Sheet Stacking Apparatus Inclined Tray Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sheet stacking apparatuses face inefficiencies due to uneven sheet shrinkage and curling, which cause center-folded bundles to swell, exceeding mechanical size limits and hindering the stacking of large numbers of sheets, and issues with sheets sliding on inclined trays leading to jamming and alignment failures.
Innovation Solution
A sheet stacking apparatus with a conveyance unit, an inclined stacking unit having a first and second region, a guide portion to direct sheets onto the second region, and a pressing portion to maintain alignment and prevent edge opening, ensuring secure stacking and preventing subsequent sheets from hitting already stacked ones.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If an inclined receiving surface is used to stack sheets, then stacking efficiency is improved, but subsequent sheets may slide and hit already stacked sheets causing jamming
Solution Approach 1:
The receiving surface is segmented into multiple regions (first region for initial sheet placement, second region for subsequent sheet stacking). This segmentation allows different functional zones on the same inclined surface, enabling sheets to be guided to specific areas that prevent sliding-induced jamming while maintaining the efficiency benefits of the inclined design.
Solution Approach 2:
A guide portion is introduced as an intermediary element between the conveyance unit and the receiving surface. This guide portion directs sheets to the appropriate region on the inclined surface, mediating the interaction between sheet motion and the inclined surface to prevent harmful sliding while preserving the stacking efficiency.
2Quantity of substance
If center-folded bundles are stacked, then more sheets can be processed, but the bundles swell exceeding mechanical size limits
Solution Approach 1:
A pressing portion is positioned to apply pressure to sheets before they are fully stacked and secured. This preliminary pressing action compresses center-folded bundles to prevent swelling, ensuring that even when processing large quantities of sheets, the stack height remains within mechanical size limits of the delivery tray.
Data Source
AI summary
A sheet stacking apparatus, including: a conveyance unit configured to convey a sheet; a stacking unit on which a sheet conveyed by the conveyance unit is stacked, the stacking unit inclined downward in a conveyance direction in which the conveyance unit conveys a sheet and including a first region and a second region located downstream of the first region in the conveyance direction; a guide portion configured to guide a sheet conveyed by the conveyance unit over a sheet placed on the second region; and a pressing portion configured to press a sheet placed on the second region.