Pivoting Sheet Tray With Auto-Adjusting Width Cursor Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming apparatuses face challenges in efficiently accommodating and aligning sheets of varying sizes without compromising user operability and avoiding collisions with internal components.
Innovation Solution
A sheet conveying device with a main tray and auxiliary tray, pivotably supported by the image forming apparatus, featuring a width alignment cursor that adjusts its position in conjunction with the tray's storage, using interlocking shafts and pinion gears to prevent collisions and enhance user operability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the main tray is made movable to accommodate sheets of various sizes, then the adaptability is improved, but the device complexity increases due to the need for movable support mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The main tray is designed as a movable component that can pivot between a stored position and an exposed position. This dynamic configuration allows the tray to adapt to different sheet sizes while maintaining a compact form when not in use, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The main tray is pivotably supported by the image forming apparatus main body, allowing it to be nested within the apparatus when not in use. This nesting approach enables the tray to be accommodated within the existing apparatus structure without significantly increasing the overall device complexity
2Manufacturing precision
If the width alignment cursor is fixed, then the device complexity is reduced, but the manufacturing precision deteriorates as sheets of different sizes cannot be properly aligned
Solution Approach 1:
The width alignment cursor is designed to move in conjunction with the main tray's movement. As the tray pivots between stored and exposed positions, the cursor automatically adjusts its position to maintain proper alignment with sheets of varying sizes, ensuring manufacturing precision without requiring a complex independent adjustment mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
The width alignment cursor is coupled to the main tray such that it automatically adjusts its position based on the tray's position. This self-adjusting mechanism eliminates the need for separate manual alignment operations or complex control systems, maintaining precision while minimizing device complexity
3Ease of operation
If the width alignment cursor moves with the main tray storage, then the ease of operation is improved for various sheet sizes, but the reliability decreases due to potential collisions with internal components
Solution Approach 1:
The width alignment cursor is designed to move in conjunction with the main tray's storage motion. By anticipating the tray's movement and adjusting the cursor position beforehand, the system prevents collisions with internal components while maintaining ease of operation for various sheet sizes
Data Source
AI summary
A main tray can be exposed from and stored in an image forming apparatus main body by being pivotably supported by the image forming apparatus main body, and when the main tray is exposed from the image forming apparatus main body, a sheet can be placed on the main tray and a sheet can be supplied from the main tray into the image forming apparatus main body. The main tray includes a sheet placing portion and a width alignment cursor. The width alignment cursor is disposed on the sheet placing portion to align the width of a sheet. The width alignment cursor moves in the width direction of the sheet in conjunction with the main tray being stored in the image forming apparatus main body.