Eccentric Paper Feeding Tray for Skew Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional paper feeding trays often cause long and narrow papers to skew or tilt during the feeding process, resulting in poor scanned image quality.
Innovation Solution
A paper feeding tray design featuring a base body with through holes, pivotally mounted paper guiding elements with eccentric mechanisms, and elastic elements to stabilize and center long papers, preventing skewing or tilting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If two lateral clamping boards are used to fasten the front end of the paper, then the paper can be held in place, but the rear end of the paper skews from side to side or tilts upward
Solution Approach 1:
The paper guiding element is divided into multiple functional segments: a front surface for initial contact, a rear surface with guiding function, and side surfaces for lateral constraint. This segmentation allows each part to address specific stability issues - the front surface holds the paper while the rear and side surfaces prevent skewing and tilting.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a vertical dimension by extending the front surface and rear surface of the paper guiding element longer than the outer surfaces. This vertical extension creates additional contact points that constrain the paper in the vertical direction, preventing the rear end from tilting upward while maintaining lateral clamping capability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the input tray is designed to accommodate papers with various widths using slidable lateral clamping boards, then versatility is improved, but long and narrow papers still experience skewing and tilting
Solution Approach 1:
The paper guiding element serves multiple functions simultaneously: it guides paper insertion, clamps the paper laterally through side surfaces, prevents skewing through its geometric configuration, and prevents vertical tilting through extended front and rear surfaces. This multi-functionality allows a single component to address all paper alignment issues regardless of paper width or orientation.
Solution Approach 2:
The paper guiding element employs asymmetric geometry where the front surface and rear surface extend longer than the outer surfaces. This asymmetric design creates differential constraint forces that specifically address the skewing and tilting problems of long and narrow papers while maintaining compatibility with papers of various widths through the slidable mounting mechanism.
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 tray effectively prevents long and narrow papers from skewing or tilting, ensuring high-quality scanning by maintaining the papers in a central, stable position.
Implementation Method 1
two elastic elements for elastically limiting the two paper guiding elements to press the papers
Implementation Method 2
each paper guiding element being driven by one elastic element to return to an original position
Data Source
AI summary
A paper feeding tray includes a base body, two through holes, two paper guiding elements pivotally disposed in the two through holes, and two elastic elements. The two through holes penetrate through the base body along an up-down direction. An inner portion of a shaft hole of a front inner wall of each through hole extends inward and then expands transversely to form an eccentric hole. Two sides of an inner portion of a shaft which is protruded from a front surface of each paper guiding element transversely extend oppositely to form an eccentric element. The two eccentric elements of the two paper guiding elements are rotatably accommodated in the two eccentric holes of the two through holes. The two elastic elements abut against the two eccentric elements.