Transfer Member Elastic Shape Adjustment for Uniform Image Density
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming apparatuses face challenges in achieving uniform image density across the width of the printed page due to variations in transfer current and contact pressure between the primary transfer roll and the intermediate transfer belt, leading to transfer unevenness and image density differences.
Innovation Solution
A transfer device with a conductive surface layer on a rotatable transfer member, featuring a shape adjusting unit that adjusts the elastic transformation of the transfer member to align the contact areas, ensuring uniform contact pressure and current distribution across the width, thereby minimizing image density variations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the transfer member is made rigid to maintain structural stability, then the structural stability is improved, but the contact pressure uniformity deteriorates due to inability to elastically adapt to the intermediate transfer belt surface variations
Solution Approach 1:
The transfer member's outer peripheral surface is designed with elastic properties that allow controlled deformation. By adjusting the degree of elastic transformation through the transformation unit, the contact pressure distribution between the transfer member and intermediate transfer belt can be optimized to achieve uniform pressure across the contact surface while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The transfer member is designed to dynamically adapt its shape through elastic transformation in response to operational conditions. The adjustment unit modifies the elastic transformation degree during operation, allowing the transfer member to optimize its contact characteristics with the intermediate transfer belt, thereby achieving uniform contact pressure while preserving structural stability.
2Stress or pressure
If the transfer member is made elastic to adapt to belt surface variations, then the contact pressure uniformity is improved, but the structural stability deteriorates due to excessive deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic transformation degree of the transfer member is precisely controlled by the adjustment unit, which modifies transformation parameters to achieve optimal contact pressure uniformity without excessive deformation. This controlled parameter change allows the transfer member to adapt to belt surface variations while maintaining sufficient structural stability for reliable operation.
3Productivity
If the contact area is increased to improve transfer efficiency, then the transfer efficiency is improved, but the image density uniformity deteriorates due to non-uniform current distribution across the enlarged contact area
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic transformation degree is adjusted to optimize the contact area size and pressure distribution simultaneously. By controlling the transformation parameters, the system achieves sufficient contact area for high transfer efficiency while maintaining uniform contact pressure that ensures even current distribution and consistent image density across the transferred image.
Solution Approach 2:
The uniform contact pressure distribution achieved through controlled elastic transformation creates equipotential conditions across the contact surface. This equipotentiality ensures uniform electric field distribution and consistent current flow density across the entire contact area, thereby achieving both high transfer efficiency and uniform image density without the trade-off.
4Device complexity
If the transfer member shape is fixed to simplify the device structure, then the device complexity is reduced, but the transfer uniformity deteriorates due to inability to adjust for different operational conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The transfer member incorporates adjustable elastic transformation capability through the transformation unit, allowing dynamic adaptation to different operational conditions. This dynamic feature enables optimization of contact pressure and transfer uniformity for various scenarios while maintaining relatively simple device architecture, avoiding the need for multiple fixed-configured transfer members.
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
The solution achieves uniform image density across the printed page by reducing differences in transfer currents and contact pressures, enhancing transfer efficiency and reducing image density variations, resulting in improved print quality.
Implementation Method 1
a transfer member (42) that includes a conductive surface layer (42B) that is rotatable around a first rotation axis and is elastically transformed
Implementation Method 2
a transfer voltage which is used for transferring the developer image onto the first face of the transfer member being applied to the conductive surface layer
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a transfer device that is used for transferring a developer image hold on a surface of an image supporting body to a first face of a transfer member transported and includes a transfer member that includes a conductive surface layer that is rotatable around a first rotation axis and be elastically transformed, forms a second contact area, which differs from the first contact area in a transporting direction of the transfer member, by contacting with a second face of the transfer member, and is supplied with a transfer voltage used for transferring the developer image onto the first face of the transfer member, a transformation unit that elastically transforms the transfer member, and an adjustment unit that adjusts a shape of the second contact area by adjusting the degree of elastic transformation of the transfer member.