Sheet Processing Apparatus Shift Amount Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sheet processing apparatuses face a trade-off between productivity and accuracy in alignment processing, as increasing shift amounts improve alignment accuracy but lengthen processing time, while reducing shift amounts improves productivity but compromises alignment accuracy.
Innovation Solution
A sheet processing apparatus that controls the shift amount of sheets in the conveyance direction by generating a sheet bundle with overlapping sheets in a buffer section, allowing for precise alignment while optimizing processing time based on sheet sizes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the shift amount of the sheet is increased to improve alignment accuracy, then the accuracy of alignment processing is improved, but the total length of the sheet bundle lengthens and time required for alignment processing increases, leading to decreased productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the shift amount variable rather than fixed. The control unit dynamically adjusts the shift amount based on the size of each sheet, allowing the system to optimize between alignment accuracy and productivity for different sheet dimensions. This is achieved through the conveyance control unit that varies the shift amount according to sheet size information
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of shift amount based on sheet size. By adjusting this critical parameter dynamically, the system resolves the contradiction between alignment accuracy (which benefits from larger shift amounts) and productivity (which benefits from smaller shift amounts). The control unit implements this parameter change by selecting appropriate shift amounts corresponding to different sheet sizes
2Productivity
If the shift amounts of the sheets are uniformly reduced to improve productivity, then the time required for alignment processing shortens, but the accuracy of alignment processing may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing different shift amounts for different sheet sizes rather than using a uniform shift amount for all sheets. This allows each sheet category (based on size) to receive the appropriate shift amount needed for its alignment accuracy requirements, while overall productivity is improved by optimizing for each local case
Data Source
AI summary
A sheet processing apparatus includes a stacking portion on which sheets targeted for sheet processing are stacked. In the apparatus, a control unit generates, in a buffer section provided in a conveyance path for conveying sheets to the stacking portion, a sheet bundle in which positions of sheets conveyed on the conveyance path are shifted in sequence to an upstream side in a conveyance direction and overlapped. An alignment unit performs alignment processing in the conveyance direction on the sheet bundle stacked on the stacking portion. A processing unit performs sheet processing on the sheet bundle on which the alignment processing has been performed. The control unit controls shift amounts of the positions of the sheets when the sheets are overlapped in the buffer section in sequence, according to sizes of the sheets conveyed on the conveyance path.