Image Forming Apparatus Job Segmentation for Toner Quality
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming apparatuses face issues with image quality degradation due to toner degradation during long printing sessions on roll sheets, leading to blank regions and inefficiencies in production, as they lack a suitable method to manage toner refresh during continuous printing without interrupting the process.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus divides the printing job into short jobs, pauses the roll sheet conveyance to eject degraded toner, and inverts the image for each job switch, allowing for toner refresh and preventing blank regions by integrating multiple short jobs into a single roll sheet.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the RFP control is executed at estimated timing during roll sheet printing, then degraded toner is removed, but blank regions are generated in the roll sheet
Solution Approach 1:
The printing job is divided into multiple sub-jobs, allowing the RFP control to be executed between sub-jobs without creating blank regions in the final product. This segmentation enables toner refresh while maintaining continuous printing appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The system predicts when toner degradation will occur and schedules RFP control execution in advance by dividing the job, preventing the need for post-printing blank region removal operations.
2Productivity
If continuous printing is performed without job division, then production efficiency is maintained, but toner degradation occurs and image quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements periodic RFP control by dividing the continuous printing job into sub-jobs with intervals, allowing regular toner refresh while maintaining overall production efficiency through automated scheduling.
3Reliability
If manual cutting of blank regions is performed, then image quality is improved, but operator workload increases and production efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically manages toner refresh timing through job division and RFP control scheduling, eliminating the need for manual intervention to remove blank regions and reducing operator workload.
4Reliability
If RFP control is executed during roll sheet printing, then toner degradation is prevented, but interruptions occur in the printing process
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the printing job into sub-jobs, the system schedules RFP control executions at optimal intervals, minimizing total interruption time while ensuring toner quality is maintained throughout the printing process.
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 approach enhances product quality, reduces operator workload, and eliminates the need for manual cutting of blank regions, improving production efficiency and resource utilization by ensuring continuous printing without interruptions.
Implementation Method 1
an electrostatic latent image is written on a photoconductor drum with a uniformly charged surface by irradiating it with laser light
Implementation Method 2
the electrostatic latent image is developed using toner in the developing device
Implementation Method 3
the developed toner image is transferred to a sheet through the intermediate transfer belt
Implementation Method 4
the transfer toner image is fixed to the sheet
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus according to the present disclosure includes: a hardware processor configured to control an image former on a basis of a job pertaining to a printing execution command. The hardware processor is configured to divide the job pertaining to the printing execution command into a plurality of short jobs, and configured to stop conveyance of the roll sheet and forcibly eject degraded toner from a developing device of the image former at a pause timing between short jobs temporally adjacent to each other among the plurality of short jobs; and the hardware processor sets a job content of each of the plurality of short jobs such that an image of a printing target is inverted upside down for each job switching of the plurality of short jobs.