Image Forming Apparatus Guide Unit Vibration Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
In electrophotographic image forming apparatuses, the contact between the recording medium and the image bearer causes unnecessary vibration, leading to disturbances in the transfer of toner images, resulting in abnormal images.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of a guide unit with multiple contact members positioned upstream from the transfer section helps guide the recording medium, reducing contact-induced vibrations by using a combination of first and second guides with different hardness and flexibility to manage the leading and trailing edges of the medium.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single guide member is used to guide the recording medium, then the structure is simple, but the leading and trailing ends of the recording medium contact the image bearer causing vibration
Solution Approach 1:
The guide structure is divided into multiple guide members (first guide member and second guide member) positioned at different locations. The first guide member guides the leading end of the recording medium while the second guide member guides the trailing end, preventing both ends from contacting the image bearer simultaneously and eliminating the vibration problem.
2Manufacturing precision
If the guide member is made rigid to maintain position, then positioning precision is improved, but it cannot adapt to different recording medium thicknesses
Solution Approach 1:
The guide members are designed with elastic properties, allowing them to deform elastically in response to contact with recording media of different thicknesses. This elastic deformation enables the rigid-looking guide structure to adapt dynamically to varying medium dimensions while maintaining precise positioning functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide members are made of elastic material whose physical parameters (elastic modulus, flexibility) are specifically selected to allow controlled deformation. This parameter selection enables the guide to maintain its guiding function across a range of recording medium thicknesses by adjusting its deformation state rather than its fundamental position.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes a belt-shaped image bearer, a transferer, a guide, two rotators, and a support. The image bearer has an image bearing surface to bear an image thereon. The transferer forms a transfer section between the transferer and the image bearer, to transfer the image onto a recording medium. The guide is disposed upstream from the transfer section in a delivery direction of the recording medium, to guide the recording medium toward the transfer section. The two rotators are disposed upstream from the transfer section in a moving direction of the image bearer and in contact with a non-image bearing surface of the image bearer opposite to the image bearing surface, a first rotator being closer to the transfer section than a second rotator. The support supports the first rotator and the guide and adjusts a position of the first rotator and a position of the guide.