Concave Feed Roller for Compact Sheet Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sheet conveyors face challenges in miniaturization due to the need for sufficient spacing between the first urging member and the feed roller to avoid contact, limiting their downsizing in the conveyance direction.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a feed roller unit with a concave portion between two outer circumferential surfaces of equal diameter, allowing the urging member to be positioned upstream and between these surfaces, enabling closer proximity without contact and facilitating miniaturization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the first urging member is spaced apart from the feed roller to avoid contact, then the reliability of the sheet conveyor is improved, but the length of the device in the conveyance direction increases
Solution Approach 1:
The first urging member is nested within the concave portion of the feed roller, allowing it to be positioned upstream relative to the concave portion while remaining between the first and second outer circumferential surfaces. This nesting arrangement eliminates the need for additional spacing and enables miniaturization in the conveyance direction while maintaining reliable operation without contact between the urging member and the feed roller's outer surfaces.
2Volume of moving object
If the sheet conveyor is miniaturized in the conveyance direction, then the volume of the device is reduced, but the spacing between the urging member and feed roller becomes insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The feed roller incorporates a concave portion that extends in the radial direction, creating a third dimension for positioning the first urging member. This dimensional change allows the urging member to be located upstream relative to the concave portion while maintaining adequate spacing, enabling device miniaturization in the conveyance direction without compromising the necessary clearance between components.
Data Source
AI summary
A sheet conveyor including a separation roller, a separation pad, an urging member urging the separation pad, and a feed roller unit disposed downstream relative to the separation roller in a conveyance direction, the feed roller unit including a first outer circumferential surface disposed on a first side in a width direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction, a second outer circumferential surface disposed on a second side opposite to the first side in the width direction, and a concave portion disposed between the first and second outer circumferential surfaces in the width direction, the concave portion being recessed inward in a radial direction of the first and second outer circumferential surfaces from the first and second outer circumferential surfaces, an urging member being disposed upstream relative to the concave portion in the conveyance direction and disposed between the first and second outer circumferential surfaces in the width direction.