Contact Interface With Harder Softer Materials For Noise Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Automatic document feeders (ADF) in printers and office machines experience unwanted noise and component wear due to impacts between portions of the lifting mechanism during tray transitions between lowered ready and lifted feeding positions.

Innovation Solution

A contact interface is designed using a combination of materials with different hardness levels and geometries, where a harder first material and a softer second material are used for the contact surfaces, with the softer material providing cushioning and acoustic damping to mitigate noise and wear, and the geometry of the surfaces ensures that only one material is in contact at a time during sliding, reducing sudden impacts.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a lifting mechanism is used to transition the media handling tray between lowered ready and lifted feeding positions, then the ADF can perform both scanning and printing functions, but impacts between portions of the lifting mechanism cause unwanted noise and component wear

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveADF functionalityVSAvoidnoise and wear

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies beforehand cushioning by providing a contact interface between portions of the lifting mechanism that includes a softer material designed to cushion impacts before they occur during tray transitions. This softer material absorbs impact energy, reducing noise and wear while maintaining the lifting mechanism's ability to transition the media handling tray between lowered and lifted positions for scanning and printing operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

2Duration of action of stationary object

If contact surfaces are made harder to increase durability, then component lifespan increases, but impact forces increase causing more noise and wear

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecomponent lifespanVSAvoidnoise and wear

Core Design Contradiction:

Duration of action of stationary objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by providing a contact interface with different material properties at different locations. The contact interface includes a softer material specifically at the impact contact surface to cushion blows, while other portions of the lifting mechanism can maintain harder materials for structural durability. This localized softening reduces noise and wear at contact points without compromising overall component lifespan.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies composite materials by creating a contact interface that combines materials with different hardness levels. The contact interface includes a softer material (such as a polymer or elastomer) bonded to or integrated with harder structural components. This composite structure allows the softer material to absorb impact energy and reduce noise while the harder underlying structure maintains mechanical strength and durability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the geometry of contact surfaces is optimized to ensure only one material contacts at a time, then sudden impacts are reduced, but the complexity of the contact interface design increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesudden impactsVSAvoidcontact interface geometry

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies spheroidality by providing contact surfaces with curved or rounded geometries rather than flat surfaces. The contact interface includes at least one curved surface that ensures only one material portion contacts the opposing surface at any given time during tray transitions. This curvature guides the contact point smoothly along the surface, reducing sudden impacts and noise while the geometric design integrates naturally with the lifting mechanism structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

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 solution effectively reduces noise and wear by cushioning contact between the contact surfaces, ensuring smooth operation and extended component lifespan.

Implementation Method 1

a softer second material are operative to cushion contact between the first and second contact surfaces

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCushioning: Damping

Implementation Method 2

a softer second material are operative to cushion contact between the first and second contact surfaces and provide acoustic damping

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAcoustic damping: Acoustic Absorption

Data Source

PatentUS10112789B2Contact interface

Publication Date: 2018.10.30 HEWLETT PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LP

AI summary

A contact interface includes a first contact member including a first contact surface with a first material subsurface and a second material subsurface. The second material subsurface protrudes transversely above the first material subsurface. A second contact member includes a second contact surface to slide in contact with the first contact surface. The first material subsurface comprises a first material. The second material subsurface comprises a second material. The second material has a lower hardness than the first material.