Feeding Roller Stop Mechanism for Correct Shaft Attachment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Incorrect attachment of feeding rollers in feeding devices can hinder the feeding operation, leading to operational inefficiencies and potential damage.

Innovation Solution

A feeding device with a rotation shaft and a feeding roller featuring a through-hole and a stop mechanism that prevents incorrect attachment by using a protrusion portion and grooves to restrict movement, ensuring correct alignment and preventing the roller from being attached in the opposite direction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of repair

If the feeding roller is made detachable for maintenance and replacement, then the ease of repair is improved, but the risk of incorrect attachment increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of repairVSAvoidrisk of incorrect attachment
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of repairVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention applies asymmetry by providing a protrusion portion on the feeding roller that corresponds to a groove portion on the rotation shaft. This asymmetric feature ensures that the feeding roller can only be attached in the correct orientation, preventing incorrect attachment while maintaining ease of replacement. The protrusion and groove create a unique geometric fit that allows detachment for maintenance but guarantees proper reattachment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

2Ease of operation

If the feeding roller can be moved freely along the rotation shaft, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability of correct positioning deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of operationVSAvoidcorrect positioning
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The invention applies preliminary action by providing a stop mechanism that prevents the feeding roller from moving beyond the groove portion before the user completes the attachment operation. The stop mechanism engages with the protrusion portion at the boundary of the groove, automatically limiting the movement to the correct position. This ensures that even if the user applies excessive force or misjudges the positioning, the roller cannot end up in an incorrect position.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4714878A1Feeding device
Publication Date: 2026.03.25 FUJIFILM BUSINESS INNOVATION CORP
  • EP4714878A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4714878A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4714878A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A feeding device (2) includes a rotation shaft (11), a feeding roller (21) that includes a through-hole and that is attached to an attachment position of the rotation shaft by moving along the rotation shaft from one end side of the through-hole through the rotation shaft in a case of attachment, and a stop mechanism (33, 43) that stops movement of the feeding roller before the feeding roller moves to the attachment position in a case of being moved along the rotation shaft from the other end side of the through-hole of the feeding roller through the rotation shaft.