Pivoting Cutter Holder for Compact Sheet Cutting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sheet cutting devices in image forming apparatuses require a significant space due to the cutter holder's width, increasing the overall size of the apparatus and limiting its compactness.
Innovation Solution
A sheet cutting device with a cutter holder and a moving unit that can pivot in the sheet width direction, allowing the cutter holder to partially overlap with the feed guide plate unit in the thickness direction, thereby reducing the apparatus's width by retracting from the sheet feed path during cutting operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the cutter holder is disposed between the platen and the discharge guide plate to enable cutting operation, then the sheet cutting function is achieved, but the width of the image forming apparatus increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cutter holder is designed to be movable in the sheet width direction rather than fixed. It can move to one end to perform cutting operation and return to the other end for the next operation, transforming from a static component to a dynamic one that adapts its position based on operational needs
Solution Approach 2:
The solution utilizes the thickness direction dimension by allowing the cutter holder to partially overlap with the discharge guide plate in the thickness direction. This three-dimensional arrangement enables the cutter holder to be positioned between the platen and discharge guide plate without increasing the apparatus width in the sheet feed direction
Data Source
AI summary
A sheet cutting device includes a cutter holder, a moving unit, and a guide member. The cutter holder accommodates a cutter. The cutter has opposed blades opposing each other to cut a sheet of recording media fed along a sheet feed path of a feed guide plate unit. The moving unit holds the cutter holder and is movable in a sheet width direction perpendicular to a sheet feed direction in which the sheet is fed along the sheet feed path. The guide member is disposed along the sheet width direction to guide the moving unit in the sheet width direction. The cutter holder partially overlaps with the feed guide plate unit in a thickness direction of the sheet perpendicular to both the sheet width direction and the sheet feed direction.