Sheet Feed Roller Cleaning Housing for Slippage-Free Conveyance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sheet conveyance devices using rotating members for conveying sheets face issues with foreign substance accumulation on the rotating surfaces, leading to slippage and conveyance failures, which are not adequately addressed by existing cleaning mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
Incorporation of a cleaning portion with a cleaning member and housing that removes foreign substances from the rotating member surfaces, integrated with a guide function to prevent size increase and facilitate easy maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a rotating member is used to convey sheets, then sheet conveyance is achieved, but foreign substances accumulate on the rotating surface causing slippage and conveyance failures
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning member is positioned to contact the rotating member before the sheet reaches the rotating member, removing foreign substances in advance. This preliminary cleaning action prevents foreign substances from being transferred to the sheet during conveyance, thereby maintaining conveyance reliability without interrupting the sheet feeding process.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning member is configured to automatically clean the rotating member during the sheet feeding operation without requiring separate maintenance intervention. The cleaning member contacts the rotating member continuously or periodically to remove foreign substances, enabling the system to maintain itself during normal operation and preventing conveyance failures.
2Reliability
If a cleaning mechanism is added to remove foreign substances, then conveyance reliability improves, but device complexity and size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning member is integrated with the existing sheet feeding mechanism rather than being a separate independent system. The cleaning member is positioned within the sheet feeding path and utilizes the existing structural framework, combining the cleaning function with the sheet conveyance structure to avoid increasing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing serves multiple functions: it supports the cleaning member, guides the sheet, and contains the cleaning mechanism. By making the housing multi-functional, the patent avoids adding separate components for each function, thereby improving reliability without proportionally increasing device complexity.
3Volume of moving object
If the housing guides the sheet, then device size is reduced by eliminating separate guides, but the cleaning function must be integrated into the housing
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it guides the sheet through its structural configuration and houses the cleaning member that contacts the rotating member. This multi-functionality allows the patent to eliminate separate guide components (reducing size) while incorporating the cleaning function within the same structural element.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning member is nested within the housing structure, with the cleaning mechanism contained inside the housing that also serves as the sheet guide. This nesting arrangement allows the cleaning function to be integrated without increasing the external dimensions of the device, as the cleaning components are housed within the existing guide structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A sheet conveyance device includes a rotating member that rotates while in contact with a sheet to convey the sheet, and a cleaning portion that cleans the rotating member. The cleaning portion has a cleaning member that makes contact with the outer circumferential surface of the rotating member to remove foreign substances from the outer circumferential surface of the rotating member and a housing that stores the foreign substances removed from the outer circumferential surface of the rotating member. A part of the housing is arranged at a position where it can make contact with the sheet, and guides the sheet conveyed by the rotating member.