Sheet Conveyance Device with Pneumatic Adhesion and Suction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sheet conveyance devices in image forming apparatuses face challenges in ensuring consistent and reliable contact between sheets and conveyance belts, leading to potential image failures due to gaps or paper powder accumulation, which affects the quality of image formation.
Innovation Solution
A sheet conveyance device incorporating a conveyance belt with a ventilation unit that blows air to adhere sheets to the belt and a suction unit generating negative pressure, ensuring close contact and preventing paper powder accumulation, while allowing for the use of suction fans with lower air sucking performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If only suction unit is used to adhere sheet to conveyance belt, then device complexity is reduced, but sheet conveyance reliability deteriorates due to insufficient contact and paper powder accumulation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines a ventilation unit and a suction unit into a single sheet conveyance device. The ventilation unit blows air to initially adhere the sheet to the conveyance belt, while the suction unit simultaneously generates negative pressure to maintain close contact. This merging of two functional units resolves the contradiction by achieving reliable sheet conveyance through cooperative action, preventing paper powder accumulation while maintaining manageable device complexity through integrated design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs pneumatic principles by using a ventilation unit that blows air onto the sheet to create adhesion, and a suction unit that generates negative pressure to maintain contact. This pneumatic approach resolves the contradiction by using fluid dynamics to achieve reliable sheet conveyance without requiring overly complex mechanical systems, thus balancing reliability with acceptable device complexity.
2Reliability
If high performance suction fan is used to ensure close contact, then sheet conveyance reliability is improved, but use of energy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of air blowing and suction into a coordinated system where the ventilation unit prepares the sheet for adhesion and the suction unit maintains contact. This combination allows the use of a suction fan with lower air sucking performance compared to using suction alone, thereby reducing energy consumption while maintaining sheet conveyance reliability through the synergistic effect of both units.
Solution Approach 2:
The ventilation unit performs preliminary action by blowing air to initially adhere the sheet to the conveyance belt before the suction unit takes over to maintain close contact. This preliminary adhesion reduces the burden on the suction fan, allowing it to operate at lower power levels while still achieving reliable sheet conveyance, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and energy use.
3Reliability
If ventilation unit blows air to adhere sheet, then sheet conveyance reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the ventilation unit and suction unit as a combined system where both units work cooperatively to achieve reliable sheet conveyance. The ventilation unit blows air to create initial adhesion, and the suction unit maintains close contact, together preventing paper powder accumulation and ensuring consistent image formation. This merging approach resolves the contradiction by achieving high reliability while managing device complexity through integrated design and coordinated operation.
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 ensures reliable sheet conveyance, prevents image formation failures, and allows for the use of versatile suction fans with lower static pressure, enhancing the conveyance belt's ability to transport sheets effectively.
Implementation Method 1
the ventilation unit blows out air toward the sheet to adhere the sheet to the first surface of the conveyance belt
Implementation Method 2
The suction unit is arranged to be opposed to the processing unit with the conveyance belt interposed therebetween to generate a negative pressure between the sheet adhered to the first surface by the ventilation unit and the conveyance belt
Data Source
AI summary
A sheet conveyance device transports a sheet to a predetermined processing unit, and includes a conveyance belt, a ventilation unit, and a suction unit. The conveyance belt has a first surface and a second surface, and is arranged to be opposed to the processing unit to transport the sheet on the first surface in a predetermined conveyance direction. On an upstream side of the processing unit in the conveyance direction, the ventilation unit blows out wind toward the sheet to adhere the sheet to the first surface of the conveyance belt. The suction unit is arranged to be opposed to the processing unit with the conveyance belt interposed therebetween to generate a negative pressure between the sheet adhered to the first surface by the ventilation unit and the conveyance belt, thereby bringing the sheet into close contact with the first surface of the conveyance belt.