Printer Tray Controller Pauses Discharge to Manage Media Floating

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional recording medium discharging apparatuses experience 'floating' issues due to retained air between media, leading to inaccurate detection of full stack states and potential underutilization of discharge capacity.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a controller that adjusts the discharge mechanism based on detected states and predetermined intervals to pause or resume discharging, ensuring the uppermost surface of the recording media remains at a target position by setting specific numbers or periods of continued discharge.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If recording media are continuously discharged at a short discharge interval, then productivity is improved, but air retention between media increases causing floating and detection inaccuracy

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedischarge speedVSAvoidfull stack state detection accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The controller pre-calculates and stores the relationship between discharge intervals and floating amounts before actual discharge operations. When a discharge job is initiated, the system already has the appropriate compensation value ready, allowing immediate accurate detection without waiting for floating to occur and then correcting it.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses the pre-established relationship between discharge interval and floating amount to dynamically adjust detection thresholds based on actual discharge conditions. The detector's judgment criteria are feedback-adjusted according to the measured discharge interval, compensating for the floating effect in real-time and maintaining accurate full stack state detection even at high discharge speeds.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Quantity of substance

If the support tray is moved to the lowermost end position based on pendulum sensor detection, then discharge capacity is maximized, but floating causes the uppermost surface to rise above the target position

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenumber of recording media dischargedVSAvoiduppermost surface position accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-calculates the floating amount based on the discharge interval before the discharge operation completes. This allows the controller to anticipate the position deviation and adjust the tray positioning or detection criteria in advance, ensuring the uppermost surface reaches the correct target position despite the floating effect.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The detection criteria for the full stack state are dynamically adjusted based on the discharge interval parameter. When discharge interval is short (high speed), the system adjusts the detection threshold to account for increased floating, changing the parameter used for judgment and thereby maintaining accurate position control despite varying discharge conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Measurement precision

If air retention between recording media is reduced by increasing discharge interval, then detection accuracy improves, but productivity decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefull stack state detection accuracyVSAvoiddischarge speed

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system continuously monitors the actual discharge interval and uses this feedback to dynamically adjust the detection criteria. Rather than requiring a fixed discharge interval to ensure detection accuracy, the system adapts its detection threshold based on the actual interval being used, allowing accurate detection across a wide range of discharge speeds.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The detection parameter (threshold for determining full stack state) is changed based on the discharge interval. When discharge interval increases, the threshold is adjusted to account for reduced floating; when discharge interval decreases, the threshold is adjusted to compensate for increased floating. This parameter adaptation allows accurate detection regardless of discharge speed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS9102496B2Recording medium discharging apparatus and computer-readable medium storing recording medium discharging program

Publication Date: 2015.08.11 BROTHER KOGYO KK

AI summary

There is provided a recording medium discharging apparatus including: a support tray; a discharging mechanism configured to discharge the recording media; a detector configured to detect a specific state in which a position of an uppermost surface of the recording media is not lower than a predetermined position; and a controller configured to control the discharging mechanism. When executing a job for continuously discharging the recording media on the support tray at a predetermined discharge interval, the controller is configured to control the discharging mechanism to pause discharge of the recording media on the support tray under a condition that the detector keeps detecting the specific state until a predetermined number of pieces of the recording medium is discharged on the support tray since the detector has detected the specific state, and is configured to set the predetermined number to be greater as the discharge interval is shorter.