Elastically Deformable Rotation Shaft for Sheet Feeding Tray
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sheet feeding trays in image forming apparatuses face challenges in stabilizing and smoothly moving side cursors, which are crucial for aligning sheets accurately. The existing rack-and-pinion mechanisms often result in deep meshing of gears, making it difficult for users to move the side cursors after they are set in position.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves a sheet feeding tray design that includes a table, a pair of side cursors, rack gears, a pinion gear, a rotation shaft, and a biasing member, such as a coil spring. The rotation shaft is elastically deformable and biased to contact the pinion gear, which allows for smooth movement and stable positioning of the side cursors without deep meshing of gears.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the rack-and-pinion mechanism is designed with deep meshing of gears to stabilize the side cursors, then the positioning stability is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates as users find it difficult to move the side cursors after they are set in position
Solution Approach 1:
The rotation shaft is designed to be elastically deformable rather than rigid, allowing the meshing depth between the pinion gear and rack gears to dynamically adjust. During operation, the shaft can flex to permit smooth movement of side cursors, and during positioning, the elastic deformation stabilizes the cursors in place. This dynamic flexibility resolves the contradiction between ease of movement and positioning stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameter of the rotation shaft from rigid to elastically deformable. This parameter change allows the system to adapt the meshing depth between gears - shallower during movement for ease of operation, and deeper during positioning for stability. The elastic deformation capability enables the system to transition between these two states, resolving the technical contradiction.
2Reliability
If the rack-and-pinion mechanism uses a rigid rotation shaft to ensure stable gear meshing, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases due to the need for deep meshing structures
Solution Approach 1:
The rotation shaft's physical parameter is changed from rigid to elastically deformable, which simplifies the overall mechanism structure. The elastic deformation inherently provides the necessary gear meshing stability without requiring complex deep meshing structures, auxiliary components, or intricate design features. This parameter change reduces device complexity while maintaining reliability.
3Reliability
If the rack-and-pinion mechanism is designed with deep gear meshing to prevent cursor movement, then the positioning stability is improved, but the height of the mechanism increases
Solution Approach 1:
The elastically deformable rotation shaft enables dynamic adjustment of the effective meshing depth without increasing the physical height of the mechanism. During positioning, the shaft's elastic deformation provides sufficient engagement stability, eliminating the need for deep static meshing structures that would increase height. This dynamic approach maintains positioning stability while reducing mechanism height.
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
This design enables the side cursors to be smoothly moved and stably positioned, improving the alignment of sheets in the image forming apparatus. The reduced height of the rack-and-pinion mechanism also contributes to a thinner sheet feeding tray, enhancing its overall design.
Implementation Method 1
the rotation shaft being elastically deformable
Implementation Method 2
The biasing member biases the rotation shaft in a direction for contacting the pinion gear
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes a sheet feeding tray. The sheet feeding tray includes a table, a pair of side cursors, a pair of rack gears, a pinion gear, a rotation shaft, and a biasing member. On the table, a sheet to be supplied in a predetermined sheet feeding direction is placed. The pair of side cursors are supported by the table, so as to move in a width direction intersecting the sheet feeding direction. The pair of rack gears are respectively fixed to the pair of side cursors, and extend in the width direction. The pinion gear is meshed with the pair of rack gears. The rotation shaft is fixed to the table, and rotatably supports the pinion gear, the rotation shaft being elastically deformable. The biasing member biases the rotation shaft in a direction for contacting the pinion gear.