Toner Fixing Speed Control for Mixed-Grammage Printing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fixing apparatuses experience a decrease in productivity when handling jobs that mix recording materials with different grammages due to the need to frequently change conveyance speeds to accommodate varying heat requirements, leading to downtime.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus includes a speed control unit that adjusts conveyance speeds based on acquired grammage information, allowing for mixed jobs to be executed in modes that optimize speed settings for different grammages, thereby minimizing downtime.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the conveyance speed is changed for each recording material with different grammages to control heat application amount, then the image quality is improved, but the productivity decreases due to frequent speed changes
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis of the job to identify sequences of recording materials with different grammages before execution. By detecting grammage information in advance and planning speed change timing, the system minimizes the frequency of speed changes while ensuring proper heat application for each material type, thus resolving the contradiction between image quality and productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The conveyance speed is made dynamically adjustable based on the grammage of recording materials being processed. The speed control unit can switch between first speed and second speed according to the specific grammage requirements, allowing the system to optimize both image quality for each material type and overall productivity by reducing unnecessary speed changes
2Manufacturing precision
If the conveyance speed is reduced for recording materials with large grammage to increase heat application amount, then the fixing quality is improved, but the processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the conveyance speed parameter based on the grammage parameter of recording materials. By establishing a relationship between grammage and optimal conveyance speed, the system automatically adjusts speed to ensure sufficient heat application for high grammage materials while minimizing processing time for low grammage materials, thus resolving the contradiction between fixing quality and processing time
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
This approach maintains productivity by reducing the time required to change conveyance speeds when mixing materials with different grammages, ensuring efficient and uninterrupted printing.
Implementation Method 1
a heating rotary member configured to apply heat to a recording material
Implementation Method 2
a pressurizing rotary member configured to form a nip portion by pressurizing the heating rotary member... heat and pressure is applied to fix the unfixed toner image
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes heating and pressurizing rotary members, and a speed control unit. In a first mixed job to be executed in a first mode and where a first recording material is to be initially conveyed and a second recording material is to be conveyed subsequent to the first recording material, the speed control unit sets a conveyance speed of the first recording material to a second speed based on acquired grammage information and sets a conveyance speed of the second recording material to a first speed based on the acquired grammage information. In a second mix job to be executed in the second mode and where the second recording material is to be conveyed subsequent to the initially conveyed first recording material, the speed control unit sets the conveyance speed of the first and second recording materials to the first speed based on the acquired grammage information.