Sheet Alignment in Conveying Device Using Movable Guide
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Solution Overview
Problem
In image forming systems, large skew angles of sheets during alignment can cause waves in the sheet direction, leading to damage such as creases and folded traces when conveyed by rollers, as existing aligning mechanisms are ineffective in managing significant tilts.
Innovation Solution
A sheet conveying device with an aligning roller and a movable sheet guide that changes its width to accommodate sheet alignment, where the guide swings to create a bending space during reverse rotation of the aligning roller and maintains a narrower width during forward rotation to prevent waves, ensuring proper alignment and minimizing damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the aligning mechanism causes the sheet to hit against a nip of stopped rollers to correct tilt, then the sheet alignment is improved, but the sheet generates waves in a direction different from the sheet conveying direction and may suffer damage such as creases and folded traces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the sheet guide movable between a first position (when the aligning roller stops or rotates in reverse) and a second position (when the aligning roller rotates in forward direction). This dynamic adjustment allows the sheet guide to define a narrower conveyance path width during forward rotation, preventing sheet waves while maintaining alignment capability during reverse rotation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by varying the conveyance path width defined by the sheet guide based on the rotation state of the aligning roller. The guide changes its position to adjust the path width, creating a bending space during reverse rotation for effective tilt correction while maintaining a narrower width during forward rotation to prevent waves and damage.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the sheet guide maintains a narrow conveyance path width during aligning operation, then sheet wave prevention is improved, but the bending space for tilt correction is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The sheet guide dynamically changes its position based on the aligning roller's rotation state. During reverse rotation, the guide moves to a first position that provides a wider conveyance path, creating sufficient bending space for tilt correction. During forward rotation, it moves to a second position that defines a narrower path to prevent sheet waves.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs periodic action by coordinating the sheet guide's position changes with the periodic rotation of the aligning roller. The guide alternates between providing wide bending space during reverse rotation and narrow confinement during forward rotation, matching the rhythmic operation of the aligning mechanism.
Data Source
AI summary
A sheet conveying device includes an aligning roller and a sheet guide. The aligning roller is configured to rotate in a forward direction along a sheet conveying direction, and stop rotation or rotate in a reverse direction to align a sheet conveyed thereto with a nip formed with the aligning roller. The sheet guide is disposed along a sheet conveyance path extending to the nip in the sheet conveying direction, and movable between a first position at which the sheet conveyance path has a first width in a thickness direction of the sheet and a second position at which the sheet conveyance path has a second width in the thickness direction less than the first width. The sheet guide is at the first position when the aligning roller stops rotation or rotates in the reverse direction and at the second position when the aligning roller rotates in the forward direction.