Image Forming Apparatus Dynamic Productivity Control for Sheet Adhesion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Image forming apparatuses face the challenge of discharged sheet adhesion due to toner fusion during double-sided printing, which existing solutions address by reducing productivity, leading to lower efficiency.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus with a counter to track discharged sheets and adjust productivity by prompting users to remove stacked sheets before they exceed a certain number, thereby preventing adhesion without significantly reducing productivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the discharge temperature of printed sheets is reduced to prevent discharged sheet adhesion, then the discharged sheet adhesion is prevented, but the productivity is lowered
Solution Approach 1:
The patent dynamically adjusts productivity based on the accumulated number of discharged sheets. When the number of discharged sheets reaches a predetermined threshold, the system automatically lowers productivity to prevent adhesion. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to maintain high productivity during normal operation while preventing adhesion only when necessary, resolving the contradiction between continuous high productivity and adhesion prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the productivity parameter based on the discharged sheet count. By monitoring the number of discharged sheets and adjusting the productivity parameter accordingly, the system transitions from high-speed operation to reduced-speed operation when adhesion risk increases, thereby preventing adhesion without permanently sacrificing productivity.
2Reliability
If printing is aborted or print sequence is changed to prevent discharged sheet adhesion, then the discharged sheet adhesion is prevented, but the productivity is lowered
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than statically aborting printing or changing print sequences, the system dynamically monitors the discharged sheet count and adjusts productivity in real-time. This allows the printing process to continue uninterrupted while only modifying the speed parameter when the adhesion threshold is reached, maintaining overall productivity while preventing adhesion.
3Reliability
If productivity is continuously lowered to prevent discharged sheet adhesion, then the discharged sheet adhesion is prevented, but the overall efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements periodic monitoring of discharged sheet counts and applies productivity reduction only during specific periods when the accumulated sheet count reaches the threshold. Between these periods, the system operates at full productivity. This periodic application of the prevention measure maintains overall efficiency while still preventing adhesion when necessary.
Solution Approach 2:
The productivity parameter is changed from its normal high value to a reduced value only when the discharged sheet count reaches the predetermined number. This temporary parameter change prevents adhesion while minimizing the impact on overall efficiency, as the system returns to high productivity once sheets are removed or the count resets.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus that is capable of preventing discharged sheet adhesion while lowering degradation of productivity. A print unit prints an image on a sheet based on a print job. A fixing unit fixes the image primed on the sheet to the sheet. The sheet to which the image is fixed is discharged to a discharge tray. A counter counts discharged sheet number that is the number of sheets discharged to the discharge tray during a continuous print operation. A controller controls the print unit so as to lower productivity that is discharging sheet number per unit time in response to increase in the discharged sheet number counted by the counter and so as to recover the productivity in a case where the sheets discharged to the discharge tray are removed in a state where the productivity is lowered.