Contact Member Dynamics for Sheet Floating Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ink-jet recording apparatuses face issues with sheet cockling and floating due to inadequate contact with the platen, leading to defective images and paper jams, and existing solutions struggle with adjusting contact force and risk sheet damage during jam clearance.
Innovation Solution
An image recording apparatus with a contact member that includes an engaging part and a contact part, where a biasing member is used to adjust the contact part's position, ensuring appropriate contact with the sheet and reducing the risk of damage during paper jam clearance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If contact members are used to press the sheet against the platen, then sheet floating is prevented, but it becomes difficult to adjust the contact parts to achieve appropriate pressing force
Solution Approach 1:
The contact member is designed with rotational freedom at the engaging part, allowing the contact part to dynamically adjust its position and orientation. The attachment part can rotate around the engaging part to achieve the optimal pressing angle and force distribution on the sheet, transforming a static structure into a dynamic one that adapts to varying sheet conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressing force and contact angle are adjusted by changing the rotational position of the attachment part around the engaging part. By varying the orientation parameter of the contact member, the system achieves appropriate pressing force without complex adjustment mechanisms, simply by allowing rotational movement to the optimal position.
2Device complexity
If contact parts are inclined with front ends positioned on the lowermost side, then the structure is simple, but the front ends may pierce the sheet during paper jam clearance
Solution Approach 1:
The contact member transitions from a fixed inclined position to a dynamic structure that can rotate around the engaging part. During normal operation, it maintains a simple inclined position, but during paper jam clearance when sheets are pulled in the opposite direction, the attachment part can rotate to prevent the front end from piercing the sheet, reducing damage risk while maintaining structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotational capability of the contact member provides preliminary protection against sheet damage during paper jam clearance. By allowing the attachment part to rotate in anticipation of reverse sheet movement, the system prevents the harmful piercing action before it occurs, rather than reacting after damage happens.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided an image recording apparatus, including: a conveyance unit configured to convey the sheet in a sheet conveyance direction; a recording unit configured to record the image on the sheet conveyed by the conveyance unit; a support member having a first surface and a second surface which is opposite to the first surface, the first surface being configured to support the recording unit; a contact member including an engaging part configured to engage with the first surface and a contact part configured to make contact with the sheet on a downstream side of the engaging part in the sheet conveyance direction; and an biasing member configured to bias the contact member toward the second surface of the support member between the contact part and the engaging part in the sheet conveyance direction, and thereby making the contact member contact with the second surface.