JP2022062417A - Image formation apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide means which suppresses the occurrence of printing failure.SOLUTION: An image formation apparatus comprises: an environmental information detection unit which detects environmental information of the ambient environment of the image formation apparatus; a recording unit which records time information at the time when printing data is received and the environmental information of the ambient environment as environment history information; and a control unit which controls a printing operation of the image formation apparatus on the basis of the detection information of the environmental information detection unit. The printing data includes the first printing data and the second printing data following the first printing data. When the environmental information at the printing of the first printing data is a specific environment and a time interval from the reception of the first printing data to the reception of the second printing data is less than a prescribed value, the control unit controls the printing operation of the second printing data on the basis of the detection information of the environmental information detection unit at the printing of the first printing data.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that controls a printing operation according to environmental information of the surrounding environment.

The conventional image forming apparatus is equipped with a temperature / humidity sensor that detects the temperature and humidity around the apparatus, and switches parameters related to transfer and fixing, printing speed, paper spacing, etc. according to the detection result of the temperature of the external environment at the start of printing. Some were controlled (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-7685

However, in the conventional technique, as the miniaturization of the image forming apparatus progresses, the temperature / humidity sensor is affected by the temperature inside the apparatus and cannot correctly detect the external environmental temperature (for example, after the second time in a low temperature environment). In printing, the temperature detected by the temperature / humidity sensor becomes higher than the actual external environment temperature), the control to reduce the printing speed for low temperature measures is not performed, and printing defects (cold offset) occur due to low temperature. There is a problem that it will end up.

An object of the present invention is to solve such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to suppress the occurrence of printing defects.

Therefore, according to the present invention, in an image forming apparatus that prints a developer image according to print data received from a host device, an environment for detecting environmental information of the surrounding environment of the image forming apparatus provided in the image forming apparatus. The image is formed based on the information detection unit, the recording unit that records the time information when the print data is received, and the environment information of the surrounding environment as environment history information, and the detection information of the environment information detection unit. The print data includes a first print data and a second print data following the first print data, and has a control unit for controlling the print operation of the apparatus, and the first print When the environmental information at the time of data printing is a specific environment and the time interval from the time when the first print data is received to the time when the second print data is received is less than a predetermined value, the control unit may use the control unit. It is characterized in that the printing operation of the second print data is controlled based on the detection information of the environment information detection unit at the time of printing the first print data.

The present invention in this way has the effect of suppressing the occurrence of printing defects.

Schematic side sectional view showing the configuration of the image forming apparatus in the embodiment. A block diagram showing a control configuration of an image forming apparatus in an embodiment. A flowchart showing the flow of the print speed control process in the embodiment.

Hereinafter, examples of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic side sectional view showing a configuration of an image forming apparatus in an embodiment.

In FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 100 forms a toner image as a developer image on a medium according to print data received from a higher-level apparatus and prints the image, and is, for example, an electrophotographic printer. In this embodiment, the image forming apparatus 100 will be described as a color printer for forming an image of toners of four colors (K: black, Y: yellow, M: magenta, C: cyan) as a developer, but a single color. It may be a monochrome printer that forms an image of the toner of.

The image forming apparatus 100 includes a paper feed cassette 102, an image forming unit 111 (111K, 111Y, 111M, 111C), a transfer belt 114, a transfer roller 113 (113K, 113Y, 113M, 113C), and a fuser 116. It has an operation panel 125 and an external environment sensor 130.

The paper cassette 102 accommodates the print medium P as a medium. The print medium P stacked and accommodated in the paper cassette 102 is unwound by the hopping roller 103 and conveyed in the medium transport direction indicated by the arrow A in the drawing, and after the skew is corrected by the resist rollers 104 and 105, the print medium P is corrected. It is sent out to the transfer belt 114 at a predetermined timing.

The image forming unit 111 (111K, 111Y, 111M, 111C) is arranged to face the transfer belt 114 and forms a toner image on the surface of the photoconductor drum 106 (106K, 106Y, 106M, 106C) provided inside. Is.

The photoconductor drum 106 (106K, 106Y, 106M, 106C) is selectively exposed by an LED (Light Emitting Diode) head 112 (112K, 112Y, 112M, 112C) as an exposure means arranged to face each other and has an electrostatic latent image. An image is formed, and an electrostatic latent image is developed by toner of each color contained in a toner cartridge 122 (122K, 122Y, 122M, 122C) as a developing material accommodating portion to form a toner image.

The transfer belt 114 is an endless rotatable belt stretched on a belt drive roller 115 and a driven roller, and is provided with a transfer roller 113 (113K, 113Y, 113M, 113C). The transfer belt 114 conveys the print medium P to the image forming unit 111 (111K, 111Y, 111M, 111C), and the photosensitive drum 106 (106K, 106Y, 106M, 106C) by the transfer roller 113 (113K, 113Y, 113M, 113C). ) Is transferred to the print medium P.

The transfer roller 113 (113K, 113Y, 113M, 113C) is arranged to face the photoconductor drum 106 (106K, 106Y, 106M, 106C) via the transfer belt 114, and the transfer voltage is applied to the photoconductor drum 106. The toner image formed on the 106 (106K, 106Y, 106M, 106C) is transferred to the print medium P.

The fuser 116 is a fixing means for fixing the toner transferred to the print medium P by heating and pressurizing the print medium P to fuse the toner. The fuser 116 includes a fixing belt 117 and a backup roller 118, and is heated by applying electric power to a heater in the fixing belt 117.

The toner is heated and pressurized by the fuser 116, and the print medium P on which the toner is fixed is discharged to the outside of the apparatus through the discharge rollers 119 and 120.

The writing sensor 121 is a sensor that detects the presence or absence of the print medium P, and the detection signal is transmitted to the exposure timing of the LED head 112 (112K, 112Y, 112M, 112C) and the transfer roller 113 (113K, 113Y, 113M, 113C). It serves as a reference for the timing of applying a high voltage.

The EXIT sensor 123 is also a sensor that detects the presence or absence of the print medium P, and the detection signal serves as a reference for whether or not a series of image forming processes for the print medium P have been completed.

The operation panel 125 has a display as a display means for displaying various information, an operation key, a touch panel, and the like as an input means for receiving an input operation of an operator, and is provided on the front surface of the image forming apparatus 100. be.

The external environment sensor 130 as the environment information detection unit detects the environment information of the surrounding environment in which the image forming apparatus 100 is installed as an environment value (detection information). For example, the image forming apparatus in the vicinity of the operation panel 125. It is a sensor provided on the front surface of 100. The external environment sensor 130 of this embodiment is a temperature / humidity sensor that detects the temperature and humidity of the outside (ambient) of the image forming apparatus 100 as environmental information (environmental value). The external environment sensor 130 is not limited to the front surface of the image forming apparatus 100, and may be arranged on a side surface, an upper surface, or the like.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of the image forming apparatus in the embodiment.

In FIG. 2, the image forming apparatus 100 includes a print control unit 201, a medium conveying unit 202, an image forming unit 203, and a recording unit 209.

The print control unit 201 as a control unit includes a control means such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and has a medium transfer unit 202 and an image forming unit 203 based on a control program (software) stored in a storage unit such as a memory. It controls the operation of the entire image forming apparatus 100 including the printing operation performed at a predetermined printing speed.

Further, the print control unit 201 is provided with a time measuring means such as a clock.

The print control unit 201 performs communication control with an external device such as a host computer via a communication line, and receives a print job as print data requesting printing.

The medium transport unit 202 controls the position of the print medium and the transport speed of the print medium to transport the print medium, and has a print speed control unit 204 and a medium position management unit 208.

The print speed control unit 204 determines the print speed such as the transport speed and the fixing speed of the print medium based on the print setting information such as the type and size of the print medium and the environmental information around the image forming apparatus 100. be.

The print control unit 201 controls the medium transport unit 202 based on the print speed determined by the print speed control unit 204, and the resist rollers 104 and 105, the transfer belt 114, and the image forming unit 111 (111K, 111Y) shown in FIG. , 111M, 111C), the fixing device 116, the motors that drive the discharge rollers 119, 120, etc. are controlled to control the transfer speed of the print medium.

The print speed control unit 204 has a sensor detection value management unit 205 that manages environmental information around the image forming apparatus 100, and environmental information around the image forming apparatus 100 managed by the sensor detection value management unit 205 (external). The printing speed is determined based on the temperature and humidity of.

The sensor detection value management unit 205 manages the environmental information around the image forming apparatus 100 as normal temperature and humidity environment information, low temperature and low humidity environment information, or high temperature and high humidity environment information.

Here, in general, a normal temperature and humidity environment has a temperature of 23 ° C. and a humidity of 55%, a low temperature and low humidity environment has a temperature of 10 ° C. and a humidity of 20%, and a high temperature and high humidity environment has a temperature of 28 ° C. and a humidity of 80%. ..

In this embodiment, the temperature of the low temperature and low humidity environment is equal to or less than the intermediate value between the above-mentioned general normal temperature and normal humidity environment and the low temperature and low humidity environment in the environmental information managed by the sensor detection value management unit 205. It is defined as the case where the temperature is 5 ° C or lower and the humidity is 37.5% or lower.

In the printing speed control unit 204, when the environment information around the image forming apparatus 100 managed by the sensor detection value management unit 205 becomes the environment of low temperature and low humidity (hereinafter, simply referred to as “low temperature and low humidity”) of this embodiment. , The printing speed is slower than the printing speed in a normal temperature and humidity environment. In this case, the transfer speed of the print medium by the medium transfer unit 202 is low.

The sensor detection value management unit 205 is connected to the external environment sensor 130 shown in FIG. 1, and stores the detected value as a recording unit that holds the value (environmental value) detected by the external environment sensor 130 as environmental information (temperature / humidity information). It has a part 207.

The medium position management unit 208 manages the position of the medium from the medium position sensor arranged on the transport path, and is a medium monitoring sensor arranged on the medium transport path including the write-out sensor 121 and the EXIT sensor 123 shown in FIG. The position of the print medium is monitored by the detection signal of.

The image forming unit 203 controls the image forming unit 111 (111K, 111Y, 111M, 111C), the transfer roller 113 (113K, 113Y, 113M, 113C), the fixing device 116, etc. shown in FIG. 1, and is controlled by the medium conveying unit 202. An image is formed on a printed medium to be conveyed by using toner for printing.

The recording unit 209 has time (time) information when the print data is received and environmental information (temperature / humidity information) of the surrounding environment detected by the external environment sensor 130 shown in FIG. 1 and held in the detection value storage unit 207. It is recorded as environment history information in association with and is composed of a memory or the like.

The print control unit 201 records the time when the print job is received from the external device in the recording unit 209 as time information. Further, the above-mentioned detection value storage unit 207 is configured to be included in the recording unit 209.

The print control unit 201 of the image forming apparatus 100 configured in this way is the image forming apparatus 100 based on the environment value (detection information) detected by the external environment sensor 130 shown in FIG. 1 by the sensor detection value management unit 205. Control printing operation.

More specifically, the print control unit 201 receives the first print job and the second print job following the first print job, and the environment information at the time of printing the first print job is a specific environment. (In this embodiment, the environment is low temperature and low humidity), and the time interval from the reception of the first print job to the reception of the second print job is less than a predetermined value (30 minutes in this embodiment). The printing operation of the second printing job is controlled based on the detection information of the external environment sensor 130 shown in FIG. 1 at the time of printing the first printing job.

The operation of the above-mentioned configuration will be described.

First, the outline of the printing process performed by the image forming apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. The print process is performed based on the print process program stored in the memory or the like by the print control unit 201 of the image forming apparatus 100.

The print control unit 201 of the image forming apparatus 100 receives print data (print job) as a print command from an external device via a communication line. The print control unit 201 that has received the print data controls the paper feed motor by the medium transport unit 202, separates the print media P contained in the paper feed cassette 102 one by one by the hopping roller 103, and feeds the print media P. , A belt unit having a transfer belt 114 and an image forming unit 111 (111K,) having a photoconductor drum 106 (106K, 106Y, 106M, 106C) by the resist roller 105 at the same time as the image forming timing. 111Y, 111M, 111C).

At this time, the print control unit 201 controls the image forming unit 111 (111K, 111Y, 111M, 111C) and the belt motor by the image forming unit 203 to form a toner image. Further, the print control unit 201 controls the medium transport unit 202 and the image forming unit 203 to transport the print medium P at a predetermined printing speed.

First, the image forming unit 203 rotates the photoconductor drum 106K of the image forming unit 111K, and uniformly charges the surface of the photoconductor drum 106K with a charging roller. The image forming unit 203 selectively exposes the surface of the charged photoconductor drum 106K by the LED head 112K according to the print data to form an electrostatic latent image, and then uses a developing roller to perform the photoconductor drum 106K. Toner is supplied to the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface to develop it.

The image forming unit 203 controls the transfer voltage and the like of the transfer roller 113K to transfer the toner image developed on the surface of the photoconductor drum 106K to the printing medium P which is conveyed in the medium conveying direction indicated by the arrow A in FIG. do.

The print medium P on which the black toner image is transferred by the image forming unit and the belt unit is conveyed in the medium conveying direction, and yellow (Y) image forming is performed in the same development process as the black (K) image forming unit 111K. Toner images of yellow, magenta, and cyan are transferred by the unit 111Y, the magenta (M) image forming unit 111M, the cyan (C) image forming unit 111C, the transfer belt 114, and the transfer rollers 113Y, 113M, 113C. After all the toner images necessary for image formation have been transferred, they are transferred from the transfer belt 114 to the fuser 116.

The print control unit 201 controls the fuser 116 by the image forming unit 203 to fix the toner transferred to the print medium P by heat and pressure.

After that, the print control unit 201 controls the discharge rollers 119 and 120 by the medium transport unit 202 to transport the print medium P in the medium transport direction, discharges the print medium P to the discharge stacker outside the apparatus, and ends the main printing process.

Next, the print speed control process performed by the print control unit of the image forming apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 according to the step represented by S in the flowchart of the flowchart showing the flow of the print speed control process in the embodiment of FIG. do.

First, it is assumed that the power is turned on to the image forming apparatus 100, and when the power is turned on, the print control unit 201 shifts the process to S1 in order to wait for the reception of the print job requesting printing.

S1: The print control unit 201 of the image forming apparatus 100 waits for the reception of the print job from the external device.

S2: When the print control unit 201 receives a print job from the external device, the print control unit 201 records the time when the print job is received in the recording unit 209 as time information, and also records the print setting information specified in the print job in the medium transport unit 202. To send.

S3: Whether or not the received print job is the first print job after the power is turned on, or the print job 30 minutes or more after the previous environment value is saved in S6 described later. Is determined, and if it is determined that the print job is the first print job after the power is turned on or the print job 30 minutes or more after the previous environment value is saved, the process shifts to S4 and the first print job after the power is turned on. Or, it is not a print job 30 minutes or more after the previous environment value was saved, that is, it is not the first print job after the power is turned on and it is a print job less than 30 minutes after the previous environment value was saved in S6. If it is determined, the process is transferred to S8.

Here, the print jobs less than 30 minutes after the previous environment value was saved in S6 are the first print job by the print control unit 201, the second print job following the first print job, and the second print job. When the third print job following the print job is received, the second print received 30 minutes before the environment value is recorded in the detection value storage unit 207 when the print operation based on the first print job is performed. A print job.

Further, the print jobs after 30 minutes or more have elapsed since the previous environment value was saved in S6 are the first print job by the print control unit 201, the second print job following the first print job, and the print job thereof. When a third print job following the second print job is received, it is received 30 minutes or more after the environment value is recorded in the detection value storage unit 207 when the print operation based on the first print job is performed. Refers to the third print job.

In this way, the image forming apparatus 100 receives a plurality of print jobs and prints each of them according to the print job. It is assumed that the plurality of print jobs received by the image forming apparatus 100 include the above-mentioned first print job, second print job, third print job, and the like. However, what is included in the print job is not limited to the first print job, the second print job, and the third print job.

Further, the time when the environment value is recorded in the detected value storage unit 207 when the printing operation based on the first print job is performed is the time when the first print job recorded in the recording unit 209 is received.

The print control unit 201 compares the reception time of the first print job recorded in the recording unit 209 with the time when the second print job or the third print job is received, and saves the previous environment value 30. Determine if more than a minute has passed.

S4: The sensor detection value management unit 205 acquires the environmental information (environmental temperature / humidity information) detected from the external environmental sensor 130 that detects the temperature and humidity of the outside (ambient) of the image forming apparatus 100 as the environmental information (environmental value). do.

S5: The sensor detection value management unit 205 determines whether or not the acquired environmental information is a specific environment, that is, low-temperature and low-humidity environmental information, and if it is determined that the acquired environmental information is low-temperature and low-humidity environmental information, the process shifts to S6 and low-temperature and low-humidity. If it is determined that the information is not the environmental information of S7, the process is shifted to S7.

S6: When the sensor detection value management unit 205 determines that the environmental information is low temperature and low humidity environmental information, the sensor detection value management unit 205 stores the environmental information in the detection value storage unit 207. At this time, the print control unit 201 shall associate the print job reception time (time) information recorded in the recording unit 209 with the environment information stored in the detection value storage unit 207. Therefore, the time when the environmental information is recorded in the detection value storage unit 207 when the printing operation based on the first print job is performed can be the time when the first print job recorded in the recording unit 209 is received.

S7: The sensor detection value management unit 205 sends the environment information acquired from the external environment sensor 130 to the print speed control unit 204 in order to use the environment value being detected.

That is, the sensor detection value management unit 205 determines the acquired environmental information, and if it is not the low temperature and low humidity environment information, the sensor detection value management unit 205 sends the environmental information detected by the external environment sensor 130 as it is to the printing speed control unit 204, and the low temperature and low humidity environment. If it is information, the detected environmental information is stored in the detection value storage unit 207, and then the environmental information detected by the external environment sensor 130 is sent to the print speed control unit 204.

When the sensor detection value management unit 205 sends the environmental information to the print speed control unit 204, the process shifts to S9.

S8: On the other hand, in S3, the print control unit 201 is not the first print job after the power is turned on, or the print job 30 minutes or more after the previous environment value is saved, that is, the first print job after the power is turned on. If it is determined in S6 that the print job is less than 30 minutes after the previous environment value was saved (second print job described above), the sensor detection value management unit 205 uses the saved environment information (environment value). For use, the environment information stored in the detection value storage unit 207 is sent to the print speed control unit 204.

S9: The print speed control unit 204 sends the environment information acquired from the sensor detection value management unit 205 and the print speed information determined by using the print setting information specified in the print job to the print control unit 201.

The print control unit 201 starts the printing operation at the printing speed based on the acquired print speed information. The medium transfer unit 202 forms an image by the image forming unit 203 while grasping the position of the medium by the medium position management unit 208, executes printing, returns the process to S1, and waits for the next print job.

As described above, the print control unit 201 receives the first print job and the second print job succeeding the first print job, and the environment information at the time of printing the first print job is the specific environment (book). In the example, the environment is low temperature and low humidity), and when the time interval from the reception of the first print job to the reception of the second print job is less than a predetermined value (30 minutes in this embodiment), the first The printing operation of the second print job is controlled based on the detection information of the external environment sensor 130 shown in FIG. 1 at the time of printing the print job. This makes it possible to suppress the occurrence of printing defects.

At this time, the print control unit 201 conveys the print medium at a low speed by the medium transfer unit 202, and the image forming unit 203 forms a toner image on the print medium based on the second print job.

That is, the print control unit 201 holds the external environmental temperature / humidity detected by the external environment sensor 130 in the detected value storage unit 207 before the influence of the internal temperature rise of the image forming apparatus 100 occurs, and the internal temperature rises. By using the value stored in the detected value storage unit 207 instead of the detected value by the external environment sensor 130 during the period until the influence of the above disappears, appropriate printing speed control can be performed. Become.

More specifically, when a print request (second print job) is received within 30 minutes after printing (printing by the first print job) in a low temperature and low humidity environment, the environmental temperature at the time of the previous printing in the low temperature and low humidity environment. By printing using humidity, it is possible to avoid erroneous detection of ambient temperature and humidity due to an increase in the internal temperature of the image forming apparatus 100, and to correctly take measures against low temperature (cold offset). Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of printing defects.

In this embodiment, when a print request (second print job) is received within 30 minutes after printing (printing by the first print job) in a low temperature and low humidity environment regardless of the number of prints of the first print job, the previous time. I tried to print using the environmental temperature and humidity when printing in a low temperature and low humidity environment, but when the number of sheets printed by the first print job is less than the specified number (for example, less than 10 sheets such as 1 sheet) Since the internal temperature of the image forming apparatus 100 does not rise, the detection result detected last time is not used when printing by the next second printing job (the control of this embodiment is not performed), while printing by the first printing job. When the number of sheets to be printed is a predetermined number (for example, 10 sheets) or more, the internal temperature of the image forming apparatus 100 rises, so that the control of this embodiment may be performed.

As described above, in this embodiment, the effect of suppressing the occurrence of printing defects can be obtained.

In this embodiment, the image forming apparatus has been described as a printer, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a copying machine, a facsimile machine, a multifunction device (MFP), or the like may be used.

100 Image forming device 102 Paper feed cassette 104, 105 Resist roller 111 (111K, 111Y, 111M, 111C) Image forming unit 113 (113K, 113Y, 113M, 113C) Transfer roller 114 Transfer belt 116 Fixer 117 Fixing belt 118 Backup roller 119, 120 Discharge roller 130 External environment sensor 201 Print control unit 202 Media transfer unit 203 Image formation unit 204 Print speed control unit 205 Sensor detection value management unit 207 Detection value storage unit 208 Media position management unit 209 Recording unit

Claims (5)

In an image forming apparatus that prints a developer image according to print data received from a host device,
An environment information detection unit provided in the image forming apparatus for detecting environmental information of the surrounding environment of the image forming apparatus, and an environment information detecting unit.
A recording unit that records time information when the print data is received and environmental information of the surrounding environment as environmental history information.
A control unit that controls the printing operation of the image forming apparatus based on the detection information of the environment information detection unit, and a control unit.
Have,
The print data includes a first print data and a second print data following the first print data.
When the environment information at the time of printing the first print data is a specific environment, and the time interval from the time when the first print data is received to the time when the second print data is received is less than a predetermined value.
The control unit is an image forming apparatus that controls the printing operation of the second print data based on the detection information of the environment information detection unit at the time of printing the first print data. In the image forming apparatus according to claim 1,
The environmental information detection unit is an image forming apparatus characterized by being a sensor that detects temperature and humidity as environmental information. In the image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.
The specific environment is an image forming apparatus characterized by being a low temperature and low humidity environment. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
An image forming apparatus characterized in that when the number of sheets printed by the first print data is a predetermined number or more, the printing operation of the second print data is controlled. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
A medium transport unit that transports media and
An image forming unit that forms a developer image on the medium conveyed by the medium conveying unit, and an image forming unit.
Have more
The control unit is an image forming apparatus characterized in that a medium is conveyed at a low speed by the medium conveying unit and a developer image is formed on the medium by the image forming unit based on the second print data.

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