Sheet Finishing Apparatus with Retractable Corner Support
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sheet finishing apparatuses for image forming devices are bulky and complex, requiring large stacking trays and complex mechanisms for offsetting and aligning sheets, leading to disorganization and collapse of stacks during finishing processes.
Innovation Solution
A compact sheet finishing apparatus with movable corner support and finishing units that retract above the stacking tray, using a simplified drive mechanism to align and store sheets without disturbing existing stacks, allowing for easier maintenance and reduced apparatus size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If sheets are discharged to a stacking tray through a corner support portion, then sheets can be accumulated, but the apparatus requires a larger stacking tray and complex offset mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The corner support portion is designed to rotate between a support position (where it supports sheets for finishing) and a retracted position (where it clears the discharge path). This dynamic movement eliminates the need for complex offset mechanisms while maintaining sheet accumulation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The corner support portion is extracted as a separate, movable component rather than being fixed. This allows it to be removed from the discharge path when not in use, simplifying the overall apparatus structure and eliminating the need for additional offset mechanisms.
2Productivity
If sheets are pushed into the stacking tray after finishing, then finished sheets are accumulated, but the stack may collapse due to horizontal movement over existing sheets
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of pushing sheets horizontally over the stack (which causes collapse), the finished sheet bundle is moved vertically downward onto the stack. This dimensional change from horizontal to vertical movement preserves stack stability while achieving accumulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The corner support portion is retracted to a predetermined position before the sheet bundle is pushed, ensuring it does not interfere with the stacking operation. This preliminary retraction prevents disruption to the existing stack and maintains stability.
3Ease of operation
If a fixed corner support structure is used, then sheets can be supported for finishing, but the apparatus becomes larger and less compact
Solution Approach 1:
The corner support portion is made rotatable rather than fixed, allowing it to move between support and retracted positions. This dynamic design provides the necessary sheet support function while maintaining a compact apparatus size by eliminating the need for additional space-consuming fixed structures.
Data Source
AI summary
A sheet finishing apparatus includes a tray device for sequentially stacking and storing a sheet, a corner support device arranged between a discharge outlet and the tray device for supporting a corner of the sheet, and a finishing device for finishing the sheet on the corner support device. A first support device supports the corner support device to move between an operating position positioned in a sheet conveying path and a retracted position retracted from the operating position. A second support device supports the finishing device. The second support device is formed separately from the first support device and moves the finishing device between an operating position in the sheet conveying path to a retracted position retracted from the operating position. A drive device moves the first support device and the second support device from the operating positions to the retracted positions after finishing the sheet with the finishing device.