Sheet Discharging Tray Sensor Adaptation to Disturbance Light
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sheet discharging apparatuses are affected by disturbance light, leading to erroneous operations and reduced usability, particularly due to the sensitivity of transmissive sensors to light interference, which can result in unnecessary shutdowns and increased costs with dual sensor configurations.
Innovation Solution
A sheet discharging apparatus employing a combination of transmissive and reflective sensors, with a controller that determines the necessity and feasibility of each sensor's use based on light conditions and sheet characteristics, allowing for adaptive lifting and lowering control of the discharge tray to mitigate the impact of disturbance light.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a transmissive sensor is used to detect sheet position, then detection precision is improved, but the system becomes susceptible to disturbance light causing erroneous operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the detection parameter from transmissive optical detection to reflective optical detection. The reflective sensor detects sheet position by measuring light reflected from the sheet surface, which is less susceptible to ambient disturbance light. This parameter change resolves the contradiction by maintaining detection precision while reducing sensitivity to harmful light factors.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a single reflective sensor instead of multiple transmissive sensors or complex shielding mechanisms. This simpler, more economical sensor configuration achieves reliable sheet position detection without being overly sensitive to disturbance light, resolving the contradiction between precision and susceptibility to harmful factors.
2Reliability
If the apparatus stops discharging sheets to prevent erroneous operation under disturbance light, then reliability is improved, but productivity decreases due to unnecessary shutdowns
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical control approach (stopping discharge to prevent errors) with an optical detection approach using a reflective sensor. The reflective sensor continuously monitors sheet position and enables the discharge mechanism to operate reliably without unnecessary shutdowns, thus maintaining both reliability and productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The reflective sensor automatically adapts to lighting conditions by detecting reflected light from the sheet itself. This self-adjusting capability allows the system to maintain reliable operation across varying environmental light conditions without manual intervention or unnecessary shutdowns, preserving both reliability and productivity.
3Reliability
If two transmissive sensors with reversed arrangements are disposed to counteract disturbance light, then reliability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential detection function from the complex dual-sensor transmissive configuration and implements it through a single reflective sensor. This simplified configuration achieves reliable detection under disturbance light without requiring multiple sensors with reversed arrangements, thus reducing device complexity while maintaining reliability.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If a reflective sensor is used instead of transmissive sensor, then resistance to disturbance light is improved, but measurement precision may be affected by sheet surface properties
Solution Approach 1:
The reflective sensor incorporates feedback mechanisms that monitor the detected light signal and adjust detection parameters accordingly. This feedback system compensates for variations in sheet surface properties, maintaining measurement precision while benefiting from the disturbance light resistance of reflective detection.
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 effectively reduces the influence of disturbance light, ensuring continuous operation while maintaining a simple and cost-effective setup by selectively utilizing sensors based on environmental and sheet-specific conditions.
Implementation Method 1
a transmissive sensor including a first light emitting portion configured to emit light and a first light receiving portion configured to detect the light received from the first light emitting portion
Implementation Method 2
a reflective sensor including a second light emitting portion configured to emit light and a second light receiving portion configured to detect the light emitted from the second light emitting portion and then reflected on a sheet
Data Source
AI summary
A sheet discharging apparatus includes a discharging portion configured to discharge a sheet, a supporting portion configured to support the sheet discharged by the discharging portion, a lifting portion configured to lift and lower the supporting portion, a transmissive sensor configured to output an output signal that changes in accordance with a position of an upper surface of the sheet supported by the supporting portion, a reflective sensor configured to output an output signal that changes in accordance with the position of the upper surface of the sheet supported by the supporting portion, and a controller configured to control the lifting portion and including a first determining portion configured to determine whether or not sheet detection by the transmissive sensor is possible and a second determining portion configured to determine whether or not sheet detection by the transmissive sensor is needed.