Dual-Layer Sheet Aligning Roller for Buckling-Free Skew Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sheet aligning devices fail to effectively correct the inclination of sheets entering an image forming part due to buckling when one end contacts a reference member before the other, leading to improper image formation.
Innovation Solution
The sheet aligning device employs a conveying roller, a reference member, and an aligning roller with a dual-layer structure, where the second layer has lower hardness than the first, allowing the sheet to be aligned smoothly against the reference member without buckling by applying a rotational force to correct inclination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a roller moves the sheet in a direction intersecting the conveyance direction to abut the sheet against the reference member, then the sheet alignment function is provided, but the sheet buckles when one end contacts the reference member before the other, causing inclination correction to fail
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the aligning roller by providing a dual-layer structure with different hardness values. The first layer has higher hardness for structural integrity, while the second layer has lower hardness to prevent buckling during the alignment process. This parameter change allows the roller to effectively align sheets without causing them to buckle when one end contacts the reference member before the other.
Solution Approach 2:
The aligning roller is constructed as a composite structure with two layers of different materials or material properties. The first layer provides mechanical strength and structural support, while the second layer with lower hardness provides compliance to prevent sheet buckling. This composite material approach resolves the contradiction between needing sufficient strength for alignment and needing softness to prevent buckling.
2Ease of operation
If the sheet is abutted against the reference member by a roller, then the inclination correction function is achieved, but the roller cannot apply sufficient rotational force to correct severe inclination due to the buckling constraint
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the hardness parameter of the aligning roller by implementing a dual-layer structure. The second layer with lower hardness allows the roller to deform slightly under pressure, enabling it to apply rotational force to correct sheet inclination without being constrained by excessive rigidity. This parameter change enhances the roller's ability to correct inclination while avoiding the buckling problem.
Solution Approach 2:
The aligning roller has non-uniform material properties distributed in different layers. The first layer provides overall structural strength, while the second layer provides localized compliance at the contact surface with the sheet. This local quality differentiation allows the roller to apply sufficient force for inclination correction while preventing buckling through the compliant second layer.
Data Source
AI summary
A sheet aligning device includes a conveying roller, a reference member, and an aligning roller. The conveying roller conveys a sheet along a conveyance path in a predetermined conveyance direction. The reference member defines one boundary of the conveyance path. By the aligning roller, the sheet conveyed by the conveying roller is abutted against the reference member. The aligning roller has a shaft, a first layer, and a second layer provided between the shaft and the first layer and having a hardness lower than that of the first layer.