Frame Stiffness via Elevated U-Shaped Supporters
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Solution Overview
Problem
Image forming apparatuses installed on uneven surfaces experience strain and distortion, leading to image quality deterioration due to insufficient stiffness of the frame, particularly at the front side, which affects the positioning and stability of functional units.
Innovation Solution
The frame design incorporates elevated supporters with a U-shaped form that precisely position and support the front member, enhancing stiffness and shape retentiveness without the need for extensive welding or additional plates, allowing for precise placement of units and reduced manufacturing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the frame is installed on an uneven surface, then the apparatus can be placed in various locations, but the frame experiences strain and distortion leading to image quality deterioration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces adjustable leveling feet at the bottom of the frame that can be extended or retracted beforehand to compensate for uneven surfaces. This prior cushioning mechanism prevents strain and distortion of the frame before installation, allowing the apparatus to be placed in various locations without compromising image quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The leveling feet allow changes in the vertical position parameters of the frame's support points. By adjusting the length of each leg independently, the frame can adapt to uneven surfaces while maintaining proper alignment and preventing distortion, thus resolving the contradiction between placement flexibility and image quality.
2Strength
If support pillars are extended to the base plate to enhance frame stiffness, then shape retentiveness improves, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase due to extensive welding
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the support structure into separate modular components: the main frame body and adjustable leveling feet. This segmentation eliminates the need for extensive welding between support pillars and base plate, as the leveling feet are attached through simpler joining methods. Each segment can be manufactured independently and assembled easily, reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining frame stiffness.
Solution Approach 2:
The adjustable leveling feet act as intermediary elements between the frame base and the ground surface. Instead of directly extending support pillars to the base plate requiring welding, these intermediary feet provide the necessary structural support and adjustment capability through simpler attachment methods, reducing manufacturing complexity.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the front plate is extended and fixed on the base plate to enhance stiffness, then shape retentiveness improves, but manufacturing cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the support function from the front plate by introducing separate adjustable leveling feet. This eliminates the need to extend and fix the front plate to the base plate for stiffness enhancement. The leveling feet provide the necessary structural support independently, allowing the front plate to maintain its original design for ease of manufacture while shape retentiveness is achieved through the adjustable support system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the stiffness-enhancing function from the front plate structure and places it in the adjustable leveling feet. This extraction allows the front plate to remain simple and easy to manufacture, while the support function is handled by dedicated components that provide shape retentiveness without increasing front plate complexity or cost.
4Area of stationary object
If units are disposed at the rear side of the apparatus to reduce footprint, then space utilization improves, but the center of gravity shifts rearward causing instability on uneven surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamically adjustable support lengths through the leveling feet mechanism. Each leg can be independently adjusted to compensate for the rearward shift in center of gravity caused by compacting the footprint. This dynamic adjustment capability allows the apparatus to maintain stability on uneven surfaces despite the optimized compact layout with units disposed at the rear side.
Solution Approach 2:
The adjustable leveling feet allow changes in the vertical and positional parameters of each support point. By independently adjusting the length of each leg, the apparatus can compensate for the rearward center of gravity shift and maintain proper balance and stability on uneven surfaces, resolving the contradiction between reduced footprint and enhanced stability.
Data Source
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AI summary
A frame for an image forming apparatus including at least one functional unit includes a front member (1), a rear member (5), a base member (4), and a pair of elevated supporters (2,3). The front (1) and rear (5) members at least support the functional unit. The base member (4) supports at least the rear member (5). The pair of elevated supporters (2,3), fixed at least to the base member (4), have a U-shaped form in its cross-section. The elevated supporters (2,3) are spaced a given distance apart and disposed facing an open part of the U-shaped form of the pair of elevated supporters (2,3). The elevated supporters (2,3) supports both lateral rim portions of the front member (1) at a given position of the pair of elevated supporters (2,3). The front member (1) is indirectly fixed with the base member (4) via the elevated supporters (2,3), and positions the functional unit at a given position.