Sheet Feeder Feed Roller Direction Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sheet feeders face issues with sheet conveyance problems due to the potential for the feed roller to follow the reverse roller's rotation in the counter-feeding direction, leading to improper sheet alignment and potential damage.
Innovation Solution
A sheet feeder design that includes a feed roller, a transmission mechanism, and a reverse roller, where the feed roller is driven to rotate in the feeding direction by a motor, and the reverse roller rotates in both feeding and counter-feeding directions, with a shutter mechanism to regulate sheet movement, ensuring the feed roller maintains its direction and reduces the likelihood of counter-feeding rotation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the reverse roller rotates in the counter-feeding direction to separate sheets, then the separating function is activated, but the feed roller may follow the reverse roller's rotation causing sheet conveyance problems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the roller system into functionally independent segments: the feed roller is driven by a dedicated feed roller motor, while the reverse roller is driven by a separate reverse roller motor. This segmentation ensures that each roller can operate independently without being influenced by the other's rotation, preventing the feed roller from following the reverse roller's counter-feeding rotation and causing sheet conveyance issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism in the form of a shutter controlled by a shutter motor, which acts as a mediator between the feed roller and reverse roller systems. The shutter regulates sheet movement and prevents sheets from being adversely affected by the reverse roller's counter-feeding rotation, thereby eliminating sheet conveyance problems while maintaining the separating function.
2Device complexity
If a single motor drives both the reverse roller and shutter, then device complexity is reduced, but the feed roller may rotate in counter-feeding direction causing improper sheet alignment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the drive system into three independent motors: a feed roller motor for the feed roller, a reverse roller motor for the reverse roller, and a shutter motor for the shutter. This segmentation provides precise independent control over each component, ensuring that the feed roller maintains correct feeding direction and prevents improper sheet alignment, while still achieving a relatively simple overall device structure.
3Productivity
If the feed roller is continuously driven in feeding direction, then sheet conveying efficiency is improved, but the likelihood of counter-feeding rotation increases causing sheet damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by introducing the shutter as a preventive measure that blocks sheets from entering the roller gap when the reverse roller rotates in the counter-feeding direction. Additionally, the independent motor control system preemptively prevents the feed roller from rotating in the counter-feeding direction by providing dedicated drive control, thereby preventing sheet damage before it can occur while maintaining continuous sheet conveying efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
A sheet feeder includes: a feed roller; a transmission mechanism for transmitting a first drive force to the feed roller to rotate the feed roller in a feeding direction; a motor rotatable in a forward direction and in a reverse direction opposite the forward direction to generate a second drive force; a reverse roller rotatable in the feeding direction and in a counter-feeding direction opposite the feeding direction by the second drive force; and a driven part driven by the second drive force. The transmission mechanism transmits the first drive force to the feed roller to rotate the feed roller in the feeding direction in case that the reverse roller is rotated in the feeding direction; and the transmission mechanism transmits the first drive force to the feed roller to rotate the feed roller in the feeding direction in case that the reverse roller is rotated in the counter-feeding direction.