Printer Vertical Stacking Layout Reduces Horizontal Footprint
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Solution Overview
Problem
Printers with both electrophotographic and inkjet image forming units are typically large due to the side-by-side arrangement of these units, which increases the horizontal size of the device.
Innovation Solution
The printer design positions the inkjet recording unit above the electrophotographic image forming unit, allowing for a reduction in horizontal size by optimizing the layout and path configurations for sheet conveyance and discharge.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the electrophotographic image forming unit and the inkjet recording unit are arranged side by side in a horizontal direction, then both image forming units can be included in the printer, but the size of the printer in the horizontal direction is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies vertical stacking arrangement where the inkjet recording unit is positioned above the electrophotographic image forming unit, transforming the horizontal side-by-side layout into a vertical arrangement. This dimensional change reduces the horizontal footprint of the printer while accommodating both image forming units within the same device, directly resolving the technical contradiction between versatility and horizontal size.
2Length of stationary object
If the image recording position of the recording unit is located above the image forming position of the image forming unit, then the size of the printer in the horizontal direction is reduced, but the sheet conveyance path becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a nested path configuration where the sheet conveyance path for the inkjet recording unit is integrated within the vertical space above the electrophotographic image forming unit. The conveyance paths are arranged such that sheets for different units can be transported independently without interfering with each other, managing the complexity through spatial nesting rather than adding separate external pathways.
Solution Approach 2:
The sheet conveyance system is segmented into separate independent paths: one path for feeding sheets to the electrophotographic image forming unit and another path for feeding sheets to the inkjet recording unit. This segmentation allows each unit to operate with its own dedicated sheet handling mechanism, simplifying the control logic despite the vertical arrangement.
Data Source
AI summary
A printer includes an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet by an electrophotographic method, and a recording unit configured to record an image on a sheet by an inkjet method. An image recording position of the recording unit is located above an image forming position of the image forming unit.