Image Formation Device: Noncontact Preheating for Toner Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
In electrophotographic image forming devices, when forming images on both sides of a recording medium, the preheating unit heats the first surface to above the toner's softening point, causing the toner on the first surface to become soft, leading to damage when the image forming region comes into contact with members other than the recording medium during the process.
Innovation Solution
The image forming device employs a preheating unit that heats the recording medium in a non-contact state, ensuring the first surface is above the toner's softening point without direct contact with other members, and uses a fan to stabilize the medium's posture, preventing contact and damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the preheating unit heats the recording medium to above the toner's softening point, then the toner image fixing quality is improved, but the toner image on the first surface becomes soft and susceptible to damage
Solution Approach 1:
A fan is introduced as an intermediary device to blow air and stabilize the recording medium's posture during the heating process. This mediator prevents direct contact between the softened toner image and supporting members, eliminating the damage mechanism while allowing the heating process to proceed for quality fixing.
Solution Approach 2:
The fan operates beforehand and continuously during the heating process to create a protective airflow environment. This prior cushioning of air pressure prevents the recording medium from sagging or contacting other members, protecting the softened toner image before damage can occur.
2Manufacturing precision
If the recording medium is heated from the first surface side, then the toner image is fixed properly, but the toner image on the first surface is damaged due to contact with members
Solution Approach 1:
The heating approach is inverted from heating the first surface to heating the second surface. This reversal allows the toner image on the first surface to be protected from contact damage while the second surface heating still achieves proper fixing quality through the softened toner.
3Device complexity
If the recording medium is conveyed in a bent state by gravity, then the apparatus layout is simplified, but the region where members can be arranged is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
A fan system using pneumatic principles is employed to blow air and support the recording medium in a non-bent state. This pneumatic support replaces the need for gravity-induced bending, maintaining a flat conveyance path that increases the available region for arranging apparatus members.
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 configuration effectively prevents toner image damage on the first surface and enhances glossiness on the second surface while allowing for increased apparatus layout flexibility and reduced preheating unit output requirements.
Implementation Method 1
a preheating unit that heats the recording medium in a non-contact state
Implementation Method 2
uses a fan to stabilize the medium's posture, preventing contact and damage
Data Source
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AI summary
An image formation device provided with: an auxiliary heating section that is arranged between a transfer section and a main heating section along the conveyance direction of a recording medium and that, when heating the recording medium having a toner image transferred to a second surface thereof, heats the recording medium in a non-contact state before the main heating section heats the recording medium so that the temperature of the first surface of the recording medium is higher than the softening point of the toner; and a noncontacting means for preventing contact between a toner image formation region on a first surface of the recording medium having the toner image transferred to the second surface and members other than the recording medium across the auxiliary heating section to the main heating section.