Sheet Feeding Apparatus Tail End Regulating Projections
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Solution Overview
Problem
Sheet feeding apparatuses face issues with feeding failures and double feeding due to gaps between sheets and regulating portions, which disrupt air flow and absorption, affecting the reliable feeding of sheets in both air sheet feeding and retarding roller types.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a stopper mechanism that protrudes into the gap between the sheet and the regulating portion to regulate the sheet's movement, ensuring consistent feeding even when a gap is present, and using tail end regulating projections to maintain air flow balance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a gap is formed between the sheet and the regulating portion, then the sheet can be easily inserted or accommodated, but the sheet movement becomes unstable causing feeding failures or double feeding
Solution Approach 1:
A stopper member is introduced as an intermediary element between the sheet and the regulating portion. The stopper protrudes into the gap to regulate sheet movement, preventing both excessive movement (feeding failure) and insufficient movement (double feeding) while maintaining easy sheet accommodation.
2Reliability
If the gap between the sheet and regulating portion is reduced to improve feeding reliability, then sheet movement control improves, but the complexity of the regulating mechanism increases
Solution Approach 1:
The regulating mechanism is segmented into the existing regulating portion and the separate stopper member. This segmentation allows the stopper to specifically address gap-related issues without requiring complete redesign of the regulating mechanism, thus improving reliability with minimal increase in overall complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of trying to eliminate the gap entirely or make the regulating portion more complex, the solution inverts the approach by adding a simple stopper member that protrudes into the gap to provide the necessary regulation, achieving reliability improvement through a simpler additive approach.
3Productivity
If air flow is increased to blow up sheets for separation, then sheet separation improves, but air flow balance is disrupted when gaps are present causing unstable lifting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent partially replaces the purely pneumatic sheet separation system with a mechanical stopper member. The stopper provides mechanical regulation of sheet movement, complementing the pneumatic system and stabilizing air flow balance while maintaining separation efficiency, even when gaps are present.
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 stopper mechanism and tail end regulating projections prevent feeding failures and double feeding by maintaining air flow balance and stabilizing sheet lifting, ensuring reliable sheet feeding regardless of gap sizes.
Implementation Method 1
an absorption fan which allows the inside of the absorption duct to have a negative pressure
Implementation Method 2
a loosening nozzle and a separating nozzle which are provided on the downstream of the accommodation deck in the sheet feeding direction so as to blow air from the leading ends of the sheets
Data Source
AI summary
A sheet feeding apparatus capable of reliably feeding a sheet even when a gap is formed between the sheet and a regulating portion, and an image forming apparatus are provided. A tail end regulating plate 13 regulates a movement of a sheet supported by a tray supporting the sheet so as to be lifted or lowered, and when a gap is formed between the tail end regulating plate 13 and the sheet supported by the tray, tail end regulating projections 18H and 18I which are provided so as to protrude to the gap regulate the movement of the sheet toward the tail end regulating plate 13.