Stacker Support Member Dynamics for Compact Media Stacking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing stackers for processing apparatuses, such as printers, face challenges in size increase due to fixed support members and complex control operations for media transportation, which hinder efficient stacking and space utilization.
Innovation Solution
A movable support member that recedes by a specified distance and is maintained at that position using a position maintaining mechanism, allowing for sequential stacking without the need for a conveyor belt, and utilizing the processing apparatus's motive power for transport, simplifying the transport path and control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the support member is fixed at a position largely separated from the ejection opening, then a larger amount of media can be stacked, but the stacker increases in size and requires a conveyor belt for transportation
Solution Approach 1:
The support member is made movable instead of fixed, allowing it to dynamically adjust its position between the ejection opening and the stacking position. This enables the stacker to accommodate more media without increasing its overall size, as the support member can be positioned closer to the ejection opening during ejection and moved away during stacking.
Solution Approach 2:
The support member is configured to move not only in the ejection direction but also in the width direction, utilizing multiple spatial dimensions to achieve compact stacking. This allows media to be stacked in a more space-efficient manner, increasing capacity without proportionally increasing the stacker's footprint.
2Quantity of substance
If the support member is fixed at a position largely separated from the ejection opening, then a larger amount of media can be stacked, but the conveyor belt and control complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The support member's position is dynamically adjusted based on the stacking progress, eliminating the need for a separate conveyor belt system. The support member itself performs the transportation function by moving between the ejection opening and the stacking position, simplifying the overall device structure and control mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The support member serves multiple functions: it supports media during ejection, transports media to the stacking position, and provides the stacking surface. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate conveyor belts and reduces control complexity, as one component performs what would otherwise require multiple dedicated components.
3Volume of stationary object
If the support member is positioned close to the ejection opening, then the stacker size is reduced, but the amount of media that can be stacked is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The support member's position is dynamically adjusted based on the stacking progress. During ejection, it is positioned close to the ejection opening to maintain a compact stacker size. During stacking, it moves away to provide sufficient space for accumulating media, thus resolving the contradiction between compact size and stacking capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The support member's movement is divided into distinct phases: positioning close to the ejection opening during ejection and moving away during stacking. This segmentation of the support member's function across different time phases allows the stacker to maintain compact dimensions while still accommodating large amounts of media when needed.
Data Source
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AI summary
A stacker (21) according to an aspect of the invention is disposed at an ejection opening (20) of a processing apparatus (1) and causes media (P) ejected through the ejection opening to be stacked and placed on a stacking surface (22). The stacker includes a support member (53), a receding mechanism (111), and a position maintaining mechanism (56). The support member is movable toward an upstream side and a downstream side in an ejecting direction (Y), receives each of the media ejected through the ejection opening, and supports the medium in such an orientation that the medium is inclined with an end edge of the medium on the downstream side in the ejecting direction positioned above an end edge of the medium on the upstream side in the ejecting direction and that the end edge of the medium on the upstream side in the ejecting direction abuts the stacking surface. The receding mechanism causes the support member to recede toward the downstream side. The position maintaining mechanism maintains a position of the support member having been moved by the receding mechanism.