Variable Speed Paper Feeding Rollers for Stable Sheet Separation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing paper feeding devices struggle to stably feed sheets one by one to printers or die cutting devices, especially when sheets are curvedly or obliquely stacked, leading to misalignment and instability in the feeding process.

Innovation Solution

A paper feeding device with variable speed rollers and a transporting conveyor that adjusts speed to maintain sheet alignment, ensuring sheets are fed in a horizontal posture by synchronizing the feeding speed with the conveying speed and using suction pads to manage sheet positioning.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If sheets are pushed out as a batch by the pusher, then multiple sheets can be fed at once to increase productivity, but the sheets may have a disordered shape and cannot be stably separated

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebatch feeding speedVSAvoidsheet separation stability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The batch of sheets is segmented into individual sheets by the batch dismantling rollers. The rollers apply localized pressure at specific points (leading edge and middle portion) to separate the sheets one by one while maintaining their horizontal posture, resolving the contradiction between batch feeding efficiency and individual sheet separation stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The sheets are preliminarily positioned in a horizontal posture on the transporting conveyor before separation. By ensuring the sheets are already aligned horizontally when they reach the batch dismantling rollers, the subsequent separation process becomes more reliable and prevents disordered shapes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If sheets are pushed out when stacked obliquely or warped, then the feeding process can continue without interruption, but the sheets are caught on the front contact plate or twisted inside a plane

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontinuous feedingVSAvoidsheet alignment accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The transporting conveyor preliminarily aligns the sheets in a horizontal posture before they reach the batch dismantling device. This preliminary alignment ensures that even if sheets were initially stacked obliquely or warped, they are corrected to a proper horizontal position, preventing them from being caught on the front contact plate or twisted during separation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The transporting conveyor acts as an intermediary between the paper feeding tray and the batch dismantling rollers. It provides a controlled environment where sheets can be realigned to a horizontal posture, serving as a buffer that corrects alignment issues before the sheets undergo separation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Device complexity

If the sheet is fed without overlapping, then the feeding process is simpler, but the sheet cannot be stably stacked inside the hopper

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefeeding mechanism simplicityVSAvoidhopper stacking stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of requiring complete non-overlapping or complete overlapping of sheets, the invention applies localized overlapping only at specific regions. The batch dismantling rollers create partial overlapping at the middle portion of the sheets while keeping the leading edges separated, providing just enough overlap for stable hopper stacking without excessive complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

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 solution ensures stable, horizontal feeding of sheets one by one, preventing misalignment and ensuring sheets are fed correctly to downstream equipment, even when initially stacked sheets are warped or tilted.

Implementation Method 1

suction pads (46a, 46b) which hold the sheet (60) at a predetermined position

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSuction: Suction

Implementation Method 2

Batch dismantling rollers 151 and 152 of a batch dismantling device 150 are disposed above the transporting conveyor 140

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMechanical Force: Mechanical Force

Data Source

PatentEP3012215B1Paper feeding device and paper feeding method
Publication Date: 2017.11.22 MITSUBISHI HEAVY IND MACHINERY SYST LTD
  • EP3012215B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3012215B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2F
  • EP3012215B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Provided are a paper feeding device that can stably feed one sheet of paper at a time to a paper feeding unit hopper of a printer or die cutting device. A paper feeding device (1) comprising a paper feeding tray (10) on which a plurality of sheets (60) are stacked in the vertical direction, a sheet feeding means (20) that sends, in the horizontal direction, the sheet (60) that is located at the top of the plurality of sheets (60) stacked on the paper feeding tray (10), and a pair of feeding rollers (30) that deliver the sheet (60) by grasping the leading edge of the sheet (60) that is sent by the sheet feeding means (20), wherein the feeding rollers (30) are variable speed rollers for which the circumferential speed can be increased and decreased while sending one sheet (60) from the leading edge to the trailing edge.