Intermediate Transport Device Height Synchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing intermediate transport devices complicate the management of height adjustments for post-processing devices, as they require different delivery heights for each post-processing device, leading to complexity and potential issues with sheet media deformation and jamming due to varying stiffness.
Innovation Solution
An intermediate transport device with a changing unit that alters the direction of received recording media and maintains consistent delivery and reception port heights, using a housing with synchronized delivery and reception ports to simplify height management and reduce deformation and jamming risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If different delivery heights are used for each post-processing device to enable direction change, then delivery to multiple post-processing devices is enabled, but management of height adjustment becomes complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies equipotentiality by maintaining the same height for both the reception port and delivery port of the intermediate transport device. This creates a uniform height level across different delivery directions, eliminating the need for complex height adjustments when serving multiple post-processing devices. The transport device achieves versatility in delivering to multiple devices while maintaining simple, unified height management through this equipotential design.
2Adaptability or versatility
If different delivery heights are used for direction change, then multiple post-processing devices can be served, but sheet media deformation and jamming occur due to varying stiffness
Solution Approach 1:
By maintaining the reception port and delivery port at the same height, the patent creates a uniform transport path that avoids sudden height changes. This equipotential approach allows sheet media of varying stiffness to be transported reliably without deformation or jamming, while still enabling delivery to multiple post-processing devices through directional changes at the same height level.
3Productivity
If multiple pre-processing devices deliver to a common post-processing device, then processing capacity is increased, but coordination of multiple devices is required
Solution Approach 1:
The intermediate transport device applies universality by designing a single, unified transport unit that can receive media from multiple pre-processing devices and deliver to a common post-processing device. This multi-functional design simplifies coordination by providing a universal interface at the same height level, allowing multiple upstream devices to connect to one downstream device through a single standardized transport mechanism.
Data Source
AI summary
An intermediate transport device includes: a changing unit that changes a direction of a recording medium received from a pre-processing device to at least one of one direction and another direction with respect to a receiving direction in which the recording medium is received, and delivers the recording medium; and a housing that has a delivery port through which the recording medium delivered to the one direction toward one post-processing device passes, and another delivery port through which the recording medium delivered to the other direction toward another post-processing device passes, and that is disposed at a height similar to a height of the delivery port.