Conveyor Reversal for Medium Pull Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medium conveyance devices face increased manufacturing costs due to the need for special-purpose sensors to detect when a medium is pulled, leading to potential damage from high loads and inefficiencies in medium handling.
Innovation Solution
A medium conveyance device with a conveyor system, a medium position sensor, and a controller that changes the conveyance direction when the medium is no longer detected, eliminating the need for a separate pull detection sensor and reducing the load on the medium by reversing the conveyor when it is pulled.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a special-purpose sensor is used to detect whether a medium has been pulled from the device, then the detection accuracy is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies multi-functionality by enabling the existing medium position sensor to serve dual purposes: detecting whether the medium is properly inserted into the conveyance device and detecting whether the medium has been pulled out. This eliminates the need for a separate special-purpose sensor, thereby reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining detection accuracy through the reuse of the existing sensor component.
2Productivity
If the conveyor continues to convey the medium in the feed direction after insertion, then the medium handling efficiency is improved, but the load on the medium increases causing potential damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback control by continuously monitoring the medium position through the medium position sensor and using this information to control the conveyor's operation. When the sensor detects that the medium has been properly inserted and is no longer being pulled, the controller reverses the conveyor's direction or stops it, thereby reducing the load on the medium while maintaining efficient handling through automated feedback-based decision making.
Data Source
AI summary
A medium conveyance device includes a conveyor configured to convey a medium along a conveyance path, a first sensor configured to detect whether or not the medium is disposed is a detection region in the conveyance path, and a controller configured to control the conveyor to convey the medium in an ejection direction opposite to a feed direction when the conveyor conveys the medium in the feed detection and when the first sensor no longer detects the medium, wherein the controller controls the conveyor to convey the medium in the ejection direction when the conveyor keeps the medium stopped and when the first sensor no longer detects the medium.