Sheet Feeding Apparatus Movable Side Regulating Plate Warpage Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sheet feeding apparatuses face challenges in reliably holding sheets at appropriate positions and preventing warpage, especially at low-level stacks, due to inadequate pressing force distribution, which affects feeding performance and accuracy.
Innovation Solution
A sheet feeding apparatus with a cassette main body featuring a pivoting sheet stacking portion, opposed side edge regulating portions, and a sheet pressing portion with a recessed relief shape that reduces pressing force at low-level stacks, ensuring sheets are held in place without warping, using a movable side edge regulating portion with a sheet pressing portion that includes a pressing surface and an inclined recessed portion to maintain sheet alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the pressing force of the sheet pressing portion is increased to push back shifted sheets at full-level stack, then sheet positioning accuracy is improved, but sheet warpage occurs at low-level stack
Solution Approach 1:
The sheet pressing portion is divided into a first pressing portion and a second pressing portion, where the first pressing portion has a larger pressing area than the second pressing portion. This local differentiation allows the first pressing portion to provide sufficient pressing force for sheet alignment while the second pressing portion provides gentler pressing to prevent warpage, thereby resolving the contradiction between positioning accuracy and sheet shape maintenance.
2Shape
If a relief surface is formed on the sheet pressing portion to reduce pressing force at low-level stack, then sheet warpage is prevented, but sheet positioning accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The sheet pressing portion is segmented into multiple pressing portions (first and second pressing portions) with different pressing areas. The first pressing portion with larger area provides sufficient pressing force for accurate sheet positioning, while the second pressing portion with smaller area provides gentler pressing to prevent warpage. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by distributing different pressing functions to different segments rather than using a single relief surface that would compromise positioning accuracy.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the number of components is increased to actively vary pressing force using a link mechanism, then pressing force control is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sheet stacking portion is configured to pivot in the up-down direction according to the amount of sheet stack, which dynamically adjusts the pressing force applied by the sheet pressing portion. When sheets are added or removed, the stacking portion automatically pivots to maintain optimal pressing force without requiring additional link mechanisms or active control systems. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between pressing force control and device complexity by using the existing mechanical structure's natural movement.
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 warpage and positional shifts of sheets at low-level stacks while maintaining accurate feeding performance, even with varying stack sizes, using a simple configuration that reduces costs and component complexity.
Implementation Method 1
a sheet stacking portion pressing the stacked sheets onto the sheet feeding portion
Implementation Method 2
a recessed portion intersecting the pressing portion, the recessed portion being formed to be inclined so that a downstream edge in the sheet feeding direction of a lower surface of the recessed portion is located higher than an upstream edge in the sheet feeding direction of an upper surface of the recessed portion
Data Source
AI summary
A movable side regulating plate is provided on a frame body. The movable side regulating plate regulates side edges in a width direction of sheets stacked on a sheet stacking plate, and is movable in the width direction. A sheet pressing portion configured to press the side edges of the sheets and press the sheets onto a stationary side regulating plate is provided on the movable side regulating plate. The sheet pressing portion has a relief shape for reducing a pressing force exerted on the sheets when an amount of the sheets stacked on the sheet stacking plate becomes equal to or smaller than a predetermined amount. The relief shape is formed so that a downstream edge in a sheet feeding direction of a lower surface is located higher than an upstream edge in the sheet feeding direction of an upper surface.