Movable Guide Member for Roll and Cut Media Feeding
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Image forming apparatuses struggle to appropriately guide roll and cut media from a feeding tray to a conveying path due to curling issues with roll media, leading to interference and inefficient accommodation.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a second guide member that is movable between a guide position to assist roll media and a retreat position to avoid interference with cut media, allowing both types of media to be properly guided to the conveying path without obstruction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single guide member is used to guide both roll media and cut media, then the structure is simple, but the roll medium cannot be appropriately guided due to curling along the rolling direction
Solution Approach 1:
The guide member is divided into two separate guide members: a first guide member for guiding cut media and a second guide member for guiding roll media. This segmentation allows each guide member to be optimized for its specific media type, with the second guide member positioned to handle the curled tip end of roll media effectively.
Solution Approach 2:
The second guide member is made movable between a guide position (where it guides roll media) and a retreat position (where it does not interfere with cut media in the second accommodation part). This dynamic adjustment resolves the conflict between guiding roll media and accommodating cut media.
2Reliability
If the second guide member is positioned to guide roll media, then roll media guidance is improved, but it interferes with cut media accommodated in the second accommodation part
Solution Approach 1:
The second guide member is configured to move between a guide position (for guiding roll media) and a retreat position (where it does not interfere with cut media). This dynamic positioning allows the system to switch between guiding roll media and accommodating cut media without interference.
Solution Approach 2:
Before accommodating cut media in the second accommodation part, the second guide member is moved to the retreat position in advance to prevent any potential interference with the cut media placement.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the feeding tray accommodates both roll body and cut sheets, then versatility is improved, but the tip end of the roll sheet cannot be appropriately guided to the conveying path
Solution Approach 1:
The feeding tray is divided into a first accommodation part for roll bodies and a second accommodation part for cut sheets. Correspondingly, two guide members are provided: a first guide member for cut media and a second guide member for roll media. This segmentation enables appropriate guidance for each media type while maintaining versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The second guide member acts as an intermediary element that specifically addresses the curling issue of roll media by providing a dedicated guidance path from the first accommodation part to the conveying path, enabling the feeding tray to handle both media types effectively.
4Reliability
If the second guide member remains at the guide position, then roll media is guided properly, but it obstructs the conveying path for cut media
Solution Approach 1:
The second guide member is made movable between a guide position (for guiding roll media) and a retreat position (where it does not obstruct the conveying path). This dynamic adjustment ensures that the conveying path remains clear for cut media while allowing proper guidance for roll media when needed.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes a housing, a feeding tray inserted into and pulled out from the housing, an image forming unit, and first and second guide members. The feeding tray includes a first accommodation part in which a roll body having a configuration where a sheet-shaped medium is rolled in a roll shape is accommodated and a second accommodation part in which stacked sheet-shaped media are accommodated. The first guide member guides a sheet-shaped medium to a conveying path. The second guide member guides a roll medium unrolled from the roll body to the conveying path. The second guide member is movable between a guide position for guiding the roll medium to the conveying path, and a retreat position further distant from the first guide member than the guide position and where the second guide member does not interfere with a sheet-shaped medium accommodated in the second accommodation part.