JP2019015921A - Image formation device and information output device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an image formation device and cartridge capable of extending the service life while suppressing the cost increase in the cartridge accommodating a photosensitive drum or cleaning blade, and provide an information output device.SOLUTION: A process cartridge includes a cleaning blade abutting on the surface of a photosensitive drum, and a memory tag storing information related to the cleaning blade. The image formation device includes: a plurality of mounting units capable of mounting a process cartridges; a memory tag reading unit capable of reading the information stored in the memory tags of the process cartridges mounted in the mounting units; and a control unit that, on the basis of the information read from the memory tags of the plurality of different process cartridges mounted in respective mounting units (step S4), selects a predetermined process cartridge from the plurality of mounted process cartridges (step S5 and S6), and outputs the information related to the selected process cartridge (step S8).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording material by an electrophotographic system, an electrostatic recording system, or the like, and an information output apparatus.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an electrophotographic image forming apparatus has been widely applied as a copying machine, a printer, a plotter, a facsimile, and a multifunction machine having a plurality of these functions. In this type of image forming apparatus, an apparatus that develops an electrostatic image formed on a photosensitive drum using a two-component developer mainly composed of a non-magnetic toner and a magnetic carrier is widely used. Even after the toner image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum is transferred to the transfer material or the intermediate transfer member, a part of the toner tends to remain on the surface of the photosensitive drum. Therefore, it is necessary to remove the toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum, and this removal is usually performed by a cleaning blade. As the cleaning blade, for example, a flat blade shape (plate shape) having a thickness of 1 mm or more and 3 mm or less and having a length in the direction along the rotation direction of the photosensitive drum on the surface facing the photosensitive drum longer than the thickness. Is used.

  The cleaning blade is attached to, for example, a metal holder, and is fixedly provided in a process cartridge that houses the photosensitive drum. The cleaning blade is usually arranged in pressure contact so that the edge portion at the tip is in contact with the photosensitive drum in the counter direction opposite to the rotation direction of the photosensitive drum. Further, as a material for the cleaning blade, polyurethane rubber, which is excellent in wear resistance, degree of permanent distortion, productivity, cost, and the like, is widely used.

  These photosensitive drums, cleaning blades, and the like are often housed in, for example, a process cartridge and are detachably attached to the apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus as a cartridge. By the way, while it is desired to extend the usable period of this type of cartridge, the cause of the replacement of the cartridge by the user is often due to the occurrence of image defects due to wear of the photosensitive drum. The abrasion of the photosensitive drum is mainly caused by rubbing between the photosensitive drum and the cleaning blade.

  For example, the pressure distribution of the contact pressure of the cleaning blade may be non-uniform in the longitudinal direction, which is the rotation axis direction of the photosensitive drum, due to the contact method of the cleaning blade, variations in component dimensions, assembly errors, and the like. . The frictional force between the photosensitive drum and the cleaning blade is high at the part where the contact pressure is the highest in the pressure distribution, and the amount of abrasion of the photosensitive drum increases at that part. Resulting in. As a result, image defects due to shaving unevenness occur, and image defects are likely to occur earlier than when the pressure distribution of the cleaning blade is uniform. In order to suppress the occurrence of such image defects, a cartridge has been developed that makes the pressure distribution of the cleaning blade uniform by setting the inclination angle of the cleaning blade to the photosensitive drum and the support position of the support member within a predetermined range. (See Patent Document 1).

JP, 2006-197191, A

  However, in the cartridge described in Patent Document 1 described above, a support member having a complicated structure must be used to support the cleaning blade, and high accuracy is required for positioning the cleaning blade. For this reason, there existed a subject that the increase in component costs, such as suppressing the processing cost of a supporting member and the component tolerance of each component, and the increase in assembly costs, such as introducing an adjustment mechanism at the time of an assembly, occurred.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus and an information output apparatus capable of extending the life while suppressing an increase in cost in a cartridge containing a photosensitive drum and a cleaning blade.

  An image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes an apparatus main body, a photosensitive drum for performing image formation, a cleaning blade that contacts the surface of the photosensitive drum, and a storage unit that stores information about the cleaning blade. A plurality of mounting portions formed in the apparatus main body and capable of mounting the cartridge; an information reading portion capable of reading information stored in the storage portion of the cartridge mounted on the mounting portion; and each mounting portion Selection output means for selecting a predetermined cartridge from the plurality of mounted cartridges based on information read from the storage section of the plurality of different cartridges mounted on the cartridge and outputting information on the selected cartridge; It is characterized by providing.

  The information output apparatus of the present invention includes a photosensitive drum for forming an image, a cleaning blade that contacts the surface of the photosensitive drum, and a storage unit that stores information about the cleaning blade. An information output device that outputs information relating to a cartridge that can be attached to the image forming apparatus to a terminal device, and the identification information for identifying the cartridge and the information relating to the cleaning blade are recorded in a database in association with each other. Acquiring means for acquiring a plurality of cartridge data, selection means for selecting predetermined cartridge data from the plurality of cartridge data based on information on the cleaning blade acquired by the acquiring means, and the selection The identification of the cartridge data selected by the means. And output means for outputting information to the terminal device, characterized in that it comprises a.

  According to the present invention, the cartridge is provided with a storage unit that stores information about the cleaning blade. The selection output means or the selection means and the output means select a predetermined cartridge from the plurality of mounted cartridges based on the information read from the storage section of the plurality of different cartridges mounted to each mounting section. , Output information about the selected cartridge. For this reason, the user who has acquired the output information can replace a plurality of cartridges mounted on the apparatus main body with suitable mounting portions, so that the life of each cartridge can be extended. become. Thereby, in the cartridge containing the photosensitive drum and the cleaning blade, it is possible to extend the service life while suppressing an increase in parts cost and assembly cost.

1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a control system of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic front view showing an operation unit of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal direction showing a schematic configuration of the cleaning blade of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. 6 is a graph showing the relationship between the contact pressure of the cleaning blade and the amount of abrasion of the photosensitive drum in the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a work procedure when a process cartridge is mounted in the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. 10 is a graph showing a relationship between an image ratio and a photosensitive drum scraping amount in an image forming apparatus according to a second embodiment. FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an image processing apparatus in an image forming apparatus according to a second embodiment. It is a system block diagram which shows the structure of the communication system in the communication system which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the control system of the host apparatus which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure when an optimum process cartridge is selected in a communication system according to a third embodiment.

<First Embodiment>
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. In this embodiment, a tandem type full-color printer is described as an example of the image forming apparatus 1. However, the present invention is not limited to the tandem type image forming apparatus 1, and may be an image forming apparatus of another type, and is not limited to a full color, and may be a monochrome or a mono color. Alternatively, the present invention can be implemented for various uses such as a printer, various printing machines, a copying machine, a FAX, and a multifunction machine.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 1 includes an apparatus main body 10, a sheet feeding unit (not shown), an image forming unit 40, a sheet discharge unit (not shown), a control unit 70, and an operation unit 11 ( 3). The image forming apparatus 1 can form a four-color full-color image on a recording material in response to an image signal from an unillustrated document reading device, a host device such as a personal computer, or an external device such as a digital camera or a smartphone. . Note that the sheet S as a recording material is formed with a toner image, and specific examples include plain paper, a synthetic resin sheet that is a substitute for plain paper, cardboard, and an overhead projector sheet. In this embodiment, negatively charged toner is used as the toner, and a magnetic carrier is used as the carrier.

  The image forming unit 40 can form an image on the sheet S fed from the sheet feeding unit based on the image information. The image forming unit 40 includes process cartridges 50y, 50m, 50c, and 50k, toner bottles 41y, 41m, 41c, and 41k, exposure devices 42y, 42m, 42c, and 42k, an intermediate transfer unit 44, and a secondary transfer unit 45. And a fixing unit 46. Note that the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment corresponds to full color, and the process cartridges 50y, 50m, 50c, and 50k are yellow (y), magenta (m), cyan (c), and black (k). These four colors are separately provided with the same configuration. For this reason, in FIG. 1, each component of four colors is shown with a color identifier after the same symbol, but in other figures and specifications, it may be described only with a symbol without adding a color identifier. is there.

  A process cartridge (cartridge) 50 includes a photosensitive drum 51, a charging roller 52, a developing device 20, a pre-exposure device 54, a cleaning blade 30, and a memory tag for forming an image that carries and moves a toner image. 55 (see FIG. 2). The process cartridge 50 is unitized as a unit and is configured to be detachable from the mounting portion 10a (see FIG. 2) of the apparatus main body 10. The image forming apparatus 1 includes a mounted process cartridge 50.

  In the present embodiment, a place where the process cartridges 50 for the four colors are mounted is called a station for each color. That is, the apparatus main body 10 has four stations corresponding to each color: a yellow station Yst, a magenta station Mst, a cyan station Cst, and a black station Kst. Each station Yst, Mst, Cst, Kst is formed with a mounting portion 10a, and a common process cartridge 50 can be mounted. That is, since the toner is not supplied to the unused process cartridge 50, it can be attached to any of the stations Yst, Mst, Cst, and Kst.

  The photosensitive drum 51 is rotatable and carries an electrostatic image used for image formation. The photosensitive drum 51 is formed by laminating an organic photoconductor layer (OPC) composed of an undercoat layer, a photocharge generation layer, and a charge transport layer, which are sequentially applied, on the outer peripheral surface of an aluminum cylinder having a diameter of 80 mm. It is configured. The photosensitive drum 51 is rotatably supported with respect to the process cartridge 50 at both ends by flanges, and is driven to rotate in the direction of the arrow by transmitting a driving force from a drive motor (not shown) to one end. .

  The charging roller 52 is, for example, a rubber roller that has a length of 320 mm, contacts the surface of the photosensitive drum 51, and rotates by being driven, and uniformly charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 51. A charging bias power source is connected to the charging roller 52. The charging bias power source applies a DC voltage as a charging bias to the charging roller 52 and charges the photosensitive drum 51 through the charging roller 52. The exposure device 42 is a laser scanner, and emits laser light according to the separated color image information output from the control unit 70.

  The developing device 20 develops the electrostatic image formed on the photosensitive drum 51 with toner by applying a developing bias. The developing device 20 has a developing sleeve 24. The developing device 20 stores a developer and develops the electrostatic image formed on the photosensitive drum 51. The developing sleeve 24 carries a developer having non-magnetic toner and a magnetic carrier and transports the developer to a developing area facing the photosensitive drum 51.

  The toner image developed on the photosensitive drum 51 is primarily transferred to the intermediate transfer unit 44. The surface of the photosensitive drum 51 after the primary transfer is neutralized by the pre-exposure device 54. The cleaning blade 30 is of a counter blade type and is in contact with the photosensitive drum 51 with a predetermined pressing force. After the primary transfer, the toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 51 without being transferred to the intermediate transfer unit 44 is removed and collected by the cleaning blade 30 provided in contact with the surface of the photosensitive drum 51 for the next image forming process. Prepare for. Information about the cleaning blade 30 is stored in a memory tag (storage unit) 55 (see FIG. 2). Details of the cleaning blade 30 and the memory tag 55 will be described later.

  The intermediate transfer unit 44 includes a plurality of rollers such as a driving roller 44a, a driven roller 44d, and primary transfer rollers 47y, 47m, 47c, and 47k, and an intermediate transfer belt 44b that is wound around these rollers and carries a toner image. I have. The primary transfer rollers 47y, 47m, 47c, and 47k are arranged to face the photosensitive drums 51y, 51m, 51c, and 51k, abut against the intermediate transfer belt 44b, and the toner image on the photosensitive drum 51 is primary to the intermediate transfer belt 44b. Transcript.

  The intermediate transfer belt 44b is in contact with the photosensitive drum 51 to form a primary transfer portion with the photosensitive drum 51, and a primary transfer bias is applied to transfer the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 51 to the primary transfer portion. First transfer. By applying a positive primary transfer bias to the intermediate transfer belt 44b by the primary transfer roller 47, the respective negative toner images on the photosensitive drum 51 are sequentially transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 44b.

  The secondary transfer unit 45 includes a secondary transfer inner roller 45a and a secondary transfer outer roller 45b. A full-color toner image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 44b is transferred onto the sheet S by applying a positive secondary transfer bias to the secondary transfer outer roller 45b. The secondary transfer outer roller 45b is in contact with the intermediate transfer belt 44b to form a secondary transfer portion 45 with the intermediate transfer belt 44b, and a secondary transfer bias is applied to the primary transfer belt 44b. The transferred toner image is secondarily transferred to the sheet S by the secondary transfer unit 45.

  The fixing unit 46 includes a fixing roller 46a and a pressure roller 46b. When the sheet S is nipped and conveyed between the fixing roller 46a and the pressure roller 46b, the toner image transferred to the sheet S is heated and pressurized and fixed to the sheet S. The sheet discharge unit feeds the sheet S conveyed from the discharge path after fixing, for example, discharges it from a discharge port and stacks it on a discharge tray.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 70 is configured by a computer. For example, the CPU 71, a ROM 72 that stores a program for controlling each unit, a RAM 73 that temporarily stores data, and an input / output that inputs and outputs signals to and from the outside. Circuit 74 (I / F). The CPU 71 is a microprocessor that controls the entire control of the image forming apparatus 1 and is the main body of the system controller. The CPU 71 is connected to the sheet feeding unit, the image forming unit 40, and the sheet discharging unit via the input / output circuit 74, and exchanges signals with each unit and controls the operation. The ROM 72 stores an image formation control sequence for forming an image on the sheet S, a program for displaying the replacement of the process cartridge 50 based on information stored in the memory tag 55, and the like.

  A memory tag reading unit (information reading unit) 75 and an operation unit 11 are connected to the control unit 70. The memory tag reading unit 75 can read information stored in the memory tag 55 of the process cartridge 50 attached to the attachment unit 10a. That is, the memory tag reading unit 75 reads information stored in the memory tag 55 by contacting or approaching the memory tag 55 when the process cartridge 50 is attached to the apparatus main body 10, and Can be sent. The memory tag 55 stores information regarding the cleaning blade 30. The information regarding the cleaning blade 30 is information regarding the pressure distribution of the contact pressure of the cleaning blade 30 against the photosensitive drum 51 with respect to the rotation axis direction of the photosensitive drum 51.

  The operation unit 11 is provided, for example, on the upper front side of the apparatus main body 10 and includes a display unit 12 and an input unit 13 as shown in FIG. The display unit 12 is a touch panel and can display information obtained from the control unit 70 and input information to the control unit 70. The display unit 12 displays, for example, the remaining amount of sheets S and the remaining amount of toner supplied to the apparatus main body 10, a warning message when these consumables run out, a station number 12a, a recommended cartridge number 12b, which will be described later, and the like. Displays information for operating the image forming apparatus 1. Further, the display unit 12 accepts user operation inputs such as the size and basis weight of the sheet S, image density adjustment, and setting of the number of output sheets. The input unit 13 includes, for example, a key for inputting start or stop of image formation, a numeric keypad (not shown) for inputting numbers, and the like.

  The operation unit 11 serving as a selection output unit reads information from the memory tags 55 of a plurality of different process cartridges 50 mounted on the mounting units 10a. Then, the operation unit 11 selects a process cartridge (predetermined cartridge) 50 suitable for replacement from among the plurality of mounted process cartridges 50 based on the read information, and outputs information on the selected process cartridge 50 To do.

  Next, an image forming operation in the image forming apparatus 1 configured as described above will be described with reference to FIG.

  When the image forming operation is started, first, the photosensitive drum 51 is rotated and the surface is charged by the charging roller 52. Then, laser light is emitted from the exposure device 42 to the photosensitive drum 51 based on the image information, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 51. When toner adheres to the electrostatic latent image, it is developed and visualized as a toner image, and is primarily transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 44b. After the primary transfer, the toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 51 without being transferred to the intermediate transfer unit 44 is removed by the cleaning blade 30.

  On the other hand, the sheet S is supplied in parallel with the toner image forming operation, and the sheet S is conveyed to the secondary transfer unit 45 via the conveyance path in synchronization with the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 44b. . The image is secondarily transferred from the intermediate transfer belt 44b to the sheet S, and the sheet S is conveyed to the fixing unit 46, where an unfixed toner image is heated and pressed to be fixed on the surface of the sheet S. Discharged from.

  Next, the cleaning blade 30 in the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment will be described in detail.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the cleaning blade 30 includes a blade body 31 and a metal support member 32 made of a sheet metal that supports the blade body 31. The cleaning blade 30 is provided parallel to the photosensitive drum 51 with the direction along the longitudinal direction of the photosensitive drum 51 as the longitudinal direction, and a support member 32 is fixedly supported by the process cartridge 50. The blade body 31 is pointed in the opposite direction to the rotation direction of the photosensitive drum 51 and is in contact with a predetermined angle at a constant pressure (see FIG. 1). The length of the cleaning blade 30 in the longitudinal direction is, for example, 340 mm. The cleaning blade 30 cleans the surface of the photosensitive drum 51 by removing residual toner that could not be transferred from the photosensitive drum 51 to the intermediate transfer belt 44b during the primary transfer process.

  The blade body 31 is a two-layer blade cleaning member having an edge portion 33 and a backup portion 34. The edge part 33 and the backup part 34 are each manufactured from a polyisocyanate compound and a polyfunctional active hydrogen compound. As the polyisocyanate compound that can be used in the present embodiment, it is preferable to use a prepolymer or a semi-prepolymer obtained by reacting a normal polyisocyanate with a polymer polyol that is a polyfunctional active hydrogen compound. The isocyanate group content (NCO%) of the prepolymer or semi-prepolymer is preferably 5 to 20% by mass in order to realize good elastic properties. In addition, isocyanate group content (NCO%) is the mass% of the isocyanate functional group (NCO, molecular weight is calculated as 42) contained in the prepolymer or semi prepolymer which is a raw material of a polyurethane resin.

  Specific examples of the polyisocyanate usually used for preparing a prepolymer, a semi-prepolymer, and the like include the following materials. That is, diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI), tolylene diisocyanate (TDI), naphthalene diisocyanate (NDI), hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) and the like. Moreover, the following materials can be mentioned as a specific example of the high molecular polyol which is an active hydrogen compound for preparing a prepolymer, a semi-prepolymer, and the like. That is, polyester polyol, polyether polyol, caprolactone ester polyol, polycarbonate ester polyol, silicone polyol and the like. These weight average molecular weights are usually preferably from 500 to 5,000.

  Specific examples of the crosslinking agent that can be used in the present embodiment include 1,4-butanediol, 1,6-hexanediol, ethylene glycol, trimethylolpropane, and the like. In addition, when making a polyisocyanate compound, a high molecular polyol, polyisocyanate, and a crosslinking agent react, the normal catalyst used for formation of a polyurethane resin may be added. Specific examples of such a catalyst include triethylenediamine.

  The method for molding the blade body 31 formed of the polyurethane resin in the present embodiment is as follows, for example. First, a polymer polyol, polyisocyanate, a crosslinking agent, a catalyst, and the like are mixed at once and cast into a mold to be molded. At that time, the blade body 31 made of polyurethane resin is formed directly on the support member 32, and the blade body 31 formed of polyurethane resin is cut at the tip in order to accurately produce the contact portion with the photosensitive drum 51. Produced.

  As a method of forming the polyurethane resin blade main body 31 in two layers of the edge portion 33 and the backup portion 34, a method of continuous molding using a rotating molding drum having grooves formed on the outer periphery is known. In this molding method, a known method can be used. For example, synthetic resin sheets having a width equal to or slightly larger than the width of the tape made of synthetic resin elastic rubber used for the blade body 31 are continuously manufactured. Then, the basic manufacturing method is a technique in which the long sheet is cut into a fixed size, joined to one side edge of the metal support member 32 and finished into the blade body 31.

  In this basic manufacturing method, a liquid material such as polyurethane is continuously cast from the vicinity of the apex into a forming groove while rotating a forming drum having a forming groove on the outer periphery about a horizontal axis. Then, polymerization is performed during the rotation of the molding drum, and the continuous molded product such as polyurethane formed into a long sheet is peeled off at a position before the casting position, taken out from the molding groove, and supplied to the subsequent process Is used. According to this, since a long sheet-like molded product is continuously produced, in a subsequent process, it is cut into a predetermined shape for individual blades, joined to a metal support member 32, and a series of operations is performed. It can be carried out continuously and there is no waste in operation and productivity is high.

  This continuous molding method uses a plurality of casting machines. By continuously supplying polyurethane resins having different compositions from the respective casting machines to the molding grooves of the molding drum, the cleaning blade 30 having two types of polyurethane resin layers in which the edge portion 33 is superimposed on the backup portion 34 is manufactured. When the casting ports are arranged at the front and rear of the molding groove of the continuously rotating molding drum, the polyurethane resin that has been cast later is coated on the polyurethane resin that has been previously cast and cured. Layer is formed. The position, width, and thickness of the edge portion 33 can be adjusted by the position of the polyurethane resin to be cast first, the supply amount, the composition and type of the synthetic resin, the rotational speed of the molding drum, and the like. The synthetic resin to be cast later is supplied in an amount necessary for filling the whole, and forms a layer of the backup unit 34. By using such a manufacturing method, the cleaning blade 30 having a layer structure can be manufactured.

  In the present embodiment, the thickness of the blade body 31 is 2 mm. The thickness of the edge portion 33 at this time is preferably 100 to 300 μm. Further, by using a material having a low rebound resilience for the edge portion 33, it is possible to prevent the external additive filming on the surface of the photosensitive drum 51 due to long-term use of the process cartridge 50, toner fusing, and the like. The effect of removing the deposits can be improved. The reason is that when the edge portion 33 of the cleaning blade 30 comes into contact with the above-mentioned deposit, the rebound resilience is low and the edge portion 33 is difficult to deform, thereby improving the deposit removal effect. It is. On the other hand, by using a material having a high rebound resilience for the backup portion 34, the blade's original elastic effect can be exhibited. For this reason, even if the contact state changes such as an increase in frictional force on the surface of the photosensitive drum 51 due to long-term use, the stable contact state can be maintained, and the chatter and squeal of the blades that tend to occur due to long-term use. It is possible to avoid adverse effects such as.

  Here, using the image forming apparatus 1 and the cleaning blade 30 described above, the relationship between the contact pressure of the cleaning blade 30 and the abrasion amount of the photosensitive drum 51 was obtained. First, the amount of abrasion of the photosensitive drum 51 was measured by installing the image forming apparatus 1 in a high-temperature and high-humidity environment of 30 ° C. and 80%, which is a condition for increasing the frictional force between the cleaning blade 30 and the photosensitive drum 51. The used image was a white image with a printing rate of 0%, and the toner was difficult to reach the cleaning blade 30. The number of printed sheets was 100,000, and the amount of abrasion of the photosensitive drum 51 after printing was measured. The amount of abrasion of the photosensitive drum 51 was measured by using an eddy current film thickness meter (EDY-5100) while being at the same measurement point as the pressure distribution measurement point of the cleaning blade 30.

  Further, the contact pressure of the cleaning blade 30 is measured at five points in the longitudinal direction of the cleaning blade 30, that is, at five locations divided by 65 mm from the front side F and the back side R of the cleaning blade 30 respectively. It was. The contact pressure of the cleaning blade 30 was measured using a measurement tool for measuring the contact pressure of the cleaning blade 30. Here, in order to confirm the pressure dependency of the cleaning blade 30, the load was applied to a biasing spring (not shown) that contacts the cleaning blade 30, and the total pressure was changed in two stages for verification. Here, a first biasing spring having a spring constant of 50 gf / cm and a second biasing spring having a spring constant of 75 gf / cm were used. As a result, it was found that in the case of the second biasing spring, the uneven distribution in the longitudinal direction of the contact pressure of the cleaning blade 30 tends to be large. This is because the spring pressure is increased to cause the cleaning blade 30 to bend, and this bending applies stress to the container holding the cleaning blade 30, thereby causing uneven distribution of the contact pressure in the longitudinal direction. It is to become. The image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment employs the second urging spring based on the results of the verification experiments performed using the first urging spring and the second urging spring.

  FIG. 5 shows the relationship between the contact pressure of the cleaning blade 30 and the amount of abrasion of the photosensitive drum 51 obtained by the measurement. As shown in FIG. 5, the contact pressure and the shaving amount of the photosensitive drum 51 are in a substantially proportional relationship. This is presumably because the frictional force increases as the contact pressure increases, and the photosensitive drum 51 is easily scraped.

  Incidentally, it is known that the amount of shaving of the photosensitive drum 51 varies depending on the station where the process cartridge 50 is mounted. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the four color stations of Yst, Mst, Cst, and Kst are arranged in order from the upstream side, and the process cartridge 50 is similarly mounted to each station. Can do. Therefore, the amount of abrasion of the photosensitive drum 51 at each station was measured using the image forming apparatus 1 and the cleaning blade 30 described above. The amount of abrasion of the photosensitive drum 51 was measured by installing the image forming apparatus 1 in a high-temperature and high-humidity environment of 30 ° C. and 80%, which is a condition for increasing the frictional force between the cleaning blade 30 and the photosensitive drum 51. The used image was a white image with a printing rate of 0%, and the toner was difficult to reach the cleaning blade 30. The number of printed sheets was 100,000, and the amount of abrasion of the photosensitive drum 51 after printing was measured. The amount of abrasion of the photosensitive drum 51 was measured by using an eddy current film thickness meter (EDY-5100) while being at the same measurement point as the pressure distribution measurement point of the cleaning blade 30.

  As a result, the amount of abrasion of the photosensitive drum 51 tends to be larger in the process cartridge 50 disposed downstream than the process cartridge 50 disposed upstream in the moving direction of the intermediate transfer belt 44b. This tendency is seen with good reproducibility, and the mechanism can be explained as follows.

  The carrier contained in the two-component developer is composed of resin fine particles having a particle size of about 30 to 40 μm and functions as a charge imparting agent. Since the charge polarity of the carrier is opposite to that of the toner, the carrier is not developed or transferred onto the photosensitive drum 51 during normal image formation. However, there are a few carriers that are weakly charged or have a reverse polarity. When the carrier is slightly developed on the photosensitive drum 51 together with the toner, a part of the carrier is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 44b at the primary transfer portion, or the other portion is not transferred to the cleaning blade 30 without being transferred at the primary transfer portion. To reach. When the carrier reaches the cleaning blade 30, the reached carrier is sandwiched between the edge portion 33 (see FIG. 4) and the photosensitive drum 51 and rubs against the photosensitive drum 51. Since the carrier has an irregular shape with a larger particle size and larger irregularities than the toner, if the carrier is sandwiched between the edge portions 33, the surface of the photosensitive drum 51 is easily scraped.

  On the other hand, the carrier transferred on the intermediate transfer belt 44b in the primary transfer portion is carried on the downstream transfer station as a result of adhering to the intermediate transfer belt 44b. In the primary transfer portion of the downstream station, there are a portion transferred again on the photosensitive drum 51 and a portion remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 44b without being transferred. Further, the carrier is also developed on the photosensitive drum 51 at the downstream station. For this reason, there are carriers on the photosensitive drum 51 of the downstream station that are transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 44b at the primary transfer portion and those that are transferred to the cleaning blade 30 without being transferred. That is, the amount of carrier conveyed by the intermediate transfer belt 44b increases cumulatively from the upstream station toward the downstream station, and the carrier conveyed from the primary transfer unit to the cleaning blade 30 also increases. As a result, there is a tendency that the amount of shaving of the photosensitive drum 51 increases as the station becomes downstream.

  Next, a configuration in which the pressure distribution information of the cleaning blade 30 provided in the process cartridge 50 is associated with the process cartridge 50 will be described with reference to FIG. In the present embodiment, a memory tag 55 is attached to the process cartridge 50. The memory tag 55 is a memory tag having a nonvolatile memory. When the process cartridge 50 is assembled, information on the pressure distribution of the cleaning blade 30, for example, the magnitude of the pressure distribution is measured, and the result is input and stored in a memory tag 55 attached to the process cartridge 50. For example, when a serviceman attaches the process cartridge 50 to the apparatus main body 10, the memory tag 55 is connected to the memory tag reading unit 75, and information regarding the pressure distribution of the cleaning blade 30 included in the process cartridge 50 is sent to the control unit 70. Entered.

  Based on the information read from the memory tag 55 and the positional relationship between the upstream side and the downstream side of each station, the control unit 70 selects a process cartridge 50 that is recommended to be mounted on each station. As this selection method, for example, a process cartridge 50 having a cleaning blade 30 with a smaller pressure distribution is recommended at a downstream station. The reason will be described later. Then, for each station, the selected process cartridge 50 is displayed on the display unit 12 of the operation unit 11 to notify the user or the like. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 70 displays a list of selection results on the display unit 12, with the station number 12a in the left column and the recommended cartridge number 12b in the right column as a process cartridge 50 such as C-1012. The individual number of is displayed. As a result, the individual number of the process cartridge 50 recommended to be mounted on each station can be displayed, and the user can be prompted to perform such mounting.

  A procedure for mounting the process cartridge 50 on the image forming apparatus 1 described above will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. For example, the service person starts the mounting operation at the installation location of the image forming apparatus 1 (step S1). First, the apparatus main body 10 is turned on (step S2), and four process cartridges 50 are taken out of the Y / M / C / K packing box and unpacked (step S3). The service person temporarily attaches the four process cartridges 50 to the four stations Yst, Mst, Cst, Kst in the apparatus body 10 in an appropriate order (step S4). As a result, information stored in each memory tag 55 of each process cartridge 50 temporarily mounted in each station Yst, Mst, Cst, Kst is read by the control unit 70.

Subsequently, the control unit 70 calculates the pressure correlation value α of each cleaning blade 30 based on the pressure distribution information of each cleaning blade 30 stored in each memory tag 55 (step S5). Here, n = 1 to 4 are assigned as serial numbers to the four process cartridges 50 inserted into the apparatus main body 10, and the respective maximum pressure values are obtained from the pressure distribution information of the four cleaning blades 30. For example, Pn (N = 1 to 4). The maximum value among the four maximum pressure values Pn is defined as Pmax. And the pressure correlation value (alpha) is computed by the following numerical formula.
α = Pmax / Pn (n = 1 to 4)

For example, in the example shown in Table 1, the serial number n of the process cartridge 50 of the individual number C-1044 temporarily attached to the yellow station Yst is 3, and the maximum pressure value P3 of the cleaning blade 30 is 130. The serial number n of the process cartridge 50 of the individual number C-1012 temporarily mounted on the magenta station Mst is 1, and the maximum pressure value P1 of the cleaning blade 30 is 105. The serial number n of the process cartridge 50 of the individual number C-1049 temporarily attached to the cyan station Cst is 4, and the maximum pressure value P4 of the cleaning blade 30 is 150. The serial number n of the process cartridge 50 of the individual number C-1036 temporarily attached to the black station Kst is 2, and the maximum pressure value P2 of the cleaning blade 30 is 110. Since the highest pressure value among the maximum pressure values P1 to P4 is P4, this is set to Pmax (= 150). Then, the pressure correlation value α is calculated for each process cartridge 50. The results are shown in Table 1.

  Here, as the station is further downstream, the amount of shaving of the photosensitive drum 51 is increased and the life is shortened. Therefore, it is preferable to mount the process cartridge 50 having a small pressure distribution of the cleaning blade 30. For this reason, it is most suitable for extending the life to install the process cartridge 50 having the pressure correlation value α of 1.3 in the black station Kst located on the most downstream side. Therefore, the control unit 70 selects the relationship between each process cartridge 50 and the recommended station so that the pressure correlation value α increases in the downstream station (step S6).

  Furthermore, the control unit 70 compares the relationship between the process cartridge 50, the temporary mounting station temporarily mounted at that time, and the recommended recommended station. Then, the control unit 70 determines whether or not the process cartridge 50 needs to be replaced from the temporary mounting station to the recommended station, that is, whether or not there is a replacement (step S7). If the controller 70 determines that the process cartridge 50 has been replaced, the controller 70 indicates the recommended process cartridge 50 for each station on the display unit 12 (step S8). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the display unit 12 shows a station number 12a and a recommended cartridge number 12b in association with each other.

  For example, when the display shown in FIG. 3 is displayed in correspondence with the calculation result of Table 1, the individual number C-1049 of α = 1.0 temporarily attached to the cyan station Cst is assigned to the yellow station Yst. It is recommended that the process cartridge 50 be mounted. It is recommended that the magenta station Mst be mounted with the process cartridge 50 having the individual number C-1044 with α = 1.1 temporarily mounted on the yellow station Yst. It is recommended that the cyan station Cst is mounted with the process cartridge 50 of the individual number C-1036 with α = 1.2 temporarily mounted on the black station Kst. The black station Kst is recommended to be mounted with the process cartridge 50 having the individual number C-1012 of α = 1.3 temporarily mounted on the magenta station Mst.

  The user sees the display on the display unit 12 and replaces the process cartridge 50 (step S9). Thereafter, the controller 70 determines that the state after replacement is optimal, and determines the mounting station for each process cartridge 50 at that time (step S10). In addition, even when the control unit 70 does not determine that the process cartridge 50 has been replaced, the controller 70 determines that the state is optimal and determines the mounting station of each process cartridge 50 at that time (step S10). The control unit 70 starts preparation for image formation (step S11) and executes image formation (step S12).

  As described above, according to the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the process cartridge 50 is provided with the memory tag 55 that stores pressure distribution information as information regarding the cleaning blade 30. Further, the control unit 70 as the selection output unit reads information from the memory tags 55 of a plurality of different process cartridges 50 mounted on the mounting units 10a. Based on the read information, the control unit 70 selects a predetermined process cartridge 50 from among the plurality of mounted process cartridges 50 and outputs information on the selected process cartridge 50. For example, in the present embodiment, the control unit 70 shows the recommended process cartridge 50 for each station on the display unit 12 in association with the station number 12a and the recommended cartridge number 12b. For this reason, the user who has acquired the output information can replace the plurality of process cartridges 50 mounted on the apparatus main body 10 with the appropriate mounting unit 10a, thereby extending the life of each process cartridge 50. Can be planned. Thereby, in the process cartridge 50 containing the photosensitive drum 51 and the cleaning blade 30, it is possible to extend the life while suppressing an increase in parts cost and assembly cost.

  That is, the control unit 70 calculates an optimal installation station and displays it on the display unit 12. Based on the displayed information, the service person pulls out the inserted process cartridge 50 and performs replacement work. By reading the pressure information of the cleaning blade 30 at the time of factory assembly, the apparatus main body 10 determines and displays the installation station that can extend the life most, thereby contributing to cost reduction such as a reduction in the number of replacements of service personnel. be able to. In this way, using the process cartridge 50 having the memory tag 55 that stores the contact pressure information of the cleaning blade 30, the control unit 70 performs automatic determination for long-life use and displays optimum installation information on the display unit. 12 is displayed. As a result, the process cartridge 50 can be used for as long as possible.

  In the present embodiment, the case where the memory tag 55 is used as a configuration for associating the pressure distribution information of the cleaning blade 30 with the process cartridge 50 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a code storing pressure distribution information of the cleaning blade 30 may be used. The code here is, for example, a one-dimensional code such as a barcode, or a two-dimensional code such as a QR code (registered trademark). In this case, a code is affixed to the process cartridge 50, for example, before the process cartridge 50 is inserted into the apparatus main body 10, the code is read by the document reading device, the host device, or the external device of the image forming apparatus 1. Input to the controller 70. Then, based on the read information, a pressure correlation value α is calculated, an optimal installation station is calculated, and displayed on the display unit 12. As described above, since it is not necessary to provide a dedicated information reading member such as the memory tag reading unit 75 by using the code, it is also applicable to the existing image forming apparatus 1 that does not have such an information reading member. And versatility can be improved. Further, the cleaning blade pressure distribution information may be directly written on the container of the process cartridge 50 without using a memory tag or a barcode.

<Second Embodiment>
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. In the present embodiment, the control unit 70 determines the amount of abrasion of the photosensitive drum 51 in consideration of the toner consumption amount in addition to the pressure distribution information of the cleaning blade 30, and based on the result, determines the amount of the process cartridge 50. Select the installation station that is most suitable for extending the service life. In this respect, the configuration is different from that of the first embodiment, but the other configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment, and therefore, the same reference numerals are used and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  In this embodiment, based on the pressure distribution information of the process cartridge 50 described in the first embodiment and the usage status by the user of the image forming apparatus 1 after installation, the process cartridge 50 is optimal for extending the life. Find the installation station. In other words, the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment depends on the toner consumption amount in addition to the pressure distribution of the cleaning blade 30 and the installation station with respect to the amount of abrasion of the photosensitive drum 51. However, the toner consumption amount here is not the total amount of toner consumed from the developing device 20 based on the image information, but the toner consumption amount in the longitudinal direction of the cleaning blade 30. That is, the control unit 70 serving as the selection output unit selects the process cartridge (predetermined cartridge) 50 optimized for the user usage status based on the information on the cleaning blade 30 and the information on the usage status of the apparatus main body 10. select. Further, the information on the usage status here is a toner consumption amount as information on the image ratio.

  The reason why the toner consumption amount in the longitudinal direction of the cleaning blade 30 affects the shaving amount of the photosensitive drum 51 will be described. In order to reduce the adhesion between toner particles, the toner reduces adhesion by attaching resin fine particles smaller than the toner particle size, called external additives, to the toner surface, and maintains a so-called free-flowing state with high fluidity. ing. As the toner consumption increases, the amount of the external additive adhering to the surface of the photosensitive drum 51 increases accordingly. The external additive attached to the toner is released from the toner at the edge portion 33 of the cleaning blade 30 and has a function of reducing the frictional force as a lubricant.

  For example, using the cleaning blade 30 of the present embodiment, the amount of abrasion of the photosensitive drum 51 when the toner consumption amount is changed at three types of contact pressures was measured. The result is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 7, at any contact pressure, the amount of abrasion of the photosensitive drum 51 decreased as the toner consumption increased. From the above, if the tendency of the toner consumption amount of the image forming apparatus 1 used by the user in the longitudinal direction corresponding to the pressure distribution information of the cleaning blade 30 can be grasped, the process cartridge 50 optimized for the use situation of the user is selected. It can be seen that it can be installed.

  Next, a method for calculating the toner consumption amount of the image forming apparatus 1 in the longitudinal direction of the cleaning blade 30 will be described in detail. First, the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes an image processing device 76 (see FIG. 2) connected to the control unit 70, and stores video count data of an output image in the image processing device 76. It can be accumulated sequentially in the means. The timing of video count extraction may be before the development process starts or after the development process ends. This video count data is image area ratio data for the output sheet, and is extracted by being divided into data in the longitudinal direction (rotation axis direction) of the developing sleeve 24.

  The division processing of the video count data in the longitudinal direction of the developing sleeve 24 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 8, the image processing device 76 takes all the image data of the input video signal for one column in the sheet width direction as signals having 256 levels of density from 00 to FF, respectively. Then, the image processing device 76 sorts all these image data into five sections A to E corresponding to the sections divided into five in the longitudinal direction of the developing sleeve 24. This selection is performed by decoding 2 bits in the upper part of the video signal by the decoder 76a. Thereafter, the data selection unit (not shown) selects the data by taking the logical product of the decoded data and the synchronization signal. The selected data is accumulated as video count data in an area corresponding to each of the counters A to E by the data accumulating unit 76b. In the present embodiment, the video count data accumulated in each of the counters A to E is calculated as a β value (see Table 2). For the video count data accumulated in each of the counters A to E, the consumed toner amount can be converted from the length of the sheet S in the traveling direction and the amount of toner on the photosensitive drum 51. That is, the β value is a value having a correlation with the toner consumption.

In the present embodiment, for example, video count data accumulated from when the process cartridge 50 used until the replacement time is mounted to when it is replaced is used. When the process cartridge 50 is replaced, the cumulative value of the video count data in each of the sections divided into five in the longitudinal direction is calculated as the β value from the accumulated video count data. Here, for example, in each station Yst, Mst, Cst, Kst, it is divided into five axial positions F, FC, C, CR, R from the front side F in the longitudinal direction toward the back side R. The β value is calculated as the cumulative value of the video count data for each segment. The results are shown in Table 2. Table 2 shows that the axial position with the lowest β value of each station Yst, Mst, Cst, Kst is the axial position with the lowest toner consumption among the stations Yst, Mst, Cst, Kst. .

Further, the minimum contact pressure and the axial position of the cleaning blade 30 of each process cartridge 50 are extracted based on the information read from the memory tag 55 of each process cartridge 50 temporarily mounted when the process cartridge 50 is replaced. An example of the result is shown in Table 3.

When the process cartridge 50 is to be replaced, the control unit 70 installs the process cartridge 50 so that the axial position of the minimum β value of each station matches the minimum contact pressure of each process cartridge 50 as much as possible. Select. For example, the examples of Table 2 and Table 3 described above will be described with reference to the circles in Table 4. The minimum β value of the yellow station Yst is in the axial position F, and the process cartridge 50 with the minimum contact pressure axial position F is C-1036. Therefore, the recommended cartridge for the yellow station Yst is C-1036. Since the axial position of the minimum β value of the magenta station Mst is CR and the process cartridge 50 whose axial position of the minimum contact pressure is CR is C-1044, the recommended cartridge for the magenta station Mst is C-1044. Since the minimum β value axial position of the cyan station Cst is C, and the process cartridge 50 having the minimum contact pressure axial position C is C-1049, the recommended cartridge for the cyan station Cst is C-1049. Since the black position Kst of the black station Kst is FC and the process cartridge 50 having the minimum contact pressure axial position FC is C-1012, the recommended cartridge for the black station Kst is C-1012.

  In the present embodiment, the axial position of the minimum β value of each station matches the minimum contact pressure of each process cartridge 50 without overlapping, but this may not always be the case. In this case, the recommended cartridge can be set in consideration of the numerical values of the minimum β value and the minimum contact pressure, other β values, contact pressure, and the like.

  As described above, also in the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the control unit 70 reads information from the memory tags 55 of the plurality of different process cartridges 50 attached to the attachment units 10a. Based on the read information, the control unit 70 selects a predetermined process cartridge 50 from among the plurality of mounted process cartridges 50 and outputs information on the selected process cartridge 50. For this reason, the user who has acquired the output information can replace the plurality of process cartridges 50 mounted on the apparatus main body 10 with the appropriate mounting unit 10a, thereby extending the life of each process cartridge 50. Can be planned.

  Further, according to the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the control unit 70 determines the amount of abrasion of the photosensitive drum 51 in consideration of the toner consumption amount in addition to the pressure distribution information of the cleaning blade 30, and An installation station for the process cartridge 50 is selected based on the result. Therefore, it is possible to select an installation station that is optimal for extending the life of each process cartridge 50 with higher accuracy.

<Third Embodiment>
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. This embodiment is different from the second embodiment in that the image forming apparatus 1 described above is applied to an information output system. However, since the other configuration is the same as that of the second embodiment, the same reference numerals are used and the detailed description is omitted. Note that the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is a monochromatic image forming apparatus 1 in which only one mounting portion 10a is built in the apparatus main body 10.

  In the present embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 9, information according to the present invention is provided to a communication system 100 including a host device 110 connected to the image forming apparatus 1 and a server device 130 connected to the host device 110. The case where an output device and a program are applied is shown. The host device (information output device) 110 includes a computer connected to the image forming apparatus 1 and includes a CPU, an HDD, and the like. The host device 110 and the server device 130 are connected by a network 120. The network 120 is connected to a terminal device 141 composed of a computer provided in the factory 140 of the process cartridge 50 and a terminal device 151 composed of a computer provided in the warehouse 150 of the process cartridge 50.

  In the communication system 100, information related to the pressure distribution of the cleaning blade 30 stored in the memory tag 55 of the process cartridge 50 manufactured at the factory 140 is transmitted from the terminal device 141 of the factory 140 to the server apparatus 130 via the network 120. . The server device 130 has various databases. In the database of the server device 130, for example, for the process cartridge 50 manufactured at the factory 140, identification information for identifying the process cartridge 50 and information regarding the cleaning blade 30 are recorded in association with each other. . The identification information here is an individual number of the process cartridge 50, for example.

  The manufactured process cartridge 50 is transported from the factory 140 to the warehouse 150 and stored therein. Stock information of the process cartridge 50 in the warehouse 150 is transmitted from the terminal device 151 of the warehouse 150 to the server device 130 via the network 120. The server device 130 records the inventory information transmitted from the terminal device 151 of the warehouse 150 in a database.

  The host device 110 outputs information regarding the process cartridge 50 that can be mounted on the mounting unit 10 a of the image forming apparatus 1 to the terminal devices 141 and 151. As shown in FIG. 10, the host device 110 includes a management control unit 111 that controls the entire apparatus, a cartridge data acquisition unit (acquisition unit) 112, a selection unit (selection unit) 113, and an output unit (output unit) 114. And a usage status acquisition unit (usage status acquisition means) 115. In addition, the host device 110 includes a display unit 116 and a communication unit 117. In addition, a program for operating these is stored in the HDD of the host device 110.

  The cartridge data acquisition unit 112 acquires a plurality of cartridge data recorded in the database of the server device 130. The usage status acquisition unit 115 acquires information on usage status in the image forming apparatus 1. The information on the usage status here is a toner consumption amount as information on the image ratio, for example, a toner consumption amount in the longitudinal direction of the cleaning blade 30 in the mounting portion 10a. The selection unit 113 selects process cartridge 50 data (predetermined cartridge data) suitable for extending the life from a plurality of cartridge data based on the information regarding the cleaning blade 30 acquired by the cartridge data acquisition unit 112. . In the present embodiment, the selection unit 113 selects the data of the process cartridge 50 suitable for extending the life based on the information on the cleaning blade 30 and the information on the usage status acquired by the usage status acquisition unit 115. .

  The output unit 114 outputs the identification information of the cartridge data selected by the selection unit 113 to the terminal devices 141 and 151. The display unit 116 is a liquid crystal display, for example, and can display acquired or selected cartridge data. The communication unit 117 is a network interface and is connected to the server device 130 and the terminal devices 141 and 151 via the network 120 to exchange various data.

  In the present embodiment, the computer-readable recording medium is an HDD, and the program is stored in the HDD. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The program may be recorded on any recording medium as long as it is a computer-readable recording medium. For example, a non-volatile memory or a recording disk may be used as a recording medium for supplying the program. As a specific example, a flexible disk, hard disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, CD-ROM, CD-R, magnetic tape, ROM, USB memory, or the like can be used as a recording medium.

  An information output method for selecting the process cartridge 50 suitable for the image forming apparatus 1 and outputting the information to the terminal apparatuses 141 and 151 in the host device 110 according to the present embodiment described above, in accordance with the flowchart shown in FIG. explain. The CPU of the host device 110 executes each process described below by reading the program from the HDD and executing it. First, the management control unit 111 acquires the toner consumption amount in the image forming apparatus 1 by the usage status acquisition unit 115 (step S21). However, as in the second embodiment, the toner consumption here is not the total amount of toner consumed from the developing device 20 based on the image information, but the toner consumption in the longitudinal direction of the cleaning blade 30. Further, the toner consumption calculation method is the same as that in the second embodiment, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

  Then, the management control unit 111 acquires a plurality of cartridge data recorded in the database of the server device 130 by the cartridge data acquisition unit 112 (step S22, acquisition step). Here, the management control unit 111 acquires the cartridge data of the process cartridge 50 in stock in the warehouse 150. The management control unit 111 compares the toner consumption amount in the longitudinal direction of the cleaning blade 30 of the image forming apparatus 1 obtained in step S21 with the plurality of cartridge data obtained in step S22 (step S23). Then, the management control unit 111 selects the optimum cartridge data by the selection unit 113 based on, for example, the degree to which the axial position of the minimum value of toner consumption matches the minimum contact pressure of each process cartridge. (Step S24, selection process). The management control unit 111 outputs the identification information of the cartridge data selected in step S24 to the terminal devices 141 and 151 and various terminal devices by the output unit 114 (step S25, output process).

  A service person who replaces the process cartridge 50 acquires the identification number of the process cartridge 50 to be newly mounted before arriving at the image forming apparatus 1 via the network 120 or the terminal device. Then, the service person can stop at the warehouse 150 to pick up and obtain the desired process cartridge 50 and go directly to the image forming apparatus 1. For this reason, the optimum process cartridge 50 can be obtained and replaced in a short time.

  As described above, also in the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the user who has acquired the output information replaces the plurality of process cartridges 50 mounted on the apparatus main body 10 with a suitable mounting unit 10a. be able to. For this reason, the lifetime of each process cartridge 50 can be increased.

  Further, according to the communication system 100 of the present embodiment, the process cartridge 50 located away from the image forming apparatus 1 can also be selected for optimization for extending the life, so that the replacement work can be performed efficiently. It can be performed. In particular, since the service person can stop at the warehouse 150 to acquire the desired process cartridge 50 and go directly to the image forming apparatus 1, the optimum process cartridge 50 can be acquired and replaced in a short time. .

  In the above-described image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the case of having one mounting portion 10a has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention can also be applied to the image forming apparatus 1 having a plurality of mounting portions 10a. it can. Further, there may be only one process cartridge 50 to be replaced instead of a plurality. In this case, there is a case where the one that matches the optimum pressure distribution information of the process cartridge 50 is not in stock at the time of replacement by a service person. In that case, by obtaining information on the user's image forming apparatus 1 in advance using server information or the like before replacement, the optimum process cartridge 50 is picked up from the inventory in the warehouse 150 before the service person goes to the site. It is also possible.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention supplies a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or apparatus via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in the computer of the system or apparatus read and execute the program This process can be realized. It can also be realized by a circuit (for example, ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Image forming apparatus, 10 ... Main body of apparatus, 10a ... Mounting part, 30 ... Cleaning blade, 50 ... Process cartridge (cartridge), 51, 51c, 51k, 51m, 51y ... Photosensitive drum, 55 ... Memory tag (storage part) , 70 ... control unit (selection output unit), 75 ... memory tag reading unit (information reading unit), 110 ... host device (information output unit), 112 ... cartridge data acquisition unit (acquisition unit), 113 ... selection unit (selection) Means), 114 ... output unit (output means), 115 ... usage status acquisition unit (use status acquisition means), 141 ... terminal device, 151 ... terminal device.

Claims (10)

The device body;
A cartridge having a photosensitive drum for forming an image, a cleaning blade in contact with the surface of the photosensitive drum, and a storage unit storing information about the cleaning blade;
A plurality of mounting portions formed in the apparatus main body and capable of mounting the cartridge;
An information reading unit capable of reading information stored in the storage unit of the cartridge mounted on the mounting unit;
Selection for selecting a predetermined cartridge from the plurality of mounted cartridges and outputting information on the selected cartridge based on information read from the storage unit of the plurality of different cartridges mounted on each mounting unit Output means,
An image forming apparatus. The information regarding the cleaning blade is information regarding the pressure distribution of the contact pressure of the cleaning blade with respect to the photosensitive drum with respect to the rotation axis direction of the photosensitive drum.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1. The selection output means selects the predetermined cartridge based on information on the cleaning blade and information on the usage status of the apparatus main body.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is an image forming apparatus. The information on the usage status is information on the image ratio.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 3. Information relating to a cartridge that has a photosensitive drum for forming an image, a cleaning blade that contacts the surface of the photosensitive drum, and a storage unit that stores information relating to the cleaning blade, and that can be mounted on a predetermined image forming apparatus Is an information output device for outputting to a terminal device,
An acquisition means for acquiring a plurality of cartridge data recorded in a database in association with identification information for identifying the cartridge and information regarding the cleaning blade;
Selection means for selecting predetermined cartridge data from the plurality of cartridge data based on information on the cleaning blade acquired by the acquisition means;
Output means for outputting the identification information of the cartridge data selected by the selection means to the terminal device,
An information output device characterized by that. Comprising a usage status acquisition means for acquiring information regarding usage status in the image forming apparatus;
The selection unit selects the predetermined cartridge data based on information on the cleaning blade and information on the usage status acquired by the usage status acquisition unit.
The information output device according to claim 5, wherein: The information on the usage status is information on the image ratio.
The information output device according to claim 6. Information relating to a cartridge that has a photosensitive drum for forming an image, a cleaning blade that contacts the surface of the photosensitive drum, and a storage unit that stores information relating to the cleaning blade, and that can be mounted on a predetermined image forming apparatus Is an information output method for outputting to a terminal device,
An acquisition step of acquiring a plurality of cartridge data recorded in a database in association with identification information for identifying the cartridge and information regarding the cleaning blade;
A selection step of selecting predetermined cartridge data from the plurality of cartridge data based on the information about the cleaning blade acquired by the acquisition step;
An output step of outputting the identification information of the cartridge data selected by the selection step to the terminal device,
An information output method characterized by that.   The program for making a computer perform each process of the information output method of Claim 8. A computer-readable recording medium on which the program according to claim 9 is recorded.

Images