Pivotable Guide Member for Fixing Nip Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
In electrophotographic copying machines and printers, the stability of the fixing film's rotation is compromised due to alignment deviations during assembly, leading to poor recording medium conveyance and image defects like wrinkling and fixability issues.
Innovation Solution
A fixing device with a flexible, cylindrical rotating member and a pivotable guide member that corrects alignment by pivoting about a shaft perpendicular to the fixing nip portion, ensuring stable rotation and proper alignment with the holding member, thereby maintaining the fixing nip portion's integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the guide member is fixed rigidly to the holding member, then the assembly structure is simple, but alignment deviation occurs due to dimensional and assembly inaccuracies, causing unstable film rotation
Solution Approach 1:
The guide member is designed to be pivotable relative to the holding member about a pivot point, allowing it to dynamically adjust its position and correct alignment deviations automatically during operation, transforming a static rigid structure into a dynamic self-correcting mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
The pivotable connection changes the degree of freedom parameter of the guide member, enabling it to rotate and adjust its orientation to compensate for alignment errors, thereby improving rotation stability without requiring high-precision manufacturing
2Manufacturing precision
If high dimensional accuracy and assembly precision are achieved, then alignment accuracy is improved, but manufacturing cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The pivotable guide member serves itself by automatically correcting alignment deviations through its own movement, eliminating the need for external adjustment mechanisms or high-precision manufacturing, as the system self-corrects during normal operation
Data Source
AI summary
A fixing device to fix a toner image formed on a recording medium to the recording medium includes a rotating member, a guide member, a holding member, and a roller. The roller contacts with an outer surface of the rotating member and forms a fixing nip portion together with the guide member between the rotating member and the roller. The fixing device fixes the recording medium toner image to the recording medium while pinching and conveying the recording medium in the fixing nip portion. The guide member is pivotable relative to the holding member about a pivot point that is a shaft substantially perpendicular to a surface of the fixing nip portion. When the rotating member slides on the guide member, the guide member pivots due to a force received from the rotating member so that alignment of the guide member with respect to the holding member is corrected.