Sheet Discharging Device Staggered Tray Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sheet sorting devices have a narrow space between discharge trays, making it difficult for users to retrieve sheets from lower trays due to the obstruction of upper trays, which hampers convenience and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The design includes a sheet discharging device with a first and second conveying path, where the second path is branched from the first, allowing sheets to be sorted and discharged onto trays with a increasing distance between sheet loading surfaces, enabling easier access to lower trays by positioning the upper tray's discharge surface further downstream, thus reducing obstruction and improving visibility and accessibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the space between discharge trays is reduced to minimize device size, then the device footprint is reduced, but user accessibility to lower trays deteriorates due to obstruction by upper trays
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dimensionality change by extending the upper discharge tray in the depth direction (z-axis) rather than maintaining it in the vertical direction (y-axis). The upper tray's discharge surface is positioned downstream along the conveying path, creating a staggered arrangement where the upper tray extends forward while the lower tray remains accessible from the front. This spatial reconfiguration in multiple dimensions simultaneously reduces the vertical footprint and improves user accessibility to lower trays.
2Device complexity
If discharge trays are positioned closely together to compact the device, then device compactness is improved, but sheet retrieval convenience deteriorates due to limited space for hand insertion
Solution Approach 1:
The invention resolves this contradiction by utilizing the depth dimension (z-axis) to separate the discharge surfaces of upper and lower trays. The upper tray extends downstream along the conveying path, creating a stepped configuration where each tray has its discharge surface positioned at different depths. This allows the device to maintain compact vertical dimensions while providing sufficient horizontal space for users to access and retrieve sheets from lower trays without obstruction.
3Volume of moving object
If the upper discharge tray is positioned directly above the lower discharge tray, then vertical space utilization is optimized, but visibility and accessibility of lower trays deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by creating an asymmetric spatial relationship between the upper and lower discharge trays. Instead of symmetric vertical stacking where both trays are aligned, the upper tray is extended downstream along the conveying path, creating an asymmetric staggered arrangement. This asymmetric configuration maintains efficient vertical space utilization while improving visibility and accessibility of the lower tray by positioning it forward relative to the upper tray's main body.
Data Source
AI summary
A sheet discharging device includes a first conveying path that guides a sheet to be conveyed. A second conveying path branches from the first conveying path. A sorting section sorts a sheet being conveyed on the first conveying path into either a downstream side of the branch point or the second conveying path. A first discharge tray is placed at a position downstream of the first conveying path and receives a sheet discharged from the first conveying path at a first sheet loading surface. A second discharge tray is placed at a position downstream of the second conveying path and below the first discharge tray, and receives a sheet discharged from the second conveying path at a second sheet loading surface whose distance to the first sheet loading surface increases toward a downstream side thereof in a sheet discharging direction.