Image Forming Apparatus Belt Sag Elimination via Sequential Drive Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional image forming apparatuses experience color shifts due to sag in the feeding belt, leading to low-quality prints, as they initiate the printing process without eliminating the sag, requiring unnecessary belt driving to correct the issue.
Innovation Solution
The image forming apparatus sequentially initiates driving of image forming units downstream in the medium feeding path to eliminate sag in the feeding belt, ensuring high-quality prints without unnecessary belt driving.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the feeding belt is driven a prescribed amount before initiating the printing process to eliminate sag, then the image quality is improved, but the time required from when the printing apparatus receives the printing information to the time when the printing process is initiated increases
Solution Approach 1:
The feeding belt is driven in advance before the printing process to eliminate sag, and the photosensitive drums are driven in reverse rotation beforehand. This preliminary action prepares the system in advance so that when printing starts, the sag is already eliminated and no additional time is needed for correction, thus improving image quality without increasing process initiation time
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of driving the photosensitive drums in the normal printing direction, the invention drives them in reverse rotation. This inverted approach allows the sag elimination to occur naturally during the reverse rotation phase, and then the drums are driven in the normal direction for printing, achieving both sag elimination and timely image formation
2Loss of time
If the printing process is begun without eliminating the sag previously existing in the feeding belt, then the process initiation time is reduced, but color shift occurs in the image printed on the paper
Solution Approach 1:
The feeding belt and photosensitive drums are prepared in advance by driving the belt and rotating the drums in reverse. This preliminary preparation eliminates the sag before printing begins, so the printing process can start immediately without waiting for sag elimination, thus maintaining fast initiation time while preventing color shift
Solution Approach 2:
The photosensitive drums are driven in reverse rotation as a preliminary anti-action to counteract the sag in the feeding belt. This reverse rotation creates tension that eliminates the sag, and then the drums are driven in the normal direction for printing, preventing color shift while maintaining quick process initiation
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus in which multiple image forming units for forming a developer image arranged along a prescribed medium feeding path are disposed in a manner to contact and face a belt component, the image forming apparatus includes an image formation driving unit for driving said multiple image forming units; a belt component driving unit for driving said belt component; and a drive control unit for supplying a drive command to said belt component driving unit and said image formation driving unit, said drive control unit sequentially initiating the driving of said image forming units from said image forming unit located downstream in the medium feeding path, after initiating the driving of said belt component drive unit.