Transport Paddle Positioning for Sheet Alignment in Finishers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sheet stacking apparatuses struggle to align sheets efficiently, particularly with thin paper, in high-productivity image forming applications due to delayed alignment timing and unstable sheet dropping posture, and pose user safety risks with transport members positioned above the discharge portion.
Innovation Solution
A sheet stacking apparatus with a transport member that moves between standby, transporting, and retracting positions to align sheets quickly and stabilize their dropping, while preventing user contact and interference with other mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the transport member is disposed below the sheet discharge portion, then the sheet alignment operation can be performed after the sheet is discharged, but the alignment timing is delayed and the sheet dropping posture becomes unstable for thin paper
Solution Approach 1:
The transport member is inverted from the conventional position below the discharge portion to above the discharge portion. This inversion enables the transport member to contact and align the sheet before it fully drops onto the stack tray, thereby establishing proper alignment timing and stabilizing the sheet dropping posture for thin paper.
2Productivity
If the transport member is disposed above the sheet discharge portion to reduce dropping time and stabilize posture, then alignment speed improves, but the user may touch and damage the transport member when taking sheets
Solution Approach 1:
The transport member is made dynamically movable between a retracted position (where it does not interfere with user access to sheets) and an extended position (where it contacts the sheet for alignment). This dynamic positioning allows the system to maintain high alignment speed while eliminating the risk of user contact damage during sheet retrieval.
3Reliability
If the transport member remains extended above the stack tray during operation, then sheet alignment is maintained, but the user access to sheets is obstructed and safety is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The transport member transitions from a static extended position to a dynamic system that retracts when not actively aligning sheets. This allows the transport member to maintain alignment reliability during the alignment process while clearing the user access path during sheet retrieval, thereby resolving the contradiction between alignment maintenance and user accessibility.
Data Source
AI summary
A finisher is provided with a transport paddle and a control portion. The transport paddle freely moves to a first position where the transport paddle is on standby while protruding above a lower stack tray, a second position where the transport paddle sandwiches the sheet in between and, at the same time, is transported to abut the sheet against the abutment portion, and a third position where the transport paddle retracts in a finisher body 400. The control portion makes the transport paddle be on standby at the first position at least at the start of a job, moves the transport paddle between the first position and the second position for each discharge of the sheet by the bundle discharge roller pair, and moves the transport paddle to the third position after termination of the alignment processing for a last sheet of the job.