JP2011047970A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To carry out required handling and processing in a required state when a failure or the like occurs in a printer or a power source interruption device, in the printer having the power source interruption device. <P>SOLUTION: An error reporting method is changed by determining a difference between a fatal failure and whether there is no influence on a printing function itself according to a difference in the method of use of the power source interruption device (for example, when a plurality of types of functions are included and there are different operation purposes for the various functions, etc.) when the power source 1 can not be interrupted owing to the failure of the power source interruption device 2 in the printer having the device 2 which interrupts the power source 1 by a control signal. As the error reporting method, the device is stopped and a service call is made in case of the fatal error, and the error is reported by alarm display in the case of a nonfatal error. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing apparatus having a power shut-off device capable of shutting off the power with a control signal, and capable of performing a necessary response and processing when a failure or the like occurs in the printing apparatus.

Conventionally known printers of this type have various structures.
For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a printer device as a printing device that receives data from an external device such as a computer, controls the data with a control unit, and appropriately prints the data with a printing unit.

  Incidentally, this type of printing apparatus has conventionally been provided with an appropriate control unit. For example, Patent Document 1 described above describes a structure provided with a remote processing unit for remote control operation from an external device, a signal control unit for processing the signal, and the like.

  Further, this type of printing apparatus is known in which a power shut-off device for forcibly shutting off the power is provided in the middle of a power supply unit connected to an external power source. Such a power shut-off device has an effect in shutting off the power when, for example, the printing device fails.

JP-A-5-6250

  However, in a conventional printing apparatus having a power shut-off device that can shut off the power with the control signal described above, if the printing device or the power shut-off device breaks down, conventionally, depending on the application (function) of the device itself, the printing In spite of whether or not it can be continued, it was impossible to continue printing until it was treated as a uniform service call, that is, the printing device was not used, and a serviceman was called for repairs.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and in a printing apparatus having a device capable of shutting off power by a control signal, when the power cannot be shut down due to a failure of the device, the power shutoff is performed. It is an object of the present invention to obtain a printing apparatus capable of changing the error notification method by judging whether the printing function itself is not affected by a fatal injury due to a difference in the usage method of the apparatus.

  In order to meet such an object, a printing apparatus according to the present invention (the invention described in claim 1) includes a power shut-off device that shuts off a power input from the outside of the device and a control that generates a control signal for driving the power shut-off device. In the printing device including the signal generating device, the control signal generating device generates a first control signal for driving the power shut-off device for the purpose of avoiding a fatal failure of the device, and a normal function of the printing device. A function of generating a second control signal for driving the power shut-off device for the purpose of power shut-off, and the control signal generating device outputs the first control signal in an abnormal state in which the power shut-off device cannot function. If it is generated, serviceman call control is performed. If the control signal generation device generates the second control signal, a maintenance call control is performed. Characterized in that it comprises a control means.

  In the printing apparatus according to the present invention (the invention described in claim 2), in claim 1, the normal power shutdown is executed by an auto power off control function that automatically shuts off the power at a preset time. It is characterized by.

  The printing apparatus according to the present invention (the invention described in claim 3) is characterized in that, in claim 1, the fatal failure of the apparatus is a temperature control failure of the heat fixing apparatus.

  As described above, according to the printing device according to the present invention, even when the power shut-off device fails, if the operation purpose of the power shut-off device is an application such as automatic device OFF by time setting, the printing itself is On the other hand, if the power supply is cut off due to a fatal error such as a temperature control error of the fuser, even if the power switch is turned on again, printing continues. Impossible state can be maintained.

1 shows an embodiment of a printing apparatus according to the present invention, and is a schematic configuration diagram of a power control mechanism portion thereof. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the power shut-off device according to the embodiment of the printing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a printing apparatus according to the present invention.
Here, in the same figure, details of the entire apparatus are omitted in each part constituting the printing apparatus, and only the power control mechanism part which is characteristic in the present invention is shown.

  That is, in this type of printing apparatus, various necessary mechanisms such as a printing mechanism section including a recording head, an interface control section for exchanging information with a host apparatus connected via a LAN, etc. Although a large number of components such as a unit are included, details of the entire apparatus are omitted.

  In addition, the present invention is a system applicable to a power control mechanism in a printing apparatus such as a printer, a copier, or a multifunction machine.

A schematic configuration of the printing apparatus according to the present invention will be briefly described below.
That is, as a control circuit of the printing apparatus, print data generation processing is performed by receiving data from an engine control circuit 4 that controls the printing mechanism and a PC (personal computer) (not shown) via a network line such as a LAN. There is a print data processing / overall control circuit 7 that controls the engine control circuit 4 based on the generated image data.

  The engine control circuit 4 is connected to a fixing device 5 for heating and fixing the recording paper to which the toner is adhered, and a thermistor 6 for monitoring the temperature. The print data processing / overall control circuit 7 is used for operation input. A display / key input device is connected, and an RTC (Real Time Clock) is mounted so that time management is possible.

  There is 1 as a main power source for these control circuits, and a primary side power line cutoff device 2 capable of shutting off the power supply is connected between the primary side and the AC plug 3, and a control signal of the engine control circuit 4 By operating the primary side power line shut-off device 2, the power from the outside can be shut off.

In the present invention, as an application (function) of the primary power line cutoff device 2,
(1) When the thermistor 6 is monitored by the engine control circuit 4 and a temperature abnormality of the fixing device 5 is detected, the primary power line shut-off device 2 is used to disable the printing device until repair is performed. Used to turn off the power by itself.
(2) The print data processing / overall control circuit 7 is used for automatic power OFF by time management based on the RTC (when the preset time is reached).

  Here, in the conventional device, there is no distinction between the applications (1) and (2) because the power is turned off as a result. However, in the device of the present invention, when the primary side power line shut-off device 2 fails and the power cannot be cut off. In this process, the failure notification method is changed according to the purpose of operating the shut-off device.

For example, when the primary power supply line shut-off device 2 can no longer shut off the power, the device is abnormal, so an error notification is given to the display / key input device 8.
At this time, in the present invention, in the case of (1), that is, when the engine control circuit 4 monitors the thermistor 6 to detect a temperature abnormality of the fixing device 5 and the power supply needs to be shut down, the shut-off device 2 functions. If there is a failure condition, it is a fatal error that cannot be printed. Control state in which the operation of the printing apparatus is prohibited).

  In the case of (2), that is, when the power supply of the printing apparatus is automatically shut off by the clock function, if the shut-off apparatus 2 is in a malfunctioning state that does not function, the printing function can be used continuously. A distinction is made so that the maintenance call control state is limited to warning only.

A configuration for ensuring safety when the breaking device 2 also fails in the case of a serious failure such as a temperature abnormality of the fixing device 5 of (1) will be described below.
That is, in the case of the configuration using the power shut-off relay 2 of the present invention, a thermostat and a thermal fuse are used in combination in the power control circuit of the fixing device in order to ensure double and triple safety. Yes.

  That is, the role of the power shut-off relay 2 of the present invention is a safety device before the thermostat and the thermal fuse work. Even if the power shut-off relay 2 should break down, the thermostat and the thermal fuse make a safety Can be secured.

  When a thermostat or a thermal fuse is activated, it is necessary to replace or restore the fuse parts for restoration, and it takes a long time for repair because it is processed as a service call. Therefore, when the thermistor 6 detects a temperature abnormality of the fixing device 5, the configuration of the present invention in which the power is safely shut off by the power shut-off relay 2 before the thermostat and the thermal fuse are activated is useful. .

A flowchart for realizing the present invention is shown in FIG.
The flowchart of FIG. 2 is control executed by the print data processing / overall control circuit 7 by the ROM and CPU, and there is a procedure (S1 to S2) for monitoring and identifying the abnormality of the thermistor 6. If it is determined that the temperature detection of the thermistor 6 is abnormal (Y in S2), a control signal for shutting off the primary power line is output (S3), and the primary power line shut-off device 2 is operated to shut off the power line. .

  When a power-off command is executed by a user's manual operation, a control signal for shutting down the primary power line is output in the same manner (S3), and the primary power line shut-off device is operated. Shut off the power line.

  In either case, after waiting for the elapse of a predetermined time (N in S4) and when the predetermined time elapses (Y in S4), it is identified whether or not the primary side power line has been shut down according to the abnormality determination of the thermistor 6 ( S5) If the power shut-off process 2 corresponds to the abnormality identification of the thermistor 6 (S5 is Y), the service call process is executed (S6), otherwise the primary side for the purpose of the normal power process When the power line is shut off (S5 is N), the present invention is achieved by performing a maintenance call process (S7).

  In the service call process, a warning is displayed on the display device so as to contact the service person, and an operation prohibition process is performed so that the device cannot be used, that is, the energization of the motor and the fixing device 5 is prohibited by the engine control circuit 4. The printer is controlled so that it cannot operate as a printing device. This service call state is controlled as a state where the service call state is not released unless the printer is repaired and the printing apparatus becomes normal.

  Also, the maintenance call process is a process of displaying guidance to the user so as to request a check service because there is a problem in the apparatus by the display device. However, in this process, the motor and the fixing device 5 are controlled by the engine control circuit 4 so that the motor and the fixing device 5 can operate normally, so that the user can use the printing device in the same way as usual. Control that prohibits is not performed.

  In either of the call states, the main power shut-off operation of the printing apparatus can be performed manually, and the power of the printing apparatus can be turned off. However, in the service call state, even if the power is turned on again, the service call state is not canceled as described above.

  According to such a configuration, even when the power shut-off device 2 is out of order, if the operation purpose of the power shut-off device 2 is an application such as automatic device OFF by time setting, control is performed so that printing itself can be continued. On the other hand, if the power supply is cut off due to a fatal error such as a temperature control abnormality of the fixing device 5, even if an operation for turning the power switch back on is performed, the unprintable state is continuously maintained. It is something that can be done.

  Note that the present invention is not limited to the structure described in the above-described embodiment, and it goes without saying that the shape, structure, and the like of each part constituting the printing apparatus and the power shutoff apparatus can be appropriately modified and changed.

1 Power supply 2 Primary side power line shut-off device (relay, etc.)
3 AC plug 4 Engine control circuit 5 Fixing device 6 Thermistor 7 Print data processing / overall control circuit 8 Display / key input device

Claims (3)

In a printing apparatus including a power cutoff device that cuts off power input from outside the device and a control signal generation device that generates a control signal for driving the power cutoff device,
The control signal generating device generates a first control signal for driving the power shut-off device for the purpose of avoiding a fatal failure of the device, and the power shut-off device for the purpose of normal power shut-off of the printing device. And a function of generating a second control signal for driving
When the control signal generation device generates the first control signal in an abnormal state in which the power shut-off device cannot function, service man call control is performed, and the control signal generation device performs the second control signal. A printing apparatus comprising a notification control means for performing maintenance call control when generating The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the normal power-off is executed by an auto power-off control function that automatically shuts off the power at a preset time.
A printing apparatus characterized by that.   The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fatal failure of the apparatus is a temperature control failure of the heat fixing apparatus.

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