Expandable Auxiliary Tray Blades for Large Sheet Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional trays for large-sized sheets in image forming apparatuses face issues with sheets falling from the sides or edges hanging down due to the narrower width of auxiliary trays compared to main trays.
Innovation Solution
A sheet conveying device with an auxiliary tray and a blade mechanism expanded by a spring portion, allowing the blade to widen when the tray is expanded, ensuring secure placement of large sheets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the auxiliary tray width is reduced to fit within the main tray storage space, then the tray can be stored compactly, but sheets may fall from both sides or edges may hang down
Solution Approach 1:
The auxiliary tray is divided into a tray body and separate blade members that can be independently deployed. The blade members are stored within the tray body during compact storage but can be extended outward when needed, allowing the tray to maintain a small storage profile while providing extended sheet support capability when in use
Solution Approach 2:
The blade members are designed to be dynamically extendable from the auxiliary tray body. When the auxiliary tray is pulled out for use, the blade members automatically or manually extend to increase the effective width, providing sheet support during operation while maintaining compact storage dimensions when retracted
2Reliability
If the auxiliary tray width is increased to support large sheets, then sheets can be properly supported, but the tray cannot be stored within the main tray
Solution Approach 1:
The blade members are nested within the auxiliary tray body when not in use. The tray body is designed to contain the blade members in a retracted state, allowing the entire auxiliary tray assembly to be stored within the main tray. When needed, the blade members are deployed outward from the tray body, providing extended sheet support capability without increasing the storage footprint
3Reliability
If a fixed wide auxiliary tray is used to support large sheets, then sheet stability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sheet support function is extracted from the main tray structure and implemented through separate, movable blade members that can be independently deployed from the auxiliary tray. This modular approach allows the blade members to be added only when needed, rather than permanently increasing the complexity of the main tray structure
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
Prevents sheets from falling or hanging down by increasing the width of the auxiliary tray, enhancing user convenience through a simple operation.
Implementation Method 1
a spring portion configured to urge the blade in a direction in which the blade is expanded from the auxiliary tray
Data Source
AI summary
A sheet conveying device is provided with an auxiliary tray provided so as to be able to come in and out of a main tray for feeding a sheet or discharging a sheet provided on a side surface of an image forming apparatus main body so that a sheet can be placed thereon, a blade provided so as to be able to come in and out of the auxiliary tray, and a spring portion configured to urge the blade in a direction in which the blade is expanded from the auxiliary tray. When the auxiliary tray is expanded, the blade is expanded in a width direction of the auxiliary tray by the spring portion.