Sheet Reading Guide Assembly for Stable Conveyance Path Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional image reading apparatuses with independently rotatable openable covers and guide members often experience sheet conveyance failures due to varying space sizes in the sheet conveyance path, leading to inefficiencies and jams.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus integrates a base unit with a conveyance roller, a reading unit, an openable cover, a guide member, and an urging member, where the guide member is supported to rotate between covered and exposed positions, and its position is determined by contact with the openable cover, ensuring consistent sheet path dimensions through contact portions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the openable cover and guide member are independently rotatable, then the reading unit can be exposed for cleaning and maintenance, but the space size in the sheet conveyance path varies causing sheet conveyance failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the openable cover and guide member into a single integrated assembly that rotates together as one unit. This merging ensures that the relative position between the cover and guide member remains fixed, maintaining consistent sheet conveyance path dimensions while still allowing the reading unit to be exposed for cleaning when the entire assembly is rotated.
2Reliability
If the guide member is fixed in position, then the sheet conveyance path dimension is stable, but the reading unit cannot be easily accessed for cleaning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamically rotatable assembly where the cover and guide member rotate together as a unified structure. This dynamic design allows the system to maintain stable relative dimensions during operation (when closed) while enabling access to the reading unit when needed (when opened), resolving the contradiction between stability and accessibility.
3Ease of repair
If the openable cover is made openable to expose the reading unit, then maintenance becomes easier, but the sheet conveyance path space becomes unstable
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the openable cover and guide member into a single rotatable assembly, the patent ensures that the conveyance path dimension consistency is maintained during normal operation. When maintenance is needed, the entire assembly rotates together to expose the reading unit, preventing any dimensional instability that would occur if the components moved independently.
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 stabilizes the sheet conveyance path, reducing failures and simplifying maintenance by maintaining consistent path dimensions and facilitating easy cleaning of reading components.
Implementation Method 1
an urging member configured to urge the guide member in a direction from the first position toward the second position
Implementation Method 2
during closing of the openable cover, the first contact portion presses the second contact portion and the guide member moves against an urging force of the urging member
Data Source
AI summary
An image reading apparatus includes a base unit, a conveyance roller to convey a sheet, a reading unit, an openable cover having a first contact portion, a guide member having a second contact portion, and an urging member. The guide member is rotatable between a first position where the reading unit is covered and a second position where the reading unit is exposed. The urging member urges the guide member in a direction from the first position toward the second position. During closing of the openable cover, the first contact portion presses the second contact portion and the guide member moves against an urging force of the urging member. A position of the guide member in a rotation direction in a state in which the openable cover is closed is determined by the first contact portion and the second contact portion coming into contact with each other.