Electrostatic Capacitance Sheet Detection Without Guide Holes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sheet conveying apparatuses face issues with time delays in detection, sheet damage, and jamming due to worn-out contact-type sensors and sheet sticking or detection errors caused by non-contact sensors, particularly with the generation of paper powder at penetration holes or cutouts in guide members.
Innovation Solution
The use of an electrostatic capacitance sensor with its electrode member fixed on a guide member opposite to the conveying path, separated from the conveying path, and attached using copper foil tape, which prevents sheet contact and reduces the risk of jamming and detection errors by eliminating the need for holes or cutouts, enhancing assembly ease.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a contact type sensor (lever type) is used to detect a sheet, then detection is achieved, but time delay occurs and detection timing shifts as the lever is worn across the ages
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical lever-type contact sensor with a non-contact optical sensor system. The detecting portion includes a light emitter and light receiver that detect sheets through optical fields without physical contact, eliminating mechanical wear and time delays associated with lever movement while maintaining reliable detection capability.
2Reliability
If a contact type sensor (lever type) is used to detect a sheet, then detection is achieved, but sheet damage and jamming may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical lever-type contact sensor with a non-contact optical sensor system. The detecting portion includes a light emitter and light receiver that detect sheets through optical fields without physical contact, eliminating mechanical wear and time delays associated with lever movement while maintaining reliable detection capability.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a non-contact type sensor (transmission type optical sensor) is used, then sheet contact is avoided, but a penetration hole must be formed at each of two guide members which causes sheet damage and jamming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the light emitter and light receiver from the guide member structure itself, mounting them on separate support structures positioned on opposite sides of the conveying path. This eliminates the need to form penetration holes or cutouts in the guide members, thereby preventing sheet damage and jamming while maintaining non-contact detection capability.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If a non-contact type sensor (reflection type optical sensor) is used, then sheet contact is avoided, but a large penetration hole or cutout is required causing sheet damage and jamming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the light emitter and light receiver from the guide member structure itself, mounting them on separate support structures positioned on opposite sides of the conveying path. This eliminates the need to form penetration holes or cutouts in the guide members, thereby preventing sheet damage and jamming while maintaining non-contact detection capability.
5Reliability
If a penetration hole or cutout is formed at the guide member for non-contact sensor, then non-contact detection is achieved, but paper powder is generated by frictioning and adheres to the sensor causing detection errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the light emitter and light receiver from the guide member structure itself, mounting them on separate support structures positioned on opposite sides of the conveying path. This eliminates the need to form penetration holes or cutouts in the guide members, thereby preventing sheet damage and jamming while maintaining non-contact detection capability.
6Object-affected harmful factors
If an electrostatic capacitance sensor is used with electrode member fixed on guide member opposite to conveying path, then sheet contact is prevented and jamming is avoided, but assembly complexity may increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the light emitter and light receiver into a single integrated detecting portion assembly that is mounted as one unit on the guide member. This integration simplifies the assembly process compared to separately mounting multiple sensors, while still achieving non-contact detection and preventing sheet damage.
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 solution allows for accurate and reliable sheet detection without damaging the sheets, preventing jamming and detection errors, while simplifying the assembly process by eliminating the need for holes or cutouts, thus improving the overall performance of the sheet conveying apparatus.
Implementation Method 1
a detecting portion to detect a sheet being conveyed on the conveying path as having an electrostatic capacitance sensor
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is to provide a sheet conveying apparatus capable of preventing detection error without causing damage on a sheet. The present post-processing apparatus includes a sheet conveying path to convey a sheet as being formed between an upper guide member and a lower guide member for guiding a sheet, and a detection portion including a second sensor as an electrostatic capacitance sensor to detect a sheet being conveyed on the sheet conveying path with output of the second sensor. The second sensor is fixed on a face of an upper guide member on an opposite side to the conveying path and the second sensor and the sheet conveying path are separated by the upper guide member.