Sheet Conveyance Suction Control for Irregularity Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming devices face challenges in maintaining stable sheet conveyance performance, particularly in preventing irregularities and reducing the degree of adhesion of sheets to guide ribs on the downstream side during the conveyance process, which can affect the quality of the image formed.
Innovation Solution
The image forming device incorporates a sheet conveying portion with a guide plate and guide ribs, where suction air is used to bring the sheet into close contact with the guide ribs, and the suction portion reduces the air amount on the downstream side, minimizing sheet adhesion and irregularities by maintaining a stronger suction on the upstream side.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If suction air is applied to bring the sheet into close contact with the guide ribs, then stable sheet conveyance is improved, but sheet adhesion to guide ribs on the downstream side increases causing irregularities
Solution Approach 1:
The suction holes are configured with different air amounts in different regions: a first air amount in the upstream region and a second air amount in the downstream region. This local differentiation allows the upstream region to provide strong suction for stable conveyance while the downstream region provides reduced suction to prevent irregularities, resolving the contradiction between stability and harm prevention.
2Reliability
If uniform suction air is applied across all guide ribs, then sheet adhesion is maintained for stable conveyance, but sheet irregularities occur on the downstream side
Solution Approach 1:
The suction holes are configured with different air amounts in different regions: a first air amount in the upstream region and a second air amount in the downstream region. This local differentiation allows the upstream region to provide strong suction for stable conveyance while the downstream region provides reduced suction to prevent irregularities, resolving the contradiction between stability and harm prevention.
3Productivity
If strong suction air is applied to ensure close contact, then sheet conveyance stability is improved, but sheet adhesion on downstream side causes conveyance irregularities
Solution Approach 1:
The suction holes are configured with different air amounts in different regions: a first air amount in the upstream region and a second air amount in the downstream region. This local differentiation allows the upstream region to provide strong suction for stable conveyance while the downstream region provides reduced suction to prevent irregularities, resolving the contradiction between stability and harm prevention.
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 configuration ensures stable and efficient sheet conveyance, reducing the generation of irregularities and maintaining high image quality by controlling the adhesion of sheets to guide ribs, thereby enhancing the overall conveyance performance.
Implementation Method 1
a suction portion configured to cause suction air to act on a sheet guided by the guide ribs via suction holes opened in the guide plate, thereby bringing the sheet into close contact with the sheet guide surfaces of the guide ribs
Implementation Method 2
The suction portion is configured to reduce an air amount of the suction air in regions of the guide ribs on the downstream side in the sheet convey direction to be smaller than that in regions of the guide ribs on an upstream side
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming device includes a sheet transport portion; an image forming portion; and a sheet conveying portion. The sheet conveying portion includes: a guide plate extending in a sheet width direction; a plurality of guide ribs arranged on the guide plate along the sheet width direction and extending along the sheet convey direction, each having a sheet guide surface guiding the sheet being conveyed; and a suction portion which causes suction air to act on a sheet guided by the guide ribs to bring the sheet into close contact with the sheet guide surface via suction holes opened in the guide plate and which is configured to reduce an air amount of the suction air in regions of the guide ribs on the downstream side in the sheet convey direction to be smaller than that in regions of the guide ribs on an upstream side.