Image Forming Apparatus Light-Transmitting Plate Soil Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Image forming apparatuses that read sheets conveyed toward a printing area face challenges in cleaning the contact glass, as soil accumulation can lead to erroneous detection of sheet edges due to the glass being non-exposed and difficult to visually inspect for soiling.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a light-transmitting plate and a conveying image sensor within the reading unit, along with a light source and a cleaning rod, where the controller enables a maintenance mode to display pixel value graphs, allowing for effective soil location identification and cleaning without direct visual inspection of the glass.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the reading unit is incorporated into the sheet conveying passage and arranged such that it cannot be exposed to the outside, then the sheet reading function is integrated into the conveying system, but the contact glass cannot be directly recognized by sight and cleaning verification becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical/visual inspection method with an optical detection system. A light source illuminates the contact glass from below, and a sensor detects the reflected light to determine the presence and location of soil particles. This substitution allows the embedded reading unit to provide both sheet reading and contact glass cleaning verification functions without requiring visual access.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a light source and light sensor as intermediary elements between the contact glass and the external environment. These intermediaries enable indirect observation of the contact glass surface by detecting light reflection patterns, allowing cleaning verification without direct visual access to the embedded contact glass.
2Reliability
If the contact glass is embedded in the conveying passage, then protection and integration are improved, but soil accumulation leads to erroneous detection of sheet edges
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary detection of soil particles on the contact glass before they can cause erroneous sheet edge detection. The light source and sensor continuously monitor the contact glass surface, identifying soil accumulation in advance. This allows the system to alert operators or automatically clean the contact glass before measurement errors occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the light sensor continuously monitors the contact glass surface and provides information about soil presence to the control system. This feedback loop enables real-time detection and response to contamination, allowing the system to maintain measurement precision by alerting operators to clean the contact glass when soil is detected.
3Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If a light source and sensor are added to detect soil on the contact glass, then cleaning verification capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the reading unit multi-functional by integrating both sheet reading and contact glass cleaning verification capabilities into a single device. The light source and sensor serve dual purposes: they assist in illuminating the sheet for reading while simultaneously detecting soil particles on the contact glass. This multi-functionality reduces overall system complexity compared to having separate systems for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the sheet reading function and contact glass monitoring function into a single integrated reading unit. By combining these functions, the patent reduces the number of separate components and simplifies the overall system architecture, offsetting the added complexity of the light source and sensor through functional integration.
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
Enables accurate identification and removal of soil on the light-transmitting plate, preventing erroneous sheet edge detection and ensuring thorough cleaning without visual access to the glass.
Implementation Method 1
The light source emits light toward the conveying image sensor. The conveyed sheet passes across the contact glass while in contact with or facing it.
Implementation Method 2
a cleaning rod for rubbing the light-transmitting plate
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes a display panel, a sheet conveying passage, a reading unit, a light source, a chassis, and a controller. The reading unit includes a light transmitting plate and a conveying image sensor. The conveying image sensor reads a conveyed sheet, which is a sheet to print on. The chassis has a cleaning hole in which to insert a cleaning rod for rubbing the light-transmitting plate. In a maintenance mode, the controller turns on the light source, and makes the display panel display a graph showing the pixel values of the pixels included in conveyed-and-read image data acquired by reading with the conveying image sensor.