Sheet Discharging Apparatus Reversal Control for Stacking Precision
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming systems face productivity decreases when sheet processing apparatuses temporarily stop receiving sheets, leading to inefficient sheet stacking and increased air resistance, which disrupts the alignment and positioning of discharged sheets.
Innovation Solution
A sheet discharging apparatus with a control system that reverses the conveyance direction of sheets using multiple conveyance portions, allowing for precise alignment and superimposition of sheets before discharge, thereby improving stacking performance and maintaining productivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If sheet conveyance speed is increased to improve productivity, then throughput increases, but sheet stacking performance deteriorates due to increased air resistance and force
Solution Approach 1:
The sheet conveyance path is divided into multiple segments with different conveyance portions (first, second, third conveyance portions) that can operate independently at different speeds. This allows the system to maintain high overall throughput while providing controlled deceleration in specific segments to ensure proper stacking.
Solution Approach 2:
The conveyance speeds of different conveyance portions are made dynamically adjustable rather than uniform. The control portion can set different conveyance speeds for each segment, enabling the system to optimize both productivity and stacking performance by slowing down sheets only in the stacking region while maintaining high speed in other regions.
2Productivity
If sheets are discharged with great force to improve productivity, then throughput increases, but sheet alignment and positioning deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary alignment by superimposing sheets on the stacking portion before final discharge. The conveyance portions are controlled to allow sheets to be positioned and aligned in advance, ensuring proper stacking even when sheets are discharged with force to maintain productivity.
3Manufacturing precision
If sheets are temporarily held or buffered to improve stacking, then stacking performance improves, but productivity decreases due to stopping
Solution Approach 1:
The system maintains continuous sheet flow without stopping by using multiple conveyance portions that can operate simultaneously at different speeds. Sheets are buffered and aligned through coordinated speed control rather than by stopping, ensuring both continuous productivity and proper stacking performance.
Data Source
AI summary
A sheet discharging apparatus includes a stacking portion, a first conveyance portion, a detection portion, a second conveyance portion, a third conveyance portion, and a control portion. The control portion is configured to execute a discharge operation by causing the sheet discharging apparatus to reverse a conveyance direction of a first sheet conveyed from the first conveyance portion to the second conveyance portion and deliver the first sheet to the third conveyance portion by using the second conveyance portion, convey the first sheet toward the second conveyance portion by the third conveyance portion, and discharge the first sheet and the second sheet to the stacking portion by using the second conveyance portion in a state where the first sheet and the second sheet are superimposed on each other.