Image-Forming Device Removal Allowing Unit for Drum Gear Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tandem image-forming devices face challenges with irregular rotations of photosensitive drums due to errors in the shape or dimension of drum gears and drive gears, leading to color registration issues, and existing solutions require adjustment of engaged positions in the factory, which are lost when a photosensitive drum is replaced.
Innovation Solution
An image-forming device with a removal allowing unit that ensures the drum drive gears and drum gears maintain synchronized positions even during power outages, allowing for precise alignment and replacement of photosensitive drums without losing engagement settings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If drum gears and drive gears are manufactured using conventional methods, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to errors in shape and dimension
Solution Approach 1:
A detection device is introduced as an intermediary between the gear system and the control system. This device detects the engaged positions of drum gears and drive gears and transmits this information to the control system, which then adjusts the phase of photosensitive drums to compensate for manufacturing errors, resolving the contradiction between using conventional manufacturing methods and maintaining precision
2Measurement precision
If factory adjustment of engaged positions is performed, then color registration precision is improved, but reliability deteriorates when photosensitive drums are replaced
Solution Approach 1:
The detection device enables the system to automatically detect and report the engaged positions of gears. When photosensitive drums are replaced, the control system uses this detection information to automatically adjust the phase of new drums, eliminating the need for manual factory adjustment and ensuring consistent engagement positions without compromising reliability
3Ease of manufacture
If drum gears are made from resin material, then ease of manufacture is improved for consumable drums, but manufacturing precision worsens due to resin physical properties
Solution Approach 1:
The detection device acts as an intermediary that compensates for the inherent precision limitations of resin gears. By detecting the actual engaged positions and transmitting this data to the control system, which then adjusts drum phases accordingly, the system maintains color registration accuracy despite using cost-effective resin materials for drum gears
Data Source
AI summary
An image-forming device includes a plurality of photosensitive drums, a plurality of drum gears, a plurality of drive gears and a removal allowing unit. Each drum gear has a first target portion. Each drive gear has a second target portion. The removal allowing unit allows each photosensitive drum to be removed from the casing only when the first target portion of the drum gear is positionally in coincidence with a first position and when the second target portion of the drive gear is positionally in coincidence with a second position.