Gear Bearing Holder Structure for Precise Meshing Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing image forming apparatuses face challenges in maintaining the degree of parallelization between the rotation shafts of the drive gear and the driven gear, leading to meshing errors and parallelization errors, which result in uneven wear, driving force transmission errors, and abnormal noise due to backlash and size variations in the opening/closing member.
Innovation Solution
The image forming apparatus incorporates a holder member with grooves and protrusions to securely hold bearings on both sides of the gear rotation shafts, ensuring precise alignment and preventing movement errors when the rotating member transitions between open and closed positions, thereby maintaining the parallelization of the gear shafts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If only one side of the rotation shaft of the driven gear is held by the guide member, then the guide member can guide the rotation shaft to a predetermined position, but the rotation shaft may become inclined and the degree of parallelization between the drive gear and driven gear deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The guide member is designed with asymmetric structure where one side has a guide surface that contacts the rotation shaft, while the other side has a stopper that prevents excessive movement. This local differentiation allows the rotation shaft to be positioned accurately without becoming inclined, maintaining parallelization between the drive gear and driven gear rotation shafts.
Solution Approach 2:
A buffer member is introduced as an intermediary between the guide member and the rotation shaft. This buffer member absorbs positional deviations and prevents direct contact that could cause inclination, thereby maintaining the parallelization of the rotation shafts while still enabling accurate positioning.
2Device complexity
If the rotation shaft of the driven gear is not held on one side, then the structure is simpler, but meshing accuracy between the drive gear and driven gear deteriorates due to inclination
Solution Approach 1:
The guide member concentrates its guiding function on one side with a precisely engineered guide surface, while the other side uses a simple stopper structure. This localized functional differentiation achieves accurate gear meshing without requiring complex structures on both sides.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide member's single-sided guide surface and stopper configuration allows the rotation shaft to self-align to the correct position through the guidance mechanism, eliminating the need for additional active control or complex dual-sided holding structures while maintaining meshing accuracy.
3Device complexity
If the degree of parallelization of the rotation shafts deteriorates, then the gear meshing becomes inaccurate, but the structure remains simpler without additional holding mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The guide member implements a specialized local structure with a guide surface on one side and a stopper on the other, concentrating the parallelization-maintaining function in a simple, localized configuration that ensures reliable driving force transmission without adding complex holding mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The buffer member serves as an intermediary that maintains reliable driving force transmission by preventing direct transmission of inclination errors from the guide member to the rotation shaft, thereby ensuring传动 reliability without requiring complex holding mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes: a motor which is provided in a housing of the image forming apparatus; a first gear which includes a rotation shaft axially supported by the housing; a first bearing and a second bearing which support the rotation shaft of the first gear and are arranged on one side and the other side of the first gear; a second gear which includes a rotation shaft and meshes with the first gear; a rotating member to which the second gear is attached and which is rotatable with respect to the housing so as to be positioned at a first position at which the first gear and the second gear mesh with each other and at a second position at which the second gear is separated from the first gear; a third bearing and a fourth bearing which support the rotation shaft of the second gear and are arranged on one side and the other side of the second gear; and a holding member which is provided in the housing integrally holds the first bearing and the second bearing, the holding member having a first groove portion which is formed on a movement locus of the third bearing moving by the rotation of the rotating member, into which the third bearing enters when the rotating member moves from the second position to the first position, and which holds the third bearing when the rotating member is positioned at the first position, and the holding member having a second groove portion which is formed on a movement locus of the fourth bearing moving by the rotation of the rotating member, into which the fourth bearing enters when the rotating member moves from the second position to the first position, and which holds the fourth bearing when the rotating member is positioned at the first position.