Sheet Stacker With Segmented Movable Tray For Resilient Sheet Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sheet stackers face challenges in efficiently stacking sheets in limited spaces due to the requirement for large spaces below the image forming apparatus and issues with highly-resilient sheets not following the changed angle of the loading surface, leading to potential blockages and inefficient space utilization.
Innovation Solution
A sheet stacker design featuring a fixed tray with a downstream portion at a higher level and a movable tray pivotably fixed at an obtuse angle, allowing the sheet loading surface to maintain an ideal stack state and accommodate highly-resilient sheets without blockages, while minimizing space requirements and facilitating compact configuration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the entire sheet output tray is made movable to increase loading efficiency, then space utilization improves, but large space below the image forming apparatus is required and maintenance becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The sheet output tray is divided into a fixed portion and a movable portion. The movable portion can be shifted along the sheet discharge direction to adjust the loading surface angle, while the fixed portion remains stationary. This segmentation allows the tray to adapt to different sheet types and stacking requirements without requiring the entire tray to be movable, thus reducing space requirements while maintaining loading efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable portion of the tray is designed to dynamically adjust its position and angle based on sheet characteristics. The loading surface angle can be changed by shifting the movable portion, allowing the system to optimize for different sheet types (e.g., resilient vs. non-resilient sheets) without requiring complete tray reconfiguration or large adjustment spaces.
2Reliability
If the loading surface angle is changed to accommodate highly-resilient sheets, then sheet following improves, but blockage occurs when sheets fail to follow the angle change
Solution Approach 1:
The movable portion allows dynamic adjustment of the loading surface angle to match sheet characteristics. For highly-resilient sheets, the angle can be optimized to ensure they follow the surface properly, reducing the risk of blockage while maintaining reliable sheet delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the tray have different functions: the fixed portion provides stable support, while the movable portion provides localized angle adjustment. This allows the system to optimize the loading surface angle specifically where sheets contact the tray, without affecting the entire tray structure, thereby improving sheet following while minimizing blockage risks.
3Manufacturing precision
If the tray position is adjusted to optimize sheet stacking, then stacking quality improves, but maintenance access becomes difficult due to space constraints
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the tray into fixed and movable portions, the movable portion can be independently adjusted for optimal stacking quality while the fixed portion remains accessible for maintenance. The movable portion's limited travel range along the sheet discharge direction allows stacking optimization without requiring large spaces that would hinder maintenance access.
Solution Approach 2:
The angle adjustment function is extracted from the entire tray and assigned only to the movable portion. This allows the stacking quality optimization to be achieved through localized movement rather than entire-tray repositioning, maintaining stacking precision while preserving maintenance accessibility in the fixed portion area.
Data Source
AI summary
A sheet processing apparatus includes a fixed tray and a movable tray. The fixed tray is fixed at its downstream portion in a sheet transport direction and includes a sheet loading surface. A downstream portion of the sheet loading surface of the fixed tray is positioned at a higher level than an upstream portion thereof. The movable tray is pivotally supported, at its upstream portion, by a pivot support provided on the fixed tray. An angle between a sheet loading surface of the movable tray and a horizontal direction is more gentle than an angle between the sheet loading surface of the fixed tray and the horizontal direction.