JP2010128345A - Waste toner detecting device and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To determine the full state of a waste toner collection container without causing false detection, even when the waste toner adheres to a sensor part upon replacement of the waste toner collection container. <P>SOLUTION: A waste toner detecting device for an image forming apparatus includes the waste toner collection container for collecting the waste toner, and the sensor part including a light emitting part and a light receiving part. The waste toner detecting device includes: a reference value setting part for setting a predetermined correction reference value with respect to the light reception amount of the light receiving part upon shipment of the image forming apparatus; a light amount adjusting part for adjusting the light emission amount of the light emitting part so that the light reception amount of the light receiving part may reach the correction reference value upon the replacement of the waste toner collection container; a reference value adjusting part for setting a reference value for the light reception amount to determine the full state of the waste toner collection container using the correction reference value upon the replacement of the waste toner collection container; and a full-state determining part for determining the full state of the waste toner collection container based on the reference value for the light reception amount. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a waste toner detection device that detects a full state of a waste toner collection container and an image forming apparatus including the waste toner detection device.

  In image forming apparatuses such as copying machines, facsimile machines, scanners, and multifunction machines, toner is generally supplied from a developing device to the surface of a photosensitive drum on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, and a toner image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum. After that, the toner image is transferred to a transfer material such as copy paper. At this time, toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum without being transferred to the transfer material is removed by the cleaning device, and is discharged and collected as waste toner in a waste toner collection container mounted on the image forming apparatus. The waste toner collecting container is configured to be detachable from the image forming apparatus, and the user removes the waste toner by removing the waste toner collecting container from the image forming apparatus.

Here, the image forming apparatus generally includes a waste toner detection device, and monitors whether or not the amount of collected waste toner is full in the waste toner collection container. For example, an optical sensor is installed in the vicinity of the waste toner collection container so as to be shielded from light when the amount of waste toner in the waste toner collection container becomes a certain full state, and the full state of the waste toner collection container is detected.
JP 2003-066683 A

  However, in the conventional waste toner detection device, the full state of the waste toner is determined by a fixed value that is adjusted at the time of shipment of the image forming apparatus. In recent years, the particle size of the toner tends to be reduced in order to improve the image quality. Accordingly, when the image forming apparatus is used, the waste toner is likely to scatter and adhere to the optical sensor particularly when the waste toner collection container is replaced. For this reason, there is a problem that the light of the optical sensor is shielded by the adhesion of the waste toner, and the waste toner collection container is erroneously detected as being full even though it is not full.

  An object of the present invention is to make it possible to determine the full state of a waste toner collection container without erroneous detection even if waste toner adheres to an optical sensor when the waste toner collection container is replaced. is there.

  The waste toner detection device of the image forming apparatus according to claim 1 is replaceable with respect to the main body, a photosensitive drum provided in the main body, a cleaning device for removing residual toner on the photosensitive drum, and the main body. A waste toner collecting container that collects waste toner removed by the cleaning device through an opening provided at an upper portion thereof, a light emitting unit that emits light and a light emitting unit provided near the opening of the waste toner collecting container. A waste toner detection device for an image forming apparatus, comprising: a sensor unit that receives light; and a reference value setting unit, a light amount adjustment unit, a reference value adjustment unit, and a fullness determination unit. Prepare.

  The reference value setting unit sets a correction reference value for the amount of light received by the light receiving unit when the image forming apparatus is shipped. The light amount adjusting unit adjusts the light emission amount of the light emitting unit so that the light reception amount of the light receiving unit reaches the correction reference value when the waste toner collecting container is replaced. The reference value adjustment unit sets a received light amount reference value for determining whether the waste toner collection container is full or not when the waste toner collection container is replaced, using the correction reference value. The fullness determination unit determines whether the waste toner collection container is full based on the received light amount reference value.

  Here, every time the waste toner collecting container is replaced, the light emission amount of the light emitting unit is adjusted so that the light reception amount of the light receiving unit reaches a predetermined correction reference value set for the light receiving unit. Based on the received light amount of the light receiving unit corresponding to the light emission amount adjusted in this way and the predetermined received light amount reference value set using the correction reference value described above, the waste toner collection container is full Is judged.

  Therefore, according to the waste toner detecting device of the image forming apparatus of the present invention, even when the waste toner is attached to the sensor unit when the image forming apparatus is used, particularly when the waste toner collecting container is replaced, the waste toner collecting container Since the light emission amount of the light emitting unit is adjusted so that the light receiving unit can receive a constant light reception amount at every replacement, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the amount of light received by the light receiving unit itself resulting from the adhesion of waste toner to the sensor unit . Accordingly, it is possible to prevent erroneous detection of the full state of the waste toner due to the attachment of the waste toner to the sensor unit.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a waste toner detecting device of the image forming apparatus further including a full notification section in the first aspect of the device. When it is determined that the waste toner collecting container is full, the full notification unit performs a notification operation to that effect.

  Here, when the full toner determination unit determines that the waste toner collection container is full, the full notification unit performs a notification operation to that effect, so that the user is appropriately prompted to replace the waste toner collection container. Can do.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a waste toner detecting apparatus of the image forming apparatus, further comprising a contamination determination unit in the apparatus of the first or second aspect. Here, the light amount adjustment unit sets a light emission amount reference value that is a light emission amount of the light emitting unit so that the light reception amount of the light receiving unit reaches the correction reference value at the time of shipment of the image forming apparatus. Then, the dirt determination unit determines the state of waste toner adhering to the sensor unit using the light emission amount reference value and the light emission amount of the light emission unit adjusted by the light amount adjustment unit when the waste toner collection container is replaced.

  Here, by using the light emission amount of the light emitting unit at the time of replacement of the waste toner collection container with respect to a predetermined correction reference value and the light emission amount reference value at the time of shipment of the image forming apparatus with respect to the correction reference value, the waste toner recovery is performed. It is possible to determine the state of waste toner adhering to the sensor unit itself rather than the apparatus.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a waste toner detecting apparatus for cleaning an image forming apparatus according to the third aspect, wherein the sensor section is cleaned when the state of the waste toner adhering to the sensor section determined by the dirt determination section is a predetermined amount or more. And a cleaning notification unit that performs a notification operation for prompting the user.

  Here, according to the waste toner adhesion state determined by the contamination determination unit, the cleaning notification unit performs a notification operation for prompting the sensor unit to be cleaned. Accordingly, it is possible to appropriately prompt the user to clean the sensor unit.

  An image forming apparatus according to a fifth aspect of the present invention includes a main body, a photosensitive drum provided in the main body, a cleaning device that removes residual toner on the photosensitive drum, and a main body that is replaceable with the cleaning device. A waste toner collecting container that collects the removed waste toner through an opening provided in the upper part, a light emitting unit that emits light and a light receiving unit that receives light from the light emitting unit, provided near the opening of the waste toner collecting container And a waste toner detection device for an image forming apparatus according to claim 1.

  According to the present invention as described above, it is possible to prevent erroneous detection of the full state of the waste toner collection container even if the waste toner adheres to the sensor unit when the waste toner collection container is replaced.

[overall structure]
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a multifunction peripheral as an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view illustrating the configuration of the main part of the image forming unit and its periphery of the multifunction peripheral.

  The multifunction machine 1 includes a document feeder 2 and a main body 3. The main body 3 includes an image reading device 4 that reads an image from a document, and an image forming unit 5 that prints an image read by the image reading device 4 on a sheet.

  The document transport device 2 is a device for transporting a document to the image reading device 4, and is disposed above the main body 3.

  The main body 3 includes, in addition to the image reading device 4 and the image forming unit 5, a housing 6 that houses the image reading device 4 and the image forming unit 5, and a paper discharge that discharges paper after image formation on one side of the housing 6. A tray 7 and a paper cassette 8 which is provided so as to be able to be taken in and out of the housing 6 and accommodates paper are provided. The main body 3 also includes an operation display panel 9 on the upper surface of the housing 6 for receiving instructions from the user and presenting various information to the user.

  A part of the housing 6 at the top of the paper cassette 8 is provided so as to be openable and closable with respect to the main body 3 and serves as a front cover 10. The front cover 10 can expose the inside of the main body 3 on the front side of FIG. The user can open the front cover 10 to deal with problems such as a paper jam occurring in the main body 3 and to replace a waste toner collection container 22 described later. The front cover 10 is provided with an open / close sensor 10a (see FIG. 4) such as a push switch. The open / close sensor 10a outputs a signal corresponding to the open / closed state of the front cover 10 to a waste toner detector 25 described later. In the present embodiment, when the front cover 10 is closed, the open / close sensor 10a is pressed and outputs an ON signal.

  The main body 3 further includes a control device 11. The control device 11 includes a RAM including a CPU 11a (see FIG. 4), a ROM, and a storage unit 11b (see FIG. 4). The control device 11 is electrically connected to each part of the copying machine 1 and can exchange data with each other via a bus. The CPU 11a reads a program recorded in a recording medium such as a ROM, controls operations of each unit in the copying machine 1, and performs various calculations. Further, the CPU 11a includes a waste toner detection unit 25 described later in the present embodiment. The storage unit 11b stores information related to the amount of light of the photosensor 24, which will be described later, and information on whether the waste toner collection container 22 is full.

  The image forming unit 5 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the image forming unit 5 includes a cylindrical photosensitive drum 12 that is rotatably provided, and along the rotation direction of the photosensitive drum 12 (indicated by an arrow in FIG. 2). A charging device 13 for uniformly charging the photosensitive drum 12, an exposure device 14 for drawing an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 12 by irradiating light to the charged photosensitive drum 12, and a developer for developing the electrostatic latent image A developing device 15 that forms a toner image by developing, a neutralizing device 16 that neutralizes the photosensitive drum 12 after the toner image is transferred to a sheet, and a cleaning device 17.

  The cleaning device 17 is a device for cleaning the photosensitive drum 12 and removing residual toner and the like. The cleaning device 17 is disposed in the vicinity of the photosensitive drum 12, and includes a cleaning roller 17a and a cleaning blade 17b. The cleaning roller 17 a is a member that removes transfer residual toner on the surface of the photosensitive drum 12, and is disposed in parallel with the rotation axis of the photosensitive drum 12. The cleaning blade 17 b is a member for scraping the residual toner that has not been removed by the cleaning roller 17 a from the photosensitive drum 12. The waste toner removed by the cleaning device 17 is conveyed to a waste toner collection device 21 (see FIG. 3) described later.

  The copying machine 1 further includes a transfer unit 18 that transfers the toner image on the photosensitive drum 12 to a sheet, a fixing device 19 that fixes the toner image to the sheet after transfer by thermocompression bonding, and a transfer unit 18 from the sheet cassette 8. A paper transport unit 20 that transports the paper from the fixing device 19 to the paper discharge tray 7 is provided.

<Waste toner recovery device>
The waste toner collecting device will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the waste toner collecting apparatus.

  The waste toner collecting device 21 includes a screw (not shown) connected to the cleaning device 17, a waste toner collecting container 22, a container mounting portion (not shown), a waste toner collecting container sensor 23 (see FIG. 4), and a sensor unit. As a photosensor 24.

  The waste toner collection container 22 is a container for storing the waste toner T removed by the cleaning device 17. An upper portion of the waste toner collecting container 22 is provided with a protruding portion 22a having an open top. The waste toner T removed by the cleaning device 17 is transported from the cleaning device 17 by a screw connected to the cleaning device 17 and collected in the waste toner collecting container 22 from the protruding portion 22a. 3 indicates the direction in which the waste toner T is carried. In addition, since the waste toner collecting container 22 is determined to be full using the photosensor 24 as described later, at least a light path portion by the photosensor 24 is formed of a light transmissive member.

  The waste toner collecting container 22 is detachably attached to the main body 3. When the waste toner T in the waste toner collection container 22 becomes full, the user opens the front cover 11a, removes the waste toner collection container 22 from the main body 3, and attaches a new waste toner collection container 22 to the main body 3. can do. In the present embodiment, a box-shaped container mounting portion having an open upper portion is provided in the main body 3 at a position adjacent to the front cover 10, and the waste toner collection container 22 is provided so as to be mountable on the container mounting portion. It is done. The container mounting portion is provided with a waste toner collecting container sensor 23 (see FIG. 4) such as a push switch. The waste toner collection container sensor 23 outputs a signal corresponding to the mounting state of the waste toner collection container 22 to the container mounting unit to a waste toner detection unit 25 described later. In this embodiment, when the waste toner collection container 22 is attached to the container attachment portion, the waste toner collection sensor 22 is pressed and an ON signal is output to the waste toner detection portion 25.

  The photo sensor 24 includes a light emitting unit 24 a and a light receiving unit 24 b that are arranged to face each other with the protruding portion 22 a of the waste toner collecting container 22 interposed therebetween. The light emitting unit 24a includes a light emitting element (for example, a light emitting diode), and emits light toward the light receiving unit 24b. The amount of light emitted by the light emitting unit 24a can be adjusted, for example, via a detection circuit (not shown) including a digital-analog conversion circuit. The light receiving unit 24b includes a light receiving element (for example, a phototransistor), and receives the light emitted from the light emitting unit 24a through the protruding portion 22a. Then, for example, an output signal corresponding to the amount of received light is output to a waste toner detection unit 25 described later via a detection circuit (not shown) including an analog-digital conversion circuit. In the photosensor 24 provided in this way, when waste toner accumulates up to the protruding portion 22a of the waste toner collecting container 22, light from the light emitting portion 24a to the light receiving portion 24b is blocked by the waste toner. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the output signal from the light receiving unit 24b increases as the amount of received light increases.

<Waste toner detection unit>
Next, the waste toner detection unit will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the waste toner detection unit.

  The waste toner detection unit 25 determines whether the waste toner collection container 22 is full. In this embodiment, the waste toner detection unit 25 further determines whether the photosensor 24 is contaminated with waste toner. The waste toner detection unit 25 includes a reference value setting unit 26, a full determination unit 27, a light amount adjustment unit 28, a reference value adjustment unit 29, a stain determination unit 30, a notification unit 31, and a control unit 32.

  With recent reduction in toner particle size, waste toner tends to scatter and hardly settle in the waste toner collection container 22, so that a photo sensor can be used according to the usage time of the copier 1 and the replacement frequency of the waste toner collection container. The amount of waste toner adhering to 24 increases. Then, the amount of light received by the light receiving unit 24b with respect to a certain amount of light emitted from the light emitting unit 24a decreases, and an output signal corresponding to the amount of light received by the light receiving unit 24b is a fixed value that is adjusted at the time of shipment of the copying machine 1. When the full state of the waste toner detection device 22 is detected as compared with the above, there is a problem that a false detection that the waste toner collection container 22 is full although it is not full may occur. The waste toner detection unit 25 according to the present embodiment has the following configuration to prevent such erroneous detection.

  The reference value setting unit 26 sets a correction reference value that is an arbitrary value related to the amount of light received by the light receiving unit 24b when the copying machine 1 is shipped. As will be described later, this value serves as a reference for detecting the full state of the waste toner collection container 22, or judging the contamination state of the photosensor 24 and prompting the cleaning of the waste toner collection container 22. Is a reference for setting the received light amount reference value, the emitted light amount reference value, and the adjusted emitted light amount value. The set value for correction set is stored in the storage unit 11b.

  The full determination unit 27 receives an output signal corresponding to the amount of received light from the light receiving unit 24b, and determines whether the waste toner collecting container 22 is full using a predetermined reference value. Specifically, the output signal received from the light receiving unit 24b is compared with a predetermined reference value stored in the storage unit 11b, and when it is determined that the output signal is less than the predetermined reference value, the full determination unit 27 determines that the waste toner collecting container 22 is full. On the other hand, when it is determined that the output signal is equal to or greater than the predetermined reference value, the fullness detection unit 27 determines that the waste toner collection container 22 is not full. Here, the predetermined reference value refers to a received light amount reference value set by a reference value adjusting unit 26 described later using a correction reference value. When the full determination unit 27 determines whether the waste toner collection container 22 is full, the notification unit 31 described later notifies the user of the full state of the waste toner collection container 22. At the same time, full determination information indicating that the full state has been determined is stored in the storage unit 11b.

  The light amount adjusting unit 28 is a part that adjusts the light emission amount of the light emitting unit 24b. The light amount adjusting unit 28 adjusts the light emission amount of the light emitting unit 24a so as to reach the above-described correction reference value at the time of shipment of the copying machine 1 and replacement of the waste toner collection container 22.

  The adjustment of the light emission amount of the light emitting unit 24a by the light amount adjusting unit 28 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the transition of the light emission amount of the light emitting unit and the light reception amount of the light receiving unit in the photosensor. The light amount adjustment unit 28 gradually increases the light emission amount of the light emitting unit 24a from a low value, and adjusts the light emission amount of the light emitting unit 24a so as to reach the correction reference value of the light receiving unit 24b. Here, when the copying machine 1 is shipped, the light amount adjusting unit 28 stores the adjusted light emission amount in the storage unit 11b as the light emission amount reference value. When the waste toner collecting container 22 is replaced, the adjusted light emission amount is stored in the storage unit 11b as an adjusted light emission amount value. In this manner, the light emission amount of the light emitting unit 24a corresponding to a certain correction reference value is adjusted every time the copier 1 is shipped and the waste toner collecting container 22 is replaced. Therefore, even if waste toner adheres to the photosensor 24, the light emission amount of the light emitting unit 24a is adjusted so that the light receiving unit 24b can receive a certain amount of received light. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the amount of light received by the light receiving unit 24b caused by the waste toner adhering to the photosensor 24.

  Note that the timing when the copier 1 is shipped and when the waste toner collection container 22 is replaced is triggered by the time when the ON signal is output from the waste toner collection container sensor 23. The determination as to whether the copying machine 1 is shipped or when the waste toner collecting container 22 is replaced is made by the control unit 32 described later, which will be described later.

  The light amount adjusting unit 28 adjusts the light emission amount of the light emitting unit 24a so as to maintain a constant light emission amount except when adjusting the light emission amount reference value and the adjusted light emission amount value. Specifically, the light amount adjustment unit 28 maintains a constant light emission amount based on the light emission amount reference value until the waste toner collection container 22 is replaced and the adjusted light emission amount value is adjusted after the light emission amount reference value is set. Thus, the light emission amount of the light emitting unit 24a is adjusted. In addition, after the waste toner collection container 22 is replaced and the adjusted light emission amount value is adjusted, the constant light emission by the latest adjusted light emission amount value is continued until the waste toner collection container 22 is replaced and the adjusted light emission amount value is adjusted next. The light emission amount of the light emitting unit 24a is adjusted so as to maintain the amount. In addition, since it controls by a digital-analog converter, the voltage applied to the light emission part 24a has the preferable value between 0V-5V.

  The reference value adjustment unit 29 is a part for setting a received light amount reference value for determining the full state of the waste toner collection container 22 using the correction reference value set by the reference value setting unit 26. The reference value adjustment unit 29 sets the received light amount reference value at the timing when the copying machine 1 is shipped and when the waste toner collection container 22 is replaced. Specifically, the reference value adjustment unit 29 sets a value lower than the correction reference value as the received light amount reference value at the above timing, and stores the value in the storage unit 11b. In this way, by setting a value lower than the correction reference value as the received light amount reference value that is a satisfaction determination criterion, a margin for contamination of the photosensor 24 by waste toner can be secured.

  In the present embodiment, the reference value adjustment unit 29 sets a value obtained by halving the correction reference value at the time of shipment of the copying machine 1 as the received light amount reference value, and ensures twice the margin for contamination due to waste toner of the photosensor 24 in advance. Like that. The correction reference value is stored in the storage unit 11b, and when the waste toner collecting container 22 is replaced, the received light amount reference value is read and used as a reference value in a full state.

  The received light amount reference value is not limited to a value that is half the correction reference value, and can be changed according to the use environment of the copying machine 1. For example, according to the degree of contamination of the photosensor 24, the reference value adjustment unit 29 sets a value of one third of the correction reference value as the received light amount reference value, and sets a margin for contamination due to waste toner of the photosensor 24 to 3 Can be doubled. Further, in the present embodiment, an example in which a constant received light amount reference value is always set when the copier 1 is shipped and when the waste toner collection container 22 is replaced is exemplified. However, the present embodiment is limited to this example. Instead, the value of the received light amount reference value may be changed when the waste toner collecting container 22 is replaced according to the usage status of the copying machine 1.

  The dirt determination unit 30 is a unit that determines whether the waste toner adheres to the photosensor 24 when the waste toner collection container 22 is replaced. Further, the dirt determination unit 30 determines whether the photosensor 24 needs to be cleaned according to the attached state of the waste toner, or notifies the reference value adjustment unit 29 when cleaning is unnecessary.

  The stain determination unit 30 reads the light emission amount reference value stored in the storage unit 11b, and based on this value and the latest adjusted light emission amount value adjusted when the waste toner collection container 22 is replaced, the photo sensor 24. To determine the state of waste toner adhesion. Specifically, the light emission amount reference value is compared with the adjusted light emission amount value, and when the adjusted light emission amount value is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount from the light emission amount reference value, the dirt determination unit 30 attaches waste toner to the photosensor 24. Judge that the amount is large. And it judges that the cleaning of the photosensor 24 is required, and notifies the information regarding the cleaning of the photosensor 24 to the alerting | reporting part 31 mentioned later.

  On the other hand, when the adjusted light emission amount value is less than the predetermined amount compared to the light emission amount reference value, the dirt determination unit 30 determines that the amount of waste toner attached to the photosensor 24 is not so large as to require cleaning. The reference value adjustment unit 29 is notified of this. Thereafter, the reference value adjustment unit 29 reads the received light amount reference value from the storage unit 11b. The full determination unit 27 determines the full state of the waste toner collection container 22 based on the received light amount reference value, and notifies the notification unit 31 of the full state according to the determination result. In the following, an example in which the contamination state of the photosensor 24 is determined based on whether the adjusted light emission amount value is twice or more of the light emission amount reference value will be described, but this value can be changed according to the use state of the copying machine 1. .

  The notification unit 31 performs a notification operation to the effect that the waste toner collection container 22 is full or a notification operation related to cleaning of the photosensor 24 as a full notification unit and a cleaning notification unit. In this embodiment, when the full determination unit 27 determines that the waste toner collection container 22 is full, a message such as “Please replace the waste toner collection container” is displayed on the operation display panel 9. If the dirt determination unit 31 determines that the photo sensor 24 needs to be cleaned, a message such as “Please clean the photo sensor in the waste toner collecting container” is displayed on the operation display panel 9. . Note that the notification method is not limited to this example, and notification by sound may be used.

  The control unit 32 receives output signals from the open / close sensor 10a and the waste toner collection container sensor 23, and according to the received output signals, the front cover 10 is closed and the waste toner collection container 22 is attached to the container attachment unit. Is detected. In the present embodiment, when receiving an ON signal from the open / close sensor 10a, the control unit 32 detects that the front cover 10 is in a closed state. Further, when the ON signal is received from the waste toner collection container sensor 23, it is detected that the waste toner collection container 22 is attached to the container attachment portion.

  When the control unit 32 further detects that the waste toner collection container 22 is attached to the container attachment unit, is the attachment at the time of shipment of the copying machine 1 or the attachment at the time of replacement of the waste toner collection container 22? Judge whether. Specifically, the determination is made based on whether or not the full determination information indicating that the waste toner collection container 22 is full is stored in the storage unit 10b. That is, when the full determination information is not stored in the storage unit 11b, it is determined that the waste toner collection container 22 is attached when the copying machine 1 is shipped. On the other hand, when the full determination information is stored in the storage unit 11b, it is determined that the waste toner collection container 22 is attached when the waste toner collection container 22 is replaced.

[Operation of waste toner detector]
Next, the operation of the waste toner detection unit 25 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a waste toner full state determination operation performed by each unit of the waste toner detection unit.

  First, when receiving an ON signal from the waste toner collection container sensor 23, the control unit 32 detects that the waste toner collection container 22 is attached to the container attachment part (step S1). Then, it is determined whether or not the waste toner collection container 22 is attached when the copying machine 1 is shipped based on the presence or absence of full determination information in the storage unit 11b (step S2). Here, when the full determination information is not stored in the storage unit 11b, it is determined that the waste toner collection container 22 is attached when the copying machine 1 is shipped. On the other hand, when the full determination information is stored in the storage unit 11b, it is determined that the waste toner collection container 22 is attached when the waste toner collection container 22 is replaced.

  When it is determined that the copier 1 is shipped, the reference value setting unit 26 sets a correction reference value, which is an arbitrary value related to the amount of light received by the light receiving unit 24b, and stores that value in the storage unit 11b ( Step S3).

  When the correction reference value is set, the light amount adjustment unit 28 adjusts the light emission amount of the light emitting unit 24a so that the light reception amount of the light receiving unit 24b reaches the correction reference value, and the adjusted value is used as the light emission amount. It memorize | stores in the memory | storage part 11b as a reference value (step S4). Here, the light amount adjusting unit 28 adjusts the light emission amount of the light emitting unit 24a so as to maintain a constant light emission amount based on this light emission amount reference value until an adjusted light emission amount value to be described later is set.

  Next, the reference value adjustment unit 29 adjusts the above-described correction reference value, and sets a received light amount reference value that serves as a reference for determining whether the waste toner collection container 22 is full (step S5). In the present embodiment, the reference value adjustment unit 29 sets a value obtained by halving the correction reference value as the received light amount reference value, and stores the value in the storage unit 11b.

  Next, the fullness determination unit 27 compares the output signal from the light receiving unit 24b that receives the light emission amount adjusted in step 4 with the light reception amount reference value stored in the storage unit 11b, and thereby determines the waste toner detection container 22. Is determined to be full (step S6). As a result of the comparison, when the output signal is less than the received light amount reference value, the fullness detection unit 25 determines that the waste toner collection container 22 has become full. At this time, the fullness detection unit 25 notifies the notification unit 31 that the full state has been determined, and further stores the full determination information indicating that the full state has been determined in the storage unit 11b. On the other hand, when the output signal is equal to or greater than the predetermined light reception amount reference value, the full determination unit 25 determines that the waste toner collection container 22 is not full. In this case, step 6 is repeated at a predetermined interval until a full state is determined.

  When it is determined that the waste toner collection container 22 is full, the notification unit 31 displays on the display unit of the operation display panel 9 to prompt the user to replace the waste toner collection container 22 (step S7). . When the display is performed, the process returns to step 1 described above.

  The user who is prompted to replace the waste toner collection container 22 opens the front cover 10, removes the full waste toner collection container 22 from the container mounting portion, and installs a new waste toner collection container 22. Then, the control unit 32 detects the mounting state of the waste toner collecting container 22 (step S1), and determines whether or not this mounting is at the time of shipment of the copying machine 1 (step S2). Here, since the full determination information is stored in the storage unit 11b in step S6, the control unit 11 determines that it is not at the time of shipment, that is, when the waste toner collection container 22 is replaced.

  When the front cover 10 is closed by the user, the control unit 32 receives an ON signal from the open / close sensor 10a and detects that the front cover 10 is in the closed state (step S8), and the reference value setting unit 26 stores the storage unit 11b. The correction reference value set in step 3 is read out from (step S9).

  When the correction reference value is read, the light amount adjustment unit 28 adjusts the light emission amount of the light emitting unit 24a so that the light reception amount of the light receiving unit 24b reaches the correction reference value, and the adjusted light emission amount is adjusted. The value is stored in the storage unit 11b as a value (step S10). Here, the light amount adjustment unit 28 emits light from the light emitting unit 24a so as to maintain a constant light emission amount based on this adjusted light emission amount value until the waste toner collection container 22 is next replaced and an adjusted light emission region is set. Adjust.

  Next, the contamination determination unit 30 determines the contamination state of the waste toner in the photosensor 24 using the adjusted emission amount value and the emission amount reference value adjusted in step S4 (step S11). Specifically, the light emission amount reference value is compared with the adjusted light emission amount value. If the adjusted light emission amount value is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount from the light emission amount reference value, the dirt determination unit 30 determines whether the waste toner in the photosensor 24 It is determined that the amount of adhesion is large and the photosensor 24 needs to be cleaned. In the present embodiment, the case where the predetermined amount or more is twice or more will be described as an example. When it is determined that the photo sensor 24 needs to be cleaned, the dirt determination unit 30 notifies the notification unit 31 of that fact, and the notification unit 31 displays on the display unit of the operation display panel 9 that the photo sensor 24 is urged to clean. Is performed (step S12). The user who receives such a message opens the front cover 10a and cleans the photosensor 24. After cleaning the photosensor 24, the process returns to step S8 again, and steps after step S8 are repeated.

  On the other hand, if the adjusted light emission amount value is less than twice the light emission amount reference value in step S11, the dirt determination unit 30 indicates that the amount of waste toner adhering to the photosensor 24 is not so large as to require cleaning. It is determined that there is, and this is notified to the reference value adjustment unit 29. The notified reference value adjustment unit 29 adjusts the correction reference value and sets the received light amount reference value (step S13). When the received light amount reference value is set, the fullness determination unit 27 determines whether the waste toner detection container 22 is full (step S14). That is, the output signal from the light receiving unit 24b that has received the light emission amount adjusted in step S13 is compared with the light reception amount reference value stored in the storage unit 11b. As a result of the comparison, if the output signal is less than the received light amount reference value, the fullness detection unit 27 determines that the waste toner collection container 22 has become full. At this time, the full detection unit 27 notifies the notification unit 31 that the full state has been determined, and further stores the full determination information indicating that the full state has been determined in the storage unit 11b. On the other hand, when the output signal is equal to or greater than the predetermined light reception amount reference value, the full determination unit 27 determines that the waste toner collection container 22 is not full. In this case, step 14 is repeated at a predetermined interval until a full state is determined.

  Receiving the notification that the waste toner collection container 22 is full, the notification unit 31 displays on the display unit of the operation display panel 9 to prompt the user to replace the waste toner collection container 22 (step S15).

  As described above, in this embodiment, the light emission amount of the light emitting unit corresponding to the predetermined correction reference value set for the light receiving unit at the time of shipment of the copying machine is adjusted every time the waste toner collecting container is replaced. Therefore, when the copier is used, especially when the waste toner collecting container is replaced, even if the waste toner adheres to the photosensor, the light emission amount of the light emission unit is adjusted so that the light reception unit can receive a constant light reception amount. As a result, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the amount of light received by the light receiving portion resulting from the attachment of waste toner to the photosensor. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent erroneous detection of the full state of the waste toner due to the attachment of the waste toner to the photosensor.

  In addition, when the copier is shipped and when the waste toner collection container is replaced, the amount of light emitted from the light emitting unit is adjusted so that the amount of light received by the light receiving unit reaches the correction reference value, and the results are compared. It is possible to determine the state of contamination of the photosensor itself by waste toner rather than the recovery device. Then, by notifying the user of the dirty state of the photosensor, the user can clean the photosensor and create a stable machine state.

[Other Embodiments]
(a) The application of the waste toner detection device of the present invention is not limited to a copying machine, and can be similarly applied to other image forming apparatuses including a waste toner collection container.

  (b) In the embodiment described above, the start of step S10 of the waste toner full state determination operation performed by each unit of the waste toner detection unit is triggered by the output of an ON signal by an open / close sensor provided on the front cover. It is not limited to this example. For example, a key indicating a start instruction may be provided on the operation display panel, and the time when the key is input by the user may be recognized as the start of step S10.

1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a multifunction peripheral as an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a front view illustrating the configuration of the main part of the image forming unit and its periphery of the multifunction peripheral. 1 is a schematic diagram of a waste toner collecting device. Block diagram showing functional configuration of waste toner detection device The figure which showed transition of the light emission amount of the light emission part in a photosensor, and the light reception amount of a light-receiving part. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a waste toner full state detection operation performed by a waste toner detection unit.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Multifunctional device 3 Main body 4 Image reader 5 Image forming part 9 Operation display panel 10a Opening / closing sensor 11a Storage part 23 Waste toner collection container sensor 24 Photosensor 24a Light emitting part 24b Light receiving part 25 Waste toner detecting part 26 Reference value setting part 27 Full Determination unit 28 Light amount adjustment unit 29 Reference value adjustment unit 30 Cleaning determination unit 31 Notification unit 32 Control unit

Claims (5)

A main body, a photosensitive drum provided in the main body, a cleaning device that removes residual toner on the photosensitive drum, and waste toner that is replaceable with respect to the main body and removed by the cleaning device. A waste toner collecting container that collects through an opening provided in an upper portion; a light emitting unit that emits light; and a light receiving unit that receives light from the light emitting unit, provided near the opening of the waste toner collecting container. A waste toner detection device of an image forming apparatus comprising a sensor unit,
A reference value setting unit for setting a correction reference value for the amount of light received by the light receiving unit at the time of shipment of the image forming apparatus;
A light amount adjustment unit that adjusts the light emission amount of the light emitting unit so that the light reception amount of the light receiving unit reaches the correction reference value when the waste toner collecting container is replaced;
A reference value adjustment unit that sets a received light amount reference value for determining whether the waste toner collection container is full or not when the waste toner collection container is replaced using the correction reference value;
A full determination unit for determining a full state of the waste toner collection container based on the received light amount reference value;
A waste toner detection device for an image forming apparatus.   The waste toner detection device of an image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a full notification unit that performs a notification operation to that effect when the waste determination unit determines that the waste toner collection container is full. The light amount adjustment unit adjusts a light emission amount reference value that is a light emission amount of the light emitting unit so that a light reception amount of the light receiving unit reaches the correction reference value at the time of shipment of the image forming apparatus,
A stain determination unit for determining the state of waste toner adhering to the sensor unit using the light emission amount reference value and the light emission amount of the light emission unit adjusted by the light amount adjustment unit when the waste toner collection container is replaced; The waste toner detection device for an image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:   4. A cleaning notification unit that performs a notification operation for prompting cleaning of the sensor unit when the state of waste toner adhesion to the sensor unit determined by the dirt determination unit is a predetermined amount or more. And a waste toner detection device for an image forming apparatus. The body,
A photosensitive drum provided in the main body;
A cleaning device for removing residual toner on the photosensitive drum;
A waste toner collecting container that is replaceable with respect to the main body and collects waste toner removed by the cleaning device through an opening provided in an upper portion;
A sensor unit provided in the vicinity of the opening of the waste toner collecting container and having a light emitting unit for emitting light and a light receiving unit for receiving light from the light emitting unit;
A waste toner detection device for an image forming apparatus according to claim 1,
An image forming apparatus comprising:

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