Intermediate Transfer Belt Toner Pattern for Filming Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming apparatuses face issues with filming on the intermediate transfer belt, which affects image quality by causing white spots and reducing the accuracy of toner adhesion detection, and fails to effectively remove filming outside the detection range of optical sensors.
Innovation Solution
A belt-shaped scraping toner pattern is formed on the intermediate transfer belt, with a greater toner input to the cleaning blade at positions corresponding to optical sensors than in non-corresponding areas, ensuring sufficient toner stays to remove filming from the entire belt surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a uniform toner pattern is applied across the entire intermediate transfer belt, then filming removal is achieved in non-detection areas, but toner consumption increases unnecessarily
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by forming a toner pattern only in specific regions corresponding to optical sensor detection areas rather than uniformly across the entire intermediate transfer belt. The toner is concentrated in widthwise end areas where optical sensors are positioned, allowing filming removal where detection occurs while avoiding unnecessary toner application in non-detection areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses partial action by applying toner only to the extent necessary for filming removal in detection areas. Instead of covering the entire belt surface, the toner pattern is limited to specific widthwise regions where optical sensors can detect and monitor the filming condition, achieving sufficient cleaning effect with reduced toner consumption.
2Loss of substance
If toner is applied only in areas within optical sensor detection range, then toner consumption is reduced, but filming outside detection range remains
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs feedback by using optical sensors to detect filming conditions in real-time and adjusting the toner application accordingly. The sensors monitor the intermediate transfer belt surface in specific areas, and the system responds by forming toner patterns in those detected regions, creating a closed-loop control that optimizes toner usage based on actual filming conditions.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the toner image pattern is formed to ensure sufficient toner for filming removal, then filming is effectively removed, but the amount of toner required increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the intermediate transfer belt surface into multiple regions, with toner application focused on widthwise end areas corresponding to optical sensor positions. This segmentation allows the system to concentrate toner resources in specific high-priority zones where filming detection and removal are most critical, rather than distributing toner uniformly across the entire belt surface.
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 effectively prevents defective images due to filming, enhances the accuracy of toner adhesion detection, and reduces toner consumption by ensuring consistent removal of filming across the belt surface, even outside the optical sensor's detection range.
Implementation Method 1
a cleaner that cleans a surface of the image bearer
Implementation Method 2
an adhesion amount detector that is disposed facing the surface of the image bearer to detect a toner adhesion amount of the toner image
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus include an image forming device, an image bearer, a transferrer, a cleaner, and an adhesion amount detector. The image forming device forms, on the image bearer, a toner image to be transferred to a recording medium and a toner image pattern to be input to the cleaner without being transferred to the recording medium. The cleaner cleans the image bearer. The adhesion amount detector detects a toner adhesion amount of the toner image. The toner image pattern is a belt-shaped pattern elongated in an orthogonal direction orthogonal to a traveling direction of the image bearer and having a greater amount of toner input to a portion of the cleaner corresponding to a position of the adhesion amount detector in the orthogonal direction than that input to a portion of the cleaner not corresponding to the position of the adhesion amount detector in the orthogonal direction.