Rear End Cursor with Biasing Lock for Paper Feed Stability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional recording medium storage cassettes experience paper feed errors due to unstable nip states when the number of paper sheets decreases, leading to potential misalignment and improper engagement of the rear end cursor with the cassette base.

Innovation Solution

A recording medium storage cassette design featuring a swingable loading plate, a rack on the cassette base, and a rear end cursor with a lock portion and biasing member that adjusts the engagement with the rack to stabilize paper feed and prevent cursor disengagement, ensuring consistent paper alignment and feeding.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the number of paper sheets in the cassette becomes small, then the sheet stack tray slope increases causing front end sliding backward, but the conventional auxiliary guide plate cannot prevent paper feed errors effectively

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepaper feed stabilityVSAvoidnip state stability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The rear end cursor is designed to be movable along the rack rather than fixed, allowing it to dynamically adjust its position as paper sheets are consumed. This movement capability enables the cursor to maintain proper engagement with the rack teeth throughout the paper feed process, adapting to changing sheet stack conditions and preventing paper feed errors.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The engagement mechanism between the rear end cursor and rack is designed to maintain stable contact before paper feed errors can occur. The cursor's protrusion engages with rack teeth in advance, providing a cushioning effect that prevents the auxiliary guide plate from disengaging and ensures continuous paper feed stability even when sheet numbers decrease.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

2Reliability

If the auxiliary guide plate presses paper sheet rear ends to stabilize nip state, then paper feed errors are suppressed, but the engagement between rear end cursor and rack may release improperly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepaper feed stabilityVSAvoidcursor engagement release
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The rear end cursor is designed to automatically engage with the rack through its own weight and geometric configuration. The protrusion of the cursor fits into the rack teeth and engages self-automatically when the cassette is installed, eliminating the need for manual engagement operations and ensuring reliable paper feed stability without complicating user operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

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 suppresses paper feed errors by maintaining a stable nip state and facilitating easy release of engagement when the number of paper sheets is low, preventing misalignment and ensuring reliable paper feeding.

Implementation Method 1

a biasing member disposed between the abutting portion and the lock portion so as to bias the abutting portion and the lock portion in a direction away from each other

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP2784590B1Recording medium storage cassette and image forming apparatus including same
Publication Date: 2021.10.13 KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC
  • EP2784590B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2784590B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2784590B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

A recording medium storage cassette (10) includes a recording medium loading plate (28) and a rear end cursor (40). The rear end cursor aligns rear end positions of recording media (26). The rear end cursor includes a cursor main body portion (41), an abutting portion (42) that abuts rear ends of the recording media, a lock portion (43) having a protrusion (43a) for engaging with a rack (25c), and a biasing member (44) disposed between the abutting portion and the lock portion so as to bias the abutting portion and the lock portion in a direction away from each other.