Image Recording Apparatus Guide Member Collision Avoidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing image recording apparatuses face challenges in reducing the overall size due to the collision between the manual feed tray and the rotatable guide member, which restricts the layout and affects sheet conveyance when the guide member is rotated, and downsizing the guide member can lead to a wider seam in the conveyance path, making smooth sheet conveyance difficult.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus includes a first tray, a case with a curved conveyance path, a feed roller, a conveyance roller, a recording unit, a pivotable first guide member, a second guide member, and a third guide member that can pivot between positions to shorten the trajectory of the guide member, allowing the sheet to be conveyed through a curved portion and guided by the third guide member, which maintains contact and guides the sheet to the downstream side.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the manual feed tray is arranged within the rotating trajectory of the guide member, then the layout is optimized, but the guide member collides with the manual feed tray when rotated
Solution Approach 1:
The guide member is divided into multiple segments: a fixed guide member and a movable guide member that can rotate independently. This segmentation allows the movable guide member to clear the manual feed tray during rotation while the fixed guide member maintains the conveyance path structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide member transitions from a static structure to a dynamic one where the movable guide member can rotate around a pivot axis. This dynamic capability allows the guide member to change its position to avoid collision with the manual feed tray while still defining the conveyance path when needed.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the rotatable guide member is downsized to avoid collision with the manual feed tray, then collision is prevented, but the radius of the rotating trajectory is shortened
Solution Approach 1:
The guide member rotation is moved from a two-dimensional planar rotation to a three-dimensional rotation around a pivot axis. This dimensional change allows the movable guide member to rotate in an arc that clears the manual feed tray while maintaining an adequate effective length for sheet conveyance through the curved path.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable guide member is positioned in advance to define the curved conveyance path before the sheet reaches it. This preliminary positioning ensures that the sheet follows the intended curved trajectory even when the guide member is downsized, as long as the pivot axis and rotation path are properly configured.
3Volume of moving object
If the distance from the rotating center to the farthest part of the rotatable guide member is shortened, then the rotating trajectory is reduced, but the seam between guide members becomes wider
Solution Approach 1:
The pivot axis serves as an intermediary element that connects the fixed guide member and the movable guide member. This pivot axis acts as a hinge point that allows the movable guide member to rotate while maintaining proper alignment with the fixed guide member, thereby controlling the seam width between them during rotation.
Solution Approach 2:
The design optimizes the parameters of the movable guide member including its length, pivot axis position, and rotation radius to achieve a balance between reducing the rotating trajectory volume and maintaining adequate seam precision. By carefully selecting these parameters, the system achieves compact dimensions while ensuring smooth sheet conveyance through the curved path.
Data Source
AI summary
An image recording apparatus includes: a first tray on which a sheet is to be placed, a case having a first conveyance path extending from the first tray, a feed roller to feed the sheet from the first tray, a conveyance roller to convey the sheet through the first conveyance path, a recording unit to record an image on the sheet conveyed through the first conveyance path, a first guide member pivotable between a first position defining an outside of a curved portion of the first conveyance path and a second position opening the curved portion of the first conveyance path, a second guide member defining an inside of the curved portion of the first conveyance path, and a third guide member pivotably provided at the side of a pivot front-end of the first guide member to pivot between a third position and a fourth position.