Sheet Transport Control via Gap Sensor Timing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing recording apparatuses face challenges in efficiently controlling the transport of sheets to minimize standby time and prevent excessive tension, leading to increased printing time and potential sheet damage due to complex motor control requirements.
Innovation Solution
A recording apparatus with a controller that determines which transporting device to drive first based on conditions and controls the startup timing of the other device according to a position parameter, ensuring accurate and simple control of sheet transport by shifting driving timings, regardless of which motor is driven first.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple transport rollers are driven by respective motors to simultaneously perform ejection and feeding operations, then printing throughput is improved, but control complexity increases and sheet damage risk occurs due to excessive tension
Solution Approach 1:
A gap detection sensor is introduced as an intermediary device between the transport roller and the sheet to detect the presence of the sheet. This sensor mediates the control system's awareness of sheet position, enabling precise timing control without requiring complex inter-motor communication. The sensor acts as a mediator that translates physical sheet position into control signals, simplifying the overall control architecture while maintaining high throughput.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback control by using the gap detection sensor to continuously monitor sheet position and adjust motor operation timing accordingly. The sensor provides real-time feedback about whether a sheet is present in the transport path, allowing the control system to dynamically adjust the timing of motor activation. This feedback mechanism enables precise coordination between multiple motors without requiring complex predetermined timing sequences.
2Reliability
If multiple transport rollers are driven by respective motors with delayed timing, then excessive tension in the sheet is prevented, but control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system allows the sheet itself to dictate the timing sequence through the gap detection sensor. When the sensor detects the sheet's presence or absence, it automatically triggers the appropriate motor activation sequence. This self-service approach eliminates the need for complex external control logic, as the sheet's own physical state (presence/absence) directly controls the timing of motor operations through the sensor feedback loop.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical timing mechanisms with an optical/electrical sensing system. Instead of using mechanical linkages or interlocked gears to coordinate motor timing, the system uses a gap detection sensor to optically or electrically sense sheet position and convert it into control signals. This substitution of mechanical coordination with sensor-based control simplifies the system while maintaining precise timing control to prevent sheet tension and damage.
3Reliability
If the transport roller is stopped until the previous sheet has been transported to the position for preventing double feeding, then double feeding is prevented, but standby time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gap detection sensor performs preliminary detection of sheet position before the actual transport operation begins. By detecting whether a sheet is already in the transport path, the system can proactively adjust motor timing to prevent double feeding. This preliminary action eliminates the need for conservative standby periods, as the sensor provides advance warning that enables immediate corrective timing adjustments.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses real-time feedback from the gap detection sensor to dynamically adjust transport timing. Instead of using fixed standby periods, the sensor continuously monitors sheet position and provides feedback that enables the control system to activate motors at the precise moment needed. This feedback-driven approach eliminates unnecessary standby time while maintaining reliable double feeding prevention through accurate, real-time sheet position awareness.
Data Source
AI summary
A recording apparatus includes a first transporting device, a second transporting device, and a recording device which performs recording on the medium transported by the first and second transporting devices. The recording apparatus includes: a controller which determines one transporting device which is to be driven first according to a condition, determines the other transporting device which is to be subsequently driven and controls a startup timing of the other transporting device on the basis of a position parameter according to a driving amount of the one transporting device which is to be driven first.