Paper Feeding Control Using Feed Sensor Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming apparatuses face challenges in maintaining consistent paper feeding speed and alignment, leading to reduced print quality and destabilized feeding operations due to misaligned front ends of paper sheets.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus includes a pick-up roller, a forward roller, a feed roller, and a feed sensor positioned between the rollers to detect paper movement, allowing for controlled paper feeding by maintaining constant times for paper movement and alignment, ensuring even alignment of paper sheets before feeding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If paper sheets are fed by increasing paper moving speed, then paper feeding speed is improved, but alignment consistency and feeding stability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The feed sensor detects the position of paper sheets and provides feedback to the control unit, which adjusts the pick-up roller operation to maintain consistent alignment and feeding intervals, resolving the contradiction between high speed and alignment consistency
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the paper feeding process by controlling the pick-up roller to operate only when properly aligned paper is detected, allowing variable operation rates that maintain both speed and alignment consistency
2Productivity
If feeding interval between successive sheets is decreased, then paper feeding speed is improved, but feeding stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The feed sensor provides real-time feedback on paper sheet positions, enabling the control unit to maintain optimal feeding intervals and prevent misalignment, thereby improving both productivity and feeding stability
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary detection of paper alignment using the feed sensor before initiating the pick-up roller operation, ensuring that feeding actions are taken only when proper alignment is confirmed, which maintains stability while improving overall feeding speed
3Productivity
If pick-up roller operates continuously to increase feeding speed, then productivity is improved, but paper alignment and feeding precision deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The pick-up roller operates periodically rather than continuously, activating only when the feed sensor detects properly aligned paper sheets. This periodic operation maintains both high productivity and precise alignment by synchronizing feeding actions with detected alignment events
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 solution enhances paper feeding speed and stability by maintaining a consistent time for paper movement to the feed roller, reducing feeding intervals and improving print quality while extending the life of developing devices.
Implementation Method 1
The feed sensor may be configured to detect movement of the sheet of paper by irradiating light and receiving the light reflected from a surface of the sheet of paper
Data Source
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AI summary
An image forming apparatus and a method of controlling the same capable of obtaining the same effect as when sheets of paper are picked up in such a state that front ends thereof are all aligned by controlling paper feeding based on results of detecting paper movement and capable of improving feeding speed by maintaining a time taken for the sheet of paper to move to a feed roller constant are provided. The apparatus includes a pick-up roller to pick up a sheet of paper, a forward roller to feed the picked-up sheet of paper toward a downstream side of a paper moving path, a feed roller to feed the sheet of paper fed by the forward roller toward the downstream side of the paper moving path, and a feed sensor mounted between the forward roller and the feed roller to detect movement of the sheet of paper.