Transfer Drum Recess Geometry for Image Formation Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing transfer devices in image forming apparatuses face errors due to the splitting of transfer current when transferring images to a medium, leading to potential image formation errors.
Innovation Solution
A transfer device with a transfer drum having a groove-like recess and a contact mechanism that ensures the nip member comes into contact only with the upstream side of the recess during the initial stages of image transfer, preventing current splitting by ensuring all voltage flows through the medium.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the nip member contacts the transfer drum at any position during image transfer, then the transfer process can proceed, but transfer current splitting occurs causing image formation errors
Solution Approach 1:
The groove-like recess is pre-formed on the transfer drum surface at a specific position upstream of the nip part. This preliminary structural arrangement ensures that when the medium is fed, the nip member naturally contacts only the upstream side of the recess, preventing current splitting before the transfer process begins.
Solution Approach 2:
The transfer drum surface is modified locally by creating a groove-like recess at a specific position. This local structural change affects only the contact region between the nip member and transfer drum, ensuring that voltage is applied exclusively to the upstream side during transfer, while other regions remain unaffected.
2Device complexity
If the application member applies voltage to the entire nip part, then the transfer process is simplified, but voltage is applied to regions where no medium contact occurs causing current splitting
Solution Approach 1:
The application member is configured to apply voltage locally only to the upstream side of the groove-like recess where the medium actually contacts the transfer drum. This selective voltage application avoids current splitting by excluding regions where no medium contact occurs, while maintaining relatively simple device structure.
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 configuration effectively prevents transfer errors by maintaining a consistent transfer electric field, ensuring accurate image transfer to the medium.
Implementation Method 1
an application member that applies a voltage to the nip part where the medium is nipped, so that an image is transferred to the medium
Data Source
AI summary
A transfer device includes: a transfer drum that has a groove-like recess extending in an axial direction in an outer circumferential portion thereof, rotates about an axis thereof, and comes into contact with a medium being transported at a portion thereof on an upstream side of the recess in a rotation direction; a nip member, the nip member and the transfer drum forming therebetween a nip part where the medium is nipped; an application member that applies a voltage to the nip part where the medium is nipped, so that an image is transferred to the medium; and a contact mechanism that causes the nip member to come into contact only with a portion on the upstream side of the recess in the transfer drum in the rotation direction at a transfer-start time when the transfer of the image to the medium starts.