Pivoting Pickup Roller for Paper Skew Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Paper skew occurs in feeding devices due to uneven paper path lengths between the pickup roller and separating means, leading to feeding issues with both small and large paper sizes.
Innovation Solution
A path elongating portion is provided on a pivotal member that can pivot and rotate to support the pickup roller, elongating the feed path length and maintaining contact with the paper, regardless of the paper's posture or stacked amount, thereby reducing or eliminating path length differences and preventing skew.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the pickup roller is positioned at a deviated position to accommodate small paper sizes, then small paper can be fed properly, but paper skew occurs when feeding large paper sizes due to uneven paper path lengths
Solution Approach 1:
The pivotal member is configured to pivot between a first position for small paper sizes and a second position for large paper sizes. This dynamic adjustment allows the pickup roller to be repositioned based on paper size, maintaining proper contact while preventing skew through equalized paper path lengths.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the positional parameter of the pickup roller by pivoting the pivotal member between two distinct positions. This parameter change adapts the paper feeding mechanism to different paper sizes while maintaining alignment precision through equal path length design.
2Device complexity
If the pickup roller and separating means are positioned at the same location to reduce device complexity, then device structure is simplified, but paper skew occurs due to speed difference between paper feeding and separating
Solution Approach 1:
The pivotal member dynamically adjusts the paper path length by pivoting between positions, compensating for the speed difference between pickup roller feeding and separating means operation without requiring complex multi-position arrangements.
3Device complexity
If the pickup roller is fixed at a deviated position, then the structure is simple, but it cannot accommodate both small and large paper sizes without causing skew
Solution Approach 1:
The pivotal member provides a simple yet dynamic structure that pivots between two positions to accommodate different paper sizes. This maintains structural simplicity while achieving versatility through position change rather than complex adjustable mechanisms.
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 prevents paper skew by ensuring consistent feed path lengths across different paper sizes and stacked amounts, ensuring smooth paper feeding and reducing the likelihood of paper bending between the pickup roller and separating means.
Implementation Method 1
a pickup roller that comes into contact with the recorded medium and rotates to feed recorded medium
Implementation Method 2
a separating means for separating a recorded medium to be fed and subsequent recorded media from the next page onward by forming a nip point for nipping the recorded medium
Data Source
AI summary
A recorded medium feeding device includes a pickup roller that feeds recorded medium downstream from a setting position by contacting with the recorded medium and rotating and a separating means for separating recorded medium to be fed and subsequent recorded media from the next page onward. The positions of a nip point of the separating means and a place where the pickup roller contacts the recorded medium in the direction orthogonal to the recorded medium feeding direction with respect to a recorded medium of a predetermined size to be fed by the pickup roller are located within a range deviated to one side from the center of the recorded medium of the predetermined size. A path elongating portion that elongates the feed path length of the recorded medium by abutting the recorded medium is apart from the nip point and the place where the pickup roller contacts the recorded medium.