Discharge Tray Top Plate Ribs to Prevent Improper Lifting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming devices suffer from deformation or damage due to users lifting the device main body by inserting their hands into unintended portions such as the edge of a discharge tray or a bypass tray, leading to potential damage and deterioration of the device's appearance quality.
Innovation Solution
The image forming device incorporates a top plate portion covering the discharge tray with a gripping inhibition site featuring ribs extending downward, forming a grid shape to prevent users from gripping and lifting the device main body at unintended portions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the top plate portion is made open on the downstream side to allow sheet discharge, then sheet discharge function is improved, but the top plate portion becomes vulnerable to user gripping and lifting at unintended portions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing gripping inhibition sites (protrusions) at specific locations on the top plate portion where users might inadvertently grip. These protrusions create localized tactile feedback that discourages gripping at unintended portions, while maintaining the overall open structure necessary for sheet discharge functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary anti-action by pre-equipping the top plate portion with gripping inhibition sites before any harmful gripping action can occur. The protrusions are strategically positioned to prevent users from inserting their hands into the open side and gripping the top plate portion, thereby preventing deformation or damage before it can happen.
2Ease of manufacture
If no gripping inhibition structure is provided, then ease of manufacture is improved, but users may insert hands into unintended portions and lift the device main body causing deformation or damage
Solution Approach 1:
The gripping inhibition sites are implemented as localized protrusions at specific high-risk areas of the top plate portion, rather than requiring a complete structural redesign. This approach adds minimal manufacturing complexity while effectively preventing harmful gripping actions at critical locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The protrusions serve as an intermediary element between the top plate portion and the user's hand. They provide tactile feedback that mediates the interaction, signaling to users that this is not a intended gripping location, thereby preventing harmful actions without requiring complex mechanical constraints.
3Productivity
If the top plate portion is made open on the downstream side, then sheet discharge capability is improved, but local load concentration occurs at the open edge portion
Solution Approach 1:
The protrusions are strategically positioned near the open edge portion of the top plate to provide localized reinforcement. This creates areas of increased structural strength precisely where load concentration is most likely to occur during unintended gripping, while maintaining the open structure needed for sheet discharge.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming device includes: a sheet discharge section that discharges a sheet toward a discharge tray, wherein a top plate portion covering at least a part of the discharge tray is provided above the sheet discharge section, the top plate portion is open on a downstream side in a discharge direction of the sheet and is provided with a gripping inhibition site on a lower surface side of the top plate portion facing the discharge tray, the gripping inhibition site includes ribs extending downward, and the ribs are disposed such that a plurality of first ribs arranged along the discharge direction and a plurality of second ribs arranged along a direction orthogonal to the discharge direction form a grid shape.