Document Feeder Slit-and-Fin Wall Structure for Compact Trays
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing document conveying devices face a challenge in increasing the capacity of the sheet feeding tray without enlarging the device's overall size, particularly due to the need to expand the wall part in the upper-and-lower direction.
Innovation Solution
A document conveying device with a sheet feeding tray, lifting mechanism, top plate, fixed wall part, and lifting wall part, where the lifting wall part is designed to slide along the fixed wall part, allowing the tray to be lifted and lowered while maintaining a stable posture, thus increasing capacity without enlarging the device's height.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the wall part is enlarged in the upper-and-lower direction to increase sheet feeding tray capacity, then the sheet feeding tray capacity is improved, but the device size in the upper-and-lower direction increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wall part is divided into a fixed wall part and a lifting wall part that can move vertically. The lifting wall part is coupled to the sheet feeding tray lifting mechanism, allowing it to rise and fall with the tray. This dynamic configuration enables the wall part to enclose greater capacity space when the tray is lowered, while maintaining a compact device height when the tray is in its normal position.
Solution Approach 2:
The wall part is segmented into two functional portions: a fixed wall part that remains stationary and a lifting wall part that moves with the sheet feeding tray. This segmentation allows the capacity-enhancing function to be separated from the device-height-defining function, resolving the contradiction between increasing tray capacity and maintaining compact device dimensions.
2Volume of moving object
If the sheet feeding tray is lifted to expand sheet placed space, then the sheet placed space is improved, but the document conveying device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lifting wall part is integrated with the sheet feeding tray lifting mechanism, combining the functions of tray lifting and wall part movement into a single coupled system. This merging eliminates the need for separate mechanisms to control wall part movement, thereby expanding sheet placed space without proportionally increasing device complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
A document conveying device (120) includes a sheet feeding tray (44), a sheet feeding mechanism (31), a sheet feeding tray lifting mechanism (33), a top plate (22), a fixed wall part (27), and a lifting wall part (29). The top plate (22) is in contact with a lower surface of the document to be fed. The fixed wall part (27) is provided extending downward from an upstream side end portion of the top plate (22), and fixed in position. The lifting wall part (29) is provided extending upward from a downstream side end portion of the sheet feeding tray (44), and is lifted and lowered along the fixed wall part together with the sheet feeding tray (44). The lifting wall part (29) has a slit (2981~29810) along an upper-and-lower direction. The fixed wall (27) part has a fin (27F1-27F10) along the upper-and-lower direction. An upper end portion of the slit (29S1-29S10) is opened in the upper-and-lower direction. The fin (27F1-27F10) is arranged inside the slit (2981~29510).