Image Forming Apparatus Cleaning Member Position Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional image forming apparatuses face issues with determining whether a cleaning operation of the light emitting window is complete, leading to potential errors and quality deterioration of printed images due to the cleaner not returning to its initial position, which requires additional components and increased costs for detection sensors.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus with a window cleaning device that includes a cleaning member moving reciprocally along the light emitting window, a controller to control the cleaning operation, and a density detecting member to form and detect image defects, allowing the controller to determine if the cleaning member has returned to its initial position without additional sensors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a detection sensor for detecting arrival of the cleaner is disposed at the initial position, then it is possible to determine whether or not the cleaner has returned to the initial position, but the number of components is increased resulting in cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaner determines its own position by detecting image defects caused by itself blocking the light beam during cleaning operation. The cleaner uses the image forming apparatus's own imaging system to detect its position, eliminating the need for external detection sensors. This self-service approach resolves the contradiction by maintaining detection accuracy while reducing component count.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary element (the image defect detection mechanism) that allows the cleaner to indirectly determine its position. Instead of directly detecting the cleaner's position with a sensor, the system detects the image defect caused by the cleaner blocking the light beam, using this indirect information to infer position. This intermediary approach maintains reliability without adding detection sensors.
2Ease of manufacture
If the cleaner moves in the main scanning direction to clean the transparent plate, then the cleaning operation is performed, but if the cleaner is caught by a certain member or if a foreign object is pinched, the cleaner may not return to the initial position causing image quality deterioration
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors the cleaner's position during cleaning operation by detecting image defects. When the cleaner fails to return to the initial position, the system detects this through the absence of expected image defects and provides feedback to stop the printing operation. This feedback mechanism ensures cleaning operation reliability without complicating the cleaning mechanism itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the printing operation dynamic and conditional based on cleaner position detection. The printing operation is automatically adjusted (stopped or continued) depending on whether the cleaner has returned to the initial position, as detected through image defect monitoring. This dynamic control ensures reliability while maintaining the simplicity of the cleaning mechanism.
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
This solution enables the determination of cleaning operation errors without increasing the number of components, ensuring the cleaning member is out of the light beam's scanning range before resuming printing, thus preventing image quality deterioration.
Implementation Method 1
the density detecting member is capable of detecting image density of a stripe image formed by the image forming portion
Data Source
AI summary
When a cleaning operation is performed, a controller of an image forming apparatus controls to emit a light beam from a light emitting window so as to form a stripe image in a predetermined position of an intermediate transfer member so as to form a image defect part in the stripe image, which occurs when a cleaning member moving in a reciprocating manner in a main scanning direction along the light emitting window blocks the light beam. In addition, the controller detects the image defect part by a density detecting member. When a predetermined number of image defect parts are not formed in the predetermined position in the period from start to end of the cleaning operation, the controller determines that the cleaning member is within the scanning range of the light beam.