JP2005234269A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus which enables a user to intuitively visually confirm what position's temperature in the image forming apparatus the measured temperature of the respective parts of the apparatus actually shows and also enables the display area of a display part thereof to be reduced. <P>SOLUTION: The image forming apparatus 1 is provided with: a temperature detection part 17 measuring the temperature of each of the parts of the apparatus; and the display part 15 having a plurality of display colors. The display part 15 displays the diagram (referring to figure) of the apparatus 1 to display the respective parts of the apparatus as the diagram. Then, it displays the respective parts of the apparatus displayed as the diagram by changing the display colors of the respective parts in accordance with the temperature of the respective parts measured by the detection part 17. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, and a facsimile, and more particularly to a display technique for displaying the temperature of each part of the image forming apparatus.

  Conventionally, the display state of the display unit of the image forming apparatus is displayed with different hues for each temperature setting necessary part that has a heat source and requires temperature setting, and is provided in the temperature setting necessary part. As the temperature detected by the temperature detecting means changes from a low temperature to a high temperature, an image forming apparatus having means for changing and displaying a hue from a light color to a dark color within the same color is disclosed and proposed. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1). Note that examples of the temperature setting required unit include a fixing unit, an image forming unit, a paper storage unit, and the like.

Further, an image forming apparatus provided with a means for heating and drying paper in a storage unit has been disclosed and proposed (for example, see Patent Document 2).
JP 2002-31986 JP 1994-156778

  Certainly, in the case of an image forming apparatus provided with the above-described display unit, it is possible to visually recognize the temperature of each temperature setting necessary part through a change in hue.

  However, the conventional image forming apparatus is configured to display the name of each temperature setting necessary part on the display unit by providing a display area instructed by character display and changing the hue of each display area.

  For this reason, it is not possible to intuitively recognize which position of the image forming apparatus the temperature of each part of the displayed image forming apparatus is actually displayed, and the name of each temperature setting necessary part is displayed in text. In general, in an image forming apparatus having two or more paper storage units because an instructed display region is provided and displayed, the area of the display region is further increased, and there is a concern about an increase in the size of the display unit. It was done. As described above, the conventional image forming apparatus has room for further improvement of visibility and reduction of the display area.

  In view of the above-described problems, the present invention makes it possible to intuitively recognize at which position the measured temperature of each part of the apparatus is actually the temperature of the image forming apparatus, and the display area of the display unit. An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of reducing the above.

  In order to achieve the above object, an image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes a temperature detection unit that measures the temperature of each part of the apparatus, and includes a display unit having a plurality of display colors. The schematic diagram of the image forming apparatus that schematically displays each part of the apparatus is displayed, and the display color of each part of the schematically displayed apparatus is changed according to the temperature of each part of the apparatus measured by the temperature detection unit. It is good to display it.

An image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes a storage unit that stores paper, and a heater unit that heats and dry the paper in the storage unit, the display unit having a plurality of display colors, A temperature detection unit that measures the temperature of the heater unit, and the display unit displays a schematic diagram of the image forming apparatus that schematically displays each unit of the apparatus, and the heater measured by the temperature detection unit Depending on the temperature of the part, the display color of the storage part among the schematically displayed apparatus parts may be changed and displayed.

  Further, in the image forming apparatus having the above-described configuration, the display unit changes the hue from a short wavelength color of visible light to a long wavelength color as the temperature measured by the temperature detection unit increases. It is good to be characterized.

  With the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, the measured temperature of each part of the apparatus can be intuitively recognized at which position of the image forming apparatus, and the display area of the display unit Can be reduced.

  Hereinafter, a case where the present invention is applied to a copying machine will be described as an example. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the main configuration of a copying machine according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the copying machine displayed on a display unit of the copying machine according to the present invention. As shown in both figures, the copier 1 of this embodiment includes a central processing unit 10 (hereinafter referred to as a CPU [Central Processing Unit] 10) that controls the operation of the entire apparatus, and operating means (such as a numeric keypad and a touch panel). ), An original conveying unit 12 that automatically conveys an original, an original taking unit 13 that takes in the original conveyed from the original conveying unit 12 and generates image data, and a display control unit that controls display 14, a display unit 15 comprising display means (liquid crystal display etc.), a memory unit 16 comprising a ROM [Read Only Memory] storing various control programs and the like and a RAM [Random Access Memory] used as a work area, A temperature detection unit 17 that measures the temperature of each part of the apparatus, a storage unit 18 that stores paper, and an image forming unit 19 (printer) that forms an image on paper based on the image data And Tsu like de and a photosensitive drum), a fixing unit 20 for fixing by applying heat to the image obtained by the image forming unit 19, comprising a.

  In addition to controlling the operation of the entire apparatus, the CPU 10 performs processing related to operation control of the display control unit 14 that controls display on the display unit 15, which will be described in detail later.

  The storage unit 18 includes a plurality of (five levels in the present embodiment) paper storage units 18 a to 18 e serving as a paper supply source to the image forming unit 19. Each of the storage units 18a to 18e includes heater units 181a to 181e that heat and dry the sheets in the storage units.

  The storage units 18a to 18e are stacked in the order shown in the figure (in order of the storage unit 18b, the storage unit 18c, the storage unit 18d, and the storage unit 18e from the uppermost storage unit 18a to the lower level). The image forming unit 19 is arranged further on the upper side than the storage units 18a to 18e. Accordingly, the storage unit 18a is located on the side closer to the image forming unit 19 (downstream side of the paper conveyance path), and the storage unit 18e is on the side far from the image formation unit 19 (on the paper conveyance path). (Upstream).

  Next, the document copying operation in the copying machine 1 configured as described above will be described. In the document copying operation in the copying machine 1, first, when a copy start is instructed from the operation unit, the document is transported from the document transport unit 12 to the document fetch unit 13, and the document fetch unit 13 captures the document (image data). Is generated). The generated image data is temporarily stored in the memory unit 16, read again, and sent to the image forming unit 19. Thereafter, the fixing unit 20 performs image forming processing and fixing processing on the paper based on the input image data.

  Note that the copying machine 1 of the present embodiment is characterized by the temperature display of each part of the apparatus measured by the temperature detection unit 17. Therefore, in the following, a detailed description will be given of the temperature display on the display unit 15 in the copying machine 1 of the present embodiment.

  In the copying machine 1 of the present embodiment, a schematic diagram (see FIG. 2) of the copying machine 1 in which each part of the apparatus is schematically displayed on the display unit 15 is displayed by the display control of the display control unit 14. Hereinafter, the temperature display of the storage unit 18 will be described as an example. The temperature of the heaters 181a to 181e in the storage units 18a to 18e is measured by the temperature detection unit 17. The measured temperature data is processed by the CPU and then sent to the display control unit 14. Next, the display control of the display control unit 14 changes the display colors of the storage units 18a to 18e in the schematic diagram displayed on the display unit 15 according to the measured temperatures of the heater units 181a to 181e on the display unit. Is displayed.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the hue of the display color is displayed by changing from a short wavelength color of visible light to a long wavelength color as the temperature measured by the temperature detection unit 17 increases. When the medium temperature display color is orange, the low temperature may be displayed as blue and the high temperature may be displayed as red.

  Further, for example, as the temperature measured by the temperature detection unit 17 increases, the hue of the display color is changed from blue indicating a low temperature in accordance with a change in hue from a short wavelength color of visible light to a long wavelength color. A display method of gradually changing the display to red indicating high temperature may be used.

  Moreover, the display area of the display color may be only within the outline of each of the storage units 18a to 18e in the schematic diagram of FIG. 2, or may be the entire display area.

  With the above configuration, when the proper temperature of the copying machine 1 is medium temperature and the display color is orange, at least one display color of the storage units 18a to 18e is displayed in blue indicating a low temperature outside the appropriate temperature. In this case, among the storage units 18a to 18e, the storage unit displayed in blue outside the appropriate temperature (in the example of FIG. 2, 18a indicated by hatching) is immediately visually recognized, and the storage unit in a low temperature state is operated. An operation of arbitrarily selecting from the unit 11 and setting to an appropriate temperature may be performed.

  In addition, when at least one display color of the storage units 18a to 18e displays a red color indicating a high temperature outside the proper temperature, the storage unit (displayed in red outside the proper temperature from the storage units 18a to 18e ( In the example of FIG. 2, it is possible to take a measure such as immediately observing 18e) indicated by a vertical line and stopping the apparatus power supply.

  The above has been described by taking the temperature display of the storage unit 18 as an example, but can be applied to the display of the temperature of each part of the apparatus measured by the temperature detection unit 17. Further, the image forming apparatus is not limited to the copier 1 of the present embodiment, and may be any image forming apparatus including at least a display unit having a plurality of display colors and a temperature detection unit that measures the temperature of each unit. Can be applied.

  As described above, a schematic diagram (see FIG. 2) schematically showing each part of the device is displayed on the display unit 15, and the display color of the schematic diagram is changed according to the measured temperature of each part of the device. As a result, the temperature state of each part of the apparatus can be intuitively recognized without character recognition, and the display area can be reduced. In addition, when a color representing a temperature outside the appropriate temperature is displayed, the user can take an appropriate action immediately, and the safety is further improved.

  Further, since the temperature state of each part of the apparatus can be grasped, the temperature state may be used as one of management indices for parts replacement and maintenance / inspection time.

  The present invention can be widely applied to image forming apparatuses such as printers and facsimiles in addition to copying machines, and it is possible to intuitively recognize at which position of the apparatus the measured temperature of each part of the apparatus is. This is a useful technique that enables the display area of the display unit to be reduced.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a main configuration of a copier according to the present invention. These are schematic diagrams of the copying machine displayed on the display unit of the copying machine according to the present invention. These are figures which show the relationship between the temperature of the display color displayed on a display part, and hue.

Explanation of symbols

1 Copier 10 Central processing unit (CPU)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Operation part 12 Document conveyance part 13 Document taking-in part 14 Display control part 15 Display part 16 Memory part 17 Temperature detection part 18 Storage part 18a, 18b, 18c, 18d, 18e Each storage part 181a, 181b, 181c, 181d, 181e Heater unit 19 Image forming unit 20 Fixing unit

Claims (3)

  An image forming apparatus comprising a temperature detection unit for measuring the temperature of each part of the apparatus, the image forming apparatus having a display part having a plurality of display colors, wherein the display part schematically displays each part of the apparatus The image forming apparatus is characterized in that the display color of each part of the apparatus schematically displayed is changed according to the temperature of each part of the apparatus measured by the temperature detection unit.   In an image forming apparatus having a storage unit for storing paper and a heater unit for heating and drying the paper in the storage unit, the display unit having a plurality of display colors, and the temperature of the heater unit are measured. A temperature detection unit, and the display unit displays a schematic diagram of the image forming apparatus schematically displaying each part of the apparatus, and according to the temperature of the heater unit measured by the temperature detection unit, An image forming apparatus characterized in that a display color of the storage section among the respective sections of the apparatus schematically displayed is changed.   3. The display unit according to claim 1, wherein the display unit changes the hue from a short wavelength color of visible light to a long wavelength color as the temperature measured by the temperature detection unit increases. The image forming apparatus described.

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