-width documents) and a stored position (where it is disposed below the main document tray). This dynamic repositioning allows the apparatus to adapt between conveying small documents and maintaining a compact storage configuration, resolving the contradiction between versatility and compactness
Solution Approach 2:
The guiding tray is positioned vertically below the main document tray when not in use, utilizing the vertical dimension for storage. During operation, it is raised to a horizontal conveying position. This dimensional transition allows the same component to serve multiple functions without increasing the apparatus's footprint when stored
2Adaptability or versatility
If side guides are adjusted to both sides of the document with the largest width, then large documents can be conveyed properly, but smaller documents cannot be conveyed along the side guides and may convey in a skewed attitude
Solution Approach 1:
The document conveying system is segmented into two independent trays: a main document tray for large documents and a guiding tray for small documents. Each tray has its own width-adjustable side guides, allowing each segment to be optimized for its specific document size range. This segmentation enables both large and small documents to be conveyed with proper alignment without requiring a single complex adjustable system
Solution Approach 2:
The guiding tray acts as an intermediary solution for small documents that cannot be properly conveyed by the main tray's side guides. By introducing this intermediate component with its own guiding mechanism, the system can handle documents of varying widths appropriately, maintaining conveyance accuracy for each document size category
Data Source
AI summary
The document conveying apparatus includes a body, a document tray, a guiding tray, a first support member that supports the document tray movably between a open position where a document is placed on the first document stacking face, and a close position where the document tray is closed, and a second support member that supports the guiding tray. The second support member positions the guiding tray at a first distance from the document tray, when the document tray is at the open position. The second support member positions the guiding tray at a second distance from the document tray, when the document tray is at the close position. The second distance is smaller than the first distance.