Conveyance Guide Extending Portion Redirects Water Drops
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Water drops formed on guide portions due to water vapor from the fixing unit in image forming apparatuses can fall onto the sheet conveyance path, potentially impairing image formation by attaching to the photosensitive drum or fixing film.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a conveyance guide with a first extending portion upstream of the guide portion and a second extending portion that projects beyond the guide portion to redirect water drops away from the conveyance path, utilizing a receiving portion and a water drop regulation portion to prevent them from falling onto the path.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a guide portion is provided to guide the sheet downstream of the fixing portion, then sheet conveyance is improved, but water drops formed on the guide portion may fall onto the conveyance path and attach to the photosensitive drum or fixing film
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends the guide portion in the conveyance direction (adding length in one dimension) to create an extending portion that projects beyond the original guide position. This dimensional extension allows the guide to intercept and redirect water drops away from the conveyance path before they can fall onto critical components, thus resolving the contradiction between providing effective sheet guidance and preventing water drop contamination.
Solution Approach 2:
The extending portion of the guide portion acts as an intermediary element between the water drops and the conveyance path. It intercepts the water drops that form on the guide portion and redirects them to a safe location, preventing direct contact between the harmful water drops and the photosensitive drum or fixing film, while still maintaining its primary function of guiding the sheet.
2Ease of operation
If the guide portion is disposed to face the conveyance path, then sheet guidance is effective, but water vapor from the fixing unit condenses on the guide portion forming water drops
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful function (water drop formation and falling) from the guide portion by extending it to a position where it can intercept and redirect water drops away from the conveyance path. The extending portion separates the water drop discharge location from the critical areas, allowing the guide portion to maintain its sheet guidance function while eliminating the harmful effect of water drops falling onto the photosensitive drum or fixing film.
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
Effectively prevents water drops from falling onto the conveyance path and the photosensitive drum, ensuring consistent image formation by redirecting them away from critical areas.
Implementation Method 1
When the fixing portion heats a sheet, water vapor can be generated
Implementation Method 2
preventing a water drop formed on a guide portion for guiding a sheet from falling onto a sheet conveyance path
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes a conveyance portion, a fixing portion including a heating portion, a guide portion, and first and second extending portions. The guide portion guides the sheet, faces a conveyance path through which the sheet passes, and is disposed at a downstream side of the fixing portion in a sheet conveyance direction. The first extending portion extends in a direction crossing a vertical direction, is disposed upstream of the guide portion, and is disposed at the fixing portion downstream side. The second extending portion extends from the first extending portion to a downstream side of the first extending portion in the conveyance direction. In a direction crossing the conveyance direction, the guide portion is disposed at one side of the conveyance path and the second extending portion is disposed to project more than the guide portion from the one side to another side of the conveyance path.