Sheet Feed Tray Interlocking Mechanism for Fence Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sheet feed trays face challenges in accurately positioning side fences during assembly, leading to potential misalignment and improper sheet feeding in image forming apparatuses.
Innovation Solution
A sheet feed tray design featuring a pair of side fences with an interlocking mechanism comprising racks and a pinion, along with locking projections and contact portions on the bottom plate, allows for easy and secure positioning of the side fences, ensuring accurate alignment and stable sheet feeding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If side fences are merely stopped by inner or outer stoppers during assembly, then assembly is simple, but positional accuracy of side fences deviates from proper positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-positioning the side fences at their correct locations using stoppers before assembling the racks and pinion. The stoppers hold the side fences in place during assembly, ensuring accurate positioning is achieved before the interlocking mechanism is put together. This resolves the contradiction by enabling both simple assembly (through pre-positioning) and accurate positioning (through stopper constraints).
2Ease of operation
If positioning indexes and applicable range marks are used during assembly, then side fences can be positioned within a range, but accurate positioning cannot be achieved as positions vary within the range
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces stoppers as intermediary elements between the positioning indexes and the side fences. The stoppers act as mediators that convert the approximate positioning guidance (indexes and range marks) into precise positioning by physically constraining the side fences at their final correct positions. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining ease of operation (through indexes) while achieving accurate positioning (through stopper constraints).
Data Source
AI summary
A sheet feed tray has a bottom plate on which a sheet is to be placed; two side fences for positioning opposite widthwise sides of a sheet placed on the bottom plate; and an interlocking mechanism for interlocking movements of the side fences toward and away from each other. The interlocking mechanism includes two racks integrally attached to the respective side fences with toothed surfaces thereof opposed to each other and movable along the bottom plate, and a pinion provided on the bottom plate. The pinion is rotatable about its central axis and is engageable with the pair of racks. Locking projections are disposed at the respective rack sides and project toward the bottom plate side. Contact portions are disposed at the bottom plate side and engage the locking projections with the pair of side fences maximally or minimally spaced apart from each other.