Movable Stopper Control for Sheet Stacking Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional post-processing apparatuses for handling printed sheets face issues where the stopper in the stacker may fall due to collisions with sheets, especially when the sheets have low grammage or high friction, leading to inconsistent slowing down and potential failure to reach the stopper.
Innovation Solution
A post-processing apparatus with a movable stopper controlled by a motor and a control unit that adjusts the current supplied to the motor to prevent the stopper from falling, ensuring sheets are properly stacked by calculating and applying the necessary force to withstand sheet impacts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a friction member is used to slow down sheets before they hit the stopper, then the stopper is protected from falling due to collision, but sheets with small grammage or high friction coefficients may not reach the stopper
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical friction-based slowing system with a motor-driven stopper positioning system. The stopper is moved to an advanced position before sheet arrival using a motor, eliminating the need for friction members that caused inconsistent performance with different sheet types.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit calculates the arrival time of sheets based on feeding speed and grammage, then positions the stopper in advance at an optimal location before the sheets arrive. This preliminary positioning ensures the stopper is ready to receive sheets of any type without relying on friction-based slowing.
2Productivity
If the stopper is positioned to catch all sheets, then sheet collection is complete, but the stopper may fall due to collision impact from sheets
Solution Approach 1:
The stopper is positioned in advance at an optimal location before sheets arrive, calculated based on sheet feeding speed and grammage. This allows the stopper to be at the perfect position to catch sheets effectively while minimizing collision impact that could cause the stopper to fall.
Solution Approach 2:
The stopper is made movable rather than fixed, allowing it to be dynamically positioned before sheet arrival and to move with the sheets during the stacking process. This dynamic capability enables the stopper to maintain stability while effectively collecting sheets.
3Device complexity
If the stopper is made fixed and stationary, then the structure is simple, but sheets cannot be accurately positioned for different sizes and speeds
Solution Approach 1:
The stopper is designed as a movable component that can be positioned dynamically based on sheet characteristics. The motor-driven mechanism allows the stopper to adapt its position for different sheet sizes and feeding speeds, achieving high positioning accuracy without overly complicating the overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit uses feedback from sheet feeding speed detection and grammage information to calculate and adjust the stopper position. This closed-loop control ensures accurate sheet positioning while keeping the mechanical structure relatively simple.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution ensures that every sheet reaches the stopper without causing it to fall, simplifies the stacker structure, reduces power consumption, and accurately positions sheets based on their size and feeding speed, enhancing the reliability and efficiency of the sheet handling process.
Implementation Method 1
a motor that moves the stopper along the stacker and stops the stopper
Implementation Method 2
The control unit increases a current supplied to the motor in preparation for a collision between each of the printed sheets and the stopper
Implementation Method 3
a movable stopper that stops each of the printed sheets sliding down in the stacker at a specified position
Data Source
AI summary
A post-processing apparatus configured to collect printed sheets ejected from an image forming apparatus and to handle the printed sheets. The post-processing apparatus has: a stacker configured to collect and stack a plurality of printed sheets with one end of each of the printed sheets placed down; a movable stopper configured to stop each of the printed sheets sliding down in the stacker at a specified position; a motor configured to move the stopper along the stacker and stops the stopper; and a control unit configured to control the motor. The control unit increases a current supplied to the motor in preparation for a collision between each of the printed sheets and the stopper.