Image Forming Apparatus White Toner Haze Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Image forming apparatuses using electrophotography struggle to minimize the influence of the recording medium's color on the printed image, especially when a white toner image with high optical transparency is used, as it can still reveal the color of the medium beneath, affecting the visibility of color toner images.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus is configured with a first unit forming a white developer image using a white developer and a second unit forming a single-color developer image using a single-color developer with a lower melting temperature and outflow starting temperature than the white developer, resulting in a white image and single-color image with specific haze values to reduce medium color influence.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a white toner image with high optical transparency is used, then the white image appears brighter and more transparent, but the color of the recording medium becomes visible and influences the color toner image
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the thermal parameters of the developers by using different melting temperatures and outflow starting temperatures. The white developer has a higher melting temperature and outflow starting temperature compared to the color developer, allowing selective melting and transfer during the fixing process to achieve the desired haze value control
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different quality characteristics to different components: the white developer is designed with higher melting temperature and produces higher haze value images, while the color developer has lower melting temperature and produces lower haze value images. This local differentiation of properties allows the white image to block medium color while the color image maintains visibility
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the white developer image is formed with high haze value, then the recording medium color is blocked, but the optical transparency and brightness are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the image formation process into two distinct stages: first forming a white developer image with high haze value to block the recording medium color, then forming a color developer image with lower haze value on top. This segmentation allows each layer to optimize its function without compromising the other
Solution Approach 2:
By controlling the melting temperatures and outflow starting temperatures of the white and color developers differently, the patent achieves selective transfer and fusion characteristics during fixing, allowing the white image to provide color blocking while the color image maintains its visibility and brightness
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 allows for the formation of images that are less influenced by the recording medium's color, achieving enhanced color reproductivity and glossiness by setting the haze value of the white image higher than the single-color image, thereby reducing the visibility of the medium's color and improving printing quality.
Implementation Method 1
a fixing unit configured to fix the white developer image and the single-color developer image to the recording medium
Implementation Method 2
A melting temperature of said single-color developer is lower than a melting temperature of said white developer
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3~4
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes a first image forming unit configured to form a white developer image on a recording medium using a white developer, at least one second image forming unit configured to form at least one single-color developer image on the recording medium using at least one single-color developer other than the white developer, and a fixing unit configured to fix the white developer image and the at least one single-color developer image to the recording medium so as to form a white image and at least one single-color image. A haze value of the white image is higher than a haze value of each of the at least one single-color image.