JP2007241150A - Image forming apparatus and performance control method for image stabilizing process - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus suppressing deterioration in productivity or toner consumption by unconditionally preventing an increase in performing frequency for an image stabilizing process when toner of good quality is filled even when an imaging cartridge which is not a genuine product is loaded. <P>SOLUTION: The image forming apparatus is provided with at least one imaging cartridge 31 to 34, a performance means for image stabilizing process 43 which performs the image stabilizing process for the imaging cartridge at specified cycles, a genuine product judging means 41 judging whether the imaging cartridge is the genuine product or not and a judging means for necessity of image stabilization 41 performing a judging process of whether or not image stabilization is necessary at timing other than at periodically performed image stabilizing processes at a shorter cycle than an performing cycle for image stabilizing process which is periodically performed when at least any of the imaging cartridges is judged not to be the genuine product. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention is an image forming apparatus applied to a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile, or a composite digital copying machine (MFP: Multi Function Peripherals) having a copying function, a printer function, and a facsimile function. And an image stabilization processing execution control method.

  In the image forming apparatus as described above, an imaging cartridge including a developing device is provided in a replaceable manner. When such an imaging cartridge is used for a long period of time, the development characteristics deteriorate, and the conditions for printing an optimal image change.

  Therefore, in order to maintain the image quality of the image formed on the recording paper using such an imaging cartridge, the process conditions described in, for example, Patent Document 1 are optimized after a predetermined number of sheets are printed or after a predetermined time has elapsed. In general, an image stabilization process is performed.

  By the way, recently, in addition to regular imaging cartridges, non-genuine imaging cartridges are increasingly on the market, and the toner filled in the imaging cartridge is inferior in quality. May have been.

For this reason, in Patent Document 2, when an imaging unit that is not a regular product is used, the cleaning frequency called the safety mode, calibration (image stabilization processing) is taken into consideration that the print quality may be degraded. ) Is disclosed which continues to operate in a mode with increased frequency.
JP-A-6-95466 JP 2005-115054 A

  However, even an imaging unit that is not a regular product may actually be filled with high-quality toner, and in this case, it is considered that the print quality does not deteriorate.

  However, in the technique described in Patent Document 2, when a non-genuine imaging unit is used, the frequency of image stabilization processing is unconditionally increased, and therefore high-quality toner is filled. In this case, unnecessary image stabilization processing is executed, and there is a problem that productivity is reduced correspondingly and toner consumption is increased.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and even when a non-genuine imaging cartridge is mounted, the image is unconditionally stabilized when high-quality toner is filled. An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus and an image stabilization process execution control method that can prevent an increase in the execution frequency of the image stabilization process and suppress a decrease in productivity and toner consumption.

  The above problem is solved by the following means.

  (1) It is determined whether at least one imaging cartridge, image stabilization processing execution means for periodically executing image stabilization processing on the imaging cartridge at a predetermined cycle, and whether the imaging cartridge is a genuine product. When at least one of the plurality of imaging cartridges is determined not to be a genuine product by the regular product discriminating unit and the regular product discriminating unit, the image stabilization process executed periodically is performed. Image stabilization necessity determining means for executing a determination process for determining whether or not image stabilization needs to be performed at a timing other than the periodically performed image stabilization process at a cycle shorter than the execution cycle. An image forming apparatus.

  (2) When it is determined by the image stabilization necessity determination means that it is necessary to perform image stabilization processing on the imaging cartridge that is determined not to be the genuine product, the image stabilization processing is executed. The means for the imaging cartridge or all the imaging cartridges that are determined to be not the genuine product in an image having a shorter cycle than the image stabilization processing that is periodically executed for the genuine imaging cartridge. 2. The image forming apparatus according to item 1, wherein the stabilization process is executed.

  (3) Image forming means for forming an image on recording paper, fixing means for fixing the image formed on the recording paper by the image forming means, and transporting the recording paper via the image forming means and fixing means And when the at least one imaging cartridge is determined not to be a genuine product, the control unit reduces the paper transport speed by the paper transport unit. 2. The image forming apparatus according to item 1 above.

  (4) The image forming apparatus according to (1), wherein the imaging cartridge includes a memory, and the genuine product determining unit determines whether the product is a genuine product based on information stored in the memory.

  (5) An image stabilization processing execution step for periodically executing image stabilization processing for at least one imaging cartridge at a predetermined cycle; a step of determining whether or not the imaging cartridge is a genuine product; If it is determined that at least one of the imaging cartridges is not a genuine product, the image cartridge is periodically executed at a cycle shorter than the periodically executed image stabilization processing cycle. And a step of executing a determination process for determining whether or not the image stabilization is required at a timing other than the image stabilization process.

  (6) If it is determined in the image stabilization necessity determination step that it is necessary to perform image stabilization processing on the imaging cartridge that is determined not to be the genuine product, the image stabilization processing is performed. In the execution step, the imaging cartridge or all the imaging cartridges that are determined not to be the genuine products are subjected to a shorter cycle than the image stabilization process that is periodically executed for the genuine imaging cartridges. 6. The image stabilization processing execution control method according to item 5 above, wherein the image stabilization processing is executed.

  (7) forming an image on recording paper by the image forming means, fixing the image formed on the recording paper by the image forming step by fixing means, and passing the recording paper through the image forming means and fixing means. And, when the at least one imaging cartridge is determined to be non-genuine, the control step includes the step of conveying the sheet. 6. The image stabilization process execution control method according to item 5, wherein the sheet conveyance speed is decreased.

  (8) The image stabilization processing execution control method according to (5), wherein the imaging cartridge includes a memory, and whether or not the imaging cartridge is genuine is determined based on information stored in the memory.

  According to the invention described in (1) above, when it is determined that at least one of the plurality of imaging cartridges is not a regular product, the period of execution of the image stabilization process that is periodically executed A determination process for determining whether or not it is necessary to perform image stabilization at a timing other than the periodically performed image stabilization process is executed in a shorter cycle. Therefore, when it is determined that it is not necessary to perform image stabilization processing, that is, when high-quality toner is filled, it is possible to avoid the useless execution of the image stabilization processing and decrease productivity. And toner consumption can be reduced accordingly.

  According to the invention described in item (2) above, when it is determined that it is necessary to perform image stabilization processing on an imaging cartridge that is determined not to be a genuine product, it is determined that the product is not a genuine product. The image stabilization process is performed in a shorter cycle for the imaging cartridge or all imaging cartridges than the regular image stabilization process. Therefore, image stabilization processing is frequently executed, and image quality deterioration can be reliably suppressed.

  According to the invention described in the item (3), since the non-genuine imaging cartridge is considered to be inferior in toner fixing property, the conveyance time of the fixing means can be reduced by reducing the conveyance speed of the recording paper. It can be secured for a long time and the fixing property can be improved.

  According to the invention described in item (4) above, the genuine product discrimination is performed based on the information stored in the memory provided in the imaging cartridge, so that it is reliably and easily discriminated whether the product is a genuine product. be able to.

  According to the invention described in the item (5), it is possible to avoid the useless image stabilization processing when the imaging cartridge which is not a regular product is filled with a good quality toner, and the productivity is accordingly increased. Reduction and toner consumption can be suppressed.

  According to the invention described in item (6) above, when it is determined that it is necessary to perform image stabilization processing on an imaging cartridge that is determined not to be genuine, image stabilization processing is necessary. The image stabilization process is frequently executed without making a determination as to whether or not the image quality is deteriorated, and image quality deterioration can be reliably suppressed.

  According to the invention described in item (7) above, it is possible to improve the fixability when an irregular genuine imaging cartridge is used.

  According to the invention described in item (8), it is possible to reliably and easily determine whether the product is a genuine product.

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

  FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  In FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 1 is provided with a paper feed cassette 12 in which a recording sheet S is accommodated at a lower part of a machine body 11, and a scanner unit 7 for reading a document image is provided on the upper part of the machine body 11. I have. A fixing unit 9 is provided on the upper right side of the body 11.

  A print unit (image forming unit) 8 is disposed above the paper feed cassette 12.

  The printing unit 8 prints image data on the recording paper S according to a print job, and corresponds to four colors of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black in order to form a color image by a known electrophotographic method. In addition to the four photoconductors 21, 22, 23, 24, an exposure unit (not shown), a cleaning unit, and the like, an intermediate transfer member 17 is provided.

  Also, four imaging cartridges (hereinafter simply referred to as cartridges) 31, 32, 33, and 34, which are located below the intermediate transfer member 17 and respectively include four color developing devices, are inserted in the printing unit 8. It is attached detachably. Each cartridge 31, 32, 33, 34 may include the photoconductors 21, 22, 23, 24, a charging device, and the like.

  In the image forming apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1, an image corresponding to a document image is projected on the surface of the photoreceptor 21 (22 to 24) to form an electrostatic latent image. The electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor 21 is developed as the photoconductor 21 (22 to 24) rotates, for example, clockwise. That is, toner adheres to the electrostatic latent image to form a toner image.

  The toner image is temporarily transferred to the belt of the intermediate transfer member 17, while when all the toner image of the photosensitive member is transferred to the belt of the intermediate transfer member 17, the recording paper S fed from the paper feed cassette 12 is recorded. However, the toner image is conveyed onto the belt of the intermediate transfer member 17 via a conveying means such as a conveying roller 10, and the toner image is transferred to the recording paper S.

  When this transfer is completed, the recording paper S is conveyed to the fixing unit 9, and the toner image transferred to the recording paper S is fixed by the fixing unit 9, and then the recording paper S is discharged out of the apparatus.

  FIG. 2 shows an electrical configuration of a main part of the image forming apparatus 1.

  2, the image forming apparatus 1 includes a substrate 40 on which a CPU 41 is mounted, and a substrate 50 on which the plurality of cartridges 31 to 34 (represented by the cartridge 31 in FIG. 3) is mounted. .

  In addition to the CPU 41, the substrate 40 is equipped with a nonvolatile memory 42 for transferring data to and from the CPU 41, an image stabilization processing unit 43, and the like. The nonvolatile memory 42 stores and holds process conditions for performing image formation obtained by the image stabilization processing unit 43 in order to stabilize the image quality. Further, every time the image stabilization processing is performed by the image stabilization processing unit 43, the contents of the nonvolatile memory 41 are rewritten to newly obtained process conditions.

  In addition, each of the cartridges 31 to 34 mounted on the substrate 50 is mounted with a memory 60 in which information indicating whether the cartridge is a genuine product is written.

  The CPU 41 has a function of comprehensively controlling each unit of the image forming apparatus 1 and causing the image stabilization processing unit 43 to execute image stabilization processing for each of the cartridges 31 to 34. Further, by reading the stored contents of the memory 60, it is determined whether each of the cartridges 31 to 34 is a genuine product or a non-genuine product, and other determinations are made. Furthermore, according to the determination result, the period at which the image stabilization processing unit 43 executes the image stabilization process is variably controlled, or when the optimum process condition is obtained by the image stabilization processing unit 43, the nonvolatile process is performed. The function of rewriting and updating the contents of the volatile memory 41 is provided.

  FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of an execution cycle of image stabilization processing in the image forming apparatus 1. In FIG. 3 and subsequent drawings, the cartridge is abbreviated as “IC”.

  In FIG. 3, if all of the mounted cartridges 31 to 34 are genuine products, it is determined that the cartridge is in a normal state, and the image stabilization process is executed as a default setting (initial setting) (here, 1 for every 2000 prints). Times).

  However, when a non-genuine cartridge is mounted, it is determined that the cartridge is not in a normal state. That is, in this case, there is a possibility that inferior quality toner that is not in the predicted range is used, and it is determined that there is a difference in image quality as compared with the printed matter obtained by the genuine cartridge.

  Therefore, for example, as shown in the example of FIG. 3 (I), in addition to the image stabilization process that is performed once every 2,000 prints, for the cartridge determined to be non-regular, a separately set execution cycle (this example In this case, the image stabilization process is executed even once every 100 prints.

  As described above, the non-genuine cartridge is subjected to the image stabilization process more frequently than the genuine cartridge, thereby suppressing the deterioration of the image quality and maintaining the good image quality.

  Further, the toner used in one non-genuine product cartridge may be inferior, and the use of that toner may adversely affect other genuine product cartridges during image formation. In that case, it is considered that the image quality deteriorates with a smaller number of printings than expected.

  Therefore, as shown in the example of FIG. 3 (II), when at least one cartridge is determined to be non-genuine, images for all cartridges including not only non-genuine cartridges but also genuine cartridges are used. The stabilization processing execution cycle is set to be shorter than the default setting (for example, once every 2000 prints) (in this example, once every 100 prints).

  As described above, when any one of the non-genuine cartridges is mounted, the image stabilization process is performed more frequently than when all of the mounted cartridges 31 to 34 are the genuine ones. Even if such a cartridge is mounted, good image quality can be maintained.

  Further, it is conceivable that even a non-genuine cartridge is filled with good quality toner. Therefore, as shown in the example of FIG. 3 (III), when a non-genuine cartridge is mounted, the image stabilization process for the regular cartridge is performed more frequently (for example, once every 2000 prints). It is determined whether or not it is necessary to execute the image stabilization process for the non-genuine cartridge in a short cycle (in this example, once every 100 prints), and the image stabilization process is executed based on the result. It is also possible to decide whether or not to do so. Then, the image stabilization process may be performed only when it is determined that the image stabilization process is necessary.

  By such processing, it is possible to avoid performing unnecessary image stabilization processing when a non-genuine cartridge is filled with good quality toner.

  Next, when a non-genuine cartridge is installed, the image stabilization process is executed with a short cycle for the non-genuine cartridge, in addition to executing the image stabilization process with the default execution cycle. The process to be executed (the process (I) in FIG. 3) will be described with reference to the flowcharts in FIGS.

  FIG. 4 shows a cycle setting process for shortening the execution period of the image stabilization process for the non-genuine cartridge. This process is performed by the CPU 41 operating according to a program stored in a storage medium such as a ROM (not shown).

  In FIG. 4, when the power-on of the image forming apparatus 1 is detected in step S001, the number of mounted cartridges is confirmed in step S002. Next, initialization is performed in step S003, and after specifying the first cartridge 31 to be checked, regular product information is acquired from the memory 60 of the cartridge 31 to be checked in step S004.

  In step S005, it is determined whether or not the cartridge 31 is a genuine product based on the acquired genuine product information. If it is determined that the cartridge 31 is a regular product (YES in step S005), the process proceeds to step S007.

  If it is determined that the product is not a genuine product, that is, a non-genuine product (NO in step S005), in step S006, the execution period of the image stabilization process for the cartridge 31 to be checked is shortened, and the process proceeds to step S007. In this example, the image stabilization process is set to be executed every 100 sheets printed. This execution cycle setting change is stored in the nonvolatile memory 42. Note that the execution period of the image stabilization process for the genuine cartridge is preset as, for example, “once every 200 sheets printed”, for example.

  In step S007, a check completion flag is set in the checked cartridge 31, and the cartridge 32 to be checked next is set.

  Next, in step S008, it is determined whether or not all the cartridges 31 to 34 have been checked. If the check is not completed (NO in step S008), the process returns to step S004 to check the next cartridge 32.

  When the check is completed for all the cartridges 31 to 34 (YES in step S008), the process proceeds to the image stabilization execution determination process in FIG.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an image stabilization execution determination process in which the period set in FIG. 4 is reflected. This process determines whether it is the execution timing of the image stabilization process, and executes the image stabilization process if it is the execution timing. The CPU 41 operates according to a program stored in a storage medium such as a ROM. Is done.

  When the processing is started in step S101, it waits for acceptance of printing in step S102. When printing is accepted (YES in step S102), the printing unit 8 is caused to perform printing processing in step S103, and then in step S104, the print number counter for checking the timing of image stabilization processing is incremented by +1. A print number counter is provided for each cartridge.

  Thereafter, in step S105, the first cartridge 31 to be checked is set. Further, the check completion flags of all the cartridges 31 to 34 are cleared, and the check is not completed.

  Next, in step S106, it is determined whether or not the count value of the print number counter of the cartridge 31 to be checked exceeds the execution period of the image stabilization process. If the count value exceeds the execution period of the image stabilization process (YES in step S106), after setting the image stabilization execution flag of the cartridge 31 in step S107, the process proceeds to step S108. If the count value of the printed sheet counter does not exceed the execution period of the image stabilization process (NO in step S106), the process proceeds to step S108 without doing anything.

  In step S108, a check completion flag is set for the checked cartridge 31, the cartridge 32 to be checked next is set, and the process proceeds to step S109.

  In step S109, it is determined whether or not all the cartridges 31 to 34 have been checked. If the check has not been completed (NO in step S109), the process returns to step S106 to check the next cartridge 32. Do.

  If all the cartridges 31 to 34 have been checked (YES in step S109), in step S110, the image stabilization processing unit 43 receives the cartridge in which the image stabilization processing execution flag is set. The image stabilization process is executed. If the image stabilization processing execution flag is not set for any of the cartridges 31 to 34, nothing is done.

  After the image stabilization process is completed, in step S111, the print number counters of the cartridges 31 to 34 that have executed the image stabilization process are cleared, and after the stabilization execution flag is cleared, the process returns to step S102.

  In this way, the image stabilization process is executed for the cartridge that has reached the execution period of the image stabilization process. Therefore, image stabilization processing is executed more frequently for non-genuine cartridges whose execution cycle is set to be shorter than for genuine cartridges, and image quality deterioration is suppressed.

  Next, when at least one non-genuine cartridge is mounted, the processing ((II) in FIG. 3) in the case where image stabilization of all the cartridges is executed in a short cycle will be described based on the flowchart. To do.

  FIG. 6 shows an execution cycle shortening setting process. This process is performed by the CPU 41 operating according to a program stored in a storage medium such as a ROM.

  In FIG. 6, when the power-on of the image forming apparatus 1 is detected in step S201, the number of mounted cartridges is confirmed in step S202. Next, initialization is performed in step S203, the first cartridge 31 to be checked is designated, and in step S204, genuine product information is acquired from the memory 60 of the cartridge 31 to be checked.

  In step S205, based on the acquired genuine product information, it is determined whether or not the cartridge 31 is a genuine product. When it is determined that the cartridge 31 to be checked is an irregular product (NO in step S205), in step S206, the execution period of image stabilization processing for all the cartridges 31 to 34 is shortened, and then image stabilization is performed. Proceed to the process execution determination process. Here, for example, it is set so that the image stabilization process is executed every 100 sheets printed. This execution cycle setting change is stored in the nonvolatile memory 42.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S205 that the cartridge to be checked is a genuine product (YES in step S205), a checked flag is set in the cartridge 31 and a cartridge 32 to be checked next is set in step S207. To do. Then, the process proceeds to step S208.

  In step S208, it is determined whether or not all the cartridges 31 to 34 have been checked. If the check has not been completed (NO in step S208), the process returns to step S204 to check the next cartridge 32. I do.

  When the check is completed for all the cartridges 31 to 34 (YES in step S208), the process proceeds to the image stabilization execution determination process.

  The image stabilization execution determination process is the same as that shown in FIG.

  By the image stabilization execution determination process, the image stabilization process is executed for the cartridge that has reached the execution period of the image stabilization process. When non-genuine cartridges are installed, image stabilization processing is frequently executed for all cartridges. Adverse effects are suppressed and overall image quality degradation is suppressed. When the non-genuine cartridge is not mounted, the image stabilization process is executed with an execution cycle set as default for the genuine product.

  By the way, even if the cartridges 31 to 34 are non-genuine products, if good quality toner is used, the image quality does not deteriorate. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, even in such a case, the image stabilization process is executed for the non-genuine cartridge or all the cartridges in a set short cycle. There is a risk that productivity will be reduced and a lot of toner will be consumed.

  Therefore, when a non-genuine cartridge is mounted, it is determined whether it is necessary to execute the image stabilization process instead of immediately setting the execution period of the image stabilization process to be shortened unconditionally. The processing may be performed in a short cycle, and as a result, the image stabilization processing may be executed only when necessary.

  This image stabilization necessity determination process is performed in a state where the processing time is shorter than the image stabilization process and the toner consumption is set to be small. That is, for example, the density of the toner image launched under the current process conditions for confirmation is detected. If the density does not reach the specified density, the image stabilization process is determined to be executed.

This point will be described in more detail. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, as shown in FIG. 7, seven magenta patches 70M and seven black patches 70K are alternately arranged on the right side portion on the transfer belt 17, and the left side portion. Seven yellow patches 70Y and seven cyan patches 70C are prepared alternately, and the density of these patches is read by the left and right AIDC sensors 81 and 82 arranged at predetermined positions, and a desired density is obtained from the read values. The obtained development output is calculated and obtained. Therefore, the time for forming the patches 70M, 70K, 70Y, and 70C and the time for reading the patches by the AIDC sensors 81 and 82 are required for the image stabilization process. In this embodiment, the patch length of each color is 50 mm, and the interval between the patches is 20 mm. Further, in the image stabilization processing of the present embodiment, when the transfer belt speed is 100 mm / second, the time for reading all the patches by the AIDC sensors 81 and 82 is as follows.
{(50 × 14) + (20 × 13)} ÷ 100 = 9.6 seconds.

  On the other hand, in the image stabilization necessity determination process, as shown in FIG. 8, one patch 70M, 70K, 70Y, 70C for each color is created on the left and right portions on the transfer belt 17 under the current development output conditions. The density of the patch is read by the AIDC sensors 81 and 82, and it is determined whether or not the value is a level at which an appropriate image can be output. When the value is not appropriate, an image stabilization process is performed.

In this image stabilization necessity determination process, the time for reading patches with the AIDC sensors 81 and 82 is as follows.
{(50 × 2) + (20 × 1)} ÷ 100 = 1.2 seconds, which is clearly shorter than the image stabilization processing. Further, since the number of patches is small, toner consumption can be reduced.

  When the non-genuine cartridge is installed, the image stabilization necessity determination process is performed at a cycle shorter than the image stabilization execution cycle. As a result, the image stabilization is performed only when necessary. Execute the conversion process. As described above, the processing time of the image stabilization necessity determination processing can be much shorter than the processing time of the image stabilization processing and the toner consumption can be reduced. Compared to unconditionally shortening the execution period of image stabilization processing, when it is determined that image stabilization is not necessary, productivity can be improved and toner consumption can be reduced accordingly. .

  When the cartridge is non-genuine, the image stabilization necessity determination process is performed in a short cycle, and when it is determined that the image stabilization needs to be executed, the image stabilization process is executed (FIG. 3). (III)) will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS.

  FIG. 9 shows a cycle setting process for performing the determination of the necessity of image stabilization for a non-genuine cartridge in a short cycle. This process is performed by the CPU 41 operating according to a program stored in a storage medium such as a ROM.

  In FIG. 9, when the power-on of the image forming apparatus 1 is detected in step S301, the number of mounted cartridges is confirmed in step S302. Next, initialization is performed in step S303, and the first cartridge 31 to be checked is designated. Then, in step S304, genuine product information is acquired from the memory 60 of the cartridge 31 to be checked.

  In step S305, it is determined whether the cartridge 31 is a genuine product based on the acquired genuine product information. If it is determined that the cartridge 31 is a regular product (YES in step S305), the process proceeds to step S307.

  If it is determined that the product is an irregular product (NO in step S305), in step S306, a cycle for determining the necessity of image stabilization processing for the cartridge 31 to be checked (referred to as a stabilization necessity determination cycle). Is set to be shorter than the execution period of the image stabilization process set as default for the genuine cartridge, and the process proceeds to step S307. The set stabilization necessity determination period is written in the nonvolatile memory 42.

  In step S307, a checked flag is set for the checked cartridge 31, and in step S308, it is determined whether or not all the cartridges 31 to 34 have been checked. If the check is not completed (NO in step S308), the process returns to step S304, and the next cartridge 32 is checked.

  When the check is completed for all the cartridges 31 to 34 (YES in step S308), the process proceeds to the image stabilization execution determination process in FIG.

  FIG. 10 shows an image stabilization execution determination process in which the period set in FIG. 9 is reflected, and is performed by the CPU 41 operating according to a program stored in a storage medium such as a ROM.

  When the process is started in step S401, it waits for acceptance of printing in step S402. When printing is accepted (YES in step S402), the printing unit 8 is caused to perform printing processing in step S403, and then in step S404, the count value of the print number counter provided for each cartridge is incremented by one.

  In addition, a counter (referred to as a stabilization necessity determination counter) for determining whether or not the stabilization necessity determination period has arrived is provided for each cartridge. The count value is also incremented by one.

  Thereafter, in step S405, the first cartridge 31 to be checked is set. Further, the check completion flags of all the cartridges 31 to 34 are cleared, and the check is not completed.

  In step S406, it is determined whether or not the count value of the print number counter of the cartridge 31 to be checked exceeds the execution period of the image stabilization process (for example, every 2000 sheets). If the count value exceeds the execution period of the image stabilization process (YES in step S406), the image stabilization execution flag of the cartridge 31 is set in step S410, and the process proceeds to step S411. If the count value of the printed sheet counter does not exceed the execution period of the image stabilization process (NO in step S406), the process proceeds to step S407.

  In step S407, it is determined whether the count value of the stabilization necessity determination counter exceeds the stabilization necessity determination cycle. This stabilization necessity determination cycle is shortened in step S306 of FIG. 9 for non-genuine cartridges. For a genuine cartridge, for example, the maximum value is set.

  If the count value of the stabilization necessity determination counter does not exceed the stabilization necessity determination cycle (NO in step S407), the process directly proceeds to step S411.

  If the stabilization necessity determination counter exceeds the stabilization necessity determination cycle (YES in step S407), in step S408, a determination process is performed as to whether image stabilization processing is necessary, and then the process proceeds to step S409. . At this time, the stabilization necessity determination counter for the cartridge 31 is cleared.

  In step S409, it is determined whether image stabilization processing is necessary based on the processing result in step S408. If image stabilization processing is necessary (YES in step S409), the process proceeds to step S410, and image stabilization processing is performed. If NO is required (NO in step S409), the process proceeds to step S411.

  In step S410, an execution flag for the image stabilization process of the checked cartridge 31 is set, and then the process proceeds to step S411.

  In step S411, a check completion flag is set for the checked cartridge 31, the cartridge 32 to be checked next is set, and the process proceeds to step S412.

  In step S412, it is determined whether or not all the cartridges 31 to 34 have been checked. If not checked (NO in step S412), the process returns to step S406 to check the next cartridge 32. Do.

  If all the cartridges 31 to 34 have been checked (YES in step S412), in step S413, the image stabilization process is executed for the cartridge for which the image stabilization process execution flag is set. . If the image stabilization processing execution flag is not set for any of the cartridges 31 to 34, nothing is done.

  After the image stabilization process is completed, in step S414, the print number counter of the cartridge that has executed the image stabilization process is cleared, and after the stabilization execution flag is cleared, the process returns to step S402.

  As can be understood from the above description, for the non-regular cartridge, in addition to when the number of printed sheets exceeds the image stabilization execution period (YES in step S406), image stabilization is performed by the stabilization necessity determination process. Even when it is determined that image stabilization is necessary (YES in step S409), the stabilization execution flag is set and image stabilization processing is executed, thereby preventing image quality deterioration. On the other hand, even if it is a non-genuine cartridge, if it is determined that image stabilization is not necessary (NO in step S409), the image stabilization process is not executed, so that it is possible to avoid executing the useless image stabilization process, A decrease in productivity and an increase in toner consumption can be prevented.

  In the flowchart of FIG. 10, it is determined whether or not image stabilization processing is necessary for a non-genuine cartridge, and if necessary, the image stabilization processing is executed. When it is determined that the toner needs to be executed, it can be determined that the toner used is not good quality.

  Therefore, it may be configured to immediately set the execution period of the image stabilization process to be short when it is determined that the image stabilization process needs to be executed. In other words, from the point when it is determined that the image stabilization process needs to be executed (toner is not good quality), the determination as to whether the image stabilization process is necessary is omitted, and the image stabilization process is set to be performed frequently. .

  Referring to FIG. 3, when a non-genuine product cartridge is detected, the image stabilization process is initially performed at a certain period to determine whether or not the image stabilization process is necessary as in (III). At the time, the process is switched to the process (I) or (II), and thereafter the image stabilization process is executed in a short cycle.

  FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a process for performing the image stabilization process at a short cycle when it is determined that the image stabilization process is necessary.

  In the process shown in FIG. 11, when the count value of the stabilization necessity determination counter exceeds the stabilization necessity determination cycle (YES in step S407), it is determined in step S408 whether image stabilization processing is necessary. Judgment processing is performed. In step S409, it is determined whether image stabilization processing is necessary based on the result of the determination processing in step S408. If image stabilization processing is necessary (YES in step S409), step S415 is performed. Thus, after setting the execution period of the image stabilization process to be shortened, the process proceeds to step S410. This execution cycle may be set only for the cartridge to be checked, or may be set for all cartridges including the genuine product.

  Then, after the execution period of the image stabilization process is changed, the timing at which the number of printed sheets reaches the image stabilization execution period frequently occurs in step S406, and the process proceeds to step S411 each time, and the image stabilization is performed in step S413. Processing is executed.

  After it is determined that image stabilization processing is necessary for the non-genuine cartridge by such processing, image stabilization processing is executed in a short cycle for the non-genuine cartridge or all cartridges. As a result, it is possible to suppress image quality deterioration when the imaging cartridge is filled with toner of inferior quality.

  In the flowchart of FIG. 11, the same steps as those in the flowchart of FIG. 10 are denoted by the same step numbers, and the description thereof is omitted.

  By the way, when a non-genuine product cartridge is used, the fixability of the toner filled in the cartridge is considered to be worse than the toner of the regular product cartridge.

  Therefore, in order to increase the fixability, in order to increase the passage time of the fixing point of the fixing unit 9 shown in FIG. 1, the conveying means such as the conveying roller 10 is controlled to reduce the conveying speed of the recording paper S. Is also recommended.

  As processing in that case, in step S006 in the flowchart of FIG. 4, the execution period of the image stabilization processing of the checked cartridge 31 is set to be shortened, the paper transport speed is set to be slower than normal, and printing is performed. In this case, the conveyance speed is determined based on the setting, and the printing process is performed.

  As mentioned above, although one Embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to these embodiment.

  For example, the case where the present invention is applied to an image forming apparatus capable of color printing that includes a plurality of toner cartridges has been described. However, the present invention is applied to a monochrome image forming apparatus having one monochrome cartridge. May be.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an electrical configuration of a main part of the image forming apparatus. It is explanatory drawing of the execution period of an image stabilization process. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a cycle setting process when the image stabilization execution cycle for an irregular cartridge is set to be shortened. It is a flowchart which shows the judgment process whether it is the execution timing of an image stabilization process. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing another embodiment of the present invention, and shows a cycle setting process when shortening the image stabilization execution cycle of all cartridges when at least one non-genuine cartridge is mounted. is there. It is a figure for demonstrating the execution method of an image stabilization process. It is a figure for demonstrating the execution method of an image stabilization necessity judgment process. FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating still another embodiment of the present invention and a cycle setting process for performing a determination of the necessity of the image stabilization process in a short cycle when the cartridge is a non-genuine product. It is a flowchart which shows the judgment process whether it is the execution timing of an image stabilization process. It is a flowchart which shows the modification of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image forming apparatus 8 Printing part 9 Fixing part 10 Conveyance roller 17 Transfer belt 31-34 Imaging cartridge 60 Memory 41 CPU
43 Image stabilization processing unit S Recording paper

Claims (8)

At least one imaging cartridge;
Image stabilization processing execution means for periodically executing image stabilization processing on the imaging cartridge at a predetermined cycle;
Genuine product determination means for determining whether the imaging cartridge is a genuine product,
If the genuine product discriminating means determines that at least one of the plurality of imaging cartridges is not a regular product, the cycle is shorter than the periodically executed image stabilization processing cycle. An image stabilization necessity determination means for executing a determination process for determining whether or not image stabilization needs to be performed at a timing other than the periodically performed image stabilization process;
An image forming apparatus comprising:   When it is determined by the image stabilization necessity determination means that it is necessary to perform image stabilization processing on the imaging cartridge determined to be not the genuine product, the image stabilization processing execution means An image stabilization process with a shorter cycle than the image stabilization process periodically performed on the genuine imaging cartridge or all imaging cartridges that are determined to be non-genuine. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: Image forming means for forming an image on recording paper;
Fixing means for fixing the image formed on the recording paper by the image forming means;
A paper conveying means for conveying the recording paper via an image forming means and a fixing means;
With
2. The image according to claim 1, wherein when the at least one imaging cartridge is determined not to be a genuine product by the regular product discriminating unit, the control unit reduces the paper transport speed by the paper transport unit. Forming equipment.   2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the imaging cartridge includes a memory, and the regular product discriminating unit discriminates whether or not the product is a regular product based on information stored in the memory. An image stabilization processing execution step for periodically executing image stabilization processing at a predetermined cycle for at least one imaging cartridge;
Determining whether the imaging cartridge is a genuine product;
When it is determined that at least one of the plurality of imaging cartridges is not a genuine product, the periodic execution is performed at a cycle shorter than the periodic image stabilization processing cycle. Performing a determination process for determining whether it is necessary to perform image stabilization at a timing other than the image stabilization process to be performed;
An image stabilization processing execution control method comprising:   If it is determined in the image stabilization necessity determination step that it is necessary to perform image stabilization processing on the imaging cartridge that has been determined not to be genuine, the image stabilization processing execution step Stabilize the image with a shorter period than the image stabilization process periodically performed on the genuine imaging cartridge or all imaging cartridges that are determined to be not genuine. The image stabilization processing execution control method according to claim 5, wherein the processing is executed. Forming an image on recording paper by an image forming means;
Fixing the image formed on the recording paper by the image forming step by a fixing unit;
Conveying the recording sheet via an image forming unit and a fixing unit;
Further comprising
6. The paper transporting speed of the paper transporting step is reduced in the control step when the at least one imaging cartridge is determined to be non-genuine by the regular product determining step. Execution control method of the image stabilization process. The image stabilization processing execution control method according to claim 5, wherein the imaging cartridge includes a memory, and whether or not the imaging cartridge is genuine is determined based on information stored in the memory.

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