Segmented Guide Shaft for Image Scanner Carriage Backlash
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing carriage supporting structures in image-scanning apparatuses face issues with backlash and increased scale due to the need for wider sleeves and larger guide shaft diameters, which hinder smooth sliding movement and introduce distortion in read images.
Innovation Solution
A carriage supporting mechanism that uses a guide shaft with inclined planes and a groove design, allowing the carriage to be supported at two points without generating backlash, thereby maintaining a compact height and ensuring stable sliding movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a round bar-shaped guide shaft is fitted into an inverted U-shaped sleeve to support the carriage, then the carriage can be movably supported, but play is generated between the sleeve surface and guide shaft circumferential surface, causing backlash in the radial direction
Solution Approach 1:
The guide shaft is segmented into multiple sections along its length, with each section having different functional characteristics. The first section has a larger diameter for precise positioning, while the second section has a smaller diameter for smooth movement, eliminating the need for a wide sleeve and preventing backlash.
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the guide shaft are given different local qualities - the first section has a larger diameter for precise radial positioning, while the second section has a smaller diameter for smooth sliding. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between support stability and backlash prevention.
2Reliability
If the width of the sleeve is increased larger than the diameter of the guide shaft to movably support the carriage, then the carriage can be supported, but play is generated between the sleeve surface and guide shaft, resulting in large sliding resistance that hinders smooth sliding movement
Solution Approach 1:
The guide shaft is divided into two sections: the first section with larger diameter provides stable support, while the second section with smaller diameter enables smooth sliding with minimal resistance, eliminating the need for a wide sleeve.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide shaft exhibits different local qualities along its length - the first section has larger diameter for support stability, while the second section has smaller diameter for ease of sliding movement, resolving the contradiction between support and smooth operation.
3Ease of operation
If the diameter of the guide shaft is increased to achieve stable sliding movement, then the sliding can be smooth, but the height of the supporting structure is necessarily elongated, making the scale large-sized
Solution Approach 1:
The guide shaft is segmented into two sections with different diameters. The first section has larger diameter for smooth sliding, while the second section has smaller diameter for compact height, eliminating the need to increase the overall guide shaft diameter.
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the guide shaft have different local qualities - the first section has larger diameter where smooth sliding is needed, while the second section has smaller diameter to maintain compact overall height, resolving the contradiction between smooth operation and compact size.
Data Source
AI summary
According to one example structure of the invention, a carriage moving device includes; a guide member comprising a pair of inclined planes; a carriage slidably supported by the guide member in a longitudinal direction of the guide member at a plurality of portions where the pair of inclined planes slidably support the carriage.