Sheet Handling Apparatus Dynamic Posture Rotation for Uniform Stacking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sheet handling apparatuses face challenges in storing sheets with varying thicknesses, leading to uneven bundles due to thick portions, which can cause height discrepancies in storage.
Innovation Solution
A sheet handling method and apparatus that utilize a posture changing unit to alternate the orientation of sheets during storage, determining whether the thickness difference between thick and thin parts exceeds a threshold to decide on first or second storage processing, ensuring even stacking by rotating sheets through a temporary storage unit if necessary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If sheets are stored in a long edge storage unit or short edge storage unit with thick parts overlapping, then storage capacity is improved, but height uniformity of the bundle deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The storage system dynamically switches between two storage modes (first storage mode with sheets in first posture, second storage mode with sheets in second posture) based on the thickness distribution of sheets in the storage unit. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to maintain height uniformity while maximizing storage capacity by adjusting the orientation of subsequently stored sheets according to the current bundle's thickness profile.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the posture parameter of sheets (from first posture to second posture or vice versa) based on the measured thickness distribution. By altering the orientation parameter of stored sheets, the system compensates for thickness variations and maintains uniform bundle height, thereby resolving the contradiction between storage capacity and height uniformity.
2Productivity
If sheets with varying thicknesses are stored without orientation adjustment, then storage speed is improved, but storage precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary measurement of sheet thickness distribution before determining the storage mode. By measuring the thickness profile of sheets already in the storage unit and predicting the impact of storing new sheets in different postures, the system proactively selects the appropriate storage mode to maintain precision without requiring post-storage adjustments, thus preserving storage speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors the thickness distribution of sheets in the storage unit and uses this feedback to dynamically adjust the storage mode for subsequently stored sheets. This closed-loop control ensures that storage precision is maintained while minimizing interruptions to the storage process, thereby balancing storage speed and precision.
Data Source
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Figure 3
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AI summary
Provided is a sheet handling method performed by a sheet handling apparatus. The sheet handling apparatus includes: a first transport unit; a reception unit; a second transport unit; a first storage unit; a second storage unit; and a posture changing unit that rotates a sheet in a first direction between the first transport unit and the second transport unit to change a posture of the sheet to a first posture or a second posture. The sheet handling method includes alternatively performing, by the sheet handling apparatus, based on a storage state in the first storage unit: first storage processing of storing the sheet in the first storage unit without passing the sheet through the posture changing unit and the second storage unit, where the sheet has been guided from the reception unit to the first transport unit; or second storage processing of storing the sheet in the first storage unit by storing the sheet in the second storage unit via the posture changing unit and passing the sheet through the posture changing unit from the second storage unit to thereby rotate the sheet in the first direction, where the sheet has been guided from the reception unit to the first transport unit.