Sheet Stacking Apparatus Movable Holding Unit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sheet processing apparatuses face issues with defective conveying and alignment of inelastic sheets due to buckling caused by their own weight, particularly in vertical-path alignment configurations, leading to increased apparatus size to mitigate these problems.
Innovation Solution
A sheet stacking apparatus with a discharging unit, a stacking member, and a movably disposed holding unit that adjusts to the upstream end of the sheet in the discharging direction, preventing buckling by securely holding the trailing end of the sheet, allowing for precise alignment and stacking without apparatus size increase.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a vertical-path alignment configuration is used to align sheets, then the apparatus size can be reduced, but inelastic sheets buckle due to their own weight causing defective conveying and alignment
Solution Approach 1:
The holding unit is configured to be movable along the stacking surface of the stacking member, allowing it to dynamically adjust its position according to changes in the position of the upstream end of the sheet in the discharging direction. This dynamic adjustment enables the holding unit to maintain proper sheet positioning without requiring a large horizontal stacking area, thus resolving the contradiction between compact apparatus size and reliable sheet conveying.
Solution Approach 2:
The holding unit acts as an intermediary element between the conveying roller and the stacking member. It provides additional support to the upstream end of the sheet during the conveying process, preventing buckling of inelastic sheets while maintaining a compact vertical-path alignment configuration. This intermediary support mechanism enables reliable conveying without increasing apparatus footprint.
2Reliability
If the stacking surface is made horizontal to prevent buckling, then sheet alignment reliability improves, but the lateral size of the apparatus increases
Solution Approach 1:
The holding unit moves along the stacking surface to adapt to different sheet positions, enabling effective sheet support on a vertically inclined stacking surface without requiring a large horizontal extent. This dynamic positioning capability allows the system to maintain alignment reliability while keeping the apparatus compact in the lateral direction.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a horizontal stacking approach to a vertical-path alignment configuration with a movable holding unit. By utilizing the vertical dimension for the stacking surface inclination and the movable holding unit for sheet support, the system achieves reliable alignment without increasing the lateral footprint of the apparatus.
3Device complexity
If a fixed holding position is used for stacked sheets, then the structure is simplified, but sheets of varying sizes cannot be properly aligned
Solution Approach 1:
The holding unit is designed to move along the stacking surface, allowing it to adapt to different sheet sizes and positions. This movability provides versatility in handling various sheet formats while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure, as the holding unit itself remains a single component that changes position rather than requiring multiple fixed holding structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable holding unit serves multiple functions: it supports sheets of varying sizes, maintains proper alignment during conveying, and adapts to different stacking positions. This single multi-functional component replaces what would otherwise require multiple specialized holding structures, achieving versatility without proportionally increasing structural complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Typical configurations of a sheet stacking apparatus, a sheet processing apparatus, and an image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes a discharging unit which discharges a sheet; a stacking member which stacks a discharged sheet; and a holding unit which is movably disposed along a stacking surface of the stacking member and holds an upstream end in the discharging direction of a stacked sheet, wherein the holding unit is moved according to changes in the upstream end position of the sheet in the discharging direction.