Sheet Conveyance Mechanism for Bent Path Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sheet processing apparatuses face issues with sheet alignment and conveyance, particularly when the conveying path is bent, leading to increased resistance, sheet jams, and shifts during center binding or folding processes, which hinder accurate alignment and cause buckling.
Innovation Solution
A sheet processing apparatus with a conveying unit that applies a force in the conveying direction upstream of a guide member, using a swing fulcrum to minimize displacement during contact and maintain alignment, and a movable conveyance support member to adjust the conveying force based on sheet type and quantity, ensuring accurate alignment and preventing buckling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the conveying path is bent to convey sheets from the first processing unit to the second processing unit, then the sheets can be conveyed between processing units, but the conveying resistance increases and sheet jams occur
Solution Approach 1:
A conveying unit is introduced as an intermediary mechanism between the first and second processing units. This conveying unit includes a conveying member that applies a conveying force to the sheet stack in the conveying direction, mediating the sheet transfer through the bent path and reducing jamming risks
Solution Approach 2:
The conveying unit applies a conveying force to the sheet stack before the sheets enter the bent conveying path. This preliminary action ensures the sheet stack is properly positioned and moving in the correct direction, preventing jams that would occur without this preparatory conveying force
2Ease of operation
If the conveying path is bent, then sheets can be conveyed between processing units, but sheet shifts and buckling occur during center binding or folding processes
Solution Approach 1:
The conveying unit applies a conveying force to the sheet stack before sheets enter the bent conveying path. This preliminary action ensures the sheet stack is properly positioned and moving in the correct direction, preventing jams that would occur without this preparatory conveying force
Solution Approach 2:
The conveying force is applied locally at the sheet stack position by the conveying unit, rather than uniformly throughout the entire conveying path. This localized force application maintains sheet alignment precision specifically where needed during the bending section
3Manufacturing precision
If a conveying unit applies conveying force upstream of the guide member, then sheet alignment is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The conveying unit serves multiple functions: it applies conveying force to move the sheet stack, maintains sheet alignment precision, and prevents sheet buckling. By combining these functions into a single mechanism, the design avoids adding separate components for each function, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity
Data Source
AI summary
A sheet processing apparatus includes a first processing unit, a second processing unit, a roller, a guide member, and a conveying unit. The first processing unit applies first processing to a recording medium. The second processing unit applies second processing to the recording medium. The roller has a conveying path to convey the recording medium from the first processing unit to the second processing unit along the outer circumference. The guide member guides the recording medium to the conveying path to lead the recording medium to the second processing unit. The conveying unit applies a conveying force to a stack of recording media at an upstream of the guide member in a recording-medium conveying direction.