Paper Transport Roller Guide With Flexible Loop Impact Damping

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Solution Overview

Problem

The generation of knocking sounds when a loop in a recording medium is released, which occurs when the medium directly knocks a guide member in existing paper transport devices, is a significant issue.

Innovation Solution

A transport device with a positioning roller, pressing roller, guide member, and flexible members that are flexible and cantilever-shaped, designed to absorb the impact of the released loop, reducing direct contact with guide members and minimizing noise.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If the recording medium directly knocks the guide member when the loop is released, then the transport device has a simple structure, but a knocking sound is generated

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructure simplicityVSAvoidknocking sound
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A flexible member is introduced as an intermediary between the recording medium and the guide member. When the loop is released, the flexible member absorbs the impact of the recording medium, preventing direct contact with the guide member and eliminating the knocking sound while maintaining structural simplicity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Object-generated harmful factors

If a flexible member is added to absorb the impact, then the knocking sound is suppressed, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveknocking sound suppressionVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The flexible member is designed as a thin, flexible component that can be easily integrated into the existing transport device structure. This flexible element absorbs impact effectively while adding minimal complexity to the overall device

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution effectively suppresses knocking sounds, reduces transport resistance, and minimizes damage to the recording medium by using symmetrically disposed flexible members with a trapezoidal cantilever shape to absorb the loop's impact.

Implementation Method 1

a flexible member that is flexible in a case of coming into contact with the recording medium in which the loop is released and is pressed against the guide member by the recording medium

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP4678576A1Transport device and image forming apparatus
Publication Date: 2026.01.14 FUJIFILM BUSINESS INNOVATION CORP
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  • EP4678576A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4678576A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A transport device (14) includes a positioning roller (26) that positions a leading end of a recording medium; a pressing roller (24) that presses the leading end of the recording medium against the stopped positioning roller to form a loop in the recording medium between the pressing roller and the positioning roller; a drive member (116) that rotationally drives the stopped positioning roller to release the loop and transport the recording medium; a guide member (74) that is disposed between the pressing roller and the positioning roller in a transport direction of the recording medium, is separated from the recording medium in which the loop is formed, and guides the recording medium in which the loop is released to a downstream side in the transport direction; and a flexible member (90) that is flexible in a case of coming into contact with the recording medium in which the loop is released and is pressed against the guide member by the recording medium.