Sheet Conveyer Feed Roller Noise Reduction via Cam Holder
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sheet conveyers with feed rollers experience significant colliding noise when pressed against sheets due to the urging force from springs, which affects the quiet operation of image forming apparatuses.
Innovation Solution
A sheet conveyer design incorporating a tray, feed roller, separator roller, holder, arm, load applier unit, and cam member, where the holder is swingably supported and moves between positions to apply pressure using a contractive spring, allowing the feed roller to contact sheets without producing noise by controlling the contact and separation through a protrusion and elongated hole mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If the feed roller is pressed against the sheets by the spring to apply conveying pressure, then the sheet conveying force is improved, but a large colliding noise is generated when the feed roller contacts the sheets
Solution Approach 1:
The holder is pre-positioned in the holder position where the feed roller contacts the sheets before the sheet feeding operation begins. The cam member rotates to maintain the holder in this position, ensuring the feed roller is already in contact with the sheets when feeding starts, thereby preventing impact noise from initial contact
Solution Approach 2:
The holder is made movable between different positions through the cam mechanism. The cam member rotates to dynamically adjust the holder position, maintaining continuous contact between the feed roller and sheets during operation, thus eliminating the collision noise that would occur with fixed or abrupt positioning
2Reliability
If the feed roller is pressed against the sheets to ensure continuous contact, then the sheet feeding reliability is improved, but the colliding noise when the feed roller lands on the sheet increases
Solution Approach 1:
The holder position is determined in advance by the cam mechanism to ensure the feed roller is already in contact with the sheets before feeding begins. This preliminary positioning maintains reliability while preventing the collision noise that would result from the feed roller landing on the sheets during operation
Solution Approach 2:
The cam member acts as an intermediary mechanism that smoothly transitions the holder to the correct position. Instead of direct contact causing noise, the cam mechanism mediates the positioning process, maintaining continuous contact for reliability while eliminating impact noise through controlled, gradual movement
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
The solution effectively reduces colliding noise during sheet feeding by ensuring the feed roller applies pressure only after landing on the sheet, maintaining quiet operation while maintaining sufficient conveying pressure, thus enhancing the operational quietness of the sheet conveyer and image forming apparatus.
Implementation Method 1
a contractive spring engaged with the contacting member and the lever to contract in a contracting direction to pull the contacting member and the lever to be closer to each other
Implementation Method 2
The cam member is configured to be driven by a driving source to move the lever in the vertical direction
Implementation Method 3
One of the contacting member and the arm has one of a protrusion vertically movable and a hole section engageable with the protrusion, and the other of the contacting member and the arm has the other of the protrusion and the hole section
Data Source
AI summary
A sheet conveyer having a tray, a feed roller, a separator roller, a holder, an arm, a load applier unit, and a cam member is provided. The load applier unit includes a contacting member, a lever, and a contractive spring. One of the contacting member and the arm has one of a protrusion and a hole section, and the other of the contacting member and the arm has the other of the protrusion and the hole section. The holder is maintained in a second holder-position when the protrusion contacts one end of the hole section and applies a weight of the load applier unit to the arm and maintained in the first holder-position when the protrusion contacts the other end of the hole section and applies a load from the contractive spring acting in a direction to press the feed roller against sheets to the arm.