Dual Detection Sheet Feeding for Curled Paper Level Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sheet feeding devices struggle to maintain stable sheet feeding operations when the stack of sheets is curled, as existing detection methods fail to accurately detect the upper surface level, leading to incorrect control operations and increased complexity and cost.
Innovation Solution
A sheet feeding device with a dual detection system, where a first detecting unit and a second detecting unit work in conjunction with the pickup roller's movement to accurately determine the upper surface level, allowing for controlled lifting of the stacking member to maintain stable feeding, even with curled sheets, without increasing device complexity or cost.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a single detecting unit is used to detect the upper surface level, then the device complexity is low, but the measurement precision deteriorates when sheets are curled
Solution Approach 1:
The detection system is segmented into two detecting units positioned at different heights. The first detecting unit detects the upper surface level when the pickup roller is at the pickup position, while the second detecting unit detects at a position below. This segmentation allows accurate detection of curled sheets by comparing readings from both units, resolving the contradiction between measurement precision and device complexity.
2Ease of operation
If the pickup roller is moved to a higher position to feed from manual feed tray, then the feeding path is cleared, but the detection of upper surface level in conjunction with pickup roller movement becomes impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The first detecting unit acts as an intermediary that detects the upper surface level when the pickup roller is at the pickup position, providing detection capability independent of the pickup roller's movement to the moved position. This intermediary detection mechanism enables both manual feed tray operation and accurate level detection to coexist, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and detection difficulty.
Data Source
AI summary
If a second detecting unit has detected an upper surface of a stack of sheets without a first detecting unit detecting the upper surface of the stack of sheets when a pickup roller is moved from a moved position to a pickup position, a control unit lifts a stacking plate by a first predetermined amount. If the pickup roller is moved from the moved position to the pickup position without the first detecting unit and the second detecting unit detecting the upper surface of the stack of sheets, the control unit lifts the stacking plate by a second predetermined amount greater than the first predetermined amount.