Sheet Conveyor Intermediate Bearing Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing sheet conveyor systems in image readers, where a drive roller is urged by a driven roller, can cause the drive roller to bend, leading to misalignment of the guide surface and rollers, which affects sheet conveyance, especially when a chute is involved in the sheet path.
Innovation Solution
A sheet conveyor system with a chute having openings for drive rollers, an intermediate bearing that slides and is held by a holder to maintain the drive shaft's position, and a holder that contacts the drive shaft's outer surface, ensuring the guide surface and rollers remain aligned.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a driven roller urges the drive roller to convey the sheet, then the sheet conveyance function is achieved, but the drive shaft bends causing misalignment of the guide surface and rollers
Solution Approach 1:
An intermediate bearing is introduced as a mediator between the drive shaft and the drive rollers. This bearing slides along the drive shaft and is held by a holder, providing support that prevents drive shaft bending while maintaining the ability to convey sheets. The intermediate bearing acts as a cushioning element that absorbs the urging force from the driven rollers without transmitting it to the drive shaft in a way that causes bending.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the structural parameters of the drive shaft support by adding the intermediate bearing and holder mechanism. This modifies how the drive shaft is supported, transitioning from direct support that allows bending to supported-by-bearing configuration that maintains rigidity and precise positioning of the drive rollers relative to the guide surface.
2Manufacturing precision
If the drive shaft is supported rigidly to prevent bending, then positional accuracy is improved, but the complexity of the support structure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The intermediate bearing serves as a simple intermediary component that provides rigid support to the drive shaft without adding significant complexity. Instead of implementing a complex rigid support structure, the patent uses this sliding bearing mechanism that is relatively simple in design but effective in maintaining drive shaft rigidity and roller positioning accuracy.
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 maintains the relative positions of the guide surface and rollers, preventing deformation of the drive shaft and chute, ensuring stable sheet conveyance by minimizing positional misalignment and reducing frictional resistance.
Implementation Method 1
The intermediate bearing is slid from the second position to the first position in the first direction and held by the holder at the first position
Data Source
AI summary
A sheet conveyor includes: a chute which has openings spaced apart from each other in a first direction and guides a sheet; a drive shaft; drive rollers mounted on the drive shaft and each partly protruding from the chute through a corresponding one of the openings; driven rollers each urged and contactable with a corresponding one of the drive rollers; an intermediate bearing disposed at a first position located between adjacent two of the drive rollers; and a holder provided on the chute to hold the intermediate bearing located at the first position. The intermediate bearing is in contact with an outer circumferential surface of the drive shaft when located at a second position different from the first position. The intermediate bearing is slid from the second position to the first position in the first direction and held by the holder at the first position.