Ink-jet Controller Jam Recovery Selective Re-printing
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Solution Overview
Problem
In image forming apparatuses, unnecessary re-printing occurs due to jams, leading to increased costs and reduced efficiency in maintaining high print quality.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus with a sheet-feeder module, ink-jet module, and controller circuitry that forms a density adjustive image pattern, detects jams, and determines whether unejected sheets have passed through a specific position in the sheet conveyer path, re-forming images only when necessary to avoid re-printing the density adjustive pattern.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the ink-jet module re-forms images on all unejected sheets after a jam, then print quality is maintained, but unnecessary re-printing occurs increasing costs and reducing efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating the treatment of unejected sheets based on their position in the conveyer path. Sheets that have passed the certain position (where the density adjustive image pattern is formed) are treated differently from those that haven't. This selective approach ensures print quality maintenance while avoiding unnecessary re-printing of sheets that won't receive the density adjustive pattern anyway, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and productivity.
2Reliability
If the ink-jet module re-forms the density adjustive image pattern on unejected sheets, then print quality is maintained, but user costs increase due to unnecessary re-printing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by selectively applying the density adjustive image pattern only to unejected sheets that have not yet passed the certain position in the conveyer path. This localized approach ensures that ink is consumed only when necessary for quality control, avoiding wasteful re-printing of sheets that would not receive the density adjustive pattern under normal operation, thereby resolving the contradiction between maintaining print quality and reducing ink consumption.
3Productivity
If the controller circuitry determines sheet position and selectively re-forms images, then unnecessary re-printing is avoided, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-establishing the certain position in the conveyer path where the density adjustive image pattern is formed. The controller circuitry uses this pre-defined position to determine whether unejected sheets require re-printing. This preliminary setup simplifies the control logic during jam recovery, as the system only needs to compare sheet positions against the predetermined certain position rather than performing complex real-time analysis, thus resolving the contradiction between productivity improvement and device complexity.
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
Minimizes user costs by avoiding unnecessary re-printing and ensuring that only necessary images are re-formed during jams, maintaining high print quality while reducing waste.
Implementation Method 1
an ink-jet module configured to jet ink droplets onto multiple sheets continuously fed into the sheet conveyer path to form images
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes a controller circuitry configured to control the ink-jet module to form a density adjustive image pattern on one of the multiple sheets, detect a jam during continuous feeding, and then determine whether or not images, which are to be formed on one or more fed-and-unejected sheets, include the density adjustive image pattern, where the images include the density adjustive image pattern, determine whether or not the unejected sheet, on which the density adjustive image pattern is to be formed, has passed through a certain position of the sheet conveyer path, and control the ink-jet module, where the unejected sheet, on which the density adjustive image pattern is to be formed, has passed through the certain position, not to re-form the density adjustive image pattern and to re-form images on rest of the unejected sheets.