Movable Support Member for Image Forming Apparatus Gear Shaft
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming apparatuses face issues with gear meshing accuracy and size increase due to cantilevered gear configurations, particularly when handling duplex printing that requires bidirectional rotation of drive members.
Innovation Solution
A movable support member system that allows the shaft holding the driven gear to be supported or unsupported, enhancing gear meshing accuracy without increasing apparatus size, and enabling bidirectional rotation for duplex printing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a cantilevered gear configuration is used in a replaceable unit, then the unit can be easily attached to and detached from the main assembly, but the shaft of the gear is likely to be deflected causing jumping phenomenon and apparatus stoppage
Solution Approach 1:
The support member is designed to be movable between a first position where it supports the gear shaft and a second position where it does not support the shaft. This dynamic positioning allows the system to adapt between providing shaft support for reliable meshing and removing support for easy unit attachment/detachment, resolving the contradiction between reliability and ease of operation
2Reliability
If a coupling member with twisted polygonal column is used to transmit driving, then the gear shaft is supported to prevent deflection, but the apparatus size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The support function is segmented from the main coupling structure. Instead of using a bulky twisted polygonal column coupling member, the patent divides the support function into a separate movable support member that can be positioned only when needed, reducing the overall apparatus volume while maintaining shaft support reliability
3Power
If a coupling member is used to transmit driving between main assembly and unit, then power transmission is achieved, but the configuration cannot handle bidirectional rotation for duplex printing
Solution Approach 1:
The movable support member serves multiple functions: it provides shaft support for reliable power transmission when in the first position, and allows bidirectional rotation capability for duplex printing when in the second position. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction between power transmission and adaptability
Data Source
AI summary
An object of the present invention is to increase the accuracy of positions of a drive gear and a driven gear without an increase in size of an apparatus. In an image forming apparatus, a driven gear 108 is provided on a free end side of a roller shaft 106 rather than at a portion 106a, of the roller shaft 106, supported by a fixation unit 50. A main assembly of the apparatus 1 has a support member 103 that is movable between a support position where, with the fixation unit 50 attached to the main assembly of the apparatus 1, a free end-side end of the roller shaft 106 is supported and a non-support position where, with the fixation unit 50 removed from the main assembly of the apparatus 1, the free end-side end of the roller shaft 106 is not supported.