Paper Tray Control for Stapleless Stapling Compatibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Image forming apparatuses with stapleless stapling and automatic paper selection functions often select unintended paper types due to limitations in the stapleless stapling function's applicability, particularly with thick paper, leading to incorrect paper selection.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus includes trays with defined paper attributes, controllers, and storage to execute a paper selection function based on attributes and job information, ensuring the correct tray is used for stapleless stapling by releasing the automatic selection when required.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If the automatic paper selection function is enabled to automatically select paper for stapleless stapling, then the system can handle paper selection automatically, but it may select paper that does not meet the stapleless stapling requirements (such as thick paper)
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by storing the tray used in previous jobs including specific functions as job information. When a new job requiring stapleless stapling is detected, the system retrieves this pre-stored tray information and prioritizes its selection, ensuring the paper meets requirements before automatic selection occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by using job information from previously executed jobs to inform future paper selection decisions. The controller references stored tray usage data to make informed selections, creating a feedback loop that improves selection accuracy based on historical performance with stapleless stapling functions.
2Ease of operation
If the system always uses automatic paper selection, then operation convenience is improved, but user intent may not be preserved when specific functions like stapleless stapling are required
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces an intermediary mechanism - job information storage and retrieval - that mediates between automatic paper selection and user intent preservation. The controller acts as an intermediary by checking job information and tray compatibility before finalizing paper selection, ensuring both automation and user requirements are satisfied.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the stapleless stapling function is applied without tray selection restrictions, then device versatility is improved, but incorrect paper types may be processed
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by treating different trays with different selection criteria. Instead of uniform paper selection rules, the system identifies trays containing paper suitable for stapleless stapling (thin paper) and applies specific selection logic for those trays, while allowing other trays to follow general automatic selection rules.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes: a plurality of trays in which paper attributes of paper to be accommodated are each determined; one or more controllers; and one or more storages, wherein the controllers are capable of executing a paper selection function of selecting any one of the plurality of trays and a specific function executed using any one of the plurality of trays, based on the paper attributes and job information, the one or more storages store the tray used in a job including the specific function as the job information, and the controllers release execution of the paper selection function and set the tray stored in the one or more storages as a tray to be used when the specific function is executed when execution of the specific function is required in a state in which execution of the paper selection function is set.