Printer Paper Tray Insertion Sensing and Transport Error Control

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing printers fail to accurately sense and correct errors related to paper trays, such as improper paper loading or disarrangement, leading to transport failures and potential uneven wear of rollers due to repeated operation without notification.

Innovation Solution

A printer system equipped with an insertion/removal sensing unit, transport failure sensing unit, and print control unit that issues notifications for user operations related to the paper tray, utilizing a transported sheet counter to determine if printing occurred directly after tray insertion and sensing transport failures to prompt corrections.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If traditional error sensing based on transport path sensors is used, then paper jam errors can be detected, but errors caused by improper paper tray loading cannot be accurately sensed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveerror sensing accuracyVSAvoidpaper tray error information

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary sensing of paper tray insertion status before paper transport begins. The insertion/removal sensing unit detects whether the paper tray is properly inserted and loaded, providing advance warning of potential transport failures before they occur, rather than merely detecting failures after they happen.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

A transported sheet counter is introduced as an intermediary element between the paper tray and the transport failure sensing system. This counter tracks the number of sheets transported since tray insertion and provides critical information that helps distinguish between transport failures caused by improper tray loading versus other causes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If the printer continues operation without accurate paper tray error detection, then productivity is maintained, but uneven wear of rollers occurs due to repeated operation with loading errors

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprinter operation continuityVSAvoidroller wear uniformity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system establishes a feedback loop where the insertion/removal sensing unit continuously monitors paper tray status, the transported sheet counter tracks operation history, and the print control unit uses this information to determine when transport failures are caused by paper tray loading issues. When such errors are detected, the system provides feedback to the user through notifications, preventing continued operation that would cause uneven roller wear.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If transport failure notification is issued for all failures, then comprehensive error monitoring is achieved, but false notifications are generated for failures not related to paper tray loading

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveerror notification accuracyVSAvoiderror determination logic

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The error notification system applies local quality by providing different notification behaviors based on the specific context of the transport failure. Rather than a uniform notification approach, the system analyzes local conditions (tray insertion status, sheet count since insertion) to determine whether a transport failure is related to paper tray loading, and only issues notifications for those specific cases.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

4Loss of information

If the system tracks transported sheet count to determine error causes, then accurate error attribution is achieved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveerror cause informationVSAvoidtransported sheet counter mechanism

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The transported sheet counter serves multiple functions: it tracks the number of sheets transported since tray insertion, provides timing information for error analysis, and helps distinguish between errors occurring immediately after tray insertion versus errors occurring after normal operation. This multi-functionality justifies the added complexity by providing comprehensive error diagnostic capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS10137710B2Printer and control method

Publication Date: 2018.11.27 SEIKO EPSON CORP

AI summary

A printer which transports a sheet of paper from a paper tray inserted in the printer to perform printing includes: an insertion/removal sensing unit configured to sense insertion and removal of the paper tray; a transport failure sensing unit configured to sense a transport failure of the sheet of paper; and a print control unit configured to, if, when a transport failure is sensed by the transport failure sensing unit, the print control unit determines that transport of the sheet of paper is transport performed directly after the insertion/removal sensing unit sensed insertion of the paper tray, issue a notification for prompting a user to perform an operation relating to the paper tray.