Image Forming System Jam Recovery Sheet Order Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Image forming devices using special sheet sets face issues with paper jams and sheet order shifts, particularly when the quantity of special sheets used for printing is not an integer multiple of the set quantity, leading to unnecessary sheets being ejected and disrupting the printing order.
Innovation Solution
An image forming system with an input unit for setting information, an image forming unit, a conveying unit, and a jam detecting unit that controls the ejection of unnecessary special sheets after a jam is released, ensuring the correct order of sheets is maintained by calculating and ejecting the appropriate number of sheets based on the remaining quantity on the tray.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If unnecessary special sheets are ejected after printing to maintain correct sheet order, then sheet order accuracy is improved, but paper jam risk increases and operational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically detects jams and calculates the correct number of sheets to eject without user intervention. The control unit monitors sheet positions, detects jam conditions, and autonomously determines the ejection quantity based on the current sheet configuration and printing requirements, making the system self-managing rather than requiring manual user calculation and action.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors the position of special sheets during printing and ejection operations. When a jam is detected, the control unit uses feedback information about which sheets have been fed and their current positions to calculate the precise number of sheets that need to be ejected, creating a closed-loop control system that adapts to actual sheet conditions.
2Manufacturing precision
If more sheets are ejected than necessary to ensure correct order, then sheet order accuracy is improved, but sheet waste increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces mechanical trial-and-error ejection methods with a calculation-based approach. The control unit computes the exact number of sheets to eject by subtracting the quantity of sheets that will be needed for subsequent printing from the total sheets currently in the system, eliminating both over-ejection and under-ejection problems through mathematical precision rather than mechanical approximation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the ejection quantity parameter based on real-time conditions. Instead of ejecting a fixed number of sheets, the control unit changes the ejection parameter to match the actual number of sheets present and the printing requirements, optimizing the balance between maintaining correct sheet order and minimizing waste through adaptive parameter adjustment.
3Reliability
If jam detection and sheet ejection control is added to prevent order shifts, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit performs multiple functions using a single integrated system: it monitors sheet feeding, detects jam conditions, calculates required ejection quantities, and controls the ejection process. By making the control unit multi-functional rather than adding separate dedicated systems for each function, the patent improves reliability without proportionally increasing device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming system includes an input unit for input of setting information, an image forming unit, a conveying unit, a control unit, and a jam detecting unit, wherein a set of a plurality of different kinds of special sheets disposed in a predetermined order is used. When occurrence of a jam is detected by the jam detecting unit, the control unit recognizes whether a special sheet having been fed is present in the image forming system, and if it is recognized that a special sheet is present in the image forming system, the control unit controls the conveying unit, after the jam being released, to eject a special sheet or sheets as unnecessary up to one that is disposed preceding a special sheet that is of the same kind as a most front one that was present in the image forming system at the time of the occurrence of the jam.