Fuser Heating Time Judgment Mechanism for Laser Printers
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current laser printers face issues with abnormal heating times due to heater failure or incorrect installation, leading to poor printing quality or equipment damage, as they rely on fixed time thresholds for temperature sensing without considering initial temperatures.
Innovation Solution
A fixation device with a temperature sensor, controller, and database that judges the heating time period from a non-environment temperature to a predetermined temperature, using a look-up table or slope calculation to determine if the time falls within a qualified range, providing error messages and maintenance notifications to prevent overheating or underheating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a fixed time threshold (e.g., 20 seconds) is used to judge whether the fuser reaches the predetermined temperature, then the judging mechanism is simple, but it cannot accurately identify abnormal heating times when the initial temperature varies, leading to false positives or negatives
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the judging mechanism adaptive rather than fixed. The controller dynamically adjusts the expected heating time based on the detected initial temperature of the fuser. When the initial temperature is higher than the standard environment temperature, the system calculates a shorter expected heating time, and vice versa. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by maintaining measurement precision across varying initial conditions without requiring an overly complex fixed-threshold system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter used for judgment from a fixed time threshold to a variable expected heating time that depends on the initial temperature parameter. The controller detects the initial temperature and uses it to calculate the expected heating time, thereby changing the judgment parameter adaptively. This resolves the contradiction by improving measurement precision through parameter adaptation while keeping the judging mechanism relatively simple.
2Reliability
If the heater is incorrectly connected with wrong voltage (110V to 220V or vice versa), then the printer may be damaged or the heater may burn out, but the fixed time threshold cannot detect this abnormality, leading to equipment damage
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses dynamic adjustment of the expected heating time based on initial temperature to detect abnormal heating rates. When voltage is incorrectly connected, the heater either heats too quickly (burning out) or too slowly (failing to reach temperature in expected time), both of which deviate from the dynamically calculated expected heating time range. This resolves the contradiction by improving equipment reliability through adaptive monitoring that maintains measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller continuously monitors the actual heating process and compares it against the expected heating time calculated from the initial temperature. When the actual heating time deviates significantly from the expected range, the system provides feedback by displaying an error message and preventing operation. This feedback mechanism resolves the contradiction by improving equipment reliability while maintaining measurement precision through continuous monitoring and comparison.
3Reliability
If the heater ages or the temperature sensor has offset, then printing quality deteriorates, but the fixed time threshold cannot detect this gradual degradation, allowing poor quality printing to continue
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of the initial temperature before the heating process and uses this information to calculate the expected heating time in advance. This preliminary action establishes a baseline for comparison during the heating process. When the heater ages or the sensor develops offset, the actual heating time deviates from the pre-calculated expected time, allowing detection of gradual degradation. This resolves the contradiction by improving printing quality reliability without significant time loss.
4Ease of operation
If the initial temperature of the fuser is not considered in the heating time calculation, then the judging mechanism is simple, but it produces incorrect judgments when the initial temperature differs from the standard environment temperature
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the expected heating time based on the detected initial temperature, making the judging mechanism adaptive to different operating conditions. The controller detects the initial temperature and calculates the expected heating time accordingly, rather than using a fixed threshold. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining operation simplicity through automated calculation while significantly improving measurement precision across varying initial temperatures.
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
Accurately identifies abnormal heating times, preventing printer damage and maintaining printing quality by stopping heating when times are too short or notifying users to re-boot or send the machine for analysis when times are excessively long, allowing for timely maintenance and reducing equipment failure.
Implementation Method 1
a temperature sensor (20), wherein the temperature sensor (20) senses a temperature of the fuser (10) as time elapses
Implementation Method 2
the fuser (10) heats to a predetermined temperature to perform the fixation process
Data Source
AI summary
A fixation device performing a fixation process on a medium in conjunction with a pressure roller includes: a fuser heating to a predetermined temperature to perform the fixation process; a temperature sensor senses a temperature of the fuser as time elapses; a controller electrically connected to the fuser and the temperature sensor; and a database connected to the controller and storing heating time data; wherein the controller obtains a heating time period, during which a temperature of the fuser rises from a non-environment temperature to the predetermined temperature, through the temperature sensor, and judges whether the heating time period falls within a qualified range specified by the heating time data. If the heating time period does not fall within the qualified range, then the controller provides an abnormal message, so that the problem of the fixation device can be solved.