Roll Feed Tray with Movable Side Guides for Jam Prevention
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Positional deviation of roll bodies and roll media in the axial direction within paper feed cassettes can lead to paper jams in image forming apparatuses.
Innovation Solution
A feed mechanism with a feed tray that includes a first accommodation portion for roll bodies, side walls, and side guides to determine the position of the roll body and roll medium in the axial direction, preventing deviation by using movable side guides that adjust to the width of the roll medium.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a feed tray accommodates roll bodies without side guides, then the structure is simpler, but positional deviation of roll bodies and roll media occurs leading to paper jams
Solution Approach 1:
Side guides are introduced as intermediary components between the roll body and the feed tray walls. These side guides contact the roll body and roll media to determine their axial position, preventing positional deviation without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms. The side guides act as mediators that transmit positional constraints from the feed tray structure to the roll media.
Solution Approach 2:
The feed tray is segmented into functional components: side walls for structural support, side guides for positional determination, and accommodation portions for holding roll bodies. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, with side guides specifically tasked with preventing axial position deviation while maintaining overall structural simplicity.
2Manufacturing precision
If side guides are provided to determine axial position, then positional deviation is prevented, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The side guides are designed to be movable along the feed tray, allowing them to automatically adjust to the width of the roll medium being accommodated. This self-adjusting capability enables precise axial position determination for different roll sizes without requiring complex calibration or adjustment mechanisms, thus achieving manufacturing precision while minimizing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The side guides are configured with movable characteristics, allowing them to dynamically adapt to different roll medium widths. This dynamic capability enables the side guides to maintain optimal contact and positional determination for various roll sizes, achieving precise axial positioning without fixed, complex structural constraints.
Data Source
AI summary
A feed mechanism includes: a feed tray accommodating a roll body, a first sheet-shaped medium being rolled in a roll shape as the roll body, the feed tray including: a first accommodation portion accommodating the roll body; a pair of side walls respectively provided on both sides of the first accommodation portion in an axial direction of the roll body that is accommodated in the first accommodation portion; and a side guide disposed inside the pair of side walls.