Sheet Processing Apparatus Arm Speed Synchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sheet processing apparatuses face issues with conveyance reliability and paper receiving alignment due to mismatched speeds between the arm and roller, leading to potential breakdowns and misalignment of sheet bundles.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus incorporates a first conveying unit with a rotary shaft and roller driven by a first drive source, and a second conveying unit with pulleys and an arm that synchronizes speed along a straight portion of the belt, adjusting speed when moving in the peripheral direction to match the rotational speed of the roller, ensuring stable conveyance and alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If the arm moves in the peripheral direction of the pulley to discharge the sheet bundle, then the discharge function is achieved, but the speed of the arm becomes faster than the roller causing synchronization loss and reliability degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the arm speed variable rather than constant. The arm speed is dynamically adjusted based on the pulley's rotational position: it matches the roller speed during the straight portion of the belt and increases only during the peripheral direction movement for discharge. This dynamic speed adjustment resolves the contradiction by allowing high speed for discharge function while maintaining synchronization for reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the speed parameter of the arm based on the operational phase. During normal conveyance along the straight belt portion, the arm speed equals the roller speed. During discharge when the pulley rotates in the peripheral direction, the arm speed parameter is increased. This parameter change allows the system to achieve both synchronization (for reliability) and faster discharge (for function) at different times.
2Area of stationary object
If the stopper plate is made larger to be opposite to almost overall the sheet bundle, then the sheet bundle can be stopped and aligned, but the drive unit becomes larger and more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the stopping and alignment function from the stopper plate itself and transfers it to the arm mechanism. The arm, which is already part of the conveyance system, is used to push the sheet bundle against the stopper plate for alignment. This eliminates the need for a large stopper plate, reducing the area requirement and simplifying the drive unit while maintaining the alignment function.
Solution Approach 2:
The arm serves multiple functions: it conveys the sheet bundle during normal operation and also performs the stopping/alignment function by pushing the bundle against the stopper plate. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for a separate large stopper plate mechanism, reducing both area and complexity requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A sheet processing apparatus comprises a processing tray for loading a sheet bundle, a first conveying unit having a rotary shaft which is installed at least at the end on the downstream side in the direction for moving the sheet bundle on the processing tray and is driven to rotate via a first drive source and a drive unit and a roller installed on the rotary shaft for loading and conveying the sheet bundle and discharging the sheet bundle from the end on the downstream side and from the processing tray, and a second conveying unit having a pair of pulleys having at least one of them installed rotatably on the rotary shaft on the downstream side driven to rotate via a second drive source and a drive unit, a belt stretched over the pair of pulleys, and an arm installed on the belt for hooking an end of the sheet bundle on the processing tray, conveying it together with the roller, and discharging the sheet bundle from the end on the downstream side and from the processing tray. The arm of the second conveying unit synchronizes the speed when moving along the straight portion of the belt with the rotational speed of the roller of the first conveying unit and changes the speed when moving in the peripheral direction of the pulley on the downstream side among the pair of pulleys from the rotational speed of the roller.