Image Forming Apparatus Belt Zone Sensor Jam Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional inkjet-type image forming apparatuses face challenges in detecting and addressing paper jams within the belt zone, leading to potential ink deposition on the conveyor belt and subsequent staining, which can result in suboptimal printing quality and require unnecessary cleaning notifications.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus incorporates a sensor system with belt zone sensors to detect sheet presence and absence, allowing the controller to determine if an ink head is a sheet-nonarrival head, and executes a counting process to decide whether to initiate a notification for cleaning, thereby preventing unnecessary cleaning alerts and maintaining print quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the apparatus continues printing when a sheet jam is detected in the belt zone, then productivity is maintained, but ink is deposited on the conveyor belt causing staining and requiring cleaning notifications
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses sensor feedback to detect sheet presence in the belt zone and adjusts printing operations accordingly. When the sensor detects no sheet in the belt zone, the controller stops inkjetting to prevent harmful ink deposition, while maintaining productivity by resuming printing when the sheet is properly positioned.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor detects sheet absence in advance before ink is jetted, allowing the controller to prevent ink deposition proactively. This preliminary detection and response prevents the harmful effect of ink staining the conveyor belt before it occurs.
2Reliability
If the apparatus notifies users to clean the conveyor belt whenever a sheet jam is detected, then reliability is improved, but unnecessary cleaning notifications are sent when the sheet simply hasn't reached the ink head gap yet
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses sensor feedback to distinguish between two types of sheet absence: temporary absence (sheet not yet reached the gap) and permanent absence (sheet jammed downstream). Based on this feedback, the controller selectively notifies users only when cleaning is actually needed, avoiding false notifications while maintaining reliable jam detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The notification system dynamically adjusts its behavior based on real-time sheet position detection. The controller determines whether to send a cleaning notification by assessing whether the sheet has passed the ink head gap, allowing the system to adapt its response based on the dynamic state of sheet conveyance.
3Measurement precision
If belt zone sensors are added to detect sheet presence and determine sheet-nonarrival heads, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor system is segmented into multiple belt zone sensors positioned at different locations to detect sheet presence at specific critical points. This segmentation allows precise detection of whether the sheet has reached each ink head's gap, providing the measurement precision needed to accurately identify sheet-nonarrival heads without requiring an overly complex integrated system.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes a conveyor belt for conveying a sheet, a plurality of ink heads for fulfilling printing on the sheet, a sensor whose detection position is a position within a belt zone, a controller for halting the printing upon occurrence of jam, and a notification part for executing a notification process that urges cleaning of the conveyor belt. Upon occurrence of jam, the controller, based on an output signal of the sensor, decides for each one of the plurality of ink heads whether or not an ink head is a sheet-nonarrival head where an in-zone sheet has not yet arrived at a gap between the ink head and the conveyor belt, and given that there is no such sheet-nonarrival head, the controller keeps the notification part from executing the notification process.