Curved Cam Contact Face for Roller Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing contact-separation devices in image forming apparatuses, such as copiers and printers, face challenges in precisely controlling the contact and separation of rollers to maintain optimal pressure for image fixing, leading to issues like misalignment, abrasion, and inconsistent image quality due to planar cam contact faces and inadequate curvature matching.
Innovation Solution
A contact-separation device with a rotatable cam and cam follower system, where the cam face has a curvature smaller than the greatest and greater than the smallest curvature of the cam, ensuring precise contact and separation by using a projecting curved cam contact face that matches the target contact position, reducing abrasion and maintaining consistent pressure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a planar cam contact face is used, then the device complexity is reduced and manufacturing is easier, but the manufacturing precision and contact alignment deteriorate leading to misalignment and inconsistent pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The cam contact face is designed with a curved surface having a specific radius of curvature that matches the target contact position on the contact-separation member. This curvature ensures that the cam maintains precise contact alignment throughout its rotation, eliminating misalignment issues associated with planar surfaces while improving pressure consistency.
Solution Approach 2:
The cam contact face is designed with a specific curvature radius that corresponds to the local geometry of the contact-separation member at the target contact position. This localized curvature matching ensures optimal contact conditions specifically at the intended contact point, improving both alignment precision and pressure distribution.
2Ease of manufacture
If a planar cam contact face is used, then the manufacturing cost is reduced, but the reliability deteriorates due to increased abrasion and wear
Solution Approach 1:
The curved cam contact face distributes contact forces more evenly across the contact surface, reducing stress concentration and minimizing abrasion. This curvature design reduces wear on both the cam and the contact-separation member, thereby improving component reliability and extending service life.
Solution Approach 2:
The cam contact face curvature is pre-designed to match the target contact position geometry, ensuring that contact occurs at the optimal location from the beginning of operation. This preliminary geometric configuration prevents misalignment and reduces abnormal wear that would otherwise occur during operation.
3Ease of manufacture
If the cam contact face curvature does not match the cam face curvature, then the manufacturing is simpler, but the manufacturing precision deteriorates causing contact position deviation
Solution Approach 1:
The cam contact face is designed with a curvature radius that is substantially equal to the curvature radius of the cam face at the target contact position. This curvature matching ensures that the contact-separation member contacts the cam at the precisely intended location, eliminating position deviation while maintaining manufacturing feasibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The curvature radius of the cam contact face is specifically set to match the cam face curvature at the target contact position. This parameter optimization ensures precise contact positioning by creating a geometric match between the cam and contact face, improving contact accuracy without excessive manufacturing complexity.
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
The solution enables precise control of roller contact and separation, improving image fixing accuracy and reducing wear, thus enhancing the overall image quality and longevity of the device components.
Implementation Method 1
a biasing member that generates a biasing force; A presser presses the contact-separation member against the contacted member in a pressing direction with the biasing force from the biasing member
Implementation Method 2
The cam is rotatable and has a cam face. A cam follower has a cam contact face that contacts the cam face of the cam. The cam contact face is curved to project toward the cam. The cam contact face has a curvature that is smaller than a greatest curvature of the cam face of the cam and is greater than a smallest curvature of the cam face of the cam
Data Source
AI summary
A contact-separation device brings a contact-separation member into contact with a contacted member separably and includes a biasing member that generates a biasing force. A presser presses the contact-separation member against the contacted member in a pressing direction with the biasing force from the biasing member. A cam presses the presser in an opposite direction being opposite to the pressing direction. The cam is rotatable and has a cam face. A cam follower has a cam contact face that contacts the cam face of the cam. The cam contact face is curved to project toward the cam. The cam contact face has a curvature that is smaller than a greatest curvature of the cam face of the cam and is greater than a smallest curvature of the cam face of the cam.