Sheet Feeder Cassette Displacement Preventive Device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sheet feeder cassettes face issues with side stopper plate displacement and deformation due to inertia force when fitting into image forming apparatuses, requiring adaptation of support and fall preventive members to varying sheet size standards across regions.
Innovation Solution
A displacement preventive device is positioned on the sheet feeder cassette's bottom, capable of contacting and supporting the side stopper plates, preventing displacement and deformation by reacting against the inertia force, and is adjustable to the maximum sheet size standard of the destination region.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If side stopper plates are made movable to accommodate various sheet sizes, then adaptability is improved, but the side stopper plates become vulnerable to displacement and deformation under inertia force during fitting
Solution Approach 1:
The displacement preventive device is positioned in advance to counteract the inertia force that will act on the side stopper plate during fitting. The device comes into contact with the side stopper plate before the harmful displacement can occur, applying a preliminary counteracting force to prevent the stopper plate from moving or deforming under the inertia force generated when the cassette is pushed into the image forming apparatus.
2Reliability
If support members and fall preventive members are added to prevent side stopper plate displacement, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The displacement preventive device combines multiple functions into a single integrated component. It simultaneously acts as a support member to prevent displacement, a fall preventive member to prevent the stopper plate from falling, and a structural element that can be adjusted to different positions. This merging of functions reduces the need for multiple separate components, thereby reducing overall device complexity while maintaining reliability.
3Manufacturing precision
If support members are adapted to specific sheet size standards for different regions, then manufacturing precision is improved for local standards, but adaptability across regions decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The displacement preventive device is designed with adjustability, allowing it to be repositioned along the bottom of the cassette to different locations corresponding to different sheet size standards. This dynamic repositioning capability enables the same device to accommodate various sheet sizes (e.g., A4, A3, Letter, Legal) without requiring different devices for different regions, thus maintaining both manufacturing precision for local standards and global adaptability.
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 prevents side stopper plate displacement and deformation, eliminating the need for region-specific support members and ensuring reliable sheet feeding across different sheet size standards without requiring modifications for various countries.
Implementation Method 1
the displacement preventive device pushes back and supports the side stopper plate due to reaction
Implementation Method 2
the side stopper plate 106 receives force in the fit-in direction because the stack of sheets P tries to keep moving in the fit-in direction due to inertia
Data Source
AI summary
A sheet feeder cassette that can be fitted in and drawn from in a direction perpendicular to a sheet feeding direction, the sheet feeder cassette having: a bottom for receiving a stack of sheets thereon; a pair of side stopper plates provided on the bottom in such a manner to be movable in a sheet-widthwise direction so as to determine a widthwise position of the stack of sheets; and at least one displacement preventive device that is located on the bottom, at a position according to a widthwise position of a loadable maximum size sheet, and that is capable of coming into contact with one of the side stopper plates, wherein when the one of the side stopper plates receives force from a stack of the maximum size sheets placed on the bottom, the displacement preventive device pushes back and supports the side stopper plate due to reaction.