Image Forming System Sheet Inspection and Binding Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In image forming systems, when a defective sheet is detected during the printing process, the existing methods either continue printing without correcting for the missing sheet or result in a print product with missing pages, failing to deliver the intended bundle of sheets as desired by the user.
Innovation Solution
The system incorporates an inspection mechanism that distinguishes between normal and defective sheets, allowing for selective discharge of defective sheets to a separate destination while ensuring that subsequent sheets are re-directed to the original discharge path, and includes a controller to stop the job execution if the first mode is set for binding processing, thereby preventing the formation of a print product with missing sheets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the first mode is used to discharge defective sheets separately and continue printing, then productivity is maintained, but the print product becomes incomplete with missing sheets
Solution Approach 1:
The inspection apparatus provides feedback about defective sheets to the controller, which then adjusts the discharge destinations of subsequent sheets based on the detected defect. This feedback mechanism ensures that the print product remains complete by redirecting sheets to compensate for the discharged defective sheet.
Solution Approach 2:
The discharge destination assignment is made dynamic rather than static. The controller adjusts the discharge destinations of subsequent sheets based on the position and nature of the defective sheet detected by the inspection apparatus, allowing the system to adapt and maintain print product completeness while continuing production.
2Reliability
If the second mode is used to discharge all sheets after the defective sheet to another destination, then the defective sheet is isolated, but the job must be resumed from the defective sheet position
Solution Approach 1:
The controller performs preliminary actions by pre-calculating and assigning discharge destinations for subsequent sheets based on the detected defective sheet position. This allows the system to prepare the discharge path in advance, minimizing interruption time when the job needs to be resumed.
3Reliability
If binding processing is performed on sheets with a defective sheet removed, then a complete print product cannot be formed, but stopping the job prevents resource waste
Solution Approach 1:
The controller performs preliminary inspection and determination of defective sheets before binding processing is completed. By detecting defects in advance and determining the appropriate discharge destinations beforehand, the system can prevent binding operations from being performed on incomplete sheet sets, thereby avoiding waste of printing resources while ensuring print product integrity.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming system including a printer that forms an image on a sheet and an inspection apparatus that inspects an image on a sheet delivered from the printer. A discharge mode for discharging a sheet inspected by the inspection apparatus and binding processing for binding a plurality of sheets as one bundle are set on a console panel. In a case where a first mode for discharging a first sheet determined as normal by the inspection apparatus to a first discharge destination, discharging a second sheet determined as defective by the inspection apparatus to a second discharge destination different from the first discharge destination, and discharging a third sheet conveyed subsequently to the second sheet, determined as normal by the inspection apparatus, to the first discharge destination is set as the discharge mode, and the binding processing is set, execution of the corresponding job is stopped.