Sheet Stacking Air Blowing Section for Friction Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet image formation on sheets leads to increased coefficient of friction, causing poor slidability and discharge defects when sheets are transferred from a processing tray to a stack tray, especially for high image ratio prints.
Innovation Solution
A sheet stacking apparatus with an air blowing section that adjusts air quantity and direction based on the image ratio, ensuring proper discharge by reducing friction between sheets and the tray, using a first air quantity for lower image ratios and a second, larger air quantity for higher image ratios, and changing the air blow direction by inclining it at specific angles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If inkjet image formation is performed with high image ratio, then image quality is improved, but coefficient of friction increases causing discharge defects
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the physical state of the air by adjusting temperature and pressure parameters to create an air stream with optimized characteristics. The air blowing section heats and pressurizes air to generate a controlled air stream that reduces friction between sheets and the processing tray, enabling reliable discharge of high-image-ratio sheets without compromising image quality
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies pneumatic principles by using an air blowing section with heater and pressure regulator to generate a controlled air stream. This air stream acts on the sheets during discharge from the processing tray to the stack tray, reducing friction and preventing discharge defects caused by high coefficient of friction in high-image-ratio prints
2Reliability
If air quantity is increased to improve slidability, then discharge reliability is improved, but sheet position control becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The invention makes the air blowing parameters dynamic by adjusting temperature and pressure based on the specific discharge conditions. The system dynamically controls the air stream characteristics to provide optimal slidability enhancement while maintaining sheet position control, adapting to different discharge scenarios rather than using fixed air quantity
Solution Approach 2:
The invention implements feedback control by monitoring discharge conditions and adjusting air blowing parameters accordingly. The system uses feedback from discharge reliability and sheet position information to optimize the air stream characteristics, ensuring both reliable discharge and accurate position control are achieved simultaneously
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Effectively suppresses discharge defects by optimizing air flow to match the frictional resistance of sheets with varying image ratios, ensuring smooth transfer from the processing tray to the stack tray.
Implementation Method 1
an air blowing section that enables air to be blown toward a downstream side in the transport direction from between the downstream-side end portion of the first stacking section and an upstream-side end portion of the second stacking section
Data Source
AI summary
In order to properly suppress a discharge defect corresponding to an image ratio of a sheet, in the case where a coefficient of friction is different according to the image ratio of an image on the sheet, an air blowing section is arranged to blow air toward a downstream side in a transport direction from between a downstream-side end portion of a first stacking section and an upstream-side end portion of a second stacking section. When an image ratio of an image on a sheet by an image forming apparatus is a first value, the air blowing section sets an air quantity blown to the sheet at a first air quantity F1, while when the image ratio is a second value higher than the first value, setting the air quantity blown to the sheet at a second air quantity F2 larger than the first air quantity F1.