Sheet Alignment Unit for Adhesive Toner Bonding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sheet processing apparatuses face challenges in aligning sheets accurately due to the adhesive force of adhesive toner, leading to misalignment and reduced bonding quality.
Innovation Solution
A sheet processing apparatus with a stacking unit, alignment unit, and bonding unit that stacks sheets with adhesive toner, aligns them collectively, and then bonds them using heat and pressure, ensuring precise alignment and strong bonding between sheets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If sheets are aligned one by one after adhesive toner is applied, then alignment can be performed, but the adhesive force of the adhesive toner hinders alignment and reduces alignment precision
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by stacking multiple sheets with adhesive toner applied in advance before performing alignment. The sheets are pre-stacked in a stacking unit with adhesive toner already applied to their surfaces, then transported as a group to the alignment unit for collective alignment, preventing the adhesive from interfering with the alignment process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the sheet processing into distinct stages: a stacking unit where sheets are pre-stacked with adhesive applied, a transport unit that moves the stacked sheets, and an alignment unit that aligns the stacked sheets collectively. This segmentation allows each unit to perform its function optimally without interference from adhesive forces during alignment.
2Strength
If sheets are stacked with adhesive toner applied, then bonding can be achieved, but alignment is hindered by adhesive force
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-applying adhesive toner to sheets in the stacking unit before alignment occurs. This allows the adhesive to be present for bonding while the alignment is performed on the stacked sheets as a group, eliminating the interference between adhesive force and alignment precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The transport unit acts as an intermediary that carries the pre-stacked sheets from the stacking unit to the alignment unit. This intermediary mechanism allows the sheets to be transported with adhesive already applied without the adhesive interfering with subsequent alignment operations, as the alignment is performed collectively on the stacked sheets.
3Productivity
If sheets are aligned one by one, then alignment can be performed, but productivity is reduced due to repeated alignment operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple alignment operations into a single collective alignment process. Instead of aligning sheets one by one through separate operations, the stacking unit pre-stacks multiple sheets, and the alignment unit then aligns the entire stack simultaneously. This merging of operations maintains alignment precision while significantly improving productivity by reducing the number of alignment cycles required.
Solution Approach 2:
The stacking unit performs preliminary stacking of multiple sheets before they reach the alignment unit. This preliminary action groups multiple sheets together, allowing the alignment unit to process them as a single unit in one alignment operation, thereby improving productivity without sacrificing alignment precision.
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 configuration improves sheet alignment and bonding quality by reducing misalignment issues caused by adhesive toner, enhancing the productivity of the image forming system while maintaining high bonding strength.
Implementation Method 1
sheets of the second sheet stack are bonded to each other with the adhesive and the first sheet stack and the second sheet stack are bonded to each other with the adhesive
Implementation Method 2
the bonding unit is configured to heat and pressurize the second sheet stack aligned by the alignment unit such that sheets of the second sheet stack are bonded to each other with the adhesive
Data Source
AI summary
A sheet processing apparatus includes a stacking unit configured to stack a plurality of sheets, an alignment unit including a supporting portion on which the sheets are loaded, the alignment unit being configured to align positions of the sheets loaded on the supporting portion, and a bonding unit configured to bond the sheets loaded on the supporting portion to each other. The alignment unit is configured to align a position of the second sheet stack with the first sheet stack. The bonding unit is configured to heat and pressurize the second sheet stack aligned by the alignment unit such that sheets of the second sheet stack are bonded to each other with the adhesive and the first sheet stack and the second sheet stack are bonded to each other with the adhesive.