Image Forming Apparatus Paper Ejection Control

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing image forming apparatuses with multiple paper ejection devices face productivity issues due to temporary cessation of paper ejection when a power supply is turned off, requiring recovery time and resulting in waiting times and reduced productivity.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a control unit that switches the paper ejection destination based on the time required for a non-operational paper ejection device to become operational and the number of ejectable sheets, allowing the operational device to continue ejecting paper until the non-operational device is ready, thereby overlapping recovery time with ejection time.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If the power supply of a paper ejection device is turned off when not in use, then energy consumption is reduced, but productivity decreases due to recovery time required before the device can operate again

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower consumptionVSAvoidpaper ejection efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The control unit activates the paper ejection device in advance before the current stacker becomes full, allowing the device to complete its initialization and become operational before needed. This preliminary action eliminates waiting time during paper ejection while still allowing the device to be powered off during extended idle periods, resolving the contradiction between energy savings and productivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If the destination stacker is switched when the current stacker becomes full, then paper ejection continues, but productivity is reduced when the new stacker requires power supply initialization

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontinuous paper ejectionVSAvoidwaiting time for initialization

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The control unit proactively switches to a备用 stacker before the current one becomes full, and simultaneously activates the备用 stacker to initialize in advance. This ensures the备用 stacker is ready to receive paper immediately when switching occurs, eliminating initialization waiting time and maintaining continuous paper ejection flow.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

By pre-activating the备用 stacker and overlapping its initialization period with the remaining capacity utilization of the current stacker, the system maintains continuous paper ejection without interruption or waiting time, ensuring the useful action of paper ejection continues uninterrupted.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Data Source

PatentUS9061526B2Image forming apparatus

Publication Date: 2015.06.23 RISO KAGAKU CORP

AI summary

An image forming apparatus having a plurality of paper ejection devices includes a control unit which performs control to allow before a paper ejection device, which is continuously ejecting paper in the plurality of paper ejection devices, ejects paper over the maximum loading a paper ejection device which is not ejecting paper to prepare for starting an operation based on the time taken for the paper ejection device which is not ejecting paper to become operable and the number of ejectable sheets before a loading of the paper ejection device which is continuously ejecting paper reaches the maximum loading.