Adjustable Curl Correcting Roller for Flexible and Inflexible Sheets
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming apparatuses, such as laser printers, face challenges in effectively correcting curls in sheets of varying flexibility, as current solutions either fail to remove curls in inflexible sheets or apply excessive stress to flexible sheets.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus with a discharge roller portion and a curl correcting member that can be selectively positioned downstream to apply an adjustable correcting force, allowing for appropriate curl correction in both flexible and inflexible sheets by using a curl correcting member with adjustable correcting faces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the urging force of the spring portion is intensified to remove curl from inflexible sheets, then the curl correction capability for inflexible sheets is improved, but excessive stress is applied to flexible sheets
Solution Approach 1:
The pressing roller is made movable relative to the correcting roller, allowing the pressing force to be dynamically adjusted. The pressing roller can be positioned closer to the correcting roller for inflexible sheets requiring stronger correction, and positioned farther away for flexible sheets requiring gentler handling, thus resolving the contradiction between correction strength and stress control
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the parameter of pressing roller position to adjust the correcting force intensity. By varying the distance between the pressing roller and correcting roller, the system can adapt the correction strength to match different sheet types, preventing both insufficient correction and excessive stress
2Device complexity
If a fixed curl correcting force is applied to all sheet types, then the device complexity is reduced, but the adaptability to different sheet flexibility levels deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The pressing roller's movable design adds minimal complexity while enabling dynamic adaptation. The roller can be manually or automatically positioned to different distances from the correcting roller, providing versatility for handling both flexible and inflexible sheets without requiring multiple fixed correcting mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
A single curl correcting mechanism with a movable pressing roller serves multiple functions: it can correct curls in flexible sheets with gentle handling and correct curls in inflexible sheets with stronger pressing force. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate correcting mechanisms for different sheet types
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
Enables effective curl correction for a variety of sheet types by adjusting the curl correcting force based on the sheet's flexibility, ensuring proper stacking and preventing sheet misalignment or damage.
Implementation Method 1
having a correcting face for exerting a correcting force to a side of correcting the curl
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus including: an apparatus main body; a discharge roller portion that discharges sheet members; a tray being capable of stacking the sheet members discharged from the discharge roller portion; and a curl correcting member being capable of arranging on a downstream side in a sheet member carrying direction of the discharge roller portion, brought into contact with the sheet member having a curl convex upwardly and discharged from the discharge roller portion, and having a correcting face for exerting a correcting force to a side of correcting the curl. The curl of the sheet member is corrected by the curl correcting member when the curl correcting member is arranged on the downstream side of the discharge roller portion, and is not corrected by the curl correcting member when the curl correcting member is not arranged on the downstream side of the discharge roller portion.