Medium Feeding Mechanism Velocity Control for Arrival Timing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional medium feeding mechanisms struggle to maintain consistent arrival timings at a destination apparatus, such as a printing apparatus, due to variations in medium type, leading to potential image quality issues and jams, as thicker or thinner papers take different paths through bent portions in the transportation path, affecting the path length and arrival timing.
Innovation Solution
A medium feeding mechanism that includes a first and second feeder, individual transportation paths with bent portions, and a control unit that adjusts transportation velocity based on medium information and transportation route shape to synchronize arrival times, using sensors to detect passage and arrival times and adjust velocities accordingly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional medium feeding mechanism uses a fixed transportation velocity, then the transportation system is simple to control, but the arrival timings of different medium types (thick or thin paper) vary due to different paths through bent portions
Solution Approach 1:
The transportation control unit pre-stores multiple transportation velocities corresponding to different medium types (thick paper, thin paper, etc.) before actual transportation. When a medium is to be transported, the control unit selects the appropriate pre-stored velocity based on the medium type, rather than calculating or adjusting the velocity in real-time. This preliminary preparation of velocity data resolves the contradiction by enabling consistent arrival timings for different medium types while keeping the control system relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the transportation velocity parameter according to the medium type. Different velocities are applied for thick paper versus thin paper to compensate for the different paths they take through bent portions of the transportation path. This parameter adjustment ensures that all medium types arrive at the destination at the same reference timing, resolving the arrival timing consistency issue without requiring complex real-time control algorithms.
2Manufacturing precision
If the transportation velocity is adjusted based on medium type, then arrival timing consistency is improved, but the control system becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit prepares velocity correction data in advance for different medium types. Instead of performing complex calculations during actual transportation, the system has pre-determined the appropriate velocities for thick paper, thin paper, and other medium types. This preliminary action achieves precise arrival timing control while minimizing the complexity of the control system during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system adjusts the transportation velocity parameter based on the detected medium type. By changing the velocity parameter to match the specific medium being transported (thick or thin paper), the system achieves precise arrival timing control. The complexity is managed by using pre-stored velocity values rather than complex real-time computation.
3Ease of operation
If a single transportation velocity is used for all medium types, then the control system is simpler, but arrival timing variations cause image quality degradation and jams
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit has pre-stored multiple transportation velocities corresponding to different medium types before operation begins. This preliminary preparation allows the system to maintain simple operation (selecting from pre-stored values) while ensuring reliable transportation by using the appropriate velocity for each medium type, thereby preventing arrival timing variations that could cause jams or image quality issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The transportation velocity parameter is changed according to the medium type being transported. By adjusting this parameter (using different velocities for thick versus thin paper), the system maintains simplicity in operation (through pre-stored values) while significantly improving transportation reliability and preventing the harmful effects of arrival timing variations.
Data Source
AI summary
A medium feeding mechanism includes a feeder that feeds a medium, a transportation path that is coupled to the feeder and includes a bent portion, a transporter that transports the medium on the transportation path, and a transportation control unit that controls the transporter, wherein the transportation control unit adjusts a transportation velocity of the medium transported by the transporter on the basis of medium information of the medium and a transportation route shape for the medium.