Integrally Molded Substrate Guide Member Preventing Sink Marks
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing substrate guide members in casings are often manufactured in divided pieces by resin molding, increasing the number of components and requiring labor to combine them, which can lead to the formation of sink marks and reduced accuracy.
Innovation Solution
The substrate guide member is integrally formed by resin molding with a support portion and pairs of protrusions that form a groove for substrate guidance, including through holes and separated portions to reduce large-thickness areas and prevent sink marks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the substrate guide member is formed with a large-thickness portion to provide guide portions on both sides, then the guiding function is improved, but sink marks are formed during resin molding
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate guide member is divided into a left divided piece and a right divided piece, each containing one guide portion. This segmentation allows each piece to be molded with uniform thickness, preventing sink marks while maintaining the dual-sided guiding function through the combined assembly of both pieces
2Manufacturing precision
If the substrate guide member is manufactured in divided pieces, then sink mark formation is prevented, but the number of components and assembly labor increase
Solution Approach 1:
The guide member is segmented into left and right divided pieces for molding to prevent sink marks, while these segmented pieces are designed to be integrally fixed to the casing, effectively reducing the functional complexity to a single integrated component rather than multiple separate guide members
Solution Approach 2:
The left and right divided pieces are integrally fixed to the casing together with the support portion, merging their functions into a unified substrate guide member assembly that provides both-sided guidance while maintaining manufacturing precision
3Manufacturing precision
If the substrate guide member is manufactured in divided pieces, then sink mark formation is prevented, but assembly labor is required to combine components
Solution Approach 1:
The left and right divided pieces are integrally fixed to the casing together with the support portion, merging their assembly into a single integrated mounting process that eliminates separate assembly steps and reduces labor requirements while maintaining the manufacturing precision benefits of divided molding
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate guide member is integrally formed of resin, and includes: a support portion fixed in a casing; and at least one pair of a first protrusion and a second protrusion protruding from the support portion and extending in an insertion direction with a gap from each other, to thereby form a groove for allowing passage of a substrate. The at least one pair of the first protrusion and the second protrusion includes: a plurality of guide portions configured to guide the substrate; and separated portions, which are portions connecting the plurality of guide portions and have a gap larger than the gap of the plurality of guide portions.