Conveyance Guide Pivot Load Reduction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In image forming apparatuses, when a sheet becomes jammed between the opening/closing door and the conveyance guide, the existing technologies increase the load on the conveyance guide near the pivot axis, leading to potential mechanical stress and increased costs due to the need for enhanced rigidity, which can complicate sheet removal and increase component costs.
Innovation Solution
A conveyance device with a regulated portion that contacts a regulating portion when the conveyance guide pivots away from the sheet guide, reducing the load on the pivot axis by distributing the reaction force, and allowing the conveyance guide to be supported in a way that maintains positional accuracy and reduces the need for increased rigidity or component size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the regulating portion is disposed on the opposite side of the rotational center from the force application point, then the conveyance guide can be regulated when the door is open, but the load on the conveyance guide near the pivot axis increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the regulation function from the door structure and relocates it to the apparatus main body. The regulating portion is now provided on the apparatus main body rather than on the door, allowing the conveyance guide to be regulated without transmitting load through the door's pivot axis. This separation removes the harmful force transmission path while preserving the regulation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a fixed regulating portion on the apparatus main body as an intermediary element. This stationary regulating portion interacts with the movable conveyance guide to provide regulation without requiring the door to bear the regulation forces. The intermediary structure allows regulation functionality while isolating the door's pivot axis from excessive loads.
2Strength
If the conveyance guide is made more rigid to handle increased load, then the load-bearing capacity improves, but the component cost and structural complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
By removing the regulation function from the door assembly and placing it on the apparatus main body, the patent eliminates the need to strengthen the door's pivot axis and supporting structures. The conveyance guide maintains its original rigidity requirements without needing enhanced load-bearing capacity at the pivot axis, thus avoiding increased structural complexity and component costs.
3Strength
If the conveyance guide is made more rigid to handle increased load, then the load-bearing capacity improves, but the component cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the regulation function from the door assembly and places it on the apparatus main body, eliminating the need to manufacture a more robust door pivot axis and supporting structures. This reduces material requirements and manufacturing complexity, thereby lowering component costs while maintaining adequate load-bearing capacity through the redesigned force distribution.
Data Source
AI summary
A conveyance device to convey a sheet includes an apparatus main body including a regulating portion, an opening/closing door including a first guide portion, and a conveyance guide supported by the opening/closing door and having a second guide portion and a regulated portion. The opening/closing door moves relative to the apparatus main body between an open position and a closed position where the conveyance guide is placed between the apparatus main body and the opening/closing door. When the conveyance guide pivots in an away direction where the second guide portion moves away from the first guide portion with the opening/closing door in the open position, the regulated portion contacts the regulating portion to regulate rotation of the conveyance guide in the away direction. The second guide portion and the regulated portion are on one side of a pivot axis in a direction that is perpendicular to a pivot axis direction.