Paper Supply Apparatus Rack Gear Meshing Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional paper supply apparatuses for front-loading-type image forming apparatuses experience mechanical play and failure in paper positioning due to impacts during paper placement and insertion, leading to variations in paper constraint and potential de-positioning of guides.
Innovation Solution
A paper supply apparatus with near-side and far-side paper guides featuring rack gears and pinion gears, where the manner of meshing is adjusted to be tight for standard paper sizes and loose for other sizes, and includes thrust members and width guide plates to distribute impacts evenly, reducing mechanical play and deformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the far-side paper guide is made movable to facilitate paper placement, then ease of operation is improved, but mechanical play and positioning accuracy deteriorate due to impact forces
Solution Approach 1:
The paper guide is designed to be movable during paper placement operations, allowing users to easily insert and adjust paper stacks. The guide moves along the loading direction when paper is placed against it, facilitating operation without requiring excessive force or complex mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The rack gear is designed with non-uniform tooth spacing: the first region (corresponding to paper constraint positions) has tight meshing with small pitch to prevent mechanical play, while the second region (corresponding to movement range) has loose meshing with large pitch to allow smooth movement. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between movability and positioning accuracy.
2Reliability
If the paper guide structure is made robust to resist impact forces, then reliability is improved, but device complexity and resistance to movement increase
Solution Approach 1:
The rack gear pitch (spacing between teeth) is varied along its length: tight pitch in the first region provides high stiffness and impact resistance where paper constraint occurs, while loose pitch in the second region reduces stiffness to allow easy movement during paper loading. This parameter change resolves the contradiction between robustness and ease of movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The rack gear is segmented into two functional regions with different tooth spacing characteristics. The first region handles impact resistance and positioning, while the second region facilitates movement. This segmentation allows each region to be optimized for its specific function without compromising the other.
3Manufacturing precision
If tight meshing is maintained throughout the rack gear to prevent mechanical play, then positioning accuracy is improved, but ease of operation and paper placement deteriorate due to increased resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The rack gear implements local quality by having different meshing tightness in different regions: tight meshing in the first region ensures positioning accuracy when paper is constrained, while loose meshing in the second region reduces resistance during paper placement operations. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between positioning accuracy and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The pitch parameter of the rack gear is changed along its length: small pitch (tight meshing) in the first region for accurate positioning, and large pitch (loose meshing) in the second region for easy operation. This parameter variation allows the system to achieve both positioning accuracy and operational ease in different locations.
Data Source
AI summary
Rack gears of far-side paper guides are provided such that manners of meshing with pinion gears are made tighter at respective regions corresponding to locations for constraining paper of standard size, as compared to other regions. In addition, by constituting width guide plates which are upstream in a paper feed directions from far-side paper guides and width guide plates which are downstream in a paper feed directions therefrom such that respective areas of surfaces receiving paper, and respective distances from respective width guide plates to gear mesh locations, are respectively set so as to be substantially mutually equal. Impacts from stacks of paper produced during placement of paper within a paper supply apparatus may be received substantially equal at upstream and downstream from gear mesh of far-side paper guides, and torques acting on far-side paper guides upstream and downstream from gear mesh locations may be made substantially mutually equal.