Waste Toner Forecasting for Image Forming Apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming apparatuses lack an efficient method to predict and manage waste toner accumulation in waste toner containers, leading to unnecessary replacements and potential scattering of waste toner when containers are filled.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus equipped with toner detection sensors, waste toner detection sensors, and a waste toner container full-state forecasting system that predicts whether the waste toner container will be filled before the toner container is emptied, allowing for timely replacement and reducing waste toner scattering.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the waste toner box is filled up with stored waste toner, then the waste toner container reaches its storage capacity, but the waste toner may scatter and cause operational disruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by forecasting the waste toner container full state before it actually occurs. The forecasting part calculates whether the waste toner container will be filled up before the toner container is emptied, and issues advance notifications to replace the waste toner container proactively, preventing toner scattering and maintaining operational reliability.
2Reliability
If the waste toner container is replaced frequently to prevent full state, then toner scattering is prevented, but replacement operations increase and consume user time
Solution Approach 1:
The forecasting part performs preliminary calculation to determine the optimal replacement timing. It computes whether the waste toner container will be filled up before the toner container is emptied, allowing the system to notify users at the most appropriate time for replacement, avoiding both premature and delayed replacements.
Solution Approach 2:
The notification part provides feedback to users based on the forecasting results. The system issues selective notifications only when the waste toner container is predicted to reach full state, enabling users to plan replacements efficiently without unnecessary frequent interventions.
3Measurement precision
If the system monitors waste toner quantity continuously, then accurate full state detection is achieved, but system complexity and detection resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuous monitoring, the system performs preliminary detection only at the timing when the toner container is replaced. The detection part measures the waste toner quantity at this specific moment, and the forecasting part uses this data to predict future full state, achieving accurate detection without continuous monitoring overhead.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies partial action by detecting waste toner quantity only when necessary (at toner replacement timing) rather than continuously. This selective detection approach maintains measurement precision for forecasting while significantly reducing system complexity and resource consumption compared to continuous monitoring.
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is an image forming apparatus that reduces replacement frequency for waste toner container (180a), and efficiently performs waste toner accommodation with a waste toner container (180a). The image forming apparatus includes a toner detection sensor (191 to 194) detecting a quantity of a toner in a toner container (110a, 120a, 130a, 140a); a waste toner detection sensor (195) detecting an accommodation quantity of a waste toner removed from a photosensitive medium and accommodated in a waste toner container (180a); a waste toner container full-state forecasting part (219) that, upon toner detection sensor (191 to 194) detecting empty state of toner container (110a, 120a, 130a, 140a), forecasts whether waste toner container (180a) is filled up with waste toner before toner container (110a, 120a, 130a, 140a) newly loaded is emptied, on detection result by waste toner detection sensor (195); and a system control part (222) that, upon waste toner container full-state forecasting part (219) forecasting waste toner container being filled up, notifies a replacement message urging replacement of waste toner container (180a) to a panel part (208).