Image Forming Apparatus With Rotatable Sheet Stacking Surface
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing image forming apparatuses face issues with sheet alignment and positional deviation due to increased feeding resistance as the number of stacked sheets grows, leading to poor aligning properties.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus incorporates a discharge tray design with a first member having an inclined surface and a second member with a rotatable stacking surface that adjusts its inclination based on the number of stacked sheets, ensuring the upstream end is lower than the downstream end, and the second member rotates to accommodate the increasing stack, reducing feeding resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the rib guide is fixed at a high inclination angle to maintain alignment, then alignment is improved, but feeding resistance increases as stacked sheet number increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rib guide is designed to be rotatable about a supporting point, allowing it to dynamically adjust its inclination angle based on the number of stacked sheets. As sheets are stacked, the rib guide rotates to lower its inclination angle, reducing feeding resistance while maintaining adequate alignment through the inclined surface configuration.
2Manufacturing precision
If the rib guide inclination angle increases with stacked sheet number, then alignment is maintained, but positional deviation occurs due to large feeding resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The rib guide rotates about a supporting point located upstream of the stacking surface, enabling it to adapt its angle dynamically. This rotation mechanism allows the rib guide to maintain a balance between providing alignment through inclination and minimizing feeding resistance that would cause positional deviation.
3Device complexity
If a fixed inclined surface is used for stacking, then structure is simple, but feeding resistance increases with large stacked sheet numbers
Solution Approach 1:
The rib guide is designed as a rotatable component rather than a fixed structure. This dynamic design allows the rib guide to adjust its inclination angle based on the number of stacked sheets, reducing feeding resistance while maintaining structural simplicity through a single rotation mechanism about a supporting point.
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
This design maintains good aligning properties even with a large number of stacked sheets by minimizing feeding resistance and ensuring smooth discharge, preventing positional deviations and improving the stability of sheet alignment.
Implementation Method 1
the second member is rotatable about the supporting point in a direction in which the stacking surface moves downward in accordance with an increase in number of sheets stacked on the stacking surface
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion, a sheet discharging portion, and a sheet stacking portion. The stacking portion includes a first member including an inclined surface inclined upward toward a downstream side of a sheet discharging direction, and a second member including a stacking surface which projects upward from the inclined surface and on which the discharged sheet is stacked. The second member is rotatable relative to the first member about a supporting point provided upstream of the stacking surface with respect to the sheet discharging direction. The second member is rotatable about the supporting point in a direction in which the stacking surface moves downward in accordance with an increase in number of sheets stacked on the stacking surface.