Feeding Device Restricting Member Tapered Edge Gap

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional feeding devices experience jams due to gaps between the edges of stacked paper and the nip portion between the feeding and separating rollers, causing paper to bend and jam during the feeding process.

Innovation Solution

A feeding device with a restricting member that can switch between blocking and opening attitudes, forming a tapered edge shape to fill the gap between the feeding and separating rollers, ensuring the edges of the paper are properly aligned and reducing the likelihood of jams.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the edges of the bundle of sheets of paper are brought into contact with the separating roller, then the sheets are separated, but a gap space arises between the edge side of the bundle and the nip portion, causing sheets to bend and jam

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveseparation reliabilityVSAvoidjamming

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A restricting member is introduced as an intermediary element between the bundle of sheets and the nip portion. This restricting member has a contact face that forms a tapered space to fill the gap between the paper edges and the nip portion, preventing paper bending and jamming while maintaining effective separation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The restricting member creates a three-dimensional tapered space that fills the gap in the feeding path. By adding this dimensional element, the paper edges are guided through a gradual transition rather than a sudden gap, eliminating the bending issue.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Quantity of substance

If a flap is used as preliminary separation means to form an inclined plane, then the number of sheets entering the separating portion is decreased, but the edges of the bundle still contact the separating roller causing gap formation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenumber of sheets in separating portionVSAvoidfeeding reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The restricting member performs preliminary action by forming the tapered space before the paper enters the separating portion. This pre-shaping of the paper edges ensures that when the paper reaches the separating roller, there is no gap formation, complementing the flap's preliminary separation function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The restricting member acts as an intermediary between the flap's preliminary separation and the separating roller's final separation, ensuring smooth transition and preventing gap formation that would otherwise occur despite the flap's action.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS10225422B2Feeding device and image reading apparatus

Publication Date: 2019.03.05 SEIKO EPSON CORP

AI summary

Regarding a restricting member that includes a contact face configured to be brought into contact with at least one portion of edges of a bundle of media mounted on a medium mounting section, and that is configured to be switched to either a blocking attitude for blocking advancement of the edges of the bundle of media into a nip portion between a feeding roller and a separating roller or an opening attitude for permitting the advancement of the edges of the bundle of media into the nip portion, the restricting member allows, in the blocking attitude, an edge shape of the bundle of media in contact with the contact face to be formed into a shape that fills in a tapered space tapering toward the nip portion.