Cassette Cover Positioning Inversion for Drop Damage Reduction
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing cassette cover designs for image forming apparatuses are prone to damage when users accidentally drop them during attachment or detachment, due to the presence of projections and pivot support portions that increase the risk of damage.
Innovation Solution
A cassette design featuring a cassette cover with a first and second protruding portion, where the sheet housing portion includes a projection-shaped portion and a position regulating portion, allowing the cassette cover to be securely attached and retained without special positioning or retaining protrusions, thereby reducing the risk of damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the cassette cover is provided with a projection and a pivot support portion for positioning and retention, then the cassette cover can be securely attached and retained, but the risk that the projection and pivot support portion will be damaged when the cassette cover is dropped increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional design by moving the projection from the cassette cover to the cassette body. The cassette body now has the projection that engages with the recess in the cassette cover, while the cassette cover has only the recess and receiving portion. This inversion protects the fragile positioning features from damage during drops, as they are no longer protruding elements that can break upon impact.
2Manufacturing precision
If the cassette cover is provided with a projection for positioning, then positioning accuracy is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional protruding portions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the projection feature from the cassette cover and relocates it to the cassette body. The cassette cover is simplified to have only the recess and receiving portion, while the cassette body contains the projection. This extraction reduces the complexity of the cassette cover structure while maintaining positioning accuracy through the engagement between the body's projection and the cover's recess.
Data Source
AI summary
A cassette comprises a sheet housing portion that has an opening in an upper face and houses sheets, a cassette cover that can be attached and detached and covers at least a portion of the opening, a first protruding portion that is provided in one edge portion of the cassette cover and protrudes toward a bottom face of the sheet housing portion, and a second protruding portion that is provided in the other edge portion of the cassette cover and opposes the first protruding portion, wherein the sheet housing portion includes a projection-shaped portion that protrudes toward the first protruding portion and a position regulating portion that has a gap into which the second protruding portion enters, and the first protruding portion is provided with a receiving portion into which the projection-shaped portion enters.