Intermediate Roller Guide Mechanism for Jam-Free Sheet Conveyance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming apparatuses face challenges in efficiently guiding and conveying recording media between multiple sheet conveyance paths, particularly in ensuring seamless movement and image formation on both sides of the media, with existing mechanisms often resulting in jamming or obstructed views during maintenance.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus incorporates an intermediate roller unit and conveyance unit that are openable and closable relative to the main body, with a guide section facilitating the movement of the intermediate roller unit, allowing for flexible positioning and easy access for maintenance while forming a conveyance nip region with the intermediate roller to guide the recording medium between sheet conveyance paths.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of repair
If the intermediate roller unit and conveyance unit are made openable and closable relative to the main body, then ease of maintenance and access is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The image forming apparatus is divided into multiple separable units: the intermediate roller unit and the conveyance unit can be opened and closed relative to the main body. This segmentation allows maintenance personnel to access internal components by opening these units, improving ease of maintenance while maintaining a compact overall structure when closed.
Solution Approach 2:
The intermediate roller unit and conveyance unit are designed with movable, openable-closable structures rather than fixed configurations. This dynamic design enables the units to transition between closed operational states and open maintenance states, providing flexible access to internal components without permanently increasing device complexity.
2Ease of operation
If the guide section guides movement of the intermediate roller unit to enable closing by pushing, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability may worsen due to potential jamming
Solution Approach 1:
The guide section acts as an intermediary mechanism between the conveyance unit and the intermediate roller unit. It provides a controlled path and surface that guides the movement of the intermediate roller unit during closing operations, ensuring smooth and jam-free operation while maintaining ease of use.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide section modifies the movement parameters of the intermediate roller unit by providing a specifically designed contact surface and path. This changes the motion characteristics to prevent jamming while maintaining the pushing mechanism's ease of operation, optimizing both operational simplicity and reliability.
3Manufacturing precision
If the conveyance roller forms a conveyance nip region with the intermediate roller, then manufacturing precision is improved for image formation, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyance roller and intermediate roller are positioned to form a conveyance nip region where their functions are combined. This merging of functions allows precise control of the recording medium during conveyance and image formation without requiring separate, complex mechanisms, thereby achieving high manufacturing precision while minimizing device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes a casing, a conveyance unit, an intermediate roller unit, and a guide section. The intermediate roller unit includes an intermediate roller at a facing surface thereof that faces a sheet conveyance path. The conveyance unit includes a conveyance roller at a facing surface thereof that faces the sheet conveyance path. The guide section guides movement of the intermediate roller unit relative to the casing such that the conveyance roller pushes the intermediate roller in association with closing movement of the conveyance unit relative to the casing to close the intermediate roller unit relative to the casing.