Duplex Printer Controller Paper Feeding Retry Schedule
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printers face downtime and reduced productivity due to misfeeding issues during duplex printing, as they lack effective management of paper feeding and refeeding timings, leading to unnecessary jam releases and error clearing.
Innovation Solution
A printer with a controller that manages paper feeding and refeeding schedules to perform paper feeding retries without overlapping with refeeding operations, reducing downtime and maintaining page printing order by alternately conveying sheets from the paper feeding and refeeding units based on predefined timings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If paper feeding retry is performed immediately upon misfeeding detection, then the productivity is improved by avoiding printer stoppage, but the paper feeding schedule conflicts with paper refeeding timings in duplex printing
Solution Approach 1:
The controller预先 determines paper feeding retry timings based on the paper feeding schedule before actual misfeeding occurs. By pre-planning retry opportunities at scheduled intervals that do not conflict with refeeding operations, the system can immediately retry without schedule conflicts when misfeeding is detected.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller continuously monitors paper feeding status and uses feedback from misfeeding detection to trigger retries at predetermined safe timings. The system adjusts retry execution based on real-time schedule status, ensuring retries only occur when no refeeding is scheduled at that moment.
2Reliability
If the printer stops operation upon misfeeding to allow jam release, then the reliability is improved by ensuring proper error handling, but the downtime increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs automatic paper feeding retry without requiring user intervention for jam release. The controller autonomously detects misfeeding, determines appropriate retry timings from the schedule, and executes retries, thereby serving itself and eliminating the need for user error clearing operations.
Solution Approach 2:
By pre-establishing retry timings in the paper feeding schedule, the system prepares retry opportunities in advance that can be activated immediately upon misfeeding detection, eliminating the need for stoppage and user intervention while maintaining reliable error handling.
3Productivity
If multiple sheets are circularly conveyed for duplex printing using interleaving method, then the productivity is improved by continuous operation, but the schedule management complexity increases for coordinating paper feeding and refeeding timings
Solution Approach 1:
The controller divides the duplex printing process into distinct time slots in the paper feeding schedule, separating paper feeding operations from refeeding operations. By segmenting the schedule into alternating feeding and refeeding intervals, the system manages complexity through structured temporal separation while maintaining continuous productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The paper feeding schedule employs periodic alternation between paper feeding and refeeding operations at predetermined intervals. This periodic structure creates a rhythmic, predictable pattern that simplifies coordination compared to arbitrary timing, enabling continuous duplex printing with manageable schedule complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
Upon a misfeeding of any of second and subsequent sheets in paper feeding by a paper feeding unit (2) during duplex printing, a controller (8) drives the paper feeding unit to perform a paper feeding retry at one or more of paper feeding timings in a paper feeding schedule for duplex printing. The paper feeding schedule for duplex printing specifies the paper feeding timings by the paper feeding unit and paper refeeding timings by a paper refeeding unit (5) for a case other than the misfeeding of any of the second and subsequent sheets in the paper feeding by the paper feeding unit such that the sheet refed from the paper refeeding unit (5) and the sheet fed from the paper feeding unit are alternately conveyed to a printing unit (3).