Fixing Belt Meandering Correction via Pressure Roller Swinging
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fixing devices face challenges in accurately determining sheet winding on the fixing belt, particularly with thin sheets, due to erroneous temperature measurements in the non-passage area, leading to potential overheating and malfunction, as well as overlooked sheet jams.
Innovation Solution
A fixing device with a pressure roller swinger and controller that adjusts the movement direction of the fixing belt to prevent sheet winding in the non-passage area, using a non-passage area temperature measurer and passage area temperature measurer to determine accurate sheet winding, and executing a movement mode to relocate the sheet away from the temperature measurer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a non-passage area temperature measurer is used to detect sheet winding, then sheet winding detection capability is improved, but measurement accuracy deteriorates when thin sheets are present
Solution Approach 1:
A light source and light receiver are introduced as intermediary components to detect thin sheets in the non-passage area. The light receiver detects reflected or transmitted light from thin sheets, providing an additional detection mechanism that complements temperature measurement and overcomes the limitation of temperature sensors being unable to detect thin sheets that do not contact the sensor.
2Ease of operation
If the fixing belt continues to be heated to maintain fixing temperature, then fixing function is maintained, but overheating and malfunction occur due to erroneous sheet winding detection
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback from both temperature measurement and light reception to determine whether sheet winding has occurred. The controller integrates information from the temperature measurer and light receiver to make an accurate determination, preventing erroneous overheating while maintaining proper fixing temperature control when no sheet winding is detected.
3Reliability
If thin sheets remain on the fixing belt due to close contact, then sheet winding may occur undetected, but user awareness of sheet jams is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The light source and light receiver act as intermediaries to detect thin sheets that are close to or contacting the fixing belt in the non-passage area. This optical detection system can identify the presence of thin sheets even when they are not making significant contact with temperature sensors, providing early warning to users about sheet jams that might otherwise go unnoticed.
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 reliable temperature measurement in the non-passage area and accurate determination of sheet winding, preventing overheating and ensuring proper sheet removal, thus enhancing the accuracy and reliability of the fixing process.
Implementation Method 1
a non-passage area temperature measurer that measures a temperature of a sheet non-passage area which corresponds to an area where the sheet is not conveyed in the fixing nip area
Implementation Method 2
a passage area temperature measurer that measures a temperature of a sheet passage area on the fixing belt
Implementation Method 3
a heat source that heats the fixing belt
Implementation Method 4
a pressure roller that presses against the fixing belt toward the facing member from outside to form, between the fixing belt and the pressure roller, a fixing nip area
Data Source
AI summary
A fixing device includes: a fixing belt; a facing member disposed on an inner side of the fixing belt; a pressure roller that presses against the fixing belt toward the facing member from outside to form a fixing nip area; a heat source; a non-passage area temperature measurer that measures a temperature of a sheet non-passage area; a pressure roller swinger that swings one end side of the pressure roller in a direction intersecting with a longitudinal direction of the fixing nip area; and a controller that performs meandering correction control for correcting a movement direction of the fixing belt by causing the pressure roller swinger to swing the pressure roller, and the controller has such a movement mode as to cause the pressure roller swinger to forcibly move the fixing belt in a direction away from the non-passage area temperature measurer while rotating the fixing belt.