Duplex Sheet Conveyance Control via One-Way Clutch Timing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming apparatuses face challenges in efficiently controlling sheet positions during duplex printing, leading to potential conveyance failures and productivity drops due to the need for sheets to wait in the re-conveyance path, especially when image forming operations are delayed.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus employs a configuration with two driving sources to control the conveyance of sheets, allowing for precise positioning and minimizing waiting times by using a one-way clutch mechanism to restrict the transmission of driving force between conveyance members, enabling sheets to wait without reversing intentionally and restarting conveyance based on image formation timing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the preceding sheet is conveyed downstream of the re-conveyance path as much as possible to minimize waiting space, then the productivity is improved, but the sheet may collide with existing sheets or cause conveyance failures
Solution Approach 1:
A detection roller is introduced as an intermediary component between the re-conveyance path and the discharge path. This roller detects the presence of sheets downstream and provides feedback control signals to the drive roller, enabling the system to safely convey sheets downstream while preventing collisions with existing sheets, thus resolving the contradiction between maximizing productivity and ensuring conveyance reliability
2Productivity
If multiple sheets are conveyed simultaneously in the re-feeding path, then the productivity is improved, but the control complexity of sheet positions increases
Solution Approach 1:
A detection roller is positioned to detect sheets in the re-feeding path and generate feedback signals that control the driving speeds of individual roller pairs. This feedback mechanism enables independent speed control of each roller pair, allowing multiple sheets to be conveyed simultaneously while maintaining precise position control and preventing collisions, thus resolving the contradiction between productivity improvement and control complexity
Data Source
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AI summary
An image forming apparatus is configured such that in a case where images are to be formed on a first surface of a preceding sheet, on a first surface of a succeeding sheet fed to the first conveyance path (59) succeeding to the preceding sheet and on a second surface of the preceding sheet, a first conveyance member (71) is stopped without reversing the preceding sheet to a second conveyance path (79) in a case where the image has been formed on the first surface of the preceding sheet and permission of preparing the image to be formed on the first surface of the succeeding sheet is not issued yet, and the first conveyance member (71) restarts conveyance of the preceding sheet to the second conveyance path (79) based on timing when an image forming means (10) starts preparing the image to be formed on the first surface of the succeeding sheet.