Transportation Apparatus Downstream-Upstream Velocity Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional transportation apparatuses face issues with increased load on the power supply and potential transportation failures when increasing the transportation velocities of drive units from upstream to downstream, leading to medium loosening, pooling sounds, or staining due to uneven velocity increments.
Innovation Solution
A transportation apparatus with a control unit that incrementally increases the transportation velocities of drive units from those on the downstream side to those on the upstream side, managing current values to reduce peak loads and prevent medium loosening, by controlling the drive units in a sequential manner to maintain stable and efficient medium transport.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If the transportation velocities of drive units are increased in order from upstream side to downstream side, then the transportation velocity is improved, but the load on power supply increases and medium loosening occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies inversion by reversing the conventional acceleration sequence. Instead of increasing velocities from upstream to downstream, the control unit increases velocities from downstream to upstream. This reversal prevents medium loosening because the downstream transportation members maintain higher velocities, preventing the medium from lagging and creating loose portions that would cause folding or staining.
2Productivity
If the transportation velocities of drive units are increased simultaneously, then the productivity is improved, but the peak current value increases and power supply load increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the velocity increase process into sequential stages for different drive units. Instead of simultaneously increasing velocities of all drive units (which creates a large peak current), the control unit increases velocities in a staged manner from downstream to upstream. This segmentation of the acceleration process reduces the total peak current demand while still achieving the desired productivity improvement.
Data Source
AI summary
A transportation apparatus includes a plurality of transportation members that are arranged in a transportation direction for a medium and transport the medium, a plurality of actuators that drive the plurality of transportation members, and a processor that controls the plurality of actuators in such a manner as to increase transportation velocities of the plurality of actuators in order from actuators for driving transportation members on a downstream side in the transportation direction to actuators for driving transportation members on an upstream side in the transportation direction.