Rotating Arm Sheet Finishing Apparatus for Curl Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Sheet finishing apparatuses face issues with sheet deformation or curling, leading to jams and alignment failures due to trailing ends obstructing discharge ports and leading ends hitting the stack tray or becoming rounded.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus employs rotating arms attached to discharge rollers that flap down the trailing end onto the stack tray when discharging, and blower units to prevent leading ends from curling by blowing air, ensuring smooth and aligned sheet discharge.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If sheets are discharged directly from the discharge port to the stack tray, then the discharge process is simple, but sheet deformation or curling causes jams and alignment failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a rotatable arm mechanism that dynamically adjusts its position based on sheet discharge conditions. The arm rotates to a first position to flap down curled trailing ends and to a second position to support leading ends, providing adaptive correction for sheet deformation without complex additional mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The arm acts as an intermediary element between the discharge port and stack tray, mediating the sheet discharge process by physically correcting deformation. The regulating member serves as another intermediary that controls arm rotation through torque regulation, enabling reliable discharge despite sheet curling or bending
2Reliability
If additional mechanisms are added to correct sheet deformation, then discharge reliability improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The arm mechanism performs multiple functions: it flaps down curled trailing ends when rotated to the first position, and supports leading ends when rotated to the second position. This multi-functionality allows a single mechanism to address both trailing end and leading end deformation issues without requiring separate correction mechanisms for each problem
Solution Approach 2:
The arm mechanism utilizes the rotation torque from the discharge roller shaft to drive its operation. The regulating member allows the arm to rotate automatically in response to sheet discharge conditions, with the system self-regulating through torque control without requiring external motors or complex control systems
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
This solution effectively prevents jams and alignment failures by ensuring accurate discharge of sheets, even when deformed or curled, without the need for additional motors, simplifying the configuration and reducing operational issues.
Implementation Method 1
a blower unit to prevent the leading end of the sheet from curling by blowing air
Data Source
AI summary
According to one embodiment, a sheet finishing apparatus includes a finishing section configured to apply finishing to a sheet placed on a processing tray, a sheet discharging section configured to discharge the sheet subjected to the finishing to a stack tray via a discharge port, a roller attached to a shaft provided in parallel to the discharge port and which rotate in a first direction for guiding the sheet in the direction of the finishing section and a second direction for discharging the sheet, and an arm attached to the shaft to extend in the centrifuging direction from the shaft, rotate with the torque of the shaft, and idly rotate when force for regulating the torque acts. The arm flaps down the trailing end of the sheet on the stack tray onto the stack tray.