Intermediate Transfer Pressure Layout for Color Consistency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming systems experience color variations in transferred images due to inconsistent pressure and contact surface configurations between image holding bodies and transfer members, leading to variations in transfer quality.
Innovation Solution
The system employs a configuration with a first and second surface forming member disposed upstream and downstream in the rotation direction of an intermediate transfer body, with adjusted pressures and contact surfaces to stabilize the transfer process, ensuring higher pressure at the downstream nip portion and varying contact angles to minimize color variations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a surface forming member is disposed such that pressure is equal between upstream and downstream transfer portions, then transfer quality consistency is improved, but color variation suppression is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making the pressure distribution non-uniform along the rotation direction of the intermediate transfer body. Specifically, the pressure at the downstream transfer portion is made higher than at the upstream transfer portion, creating locally optimized conditions for color variation suppression while maintaining overall transfer quality consistency through controlled pressure variation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the pressure parameter along the rotation direction by positioning the surface forming member to create higher pressure at the downstream transfer portion. This parameter change (pressure distribution) is specifically designed to suppress color variation while maintaining transfer quality, resolving the contradiction between consistency and color variation suppression.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If pressure is increased at downstream transfer portion, then color variation is suppressed, but transfer portion stress increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by concentrating higher pressure specifically at the downstream transfer portion where color variation occurs, while maintaining appropriate pressure at the upstream transfer portion. This localized pressure increase targets the specific problem area (downstream color variation) without excessively increasing overall transfer portion stress.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the pressure parameter in a controlled manner, increasing pressure only at the downstream transfer portion to suppress color variation. This selective parameter change allows suppression of color variation while keeping the overall stress increase within acceptable limits by not uniformly increasing pressure across all transfer portions.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming system includes plural image holding bodies that hold an image, an intermediate transfer body that rotates and to which the image formed on the plural image holding bodies is transferred, plural transfer members that transfer the image formed on the plural image holding bodies to the intermediate transfer body, a first surface forming member that is disposed upstream the plural image holding bodies in a rotation direction of the intermediate transfer body, and a second surface forming member that is disposed downstream the plural image holding bodies in the rotation direction, and stabilizes surface formation of the intermediate transfer body together with the first surface forming member, in which the first surface forming member and the second surface forming member are disposed such that a pressure of a transfer portion formed by the image holding bodies and the transfer member via the intermediate transfer body is high in a transfer portion positioned most downstream as compared with a transfer portion positioned most upstream in the rotation direction.