Sheet Feeder Contact Unit for Jam Prevention

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing small piece supplying apparatuses face issues with sheet deformation and jamming due to differences in rotation directions and speeds of rollers, leading to unstable sheet transportation and production failures, especially when dealing with bent or stapled sheets.

Innovation Solution

A small piece supplying apparatus that includes a raw material supplying section with a feeder roller and a contact unit that changes the course of the raw material sheet, along with a reservoir section for accumulating coarse crushed pieces, stabilizes sheet separation and transportation by guiding sheets through a contact unit with a sloped surface, preventing jamming and ensuring consistent supply.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the retard method is used to separate sheets by adjusting rotation directions and speeds of rollers, then sheet separation is achieved, but excessive sheet deformation and jamming occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesheet separation stabilityVSAvoidsheet deformation and jamming

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The guide member changes the course of the raw material sheet before it enters the feeder roller, preliminarily positioning the sheet edge. This preliminary action prevents the sheet from being improperly fed into the roller, avoiding deformation and jamming that would occur with the retard method's differential rotation approach

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The guide member acts as an intermediary between the raw material sheet and the feeder roller. It mediates the sheet's path by contacting the sheet edge and redirecting it, ensuring proper alignment before the sheet enters the feeding mechanism, thereby preventing the harmful effects of deformation and jamming

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If a transportation roll pair is used to transport sheets, then sheet transportation is achieved, but bent or stapled sheets cause jamming and transportation failure

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesheet transportation efficiencyVSAvoidtransportation stability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The guide member preliminarily corrects the sheet path by changing its course before the sheet enters the transportation system. This preliminary action ensures that even bent or stapled sheets are properly positioned, preventing jamming and maintaining both productivity and reliability in sheet transportation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS11305461B2Small piece supplying apparatus and fibrous body molding apparatus

Publication Date: 2022.04.19 SEIKO EPSON CORP

AI summary

A small piece supplying apparatus includes: a raw material supplying section that supplies a raw material sheet; a coarse crushing section that coarsely crushes the raw material sheet supplied from the raw material supplying section to produce small pieces; and a reservoir section in which the small pieces produced by the coarse crushing section are accumulated. The raw material supplying section includes a feeder roller that feeds out the raw material sheet, and a contact section that changes a course of the raw material sheet by contact with an edge of the raw material sheet fed out by the feeder roller.