Sheet Feeding Device with Floating Air Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sheet feeding devices struggle to accurately control air volume for sheet feeding, leading to dispersion issues and unreliable separation and conveyance of sheets due to fixed conditions based on sheet type, inability to judge appropriate floating, and failure to reflect continuous sheet states in air volume control.
Innovation Solution
A sheet feeding device equipped with a sheet stacking table that goes up and down, a sucking and conveying mechanism, a floating air blowing mechanism, a sheet position detecting sensor, and a controller that adjusts air volume based on the detected floating state of sheets, ensuring optimal air volume control for stable sheet floating and separation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If air volume is fixed based on sheet type, then device complexity is reduced, but sheet feeding reliability deteriorates due to dispersion in floating states
Solution Approach 1:
The air volume for floating sheets is changed dynamically based on the detected floating state. The controller adjusts the air volume in real-time during the floating process rather than using a fixed value, allowing adaptation to variations in sheet conditions while maintaining a relatively simple device structure.
Solution Approach 2:
A sheet position detecting sensor detects the floating state of sheets, and this detection result is fed back to the controller which then adjusts the air volume accordingly. This feedback mechanism enables reliable sheet feeding by continuously optimizing air volume based on actual floating conditions without requiring complex pre-programming.
2Reliability
If air volume is increased to ensure sheet floating, then sheet separation reliability improves, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The air volume is adjusted dynamically during the floating process based on detected sheet states. The controller increases air volume only when needed to achieve proper floating and separation, then reduces it afterward, avoiding continuous high energy consumption while maintaining reliable sheet separation.
Solution Approach 2:
The air volume parameter is changed based on the floating state detection. By detecting whether sheets are properly floating and adjusting the air volume parameter accordingly, the system achieves reliable separation only when necessary, optimizing energy usage rather than maintaining constant high power consumption.
3Use of energy by moving object
If air volume is decreased to save energy, then energy consumption is reduced, but sheet floating stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The sheet position detecting sensor provides continuous feedback on floating stability, and the controller adjusts air volume in response to maintain stable floating. This feedback control ensures that energy is not unnecessarily consumed while preserving floating stability through real-time optimization.
Solution Approach 2:
The air volume is adjusted dynamically to match actual floating needs. The system transitions from static fixed air volume to dynamic adjustment based on detection, allowing energy reduction when floating is stable while maintaining stability when conditions require it.
4Device complexity
If detection is performed only for uppermost sheet, then device complexity is reduced, but sheet feeding precision deteriorates due to unreflected continuous sheet states
Solution Approach 1:
The sheet position detecting sensor detects the floating state during the floating period, and this feedback is used by the controller to adjust air volume. This continuous feedback during the critical floating phase improves sheet feeding precision by reflecting actual sheet states without requiring complex detection for every individual sheet.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution stabilizes sheet floating and ensures reliable separation and conveyance by optimizing air volume control, preventing double feeding and improving image quality in image forming apparatuses.
Implementation Method 1
a floating air blowing mechanism that blows floating air against the sheet from the side of sheets stacked on the sheet stacking table
Implementation Method 2
a sucking and conveying mechanism that sucks a sheet stacked on the sheet stacking table from the upper surface, then, causes the uppermost sheet to be sucked on a suction surface and conveys the sheet sucked on the suction surface to a sheet conveyance path
Data Source
AI summary
A sheet feeding device may include a sucking and conveying mechanism having a suction surface, which sucks sheets stacked on a sheet stacking table, from an upper surface of the sheets, sucks an uppermost sheet to be sucked on the suction surface, and conveys the uppermost sheet onto a sheet conveyance path; a floating air blowing mechanism which blows floating air against the sheets from a side surface of the stacked sheets; a sheet position detecting sensor which detects an upper surface height position of the sheets stacked, and detects a floating state of the sheets floated; and a controller which judges the floating state of the sheets detected in a floating state detecting period in connection with a blowing of the floating air, and controls an air volume of floating air blown from the floating air blowing mechanism based on the floating state of the sheets.