Image Forming Apparatus Toner Density Unevenness Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming apparatuses face challenges in correcting density unevenness across multiple image bearers due to their rotation cycles, leading to inconsistent toner image formation and color quality.
Innovation Solution
A control device that detects density unevenness in multiple image bearers based on their rotation phases and toner densities, adjusts rotation phases and speeds to synchronize them, and initiates detection operations when speed differences fall within a specified range, ensuring consistent toner image formation across all bearers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If density unevenness detection and phase correction are performed continuously, then image quality consistency is improved, but detection time and processing delay increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary speed alignment before initiating the detection operation. By first controlling the rotation speeds of multiple image bearers to be substantially equal, the system creates optimal conditions for accurate phase detection, reducing the time needed for subsequent correction operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The detection operation is executed periodically at predetermined intervals rather than continuously. This allows the system to maintain image quality consistency through regular checks while reducing overall processing time and computational load.
2Ease of operation
If rotation phases of multiple image bearers are independently controlled, then ease of operation is improved, but density unevenness correction effectiveness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The control device integrates the control of rotation phases for multiple image bearers into a unified coordination system. By detecting density unevenness across all bearers and determining appropriate rotation phases relative to each other, the system achieves effective density correction while maintaining operational simplicity through automated coordinated control.
3Loss of time
If detection operation starts immediately upon device startup, then response time is improved, but inaccurate detection occurs due to speed differences
Solution Approach 1:
Before initiating the detection operation, the control device first controls the rotation speeds of the image bearers to be substantially equal to each other. This preliminary speed alignment ensures that when detection begins, the conditions are optimal for accurate phase detection, preventing inaccurate results due to speed variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the timing of the detection operation based on the rotation speed conditions. The detection is triggered when speed differences fall within a predetermined range, allowing the system to respond quickly while ensuring detection accuracy through dynamic timing control.
Data Source
AI summary
A control device includes circuitry. The circuitry detects density unevenness of a toner image occurring according to a rotation cycle of a plurality of image bearers based on rotation phases and toner image density of the plurality of image bearers, controls rotation phases and rotation speeds of the plurality of image bearers, corrects the rotation phases and the rotation speeds of the plurality of image bearers, controls the rotation speeds of at least two of the plurality of image bearers to be a specified rotation speed, and starts a detection operation of the rotation phases of the plurality of image bearers after a difference between each of the rotation speeds of the at least two of the plurality of image bearers and the specified rotation speed falls within a specified range.