Image Forming Apparatus Operation Time Measurement for Safety Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Image forming apparatuses face safety issues due to deteriorated parts over time, such as capacitor degradation, soldering quality decline, and increased contact resistance, which are not effectively addressed by existing technologies designed for heating devices, leading to potential operational failures.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating an operation time measuring section and a power input time measuring section within the image forming apparatus, both connected to a controller that stops operations when either measured elapsed time reaches a prescribed period, ensuring the apparatus is shut down before safety is compromised, regardless of usage frequency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the apparatus is used continuously beyond its mechanical life, then productivity is maintained, but reliability deteriorates due to part degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by measuring the elapsed time from when the apparatus becomes operable and comparing it against a predetermined safe operation period before degradation occurs. The controller proactively stops the apparatus before parts deteriorate to the point of failure, preventing reliability issues before they arise rather than reacting to actual failures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by continuously monitoring the elapsed operation time through the measuring section and using this information to control the apparatus operation. The controller receives feedback on the current operation duration and automatically stops the apparatus when the predetermined time limit is reached, creating a closed-loop safety mechanism.
2Device complexity
If existing life measurement technologies for heating devices are applied to image forming apparatus, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision deteriorates because they only measure operating hours of driving circuits
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by creating a time measuring section that measures the elapsed time from when the image forming apparatus becomes operable, which is a more comprehensive and accurate measure of apparatus life than simply measuring driving circuit operating hours. This universal time measurement approach can be applied across different apparatus types while providing precise life span determination for image forming apparatus specifically.
Data Source
AI summary
In the image forming apparatus that forms an image on a sheet, an operation time measuring section that measures elapsed time that elapses from the point of time when the image forming apparatus arrives at its operable state and a controller that stops operations of the image forming apparatus when the elapsed time measured by the operation time measuring section arrives at a prescribed time are provided, whereby, a life span of the image forming apparatus influenced by temporal changes can be judged precisely, independently of the hours of operation of the image forming apparatus, and operations can be stopped.