Sheet Feeding Stopper Positioning for Jam Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sheet conveying devices face issues with stabilizing the position change and posture of stoppers to restrict sheet entrance, leading to inefficient document feeding due to vibration and collision, which affects the reliable conveyance of sheets in image reading and forming apparatuses.
Innovation Solution
A sheet conveying device with a stopper that is projectable and retractable, driven by the rotational movements of the sheet feeding member, and an interlocking unit that controls the stopper's position within the conveyance path to prevent sheet contact with the feeding member, ensuring stable operation and reliable sheet feeding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the stopper is fixed at a restricting position to prevent documents from entering around the feed roller, then document feeding is prevented, but vibration from alignment collision causes the stopper to separate from the fixing member and lose its restricting function
Solution Approach 1:
The stopper is designed to be movable between a projecting position (where it restricts document entry) and a retracted position (where it allows alignment). The stopper is driven by a driving member that rotates in response to document insertion force, automatically transitioning between positions based on operational needs rather than remaining fixed
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from document insertion force and alignment collision to automatically adjust the stopper position. When documents are inserted, the stopper detects this through the driving member and rotates to the projecting position. When alignment collision occurs, the stopper retracts to allow the collision to occur, then returns to restricting position
2Reliability
If the stopper is made movable to respond to alignment collision, then the stopper can maintain restricting function during vibration, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The driving member serves multiple functions: it drives the stopper to project into the conveyance path to restrict documents, and it simultaneously drives the pickup roller to pick up documents. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate mechanisms and simplifies the overall structure
Solution Approach 2:
The stopper driving mechanism and pickup roller driving mechanism are merged into a single integrated system. The driving member that controls the stopper position is also the driving member for the pickup roller, combining two functions into one mechanism to reduce structural complexity
Data Source
AI summary
A sheet conveying device includes a sheet stacking portion on which sheets are to be stacked, a sheet conveyance path, a sheet feeding member, a driving unit, a stopper and an interlocking unit. The sheet is conveyed from the sheet stacking portion in a predetermined conveying direction in the sheet conveyance path. The sheet feeding member is arranged at an entrance side of the sheet conveyance path and conveys the sheet by being driven and rotated. The stopper is projectable into and retractable from the sheet conveyance path at a side upstream of the sheet feeding member in the conveying direction and prevents the sheets stacked on the sheet stacking portion from coming into contact with the sheet feeding member in a projecting state. The interlocking unit causes the stopper to project into and retract from the sheet conveyance path in accordance with rotational movements of the sheet feeding member.