Optical Scanner Cleaning Control for Wire Tension Relief
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing optical scanning devices in electrophotographic image forming apparatuses face deterioration in optical characteristics due to toner and dust accumulation on transmissive members, leading to image quality issues, and current cleaning mechanisms may cause stress on wire-shaped members, potentially resulting in breakage.
Innovation Solution
An optical scanning device with a wire-shaped member driven in a loop by a winding motor, featuring cleaning holders that reciprocate along transmissive members, and a control system for forward and backward travel operations, including a load releasing mode to prevent continuous tension on the wire-shaped member.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the cleaning holder continuously moves along the transmissive member to clean it, then the cleaning effectiveness is improved, but the wire-shaped member is subjected to continuous tension which may cause breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning holder is designed to reciprocate periodically along the transmissive member rather than moving continuously. The driving portion moves the cleaning holder in the first direction along the extending direction of the transmissive member, then in the second direction opposite to the first direction, creating a periodic motion pattern that achieves continuous cleaning coverage while allowing the wire-shaped member to relax tension during the return stroke
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a static or continuously moving cleaning mechanism to a dynamic reciprocating system. The cleaning holder's bidirectional movement along the transmissive member allows the wire-shaped member to dynamically adjust its tension state, reducing cumulative stress and preventing breakage while maintaining cleaning effectiveness
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
Effectively cleans transmissive members to maintain image quality while reducing the risk of wire-shaped member breakage by managing tension and load during the cleaning process.
Implementation Method 1
the cleaning member slides with respect to the transmissive member, thus cleaning the transmissive member
Data Source
AI summary
An optical scanning device includes a housing, a transmissive member, a wire-shaped member, a driving portion, a cleaning holder, a cleaning member, a stopper, and a control portion. The control portion is capable of executing a cleaning mode including at least one of a forward travel operation of controlling the wire-shaped member to travel in a first direction so that the cleaning holder moves along the transmissive member and a backward travel operation of, after executing the forward travel operation, controlling the wire-shaped member to travel in a second direction so that the cleaning holder moves in an opposite direction to a direction of the forward travel operation. The control portion executes a load releasing operation of controlling the cleaning holder to move by a prescribed amount in an opposite direction to the direction of the forward travel operation or the direction of the backward travel operation.