Image Forming Roller Shift by Sheet Length for Compact Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming apparatuses face challenges in efficiently correcting lateral deviations of sheets during the image formation process, especially when a reversing shift mechanism is used, which can increase the apparatus's size due to the need for a large space in the width direction.
Innovation Solution
The image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a reversing roller pair, a moving unit to shift the reversing roller pair in the sheet's width direction, an obtaining unit to measure the sheet's length, and a control unit that adjusts the shifting amount based on the sheet's length, allowing for efficient correction of lateral deviations without increasing the apparatus's size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a reversing shift mechanism is used to correct lateral deviation of sheets, then image formation accuracy is improved, but the apparatus size increases due to requiring large space in the width direction
Solution Approach 1:
The invention makes the reversing roller pair movable in the width direction of the sheet through a moving unit, allowing dynamic adjustment of the roller pair position. This enables the roller pair to shift laterally by an amount corresponding to the sheet's lateral deviation, correcting the deviation without requiring the entire apparatus to have large width space. The dynamic positioning capability resolves the contradiction by providing precision correction functionality within a compact footprint.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit adjusts the position parameter of the reversing roller pair based on detected sheet lateral deviation. By changing the positional parameter of the roller pair dynamically according to sheet characteristics, the system achieves accurate image formation on deviated sheets without requiring fixed large-width structural space, thus resolving the contradiction between precision and apparatus size.
2Manufacturing precision
If the reversing roller pair is moved in the width direction to correct lateral deviation, then sheet positioning accuracy is improved, but the complexity of the device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces a moving unit as an intermediary mechanism that connects the control unit to the reversing roller pair. This intermediary component simplifies the overall control structure by providing a dedicated mechanical interface for position adjustment, reducing the complexity that would otherwise arise from more complex direct control mechanisms. The moving unit acts as a mediator that translates control signals into precise roller pair positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
By implementing a dynamic moving unit that enables the reversing roller pair to adjust its position in the width direction, the system achieves precise sheet positioning through a relatively simple mechanical adjustment mechanism. This dynamic approach is simpler than complex fixed-structure alternatives with multiple adjustment components, resolving the contradiction between positioning accuracy and device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a reversing roller pair, a moving unit, and an obtaining unit. The image forming unit forms an image on a sheet. The reversing roller pair nips the sheet having the image, rotates in a first direction, and then rotate in a second direction and conveys the sheet. The moving unit moves the reversing roller pair. The obtaining unit obtains the sheet length. If a first sheet having a first length is reversed and conveyed, the moving unit moves the reversing roller pair conveying the first sheet in the width direction by a first moving amount. If a second sheet having a second length greater than the first length is reversed and conveyed, the moving unit moves the reversing roller pair conveying the second sheet in the width direction by a second moving amount smaller than the first moving amount.