Variable Pressing Force Alignment Roller for Sheet Jamming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sheet collecting apparatuses face issues with aligning sheets neatly on a tray, particularly when sheets are overlapped, leading to displacement, page order errors, and sheet jamming due to inconsistent transport forces.
Innovation Solution
A sheet collecting apparatus with a variable alignment roller that adjusts its pressing force from strong to weak as sheets approach the regulation stopper, ensuring proper alignment and preventing jamming by applying a strong transport force initially and switching to a weak force just before the stopper, thus maintaining sheet alignment and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the alignment roller applies a predetermined pressing force to transport sheets to the regulation stopper, then sheets can be transported reliably, but overlapped sheets become displaced and curved causing jamming
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment roller's pressing force is made variable rather than fixed. The control unit dynamically adjusts the pressing force based on the transport stage: applying strong force initially for reliable transport, then reducing it before the regulation stopper to prevent curvature and jamming of overlapped sheets.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressing force parameter of the alignment roller is changed during operation. The control unit varies the pressing force from strong to weak based on the sheet's position and transport stage, optimizing both transport reliability and alignment precision at different phases.
2Device complexity
If the same transport force is applied to both overlapped and non-overlapped sheets, then the transport mechanism is simple, but sheet displacement and page order errors occur
Solution Approach 1:
The transport mechanism transitions from static (fixed pressing force) to dynamic (variable pressing force). The control unit adjusts the alignment roller's pressing force based on whether sheets are overlapped or not, enabling precise control without complicating the basic transport structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit receives feedback about sheet transport conditions (overlapped or non-overlapped) and adjusts the pressing force accordingly. This feedback mechanism enables precise sheet positioning while maintaining relatively simple transport hardware.
3Reliability
If strong pressing force is applied throughout the transport process, then sheet transport is reliable, but sheets curve and jam at the regulation stopper
Solution Approach 1:
The pressing force is applied periodically in two distinct phases: strong force during the initial transport phase for reliability, then weak force during the final phase near the regulation stopper to prevent curvature. This periodic variation eliminates jamming while maintaining transport reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit prepares for potential sheet curvature by reducing the pressing force before the sheet reaches the regulation stopper. This preemptive action prevents the harmful effect of curvature and jamming before it occurs, rather than reacting after the problem arises.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The apparatus effectively prevents sheet displacement and jamming, ensuring sheets are aligned and collected neatly in both overlapping and non-overlapping scenarios, maintaining stability and order.
Implementation Method 1
the alignment roller applies a variable pressing force acting on the sheet to the sheet to transport the sheet
Data Source
AI summary
A sheet collecting apparatus has a sheet transport path for transporting a sheet, a tray device for bearing and storing sheets, a regulation stopper for regulating the sheet, a holding path to temporarily hold a sheet, an alignment roller to transport the sheet, and a control device for controlling transport of the sheet. The alignment roller adjusts a level of pressing force acting on the sheet transported onto the tray device. The control device has a first operation mode and a second operation mode. In the first operation mode, the alignment roller applies a transport force to the sheet by a predetermined pressing force after a rear end of the sheet is carried into the tray device, while in the second operation mode, changing the pressing force applied to the sheets from the alignment roller from a first pressing force to a second pressing force and applying varied transport force.