Sloping Image Carrier and Conveying Path for Compact Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional image forming apparatuses waste space due to a level conveying path in relation to a sloping image carrier, which is inefficient for compact designs and high-speed recording medium conveyance.
Innovation Solution
The image forming apparatus features a sloping image carrier surface and a linear conveying path upstream of the transfer unit, allowing for a more compact design by reducing unnecessary space between the image carrier and conveying unit, while maintaining accurate registration and skew correction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a level conveying path is used in the conveying unit, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but space between the image carrier and conveying unit is wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The conveying path is designed to slope downward in the vertical dimension from upstream to downstream, matching the slope of the image carrier surface. This dimensional change allows the conveying path to utilize the existing vertical space between the image carrier and the conveying unit, eliminating wasted space while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
2Area of stationary object
If a sloping conveying path is used to match the image carrier, then space utilization is improved, but the complexity of the conveying unit increases
Solution Approach 1:
The conveying path is designed with a specific slope angle that matches the image carrier surface slope. By adjusting this parameter (the slope angle), the system achieves optimal space utilization without requiring complex mechanical structures, as the slope is incorporated into the basic geometry of the conveying path.
3Area of stationary object
If the conveying unit is positioned lower to match the sloping image carrier, then space is saved, but the conveyance speed and registration accuracy may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The conveying path is designed to be substantially level in the horizontal direction while sloping downward vertically, creating an equipotential surface for the recording medium. This ensures that the medium moves smoothly without abrupt changes in elevation that could affect conveyance speed or registration accuracy, while still utilizing vertical space efficiently.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes a belt-shaped image carrier that carries an image, an image transfer unit that transfers the image onto a recording medium, and a conveying unit that conveys the recording medium to the image transfer unit. The image carrier has a sloping surface that slopes down from an upstream of the image transfer unit in a conveying direction. The conveying unit includes a linear conveying path that is arranged an upstream of the image transfer unit in the conveying direction, below the sloping surface and above a horizontal line passing through the image transfer unit.