JP2024039827A - Image forming apparatus and information processing program - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To obtain an image forming device and an information processing program that can prevent damage to elements provided on a control board that controls a cooling unit that cools an image forming unit by using an existing cooling unit. [Solution] An image forming device 10 includes a drive unit 34C that drives a first cooling unit (printing unit cooling fan 80) that cools the image forming unit and a second cooling unit (controller fan 26) provided on a second control board (control board 50) that is separate from a first control board (printing board 70) that controls the first cooling unit when the device itself switches to a power saving state and when cooling an image forming unit provided on the device itself. [Selected Figure] Figure 4

Description

The present disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus and an information processing program.

There are the following technologies related to temperature control using a cooling section in an image forming apparatus.

Patent Document 1 discloses an image forming apparatus that aims to enable fan motor control that operates the fan motor only for the time required for cooling without increasing costs due to the addition of parts.

This image forming apparatus includes a cooling means for cooling the inside of the image forming apparatus, and a cooling control apparatus for controlling the operation of the cooling means, wherein the cooling control apparatus is configured to cool the inside of the image forming apparatus after the printing operation of the image forming apparatus is completed. , the operation of the cooling means is controlled according to the status of the printing operation and the status of the printer before starting the printing operation.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-145599

By the way, when the own apparatus switches to a power saving state including a stop state, and the image forming section including a developing machine, a fixing device, etc. provided in the own apparatus and the cooling section that cools the image forming section are controlled. The control board may be in a state of cooling. For example, this may occur when a relatively large amount of printing is being performed continuously right before switching to the power saving state, or when the temperature in the environment in which the image forming apparatus is used is relatively high.

Therefore, in this case, there is a technique in which the control board does not immediately stop driving the cooling unit, but performs temporary drive control in which the cooling unit is temporarily driven.

However, this technique has a problem in that in order to perform the temporary drive control, at least some of the elements provided on the control board become hot and may be damaged.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide an image forming apparatus and an information processing program that can use an existing cooling unit to prevent damage to elements provided on a control board that controls a cooling unit that cools an image forming unit. That's true.

To achieve the above object, an image forming apparatus according to a first aspect includes a processor, and the processor cools an image forming unit provided in the apparatus when the apparatus switches to a power saving state. a first cooling unit that cools the image forming unit; and a second cooling unit provided on a second control board that is separate from the first control board that controls the first cooling unit; to drive.

Further, in an image forming apparatus according to a second aspect, in the image forming apparatus according to the first aspect, the second cooling section is provided vertically above the object to be cooled by the first control board. be.

Further, in the image forming apparatus according to a third aspect, in the image forming apparatus according to the second aspect, both the first control board and the second control board are surrounded by a housing, and the first control board and the second control board are surrounded by a housing. A through hole is provided between each casing of the control board and the second control board.

Further, in the image forming apparatus according to a fourth aspect, in the image forming apparatus according to the first aspect, the processor controls the temperature of the first cooling unit and the The cooling period by at least one of the second cooling units is determined.

Further, in the image forming apparatus according to a fifth aspect, in the image forming apparatus according to the fourth aspect, the processor increases the cooling period as the temperature of the image forming section increases.

Further, in the image forming apparatus according to a sixth aspect, in the image forming apparatus according to the first aspect, the second cooling section includes a blower that performs air cooling, and the processor is configured to provide a quiet effect and power saving. The rotation speed of the blower of the second cooling section is set depending on which of the effects is more important.

Further, in the image forming apparatus according to a seventh aspect, in the image forming apparatus according to the sixth aspect, when the period targeted for cooling is a period in which noise is to be prevented, the processor , the rotational speed of the blower of the second cooling unit is reduced.

Further, in an image forming apparatus according to an eighth aspect, in the image forming apparatus according to the seventh aspect, the period during which it is desired to prevent the noise is at night.

Further, in the image forming apparatus according to a ninth aspect, in the image forming apparatus according to the first aspect, the processor cuts off power to the image forming section when a failure of the second cooling section is detected; , which indicates the failure.

Further, in the image forming apparatus according to a tenth aspect, in the image forming apparatus according to the ninth aspect, when a failure of the second cooling unit is detected when the own apparatus is switched to a stopped state, the The system shuts off the power to the image forming section and indicates the failure the next time the device is started.

Furthermore, in order to achieve the above object, the information processing program according to the eleventh aspect provides the information processing program that, when the own device switches to a power saving state and cools the image forming unit provided in the own device, the information processing program A process for driving a first cooling section that cools the forming section and a second cooling section that is provided on a second control board that is separate from the first control board that controls the first cooling section. Let the computer run it.

According to the first aspect and the eleventh aspect, not only the first cooling unit that cools the image forming unit but also the second control board that is separate from the first control board that controls the first cooling unit is provided. By also driving the second cooling unit, it is possible to use the existing cooling unit to prevent damage to the elements provided on the first control board that controls the cooling unit that cools the image forming unit.

According to the second aspect, the second cooling unit is provided on the first control board more effectively than when the second cooling unit is not provided vertically above the object to be cooled on the first control board. Damage to the element can be prevented.

According to the third aspect, damage to the elements provided on the first control board can be more effectively prevented than in the case where there is no through hole.

According to the fourth aspect, it is possible to more reliably prevent damage to the elements provided on the first control board, compared to the case where neither the internal temperature nor the image forming section temperature is used.

According to the fifth aspect, damage to the elements provided on the first control board can be more reliably prevented than in the case where the temperature of the image forming section is not used.

According to the sixth aspect, compared to a case where the rotational speed of the blower of the second cooling unit is constant, control can be performed that emphasizes either the quiet effect or the power saving effect.

According to the seventh aspect, compared to the case where the rotational speed of the blower of the second cooling unit is constant, it is possible to suppress the generation of noise during the period in which noise is desired to be prevented.

According to the eighth aspect, generation of noise at night can be suppressed.

According to the ninth aspect, damage to the elements provided on the first control board can be more reliably prevented than in the case where the power to the image forming section is not shut off and a failure notification is not provided. can.

According to the tenth aspect, the user can be made aware of the occurrence of a failure at the next startup.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of main parts of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment when viewed from the front; FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the effects of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a control board in an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of information processing concerning an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a front view showing an example of a failure presentation screen according to the embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

First, with reference to FIG. 1, the configuration of an image forming apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an image forming apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of functional modules provided in functional units for a plurality of functions of the image forming apparatus 10.

The image forming device 10 records an electrostatic latent image on a photoreceptor based on print data, develops the electrostatic latent image using monochrome toner or color toner, and transfers the developed image onto recording paper for output. A printed circuit board 70 for controlling is provided as a functional module. This printed board 70 corresponds to the first control board of the technology of the present disclosure.

The image forming apparatus 10 also includes a reading module 22 that reads a document and generates print data, and an operation panel module that includes an operation panel that displays operation buttons and various setting screens for instructing various processes of the image forming apparatus 10. 24 are provided as functional modules.

The image forming apparatus 10 also includes a controller fan 26 that cools a control board 50 (described later), an interface 28 that performs communication via a network, and a power control module 30 that supplies power to various parts within the apparatus. It is provided as a functional block. The controller fan 26 corresponds to the second cooling unit in the technology of the present disclosure. In this way, in this embodiment, the controller fan 26 is applied as the second cooling unit of the technology of the present disclosure, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, an element capable of electrically controlling temperature, such as a Peltier element, may be applied as the second cooling unit of the technology of the present disclosure. Further, in this embodiment, a controller fan 26 whose rotational speed can be set in multiple stages (in this embodiment, two stages) is used, but the controller fan 26 is not limited to this. For example, the controller fan 26 may be a blower for which only a single predetermined rotation speed can be set. Further, in this embodiment, a box fan is used as the controller fan 26, but it is needless to say that the controller fan 26 is not limited to this, and other types of blowers having a cooling effect may be used as the controller fan 26. stomach.

Note that the power supply control module 30 according to this embodiment is connected to a power switch 46 provided outside the device itself. The image forming apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment can switch between supplying driving power to each section and cutting off the supply by operating the power switch 46 by the user.

Furthermore, the image forming apparatus 10 is provided with a control board 50 as a functional module that controls each part of the image forming apparatus 10. This control board 50 corresponds to the second control board of the technology of the present disclosure.

The control board 50 according to the present embodiment includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) 32 that stores various programs and parameters including an information processing program 32A (see also FIG. 2), which will be described later, and a processor that executes the various programs. A CPU (Central Processing Unit) 34 is provided. Further, the control board 50 according to the present embodiment includes a RAM (Random Access Memory) 36 used as a work area etc. when the CPU 34 executes various programs, and an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 38 for storing print data. It is provided. Further, the control board 50 according to the present embodiment is provided with a module control section 40 that controls the printed circuit board 70, the reading module 22, the operation panel module 24, and the controller fan 26. Furthermore, the control board 50 according to this embodiment is provided with an interface control section 42 that controls communication via the interface 28, and a bus 44 that interconnects these sections.

Next, with reference to FIG. 2, the hardware configuration of the main parts of the image forming apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of main parts of the image forming apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment when viewed from the front.

As shown in FIG. 2, the image forming apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment is provided with a printed board 70 and a control board 50 inside the apparatus housing 12 so that their surfaces are aligned side by side. The printed circuit board 70 according to the present embodiment is provided inside a substantially rectangular parallelepiped-shaped casing 70A, and the control board 50 is also provided inside the substantially rectangular parallelepiped-shaped casing 50A.

In the image forming apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment, a printing unit cooling fan 80 is provided on the side surface of the apparatus housing 12 for cooling the image forming unit 60 including a fixing unit, a developing unit, a transfer unit, and the like. The printed circuit board 70 according to the present embodiment is provided with a module control section 72 that comprehensively controls the driving of the image forming section 60, including a printing section fan control section 72A that controls the driving of the printing section cooling fan 80. It is being The printing unit cooling fan 80 corresponds to the first cooling unit in the technology of the present disclosure. Note that in this embodiment, a blower that can only set a single rotational speed is used as the printing unit cooling fan 80, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the printing unit cooling fan 80 may be configured to have a rotational speed that can be set in multiple stages.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, the housing 70A and the housing 50A are provided adjacent to each other, and a through hole 90 is provided in each adjacent surface. Further, in this embodiment, the controller fan 26 described above is provided on the surface of the housing 50A on the front side in FIG. 2 from the position where various elements of the control board 50 are provided, and on the printed circuit board 70. It is provided above the module control section 72 in the vertical direction.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3 as an example, in the image forming apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment, in addition to the heat generated by each element provided on the control board 50, the controller fan 26 controls the printing section fan on the printing board 70. Heat generated by the portion 72A can also be radiated.

Next, with reference to FIG. 4, the functional configuration of the image forming apparatus 10 according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control board 50 in the image forming apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 4, the control board 50 includes a determining section 34A, a setting section 34B, a driving section 34C, and a cutoff presenting section 34D. By executing the information processing program 32A, the CPU 34 in the image forming apparatus 10 functions as a determining section 34A, a setting section 34B, a driving section 34C, and a cutoff presentation section 34D.

The drive unit 34C according to the present embodiment drives the printing unit cooling fan 80 that cools the image forming unit 60 when the own device switches to a power saving state and the image forming unit 60 needs to be cooled. . Further, in this case, the drive unit 34C drives the controller fan 26 provided on the control board 50 that is separate from the printing board 70 that controls the printing unit cooling fan 80. Note that the "power saving state" here includes, in a broad sense, not only a power saving mode but also a stop mode (so-called shutdown).

Further, the determining unit 34A determines whether or not at least one of the printing unit cooling fan 80 and the controller fan 26 ( In this embodiment, the cooling period is determined by both. In this manner, in this embodiment, the cooling period by each fan is determined according to the temperature of the image forming section 60, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the cooling period may be determined according to the overall temperature within the apparatus itself, or the cooling period may be determined depending on the overall temperature within the apparatus itself and the temperature of the image forming section 60. It is also possible to decide on the form. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, both the printing section cooling fan 80 and the controller fan 26 are targeted for the determined cooling period, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, only one of the printing unit cooling fan 80 and the controller fan 26 may be the fan targeted for the determined cooling period.

In the determination unit 34A according to the present embodiment, the cooling period is made longer as the temperature of the image forming unit 60 is higher. Here, although the determining unit 34A according to the present embodiment determines that the cooling period becomes steplessly longer as the temperature of the image forming unit 60 is higher, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the cooling period may be determined such that the cooling period becomes longer in stages as the temperature of the image forming unit 60 becomes higher.

Further, the setting unit 34B sets the rotation speed of the controller fan 26 depending on which of the quiet effect and the power saving effect is prioritized. In particular, in the setting unit 34B according to the present embodiment, when the period targeted for cooling is a period in which noise is to be prevented, the rotation speed of the controller fan 26 is reduced compared to other periods. Furthermore, the setting unit 34B according to the present embodiment uses nighttime as the period during which it is desired to prevent the above-mentioned noise.

On the other hand, when a failure of the controller fan 26 is detected, the shutdown presentation unit 34D shuts off the power to the image forming unit 60 and presents a notification to the effect of the failure. In this embodiment, the presentation by the cutoff presentation section 34D is presented by the display provided on the operation panel described above, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, presentation by audio using an audio reproduction device or presentation by printing from the image forming unit 60 may be applied as the presentation by the blocking presentation unit 34D.

In the image forming apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment, a temperature sensor (not shown) is provided near the image forming section 60 to detect the temperature of the image forming section 60. Then, the module control section 72 in the printed circuit board 70 determines the cooling period by the printing section cooling fan 80 and the controller fan 26, as described above, according to the temperature detected by the temperature sensor. Then, the module control unit 72 transmits information indicating the cooling period to the control board 50 together with instruction information instructing cooling by each fan. Upon receiving this instruction information, the CPU 34 provided in the control board 50 controls the printing unit cooling fan 80 and the controller fan 26 to rotate for a cooling period indicated by the information received together with the instruction information.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, the operation of the image forming apparatus 10 when performing information processing will be described as the operation of the image forming apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment. Information processing according to the present embodiment is carried out in a power saving mode when the image forming apparatus 10 is powered on and is waiting for execution of various processes such as image forming processing and image reading processing (standby state). When switching to , the CPU 34 executes the information processing program 32A. Here, in order to avoid confusion, a case will be described in which the user, administrator, or the like of the image forming apparatus 10 has previously set which of the quiet effect and the power saving effect is more important. Also, here, a case will be explained in which a waiting period (10 minutes as an example) is set in advance from the time when various processes such as image forming processing in the image forming apparatus 10 are last executed until the transition to the power saving mode. do.

In step 100 of FIG. 5, the CPU 34 waits until the above-mentioned standby period has elapsed from the time when various processes such as the image forming process were last executed, thereby waiting until a transition to the power saving mode is possible. . In step 102, the CPU 34 controls the power supply control module 30 to stop power supply to peripheral modules such as the printed circuit board 70, reading module 22, controller fan 26, and the image forming section 60.

In step 104, the CPU 34 determines whether or not the above-mentioned instruction information has been received from the printed circuit board 70 prior to stopping the power supply in step 102, thereby determining whether or not cooling within the own device is necessary. . Here, if the CPU 34 makes a negative determination, it ends this information processing, while if it makes an affirmative determination, it moves to step 106.

In step 106, the CPU 34 controls the power supply control module 30 to resume power supply to the printed circuit board 70, and then controls the printing section cooling fan 80 for the printing section fan control section 72A in the module control section 72 of the printed circuit board 70. instructs rotational drive. Upon receiving the instruction, the printing section fan control section 72A controls the printing section cooling fan 80 to rotate.

At step 108, the CPU 34 sets the rotation speed of the controller fan 26 as shown below.

First, the CPU 34 determines whether or not this time is a predetermined nighttime (in this embodiment, between 5:00 PM and 4:00 AM).

Next, the CPU 34 sets the rotation speed of the controller fan 26 to the low speed side if it is nighttime at this time and emphasis is placed on the silent effect. On the other hand, the CPU 34 sets the rotation speed of the controller fan 26 to the high speed side if it is nighttime and emphasis is placed on the power saving effect, or if it is not nighttime.

In this way, in this embodiment, the rotation speed of the controller fan 26 is set in consideration of both whether it is nighttime or not and the effect to be emphasized, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, the rotation speed of the controller fan 26 may be set in consideration of only one of whether it is nighttime or the effect to be emphasized. Further, in the present embodiment, the rotation speed of the controller fan 26 is set to the low speed side only when it is nighttime and the quiet effect is important, but this is not restrictive. For example, regardless of whether it is nighttime or not, if a quiet effect is important, the rotation speed of the controller fan 26 may be forcibly set to a low speed side.

In step 110, the CPU 34 controls the controller fan 26 to rotate via the module control section 40. In response, the controller fan 26 starts rotating at the rotational speed set by the process in step 108, but if the controller fan 26 is out of order, the rotation does not start.

Therefore, in step 112, the CPU 34 determines whether or not the controller fan 26 is out of order by determining whether or not the controller fan 26 is rotating, and if the determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step 114. do.

In step 114, the CPU 34 controls the operation panel module 24 to display a failure presentation screen having a predetermined configuration on the display section of the operation panel, and then proceeds to step 118. FIG. 6 shows an example of a failure presentation screen according to this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 6, on the failure presentation screen according to the present embodiment, a message indicating that the controller fan 26 is out of order and prompting a request for repair is displayed. Therefore, the user, administrator, etc. can easily understand that the controller fan 26 is out of order by referring to the failure presentation screen.

On the other hand, if the determination in step 112 is negative, that is, if the controller fan 26 is not out of order, the process moves to step 116. In step 116, the CPU 34 determines whether the cooling period indicated by the information received together with the instruction information described above has elapsed, and if the determination is negative, the process returns to step 112, whereas if the determination is affirmative, the process returns to step 112. 118.

In step 118, the CPU 34 instructs the printing section fan control section 72A in the module control section 72 of the printed circuit board 70 to stop the rotation of the printing section cooling fan 80, and then instructs the printing section fan control section 72A in the module control section 72 of the printed circuit board 70 to stop the power supply to the printed circuit board 70. The power supply control module 30 is controlled accordingly.

In step 120, the CPU 34 controls the controller fan 26 to stop rotating through the module control unit 40, and then ends this information processing.

Note that when returning from the power saving mode to the standby state after the execution of this information processing is finished, the CPU 34 controls the power supply control module 30 to supply power to each section so that various processes such as image forming processing can be executed. will be controlled.

Note that in the above embodiment, a case has been described in which the technology of the present disclosure is applied to a process of transitioning from a standby state to a power saving mode, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the technology of the present disclosure may be applied to processing for transitioning from a standby state to a stop mode (power off (shutdown) state by operating the power switch 46).

In this case, the process of transitioning from the standby state to the stop mode is substantially the same as the information processing described above. However, the difference is that after the process in step 120, the CPU 34 controls to stop power supply to each part, including the control board 50, except for the part to which power supply has been stopped in the process in step 102.

In this case, when a failure of the controller fan 26 is detected, the CPU 34 may turn off the power to the image forming unit 60 and may indicate the failure the next time the device is started. Thereby, the user, administrator, etc. can be made aware of the occurrence of a failure at the next startup.

Further, in the above embodiment, a case has been described in which night time is applied as the period during which noise is desired to be prevented, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, a mode may be adopted in which a break such as a lunch break is used as a period during which noise should be prevented.

Further, in the above embodiment, a case has been described in which the cooling period is determined in the printed circuit board 70, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the CPU 34 of the control board 50 may detect the temperature of the image forming section 60 and determine the cooling period.

Further, in the above embodiment, a case has been described in which the rotational drive of the printing section cooling fan 80 is controlled via the printing section fan control section 72A of the printing board 70, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the CPU 34 of the control board 50 may directly control the rotational drive of the printing unit cooling fan 80.

Further, in the above embodiment, a case has been described in which the cooling period by the controller fan 26 and the printing unit cooling fan 80 are the same, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, the controller fan 26 may have a longer cooling period than the printing section cooling fan 80, or the printing section cooling fan 80 may have a longer cooling period than the controller fan 26. For example, if the controller fan 26 has a longer cooling period than the printing section cooling fan 80, this is because you want to perform air cooling more reliably, and if the printing section cooling fan 80 has a longer cooling period than the controller fan 26. This is when you want to save more power.

Further, in the above embodiment, in the processing of step 116 of the information processing, a case has been described in which it is determined that the cooling is completed when the cooling period indicated by the information received together with the instruction information has elapsed. However, the present invention is not limited to this. isn't it. For example, it may be determined that cooling is completed when the temperature of the image forming unit 60 becomes equal to or less than a predetermined threshold.

Although the embodiments have been described above, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the range described in the above embodiments. Various changes or improvements can be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the gist of the invention, and forms with such changes or improvements are also included within the technical scope of the present invention.

Furthermore, the above embodiments do not limit the claimed invention, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential to the solution of the invention. . The embodiments described above include inventions at various stages, and various inventions can be extracted by combining a plurality of disclosed constituent features. Even if some constituent features are deleted from all the constituent features shown in the embodiments, as long as an effect can be obtained, the structure from which some constituent features are deleted can be extracted as an invention.

Furthermore, in the above embodiments, the processor refers to a processor in a broad sense, and includes a general-purpose processor (e.g., CPU, etc.) and a dedicated processor (e.g., GPU: Graphics Processing Unit, ASIC: Application Specific Integrated Circuit, FPGA: field programmable gate array, programmable logic device, etc.).

Further, in the above embodiments, a case has been described in which information processing is realized by a software configuration using a computer by executing a program, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, information processing may be implemented using a hardware configuration or a combination of a hardware configuration and a software configuration.

In addition, the configuration of the image forming apparatus 10 described in the above embodiment is an example, and unnecessary parts may be deleted or new parts may be added without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Needless to say.

Further, the flow of information processing described in the above embodiment is only an example, and unnecessary steps may be deleted, new steps may be added, or the processing order may be changed without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Needless to say, it's a good thing.

(Additional Note)
(((1)))
A processor is provided.
The processor,
When the device itself switches to a power saving state and when the image forming unit provided in the device itself is cooled, a first cooling unit that cools the image forming unit and a second cooling unit provided in a second control board separate from a first control board that controls the first cooling unit are driven.
Image forming device.
(((2)))
The second cooling unit is provided vertically above the cooling target of the first control board.
2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 .
(((3)))
the first control board and the second control board are both enclosed by a housing,
a through hole is provided between each housing of the first control board and the second control board;
The image forming apparatus according to ((2))).
(((4)))
The processor,
determining a cooling period by at least one of the first cooling unit and the second cooling unit in accordance with a temperature inside the image forming unit and/or a temperature inside the image forming unit;
2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a liquid crystal display.
(((5)))
The processor,
The cooling period is lengthened as the temperature of the image forming unit increases.
The image forming apparatus according to ((4)).
(((6)))
The second cooling unit includes a blower that performs air cooling,
The processor,
a rotation speed of the blower of the second cooling unit is set depending on whether noise reduction effect or power saving effect is to be prioritized.
2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a liquid crystal display.
(((7)))
The processor,
When the period to be cooled is a period in which noise prevention is desired, the rotation speed of the blower of the second cooling unit is reduced compared to other periods.
The image forming apparatus according to ((6))).
(((8)))
The period during which it is desired to prevent noise is nighttime.
2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
(((9)))
The processor,
when a failure of the second cooling unit is detected, a power supply to the image forming unit is cut off and a notification of the failure is given.
13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the image forming apparatus is a liquid crystal display.
(((10)))
The processor,
When the device itself is switched to a stopped state, if a failure of the second cooling unit is detected, the power supply to the image forming unit is cut off, and a notice of the failure is presented the next time the device itself is started.
2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,

According to the image forming apparatus according to ((1))), not only the first cooling unit that cools the image forming unit but also the second cooling unit that is separate from the first control board that controls the first cooling unit By also driving the second cooling unit installed on the control board, the existing cooling unit can be used to prevent damage to the elements installed on the first control board that controls the cooling unit that cools the image forming unit. can do.
According to the image forming apparatus according to ((2))), compared to the case where the second cooling unit is not provided vertically above the object to be cooled by the first control board, Damage to the elements provided on the first control board can be prevented.
According to the image forming apparatus according to ((3))), it is possible to more effectively prevent damage to the elements provided on the first control board than when there is no through hole.
According to the image forming apparatus according to ((4))), the elements provided on the first control board can be controlled more reliably than in the case where neither the internal temperature nor the temperature of the image forming section is used. damage can be prevented.
According to the image forming apparatus according to ((5))), damage to the elements provided on the first control board can be more reliably prevented than when the temperature of the image forming section is not used. I can do it.
According to the image forming apparatus according to ((6))), compared to a case where the rotational speed of the blower of the second cooling unit is constant, control is performed that emphasizes either the quiet effect or the power saving effect. be able to.
According to the image forming apparatus according to ((7))), the generation of noise can be suppressed during the period in which noise is to be prevented, compared to a case where the rotational speed of the blower of the second cooling section is constant. .
According to the image forming apparatus according to ((8))), generation of noise at night can be suppressed.
According to the image forming apparatus according to ((9))), the damage to the elements provided on the first control board is higher than in the case where the image forming unit is not powered off and the failure is not indicated. can be more reliably prevented.
According to the image forming apparatus according to ((10))), the user can be made aware of the occurrence of a failure at the next startup.

10 Image forming device 12 Device housing 22 Reading module 24 Operation panel module 26 Controller fan 28 Interface 30 Power control module 32 ROM
32A Information processing program 34 CPU
34A Determination section 34B Setting section 34C Drive section 34D Cutoff presentation section 36 RAM
38 HDD
40 Module control unit 42 Interface control unit 44 Bus 46 Power switch 50 Control board 50A Housing 60 Image forming unit 70 Printing board 70A Housing 72 Module control unit 72A Printing unit fan control unit 80 Printing unit cooling fan 90 Through hole

Claims (11)

Equipped with a processor,
The processor includes:
When the apparatus switches to a power saving state and cools an image forming section provided in the apparatus, a first cooling section that cools the image forming section; and a first cooling section that controls the first cooling section. a second cooling unit provided on a second control board separate from the first control board;
Image forming device. The second cooling unit is provided above the object to be cooled by the first control board in the vertical direction.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1. The first control board and the second control board are both surrounded by a housing,
A through hole is provided between each housing of the first control board and the second control board,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 2. The processor includes:
determining a cooling period by at least one of the first cooling unit and the second cooling unit depending on the temperature of at least one of the internal device and the image forming unit;
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1. The processor includes:
The cooling period is made longer as the temperature of the image forming section is higher;
The image forming apparatus according to claim 4. The second cooling unit is configured to include a blower that performs air cooling,
The processor includes:
Setting the rotation speed of the blower of the second cooling unit depending on which of the quiet effect and the power saving effect is prioritized;
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1. The processor includes:
If the period targeted for cooling is a period in which noise is to be prevented, the rotational speed of the blower of the second cooling unit is reduced compared to other periods;
The image forming apparatus according to claim 6. The period during which it is desired to prevent the noise is at night;
The image forming apparatus according to claim 7. The processor includes:
If a failure of the second cooling unit is detected, cutting off power to the image forming unit and presenting a notification to the effect of the failure;
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1. The processor includes:
If a failure of the second cooling unit is detected when the own apparatus switches to a stopped state, shutting off the power to the image forming unit and presenting the fact of the failure the next time the own apparatus starts up.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 9. When the apparatus switches to a power saving state and cools an image forming section provided in the apparatus, a first cooling section that cools the image forming section; and a first cooling section that controls the first cooling section. a second cooling unit provided on a second control board separate from the first control board;
An information processing program that causes a computer to perform processing.