Pivotable Sheet Conveyor Housing With Interlock Cover
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Solution Overview
Problem
Image recording devices face challenges in maintaining a compact size while allowing for the pivoting of covers to prevent interference and facilitate maintenance, which often results in increased device size due to the need for covers to be outside the pivotable range of the housing.
Innovation Solution
A sheet conveyor device with a pivotable second housing that moves between adjacent and angled positions relative to the first housing, featuring an interlock mechanism that synchronizes the movement of a cover between closed and open states, allowing the cover to pivot without interfering with the document cover, thus maintaining a compact design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the cover is positioned outside the pivotable range of the housing to prevent interference, then the device size increases, but the cover can move freely without contact
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the cover's pivotable range dynamic by linking it to the document cover's position through an interlock mechanism. When the document cover is closed, the tray cover's pivotable range is limited to prevent interference. When the document cover is opened, the tray cover's pivotable range is released, allowing it to move freely. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by adapting the cover's freedom of movement to the actual operational context.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an interlock mechanism as an intermediary between the document cover and the tray cover. This interlock mechanism mediates the relationship between the two covers, controlling the tray cover's pivotable range based on the document cover's position. The interlock mechanism acts as a mediator that coordinates the movement of both covers, preventing interference while maintaining compact device size.
2Ease of repair
If the second housing is made pivotable for maintenance access, then maintenance ease improves, but the complexity of the housing structure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the housing into a first housing and a second housing that can pivot relative to each other. This segmentation allows the second housing to be independently positioned for maintenance access while keeping the first housing stationary. The segmentation principle resolves the contradiction by separating the housing into functional modules that can be independently operated.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the second housing dynamically pivotable relative to the first housing, allowing it to move between an adjacent position during operation and an angled position during maintenance. This dynamic capability provides easy maintenance access while the interlock mechanism ensures the pivotable range is coordinated with the cover's position, preventing interference and managing the overall system complexity.
3Reliability
If the tray cover pivotable range is limited to prevent contact with the document cover, then interference is prevented, but the cover accessibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent dynamically adjusts the tray cover's pivotable range based on the document cover's position. When the document cover is closed, the tray cover's pivotable range is limited to prevent contact and ensure reliability. When the document cover is opened, the interlock mechanism releases the tray cover, expanding its pivotable range to improve accessibility. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by adapting the pivotable range to the operational context.
Solution Approach 2:
The interlock mechanism provides feedback between the document cover's position and the tray cover's pivotable range. The position of the document cover feeds back to the interlock mechanism, which then adjusts the tray cover's pivotable range accordingly. This feedback loop ensures that the tray cover's movement is coordinated with the document cover's position, preventing interference while maintaining accessibility when needed.
Data Source
AI summary
A sheet conveyor device includes a first housing having a sheet conveyance path. A second housing is pivotably disposed above the first housing and movable between a first position at which the second housing is adjacent to an upper side of the first housing and a second position at which the second housing is angled relative to the upper side of the first housing. A sheet support member is connected to the first housing and has a sheet inlet communicating with the conveyance path. An interlock mechanism is pivotable about a second rotational axis that is parallel to the first rotational axis in response to movement of the second housing between the first position and the second position to move a cover between a first state and a second state.