Sheet Feeder Manual Insertion Hinge Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sheet feeders with openable/closable upper surfaces have limited range for the open-close portion, hindering the removal or insertion of recording media due to the manual tray's position and design.
Innovation Solution
A sheet feeder design with a housing featuring a manual insertion portion on its upper surface, where the open-close portion rotates about a hinge to open or close a mount space, allowing for manual insertion and improved accessibility of recording media, and a rotation member that rotates upward to facilitate easier media placement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the open-close portion is disposed at a position to avoid the manual tray, then the manual tray can be mounted, but the open-close portion can only open and close within a limited range, hindering removal or insertion of recording media
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the manual insertion portion rotatable about a second hinge disposed parallel to the first hinge. This allows the manual insertion portion to rotate upward from a position where it overlaps the open-close portion, enabling dynamic adjustment of the manual tray position. The rotatable mechanism allows the manual tray to be positioned either to avoid the open-close portion (for mounting) or to overlap with it (for easy media insertion), resolving the contradiction between structural constraint and ease of operation.
2Ease of operation
If the manual insertion portion is positioned to overlap the open-close portion, then media insertion is facilitated, but the open-close portion's movement range is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dimensionality change principle by introducing a second hinge disposed parallel to the first hinge, creating a new rotational dimension. The manual insertion portion can now rotate about this second hinge, moving in a direction perpendicular to the open-close portion's rotation plane. This allows the manual tray to overlap the open-close portion in one position (facilitating media insertion) while the open-close portion maintains its full rotation range about the first hinge, as they operate in different dimensional planes.
Data Source
AI summary
A sheet feeder including: a housing including a mount portion that receives recording media; an open-close portion that is disposed on an upper surface of the housing to close the mount portion and rotates about a first hinge to open or close a mount space over the mount portion; and a manual insertion portion at least part of which is disposed on the open-close portion to receive manually inserted recording media, the manual insertion portion being rotatable about the first hinge or a second hinge disposed parallel to the first hinge to rotate upward from a position where the manual insertion portion overlaps the open-close portion.