Rotating Sheet Binding Unit for Compact Oblique Corner Binding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sheet processing apparatuses face challenges in performing oblique binding on the corner portions of sheets due to limited installation space, leading to potential interference between the sheet and the back side surface of the staple unit, especially when handling large sheets.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus employs a first and second conveyance direction, an abutment portion, a shift unit, and a movable turning unit to reposition the binding unit, allowing oblique binding on the corner portions without contact with the back side surface, by shifting and turning the binding unit to a posture inclined with respect to the first posture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the binding unit is made compact to reduce apparatus size, then the installation space is reduced, but the sheet may contact the back side surface of the binding unit during oblique binding, preventing proper binding operation
Solution Approach 1:
The binding unit is made movable and rotatable instead of fixed. The movable turning unit allows the binding unit to dynamically adjust its position and orientation, moving to a first position for side stitching and rotating to a second position for oblique binding. This dynamic capability enables the compact apparatus to perform different binding operations without the sheet contacting the back side surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The binding unit is given rotational freedom around the sheet conveyance direction, adding an angular dimension to its movement. This allows the binding unit to tilt between a first posture (parallel to sheet width) and a second posture (inclined at predetermined angle), enabling oblique binding without increasing the apparatus's footprint in the planar dimensions.
2Device complexity
If the binding unit is fixed in position to simplify structure, then the device complexity is reduced, but oblique binding on corner portions cannot be performed
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of a fixed binding unit, the invention employs a movable turning unit that enables the binding unit to rotate between different postures. This dynamic structure, while more complex than a fixed unit, provides the versatility to perform both side stitching and oblique binding operations on sheets of various sizes and orientations.
Solution Approach 2:
The binding unit is designed to perform multiple functions by rotating to different positions. In the first posture, it performs side stitching along the sheet width direction; in the second posture, it performs oblique binding on corner portions. This multi-functionality is achieved within a compact apparatus through the movable turning mechanism.
Data Source
AI summary
In a case where a binding unit performs a binding process at the corner portion on a first end side in a width direction of the sheet in the second posture, an abutment operation of conveying the sheet and abutting the downstream end edge of the sheet in a conveyance direction against the abutment portion, and a shift operation of moving the sheet to a position where the sheet does not contact a back side surface of the binding unit when the binding unit is in the second posture, on a second end side in the width direction with respect to a position of the sheet conveyed to the placement portion are performed. Then a movable turning unit turns the binding unit from a first posture to the second posture, and the binding process is performed by the binding unit in the second posture.