Image Forming Speed Adjustment for Consistent Output Quality
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming apparatuses experience variations in image quality due to changes in toner charge over time, leading to differences in output image quality across different image forming speeds, complicating control when adjusting at specific sheet counts.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus executes adjustment processing at a common execution timing for all speeds, specifically when the developing device drive time reaches an integer multiple of a reference time, adjusting developing bias voltage, light emission, table data, and image position to maintain consistent image quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If adjustment processing is executed at specific sheet counts for each image forming speed, then image quality can be maintained for each speed, but control complexity increases and variations in image quality across different speeds cannot be suppressed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the adjustment processing into two independent components: (1) a common adjustment execution timing that is unified across all image forming speeds, and (2) speed-specific adjustment parameters stored in a table. This segmentation allows the control logic to use a simple unified timing mechanism while maintaining speed-appropriate adjustment values, thereby reducing overall control complexity while preserving image quality consistency across different speeds
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal adjustment execution timing that serves all image forming speeds simultaneously. Instead of having separate adjustment timings for each speed, a single unified timing mechanism is implemented that triggers adjustment processing for all speeds, reducing control logic complexity while maintaining the ability to handle speed-specific variations through parameter tables
2Ease of operation
If adjustment processing is executed at a fixed sheet count, then control is simple, but image quality variations occur across different image forming speeds
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by using a unified adjustment execution timing for all speeds while storing speed-specific adjustment parameters in a table. This allows the system to maintain simple control logic at the timing level while applying locally optimized parameters for each image forming speed, thereby achieving both control simplicity and image quality consistency across different speeds
3Manufacturing precision
If adjustment processing is executed frequently to maintain image quality, then image quality variation is reduced, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic adjustment processing by executing adjustments at fixed, predetermined intervals (e.g., every N sheets) rather than continuously or at every sheet. This periodic approach balances image quality maintenance with processing efficiency, ensuring quality control without excessive time loss. The unified timing mechanism across all speeds optimizes the interval to prevent both over-adjustment and under-adjustment
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
This approach suppresses variations in image quality across multiple speeds with simpler control, ensuring consistent output image quality without complicating the apparatus's control logic.
Implementation Method 1
an image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is formed
Implementation Method 2
a developing portion configured to use toner to develop the electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier
Data Source
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Figure 2
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AI summary
An image forming apparatus (100) includes an image forming portion (3), an image formation processing portion (51), and an adjustment processing portion (52). The image forming portion (3) includes an image carrier (31) on which an electrostatic latent image is formed and a developing portion (33) configured to use toner to develop the electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier (31), and forms an image on the sheet conveyed by the sheet conveying portion (4). The image formation processing portion (51) executes image formation processing for forming an image on each of the sheets sequentially conveyed using the image forming portion (3) at any of a plurality of predetermined image forming speeds. The adjustment processing portion (52) executes adjustment processing for adjusting an image quality of an output image output by the image forming portion (3) each time an execution timing common to the plurality of image forming speeds arrives during the execution of the image formation processing.