Edge Guide Groove for Sheet Skewing in Medium Feeding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medium feeding apparatuses face issues with sheet skewing due to resistance from guide grooves and biasing forces, especially when multiple sheets are stacked, which disrupts proper feeding in image reading and recording apparatuses.
Innovation Solution
A medium feeding apparatus with edge guides featuring a groove on the limiting surface to restrict side edge movement and a movable portion that pivots to protrude from the guide surface, reducing resistance and preventing skewing, even when fewer sheets are mounted.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a guide groove of comb-teeth shape is formed on the inner surface of side limiter plates to prevent sheet skewing, then sheet skewing is prevented, but resistance against sheets being fed increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the sheet edge restricting function from the guide groove and relocates it to the limiting surface of the volume limiter. By forming the groove on the limiting surface rather than on the guide surface, the patent separates the guiding function from the edge restriction function, thereby eliminating the resistance caused by the comb-teeth shaped groove while maintaining sheet alignment through the volume limiter's groove structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions the edge restriction mechanism from a two-dimensional guide groove on the guide surface to a three-dimensional groove structure on the limiting surface of the volume limiter. This dimensional change allows the groove to restrict sheet edge movement in the width direction without creating resistance in the feed direction, as the groove is positioned on a surface that limits sheet volume rather than guiding sheet movement.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the left guide portion and right guide portion are biased so as to inwardly incline toward each other using a coil spring to prevent sheet skewing, then sheet skewing is prevented, but resistance against sheets being fed increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the biasing mechanism (coil spring) that caused resistance and relocates the sheet edge restriction function to the volume limiter. The volume limiter's groove structure on its limiting surface provides passive edge restriction without active biasing forces, thereby eliminating the resistance while maintaining sheet alignment.
Solution Approach 2:
The volume limiter with its groove structure on the limiting surface provides self-service edge restriction. The groove geometry itself restricts sheet edge movement in the width direction without requiring external biasing forces. The volume limiter passively limits sheet skewing through its structural design rather than through active mechanical biasing.
Data Source
AI summary
A pair of edge guides provided on a medium mounting section of a medium feeding apparatus each include a volume limiter spaced from the mounting surface of the medium mounting section and extending from the guide surface of at least one of the pair of edge guides in a direction intersecting the guide surface, the volume limiter including a limiting surface that limits a number of sheets mounted on the medium mounting section. The limiting surface includes a groove extending in the feed direction, at a position between a corner portion formed at an intersection of an end portion of the limiting surface in the width direction and the guide surface, and the other end portion of the limiting surface, and configured to insert at least a part of a side edge of the medium, to thereby restrict the side edge from moving in the width direction.