JP2000118789A - Roller member diagnostic device and image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To replace a roller member at proper intervals by detecting a conveying speed of a sheet material by means of a sheet material detecting means and determining an abrasion condition of the roller member. SOLUTION: Sensor members are arranged in the sheet material conveying direction. A time from detection of a sheet material by means of one sensor member to detection of the sheet material by means of the other sensor member is represented by time Ti. A frequency distribution of the time Ti is shown by a solid line. Along with abrasion of a roller member, frictional force between the roller member and the sheet member is lowered, so that resisting force is reduced while its dispersion is increased, and consequently, the frequency distribution becomes that shown by a dotted line. That is, a value of the time Ti is increased on average according to progress of abrasion in the roller member, and a standard deviation is also increased. Using this characteristic, this roller member diagnostic device determines an abrasion condition of the roller member from the information detected by means of a sheet material detecting means, and the determined information is transmitted to a remote device via an information transmitting means connected to an image processing device and the like.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus which is particularly applicable to a service notification system and forms an image on a sheet material or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a sheet feeding portion of the image output device. In FIG. 1, a sheet material detection sensor 5 is a sensor that reacts when a sheet material passes. Conventionally, such a sensor has been used for detecting a sheet conveyance failure in the output device.

For example, if there is no response from the sheet material detection sensor 5 after a certain period of time has elapsed since the operation of the paper feed roller 2 in FIG. 1, it is determined that a paper feed failure has occurred.

Alternatively, if the sheet material detection sensor 5 still reacts after a certain period of time has passed since the sheet material detection sensor 5 detected the sheet material, a paper jam occurs near the sheet material detection sensor 5. It is determined that you are.

[0005]

In the above prior art, at the timing when the sheet material detection sensor 5 detects the sheet material, it is determined whether or not there is any abnormality in the conveyance of the sheet material. The conveyance timing of the sheet material largely depends on the degree of wear of the conveyance roller. The conveyance force of the worn conveyance roller is weak, the timing is delayed, and the sheet material is clogged.

[0006] For this reason, each transport roller is often a service component that is replaced for each fixed wear state.

However, conventionally, there was no means for judging the abrasion state of the transport roller, so that the transport roller could not be replaced in an appropriate period.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a roller member diagnostic apparatus which determines a worn state of a roller member and prompts replacement of the roller member in an appropriate period.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a roller member for conveying a sheet material, and a sheet for detecting a sheet material conveyed by the roller member on a sheet material conveying path. Material detection means, and detects the conveyance speed of the sheet material by the sheet material detection means,
The wear state of the roller member is determined.

[0010] It is also preferable that the sheet material detection means arranges at least two or more sensor members in the sheet material conveyance direction in the conveyance path, and detects a sheet material conveyance speed based on a shift in sheet material detection timing. It is.

An information storage means for storing information from the sheet material detection means; an information processing means for processing information stored in the information storage means and information newly obtained by the sheet material detection means; The information obtained and processed by the processing means before the occurrence of wear is compared with the newly obtained information as preset information to determine the wear state of the roller member.

It is also preferable that the information processed by the information processing means is transmitted to a remote facility via the information transmitting means.

[0013] It is also preferable that the image processing apparatus includes the roller member diagnostic device.

The image processing apparatus includes: image reading means for reading image information of a sheet material while conveying the sheet material as a document to the conveyance path for conveying the sheet material; The image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit that forms an image on the sheet material while transporting the sheet material as a recording medium on the transport path.

[0015]

(Embodiment 1) FIG. 3 is a view showing an example of a sheet feeding portion, and Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

In the first embodiment, the wear state of the B roller 3 'and the C roller 4' which are roller members is determined.

In FIG. 3, the time from when the sensor member 5 'detects the sheet material to when the sensor member 6 detects the sheet material, which is arranged in the sheet material conveying direction, is assumed to be Ti. The frequency distribution of this time Ti is as shown by the solid line in FIG.

Further, as the wear of the roller member progresses, the frictional force between the roller member and the sheet material decreases, and the resistance becomes weaker and the variation in the resistance becomes larger. It has been confirmed by experiment that it looks like a dotted line.

That is, as the roller member wears, the value of the time Ti increases on average and the standard deviation also increases.

By utilizing this characteristic, the roller member diagnostic device of the present invention determines the wear state of the roller member from the information detected by the sheet material detecting means, and the determined information is connected to an image processing device or the like. Information is transmitted to the remote facility via the information transmitting means.

FIG. 1 shows a flow chart of the first embodiment of the present invention.

In the first embodiment, the time Ti is the latest one.
The information for 00 sheets is stored in the information storage means, and the average value M
Is determined.

The roller member diagnostic apparatus compares the average value M with preset information such as the slice level, and when the information exceeds the information such as the slice level, the information is connected to an image processing apparatus or the like. The information is transmitted to the remote facility via the information transmission means.

The information such as the slice level can be changed when the roller member is replaced. The information transmission means connected to the image processing apparatus or the like may transmit information to a remote facility by using a public line such as a telephone line or an LA.
Network communication represented by N or optical communication is used.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the time Ti is used as the judgment information, but the sheet material conveyance speed is also used as the judgment information.

(Embodiment 2) The roller member and the time Ti to be determined are the same as those in Embodiment 1.

In the second embodiment, both the average value M and the variance value V of the time Ti are used as criteria for improving the accuracy of the above-described detection.

When both values exceed the information such as the slice level, the information is transmitted to the remote equipment via the information transmission means connected to the same image processing apparatus as in the first embodiment.

Third Embodiment Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 5 shows a reversing sheet discharging section for reversing and discharging the sheet material after fixing. D which is a roller member
Assume that the wear state of the roller 7 and the E roller 8 as the roller member is determined.

In this case, the D-roller 7 and the E-roller 8 rotate in a certain direction to insert the sheet material, stop once, and rotate in the opposite direction to discharge the sheet material. The sensor member 9 detects the sheet material after the rotation of the roller member, and starts rotating in the opposite direction, and the time until the sensor member 10 detects the sheet material is Ti,
The wear state of the D roller 7 and the E roller 8 is determined by the same means as in the first and second embodiments, and the information is transmitted via the information transmission means connected to the same image processing apparatus as in the first embodiment. Send to remote equipment.

[0032]

As described above, according to the present invention, the sheet material detecting means for detecting the sheet material conveyed by the roller member in the sheet material conveying path uses the sheet material conveyance speed based on the deviation of the sheet material detection timing. Or detect time,
The roller member diagnostic device determines the wear state of the roller member based on the detected information, and further transmits the determined information to the remote equipment via information transmission means connected to the image processing device or the like, so that an appropriate It is possible to prompt the exchange of the roller member during the period.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a graph showing a frequency distribution of time Ti.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a conventional technique.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Sheet material 2 Paper feed roller 3'B roller 4'C roller 5 Sensor member 6 Sensor member 7 D roller 8 E roller 9 Sensor member 10 Sensor member

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A sheet material conveying device, comprising: a roller member for conveying a sheet material; and a sheet material detecting means for detecting a sheet material conveyed by the roller member in a sheet material conveying path. A roller member diagnostic device for detecting a speed and determining a wear state of a roller member. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sheet material detection unit includes at least two sensor members arranged in the sheet material conveyance direction in the conveyance path, and detects a sheet material conveyance speed based on a shift in sheet material detection timing. Claim 1 characterized by the following:
5. The roller member diagnostic device according to claim 1. 3. An information storage means for storing information from the sheet material detection means, an information processing means for processing information stored in the information storage means and information newly obtained by the sheet material detection means, Comparing the information obtained and processed by the information processing means before the occurrence of wear with the newly obtained information as preset information to determine the wear state of the roller member. Item 3. The roller member diagnostic device according to item 1 or 2. 4. The roller member diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information processed by the information processing unit is transmitted to a remote facility via an information transmission unit. 5. An image processing apparatus comprising the roller member diagnosis device according to claim 1. 6. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein the image processing unit reads image information of the sheet material while transporting the sheet material as a document to the transport path for transporting the sheet material. The image processing apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising: an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet material while conveying a sheet material as a recording medium along the conveyance path.