JP2011186194A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus which simplifies the replacement operation of a recording material cartridge. <P>SOLUTION: The image forming apparatus 1 is equipped with: a cartridge attaching portion 70 having a drawing opening 71 for the recording material cartridge 80 and used for attaching the recording material cartridge 80 so as to be drawn; a cover 72 which can cover/close the drawing opening 71; a cover opening/closing drive means 73 for driving to open/close the cover 72; a cartridge driving means 74 for driving the recording material cartridge 80 attached to the cartridge attaching portion 70, in the direction D1 for drawing the recording material cartridge 80 from the drawing opening 71; and movement controlling means 10, 20, and 75 for exerting control such that when the recording material cartridge 80 attached to the cartridge attaching portion 70 is drawn, the cover 72 is opened by the cover opening/closing drive means 73, and the recording material cartridge 80 is moved in the drawing direction D1 by the cartridge driving means 74. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that forms an image using a recording material of a detachable recording material cartridge.

An image forming apparatus such as a laser printer forms an image on a recording medium such as printing paper using toner (recording material) filled in a detachable toner cartridge.
Patent Document 1 discloses an image forming apparatus in which the developer cartridge is locked when the cover is closed, and the developer cartridge and the replenishment port of the developer accommodating portion communicate with each other.
Patent Document 2 discloses an image forming apparatus that stops image formation when the output of a toner density sensor provided with a developing device is equal to or lower than a specific output.

  Patent Document 3 discloses a laser printer in which toner cartridges of a plurality of colors are held on a drum. When this laser printer detects the door opening of the toner cartridge door, it rotates the drum and moves the toner cartridge of the requested color upward.

JP-A-8-240976 JP-A-7-261528 JP-A-10-78740

A person who is not familiar with toner cartridge replacement for the first time needs to confirm the location of the toner box and how to remove the toner cartridge in advance, and the toner cartridge replacement work is troublesome.
The laser printer described in Patent Document 3 also requires the opening of the upper cover and the opening of the toner cartridge door when replacing the toner cartridge, and the toner cartridge replacement operation is troublesome.

  In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of simplifying the replacement work of a recording material cartridge.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an image forming apparatus for forming an image using a recording material of a recording material cartridge,
A cartridge mounting portion that has a drawer port for the recording material cartridge, and allows the recording material cartridge to be pulled out;
A cover capable of opening and closing the drawer opening;
Cover opening and closing drive means for opening and closing the cover;
Cartridge driving means for driving the recording material cartridge mounted in the cartridge mounting portion in a direction of pulling out from the drawer port;
And a movement control means for controlling to open the cover by the cover opening / closing driving means and to move the recording material cartridge in the pulling direction by the cartridge driving means when the recording material cartridge attached to the cartridge attachment portion is pulled out. It is characterized by.

  That is, when the recording material cartridge mounted on the cartridge mounting portion is pulled out, the cover opening / closing driving means opens the cover, and the cartridge driving means moves the recording material cartridge in the pulling direction. Since the cover is automatically opened and the recording material cartridge is pulled out from the outlet, the replacement operation of the recording material cartridge can be simplified.

  The recording material includes toner, ink, and the like. Accordingly, the recording material cartridge includes a toner cartridge, an ink cartridge, and the like.

The movement control means may perform control to close the cover by the cover opening / closing drive means when a recording material cartridge is attached to the cartridge attachment portion. Since the cover is automatically closed when a new recording material cartridge is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion, the replacement operation of the recording material cartridge can be further simplified.
The movement control means moves the recording material cartridge in a direction opposite to the pulling direction until the recording material cartridge is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion by the cartridge driving means when the recording material cartridge is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion. Control to close the cover may be performed by the cover opening / closing drive means. Since a new recording material cartridge is automatically mounted on the cartridge mounting portion and the cover is closed, the replacement operation of the recording material cartridge can be further simplified.

When the recording material cartridge loaded in the cartridge loading section is pulled out, an operation input for pulling out the recording material cartridge is accepted when it is detected that the recording material cartridge is not supplied in an amount necessary for image formation. Etc. are included. Here, the absence of the supply of the recording material in an amount necessary for image formation includes the supply of the recording material, but the supply of the recording material in an amount insufficient for the image formation, which is necessary for the image formation. The present invention is not limited to no supply of recording material.
When the movement control means has detection means for detecting that the recording material of the amount necessary for image formation is not supplied from the recording material cartridge mounted on the cartridge mounting portion, the movement control means includes the recording material cartridge. When it is detected that there is no supply of the recording material in an amount necessary for image formation, the cover is opened by the cover opening / closing drive means and the recording material cartridge is moved in the pull-out direction by the cartridge drive means. May be. When the recording material cartridge is not supplied from the recording material cartridge in an amount required for image formation, the cover is automatically opened and the recording material cartridge is pulled out, so that the recording material cartridge replacement operation can be further simplified.

  In a case where the movement control means has a drawer instruction receiving means for receiving an instruction input for pulling out the recording material cartridge attached to the cartridge mounting portion, the movement control means accepts an operation input for an instruction to pull out the recording material cartridge. Then, the cover may be opened by the cover opening / closing drive means and the recording material cartridge may be moved in the pull-out direction by the cartridge drive means. Since the recording material cartridge mounted on the cartridge mounting portion can be pulled out by operation input, maintenance of the recording material cartridge can be facilitated.

The recording material cartridge may be provided for each color of the recording material and attached to the cartridge mounting portion. In this case, the movement control unit may include a color instruction receiving unit that receives an operation input for instructing a color of the recording material cartridge to be pulled out of the recording material cartridges for each color, and is mounted on the cartridge mounting unit. There may be provided color-specific detection means for detecting for each recording material cartridge that there is no supply of recording material in an amount necessary for image formation from the recording material cartridge for each color.
When the movement control means has the color instruction receiving means, the movement control means opens the cover with the cover opening / closing driving means when the operation input for instructing the color is received, and the operation with the cartridge driving means. Control may be performed to move the recording material cartridge of the color for which input has been received in the pull-out direction. Since the recording material cartridge of the designated color can be pulled out of the recording material cartridges mounted on the cartridge mounting portion for each color, it is easy to replace the recording material cartridge of the image forming apparatus using the recording materials of a plurality of colors. be able to.

  When the movement control means includes the color-specific detection means, the movement control means uses the cover opening / closing drive means to cover the recording material cartridge for which it has been detected that the recording material is not supplied in an amount necessary for image formation. The recording material cartridge may be controlled to move in the pulling direction by opening the cartridge driving means. Of the recording material cartridges for each color, the recording material cartridge that does not supply the amount of recording material required for image formation is automatically opened and the recording material cartridge is pulled out, further simplifying the replacement of the recording material cartridge Can be made.

  The above-described invention can be applied to an image forming method including each process corresponding to each unit, a printing program for causing a computer to realize each function corresponding to each unit, a computer-readable medium storing the program, and the like. .

1A and 1B are diagrams for schematically illustrating an image forming apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1A illustrates a main part of the image forming apparatus 1 immediately before a toner cartridge 80 is pulled out, and FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the main part of the image forming apparatus 1 with the cover 72 open, and FIG. 8C is a diagram illustrating the main part of the image forming apparatus 1 with the toner cartridge 80 moved in the pull-out direction D1. . 2 is a diagram illustrating an outline of a print engine unit 40 of the image forming apparatus 1. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an outline of an electric circuit configuration of the image forming apparatus 1. FIG. (A) is a side view illustrating the toner cartridge 80, and (b) is a rear view showing the toner cartridge 80 as viewed from the A1 direction of (a). 6 is a flowchart illustrating a toner cartridge pull-out process performed by the image forming apparatus 1; 6 is a flowchart illustrating a toner cartridge pull-out process performed by the image forming apparatus 1; 4 is a flowchart illustrating a toner cartridge mounting process performed by the image forming apparatus 1; FIG. 4A is a diagram illustrating a main part of the image forming apparatus 1 immediately before the toner cartridge 80 is inserted, and FIG. 5B is a main part of the image forming apparatus 1 in a state where the toner cartridge 80 is inserted up to the cartridge mounting part 70. FIG. 6C is a diagram illustrating the main part of the image forming apparatus 1 with the cover 72 closed. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a toner cartridge mounting process performed by an image forming apparatus according to a modification. It is a figure for showing typically image forming device 1 concerning a modification. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a toner cartridge drawing process performed by an image forming apparatus according to a modification. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a toner cartridge drawing process performed by an image forming apparatus according to a modification. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a toner cartridge mounting process performed by an image forming apparatus according to a modification.

(1) Configuration of image forming apparatus:
First, an outline of an image forming apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS.
The image forming apparatus 1 includes a toner box (cartridge mounting portion) 70, a cover 72, a cover opening / closing drive unit 73, a cartridge drive unit 74, and movement control units 10, 20, and 75, and a toner cartridge (recording material cartridge) 80. An image I1 is formed using toner (recording material) 81. The toner cartridge 80 is a container filled with toner 81. The toner box 70 is a portion in which the toner cartridge 80 is stored in the image forming apparatus 1, and the toner cartridge 80 can be accessed when the cover 72 is opened.

The toner box 70 has a drawer port 71 for the toner cartridge 80, and the toner cartridge 80 is detachably mounted.
The cover 72 can open and close the drawer opening 71.
The cover opening / closing drive means 73 drives the cover 72 to open / close.
The cartridge driving means 74 drives the toner cartridge 80 mounted in the toner box 70 in the direction D1 to draw out from the drawer port 71.
When pulling out the toner cartridge 80 attached to the toner box 70 as shown in FIG. 1 (a), the movement control means 10, 20, 75 are covered by the cover opening / closing drive means 73 and the cover 72 as shown in FIG. 1 (b). As shown in FIG. 1C, the cartridge driving means 74 controls the toner cartridge 80 to move in the pull-out direction D1.

  When the toner cartridge 80 attached to the toner box 70 is pulled out, the cover opening / closing driving means 73 opens the cover 72, and the cartridge driving means 74 moves the toner cartridge 80 in the pulling direction D1. Since the cover 72 is automatically opened and the toner cartridge 80 is pulled out from the drawer port 71, the replacement work of the toner cartridge 80 can be simplified.

  The image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is a laser printer that is a page printer. Of course, the image forming apparatus may be an LED (light emitting diode) printer, an ink jet printer, a multifunction device with a scanner or a facsimile, a device integrated with a host device, or the like. The image forming apparatus 1 attaches toner to a printing medium M1 such as printing paper, and forms an image I1 according to a command included in print data described in a predetermined page description language. The image forming apparatus 1 includes units for executing printing.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, semiconductor memories 12 and 13, a storage device 14, an input / output (I / O) circuit 15, a communication interface (I / F) 18, and a timer. Circuits 19 and the like are connected to the bus so that information can be input and output with each other. An operation panel 20 and an engine control unit 50 are connected to the control unit 10. The CPU 11 controls the operation of the entire image forming apparatus according to a program written in a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12. The program causes the image forming apparatus 1 to realize a movement control function corresponding to the movement control unit. A RAM (Random Access Memory) 13 stores a print job received from the host device before command interpretation, bitmap image data after command interpretation, and the like. The storage device 14 stores a bitmap image data generation program, an image forming program that causes a computer to function as the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present invention, and the like. The I / O circuit 15 inputs and outputs data with the engine control unit 50, the cover drive control circuit 73b, the cartridge drive control circuit 74b, the toner sensor (detection means) 75, and the like. The communication I / F 18 can input / output information to / from the host device and receives a print job from the host device.

The operation panel 20 includes a display unit 21 for displaying various information such as the state of the image forming apparatus 1 and contents of operation input, and an operation unit 22 for receiving operation input from a user of the image forming apparatus 1. As the display unit 21, for example, a liquid crystal display can be used. For the operation unit 22, for example, a plurality of operation buttons including a toner replacement button can be used.
The bitmap image data stored in the RAM 13 is screen-processed by a screen processing unit (not shown) and sent to the print engine unit 40 by an engine management unit (not shown). The print engine unit 40 arranges toner dots on the print medium M1 according to the screen image data, and forms the print image I1 on the print medium M1.

The image forming apparatus 1 illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 includes a charging unit 42, an exposure unit 43, a primary transfer unit 45, an intermediate transfer body 46, and the like along the rotation direction of the photoconductor 41. The image forming apparatus includes a transfer unit 47, a fixing unit 48, an operation panel 20, and a control unit 10 that controls these units and the like to control the operation of the image forming apparatus 1.
The photoconductor 41 is rotationally driven according to the control of the photoconductor drive control circuit 51.

The charging unit 42 charges the photoconductor 41 according to the control of the charging unit drive control circuit 52.
The exposure unit 43 irradiates a laser according to the control of the exposure unit drive control circuit 53 to form a latent image on the charged photoconductor 41. The toner 81 from the toner cartridge 80 is supplied to the photoconductor 41, and a single color toner image corresponding to the latent image is formed on the surface of the photoconductor 41.
The primary transfer unit 45 is rotationally driven under the control of the primary transfer unit drive control circuit 55, and transfers the single color toner image formed on the photoconductor 41 to the intermediate transfer body 46. When the toner is transferred to the intermediate transfer body 46, a single color toner image is formed on the intermediate transfer body 46.

The secondary transfer unit 47 is rotationally driven in accordance with the control of the secondary transfer unit drive control circuit 57, and transfers the single-color toner image formed on the intermediate transfer body 46 to a print medium M1 such as paper, film, or cloth.
The fixing unit 48 is rotationally driven according to the control of the fixing unit drive control circuit 58, and fuses the single color toner image transferred onto the printing medium M1 to the printing medium M1 to form a permanent image. The fixing unit 48 is provided with a heater 48a, which energizes the heater 48a according to the control of the heater drive control circuit 58a.
As described above, the printing medium M1 accommodated in the paper feed tray 61 is transferred by the secondary transfer unit 47 while being transferred by the roller, and is heated and pressed by the fixing unit 48 to form the image I1. .

  As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the toner cartridge 80 according to the present embodiment supplies the toner 81 filled therein from the toner supply port 83 to the toner replenishment port 79. The toner 81 supplied to the toner replenishing port 79 is sent to the photoreceptor 41. Of course, the positions and shapes of the toner supply port 83 and the toner replenishment port 79 are not limited. In the toner cartridge 80, a groove 82 is formed on the lower surface along the pulling direction D1 shown in FIG. 1, and a driven gear 82a is formed on the upper surface corresponding to the bottom of the groove. The gear 82 a is configured to mesh with a cartridge driving gear 74 a in the toner box 70.

  As shown in FIG. 1, in the toner box 70, the toner cartridge 80 can be inserted in the insertion direction D2 from the outlet 71, and the toner cartridge 80 can be extracted in the extraction direction D1 from the outlet 71. The toner cartridge of this embodiment is configured to linearly slide in a pulling direction D1 and an inserting direction D2 opposite to the pulling direction D1. Of course, the direction in which the toner cartridge is pulled out and inserted may be along a curved path. A space larger than the toner cartridge 80 is formed in the toner box 70, and a cover opening / closing drive gear 73a and a cartridge drive gear 74a are provided.

  The cover 72 is provided so as to be rotatable with respect to the toner box 70 around the lower portion of the drawer port 71. Of course, the cover may be rotatable about the top, left side, or right side of the drawer opening. The cover 72 has a driven gear 72a centered on the rotation axis. The gear 72a meshes with a cover opening / closing drive gear 73a in the toner box 70.

  The cover opening / closing drive means 73 includes a cover opening / closing drive gear 73a and a cover drive control circuit 73b. The cover drive control circuit 73b has an actuator that rotationally drives the cover opening / closing drive gear 73a, and is connected to the control unit 10 as shown in FIG. The cover drive control circuit 73b drives the cover 72 to open and close by rotating the cover open / close drive gear 73a in accordance with a command from the control unit 10 and rotating the meshed driven gear 72a. The cover drive control circuit 73b has a lock mechanism for the cover opening / closing drive gear 73a, and locks the rotation of the gear 73a at the fully closed position shown in FIG. 1 (a) and the fully open position shown in FIG. 1 (b). It is possible.

  The cartridge drive means 74 includes a cartridge drive gear 74a and a cartridge drive control circuit 74b. The cartridge drive control circuit 74b has an actuator that rotationally drives the cartridge drive gear 74a, and is connected to the controller 10 as shown in FIG. The cartridge drive control circuit 74b drives the toner cartridge 80 having the meshed driven gear 82a in the drawing direction D1 and the insertion direction D2 by rotationally driving the cartridge driving gear 74a in accordance with a command from the control unit 10. The cartridge drive control circuit 74b has a lock mechanism for the cartridge drive gear 74a, and can lock the rotation of the gear 74a at the mounting position shown in FIG.

  The toner sensor 75 constituting the movement control means detects that the toner 81 of the amount necessary for image formation is not supplied from the toner cartridge 80 mounted in the toner box 70. As the toner sensor 75, a magnetic sensor or the like for detecting the toner 81 moving from the toner supply port 83 to the toner replenishment port 79 is used. For example, when the toner sensor 75 detects that the detected amount of the toner 81 is equal to or less than a predetermined amount, the control unit 10 determines that the toner 81 of the amount necessary for image formation is not supplied from the toner cartridge 80. be able to.

(2) Operation, action and effect of image forming apparatus:
The image forming apparatus 1 automatically performs a process of pulling out the toner cartridge 80 when the remaining amount of toner 81 is exhausted.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a toner cartridge pull-out process performed by the image forming apparatus 1 centering on the CPU 11 when there is no remaining toner. The image forming apparatus 1 that performs this processing constitutes a movement control unit together with the operation panel 20 and the toner sensor 75. This process starts when the power of the image forming apparatus 1 is turned on, and is performed in parallel with other processes by multitasking.
When the processing is started, the image forming apparatus 1 determines whether there is no remaining amount of toner 81, that is, whether there is no supply of toner 81 in an amount necessary for image formation from the toner cartridge 80 mounted in the toner box 70. (Step S102; hereinafter, description of “step” is omitted). For example, it may be determined whether or not the detection amount of the toner 81 by the toner sensor 75 is a predetermined amount or less. If it is determined that the remaining amount of toner 81 is present, that is, that the amount of toner 81 necessary for image formation is supplied from the toner cartridge 80, the determination process of S102 is repeated.

When it is determined that there is no remaining toner 81, that is, the amount of toner 81 necessary for image formation is not supplied from the toner cartridge 80, the image forming apparatus 1 displays a toner replacement message on the display unit 21 ( S104). Next, it is determined whether or not a toner replacement button provided on the operation unit 22 has been pressed (S106). If the toner replacement button has not been pressed, the determination process in S106 is repeated.
When the toner replacement button is pressed, the cover opening / closing drive gear 73a is unlocked as necessary, and the cover drive control circuit 73b drives the gear 73a to rotate clockwise in FIG. Is rotated counterclockwise from the fully closed position in FIG. 1 (a) to the fully open position in FIG. 1 (b) (S108). As a result, when it is detected that the toner 81 is not supplied in an amount necessary for image formation from the toner cartridge 80, that is, when the toner cartridge 80 is pulled out, the cover opening / closing drive means 73 opens the cover 72.

When the cover 72 is opened, the image forming apparatus 1 releases the lock of the toner cartridge 80, that is, the lock of the rotation of the cartridge driving gear 74a (S110).
The rotation of the gears 73a and 74a is locked by inserting a claw that can mesh with the gears 73a and 74a, stopping the rotation of the servo motors of the drive control circuits 73b and 74b, and meshing with the rotation shafts of the servo motors. This can be done by inserting a possible nail or the like. The rotation of the gears 73a and 74a is unlocked by pulling out the claws engaged with the gears 73a and 74a, rotating the servo motors of the drive control circuits 73b and 74b, and removing the claws engaged with the rotation shafts of the servo motors. It can be done by pulling out.

When the lock of the toner cartridge 80 is released, the image forming apparatus 1 drives the cartridge driving gear 74a to rotate counterclockwise in FIG. 1B by the cartridge drive control circuit 74b, thereby moving the toner cartridge 80 in FIG. ) From the mounting position to the pulling position in FIG. 1C in the pulling direction D1, and the toner cartridge 80 is discharged from the pulling port 71 (S112). As a result, when it is detected that the toner 81 of the amount necessary for image formation is not supplied from the toner cartridge 80, that is, when the toner cartridge 80 is pulled out, the cartridge driving means 74 opens the toner cartridge 80 after the cover 72 is opened. Moves in the pull-out direction D1.
When the toner cartridge 80 is pulled out, the toner cartridge pull-out process ends. This process is repeatedly executed.

As described above, when the toner cartridge 80 attached to the toner box 70 is pulled out, the cover 72 is automatically opened and the toner cartridge 80 is pulled out from the pull-out port 71. Therefore, the image forming apparatus 1 can simplify the replacement work of the toner cartridge 80.
Further, since the cover 72 is automatically opened and the toner cartridge 80 is pulled out when the amount of toner 81 necessary for image formation is not supplied from the toner cartridge 80, the replacement operation of the toner cartridge 80 is further simplified.

  The image forming apparatus 1 also performs a process of automatically pulling out the toner cartridge 80 by accepting a user operation input.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing toner cartridge pull-out processing at the time of operation input performed by the image forming apparatus 1 with the CPU 11 as the center. The image forming apparatus 1 that performs this processing constitutes a movement control unit together with the operation panel 20. Further, the control unit 10 that performs the process of S122 constitutes a drawer instruction receiving unit together with the operation panel 20. The toner cartridge drawing process starts when the power of the image forming apparatus 1 is turned on, and is performed in parallel with other processes by multitasking.
When the processing is started, the image forming apparatus 1 determines whether or not an operation input for instructing to pull out the toner cartridge 80 attached to the toner box 70 has been performed (S122). For example, it may be determined whether or not a toner replacement button provided on the operation unit 22 has been pressed. When the operation input for the drawer instruction is not accepted, the determination process in S122 is repeated.

  When the operation input for the withdrawal instruction is accepted, the image forming apparatus 1 performs the processing of S108 to S112 shown in FIG. 5 and ends the toner cartridge withdrawal processing. That is, when an operation input for instructing to pull out the toner cartridge 80 is received, the image forming apparatus 1 opens the cover 72 by the cover opening / closing drive means 73 (S108), unlocks the toner cartridge 80 (S110), and the cartridge. The toner cartridge 80 is moved in the pull-out direction D1 by the driving means 74 (S112). The toner cartridge drawing process is repeatedly executed.

  As described above, since the toner cartridge 80 attached to the toner box 70 can be pulled out by an operation input, maintenance of the toner cartridge 80 can be facilitated. Thereby, for example, a service person of the image forming apparatus 1 can easily maintain the toner cartridge 80.

  Further, the image forming apparatus 1 automatically closes the cover 72 when the toner cartridge 80 is inserted into the toner box 70.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a toner cartridge mounting process performed by the image forming apparatus 1 with the CPU 11 as the center. The image forming apparatus 1 that performs this processing constitutes a movement control unit. This process starts when the toner cartridge drawing process shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 ends, and is performed in parallel with other processes by multitasking.
When the processing is started, the image forming apparatus 1 determines whether or not the toner cartridge 80 is inserted into the toner box 70 up to the mounting position shown in FIG. 8B (S202). When the user inserts the toner cartridge 80 from the drawer port 71, the driven gear 82a of the toner cartridge and the cartridge driving gear 74a are engaged with each other as shown in FIGS. The cartridge driving gear 74a rotates clockwise until it is stored in the mounting position. Therefore, for example, the rotation angle of the servo motor that drives the gear 74a may be detected to determine whether or not the rotation angle at which the toner cartridge 80 becomes the mounting position has been reached. Of course, a sensor such as a position sensor for detecting that the toner cartridge 80 is in the mounting position is provided in the toner box 70, and it is determined whether or not the detection signal of this sensor is in a state indicating the mounting position of the toner cartridge 80. You may judge.

  When the toner cartridge 80 reaches the mounting position, the image forming apparatus 1 locks the toner cartridge 80, that is, locks the rotation of the cartridge driving gear 74a (S204). Then, the cover drive control circuit 73b rotates the cover opening / closing drive gear 73a counterclockwise in FIG. 8 (b), and the cover 72 is moved from the fully open position to the fully closed position in FIG. 8 (c) in FIG. 8 (b). The rotation of the cover opening / closing drive gear 73a is locked as required (S206). Thus, the cover 72 is closed by the cover opening / closing drive means 73 when the toner cartridge 80 is mounted in the toner box 70.

  As described above, since the cover 72 is automatically closed when a new toner cartridge 80 is installed in the toner box 70, the replacement operation of the toner cartridge 80 is further simplified.

(3) Modification:
The cover to which the present invention can be applied may be a slide-type cover that moves in the pull-out direction from the pull-out port of the cartridge mounting portion, opens in the insertion direction, and closes.
The cover opening / closing drive means to which the present invention is applicable may be a drive mechanism including a spring that biases the cover in the opening direction and a lock mechanism that locks the cover in the closed position. In the case of this drive mechanism, when the lock mechanism is unlocked, the cover is automatically opened by the biasing force of the spring.
The cartridge drive means to which the present invention can be applied may be a drive mechanism comprising a spring that urges the recording material cartridge in the pulling direction and a lock mechanism that locks the recording material cartridge at the mounting position. In the case of this drive mechanism, when the lock mechanism is unlocked, the recording material cartridge is automatically pulled out by the biasing force of the spring.
The order of the steps of the above-described processing can be changed as appropriate. For example, the toner box cover 72 may be opened in S108 after unlocking the toner cartridge 80 in S110 of FIGS.
The message display in S104 and the determination process in S106 are not performed in the toner cartridge drawing process of FIGS. 5 and 6, and the toner box cover 72 may be opened immediately when it is determined that there is no remaining toner 81.
The toner cartridge 80 only needs to be in a predetermined position at the time of mounting, and thus may not be locked at the time of mounting. Therefore, the processing of S110 of FIGS. 5 and 6 and S204 of FIG. 7 can be omitted.

  Further, the image forming apparatus may automatically mount the toner cartridge 80.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a toner cartridge mounting process performed by the image forming apparatus according to the modification. The image forming apparatus that performs this processing constitutes a movement control unit. This process starts when the toner cartridge drawing process shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 ends, and is performed in parallel with other processes by multitasking.
When the process is started, the image forming apparatus determines whether or not the insertion of the toner cartridge 80 is started (S222). As shown in FIG. 8A, when the user inserts the toner cartridge 80 into the drawer port 71, the driven gear 82a of the toner cartridge and the cartridge driving gear 74a are engaged with each other, and the cartridge driving gear 74a tries to rotate clockwise. To do. Therefore, for example, it may be determined whether or not the servo motor connected to the gear 74a has rotated clockwise. Of course, a sensor such as a position sensor for detecting that the toner cartridge 80 has reached a predetermined insertion start position where the gears 82a and 74a mesh with each other is provided in the toner box 70, and the detection signal of this sensor starts the insertion of the toner cartridge 80. It may be determined whether or not a state representing a position has been reached.

When the toner cartridge 80 reaches the insertion start position, the image forming apparatus rotates the cartridge driving gear 74a clockwise in FIG. 8A by the cartridge drive control circuit 74b, and the toner cartridge 80 is moved from the insertion start position to FIG. The insertion position is moved in the insertion direction D2 opposite to the pull-out direction D1 to the mounting position of (b) (S224). As a result, when the toner cartridge 80 is attached to the toner box 70, the cartridge driving means 74 moves in the insertion direction D <b> 2 until the toner cartridge 80 is attached to the toner box 70.
When the toner cartridge 80 is in the mounting position, the image forming apparatus performs the processing of S204 to S206 shown in FIG. 7 and ends the toner cartridge mounting processing. That is, the image forming apparatus 1 locks the toner cartridge 80 (S204), and closes the cover 72 by the cover opening / closing drive unit 73 (S206).

  As described above, since a new toner cartridge 80 is automatically mounted in the toner box 70 and the cover 72 is closed, the operation of replacing the toner cartridge 80 is further simplified.

  Furthermore, the toner cartridge may be provided for each toner color and attached to the toner box.

  FIG. 10 schematically shows a modified image forming apparatus 1 using a plurality of color toners. The image forming apparatus 1 includes a C toner cartridge 80c for supplying C (cyan) toner to the photoconductor 41, an M toner cartridge 80m for supplying M (magenta) toner to the photoconductor 41, and a Y (yellow) toner. A Y toner cartridge 80 y for supplying toner to the photoconductor 41 and a K toner cartridge 80 k for supplying K (black) toner to the photoconductor 41 can be mounted. The image forming apparatus 1 is provided with toner boxes (cartridge mounting portions) 70c, 70m, 70y, and 70k, covers 72c, 72m, 72y, and 72k, and cover drive control circuits 73c and 73m for each color of CMYK. 73y, 73k, cartridge drive control circuits 74c, 74m, 74y, 74k, and toner sensors (color-specific detection means) 75c, 75m, 75y, 75k. Of course, the number of recording material colors and the number of recording material cartridges may be two, three, or five or more.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the toner cartridge pull-out process at the time of operation input performed by the image forming apparatus 1. The image forming apparatus 1 that performs this processing constitutes a movement control unit together with the operation panel 20. In addition, the control unit 10 that performs the process of S <b> 302 constitutes a color instruction receiving unit together with the operation panel 20. The toner cartridge drawing process starts when the power of the image forming apparatus 1 is turned on, and is performed in parallel with other processes by multitasking.
When the processing is started, the image forming apparatus 1 determines whether or not an operation input for instructing the color of the toner cartridge 80 to be pulled out of the toner cartridges 80c, 80m, 80y, and 80k for each color is performed (S302). If an operation input for color instruction is not accepted, the determination process of S302 is repeated.

  When an operation input for color instruction is received, the image forming apparatus 1 opens the cover with the cover opening / closing drive unit 73 for the specified color, and pulls out the toner cartridge of the color for which the operation input is received with the cartridge drive unit 74 in the pulling direction D1. Move. When cyan is instructed, the image forming apparatus 1 fully opens the cover 72c of the C toner box 70c, unlocks the C toner box 70c, and drives the C toner box 70c in the pulling direction D1 (S312 to S316). . When magenta is instructed, the image forming apparatus 1 fully opens the cover 72m of the M toner box 70m, unlocks the M toner box 70m, and drives the M toner box 70m in the pull-out direction D1 (S322 to S326). . When yellow is instructed, the image forming apparatus 1 fully opens the cover 72y of the Y toner box 70y, unlocks the Y toner box 70y, and drives the Y toner box 70y in the pull-out direction D1 (S332 to S336). . When black is instructed, the image forming apparatus 1 fully opens the cover 72k of the K toner box 70k, unlocks the K toner box 70k, and drives the K toner box 70k in the pulling direction D1 (S342 to S346). .

  As described above, it is possible to pull out the designated color toner cartridge from the toner cartridges 80c, 80m, 80y, and 80k for each color mounted in the toner boxes 70c, 70m, 70y, and 70k. It is possible to facilitate replacement of the toner cartridge of the image forming apparatus 1 using the above.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 12, a process of automatically pulling out a toner cartridge having a color with no remaining toner may be performed. The image forming apparatus 1 that performs the toner cartridge drawing process constitutes a movement control unit. This process starts when the power of the image forming apparatus 1 is turned on, and is performed in parallel with other processes by multitasking.
When the processing is started, the image forming apparatus 1 checks whether or not the amount of toner necessary for image formation is supplied from the toner cartridges 80c, 80m, 80y, and 80k for each color mounted in the toner boxes 70c, 70m, 70y, and 70k. It is determined whether or not (S302). If it is determined that all the toner cartridges 80c, 80m, 80y, and 80k are supplied with an amount of toner necessary for image formation, the determination process in S302 is repeated.

  If it is determined that there is no remaining amount of C toner, the image forming apparatus 1 displays a C toner replacement message on the display unit 21 (S310), receives an operation input of C toner replacement (S311), and performs steps S312 to S316. Process. When determining that there is no remaining amount of M toner, the image forming apparatus 1 displays an M toner replacement message on the display unit 21 (S320), accepts an operation input for M toner replacement (S321), and performs steps S322 to S326. Process. When determining that there is no Y toner remaining, the image forming apparatus 1 displays a Y toner replacement message on the display unit 21 (S330), accepts an operation input for Y toner replacement (S331), and performs steps S332 to S336. Process. If it is determined that there is no remaining amount of K toner, the image forming apparatus 1 displays a K toner replacement message on the display unit 21 (S340), accepts an operation input for K toner replacement (S341), and performs steps S342 to S346. Process.

  As described above, among the toner cartridges 80c, 80m, 80y, and 80k for each color, the toner cartridge that does not supply the amount of toner necessary for image formation is automatically opened and the toner cartridge is pulled out. The cartridge replacement operation is further simplified.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 13, the toner cartridge may be automatically moved in the insertion direction D2 when the toner cartridge is mounted. The image forming apparatus 1 that performs the toner cartridge mounting process constitutes a movement control unit. This process starts when the toner cartridge drawing process shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 ends, and is performed in parallel with other processes by multitasking.
When the process is started, the image forming apparatus 1 determines whether or not to start inserting the toner cartridge (S402). When the insertion of the C toner cartridge 80c is started, the image forming apparatus 1 drives the C toner cartridge 80c in the insertion direction D2, locks the C toner cartridge 80c at the mounting position, and closes the cover 72c of the C toner box 70c ( S412-S416). When the insertion of the M toner cartridge 80m is started, the image forming apparatus 1 drives the M toner cartridge 80m in the insertion direction D2, locks the M toner cartridge 80m at the mounting position, and closes the cover 72m of the M toner box 70m ( S422-S426). When the insertion of the Y toner cartridge 80y is started, the image forming apparatus 1 drives the Y toner cartridge 80y in the insertion direction D2, locks the Y toner cartridge 80y at the mounting position, and closes the cover 72y of the Y toner box 70y ( S432 to S436). When the insertion of the K toner cartridge 80k is started, the image forming apparatus 1 drives the K toner cartridge 80k in the insertion direction D2, locks the K toner cartridge 80k at the mounting position, and closes the cover 72k of the K toner box 70k ( S442-S446).

  As described above, new toner cartridges 80c, 80m, 80y, and 80k are automatically attached to the toner boxes 70c, 70m, 70y, and 70k and the cover 72 is closed, so that the toner cartridges 80c, 80m, 80y, and 80k are replaced. Work is further simplified.

In addition, the above-described basic operations and effects can be obtained even by an apparatus, system, method, and program that do not have the configuration requirements according to the dependent claims but only include the configuration requirements according to the independent claims.
As described above, according to the present invention, the image forming apparatus, the image forming system having the image forming apparatus, the image forming method, and the image forming system capable of simplifying the replacement work of the recording material cartridge according to various aspects. Control method, image forming program, image forming system control program, computer-readable recording medium recording these programs, and the like can be provided.

  In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications, and the configurations disclosed in the above-described embodiments and modifications are mutually replaced or the combination is changed, the known technology, and the above-described configurations. Configurations in which the respective configurations disclosed in the embodiment and the modified examples are mutually replaced or combinations are changed are also included.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Image forming apparatus, 10 ... Control part, 20 ... Operation panel, 70, 70c, 70m, 70y, 70k ... Toner box (cartridge mounting part), 71 ... Drawer port, 72, 72c, 72m, 72y, 72k ... Cover ,
73 ... Cover opening / closing drive means, 73b, 73c, 73m, 73y, 73k ... Cover drive control circuit, 74 ... Cartridge drive means, 74b, 74c, 74m, 74y, 74k ... Cartridge drive control circuit, 75 ... Toner sensor (detection means) ), 75c, 75m, 75y, 75k... Toner sensor (color detection means), 80, 80c, 80m, 80y, 80k... Toner cartridge (recording material cartridge), D1.

Claims (7)

An image forming apparatus for forming an image using a recording material of a recording material cartridge,
A cartridge mounting portion that has a drawer port for the recording material cartridge, and allows the recording material cartridge to be pulled out;
A cover capable of opening and closing the drawer opening;
Cover opening and closing drive means for opening and closing the cover;
Cartridge driving means for driving the recording material cartridge mounted in the cartridge mounting portion in a direction of pulling out from the drawer port;
And a movement control means for controlling to open the cover by the cover opening / closing driving means and to move the recording material cartridge in the pulling direction by the cartridge driving means when the recording material cartridge attached to the cartridge attachment portion is pulled out. An image forming apparatus.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movement control unit controls the cover to be closed by the cover opening / closing drive unit when a recording material cartridge is mounted in the cartridge mounting unit.   The movement control means moves the cover in a direction opposite to the pulling direction until the recording material cartridge is mounted on the cartridge mounting section by the cartridge driving means when the recording material cartridge is mounted on the cartridge mounting section. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cover is closed by an opening / closing driving unit.   The movement control means has detection means for detecting that there is no supply of recording material in an amount necessary for image formation from the recording material cartridge mounted on the cartridge mounting portion, and is necessary for image formation from the recording material cartridge. When it is detected that a recording material of a sufficient amount is not supplied, the cover is opened by the cover opening / closing drive means, and the recording material cartridge is moved in the pull-out direction by the cartridge drive means. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.   The movement control means includes a drawer instruction receiving means for receiving an operation input for instructing to pull out the recording material cartridge mounted on the cartridge mounting portion, and when the operation input for instructing to pull out the recording material cartridge is received, 5. The image formation according to claim 1, wherein the cover is opened by a cover opening / closing drive unit, and the recording material cartridge is controlled to move in the pull-out direction by the cartridge drive unit. apparatus. The recording material cartridge is provided for each color of the recording material and is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion.
The movement control means includes color instruction receiving means for receiving an operation input for instructing a color of a recording material cartridge to be pulled out of the recording material cartridges for each color, and when the operation input for instructing the color is received, 6. The control according to claim 1, wherein the cover is opened by a cover opening / closing drive means, and the recording material cartridge of a color for which the operation input is received by the cartridge drive means is moved in the pull-out direction. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1. The recording material cartridge is provided for each color of the recording material and is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion.
The movement control means has color-specific detection means for detecting for each recording material cartridge that there is no supply of recording material in an amount necessary for image formation from the recording material cartridge for each color mounted in the cartridge mounting portion. Then, for the recording material cartridge in which it is detected that the recording material of the amount necessary for image formation is not supplied, the cover opening / closing driving means opens the cover, and the cartridge driving means moves the recording material cartridge in the pull-out direction. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein control is performed.

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