Sheet Discharge Tray Detection via Pendulum Dynamics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sheet discharge devices struggle to accurately detect fully-loaded trays when sheet discharge intervals are short, as the pendulum mechanism fails to incline downward, leading to inaccurate loading state judgments.
Innovation Solution
A sheet discharge device with a pendulum mechanism that includes a free-end portion and a base-end portion, a signal transmission mechanism, and a controller that stores the maximum time interval between consecutive sheet discharges, allowing for accurate detection of fully-loaded trays by judging the time interval and signal transmission patterns.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If sheets are discharged continuously with short intervals, then productivity is improved, but the pendulum mechanism cannot incline downward leading to inaccurate detection of fully-loaded state
Solution Approach 1:
The pendulum mechanism is designed to be dynamically responsive to sheet discharge patterns. By making the pendulum pivotable and sensitive to weight changes, it can adapt its position based on whether sheets are discharged continuously or with intervals, enabling accurate detection across different operating conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The detection mechanism provides feedback about the tray loading state to the control unit. The control unit uses this feedback along with discharge interval information to accurately determine when the tray is fully loaded, compensating for the pendulum's inability to return during continuous discharge
2Measurement precision
If the pendulum is positioned at the upper side of the sheet discharge opening, then it can detect sheet loading effectively, but it cannot return to inclined downward position during continuous discharge
Solution Approach 1:
The system proactively monitors discharge intervals and predicts when the tray will be fully loaded based on the discharge pattern. By analyzing the timing between sheet discharges, the control unit can anticipate the fully-loaded state before the pendulum would naturally indicate it, allowing accurate detection even when the pendulum remains in the upward position
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
Enables precise detection of fully-loaded trays even during continuous sheet discharge, ensuring accurate loading state assessment and preventing misjudgment.
Implementation Method 1
when the tray is empty, the pendulum is inclined downward due to a gravitational force
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a sheet discharge unit which includes a tray which a first area and a second area, a discharge mechanism, a pendulum mechanism, a signal transmission mechanism which transmits a first signal and a second signal, a memory, and a controller. The controller judges whether or not a time interval of two sheets discharged consecutively exceeds the first time interval, and judges that the sheets loaded onto the tray up to a height not lower than the reference position, when the time interval of the two sheets exceeds the first time interval, and when the signal transmission mechanism continues to transmit the second signal exceeding the first time interval.