Guide Member for Medium Discharging Device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medium discharging devices often result in downward folding of discharged media, such as paper, due to contact between subsequent and previously discharged media on the placement surface, which is not effectively addressed by current technologies.
Innovation Solution
A medium discharging device equipped with a guide member that can be advanced and retracted between positions to support the medium during discharge, preventing contact with the preceding medium and maintaining alignment, thereby reducing folding and improving loading efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the medium is discharged sequentially to the stacker without additional guide structures, then the discharge process is simple and fast, but downward folding occurs when the tip end of the following medium contacts the preceding medium on the placement surface
Solution Approach 1:
A guide member is introduced as an intermediary element between the discharge port and the placement surface. This guide member temporarily supports the discharged medium during the discharge process, preventing the medium from directly contacting and folding onto the preceding medium on the placement surface. The guide member acts as a mediator that maintains medium alignment without interfering with the discharge speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide member is designed to be movable, advancing to support the medium during discharge and then retracting to allow the medium to be loaded onto the placement surface. This dynamic movement enables the guide member to provide support only when needed during the discharge process, while not interfering with the subsequent loading process, thus maintaining both discharge speed and medium alignment.
2Manufacturing precision
If a contact member is disposed above the medium in the discharge port to cope with curling, then medium alignment is improved, but the structure becomes more complex and the guide member may interfere with the discharge process
Solution Approach 1:
The guide member is designed to be movable rather than fixed, advancing to support the medium during discharge and then retracting to allow the medium to be loaded onto the placement surface. This dynamic movement reduces structural complexity by eliminating the need for additional fixed contact members above the discharge port, while still achieving medium alignment through the guide member's temporary support during the discharge process.
3Manufacturing precision
If the guide member is positioned to support the medium during discharge, then downward folding is prevented, but the guide member must be precisely positioned between the discharge port height and placement surface height
Solution Approach 1:
The guide member's position is made dynamic rather than fixed, allowing it to advance to the precise position needed for medium support during discharge, and then retract after discharge. This dynamic positioning eliminates the need for complex fixed positioning mechanisms, as the guide member can be precisely positioned only when needed during the discharge process, simplifying the overall device structure while maintaining folding prevention capability.
Data Source
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AI summary
A medium discharging device includes a discharge roller pair (329) that discharges a medium (M), a discharge tray (331) disposed below the discharge roller pair in a vertical direction and having a placement surface (331a) on which the discharged medium is placed, and a guide member (31) that is advanced and retracted between an advanced position where the guide member is advanced inward in a width direction (Y) from opposite sides in the width direction intersecting a discharge direction (X1) of the medium and a retracted position where the guide member is retracted to an end portion position side in the width direction. When the guide member is disposed at the advanced position, an upstream side end portion (31b) of the guide member in the discharge direction is disposed between a discharge position by the discharge roller pair and a position of the placement surface of the discharge tray, in the vertical direction (Z).