Sheet Tray Elastic Body for Slipped Sheet Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming apparatuses face challenges in efficiently removing sheets that have slipped into the gap below the sheet tray, particularly when large numbers of sheets are stacked, making manual removal difficult and potentially hazardous, and risking sheet wrinkling or transport failures.
Innovation Solution
A sheet tray design with a sponge-like elastic body attached to its bottom, allowing the tray to be pulled out and push the slipped sheet forward when extended, ensuring the sheet is protruded and can be easily removed, while preventing constant compression of the elastic body to minimize degradation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a link mechanism pushing unit is used to push out sheets from under the sheet tray, then sheet removal capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential function of sheet removal from the complex link mechanism and implements it through a simple elastic body that protrudes when the sheet tray is pulled out. This eliminates the need for link mechanisms while maintaining sheet removal capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic body automatically protrudes to push out sheets when the sheet tray is pulled out, without requiring external mechanical actuation. The system uses the natural movement of the sheet tray itself to trigger the sheet removal function.
2Ease of operation
If the elastic body is constantly compressed to maintain pushing force, then sheet removal effectiveness is improved, but elastic body durability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic body is compressed periodically only when the sheet tray is pulled out, rather than being constantly compressed. This intermittent compression maintains sheet pushing effectiveness while significantly reducing wear and extending the elastic body's service life.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a static compressed state to a dynamic compression-only-when-needed state. The elastic body remains uncompressed during normal operation and is compressed only during the sheet removal action, optimizing both effectiveness and durability.
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
Facilitates safe and efficient removal of sheets that have slipped into the gap, reducing the risk of wrinkling or transport failures and maintaining the elastic body's integrity, enhancing user safety and operational efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a sponge-like elastic body attached to a bottom of the tray, allowing the tray to be pulled out and push the slipped sheet forward when extended
Data Source
AI summary
A sheet tray includes a sheet storage unit that stores a sheet, the sheet storage unit being capable of being pulled out of a housing in a forward direction and pushed into the housing in a rearward direction to a position such that a gap is provided below the sheet storage unit; and a sheet moving portion fixed to the sheet storage unit, the sheet moving portion moving together with the sheet storage unit when the sheet storage unit is pulled out, thereby moving a sheet that has entered the gap in the forward direction.