Image Reading Device Background Member Cleaning Mechanism

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing image reading devices lack a mechanism for cleaning the background surfaces, which can lead to contamination and reduced performance over time, necessitating a solution for automated cleaning and contamination monitoring.

Innovation Solution

An image reading device equipped with a rotation member having background members that can be cleaned by a dedicated cleaning unit, controlled by a sensor and control unit to determine and perform cleaning operations based on contamination levels, allowing for automated and efficient cleaning without disassembly.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If background members are used continuously without cleaning, then device operation is maintained, but contamination accumulates and performance degrades

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice performanceVSAvoidcontamination

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The cleaning unit is positioned to perform cleaning actions in advance before contamination severely affects performance. The system proactively maintains background members by executing cleaning cycles based on predetermined conditions rather than reacting after degradation occurs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The device performs its own cleaning through an integrated cleaning unit that automatically maintains the background members without requiring external intervention or manual disassembly. The system serves itself by detecting contamination and executing self-cleaning operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Object-affected harmful factors

If cleaning unit is added to clean background members, then contamination is removed, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovecontaminationVSAvoidstructure

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The cleaning unit is integrated with the existing rotation member structure, combining the cleaning function with the background member assembly. This merging approach allows the cleaning mechanism to be incorporated without adding separate complex subsystems, as the cleaning unit shares the rotational framework with the background members.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Productivity

If cleaning operation is automated based on sensor detection, then maintenance efficiency is improved, but control system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemaintenance efficiencyVSAvoidcontrol system

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The sensor detects contamination levels of the background members and provides feedback to the control unit, which then automatically activates the cleaning unit when thresholds are exceeded. This closed-loop feedback system enables automated maintenance decisions based on real-time contamination detection, improving maintenance efficiency without requiring complex manual control systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS20250106338A1Image reading device

Publication Date: 2025.03.27 SEIKO EPSON CORP

AI summary

A reading unit configured to read an image of a medium conveyed in a conveyance direction in a conveyance path, a rotation member disposed to face the reading unit across the conveyance path and configured to rotate about an axis, a plurality of background members provided at the rotation member and configured to be positioned to face the reading unit when the rotation member rotates, and a first cleaning unit configured to clean the plurality of background members are included.