Controlled Sheet Dispenser Speed Profile to Reduce Jamming
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sheet product dispensers experience paper jamming and excessive parts wear due to abrupt motor speed and acceleration changes during the dispensing cycle, leading to a need for improved controlled dispensing mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A sheet product dispenser with a variable speed dispensing mechanism controlled by an electronic controller, which gradually increases or decreases the speed and acceleration of the motor during the dispensing cycle, and adjusts motor run time based on battery voltage to maintain consistent dispense length, reducing impulse loads and minimizing product damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If abrupt motor speed and acceleration changes are used during dispensing, then dispensing speed and productivity are improved, but paper jamming and parts wear increase
Solution Approach 1:
The motor speed and acceleration are made dynamic rather than fixed, allowing the system to adjust parameters in real-time during the dispensing cycle. The controller varies motor speed gradually during activation and deactivation phases, transforming the static abrupt changes into dynamic controlled transitions that reduce mechanical stress while maintaining dispensing efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes motor operating parameters (speed, acceleration) during the dispensing cycle rather than maintaining constant values. The controller adjusts these parameters to increase gradually during activation and decrease gradually during deactivation, optimizing both productivity and reliability by preventing paper jamming and reducing parts wear through controlled parameter transitions
2Productivity
If motor speed is increased for faster dispensing, then productivity is improved, but mechanical stress and parts wear increase
Solution Approach 1:
The motor operates with dynamic speed profiles rather than constant high speed, gradually increasing speed during activation and gradually decreasing during deactivation. This dynamic operation maintains high productivity while reducing peak mechanical stress and preventing excessive parts wear through controlled speed transitions
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies cushioning by gradually increasing motor speed before full dispensing speed is reached, and gradually decreasing speed before the cycle ends. This prior cushioning prevents sudden mechanical shocks and reduces parts wear while maintaining efficient dispensing operation
3Device complexity
If fixed motor run time is used, then device complexity is reduced, but dispense length consistency deteriorates as battery voltage decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller incorporates feedback by monitoring battery voltage levels and using this information to adjust motor run time dynamically. This feedback mechanism compensates for voltage degradation over time, maintaining consistent dispense length without requiring complex mechanical adjustments or additional components
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the motor run time parameter based on battery voltage conditions. As voltage decreases and battery capacity degrades, the controller increases run time to compensate, ensuring consistent dispense length while maintaining relatively simple device architecture through software-based parameter adjustment
Data Source
AI summary
A sheet product dispenser includes a sheet product feed mechanism coupled to an electric motor, the sheet product feed mechanism moving a sheet product out of the dispenser during a dispense cycle; and a control unit controlling the sheet product feed mechanism or electric motor or both to move the sheet product with an increasing speed or acceleration or both during a portion of the dispense cycle.