Sheet Shaping Rollers With Idling Gear for Web Tip Thickening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sheet manufacturing apparatuses face challenges in controlling the thickness of the web tip end, leading to issues such as adhesion to heating rollers and mechanical weakness, which can cause paper jams due to insufficient mechanical strength.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus incorporates a sheet shaping portion with a first and second roller, utilizing a drive motor, one-way clutch gear, and idling mechanism to control the web tip end by folding and doubling it to increase thickness, preventing adhesion and buckling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the web tip end thickness is reduced, then the sheet manufacturing process becomes simpler, but the web adheres to the heating roller and the sheet buckles due to insufficient mechanical strength
Solution Approach 1:
The idling mechanism is activated before the web tip end enters the heating roller area, allowing the web to be folded and doubled in advance. This preliminary thickening action prevents adhesion and buckling before they occur, resolving the contradiction between simple thickness control and reliable operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the web thickness by controlling the idling mechanism's engagement and disengagement timing. The first transmission gear runs idle during specific phases to fold the web tip end, creating variable thickness distribution that maintains reliability without increasing overall device complexity.
2Productivity
If the web tip end thickness is reduced, then the sheet production efficiency increases, but the tip end is caught on transportation rollers causing paper jams
Solution Approach 1:
The idling mechanism performs preliminary folding and thickening of the web tip end before it reaches the transportation rollers. This advance preparation ensures the tip end has sufficient thickness and mechanical strength to pass through the transportation path without being caught, thereby preventing paper jams while maintaining production efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The folded web tip end acts as an intermediary structure that bridges the thickness gap. By creating a doubled-thickness section at the tip end, the mechanism ensures smooth passage through transportation rollers without requiring additional protective devices or reducing overall production speed.
3Reliability
If a thicker web tip end is maintained, then adhesion and buckling are prevented, but the apparatus size and component number increase
Solution Approach 1:
The drive motor serves multiple functions: it drives the second roller for normal sheet formation and, through the one-way clutch gear and idling mechanism, drives the folding action for web tip end thickening. This multi-functionality achieves reliability improvement without proportionally increasing device complexity or component count.
Solution Approach 2:
The idling mechanism merges the thickening function with the existing roller pressing mechanism. By utilizing the space and structural relationships between existing components (first transmission gear, cam gear, cam), the system achieves web tip end folding without adding significant apparatus size or independent component systems.
Data Source
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AI summary
A sheet manufacturing apparatus includes a defibrator that generates a defibrated material, a accumulating portion that forms a web by accumulating the defibrated material, and a sheet shaping portion that includes a first roller and a second roller, and forms a strip-shaped sheet by pressing the web. The sheet shaping portion includes a first roller retention unit at which the first roller is installed, a drive motor, a gear to which rotation of the drive motor is transmitted so as to rotate the second roller, a first transmission gear to which rotation of the gear is transmitted, a one-way clutch gear installed at the same rotating shaft as the first transmission gear, a gear to which rotation of the one-way clutch gear is transmitted, a cam installed coaxially with the gear, and a pin that is fixed to the first roller retention unit and performs positioning of the first roller retention unit by coming into contact with the cam. The first transmission gear includes an idling mechanism capable of running idle over a certain period.