Sheet Processing Apparatus Purge Tray Overflow Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sheet processing apparatuses struggle to efficiently handle multifed sheets and sheets with separation failures, leading to inefficiencies in sheet processing and potential jamming issues.
Innovation Solution
A sheet processing apparatus comprising a sheet feeder, a sheet processing device, a sheet ejection device, a purge unit, a multifeed sensor, and circuitry that detects multifed sheets and separation failures, and conveys such sheets to a purge tray, while counting and determining when the purge tray is full to prevent overflow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the apparatus uses a purge tray to collect sheets with separation failures and multifed sheets, then the sheet processing efficiency is improved, but the purge tray may overflow and cause jamming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the controller monitors the number of sheets in the purge tray via sensors and automatically adjusts the ejection of sheets based on the purge tray's capacity status. When the purge tray is full, the system stops ejecting sheets to the purge tray, preventing overflow and jamming while maintaining efficient processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary actions by proactively managing the purge tray capacity through continuous monitoring and predictive control. The system anticipates when the purge tray will be full and takes preventive measures to stop sheet ejection before overflow occurs, ensuring reliable operation.
2Speed
If the apparatus continuously ejects sheets to the purge tray during processing, then the processing speed is maintained, but the purge tray may become full and disrupt operation
Solution Approach 1:
The controller receives feedback from sensors monitoring the purge tray's sheet count and dynamically adjusts the ejection process. When the purge tray reaches its capacity, the system automatically stops ejecting sheets, preventing operational disruption while maintaining high processing speed during normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic control to the sheet ejection process, transitioning from a static continuous ejection mode to a dynamic adaptive mode. The system adjusts its behavior in real-time based on purge tray capacity, optimizing both processing speed and continuous operation capability.
3Measurement precision
If the apparatus uses sensors to detect sheet conditions and control ejection, then the accuracy of sheet handling is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies multi-functionality by using a single sensor system to detect multiple sheet conditions including separation failures, multifed sheets, and purge tray capacity. This unified detection approach improves measurement precision while minimizing the increase in device complexity compared to using separate specialized sensors for each function.
Data Source
AI summary
A sheet processing apparatus including a sheet feeder, a sheet processing device, a sheet ejection device, a purge unit, a multifeed sensor, and circuitry. The sheet feeder feeds a sheet toward a sheet conveyance passage. The sheet processing device performs a predetermined operation on the sheet. The sheet ejection device stacks the sheet when the predetermined operation has been performed. The purge unit stacks the sheet when the predetermined operation has not been performed. The multifeed sensor detects whether sheets are multifed and a number of multifed sheets. The circuitry counts a number of sheets, determines that the sheets stacked in the purge unit is full when a number of counted sheets reaches a predetermined number of sheets, and conveys the multifed sheets toward the purge unit and adds the number of counted sheets according to the number of multifed sheets, in response to detection of the multifed sheets.