Flexible Guide for Sheet Conveyance Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sheet conveyers that convey sheets upward in an inversion path face obstacles due to the front end being pushed against a guide surface, leading to unstable conveyance speed and potential image quality deterioration in image readers.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a flexible guide positioned between the inner and outer circumference sides of the inversion path, which deforms elastically to guide the sheet's front end, preventing instantaneous speed reduction and ensuring smooth conveyance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a radius of curvature is lowered in the inversion path to seek miniaturization and thin-filming, then the device size is reduced, but the front end of the sheet is strongly pushed to the guide surface causing conveyance obstruction and unstable conveyance speed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state of the guide from rigid to flexible, allowing it to deform elastically when contacted by the sheet. This parameter change enables the guide to adapt to the sheet's passage without requiring a larger radius of curvature, thus maintaining miniaturization while ensuring stable conveyance speed and preventing obstruction.
2Speed
If the front end of the sheet is conveyed upward against gravity in the inversion path, then the sheet can be conveyed from lower path to upper path, but the conveyance is easy to be obstructed and conveyance speed becomes unstable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the guide flexible rather than rigid. The flexible guide can dynamically deform elastically when the sheet front end contacts it during upward conveyance against gravity. This dynamic response prevents sudden changes in conveyance direction and stabilizes the conveyance speed, eliminating obstruction issues while maintaining the ability to convey sheets upward in the inversion path.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The flexible guide stabilizes the conveyance speed of sheets moving upward, preventing obstruction and ensuring stable image reading quality by allowing the sheet to be smoothly conveyed to the downstream direction.
Implementation Method 1
the guide is to be displaced toward the outer circumference side by contacting with a front end of the sheet that is conveyed from an upstream side in the conveyance direction
Data Source
AI summary
A sheet conveyer includes: a conveyance unit configured to convey a sheet along a conveyance path comprising an inversion path, which is configured to convey the sheet from a lower side to an upper side and is defined by an inner circumference side and an outer circumference side; and a guide provided in a downstream side in a conveyance direction of the inversion path, the guide provided between the inner circumference side and the outer circumference side so that the guide is to be displaced toward the outer circumference side by contacting with a front end of the sheet that is conveyed from an upstream side in the conveyance direction.