Conveying Device with Movable Roller Holder and Guide
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conveying devices face challenges in efficiently handling both flexible sheets and rigid media without increasing in size, as they require different roller configurations and guide mechanisms for each type of medium.
Innovation Solution
A conveying device with a first roller and at least one second roller supported by a movable holder, along with guide members that adjust positions to accommodate both sheets and rigid media, allowing the rollers to switch between contact and spaced-apart states to adapt to different media types, and a guide mechanism that moves the roller holder to change the distance between guide members to facilitate the conveyance of both flexible sheets and rigid media.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the conveying device is designed to handle both sheets and rigid media with separate roller configurations, then the versatility is improved, but the device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guide member is designed to be movable between a first position (for sheet conveyance) and a second position (for rigid media conveyance). This dynamic reconfiguration allows the same physical space to serve different functions, enabling the device to handle both sheets and rigid media without requiring separate fixed roller configurations, thus avoiding device size increase.
Solution Approach 2:
The conveying device uses a universal roller pair that can convey both sheets and rigid media by adjusting the guide member position. The same rollers serve multiple purposes depending on the guide member configuration, eliminating the need for separate roller sets for different media types and thereby maintaining compact device dimensions.
2Manufacturing precision
If separate roller configurations are used for sheets and rigid media, then the conveyance precision is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of maintaining separate fixed roller configurations, the invention uses a single roller pair with a dynamically adjustable guide member. The guide member's position can be changed to optimize conveyance precision for either sheets or rigid media, achieving media-specific precision without the complexity of multiple roller sets.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the functions of separate roller configurations into a single universal roller pair. By combining the conveyance function for both sheets and rigid media into one roller pair, the device reduces structural complexity while maintaining conveyance precision through guide member adjustment.
3Productivity
If the guide member is fixed for sheet conveyance, then the sheet conveyance efficiency is improved, but the ability to convey rigid media is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The guide member is designed with movable capability between two positions. When positioned at the first position, it optimizes sheet conveyance efficiency by maintaining the standard conveyance path. When moved to the second position, it enables rigid media conveyance by adjusting the roller spacing. This dynamic adaptability allows the system to maintain high productivity for sheets while also acquiring the capability to handle rigid media.
Data Source
AI summary
A conveying device includes: opposed first and second rollers disposed to a first path; a roller holder supporting the second roller and movable between a first position where the second roller contacts the first roller and a second position where the second roller is spaced apart from the first roller; and opposed first and second guide members defining a second path merged with the first path. The first guide member is movable between a third position where the first guide member is spaced apart from the second guide member at a predetermined distance and a fourth position where their distance is less than the predetermined distance. The first guide member includes a guide portion for contacting and moving the roller holder from the first position to the second position in response to movement of the first guide member from the third position to the fourth position.