Sloped Revolving Sorting Apparatus with Transparent Support Members

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing sorting apparatuses for printed materials, such as ink jet printers, face difficulties in visually ascertaining the collection states of sorted items due to uniformly sized collection plates, making it hard to determine the status of items collected.

Innovation Solution

A sorting apparatus with a sloped revolving movement pathway and transparent, plate-shaped support members that change orientation from a holding to a sorting position, allowing easy visualization of supported items and efficient space utilization.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Volume of moving object

If collection plates are disposed at the same height to form a stacked state, then space utilization is improved, but the ability to visually ascertain collection states deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespace utilizationVSAvoidvisual detection of collection states

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The collection plates are disposed at different heights rather than the same height, creating an asymmetric arrangement that allows visual inspection of collection states while maintaining compact space utilization through the stepped configuration

Inventive Principle:

Principle #4Asymmetry

2Difficulty of detecting and measuring

If collection plates are made transparent or translucent, then visual detection of collection states is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevisual detection of collection statesVSAvoidmanufacturing of transparent plates

Core Design Contradiction:

Difficulty of detecting and measuringVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

Only the plate portions that need to be visually inspected are made transparent or translucent, while other portions can remain opaque, allowing selective application of the transparency property where it is most needed for detection purposes

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Difficulty of detecting and measuring

If support members are arranged with decreasing highest positions toward the downstream side, then visual detection of support states is improved, but structural complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevisual detection of support statesVSAvoidstructural arrangement of support members

Core Design Contradiction:

Difficulty of detecting and measuringVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The support members are arranged in a stepped configuration where each successive support member toward the downstream side has a lower highest position, creating a graded structure that facilitates visual inspection while maintaining structural simplicity through systematic positioning

Inventive Principle:

Principle #12Equipotentiality

Data Source

PatentUS8720674B2Sorting apparatus

Publication Date: 2014.05.13 SEIKO EPSON CORP

AI summary

A sorting apparatus sequentially receives and holds a plurality of transported items that are transported and sorts and supports the transported items, and includes an endless movement member disposed so as to form a constant revolving movement pathway, and a plurality of support members that are attached to the movement member so as to be arranged along the direction in which the movement member revolves and that are capable of supporting respective transported items. In a support region that is a region of the revolving movement pathway of the movement member in which the transported items are supported by respective support members, the highest position of the support members decreases the closer the support members are to the downstream side of the direction in which the movement member revolves.