Movable Transport Path Reduces Friction in Duplex Printers

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing image forming apparatuses face challenges in efficiently configuring transporting paths to reduce frictional resistance and ensure smooth passage of sheets, particularly during duplex printing, where the interaction between transporting rollers and the need for easy jam removal complicates the process.

Innovation Solution

The configuration includes a separating mechanism, an opening/closing transporting path member with a handle and cover, and a moving mechanism that allows the handle to be raised when the pressure contact between rollers is released, reducing friction and facilitating easy jam removal by creating a second transporting path that reduces contact area and frictional resistance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Volume of moving object

If the transporting path is configured with rollers in close proximity for compact design, then the apparatus size is reduced, but the frictional resistance between sheets and rollers increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveapparatus sizeVSAvoidfrictional resistance

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The transporting path member is configured to be movable between a first position for normal transportation and a second position for releasing pressure contact. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to reduce frictional resistance when needed while maintaining compact configuration during normal operation, directly resolving the contradiction between compact size and friction reduction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If the pressure contact between transporting rollers is maintained for reliable sheet transport, then transportation reliability is improved, but jam removal becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransportation reliabilityVSAvoidjam removal ease

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The movable transporting path member enables dynamic switching between pressure contact state (for reliable transport) and released state (for easy jam removal). When a jam occurs, the member can be moved to release the pressure contact, allowing easy access and removal of jammed sheets, while maintaining reliable transportation during normal operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The movable transporting path member acts as an intermediary mechanism between the sheet transport function and the jam removal function. By moving this member, the system can transition between maintaining pressure contact for transport and releasing it for jam removal, mediating between the conflicting requirements of reliability and ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the transporting path is covered to protect internal components, then safety is improved, but visual confirmation of roller release becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesafety protectionVSAvoidvisual confirmation difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The transporting path member includes a transparent or translucent portion that allows visual observation of the roller release state. This transparency enables users to visually confirm whether the rollers have been released without removing the protective cover, maintaining safety protection while enabling easy detection of the release state.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #32Color changes

4Device complexity

If the transporting path member is kept fixed for structural simplicity, then device complexity is reduced, but frictional resistance cannot be reduced when needed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransporting path structureVSAvoidfrictional resistance

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The transporting path member is designed with simple movability, allowing it to shift between positioned states to adjust pressure contact. This minimal dynamic capability enables friction reduction without significantly increasing structural complexity, as the member can be moved along a predetermined path rather than requiring complex mechanical systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS7988148B2Transporting path configuration and image forming apparatus

Publication Date: 2011.08.02 FUJIFILM BUSINESS INNOVATION CORP

AI summary

A transporting path configuration includes: a separating mechanism that separates from one of transporting members the other transporting member; an opening/closing transporting path member that is rotatably attached above the transporting members and has one surface that configures a first transporting path of the recording medium discharged from the transporting members; a transporting path member that forms a second transporting path between the transporting path member and the other surface of the opening/closing transporting path member in a state of covering the opening/closing transporting path member; a handle that is attached to the opening/closing transporting path member so as to be extended above the second transporting path and is further extended above a cover that covers a discharge member; and a moving mechanism that moves the handle in the direction away from the cover when the other transporting member is separated from the one transporting member by the separating mechanism.