Sheet Feeder Second Limiters Prevent Convex Bending
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sheet-shaped-medium feeders face challenges in preventing sheet-shaped media from bending convexly during transportation, leading to misalignment and transport failures, especially with thin and wide sheets that float and separate due to air blown from side walls.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating left and right second limiters disposed between the suction area and side walls, which contact the upper surface of the sheet-shaped medium to limit its height and prevent convex bending, ensuring proper alignment and transport.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If air is blown to the long sheets with an air blower to float the downstream end portions toward the transport belt, then the sheet feeding is enabled, but the sheet-shaped medium bends convexly in the areas between the suction area and the side walls
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces air guide members as intermediary structures between the air blower and the sheet-shaped medium. These air guide members channel and control the air flow, preventing direct impact on the sheet surface that causes convex bending. The air guide members act as mediators that enable the air blowing function while eliminating the harmful convex deformation effect.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different structural characteristics to different regions of the sheet feeding system. Specifically, air guide members are installed only in the areas where air flow causes convex bending, while other areas maintain their original structure. This localized intervention addresses the convex bending problem without affecting the overall sheet feeding functionality.
2Productivity
If the sheet-shaped medium floats in the areas between the suction area and the side walls, then the sheet can be transported, but the sheet bends convexly leading to misalignment and transport failures
Solution Approach 1:
The air guide members serve as intermediary structures that modify the air flow path. By channeling the air flow through specific pathways defined by the air guide members, the system maintains sheet floating for transport while preventing the convex bending that causes misalignment. This intermediary structure ensures reliable alignment throughout the transport process.
3Device complexity
If no air guide members are installed, then the structure is simple, but the sheet-shaped medium bends convexly causing transport failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the sheet feeding system by introducing air guide members as separate, discrete components. These segmented air guide members can be independently installed and adjusted, providing targeted control over air flow without requiring a complete redesign of the entire system. This segmentation allows for simple, modular improvement of transport reliability.
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 sheet-shaped media from bending convexly, maintaining proper alignment and reducing transport failures, allowing for efficient feeding to image forming apparatuses.
Implementation Method 1
a discharger that transports the sheet-shaped media stacked on the mount portion to a transport portion by sucking the sheet-shaped media with a suction portion in order from an upper one of the sheet-shaped media
Implementation Method 2
an air-separation sheet feeding system involving blowing air to the long sheets with an air blower installed in a side fence or a downstream wall of a sheet feed tray to float the downstream end portions of the long sheets in the transportation direction toward a transport belt
Data Source
AI summary
A sheet-shaped-medium feeder includes a housing, a mount portion that is disposed to be vertically movable in the housing and that receives sheet-shaped media, a lift that vertically raises or lowers the mount portion, a discharger that transports the sheet-shaped media stacked on the mount portion to a transport portion by sucking the sheet-shaped media with a suction portion in order from an upper one of the sheet-shaped media, left and right side walls that come into contact with left and right edges, in a feed width, of the sheet-shaped media stacked on the mount portion, left and right air outlets that are disposed in the left and right side walls, and blow air to the sheet-shaped media stacked on the mount portion at the left and right edges in the feed width, left and right first limiters that are respectively disposed on the left and right side walls, and limit a height of at least one of the sheet-shaped media that floats with air blown by the left and right air outlets by coming into contact with an upper surface of the at least one sheet-shaped medium, and left and right second limiters that are disposed in areas between a suction area of the suction portion and the left and right side walls, and limit a height of the upper surface of the floating sheet-shaped medium by coming into contact with the upper surface.