Pivoting Medium Guide Member for Dynamic Transport Path Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medium transport apparatuses face challenges in setting an appropriate curved transport path space that accommodates varying paper rigidity, leading to issues with skew removal and path deviation, as the biasing force for assisting members is difficult to set correctly for both flimsy and rigid papers.
Innovation Solution
A medium transport apparatus with a pivoting medium guide member that changes the space of the curved transport path, featuring a pivot axis on the upstream side of the guide surface, allowing for flexible adjustment based on paper type, and a biasing unit that reduces the need for high stress on components, ensuring reliable operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the space in the curved transport path is enlarged to enable skew removal, then skew removal capability is improved, but path deviation increases during normal transport
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile member is designed to be movable between a first position that narrows the transport path for normal operation and a second position that widens the path for skew removal. The mobile member responds to paper conditions by automatically changing its position, enabling the system to adapt the transport path width dynamically based on whether skew removal is needed or normal transport is occurring.
2Reliability
If the biasing force of the assisting member is increased to ensure retraction during skew removal, then skew removal effectiveness is improved, but the assisting member retracts during normal transport causing path deviation
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the positional parameter of the mobile member based on operational mode. During normal transport, the mobile member is positioned to narrow the path; during skew removal, it moves to widen the path. This parameter change allows the same component to serve different functions without requiring high biasing force that would cause unwanted retraction during normal operation.
3Manufacturing precision
If a fixed transport path width is used to prevent path deviation, then transport accuracy is improved, but skew removal capability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The transport path width is made dynamic rather than fixed. The mobile member can shift between positions to adjust the path width in real-time based on the operational requirement - maintaining narrow width for accuracy during normal transport and expanding width when skew removal is needed, thus achieving both transport accuracy and skew removal capability.
4Manufacturing precision
If the mobile member is positioned to narrow the transport path during normal operation, then path deviation is reduced, but skew removal capability is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile member's position is made dynamic and condition-dependent. During normal transport operations, the member positions itself to narrow the path and reduce deviation. When skew removal becomes necessary, the member automatically moves to widen the path, enabling both path deviation control during normal operation and skew removal capability when needed.
Data Source
AI summary
A medium transport apparatus includes a medium guide member that forms part of the curved transport path and guides a medium to a downstream side, and that is provided so as to be capable of pivoting at an outward side from the curved transport path, and that changes the size of a space of part of the curved transport path by pivoting. The medium guide member has a pivot axis that is in an upstream side direction of a guide surface that guides the medium.