JP2004046487A - Rental method and rental system of office equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To smooth the recycle of a printer cartridge and to automatically decide the repairability thereof. <P>SOLUTION: A rental product management record showing the repair history, rental frequency or the like of the cartridge is registered in a management server 1. The management server 1 sums up the points corresponding to the failure positions of the recovered cartridge, and determines the disposal of the cartridge when the total point is a predetermined regulated point or more. When the rental frequency exceeds a predetermined limit frequency, also, the management server 1 determines the disposal of the cartridge. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a rental method and a rental system of office equipment, and more particularly, to a rental system and a rental method of a developing cartridge and an ink cartridge used in office equipment such as a printer and a facsimile having a built-in consumable part.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In a printer, a facsimile, and the like, a developing cartridge, an ink cartridge, and the like are used. Since these cartridges form a module in which the developing toner, the photosensitive drum, the rubber blade, and the like are integrated, the cartridge has been discarded after the developing toner has been used up even if it is used only once. However, from the viewpoint of cost reduction and environmental protection, the cartridge is being repeatedly used while replenishing the developing toner.
[0003]
Currently, several methods have been devised for repeatedly using the cartridge. First, there is a method in which a recycler keeps a used cartridge from a customer, returns the cartridge to the customer after performing toner replenishment, repair, and the like. According to this method, it is not necessary to resell the cartridge, and therefore, even if the cartridge is protected by a patent right or the like, the problem of patent infringement by a recycler does not occur. However, while a customer sends a cartridge to a recycler for recycling, there is a problem that the customer has no replacement for the cartridge at hand, and the customer cannot use the printer.
[0004]
Second, there is a method in which a recycler delivers a replacement to the customer while the recycler keeps the used cartridge from the customer. According to this method, there is an advantage that the customer can continue to use the printer while recycling the cartridge to a trader. However, infringement of a patent right or the like may be a problem when delivering a replacement for the cartridge.
[0005]
In the case of recycling the developing cartridge and the like, it is necessary to replace and repair consumable parts. However, the quality and performance of the cartridge may not be able to be exhibited during repeated recycling. For this reason, it is necessary for the trader to determine whether or not the cartridge can be recycled after inspecting the quality and the like of the developing cartridge.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The present invention has been made in view of solving the above-described problems, and a first object of the present invention is to allow a user to continue using a printer or the like even after a cartridge is handed over to a trader for recycling. It is in.
[0007]
A second object of the present invention is to provide a rental system and a method which are less likely to cause a problem such as infringement even when the cartridge is protected by a patent right or the like.
[0008]
A third object of the present invention is to make it possible to recycle cartridges of a constant quality by managing the repair history of cartridges to be recycled.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-described problem, the present invention relates to a method of renting office equipment including a consumable part, wherein a repair history of the office equipment is stored in a storage device, and the office equipment collected after the rental is completed. Inputting the details of the failure to the terminal device;
Automatically determining, by the terminal device, whether to rent the office equipment based on the input failure content and the repair history.
[0010]
The repair history indicates the total number of rentals of office equipment, and the determining step does not rent the office equipment when the total number of rentals exceeds the rental limit predetermined for each office equipment. Is automatically determined by the terminal device.
[0011]
Further, the method further comprises the step of storing in the storage device a database in which the repair content of the office equipment is scored in advance, wherein the determining step determines a repair score corresponding to the input failure content based on the database, If the result of adding the points to the total points of past repairs exceeds a predetermined number of points, the terminal device automatically determines not to rent the office equipment.
[0012]
When it is determined that the office equipment is not rented, the office equipment is discarded without repair. When the total point is equal to or more than a second specified point set lower than the specified point and is equal to or smaller than the specified point, rental of office equipment for a shorter period than a predetermined rental period is performed. .
[0013]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
I. Constitution
FIG. 1 shows an outline of an office equipment rental system according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this figure, the sales departments 2 and 2a, the production department, and the management server 1 belong to the rental company. The user 4 is connected to the management server 1 via the Internet 5.
[0014]
As will be described later, the management server 1 is a server that performs centralized management of data relating to rental contracts, customer data, data relating to cartridges, and the like. The management server can be connected to the sales department 2 and the production department 3 via a LAN, and can be connected to the user 4 via a WAN such as the Internet 5.
[0015]
The sales department 2 is provided with a sales department terminal 20, a telephone 21, and a facsimile 22. The sales department terminal 20 is capable of concluding a cartridge rental contract (lease contract) with a user by connecting to the user terminal 40 via the Internet 5. Further, the sales department 2 a having no sales department terminal can make a negotiation with the user 4 and conclude a rental contract using the telephone 23 and the facsimile 24, and inform the sales department 2 of the result.
[0016]
The production department 3 is provided with a production department terminal 30, and an operator can input management data associated with recycling of the cartridge 31 to the management server 1 via the production department terminal 30. Note that the production section 3 and the sales section 2 do not necessarily need to be provided separately, and a section having both functions may be provided.
[0017]
The user 4 has a user terminal 40 and a printer main body 41. The printer main body 41 includes a developing cartridge, an ink cartridge, and the like. The user 4 can recycle the cartridges by concluding a rental contract with the sales department 2 for these cartridges. When the rental contract is concluded, the printer main body 41 remains the property of the user 4, but since the cartridge becomes the property of the rental company, problems such as infringement of patent rights due to the delivery of the cartridge hardly occur.
[0018]
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the management server 1. The management server 1 includes a CPU 11, a network I / F 13, a memory 13, a display 14, a barcode reader 15, a printer 16, and a hard disk 17. The network I / F 12 is an interface for connection to a LAN and a WAN, and the memory 13 functions as a working area for the operation of the CPU 11. The display 14 may be configured using a liquid crystal display (LCD) in addition to the CRT. The bar code reader 15 is for reading a bar code attached to the cartridge, and is used for managing information on the cartridge. Note that instead of a barcode, a tag incorporating an IC chip may be attached to the cartridge to manage the cartridge. The printer 16 can print a barcode, a rental bill, a contract, and the like.
[0019]
On the hard disk 17, a rental item management record including information on rental items and a customer management record including information on customers are recorded. The rental product management record includes a product management code assigned to each cartridge, a purchase destination of the cartridge, a purchase date of the cartridge, a rental product collection date indicating the date when the cartridge was collected from the user, and a rental indicating the date when the cartridge was sent to the user. It consists of data such as a product delivery date, the number of cartridge rentals, a repair history indicating the content and date of repair of the cartridge, and an order reception date indicating the order date of the rental item.
[0020]
The customer management record includes the rental contract date, contract renewal date, customer name, customer address, the person in charge of the rental contract procedure, customer contact method, rental product name, rental quantity, user's rental payment transfer status, and cancellation And data on the collection status of rental products.
[0021]
These rental item management records and customer management records can be input and referenced from the sales department terminal 20 and the production department terminal 30. For example, when a new cartridge is purchased, the production department 3 can use the production department terminal 30 to record information on the cartridge in the rental item management record. When the sales department 2 concludes a rental contract with the user 4, the sales department terminal 20 can record information about the user in the customer management record.
[0022]
II. Display screen
In this system, it is possible to conclude a rental contract, renew a contract, cancel a contract, etc. on an Internet website. 3 to 5 show examples of the web screen.
[0023]
FIG. 3 is a rental system fee table displayed on a screen for explaining the rental system. The price list shows a maker name, a cartridge part number, a corresponding printer model name, a rental fee commission, a security deposit, and stock. The user can determine whether or not to conclude a rental contract after checking the rental fee, availability of stock, and the like on the web screen. In addition, on a screen (not shown), guidance and terms and conditions of the rental system are displayed, and after confirming these, the user can conclude a rental contract.
[0024]
FIG. 4 shows an input screen at the time of a rental contract. When the user inputs a product name, quantity, address, name, contact information, payment method, and the like in the frame of this screen, these data are transmitted to the management server 1 via the Internet 5. The transmitted data is stored by the management server 1 as a part of the customer management record.
[0025]
FIG. 5 shows an input screen at the time of contract renewal. When the expiration date of the rental contract approaches, the management server 1 notifies the user terminal 40 of the expiration date of the period and guidance for contract renewal by e-mail. The user who has received the e-mail opens the contract renewal screen on the website and can renew the contract. This screen is provided with input fields for a customer code and a password. When the user inputs these data, the contents of the contract update are displayed. After confirming the contract renewal content, the user decides whether or not to accept the contract, and clicks a “YES” or “NO” button on the screen. By clicking “YES”, the contract is renewed.
[0026]
III. Repair history management
In the present invention, by quantifying the repair contents of the cartridge, it is possible to automatically determine whether or not the cartridge can be rented. That is, when the production department 3 repairs a cartridge for which rental has been completed, a predetermined score is added based on the content of the repair, and when the total score exceeds a prescribed score determined for each cartridge, the cartridge is rented. It is a system that is destroyed without being done.
[0027]
FIG. 6 shows scores corresponding to the repair contents. For example, 30 points are added each time the cartridge body is recycled once, and 15 points are added each time the developer is refilled. Further, when a repair is performed due to the damage of the cartridge, the score is determined according to the degree of the damage. That is, when the degree of damage is large, the score is large, and when the degree of damage is small, the score is small. On the other hand, if the photosensitive drum is replaced with a new one, the life of the entire cartridge is considered to be extended, and conversely, 30 points are subtracted. However, if a component that cannot be replaced is replaced, there is a possibility that the structure of the cartridge may be adversely affected, so 10 points are added.
[0028]
FIG. 7 shows the maximum number of rentals and the number of points specified for each type of cartridge. The rental limit count indicates the number of times that the cartridge can be rented. When the rental count exceeds the limit count, the cartridge is discarded. The maximum number of rentals and the prescribed number of points can be determined in consideration of the structure of the cartridge. Further, the durability may be actually measured while renting the cartridge, and the maximum number of rentals and the specified number of points may be determined based on the measurement result. For example, an average value of the number of rentals until the cartridge breaks down, or a number of rentals in which a failure occurs at a predetermined ratio (for example, 20%) is set as the rental limit number, so that the rental limit number can be set more accurately. it can. Alternatively, the failure rate of the cartridge after the repair may be actually measured to determine the score of the repair content. In this case, it is desirable not to use the point at which the failure rate increases but to use a value lower than this numerical value (for example, 80%) as the specified point.
[0029]
Next, a method of deciding whether or not to rent will be described using the following cartridge as an example.
Company A “A001 cartridge”
Rental limit 5 times
280 points
Example 1
After the first rental, if there is no damage to the cartridge or the like, only replenishment of the developer and replacement of the rubber blade are performed. In this case, the added points are 30 points for the first rental, 15 points for refilling the developer, and 10 points for non-replaceable parts (rubber blades and the like), and the total points are as follows.
Total points = 30 + 15 + 10 = 55 points> 280 points
Therefore, since the total point is lower than the specified number, the cartridge is sent for the second rental after the refilling of the developer and the replacement of the rubber blade are performed.
[0030]
It is assumed that there is no damage to the parts even after the second rental. The added points in this case are 30 + 15 + 10 = 55 points, and when this is added to the first total points, the total points are as follows.
Total points = 55 + 55 = 110 points> 280 points
Therefore, since the total point is lower than the specified point, the cartridge is sent to the third rental after the refilling of the developer and the replacement of the rubber blade.
[0031]
Suppose that a small damage to the cartridge is found after the third rental. Since the number of added points for the damage (small) of the cartridge is 50, the total points are as follows.
Total points = 110 + (30 + 15 + 10) + 50 = 215 points> 280 points
Also in this case, the cartridge is sent for the fourth rental since the total points are less than the specified number.
[0032]
Suppose that after the fourth rental, major damage to the cartridge is found. Since the added point of the damage (large) of the cartridge is 250 points, the total points are as follows.
Total points = 215 + (30 + 15 + 10) + 250 = 520> 280 points
Therefore, since the total point exceeds the specified number, even if the number of rentals is less than the limit number, the cartridge is discarded without repairing the cartridge, refilling the developer, and the like.
[0033]
Example 2
In the first to fourth rentals, if there is no damage to the cartridge or the like, only replenishment of the developer and replacement of the rubber blade are performed. In this case, the added points are 30 points for the first rental, 15 points for refilling the developer, and 10 points for non-replaceable parts (rubber blades and the like), and the total points are as follows.
Total points = (30 + 15 + 10) * 4 = 220 points> 280 points
Therefore, since the total point is lower than the specified point, the cartridge is sent for the fourth rental after the refilling of the developer and the replacement of the rubber blade are performed.
[0034]
It is assumed that there is no damage to the parts even after the fifth rental. The total points in this case are as follows.
Total points = (30 + 15 + 10) * 5 = 275 points> 280 points
Although the total points are lower than the specified number, the number of rentals has already reached the limit number, so the cartridge is discarded without being rented.
[0035]
IV. Action
The operation of the rental system according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 10 are flowcharts showing the processing of the rental system according to the present invention, and FIG. 11 is a timing chart of the rental system.
[0036]
First, the production department 3 purchases a cartridge to be rented through a regular sales channel (S101, T1). It is desirable to select a cartridge that is a rental product that is used for a printer having a high market share as much as possible.
[0037]
The production department 3 assigns a management code to each of the purchased cartridges (S102, T2). More specifically, a bar code on which a management code is printed by a printer, MICR, OCR, an IC tag on which the management code is recorded, or the like is attached to each cartridge.
[0038]
The production department 3 inputs information constituting the rental item management record to the production department terminal 30. The information input at this time is the management code assigned in S102, the purchase date and the purchase destination of the cartridge. The input information is transmitted to the management server 1 and registered in the management server 1 as a part of the rental item management record (S103, T3).
[0039]
The management server 1 totals the rental item management records and provides the inventory information of the cartridge to the sales department terminal 20 (S104, T4). If there is no stock, the sales department 2 checks the delivery date of the cartridge with the production department 3 (S105.T5).
[0040]
At the same time, the stock information is transmitted to the user terminal 40 via the Internet 5 and displayed on the web screen shown in FIG. After confirming the rental system guidance and fee displayed on the web screen, the user 4 proceeds to the contract screen shown in FIG. The user 4 fills in necessary items on the contract screen and clicks a send button to conclude a rental contract (S106, T6).
[0041]
The information entered by the user is transmitted to the sales department 2 via the management server 1, and the sales department 2 confirms the contract details again. If there is no deficiency in the contract contents, the sales department 2 prints the contract and the bill and sends them to the user 4 (S107, T7). Further, the sales department 2 registers the customer management record in the management server 1 by inputting the contract date, customer name, customer address, contact person, rental product name, and rental quantity into the sales department terminal 20 based on the contract. (S108).
[0042]
A user without a terminal may conclude a rental contract with the sales department 2 or 2a using a telephone or a facsimile. When the sales department 2a having no terminal has concluded a rental contract with the user 4, the rental contract is sent to the sales department 2 having the terminal, and the sales department 2 manages the customer management record based on the sent contract. Register to 1. The customer management record thus registered can be accessed from the production department (T8).
[0043]
The sales department 2 or the production department 3 sends the customer code and the password to the newly contracted user 4 by e-mail (S109, T9). Using the customer code and password, the user can confirm the contract contents, renew the contract, and perform the procedure for canceling the contract on the web screen.
[0044]
The management server 1 notifies the production department terminal 30 that a new rental contract has been concluded with the production department. At this time, if there is no stock of the cartridge to be rented, the production department orders a new cartridge. After confirming the transfer of the rental fee on the customer management record, the production department 3 sends the cartridge to the user 4 (S110, T10). It should be noted that the management server 1 may automatically notify the production department terminal 30 when the user transfers the rental fee.
[0045]
The user 4 mounts the received cartridge in the printer 41 of the user 4 and starts using the printer. Thereafter, when the expiration of the rental period approaches (YES in S111), the sales department 2 notifies the user 4 to that effect by e-mail (S112, T11). If the user 4 does not have a terminal, the user may be notified of the expiration of the rental period and the renewal of the contract by facsimile, mail, or the like.
[0046]
When the user 4 who has received the e-mail inputs the customer code and the password on the contract update screen shown in FIG. 5, the management server 1 displays the contents of the contract update at the bottom of the screen. The user 4 determines whether the contract can be renewed by checking the contents of the contract renewal. When the user 4 decides to renew the contract, by clicking the “YES” button on the screen, the fact is transmitted to the management server 1 and the contract is renewed (YES in S113, T12). After sending the new cartridge to the user (S114), the sales department 2 collects the used cartridge from the user. The production department 3 checks the used cartridge, and if it can be repaired, stores it after repairing it (S115, T15 to T17). Further, the sales department 2 or the production department 3 records the used cartridge collection status in the customer management record (S116), and waits for the expiration of the rental period (S111).
[0047]
On the other hand, if the contract is not renewed (NO in S113), the used cartridge is collected from the user without sending out a new cartridge, and inspection and repair is performed (S117). The sales department 2 returns the deposit to the user, records the collection status of the used cartridge in the customer management record (S116), and repeats the processing from step S101.
[0048]
Next, the recovery and repair processing in steps 115 and 116 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. First, the production department 3 collects the used cartridge (S201), reads the barcode attached to the cartridge using the production department terminal 30, and transmits the cartridge management code to the management server 1. The management server 1 searches for a rental item management record including the management code, and determines whether the number of rentals is equal to or greater than a predetermined rental limit (S205). If the number is equal to or more than the rental limit number (YES in S205), the management server 1 notifies the production department terminal 30 that the cartridge should be discarded. The worker who sees this display discards the cartridge without checking the used cartridge (S206), and inputs the date of the decision to discard in the rental item management record (S208).
[0049]
On the other hand, in step S202, when the used cartridge rental count is less than the rental limit count, the management server 1 notifies the worker to that effect through the production department terminal 30. The operator inspects the used cartridge (S203), and inputs the location of the failure and the content of the failure to the management server 1 via the production department terminal 30. The management server 1 calculates the total points, such as the repair points and the developer refill points, corresponding to the input failure location and the failure content, with reference to the database shown in FIG. 6 (S204). Then, the management server 1 determines whether or not the total point has become equal to or greater than a predetermined number of points for the cartridge (S205). If the determination result is YES, a message indicating that the cartridge should be discarded is displayed on the production department terminal 30. I do. The operator who sees this display discards the cartridge (S206), and inputs the date of the decision to discard in the rental item management record (S208).
[0050]
In step S205, when the total point is smaller than the predetermined specified point, the management server 1 displays on the production department terminal 30 that the cartridge can be repaired. After repairing the cartridge and refilling the developer, the worker keeps the cartridge for the next rental (S207). When the repair content and date of the cartridge are registered in the rental item management record by the operator (S208), the process returns to the flowchart of FIG. In this manner, according to the present invention, it is possible to judge improperly whether cartridge rental is possible or not.
[0051]
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified and implemented without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, a second prescribed score lower than the above prescribed score is defined, and if the total score is less than or equal to the prescribed score and greater than or equal to the second prescribed score, the reliability of the cartridge is decreasing. Alternatively, the rental period may be shorter than usual. For example, when the first prescribed score is 280 points and the second prescribed score is 200 points, and the total points are 200 to 280 points, it is conceivable to reduce the rental period by half.
[0052]
Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to printer cartridges, and is applicable to articles including consumable parts or articles requiring repair. For example, the present invention can be applied to a facsimile cartridge and the like.
[0053]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, a new cartridge can be rented even after the cartridge is handed over to a trader for recycling, so that the user can continue to use the printer or the like.
[0054]
In addition, even if the cartridge is protected by a patent right or the like, there is an advantage that a problem such as infringement hardly occurs because the cartridge is not resold by a trader.
Further, by managing the history of cartridges to be recycled, it is possible to recycle cartridges of a constant quality.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a rental system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a management server according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a screen of a rental system fee table according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a contract screen according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a contract update screen according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a database of repair contents and scores according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a database of cartridges, rental limit times, and prescribed points according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an outline of processing of a rental system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an outline of processing of a rental system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a cartridge collection and inspection process according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 11 is a timing chart for explaining processing of the rental system according to one embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 management server
2 Sales department
3 Production Division
4 users
20 Sales department terminals
30 Production department terminals
40 user terminal

Claims (11)

A method of renting office equipment with built-in consumable parts,
Storing a repair history of the office equipment in a storage device;
Inputting the failure content of the office equipment collected after the rental to the terminal device;
Automatically deciding, by the terminal device, whether to rent the office equipment based on the input failure contents and the repair history. The repair history represents the cumulative number of rentals of office equipment,
The determination step is characterized in that, when the total number of rentals exceeds a rental limit predetermined for each office equipment, the terminal device automatically determines that the rental of the office equipment is not performed. The method for renting office equipment according to claim 1. Comprising a step of storing, in the storage device, a database in which repair contents of the office equipment are scored in advance,
The determining step determines a repair score corresponding to the input failure content based on the database, and when a result of adding the score to a total repair score in the past exceeds a predetermined specified score, 3. The method of renting office equipment according to claim 1, wherein the terminal device automatically determines that the office equipment is not rented. The method for renting office equipment according to claim 1, wherein when it is determined that the office equipment is not rented, the office equipment is discarded without repair. When the total point is equal to or more than a second specified point set lower than the specified point and equal to or smaller than the specified point, the office equipment is rented for a shorter period than a predetermined rental period. 4. The method for renting office equipment according to claim 3, wherein: The method for renting office equipment according to claim 1, wherein the office equipment is a cartridge for a printer. Office equipment rental system with built-in consumable parts,
A storage device for storing a repair history of the office equipment,
A terminal device for inputting the details of the failure of the office equipment collected after the rental is completed, and automatically determining whether to rent the office equipment based on the input details of the failure and the repair history. Office equipment rental system characterized by having. The repair history represents the cumulative number of rentals of office equipment,
8. The terminal device according to claim 7, wherein, when the total number of rentals exceeds a rental limit predetermined for each office device, the terminal device automatically determines not to rent the office device. Office equipment rental system described. The storage device stores a database in which repair contents of the office equipment are scored in advance,
The terminal device determines a repair score corresponding to the input failure content based on the database, and when a result of adding the score to a total score of past repairs exceeds a predetermined score. 9. The system for renting office equipment according to claim 7, wherein the system automatically determines that the office equipment is not rented. 10. The office equipment rental system according to claim 7, wherein when it is determined that the office equipment is not rented, the office equipment is discarded without repair. When the total point is equal to or more than a second specified point set lower than the specified point and equal to or smaller than the specified point, the office equipment is rented for a shorter period than a predetermined rental period. The rental system according to claim 9, wherein:

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