Opening/Closing Member Holding Device for Compact Tray Mechanism
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing recording devices, such as printers, face challenges in minimizing device size due to the large size of guide parts required for manual feed trays, which necessitate increased space for housing these parts.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves an opening/closing member holding device with a body part, a cover, an opening/closing member, and a holding member. The holding member is attachable to and detachable from the body part, allowing the opening/closing member to be held in a second open state, further reducing the device size by eliminating the need for additional mechanisms to hold the opening/closing member in this state.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a guide part with main rail and sub rail is provided to hold the manual feed tray in multiple open states, then the manual feed tray can be held in a second open state further opened than the first open state, but the size of the guide part increases in the direction intersecting the surface of the manual feed tray
Solution Approach 1:
The guide part is divided into a main rail extending in the conveyance direction and a sub rail extending in a direction intersecting the conveyance direction. This segmentation allows the tray to be held in multiple open states (first open state at the end of main rail, second open state at the end of sub rail) while keeping each rail segment compact and minimizing the overall space required.
2Ease of manufacture
If a large space is ensured for housing the guide part on both sides of the manual feed tray, then the guide part can be properly housed, but the size of the device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guide part (main rail and sub rail) is integrated into the tray link structure itself, nesting the guiding function within the existing structural framework. This eliminates the need for separate, space-consuming guide parts mounted on the device body, thereby reducing the overall device volume while maintaining the ability to house and operate the guide mechanism.
3Ease of operation
If the link slider makes contact with the end portion of the main rail, then the manual feed tray is held in a first open state, but the tray cannot be held in a further opened state for maintenance operations
Solution Approach 1:
The tray link is designed with dynamic positioning capability through the interaction between the link slider and the segmented rail system. The tray can dynamically transition between a first open state (at the end of the main rail) for normal operation and a second open state (at the end of the sub rail) for maintenance operations, providing operational flexibility without requiring additional permanent structures.
Data Source
AI summary
An opening/closing member holding device includes a body part, a cover configured to be set to an attached state of covering at least a part of the body part when a fastening part is fastened to the body part, the cover being detachable from the body part when the fastening part is detached, an opening/closing member configured to be switchable to a closed state of covering the fastening part fastened to the body part, and a first open state of exposing the fastening part fastened to the body part, and a holding member configured to be attachable to and detachable from the body part. The holding member is configured to hold the opening/closing member with the opening/closing member in a second open state where the opening/closing member is further opened than in the first open state.