Conveyance Guide Pivoting Mechanism for Printer Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming apparatuses have usability issues with their conveyance guide portions, which are often complex and require additional lock members, making them difficult to open and close effectively.
Innovation Solution
The image forming apparatus includes a first and second conveyance guide portion, where the second guide portion can pivot relative to the first when the engagement between specific protrusions and holes is released, allowing for easy opening of the conveyance path without the need for additional lock members.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conveyance guide portion includes a pivot shaft and lock member for opening and closing operation, then the conveyance guide portion can be opened and closed to replace conveyance roller or remove jammed recording material, but the structure becomes complex and difficult to operate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the lock member from the conventional conveyance guide portion structure. Instead of using a separate lock member that requires manual operation to engage and disengage, the invention uses the simple gravitational force on the conveyance guide portion itself to achieve the opening and closing functions. This extraction of the lock member significantly simplifies the structure while maintaining the opening and closing capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The conveyance guide portion is designed to be self-operating through gravitational force. When the conveyance guide portion is lifted, it automatically closes and locks into position without requiring any additional lock mechanism. Conversely, when force is applied to move it downstream, it automatically opens. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for complex lock members and reduces operational complexity.
2Manufacturing precision
If additional lock members are provided in the conveyance guide portion, then the positioning accuracy can be improved, but the number of components increases and manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the lock member component entirely, which directly reduces the number of parts and simplifies manufacturing. The positioning accuracy is maintained not through a separate lock member but through the geometric design of the conveyance guide portion and its engagement with the conveyance guide, achieving precision through form rather than additional components.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking function is merged into the main body of the conveyance guide portion through its gravitational force and geometric shape. Instead of having a separate lock member, the conveyance guide portion itself performs both the guiding and locking functions through its design, reducing component count while maintaining positioning accuracy.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a conveyance guide portion uses a pivot shaft and lock member mechanism, then the conveyance path can be opened for maintenance, but the device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
By removing the pivot shaft and lock member, the patent significantly reduces the volume occupied by the conveyance guide portion. The simplified structure allows for a more compact device while still providing the necessary maintenance accessibility through the gravitational opening and closing mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The self-operating gravitational mechanism allows the conveyance guide portion to open and close without requiring additional actuation mechanisms. This self-service approach maintains maintenance accessibility while minimizing the space required for any additional components, thereby reducing overall device size.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus incudes a first conveyance guide portion having a first roller, a first engagement portion, and a second engagement portion, and includes a second conveyance guide portion having a second roller, a first engaged portion, and a second engaged portion. The first and second conveyance guide portions form a conveyance path where the first and second rollers convey a sheet. The second conveyance guide portion moves so that engagement between the second engagement portion and the second engaged portion is released and relative positioning between the second and first conveyance guide portions is released. When the first engagement portion and the first engaged portion engage each other and the relative positioning between the second and first conveyance guide portions is released, the second conveyance guide portion pivots in an opening direction relative to the first conveyance guide portion so that the conveyance path is opened.