Toner Bottle Gear Driving Force Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The stability of the rotational speed of the accommodating container in image forming apparatuses is low due to differences in load torque during initial and subsequent operations, leading to unstable toner discharge.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus with a movable openable member and a controller that adjusts the driving device's input value based on detected rotation signals to maintain a predetermined speed, ensuring stable rotation of the accommodating container.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If the discharge opening is opened using a part of the driving force for driving the accommodating container, then the initial operation of opening the discharge opening and the developer discharging operation can be controlled using a series of feed-back controls, but the load torque of the driving motor is different between during the initial operation and after the initial operation, resulting in a long period for reaching the rotational speed of the driving motor to the target value and low stability of the rotational speed of the accommodating container
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the control process into two distinct phases: initial operation phase and developer discharging operation phase. During the initial operation, the controller controls the driving motor to move the openable member from closing position to opening position. During the developer discharging operation, the controller controls the driving motor to rotate the accommodating container at a predetermined rotational speed. This segmentation allows different control strategies to be applied to each phase, resolving the contradiction between automation and rotational speed stability.
2Measurement precision
If feed-back control is used to control the rotational speed of the driving motor, then the rotational speed can be controlled to approach a target value, but the difference in load torque between initial operation and subsequent operations results in a long period for reaching the target rotational speed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-positioning the openable member in the closing position before the developer discharging operation. The controller is configured to control the driving motor to rotate the accommodating container at a predetermined rotational speed during the developer discharging operation, rather than continuously adjusting to reach a target value. This preliminary setup and predetermined speed control eliminate the time delay associated with continuous feed-back adjustment, while still achieving precise rotational speed control through the predetermined setting.
Data Source
AI summary
A toner supply unit for use in an image forming apparatus includes a bottle gear provided on a toner bottle to receive a driving force when the toner bottle is mounted to a mounting portion, and a discharging mechanism provided on the toner bottle to discharge a predetermined amount of toner from a discharging portion with the rotation of the bottle gear. A controller controls the driving force inputted to the bottle gear in a period from input of the driving force to the bottle gear to a predetermined number of rotations of the toner bottle to be smaller than the driving force inputted to the bottle gear at a time when the discharging mechanism first discharges the predetermined amount of toner from the discharging portion after the predetermined number of rotations.