Duplex Printing Reverse Roller With Helical Gear Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming apparatuses experience a shift in the axial direction of the reverse roller during normal and reverse rotations, leading to positional misalignment of sheets during duplex printing, which degrades the print quality.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus incorporates a reverse roller with a helical gear that includes a helical gear that stabilizes the roller during normal and reverse rotations, using a pressing member to maintain axial alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the reverse roller is rotated normally and reversely to convey sheets during duplex printing, then the sheet conveying function is achieved, but the axial position of the reverse roller shifts between normal and reverse rotations, causing misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The pressing member acts as a counterbalancing mechanism that applies continuous axial pressure to the reverse roller, counteracting the axial shifting forces generated during normal and reverse rotations. This ensures the reverse roller maintains a stable axial position despite the bidirectional rotation required for duplex sheet conveying.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a static support structure to a dynamic pressing mechanism that actively compensates for axial position changes. The pressing member dynamically adjusts to maintain optimal contact and positioning of the reverse roller during direction changes, enabling stable operation during duplex printing cycles.
2Device complexity
If a simple rotation mechanism is used for the reverse roller, then the device complexity is reduced, but the axial position stability deteriorates during bidirectional rotation
Solution Approach 1:
The pressing member serves as an intermediary element between the reverse roller and its support structure. It mediates the interaction by providing continuous axial pressure that stabilizes the reverse roller's position during bidirectional rotation, without requiring complex positioning mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the physical parameter of axial pressure applied to the reverse roller. By introducing a pressing member that maintains constant axial force, the system compensates for position drift without altering the fundamental rotation mechanism, achieving stability through parameter control rather than structural complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is an image forming apparatus including: an image forming portion for forming an image on a sheet; a re-feeding portion for feeding again the sheet on which an image is formed by the image forming portion to the image forming portion; and a reverse portion for reversing the sheet on which an image is formed by the image forming portion and for conveying the reversed sheet to the re-feeding portion. The reverse portion includes: a reverse roller for conveying the sheet while rotating normally and thereafter conveying the the sheet by reversing the direction of the conveying of the sheet while rotating reversely; a helical gear provided on a shaft of the reverse roller, the helical gear rotating together with the reverse roller to transmit a driving force to the reverse roller; and a pressing member for pressing the reverse roller in an axial direction.