Sheet Conveying Apparatus Transfer Tray Stopper Mechanism
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tandem large capacity feeders (LCFs) face issues with increased size, reduced sheet stacking capacity, and high manufacturing costs due to complex configurations and space requirements for transferring sheet bundles between trays, which complicates the transfer process and necessitates additional structural elements to prevent tray sagging.
Innovation Solution
A sheet conveying apparatus with a first storing unit, a second storing unit, a transfer tray, and stoppers that regulate the movement of the sheet bundle during transfer between units, allowing for efficient and cost-effective transfer without the need for complex mechanisms or additional space-consuming features.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a paper feeding mechanism is provided for only one of trays, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but the configuration becomes complicated and requires additional spaces in height and horizontal directions
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the sheet bundle transfer function into two independent segments: the first tray has a complete paper feeding mechanism for active control, while the second tray uses a simplified transfer mechanism with stoppers for passive regulation. This segmentation allows each tray to have optimized complexity appropriate to its function, reducing overall device complexity and manufacturing cost while maintaining effective sheet bundle transfer capability.
2Strength
If rollers are arranged on the lower surface of the second tray to prevent hanging down, then the tray can support heavy sheet bundles, but the configuration becomes more complex and requires additional spaces
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the load-bearing function from the tray structure itself and transfers it to the stopper mechanism. The stoppers, positioned at the front and rear ends of the second tray, bear the weight of the sheet bundle and regulate its movement, allowing the tray to be simpler in structure without requiring additional rollers or support mechanisms on the lower surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The stoppers act as intermediary elements between the sheet bundle and the tray structure. Instead of the tray directly supporting the heavy sheet bundle through complex structural reinforcement, the stoppers serve as intermediate load-bearing components that simplify the tray design while maintaining adequate load-bearing capacity.
3Ease of operation
If the second tray is moved to a position above the first tray for transfer, then sheet bundle transfer is enabled, but the apparatus requires additional spaces in both height and horizontal directions
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the transfer dimension from vertical (moving the second tray above the first tray) to horizontal (moving the second tray alongside the first tray at the same level). The stoppers regulate the sheet bundle movement during this horizontal transfer, enabling effective sheet bundle transfer while significantly reducing the height space requirement and simplifying the overall apparatus configuration.
Data Source
AI summary
A sheet conveying apparatus includes a first storing unit in which a sheet bundle is stacked, a second storing unit that is provided near the first storing unit and in which the sheet bundle is stacked, a transfer tray that is provided in the second storing unit and transfers the sheet bundle from the second storing unit to the first storing unit, and a stopper that regulates, when the transfer tray transfers the stacked sheet bundle from the second storing unit to the first storing unit and moves from the first storing unit to the second storing unit, movement of the sheet bundle on the transfer tray.