Recording Apparatus Openable Upper Member Jam Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
In recording apparatuses with reversing paths, jam processing is complicated by the presence of the recording head, which becomes an obstacle and affects positional accuracy, making it difficult to perform maintenance and remove jams without increasing the apparatus size or compromising accuracy.
Innovation Solution
A recording apparatus design where the upper member, which includes a roller pair, can be opened to detour the recording head, allowing for easy jam processing and maintenance without moving the recording portion, using a serrated roller to prevent transfer omission and maintain positional accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the recording head is made movable to facilitate jam processing, then jam processing becomes easier, but the apparatus size increases and positional accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the transporting path into multiple sections with selective openable members. The recording head remains fixed in its position, while specific segments of the transporting path (such as the reversing path) are made openable to allow access for jam processing. This segmentation allows jam removal without moving the recording head, thus maintaining positional accuracy while facilitating ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces openable members that can dynamically change the configuration of the transporting path. These members can be opened to create access paths for jam processing and closed to restore the normal transporting path configuration. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to switch between normal operation mode and maintenance mode without moving the recording head.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the reversing path is formed to go around the recording head, then medium reversing is achieved, but the recording head becomes an obstacle for jam processing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the transporting path into distinct sections: a first transporting path, a reversing path with openable members, and a second transporting path. The recording head is positioned in a section that remains accessible even when the reversing path is configured to go around it. By opening specific members in the reversing path section, access to the recording head area is created without moving the head itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The openable members act as intermediaries that mediate between the reversing path configuration and the recording head accessibility. When these members are opened, they create a passage that allows access to the recording head area for jam processing while maintaining the reversing path functionality when closed.
3Ease of repair
If the upper casing is made rotationally movable to access the recording head, then maintenance becomes easier, but the apparatus size increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of making the entire upper casing rotatable, the patent segments the access mechanism into specific openable members within the upper casing. These members can be opened to access the recording head for maintenance without requiring movement of the entire upper casing assembly, thus avoiding the space requirements of a rotational mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses dynamically openable members that can be opened and closed as needed for maintenance operations. These members provide temporary access paths when opened and restore the normal compact configuration when closed, eliminating the need for permanent structural changes or large-scale rotational movements that would increase apparatus size.
Data Source
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AI summary
A recording apparatus includes: a first transporting path (22) which is a transporting path that transports a medium, passes along a recording portion that performs recording on the medium, and extends to an upstream side and a downstream side of the recording portion; a second transporting path (24) which is a transporting path that is connected to the first transporting path (22), and switches back and transports the medium in a direction reverse to a feeding direction after the medium which passes along the recording portion is fed; and a third transporting path (26) which is a transporting path that is connected to the second transporting path (24), makes the medium transported in the reverse direction detour an upper side of the recording portion, reverses the medium, and makes the medium merge at a position on the upstream side of the recording portion in the first transporting path (22).