Camshaft Home Position Detection for Color Printer Slip
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional multi-pass type color image forming apparatuses experience issues with timely and reliable transmission of driving force to developing devices due to slip between the cam device and power transmission device, leading to incorrect or delayed force transmission.
Innovation Solution
Incorporation of a cam device with a rotating camshaft, indicating member, sensing part, and control unit that determines the home position based on a signal pattern, allowing for intermittent or continuous rotation control to ensure precise engagement and disengagement of the driving motor with the camshaft, thereby accurately transmitting rotational force to the developing devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a cam device is used to selectively transmit driving force to developing devices, then the multi-pass color image forming apparatus can operate developing devices sequentially, but slip is generated between the cam device and power transmission device causing delayed or incorrect force transmission
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a feedback mechanism where a sensor detects the rotational position of the camshaft and sends signals to a control unit. The control unit adjusts the driving force transmission timing based on the detected position, ensuring accurate synchronization between the cam device and power transmission device, thereby eliminating slip-related timing errors
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the purely mechanical cam-driven power transmission system with a hybrid system that incorporates electronic sensing and control. The sensor and control unit substitute for mechanical timing mechanisms, providing more reliable and adjustable control over the transmission of driving force to developing devices
2Power
If the camshaft rotates continuously to drive developing devices, then power transmission occurs, but slip generates noise and reduces transmission accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic action by controlling the camshaft to rotate intermittently rather than continuously. The driving force is transmitted in periodic pulses synchronized with the development cycle, reducing slip-related noise while maintaining effective power transmission to developing devices at the appropriate times
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies dynamics by making the camshaft rotation speed variable rather than constant. The control unit adjusts the rotation speed and timing dynamically based on operational requirements, optimizing power transmission while minimizing harmful slip and noise during different phases of the development process
Data Source
AI summary
A multi-pass type color image forming apparatus. The multi-pass type color image forming apparatus includes an indicating member which is provided at a camshaft and has a plurality of indicating portions, a sensing part which detects the plurality of indicating portions, and a control unit which receives a signal from the sensing part when the indicating member passes by the sensing part by the rotation of the camshaft, and determines a home position by a rotational position of the camshaft when a signal pattern from a sequence of signals from the sensing part corresponds with a preset reference pattern. Accordingly, the home position of the camshaft can be determined in a short amount of time regardless of the slip between the cams and the push caps, so that the warm up time can be shortened and the generation time of noise caused by the contact between the cams and the push caps can be minimized. Also, the reliability about the home position of the camshaft can be increased, thereby transmitting the power timely to the correct developing device.