Sheet Conveyance Guide Opening for Printer Jam Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printing apparatuses face difficulties in easily and effectively accessing the interior for maintenance, particularly when paper jams occur, due to complex conveyance mechanisms that make jam removal challenging and often result in broken media remaining inside.
Innovation Solution
A printing apparatus design featuring a housing with an upper opening, a movable cover, and a guide mechanism with pivotable guide portions that allow easy access to the interior by opening the conveyance path, facilitated by pivotable discharge trays and guide mechanisms that simplify the removal of jammed sheets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a complex conveyance mechanism is used to guide the sheet through the printing apparatus, then the printing function is improved, but the ease of maintenance and jam removal deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The guide mechanism is divided into a first guide portion and a second guide portion that can be independently opened. This segmentation allows the maintenance access to be divided into manageable sections, enabling users to access specific jammed areas without having to open the entire apparatus, thus maintaining printing functionality while improving ease of maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide portions are designed to be movable rather than fixed. The first guide portion can be opened to provide access to the conveyance path, transforming the static structure into a dynamic one that adapts for maintenance operations. This allows the mechanism to switch between its printing function state and maintenance access state.
2Reliability
If the conveyance path is enclosed to protect internal mechanisms, then the reliability of the printing apparatus is improved, but the ease of accessing the interior for maintenance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cover structure is segmented into different sections corresponding to different guide portions. This allows selective opening of specific enclosed areas for maintenance while keeping other areas enclosed and protected, maintaining reliability while improving accessibility when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable guide portions act as intermediaries between the enclosed interior and the exterior maintenance area. When opened, they provide controlled access to the conveyance path without requiring complete disassembly or opening of the entire apparatus, thus maintaining protection while enabling maintenance.
3Ease of repair
If the guide mechanism is made movable to enable maintenance access, then the ease of maintenance is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guide mechanism is segmented into movable first and second guide portions that can be independently operated. This segmentation allows for simpler individual components rather than one complex movable assembly, making the overall system easier to maintain while providing adequate access capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide portions incorporate simple movable structures that can be opened and closed without complex mechanisms. The movability is achieved through straightforward mechanical designs that reduce overall device complexity while still enabling effective maintenance access to the conveyance path.
Data Source
AI summary
A printing apparatus, comprises a housing including an opening at an upper portion, a printing unit arranged in the housing, a guide mechanism arranged in the housing and configured to guide a sheet from the printing unit, and a cover portion configured to move between a first position at which the opening is opened and a second position at which the opening is closed, wherein the guide mechanism includes a first guide portion for guiding a first surface of the sheet, and a second guide portion for guiding a second surface of the sheet, arranged to face the first guide portion, and the first guide portion is movable to open a conveyance path of the sheet formed between the first guide portion and the second guide portion in a case where the cover portion is at the first position.