Printing Apparatus Manual Sheet Insertion Collision Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
In printing apparatuses with double-face printing functionality and manual sheet paths, collisions between preceding and manually-inserted recording sheets can occur, leading to jams and increased user burden, as existing systems do not effectively manage the insertion of sheets during ongoing double-face printing operations.
Innovation Solution
The printing apparatus detects manually-inserted sheets during double-face printing and ejects the preceding sheet to avoid collisions, allowing for continued printing operations without user intervention, utilizing a print controller to manage image printing on either the ejected or newly inserted sheets, and includes conveyer rollers to manage sheet direction and cancellation of reverse conveyance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the printing apparatus allows manual sheet insertion during double-face printing operations, then user convenience and operational flexibility are improved, but the risk of sheet collision and jamming increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit performs preliminary detection of manually inserted sheets before the collision actually occurs. When a manually inserted sheet is detected in the manual sheet path during double-face printing, the system proactively stops the conveyance of the preceding sheet in the sheet-reversing path, preventing the collision before it happens.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses detection units to provide real-time feedback about sheet presence in both the manual sheet path and the sheet-reversing path. Based on this feedback, the control unit dynamically adjusts the conveyance operation, stopping or continuing as appropriate to prevent collisions while maintaining operational flexibility.
2Reliability
If the printing apparatus stops double-face printing operation to prevent sheet collision, then sheet jamming is avoided, but printing productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system stops the conveyance of the preceding sheet only when a manually inserted sheet is detected, rather than preventing all double-face printing operations. This selective stopping approach maintains productivity by allowing uninterrupted operation when no manual insertion is detected.
Solution Approach 2:
The conveyance operation is made dynamic rather than static. The control unit continuously monitors the manual sheet path and dynamically adjusts the conveyance of the preceding sheet based on real-time conditions, stopping only when necessary to prevent collision while maintaining continuous operation otherwise.
3Reliability
If the preceding sheet is ejected to avoid collision with manually inserted sheet, then sheet jamming is prevented, but image printing may be wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The system stops the conveyance of the preceding sheet at the optimal moment when a manual insertion is detected, allowing the sheet to be properly handled rather than being forcibly ejected. This prevents both collision and image wastage by enabling controlled operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit acts as an intermediary between the double-face printing operation and the manual sheet insertion. It mediates the potential conflict by coordinating the conveyance of the preceding sheet with the presence of manually inserted sheets, preventing collision while maintaining image quality and usability.
Data Source
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AI summary
A printing apparatus (100) is provided. The printing apparatus includes a printing unit (50), a sheet feeder, a discharge unit, a sheet path including a feeding path (11), a discharge path (12), and a reversing path (13), a manual sheet inlet and a manual sheet path (17) for a manually-inserted recording sheet, a detecting unit (63) to detect the manually-inserted recording sheet fed through the manual sheet inlet whilst a double-face printing operation is conducted with a preceding recording sheet, a judging unit to judge as to whether the detecting unit detected the manually-inserted recording sheet, and a conveyer controller unit to convey the preceding recording sheet in the double-face printing operation to the discharge unit without reversing when the judging unit judges that the detecting unit detected the manually-inserted recording sheet.