Asymmetric Roller Lateral Force Mechanism for Paper Skew Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
In large print equipment, papers often become tilted or shrunk inwardly during transportation due to mismatched feeding rates and angles of rollers, leading to paper breakage or wrinkling, especially when rollers on both sides have different diameters and precision is low.
Innovation Solution
A roller-type lateral force generation device is introduced, featuring a connection plate along the paper-feeding roller shaft with an angular difference, utilizing friction force to prevent inward shrinkage by pressing the roller's main body with springs, allowing the paper to be fed outward and addressing the skewed issue without an extra power source.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If rollers with different diameters are installed on a shaft to adjust feeding rates, then the feeding rates of both sides can be adjusted, but the paper becomes skewed and tilted during transportation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by installing rollers with different diameters on the same shaft. Specifically, the left-side roller has a different diameter than the right-side roller, allowing differential feeding rates to be achieved while maintaining proper paper alignment. This asymmetric configuration compensates for shaft bending and ensures synchronous feeding without causing paper skewing.
2Speed
If the same roller has different diameters at left and right sides, then continuous feeding rate adjustment is possible, but the paper is continuously skewed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the feeding mechanism by using separate rollers for the left and right sides of the paper, rather than a single roller with varying diameters. Each roller can be independently configured with specific diameters to achieve the desired feeding rates, while the connection plate ensures they work together synchronously, preventing continuous paper skewing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs asymmetric roller diameters on separate left and right rollers, configured specifically to compensate for shaft bending. This asymmetric segmentation allows precise control of feeding rates on each side independently, maintaining paper feeding precision without causing skewing.
3Device complexity
If conventional paper-feeding mechanisms are used, then the structure is simple, but the paper is easily broken or wrinkled due to inward shrinking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a relatively complex asymmetric structure with connection plates linking left and right rollers of different diameters. This increased structural complexity enables synchronous rotation of asymmetric rollers, preventing paper inward shrinking and maintaining paper integrity during transportation.
4Ease of manufacture
If rollers are not precisely adjusted or installed, then the mechanism is easy to assemble, but the feeding rates and angles become unsynchronized causing paper tilt
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the left and right rollers through connection plates that rigidly link them together. This merging ensures that both rollers rotate synchronously as a unified mechanism, eliminating feeding rate and angle synchronization issues without requiring complex adjustment procedures, thus maintaining ease of assembly while achieving precise synchronization.
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
The device effectively prevents paper inward shrinkage and skewing, ensuring smooth paper transport and reducing material waste by generating a lateral force through the angular difference and spring mechanism, enhancing compatibility with various print apparatuses.
Implementation Method 1
the lateral force, which is existed in form of friction force, is provided through the angular difference
Implementation Method 2
the main body of the roller is pressed by the first spring and the second spring
Data Source
AI summary
A roller-type lateral force generation device includes a roller, a first plate, a second plate, a connection plate, a first spring, a rotation shaft, a second spring, a fixing element and an adjustment element. The connection plate is disposed along a set direction, which is perpendicular to a paper-feeding direction. The first spring is disposed between the first plate and a first shaft portion of a roller shaft of the roller. The second spring is disposed between the second plate and a second shaft portion of the roller shaft. The adjustment element has a limitation plate perpendicular to the first plate. The limitation plate has a limitation groove. The first shaft portion is penetrated through the limitation groove. The set direction and the connection line of the rotation shaft and the roller shaft have an angle larger than 0 degree. A lateral force is generated, thereby avoiding paper squeezing inward.