Image Forming Apparatus Special Toner Invisibility Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional image forming apparatuses struggle to create effectively invisible images using special toners, as the invisibility of these images is often insufficient, making them recognizable by human eyes.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus with a unit holder that can selectively hold a replaceable black toner unit or a special toner unit, featuring a color toner unit, a black toner unit, and a special toner unit, which includes a circuitry to control the formation of color-black images or color-special images, with the special toner unit using infrared absorbing toner to enhance invisibility by adjusting toner deposition amounts and positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If special toner is used to create hardly visible images, then the invisibility of the image is improved, but the invisibility is still insufficient and recognizable by human eyes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by using different toner types in different regions of the image. Color toners (yellow, magenta, cyan) are used for visible image portions, while special toners (infrared-absorbing or fluorescent) are used for invisible image portions. This regional differentiation allows the image to have both visible and invisible components with optimized properties for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials by combining multiple toner types with different optical properties. The color toners provide visible imagery while the special toners (with infrared absorption or fluorescence characteristics) provide invisible imagery. When these toners are layered or mixed on the recording medium, they create a composite structure that simultaneously achieves visibility and invisibility in different spectral ranges.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the amount of color toner is increased during special operation, then the invisibility of special toner image is improved, but the color toner consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by selectively increasing color toner deposition only in specific regions where special toner is also present, rather than uniformly increasing color toner across the entire image. The circuitry detects the presence of special toner and adjusts color toner application accordingly, applying excess color toner only where needed to mask the special toner image.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses feedback control through the circuitry that detects whether a special toner unit is installed and monitors the imaging process. Based on this detection, the system automatically adjusts the toner deposition amounts, increasing color toner when special toner is present and maintaining normal levels when it is not, thereby optimizing both invisibility and toner consumption.
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
The apparatus successfully increases the invisibility of special toner images by strategically positioning and adjusting the amount of infrared toner, ensuring that these images remain difficult for human eyes to recognize while maintaining image quality.
Implementation Method 1
the special toner unit using infrared absorbing toner to enhance invisibility
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus including an image forming unit, a unit holder, and circuitry is provided. The image forming unit includes a color toner unit, a replaceable black toner unit, and a replaceable special toner unit that form a color toner image, a black toner image, and a special toner image, respectively. The unit holder selectively and detachably holds the replaceable black toner unit or the replaceable special toner unit. The circuitry controls the image forming unit to perform: a normal operation, when the unit holder holds the replaceable black toner unit, that forms a color-black image; a special operation, when the unit holder holds the replaceable special toner unit, that forms a color-special image; and a toner amount increase control that increases an amount of the color toner per unit area in the color toner image in the special operation than that in the normal operation.