Liftable Discharge Outlet with Sheet Wall for Document Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional document sheet conveying devices face challenges in achieving a large capacity for the sheet discharge tray without causing disorder or scattering of discharged sheets, particularly when the discharge outlet height is increased to accommodate more sheets, leading to user inconvenience in aligning the sheets.
Innovation Solution
A document sheet conveying device with a guide portion supported by a swinging shaft, driven by a motor, and a sheet member that is stretched and drawn out as the discharge outlet is lifted, forming a stable wall to maintain sheet alignment and capacity without increasing device size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the height of the sheet discharge outlet is increased to achieve a large capacity for the sheet discharge tray, then the capacity is improved, but the discharged document sheets become disordered in position and attitude
Solution Approach 1:
The guide portion is made movable by supporting it on a swinging shaft, allowing it to dynamically adjust its position between a lowered state (when sheet feed tray is full) and a raised state (when sheet feed tray is nearly empty). This dynamic adjustment enables the system to maintain sheet alignment quality while accommodating varying discharge tray capacities.
Solution Approach 2:
The position parameter of the guide portion is changed based on the sheet quantity in the sheet feed tray. When the sheet feed tray has fewer sheets, the guide portion is raised to a higher position, which improves sheet alignment during discharge. This parameter change allows the system to adapt to different operational conditions and maintain ease of operation.
2Quantity of substance
If the height of the sheet discharge outlet is increased to achieve a large capacity for the sheet discharge tray, then the capacity is improved, but the device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a fixed high discharge outlet, the guide portion is made dynamically adjustable through the swinging shaft mechanism. This allows the system to achieve large effective capacity only when needed (when sheet feed tray is low) while maintaining a compact overall device structure, as the guide portion can be lowered when full capacity is not required.
Solution Approach 2:
The discharge outlet function is segmented into a movable guide portion rather than a fixed structure. This segmentation allows the guide portion to be independently positioned at different heights, enabling the system to achieve large capacity temporarily without permanently increasing the device's overall height or footprint.
3Ease of operation
If the guide portion is raised to improve sheet alignment, then the alignment is improved, but the sheet member must be drawn out and stretched
Solution Approach 1:
A flexible sheet member is used to connect the movable guide portion to the sheet discharge tray. This flexible member can be drawn out and stretched as the guide portion is raised, providing a simple and effective mechanism for transmitting the lifting motion without requiring complex mechanical linkages, gears, or actuators.
Solution Approach 2:
The sheet member automatically performs the function of connecting and transmitting motion between the guide portion and the discharge tray. As the guide portion is raised by the swinging shaft mechanism, the sheet member self-adjusts by being drawn out and stretched, eliminating the need for additional control mechanisms or complex actuation systems.
Data Source
AI summary
A document sheet conveying device includes a guide portion, a swinging shaft, a sheet member, and a biasing member. The guide portion guides a document sheet to the discharge tray. The swinging shaft is provided at an upstream end of the guide portion in a conveyance direction of the document sheet and swingably supports the guide portion with a width direction of the document sheet as an axis direction. One end of the sheet member is fixed to an upstream end of the discharge tray in the conveyance direction, and the other end is supported by the guide portion. As the guide portion is lifted up, the sheet member is drawn out from a part of the guide portion lower than the discharge outlet. The biasing member biases in a direction in which the sheet member is drawn into the guide portion.