On the hardware level, laser printers cover many fields; Optical imaging, semiconductors, optomechanics, software algorithms and printer languages. The output speed of high-end photocopiers is several hundred sheets a minute, so it is necessary to keep the speed and ensure the effect, and not to jam. The mechanical structure is complicated.
Paper path sensor, temperature sensor and paper outlet sensor all need precise control of software algorithm. Whether each piece of paper passes or not, the sensor should report to the cpu. If it is not handled in time, it will cause paper jam. Some machines have sensor design problems, which often lead to non-return or failure, which is easy to cause paper jam.
The core component of the selenium drum is the drum core, and the life of the drum core determines that the users of the laser printer will experience the excessive wear of the selenium drum, and users will think that your machine is not easy to use.
When the photosensitive layer Q of the drum core is worn, it will affect the imaging effect. Some manufacturers can reach 5000 drums, and some can reach 65438+ million or even 1 million. Here, 5000 pages are printer toner cartridges, 65438+ million, 1 million are copier toner cartridges.
The technical gap is self-evident, right?
At present, the high temperature of more than 200 degrees inside the fuser is divided into fixing film heating technology and heating pipe heating technology. The fixing film heating technology was invented by Canon in 1983, and the heating pipe heating technology was a patent of Xerox, which was earlier than Canon.
So no matter what heating technology you use, as long as you are a laser printer, you can't pass the fuser unless you can develop a new heating technology.
Even if you get these three pieces, you still need to have your own patents for paper feeding path and gear set, which are only patents for printing, copying, scanner and document feeder.
Suppose you do it at the hardware level, but what about the printer language? Printer language is a communication program between computer and printer. Without the printer language, the computer can't direct the printer to print, just like without the printer driver, you still have to pay the patent fee. At present, the most widely used pcl is HP.
Suppose you do it at the software level, but what about your use cost? What about the failure rate? What about the printing speed? People output 100 sheets at high speed in one minute, and you are stuck in 20 sheets. Is it embarrassing? What's even funnier is that the money is wasted.
The patent wall in the printer industry is not lower than the chip. To do soc, you can also find rm to buy instruction set architecture and let TSMC do OEM. No one will sell you a printer unless you have a logo like Lenovo or pick up Samsung's garbage like HP Bentu.
It is precisely because the patent wall is too high that domestic printer brands choose OEM, that is, directly change the logo or use other people's technology.