Sheet Feeding Tray Guiding Member for Hopping Sound Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Image forming apparatuses experience hopping sounds due to the elastic force of sheets, particularly when thick sheets pass through curved conveyance paths, leading to collisions with chute ends, despite existing incline configurations intended to mitigate this issue.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus with a guiding member on the sheet feeding tray that can engage and disengage to guide sheets smoothly into the chute, preventing unexpected movement and collisions by filling the step portion between the tray and the apparatus main body chute, thus reducing hopping sounds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the step portion is configured with an incline from both end portions toward the central portion to suppress hopping sound, then the sheet can gradually move to the second chute, but when the central portion passes through the step portion, the rear end of the sheet still hops up and collides with the second chute due to high elastic force in curved conveyance paths
Solution Approach 1:
The guiding member is divided into multiple sections: a first guiding surface extending from the rear end toward the central portion, and a second guiding surface extending from the central portion toward the front end. This segmentation allows different portions of the sheet to be guided at different rates, with the second guiding surface providing stronger guidance for the central portion to prevent hopping when passing through the step portion.
Solution Approach 2:
The guiding member has different guiding characteristics at different locations along the sheet width direction. The first guiding surface has a first inclination angle while the second guiding surface has a second inclination angle that is steeper than the first. This local quality differentiation provides gradual guidance at the rear while providing stronger guidance at the central portion where the sheet passes through the step portion.
2Ease of operation
If the sheet feeding tray is made moveable in the conveying direction to enable easy tray removal, then tray flexibility is improved, but the sheet conveyance path requires a step portion that causes hopping sounds with thick sheets
Solution Approach 1:
The guiding member acts as an intermediary element between the moveable sheet feeding tray and the fixed second chute. It provides a transition guide that connects the tray's movement capability with the fixed chute structure, allowing the tray to remain moveable while preventing sheet hopping at the step portion through its guiding surfaces.
3Manufacturing precision
If the guiding member engages with the chute to restrain tray movement, then sheet guiding precision is improved, but tray flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The guiding member is designed to be displaceable between an engaging position where it engages with the chute to restrain tray movement and guide sheets precisely, and a separation position where it separates from the chute to permit tray movement. This dynamic positioning allows the system to switch between high guiding precision and high operational flexibility as needed.
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
The guiding member effectively suppresses hopping sounds by stabilizing sheet movement through the transition area, ensuring smooth conveyance even with thick sheets and curved paths.
Implementation Method 1
a guiding member configured to be displaced between an engaging position at which the guiding member engages with the chute and restrains movement of the sheet feeding tray
Implementation Method 2
the guiding member is configured to guide the sheet that is fed from the sheet feeding tray toward the chute when the guiding member is located at the engaging position
Implementation Method 3
immediately after a rear end of the sheet with respect to the conveying direction passes through the step portion, the sheet hops up and collides with the second chute of the apparatus main body-side due to an elastic force of the sheet
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus including: a sheet feeding tray configured to support a sheet; and an apparatus main body configured to support the sheet feeding tray so as to be moveable in a direction parallel with a sheet feeding direction, the apparatus main body including a chute configured to guide the sheet that is fed from the sheet feeding tray, wherein the sheet feeding tray includes a guiding member configured to be displaced between an engaging position at which the guiding member engages with the chute and restrains movement of the sheet feeding tray and a separation position at which the guiding member separates from the chute and permits movement of the sheet feeding tray, and wherein the guiding member is configured to guide the sheet that is fed from the sheet feeding tray toward the chute when the guiding member is located at the engaging position.