Sheet Feeder Dual Modules Small Media Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automatic document feeders (ADFs) struggle to prevent small media, such as identification cards or credit cards, from flying out or being lost during processing due to moving inertia and continuous output roller motion, leading to damage or loss.
Innovation Solution
A sheet feeder system with dual feeder modules and an image acquiring device, where the processor controls the enabled states of the modules based on sensed media presence, ensuring the second output roller stops after a predetermined time to prevent small media from leaving the output end, sharing the same input and output passage to avoid additional paths and size increase.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the output roller continuously outputs the medium until the medium leaves the input passage, then the processing speed is improved, but the small-area medium accidentally flies out and falls down or gets lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of medium type before completing the feeding process. When a small-area medium is detected, the output roller is pre-programmed to stop before the medium completely leaves the input passage, preventing it from flying out while still allowing processing to occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensing device provides feedback about the medium type to the control unit, which then adjusts the output roller's stopping position accordingly. This closed-loop control ensures that small-area media are retained while maintaining efficient processing for larger media types.
2Reliability
If two different paths are provided for ordinary medium and small-area medium, then the processing reliability is improved, but the device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
A single shared input passage and output roller are designed to handle both ordinary media and small-area media. The system achieves differentiation through control logic and sensing rather than physical separation, making the feeding path universal for both media types while maintaining reliable processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the feeding paths for ordinary media and small-area media into a single shared input passage and output roller system. By combining these functions into one path with intelligent control, the device avoids the space requirements of separate paths while still providing reliable processing for different media types.
Data Source
AI summary
In a sheet feeder, an input passage has input and output ends and an input location. A first feeder module includes: a first input roller disposed on the input end; a first output roller disposed on the output end; and a first sensing device being disposed near the first input roller and generating a first signal transmitted to a processor upon sensing presence of a first medium. A second feeder module includes: a second input roller disposed on the input end; a second output roller disposed on the output end; and a second sensing device being disposed at the input location and generating a second signal transmitted to the processor upon sensing presence of a second medium. An image acquiring device acquires an image of the first or second medium. The processor controls enabled and disabled states of the first and second feeder modules. A control method of the processor is also provided.