Printing Apparatus Tray Positioning for Sheet Retrieval
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printing apparatuses with movable discharging trays cannot improve the ease of taking out piles of sorted sheets as a whole, as sheets discharged with the tray at the front position cannot be moved towards the front side in the take-out direction.
Innovation Solution
A printing apparatus with a discharging unit and a tray that receives print media, where the tray is movable in a direction perpendicular to the discharge direction, allowing it to be positioned closer to the take-out side than any discharge position, enabling the tray to receive print media at multiple positions and facilitating easier sheet removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the tray is moved to the front position after sorting is completed, then sheets discharged with the tray at the rear position can be moved to the front side, but piles of sheets discharged with the tray at the front position cannot be moved toward the near side
Solution Approach 1:
The tray is designed to be movable in the second direction (crossing the discharge direction) rather than being fixed. This dynamic positioning allows the tray to be moved to a take-out position that is closer to the take-out side than any discharge position, enabling sheets from both front and rear discharge positions to be easily collected. The controller dynamically adjusts the tray position based on the discharge position, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and adaptability.
2Ease of operation
If the tray is fixed at a single position, then the structure is simple, but sheets from multiple discharge positions cannot be easily collected
Solution Approach 1:
The tray positioning mechanism is designed with a drive unit that can move the tray in the second direction (crossing the discharge direction). This dynamic positioning capability allows the tray to be moved to a take-out position closer to the take-out side than any discharge position, enabling easy collection of sheets from multiple discharge positions while maintaining reasonable structural complexity through controlled movement rather than complete reconfiguration.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a printing apparatus comprising: a discharging unit configured to convey and discharge print media; a tray configured to receive print media discharged in a first direction from the discharging unit; and a drive unit configured to move the tray in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. In discharging print media, the tray is moved in the second direction to thereby receive the discharged print media at a plurality of different positions on the tray. The tray is movable to a take-out position being a position closer in the second direction to a take-out side where print media are taken out than any of the positions at which the tray receives the print media discharged from the discharging unit.