JP2006285134A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To correctly detect a filled state of a waste toner bottle. <P>SOLUTION: In controlling the fill detection of the waste toner bottle, scattered toner floating in the waste toner bottle is detected by using a scattered toner detecting sensor 311, and during the detection of scattered toner, input information from a fill detection sensor 312 is not detected. Thereby even when the fill detection sensor 312 detects the filled state in error due to the scattered toner, the output of a fill detection signal can be prevented. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, and a facsimile.

In image formation by an electrophotographic process, an electrostatic latent image is formed on a photoreceptor, and the electrostatic latent image is developed and visualized with a developer (toner) in a developing device, and the obtained toner image is transferred onto a transfer paper. A desired image is obtained by transferring the image to the image. At that time, unnecessary toner collected in the device is collected and accumulated in one bottle as waste toner, but when the waste toner bottle is filled with accumulated toner, it is informed to the user or service person An instruction is given to remove the toner in the bottle. There are several methods for detecting the fullness of the waste toner bottle, such as an optical method, a weight method, and a magnetic method. In many cases, an optical sensor method is used in terms of detection accuracy and simplicity. (See Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-13381

  However, in the detection of the fullness in the waste toner bottle using the optical sensor in the image forming apparatus as described above, the waste toner is scattered in the waste toner bottle before the waste toner is precipitated. When an optical sensor is used, there is a problem that the sensor detects even the scattered toner, and erroneously detects that the bottle is full even though the bottle is not full with waste toner.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve at least one of such problems and other problems. Other issues can be understood throughout the specification.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the solution means according to the present invention detects waste toner collecting means, a waste toner bottle from which waste toner is collected, and detecting that waste toner has been collected to a predetermined height in the waste toner bottle. In an electrophotographic image forming apparatus having waste toner detection means for detecting waste toner bottle fullness detection means for detecting waste toner full based on a detection result of the waste toner detection means, toner scattered in the waste toner bottle Waste toner detection means for detecting waste toner full by the waste toner bottle full detection means regardless of the waste toner detection result by the waste toner detection means while the scattered toner detection means detects a certain amount or more of scattered toner No detection is performed.

  According to the present invention, in the image forming apparatus in which the waste toner full detection in the waste toner bottle is performed by the optical sensor, when the scattered toner detection sensor is provided in the waste toner bottle and the waste toner full detection control is performed, While the scattered toner detection sensor detects the scattered toner, the full information is not detected even if the optical full sensor detects a full error due to the scattered toner. It is possible to prevent the output of a signal and correctly detect the waste toner bottle full. That is, the object is to correctly detect the fullness of the waste toner without being affected by the scattered toner in the waste toner bottle.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied. The image forming apparatus is mounted on a main body image output unit 10 that is a device that outputs a document image on a recording sheet, a main body image input unit 11 that is a device that reads image data from a document, and an upper part of the main body image input unit 11. The automatic document feeder 12 and a sorter 13 for sorting and ejecting copy recording media ejected from the main body image output unit 10 into a plurality of bins.

  This image forming apparatus is a digital copying machine, and is converted into pixels by a CCD of a main body image input unit 11 which is an apparatus for reading image data from a document, read into the apparatus as image data, and after necessary image processing is performed, the image is processed. Stored in memory. The image data is transferred to the main body image output unit 10, and the image is reproduced and copied onto a recording sheet.

  The main body image input unit 11 includes a light source 21 that performs scanning while irradiating a document placed on a document table on the upper surface of the input unit. The light source 21 obtains a driving force from an optical system motor (not shown) and reciprocates in the left-right direction in FIG. The light generated from the light source 21 is reflected by the stacked originals to obtain an optical image. The optical image is transmitted to the CCD 26 via the mirrors 22, 23 and 24 and the lens 25. The mirrors 22, 23, and 24 are driven integrally with the light source 21. The CCD 26 is composed of an element that converts light into an electrical signal. An optical image transmitted by the function of this element is converted into an electrical signal, and further converted into a digital signal (image data). The read image data of the original is subjected to various correction processes and image processes desired by the user, and is stored in an image memory (not shown).

  The main body image output unit 10 reads the image data stored in the image memory, reconverts the digital signal into an analog signal, and further amplifies the output value to an appropriate output value by an exposure control unit (not shown). Converted to a signal.

  FIG. 2 is an enlarged view around the photosensitive drum 31. A primary charger 44, a developing device 45, a transfer charger 46, a separation charger 47, and a cleaning device 48 are arranged around the photosensitive drum 31 in order according to the rotation direction. After the surface of the photosensitive drum 31 is uniformly charged by the primary charger 42, the optical signal propagates through the scanner 28, the lens 29 and the mirror 30 to be irradiated onto the photosensitive drum 31, and electrostatic latent image is obtained. Is formed. The developed image is developed by the developing unit 45, and the developed image is transferred onto a recording sheet conveyed through the main body by a transfer charging unit 46 to form a document image. The toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 43 to which the developed image has been transferred is removed by the cleaning device 48. The separation charger 47 separates the recording paper on which the image is transferred from the photosensitive drum 31. The separated recording paper is further conveyed to the fixing roller 32, and the toner is fixed on the recording medium by the fixing roller and is sent to the sorter 13.

  The sorter 13 is a device installed on the left side of the main body image output unit 10, and performs a process of sorting the recording paper output from the main body image output unit 10 into the discharge tray 33 and discharging the recording paper. The paper discharge tray is controlled by the main body control unit (not shown), and the output recording paper is discharged to an arbitrary paper discharge tray designated by the control unit.

  The paper feed trays 34 and 35 are located at the lower part of the main body, and can store recording paper to some extent. The recording paper accumulated from the paper feed trays 34 and 35 is conveyed by the control unit of the main body control unit, and an image is output. The paper feed deck 36 is a device installed on the left side of the main body image output unit 10 and can store a large amount of recording paper. As with the paper feed trays 34 and 35, the recording paper accumulated under the control of the main body control unit is conveyed and an image is output.

  A manual feed tray 37 is provided on the left side of the main body image output unit 10 so that an operator can relatively easily feed a small number of arbitrary types of copy recording media. The manual feed tray is also used when a special recording medium such as an OHP sheet, cardboard, or postcard size paper is used.

  The rollers 38, 39, 40, 41, and 42 are paper transport rollers, and each roller plays a role of actually transporting the recording paper when feeding a copy output process. Each paper feed roller is connected to a stepping motor as a drive source via a transmission device such as a gear.

  The dust collecting fan 49 collects unnecessary toner in the apparatus and sends the unnecessary toner to the waste toner bottle 50 through a waste toner collecting duct (not shown). The cleaning device 48 also communicates with the waste toner collecting duct, and sends the waste toner removed from the photosensitive drum 31 by the cleaning device 48 to the waste toner bottle.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a main control system of the main body image output unit 10. The CPU unit 301 manages the fixing control unit 302, the high voltage control unit 303, the paper conveyance control unit 304, and the laser driving unit 305 based on information from the sensor input unit 306. The fixing control unit 302 controls the fixing device 32. The high voltage control unit 303 controls each of the primary charger 44, the transfer charger 46, and the separation charger 47. The laser drive unit 305 performs light amount control for image formation based on the image data transmitted from the controller. A sensor input unit 306 takes in an input of a sensor provided on a paper conveyance path, a lever, a cover, a cassette, or the like into the CPU unit 301 and determines an image forming state such as an operating state or a paper out state. The paper transport control unit 304 manages the position of the paper transported based on information from the sensor input unit 306 and performs paper transport control. The motor control unit 307 performs drive control of various paper transport rollers according to the paper transport control. Further, the cassette (34, 35 and 36 in FIG. 1) is provided with a sensor for detecting the paper size to be replenished, and these sensor inputs are also taken into the CPU unit 301 to measure the set paper size. . The interface unit 310 is connected to a printer interface of an external controller (not shown), communicates with the controller, and is an input unit of image data from the controller.

  Further, the scattered toner detection sensor 311 and the full detection sensor 312 which are part of the sensor input unit are mounted in the waste toner bottle. The scattered toner detection sensor detects the amount of scattered toner in the waste toner bottle. When the amount of scattered toner detected by the scattered toner detection sensor is detected, the scattered toner detection is detected from the scattered toner detection sensor to the CPU 301 via the sensor input unit 306. A signal is output. The fullness detection sensor detects the fullness detection of the waste toner bottle, and inputs a fullness detection signal to the CPU 301 via the sensor input unit 306. The CPU 301 executes waste toner full detection control based on the toner scattered detection signal from the scattered toner detection sensor and the input information of the full detection sensor 312. Here, the scattered toner detection sensor 311 and the full detection sensor 312 are attached to the waste toner bottle, but the scattered toner detection sensor is connected to (or stored in) the waste toner bottle. The full sensor may be provided on the outside of the waste toner bottle so as to transmit a part of the waste toner bottle and detect both, so that both sensors may be provided on the image forming apparatus side. Further, both sensors may be provided on the image forming apparatus side by detecting part of the waste toner bottle.

  A method for detecting scattered toner by the scattered toner detection sensor 311 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4, 5, and 6.

  FIG. 4 is a control block diagram of the scattered toner detection sensor 311.

  The timing signal generation circuit 402 in the scattered toner detection sensor 311 generates an LED light emission pulse signal 411 that turns on the light emitting element 403 of the scattered toner detection sensor 311 based on the set value of the CPU 301 by the clock input from the transmission circuit 401. . The signal processing circuit 405 detects an output signal corresponding to the amount of scattered toner detected by the light receiving element 404 in synchronization with the LED light emission pulse signal 411 of the light emitting element 403, and compares it with a predetermined threshold value to compare the amount of scattered toner. Is output to the CPU 301 via the sensor input unit 306. The predetermined threshold value may be set as a threshold value (for example, the threshold value is set to 30%) as long as it is a scattering amount value that does not affect the fullness detection sensor in consideration of the sensitivity of the sensor. Set).

  5 and 6 are timing charts of various signals generated by the scattered toner detection sensor 511. FIG. FIG. 5 corresponds to the case where the amount of toner scattered in the waste toner bottle is large, that is, the case where there is a scattering amount that affects the output of the fullness detection sensor (sensor output 413 outputs a signal indicating the presence of scattered toner). Indicates the case where the amount of scattered toner is low, that is, the amount of scattering that does not affect the output of the full detection sensor (the sensor output 413 outputs a signal indicating no scattered toner). Note that the scattered toner no signal is output not only when there is no scattered toner, but also when the amount of scattered toner reaches a level that does not affect the output of the full detection sensor, that is, when it falls below the set threshold. (For example, when the scattering amount falls below the threshold value of 30%).

  As described above, the CPU 301 detects the toner scattering amount by measuring the sensor output signal 413 detected by the scattering detection sensor control unit 306 at a predetermined time interval, and further receives input information of the fullness detection sensor 312. First, waste toner full detection control is executed.

  FIG. 7 shows the configuration of the waste toner bottle 50 of the present invention. The waste toner bottle 50 is installed on the back surface of the main body image output unit 10 and accumulates waste toner collected by the cleaning device 48 and the dust collecting fan 49 in the main body.

  The full detection sensor 312 is a normal full detection sensor. When this sensor becomes active, the waste toner is full. The scattered toner detection sensor 311 is installed near the entrance of the waste toner bottle and monitors the state of toner scattering. A toner scattering detection signal is output from the scattering toner detection sensor based on the scattering amount detected by the scattering toner detection sensor.

  Next, misdetection prevention control for waste toner full detection will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 10 is a flowchart for outputting a waste toner full signal based on the output from the scattered toner detection sensor 311 and the output from the full detection sensor 312. First, in S1001 and S1002, the output from the scattered toner detection sensor 311 and the output from the full detection sensor 312 are acquired. In S1003, it is determined whether or not the output from the full detection sensor 312 is High. If it is Low, the waste toner full signal is set to Low output (S1004). When the output of the full detection sensor 312 is High in S1003, the output of the scattered toner detection sensor 311 is referred to. In step S1006, it is determined whether the output of the scattered toner detection sensor 311 is High. If the output of the scattered toner detection sensor 311 is High, the waste toner full signal is set to Low output (S1004). When the output of the scattered toner detection sensor 311 is Low, the waste toner full signal is set to High output (S1007). The above waste toner bottle full detection process is performed every 100 msec (S1005).

  FIG. 8 is a timing chart of waste toner full detection control. As shown in the figure, when the signal (b) of the scattered toner detection sensor is in the High state, the signal (a) of the full detection sensor is masked as a full detection non-detection period, and the signal of the full detection sensor becomes High due to the scattered toner. Even if this occurs, the waste toner full signal (c) is not output.

  FIG. 9 shows a case where fullness is erroneously detected by a fullness detection sensor using scattered toner. As shown in the figure, even when the signal (a) of the fullness detection sensor becomes High due to the scattered toner, if the signal (b) of the scattered toner detection sensor is in the High state, it is masked as a non-detection section for full detection. The full toner state is not erroneously detected without outputting the waste toner full signal (c).

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, when waste toner full detection control is performed, input information of the full detection sensor is not detected while the scattered toner is detected by the scattered toner detection sensor. Thus, even if the optical full detection sensor erroneously detects full due to the influence of scattered toner, the full detection signal is prevented from being output, so that it is possible to correctly detect the full waste toner bottle. That is, the waste toner full detection can be correctly performed without being affected by the scattered toner in the waste toner bottle.

1 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment to which an image forming apparatus of the present invention is applied. 1 is an enlarged configuration diagram around a photosensitive drum of an embodiment to which an image forming apparatus of the present invention is applied. 3 is a block diagram of a main control system of the image forming apparatus of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 5 is a control block diagram of a scattered toner detection sensor 511 of the image forming apparatus of the present invention. 6 is a timing chart when the amount of scattered toner in the generated signal of the scattered toner detection sensor 511 of the present invention is large. 6 is a timing chart when the amount of scattered toner in the generated signal of the scattered toner detection sensor 511 of the present invention is small. FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a waste toner bottle of the image forming apparatus of the present invention. 6 is a timing chart showing generation of a waste toner full signal based on outputs of the scattered toner detection sensor and the full detection sensor of the present invention. 6 is a timing chart showing generation of a waste toner full signal based on a case where full detection is erroneously detected by a full detection sensor using scattered toner based on outputs of the scattered toner detection sensor and the full detection sensor of the present invention. 6 is a flowchart when a waste toner full signal is output by an output from the scattered toner detection sensor 511 and an output from the full detection sensor 512 of the present invention.

Claims (6)

In an image forming apparatus for recording a toner image formed by developing a latent image on a latent image carrier with toner on a recording material to form an image,
A waste toner storage unit, and the storage unit includes waste toner detection means for detecting that a predetermined amount of waste toner is stored, and scattered toner detection means for detecting toner scattered in the storage unit,
An image forming apparatus comprising: a full detection unit that detects whether or not the waste toner storage unit is full according to a detection result of the scattered toner detection unit and a detection result of the waste toner detection unit.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detection result of the waste toner detection unit is invalidated in response to the detection of the scattering toner by the scattering toner detection unit.   2. While the scattered toner detecting means is detecting scattered toner, it is not determined whether the full toner detecting means is full, regardless of the detection result of the waste toner detecting means. The image forming apparatus described.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the scattered toner detection unit does not detect the scattered toner, the detection result of the waste toner detection unit is validated.   2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein while the scattered toner detection unit is not detecting the scattered toner, the full toner detection unit determines whether the toner is full based on a detection result of the waste toner detection unit. Image forming apparatus.   2. The scattered toner detection means includes light emitting means for irradiating the scattered toner with light, and light receiving means for detecting the amount of scattered toner by detecting light applied to the scattered toner with a light receiving element. The image forming apparatus described.

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