Overlapping Sheetfed and Flatbed Scanner Units
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image reading apparatuses are bulky and difficult to transport due to their integrated design, which hinders portability and maintenance, as they combine sheetfed and flatbed scanning capabilities without allowing for easy separation or replacement of malfunctioning units.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a first image reading unit for sheetfed scanning and a second image reading unit for flatbed scanning, with an opening/closing member that can switch between closed and open positions, allowing parts of the units to overlap in the apparatus height direction, reducing size and enabling separate attachment and detachment for improved portability and maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the sheetfed scanner and flatbed scanner are integrally assembled in a conventional arrangement, then both reading functions are provided, but the apparatus size increases and transportability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The flatbed scanner is nested within the sheetfed scanner by placing the medium reading surface (platen) underneath the transport path of the sheetfed scanner. This allows the flatbed scanner to occupy the same spatial envelope as the sheetfed scanner, effectively nesting one scanner within the other and reducing the overall apparatus volume while maintaining both reading functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a conventional side-by-side or sequential arrangement of scanners to a vertical stacking configuration where the flatbed scanner is positioned in the vertical dimension beneath the sheetfed scanner. This dimensional reorganization allows both units to coexist in a compact footprint by utilizing the vertical space efficiently.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the sheetfed scanner and flatbed scanner are integrally assembled, then both reading functions are provided, but the apparatus weight increases and transportability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the integrated scanner into separable modules: the sheetfed scanner and the flatbed scanner can be detached from each other. This segmentation allows users to transport only the necessary component, reducing the effective transport weight while maintaining the option for dual-function operation when both units are assembled together.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the sheetfed scanner and flatbed scanner are integrally assembled, then both reading functions are provided, but maintenance becomes difficult when malfunction occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The scanner system is designed with separable modules that can be easily detached from each other. When a malfunction occurs in one unit, the other unit can remain assembled and operational, and the malfunctioning unit can be removed for maintenance or replacement without affecting the functioning of the other scanner type.
Solution Approach 2:
The flatbed scanner can be extracted or removed from the sheetfed scanner assembly independently. This extraction capability allows maintenance personnel to access and service the flatbed scanner without disassembling the entire integrated unit, significantly improving maintenance accessibility and reducing downtime.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is an image reading apparatus including a first image reading unit which reads a surface of a medium which is transported along a transport path; a second image reading unit which reads a surface of the medium once the medium is mounted on a medium reading surface; and an opening/closing member switch between a closed position and an opened position with respect to the medium reading surface, in which at least a part of the medium reading surface overlaps at least a part of the first image reading unit in an apparatus height direction. In addition, at least a part of the opening/closing member overlaps at least a part of the first image reading unit in the apparatus height direction.