Image Quality Adjustment Limiting Toner Consumption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electrophotographic image forming apparatuses face challenges in maintaining consistent image quality due to variations in toner charge and temperature stability, leading to unnecessary adjustments and wasteful toner consumption.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus with an adjustment processing portion that adjusts image quality using toner, and a limitation processing portion that limits adjustments when they exceed predetermined values, ensuring optimal image quality without excessive toner usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If image quality adjustment is performed frequently to maintain consistent output quality, then image quality stability is improved, but toner consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where the adjustment amount calculated from density detection results is compared against a threshold value. When the adjustment amount exceeds the threshold, the adjustment processing is executed; otherwise, it is suppressed. This feedback-based decision-making ensures adjustments are only performed when necessary, maintaining image quality stability while preventing unnecessary toner consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes the adjustment parameter (toner application amount) based on detected density variations. By calculating the required adjustment amount from detection results and comparing it against a threshold, the system optimizes the parameter change to achieve minimal necessary adjustment, thereby maintaining image quality while reducing wasteful toner usage.
2Stability of the object's composition
If toner is used to adjust image quality during the image forming process, then image quality consistency is improved, but the complexity of the system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-diagnosis and self-adjustment by detecting density variations in the output image and automatically calculating the required toner adjustment amount. The adjustment processing portion uses the detection results to determine necessary corrections, enabling the system to maintain image quality consistency through autonomous operation without requiring complex external control mechanisms.
3Productivity
If the amount of adjustment is increased to quickly correct image quality deviations, then correction efficiency is improved, but the risk of excessive toner usage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system calculates the full adjustment amount required based on density detection but applies only the necessary portion by comparing against a threshold value. This partial action approach ensures that adjustments are sufficient to correct deviations while avoiding excessive toner application, achieving optimal balance between correction efficiency and toner conservation.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion, an adjustment processing portion, and a limitation processing portion. The image forming portion forms an image using toner. During execution of an image forming process using the image forming portion, the adjustment processing portion uses the toner to adjust image quality of an output image output by the image forming process. When an amount of adjustment of the image quality of the output image by the adjustment processing portion exceeds a predetermined limit value, the limitation processing portion limits the amount of adjustment of the image quality of the output image by the adjustment processing portion to the limit value.