Inner Roller Position Adjustment for Image Registration
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Solution Overview
Problem
In image forming apparatuses, changes in the position or attitude of the secondary transfer portion lead to color misregistration and paper jams or image defects due to varying recording material rigidity, especially with thin or thick papers.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus with a position changing mechanism for the inner roller and a pressing member, along with an image detecting system and controller, adjusts the secondary transfer portion's position and attitude based on the recording material's properties to prevent misregistration and defects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the position of the secondary transfer portion is changed to improve separation of thin recording material, then separation performance is improved, but color misregistration occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The pressing member is made movable in the axial direction of the intermediary transfer belt, allowing dynamic adjustment of the secondary transfer portion position. This enables the system to adapt to different recording material types (thin vs. thick) while maintaining proper color registration through real-time position optimization
Solution Approach 2:
The position of the secondary transfer portion is adjusted by changing the axial position of the pressing member. This parameter change allows optimization of separation performance for thin recording materials while preventing color misregistration by selecting appropriate positions based on material type
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the position of the secondary transfer portion is changed to prevent paper jams with thin paper, then paper jam occurrence is reduced, but image writing position accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The pressing member's axial movability enables dynamic repositioning of the secondary transfer portion. For thin recording materials prone to paper jams, the pressing member can be positioned to optimize separation, while for other materials, it returns to standard position to maintain image writing accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The pressing member applies localized pressure adjustment at the secondary transfer portion. By selectively adjusting only this local region's position, the system improves separation for thin materials without affecting the overall image forming process and position accuracy
3Manufacturing precision
If the attitude of the intermediary transfer belt is changed to suppress image defects with thick paper, then image quality is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pressing member serves multiple functions: it applies pressure for toner transfer, and its axial movement capability allows it to adjust the secondary transfer portion position to control belt attitude. This multi-functionality achieves image quality improvement for thick materials without requiring separate attitude control mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The axial position of the pressing member is adjusted to change the attitude of the intermediary transfer belt in the secondary transfer portion. This parameter change suppresses image defects like stripes and collisions for thick recording materials while maintaining simple device structure
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 solution effectively suppresses color misregistration and improves the separation of recording materials from the intermediary transfer belt, reducing paper jams and image defects across different paper types.
Implementation Method 1
a secondary transfer voltage of a polarity opposite to a charge polarity of toner is applied to the outer roller, so that the toner image is secondary-transferred from the intermediary transfer belt onto the recording material in the secondary transfer portion
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image forming portions, a rotatable endless belt, a plurality of stretching rollers including an inner roller, an outer roller, a position changing mechanism, and a controller. During execution of a job for forming first toner images on a first recording material and second toner images on a second recording material subsequent to the first recording material, in a case that a changing operation for changing the position of the inner roller by the position changing mechanism after the first toner images are formed on the first recording material and before the second to toner images are transferred onto the second recording material is executed, a registration adjusting image is formed between the first toner images and the second toner images.