Feeder with Concave Inner Guide for Stable Media Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing feeders with U-shaped transporting paths for stacked trays face complexity and size issues, and when miniaturized, they struggle to stably transport print media due to increased curvature factors at the inlet, leading to resistance and instability.
Innovation Solution
The feeder incorporates a concave portion in the inner transporting guide with a reduced curvature factor, allowing the second print medium to pass smoothly while maintaining stability for both media types, and utilizes a single feeding roller with a controller to manage tension and curvature.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a section of the U-shaped transporting path is made into a common part to minimize complexity and size, then the configuration becomes simpler and smaller, but the curvature factor at the inlet part increases causing rebound force and transport instability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a concave portion in the inner transporting guide specifically at the inlet part where the second print medium enters. This localized structural modification reduces the curvature factor only where needed, allowing the rest of the transporting path to maintain its common section configuration for simplicity. The concave portion acts as a specialized zone that accommodates the smaller second print medium without increasing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes curvature principles by introducing a concave portion with a reduced curvature factor at the inlet of the inner transporting guide. This curved structure allows the second print medium to enter smoothly with minimal rebound force, while the rest of the U-shaped transporting path maintains its standard curvature for the first print medium. This selective curvature application resolves the contradiction between simplicity and transport stability.
2Volume of moving object
If the feeder is miniaturized to reduce size, then the overall dimensions are smaller, but the curvature factor at the inlet part becomes greater causing increased resistance and transport difficulty
Solution Approach 1:
The concave portion is localized to the inner transporting guide's inlet area, providing a reduced curvature factor specifically where the second print medium enters. This allows the feeder to be miniaturized overall while maintaining ease of operation for the smaller print medium at the critical inlet zone, without requiring the entire feeder to be larger.
Solution Approach 2:
The concave portion introduces a tailored curvature that accommodates the second print medium's entry into the miniaturized feeder. By concentrating the curvature adjustment locally rather than throughout the entire transporting path, the patent enables miniaturization while preserving smooth transport capability at the inlet.
3Reliability
If separate U-shaped transporting paths are provided for top and bottom trays, then each print medium can be transported independently, but the configuration becomes complex and the size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the transporting paths by making the outer transporting guide and inner transporting guide share a common section. This combination allows both the first print medium from the bottom tray and the second print medium from the top tray to use the same transporting infrastructure, reducing configuration complexity and size while maintaining independent transport capability through the concave portion differentiation.
Solution Approach 2:
The common section of the transporting path serves multiple functions by accommodating both print medium types. The outer transporting guide and inner transporting guide share the common section, allowing the system to handle both A4/B5 paper and postcard/photograph sizes through a single integrated path, thereby reducing overall system complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
This invention is related to a feeder for transporting a print medium from a tray along a U-shaped transporting path. The feeder comprises a transporting guide. The transportation guide (14) comprises an outer transporting guide (40) and an inner transporting guide (41), the U-shaped transporting path is formed between the outer transporting guide (40) and the inner transporting guide (41). The outer transporting guide (40) extends from a position adjacent to one end of the first tray (3). The inner transporting guide (41) extends from a position adjacent to one end of the second tray (4). The inner transporting guide (41) comprises a concave portion (44) facing the outer transporting guide (40). The concave portion (44) has a length which extends from an upstream end (44d) to a predetermined position (44e) of the inner transporting guide (41) along a transportation direction of the first print medium and the second print medium, and a width which is adjusted such that the second print medium is capable of passing within the concave portion (44).