Swingable Pickup Roller for Sheet Feed Device
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Solution Overview
Problem
In paper feed devices, the insertion or removal of paper cassettes can cause misalignment, tearing, or jamming of paper sheets due to contact with the pickup roller, especially when the cassette is inserted or pulled out, leading to issues like paper sheets being fed out obliquely or falling off.
Innovation Solution
A sheet feed device with a pivotably supported sheet stacking plate and a pickup roller that swings to avoid contact with the paper sheets during cassette insertion or removal, using a first bracket and arm mechanism to control the pickup roller's position, ensuring it remains in contact only when necessary, and utilizing a feed roller mounting shaft to drive the pickup roller and maintain alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the pickup roller remains in contact with the paper sheets during cassette insertion or removal, then the paper sheets can be fed out continuously, but the paper sheets become misaligned, torn, or jammed due to unwanted contact with the pickup roller
Solution Approach 1:
The pickup roller is made movable relative to the paper sheets through a swingable bracket mechanism. The bracket can rotate about a swing axis, allowing the pickup roller to dynamically adjust its position between contact and non-contact states with the paper sheets, resolving the contradiction between continuous feeding and preventing damage
Solution Approach 2:
The system preliminarily positions the pickup roller to separate from the paper sheets before cassette insertion or removal operations begin. By anticipating the harmful contact and preemptively adjusting the roller position, the system prevents misalignment, tearing, and jamming before they can occur
2Ease of operation
If the pickup roller is positioned to contact the uppermost paper sheet for feeding, then paper sheets can be fed out one by one, but the contact causes the uppermost sheet to misalign in the cassette insertion direction during cassette operations
Solution Approach 1:
The pickup roller's position is dynamically controlled through the swingable bracket that rotates about a swing axis. This allows the system to switch between the feeding position (contacting the paper) and the retracted position (separated from the paper), ensuring precise alignment during cassette operations while maintaining feeding capability when needed
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses detection means to monitor the cassette insertion state and provides feedback to the swing control mechanism. Based on this feedback, the pickup roller automatically adjusts its position to maintain proper alignment precision during cassette operations
3Stability of the object's composition
If the pickup roller is fixed in position to maintain stable paper feeding, then feeding consistency is improved, but the roller interferes with cassette insertion and pull-out operations
Solution Approach 1:
The pickup roller is mounted on a bracket that can swing about an axis, transforming it from a fixed component to a dynamically adjustable one. This allows the roller to maintain a stable feeding position during operation while moving aside during cassette insertion and removal to eliminate interference
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
This configuration effectively prevents misalignment and damage to paper sheets during cassette operations by ensuring the pickup roller only contacts the sheets when necessary, maintaining a stable feeding position and reducing the risk of paper jams or misalignment.
Implementation Method 1
the pickup roller turns, causing the paper sheets to be fed out in order in a feed direction by a frictional force between the pickup roller and the uppermost one of the paper sheets
Implementation Method 2
an end portion thereof on a downstream side in the sheet feed direction moves up and down between a placement position at which sheets are set and a feed position at which the sheets are fed
Data Source
AI summary
A sheet feed device is provided in which, at the time of pulling out a sheet housing portion from an image forming apparatus main body, when the sheet housing portion moves from a first position to a second position, a pickup roller moves on a first rotary shaft, to a position on an upstream side in an insertion direction, and at the time of inserting the sheet housing portion in the image forming apparatus main body, when the sheet housing portion moves from the second position to the first position, the pickup roller moves on the first rotary shaft, to a position on a downstream side in the insertion direction. A movable area of the pickup roller in a direction of the rotary shaft is equal to or larger than a movement amount of the pickup roller between the upstream side position and the downstream side position.