Image Forming Apparatus Recording Material Kind Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming apparatuses face difficulties in accurately detecting and adapting to changes in recording materials, leading to issues like image failures, fixing failures, and paper jams due to incorrect settings, and require complex user operations for material replacement or addition.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus with a housing part, transport part, and hardware processor that detects the type and amount of recording materials, and automatically switches kind detection based on these results, using optical and ultrasonic sensors to determine the properties of the materials and manage the detection process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If automatic kind detection is performed for all recording materials, then detection accuracy is improved, but productivity decreases due to extended detection time
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs kind detection selectively rather than for all recording materials. Detection is triggered only when replacement or addition of recording materials is detected, or when the first recording material is fed, thereby achieving sufficient detection accuracy while avoiding unnecessary detection operations that would reduce productivity
2Measurement precision
If user setting of recording material kind is required, then detection accuracy is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically detects the kind of recording materials without requiring user input. The control part executes kind detection autonomously when triggered by replacement/addition events or first material feeding, eliminating the need for manual user settings while maintaining accurate detection
3Productivity
If kind detection is not performed after replacement or addition, then productivity is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to incorrect settings
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs kind detection in advance when replacement or addition of recording materials is detected, before actual printing operations commence. This preliminary detection ensures the correct kind is registered, preventing image failures and fixing failures while maintaining productivity by avoiding mid-operation detection
4Reliability
If kind detection is performed continuously, then reliability is improved, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs kind detection periodically at specific intervals rather than continuously. Detection is executed when replacement or addition is detected, or when the first recording material is fed, thereby maintaining reliability through regular detection while minimizing time loss by avoiding continuous operation
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 detection of recording materials without user intervention, ensuring printing is performed under suitable conditions, thus preventing failures and simplifying operations while maintaining productivity.
Implementation Method 1
physical properties such as the thickness, permeability or smoothness of recording materials are detected by using a sensor
Implementation Method 2
physical properties such as the thickness, permeability or smoothness of recording materials are detected by using a sensor
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes: a housing part that is capable of housing a plurality of recording materials in such a manner that one recording material is put on another; a transport part that transports a recording material from the housing part; and a hardware processor that detects a kind of the recording material transported by the transport part, detects an amount of the recording materials housed in the housing part, detects replacement of recording materials housed in the housing part, or addition of recording materials in the housing part, on the basis of a result of the detection by the hardware processor, and, on the basis of a result of the detection by the hardware processor, switches whether or not to execute, by the hardware processor, the kind detection of the recording materials housed in the housing part.