Sheet Alignment Device with Tilt Tray and Drive Roller
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sheet alignment devices in image forming apparatuses are bulky and require complex configurations, making them difficult to simplify and downsize, especially when space is limited between the apparatus body and scanner.
Innovation Solution
A sheet alignment device with a tilt tray, driven and drive rollers, a displacement driving device, and a control system that includes a processor for acquiring thickness information and controlling the drive roller's position based on the number of sheets and thickness, allowing for efficient alignment and discharge of sheets without the need for additional alignment mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a traditional sheet alignment device is used, then sheet alignment function is provided, but the device becomes bulky and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the sheet alignment function and sheet discharge function into a single integrated device. The drive roller serves dual purposes: it aligns sheets by feeding them toward the base end portion, and it discharges sheets by rotating in the opposite direction. This merging of functions eliminates the need for separate alignment mechanisms, reducing device complexity while maintaining alignment reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The drive roller is designed as a multi-functional component that performs both alignment and discharge operations. By controlling the rotation direction and position of this single roller, the system achieves multiple sheet handling functions without requiring additional specialized components, thereby simplifying the overall device structure
2Productivity
If the drive roller contacts all sheets simultaneously, then alignment speed increases, but sheet bending and rebound occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic control of the drive roller position based on real-time sheet thickness measurements. The displacement driving device adjusts the roller's position dynamically, and the control portion modulates the rotation speed according to the detected sheet thickness. This dynamic adjustment prevents excessive contact force that would cause bending and rebound, while still maintaining high alignment speed through optimized rotation control
3Manufacturing precision
If the drive roller position is fixed, then device structure is simple, but accurate alignment for varying sheet thickness cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a feedback control system where the information acquisition portion (sensor) continuously measures sheet thickness, and this information is fed back to the control portion. The control portion then adjusts the drive roller's rotation speed and position accordingly. This closed-loop feedback mechanism enables precise alignment for varying sheet thickness while using a relatively simple displacement driving device
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters (roller rotation speed and position) based on measured sheet thickness. The control portion adjusts these parameters dynamically to optimize alignment precision for different sheet types, achieving high manufacturing precision without requiring complex mechanical adjustment mechanisms
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
The solution enables the simplification and downsizing of the sheet alignment device while maintaining high-speed and accurate sheet alignment, preventing sheet bending and rebound, and allowing for efficient discharge into a discharge tray, even in constrained spaces.
Implementation Method 1
The drive roller is configured to rotate in a first rotation direction and in contact with an upper surface of each of the sheets conveyed onto the tilt tray, to feed the sheets toward the base end portion of the tilt tray
Implementation Method 2
the drive roller is configured to rotate in a second rotation direction and in contact with an uppermost surface of the sheets stacked on the tilt tray, to discharge the sheets from the tilt tray
Data Source
AI summary
A sheet alignment device includes a driven roller, a drive roller, a displacement driving device, an information acquisition portion, and a displacement control portion. The drive roller is configured to rotate in a first rotation direction and in contact with an upper surface of each of sheets conveyed onto a tilt tray, to feed the sheets toward a base end portion of the tilt tray. The drive roller is configured to rotate in a second rotation direction and in contact with an uppermost surface of the sheets, to discharge the sheets from the tilt tray. The displacement control portion is configured to, when the drive roller rotates in the first rotation direction, control a holding position of the drive roller in accordance with the number of the sheets on the tilt tray and thickness information of each of the sheets acquired by the information acquisition portion.