Sheet Feeder Edge Guide Reaction Force

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

In image forming apparatuses, sheets stored in the sheet storage case can be damaged or misfed due to abutting internal components during loading, especially when the sheets are warped or at maximum capacity, leading to issues like jamming and skew feeding.

Innovation Solution

A sheet feeder with a conveying guide system comprising a first guide segment in the apparatus main body and a second guide segment in the sheet storage unit, along with an edge guide member at the upstream end of the first guide segment, which has a guide surface that generates a reaction force to raise and move projecting sheet edges back into the storage case, preventing damage and misfeeding.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If sheets are stored at maximum loading capacity in the sheet storage case, then the storage capacity is maximized, but sheets may abut internal components during loading causing damage or misfeeding

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesheet storage capacityVSAvoidsheet damage and misfeeding

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The edge guide member is positioned at the upstream end of the first guide segment to preliminarily guide and regulate sheets before they enter the conveying guide system during loading, preventing sheets from abutting internal components

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The edge guide member acts as an intermediary component between the sheet storage case and the conveying guide, mediating the sheet's path during loading to prevent direct contact with internal components that would cause damage

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If sheets are warped (curling), then storage flexibility is maintained, but sheets are more likely to abut components during loading causing damage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesheet storage flexibilityVSAvoidsheet damage and misfeeding

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The edge guide member preliminarily regulates and straightens warped sheets at the upstream end before they proceed through the conveying guide system, preventing curled ends from abutting internal components during loading

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The guide surface of the edge guide member is specifically shaped to provide localized guidance and regulation at the critical upstream position where sheets first enter the conveying guide, addressing the specific problem of warped sheet ends

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If the conveying guide is extended further upstream to prevent sheet projection, then sheet guidance is improved, but the size of the sheet feeder increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesheet guidance accuracyVSAvoidsheet feeder size

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The conveying guide is divided into two segments: the first guide segment in the apparatus main body and the second guide segment in the sheet storage unit, with the edge guide member positioned at the upstream end of the first segment to provide necessary guidance without extending the entire guide system upstream

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS9624057B2Sheet feeder and image forming apparatus

Publication Date: 2017.04.18 CANON KK

AI summary

A sheet feeder includes a sheet feeding unit configured to feed a sheet from a sheet storage case in a sheet feeding direction orthogonal to a loading direction in which the sheet storage case is loaded into an apparatus main body, and a conveying guide configured to guide the sheet fed by the sheet feeding unit. The conveying guide includes a first guide segment included in the apparatus main body and a second guide segment included in the sheet storage unit. The sheet feeder further includes an edge guide member disposed at an end of the first guide segment. The edge guide member has a guide surface that allows reaction force including a directional force component acting upward and a directional force component acting in a direction opposite to the sheet feeding direction to be generated when the sheet partly projecting from the sheet storage case abuts the guide surface.