Sheet Ejection Tray with Temporary Stack Section
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing post-processing apparatuses face issues with sheet ejection, leading to potential stacking failures, paper jamming, and loss of page regularity, while also restricting post-processing functions when sheets are removed from the ejection tray.
Innovation Solution
A post-processing apparatus with a sheet ejection tray and a stack section that allows for temporary collection and controlled ejection of sheets, enabling continuous operation until a prescribed time or number of sheets is reached, or until user input is given, thereby preventing stacking failures and maintaining page regularity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If sheets are ejected directly to the sheet ejection tray without using the stack section, then productivity is improved, but stacking failure or paper jamming may occur when sheets are removed during printing operation
Solution Approach 1:
The stack section temporarily accumulates sheets before they are ejected to the sheet ejection tray. This preliminary accumulation action allows sheets to be staged in a controlled manner, preventing direct contact between incoming and existing sheets on the tray, thereby eliminating stacking failures and paper jamming while maintaining efficient ejection
2Reliability
If the destination of sheet ejection is changed to different sheet ejection trays, then the possibility of contact between sheets to be removed and sheets to be ejected is eliminated, but page regularity is lost when user rearranges sheets
Solution Approach 1:
The sheet ejection system is segmented into multiple independent sheet ejection trays, each capable of receiving sheets separately. The stack section can eject sheets to any of these trays independently, allowing the system to maintain reliability by selecting an appropriate tray while preserving page regularity through controlled ejection sequences
3Reliability
If the sheet ejection tray is changed to avoid contact between sheets, then stacking failure or paper jamming is prevented, but restrictions are imposed on post-processing functions
Solution Approach 1:
The sheet ejection tray is designed with multi-functionality to accommodate both direct ejection from the stack section and post-processing operations. The tray can serve as a universal destination for sheets regardless of their source, eliminating restrictions on post-processing functions while maintaining stacking reliability through the controlled accumulation mechanism
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a sheet ejection tray to which sheets are ejected; a stacker in which, after a plurality of sheets have been stacked, these sheets are ejected to the sheet ejection tray; a sheet ejection control section capable of controlling in such a way that it is selectable whether the sheets are ejected to the sheet ejection tray after having been stacked in the stack section, or the sheets are ejected to the sheet ejection tray without using the stack section; and an input button employed by an user to perform input operations. The sheet ejection control section provides control in such a way that, when the input button has been operated to perform an input operation while the sheets are ejected to the sheet ejection tray without using the stacker, the sheets will be ejected to the sheet ejection tray after having been stacked temporarily in the stacker.