Reading Guide Movable End for Scanner Cover Floating
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional image forming apparatuses face challenges in maintaining a consistent distance between the platen glass and the reading guide, leading to potential displacement of documents during automatic feeding, and require precise assembly and adjustment to prevent 'floating' of the cover means, which complicates document reading operations.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus features a reading guide with a movable first end portion and an immovable second end portion, where the first end portion is urged toward the automatic reading area, ensuring a reliable guiding force without excessive resistive moment, and the second end portion does not apply a positive urging force, maintaining contact with the platen glass even when closed, allowing for smooth document reading in both stationary and automatic modes without the need for precise adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the reading guide is immovably fixed to the cover means, then the assembly is simple, but the positional relationship between the platen glass and reading guide cannot be maintained with high precision, causing the reading guide to float above the platen glass face
Solution Approach 1:
The reading guide is designed to be movable relative to the cover means through a sliding mechanism guided by guide grooves. This dynamic configuration allows the reading guide to adjust its position and maintain contact with the platen glass face, resolving the contradiction between simple assembly and precise positioning.
2Reliability
If the reading guide is urged against the platen glass face by urging means, then the reading guide maintains contact with the platen glass, but the urging force pushes the cover means away from the platen glass, causing the distal end portion of the cover means to float above the platen glass surface
Solution Approach 1:
The reading guide is divided into a first end portion close to the pivot shaft and a second end portion away from the pivot shaft. The first end portion is movable and can be urged, while the second end portion is immovable. This segmentation allows selective application of urging force to different portions, resolving the contradiction between reliable contact and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the reading guide are given different properties: the first end portion is made movable and capable of being urged, while the second end portion is made immovable. This local differentiation allows the urging force to be applied only where needed without causing the cover means to float.
3Strength
If the reading guide is fixed with screws, then the reading guide is securely attached, but the assembly becomes troublesome and requires tools, and the reading guide cannot be removed for changes in paper sheet material type or thickness
Solution Approach 1:
The reading guide uses a sliding mechanism with guide grooves instead of fixed screw attachment. This allows the reading guide to be easily assembled and disassembled by simple sliding motions, eliminating the need for tools and enabling quick reconfiguration for different paper types and thicknesses while maintaining secure attachment during operation.
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 ensures reliable and clear document reading operations in both modes by maintaining the necessary urging force and preventing 'floating' of the cover means, eliminating the need for precise adjustments and allowing easy assembly and maintenance.
Implementation Method 1
an urging means for urging said first end portion of the reading guide toward所述 automatic reading area
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes a platen glass face provided in an apparatus body and having a reading area for reading a document set under a stationary condition thereof and an automatic reading area for reading the document while the document is guided past over this automatic reading area by an automatic document feeding mechanism, a cover means mounting said automatic document feeding mechanism and attached to the apparatus body via a pivot shaft to be pivoted for selectively opening/closing the platen glass face and a reading guide attached to the cover means and configured for guiding the document in opposition to the automatic reading area when the cover means is closed. The reading guide has a first end portion close to said pivot shaft attached to be movable to/away from said cover means and a second end portion away from the pivot shaft attached to be immovable to/away from the cover means and an urging means for urging the first end portion of the reading guide toward said automatic reading area.