Sheet Feeder Aligner Timing for Small Stacks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sheet feeders struggle to align and feed small-sized document stacks efficiently, as the positioning operation of the aligner often cannot be completed before the stacker reaches the contact state, leading to potential feeding failures such as skewing.
Innovation Solution
The sheet feeder incorporates a size specifying unit and circuitry that delay the switching completion time from the separation state to the contact state when the sheet stack's width size is smaller than a given size, allowing sufficient time for aligner positioning before the contact state is reached.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the switcher switches the aligner from separation state to contact state quickly without waiting for feeding start instruction, then productivity is improved, but for small-sized sheet stacks the aligner positioning cannot be completed before contact state is reached, causing feeding failures
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the switching completion time based on the detected sheet size. For small-sized sheets, the switching completion time is set later to allow aligner positioning, while for regular-sized sheets, it is set earlier to maximize productivity. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between speed and accuracy for different sheet types.
Solution Approach 2:
The circuitry changes the timing parameter (switching completion time) based on the sheet size parameter. When the size specifying unit detects a small-sized sheet stack, it modifies the switching completion time to occur later, ensuring the aligner has sufficient time to position the sheets before the contact state is achieved.
2Reliability
If the switching completion time is set late to allow aligner positioning for small sheets, then feeding accuracy is improved, but productivity decreases due to delayed sheet feeding
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs dynamic timing adjustment where the switching completion time is not fixed but varies according to sheet size. This resolves the contradiction by applying different timing strategies: later timing for small sheets to ensure accuracy, and earlier timing for regular sheets to maintain high productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
Different timing characteristics are applied to different sheet size categories. Small-sized sheets receive extended positioning time (local quality adjustment), while regular-sized sheets follow the standard faster timing, optimizing both accuracy and productivity for each category.
3Manufacturing precision
If the aligner positioning time is extended for small-sized sheets, then alignment precision is improved, but the overall processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the switching completion time parameter based on sheet size detection. For small-sized sheets, the parameter is adjusted to allow sufficient alignment precision, while for regular-sized sheets, the original timing is maintained to avoid unnecessary time loss.
Data Source
AI summary
A sheet feeder includes a stacker, a sheet feeding member, an aligner, a switcher, a size specifying unit, and circuitry. The sheet feeding member contacts and feeds a sheet stack on the stacker. The aligner is movable to align a position in a sheet width direction of the sheet stack on the stacker. The switcher switches the aligner from a separation state to a contact state without waiting for a feeding start instruction after the sheet stack is stacked on the stacker. The circuitry delays a switching completion time when the size in the sheet width direction of the sheet stack specified by the size specifying unit is smaller than a given size, to be later than the switching completion time when the size in the sheet width direction of the sheet stack is equal to or greater than the given size.