Friction Member Incision Design for Corner Catch Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Medium support units with friction members often experience issues where the friction member becomes caught or separated, especially at corner portions, leading to instability during medium placement in printing apparatuses.
Innovation Solution
A medium support unit with a friction member having incision formation portions that overlap to cover corner portions, ensuring a strong frictional force is maintained without the friction member becoming caught, and a detachable fixing portion for easy maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a friction member is attached to cover the support surface to firmly fix the medium, then the fixation strength is improved, but the friction member becomes caught at corner portions and separates during medium setting
Solution Approach 1:
The friction member is divided into multiple cover portions by forming incisions, creating segmented structures that can flexibly adapt to corner portions without becoming caught. The incisions allow the friction member to bend and conform to the support surface corners while maintaining fixation strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The friction member is pre-formed with incisions and cover portions that are designed to automatically adapt to corner portions during attachment. This preliminary structuring prevents the friction member from becoming caught at corners during the medium setting process.
2Area of stationary object
If the friction member is made to cover the entire support surface for firm fixation, then the fixation coverage is improved, but the friction member becomes caught at corner portions leading to separation
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous friction member is segmented into multiple cover portions through incisions, allowing each segment to independently adapt to the support surface including corner portions. This segmentation maintains full coverage while preventing catching and separation.
Solution Approach 2:
The physical structure of the friction member is changed by introducing incisions that modify its flexibility and conformability parameters, enabling it to cover corner portions effectively without becoming caught during medium placement.
3Force
If the friction member is continuously attached without incisions to maintain strong frictional force, then the fixation strength is improved, but the end portions become caught at corner portions during medium setting
Solution Approach 1:
The friction member is segmented into cover portions by incisions, allowing the end portions to flex and avoid corner portions during medium setting. This maintains strong frictional force through the covered areas while improving ease of operation by preventing catching.
Solution Approach 2:
The incisions act as intermediaries that allow the friction member to adapt to corner geometry, mediating between the need for strong frictional force and the need for easy medium setting operation without catching.
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 solution effectively prevents the friction member from separating during medium placement, ensuring a firm fixation and easy maintenance, thereby enhancing the stability and reliability of the medium support unit in printing apparatuses.
Implementation Method 1
a friction member, which is a member having a higher static friction coefficient with respect to the medium than the support surface and is attached to the support portion to cover the support surface
Data Source
AI summary
A medium support unit includes a support portion on which it is possible to set a medium in a setting direction that runs parallel to a support surface, and a friction member that is attached to the support portion, in which the friction member has an incision formation portion at a position that corresponds to a corner portion, and the incision formation portion that covers the corner portion positioned on an upstream side than the center in the setting direction has a first cover portion and a second cover portion positioned on a downstream side than the setting direction than the first cover portion, the first cover portion overlaps with the second cover portion such that an end portion of the first cover portion on the downstream side in the setting direction covers an end portion of the second cover portion on the upstream side in the setting direction.