JP2685992B2 - Electrophotographic device parts maintenance time warning device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a component maintenance time warning device for an electrophotographic apparatus, which is capable of determining the life of a photosensitive member and other components based on the number of printed sheets.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An electrophotographic apparatus is provided with a photoconductor, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photoconductor, and the electrostatic latent image is developed and transferred to a paper to print an image on the paper. When the photoconductor deteriorates, the printing becomes unclear.
As described in Japanese Patent No. 5468, the number of printed sheets is stored as information regarding the life of the photoconductor, and when the number of printed sheets reaches a limit number corresponding to the life of the photoconductor, a warning is issued to the user. There is. Due to this warning, the photoconductor is replaced together with the photoconductor life counting unit. On the other hand, other parts such as the charging charger, the developing device, the transfer charger, and the charge removing charger naturally have a life, but these parts are generally longer than the life of the photoconductor. A mechanical counter is used to count the maintenance frequency of these parts based on the number of printed sheets.

[0003]

In the conventional electrophotographic apparatus as described above, the life of the photoconductor can be automatically controlled by the photoconductor life counting means. Regarding the service life, the user must voluntarily manage it while understanding the relationship between the total number of printed sheets and the service life of parts, and the user's burden is heavy. Moreover, the value of the counter may be overlooked, and there is a problem that a failure due to the life is likely to occur.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, there is provided a photoconductor life counting section which stores a count value of the number of printed sheets and is replaced together with the photoconductor when the count value reaches a limit number of sheets, and the photoconductor life counting section. Detecting means for detecting a state in which the number of printed sheets has reached a specified number within a range not more than the limit number, a rewritable photoreceptor exchange count storage section for storing the number of exchanges of the photoreceptor, and the detecting means. The number of exchanges counting means for updating the stored value of the photosensitive body exchange number storage unit each time the photosensitive body is exchanged on the condition of the detection operation by, and the stored value of the photosensitive body exchange number storage unit of a component other than the photosensitive body. It is composed of a replacement count comparing means for comparing with a limit count corresponding to the life and a warning means for outputting the result of the replacement count comparing means.

[0005]

With such a structure, the timing for exchanging the photoconductor with the photoconductor life counting unit is determined based on the counting result of the photoconductor life counting unit. Then, every time this replacement operation is performed, the value stored in the photoconductor replacement number storage unit is updated by the replacement number counting unit, and when the updated stored value reaches the limit number, the warning unit issues a warning. It is possible to automatically know the maintenance time of other parts. Further, when the photoconductor life counting unit is replaced, the photoconductor replacement count is stored only when it is determined by the detecting means that the number of printed sheets stored in the photoconductor life counting unit has reached a certain specified number. Since the number of times of replacement is added to the parts, the number of times of replacement is not added even if the photoconductor that has not been used or has a sufficient life is reattached multiple times together with the photoconductor life counting unit during the installation work for maintenance. It is possible to prevent the waste of accidentally accelerating the maintenance time of the parts.

[0006]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an electrophotographic apparatus. In the figure, 1
Is a housing that is divided into two parts, an upper part and a lower part. A photoconductor 3 driven clockwise by a motor 2 is provided at a substantially central portion of the housing 1.
Is provided. Around the photoconductor 3, the photoconductor 3
A charging charger 4 for charging the toner, an exposure device 5 for irradiating the charged portion of the photoconductor 3 charged by the charging charger 4 with light to form an electrostatic latent image, and a developing device for developing the electrostatic latent image. 6, a transfer charger 9 for transferring the developed image of the photoconductor 3 onto the paper supplied from the paper feed cassette 8 by the pickup roller 7, a charge removal charger 10 for removing the electric charge of the paper after this transfer process, and the photoconductor 3 A cleaning device 11 for wiping off the residual toner and a charge eliminating charger 12 for eliminating the charge of the photoconductor 3 are arranged.
Further, the housing 1 has a fixing device 13 for fixing an image transferred on a sheet, and a fan 1 for discharging internal heat to the outside.
4, a paper discharge roller 16 for discharging the fixed paper to the paper discharge tray 15, a power supply device 17, and a cover switch for turning off the power supply device 17 when the upper part of the dividable housing 1 is opened. And 18 are provided. The motor 2 is also used as the paper transport system and the drive unit of the fixing device 13.

Next, FIG. 2 shows an electronic circuit. CPU
In the (central processing unit), a ROM (read-on memory) 20 in which program data and the like are written in advance, and a RAM in which a print buffer and the like for expanding print data are formed
(Random access memory) 21 and a plurality of I / Os
The ports 22 and 23 are connected by a bus line. The cover switch 18, and a liquid crystal display 24 and a buzzer 25, which are warning means, are connected to one of the I / O ports 22. The other I / O port 23
A drive unit 26 for driving various other mechanical units, the motor 2 and the like are connected to the.

The I / O port 23 is connected to the photoconductor life counting section 27 and the photoconductor replacement number storage section 29, which are assembled together with the photoconductor 3 as one unit. This photoconductor life counting unit 27 is EEPR
It has a constant memory type memory element 28 such as an OM. Further, a constant memory type storage element such as an EEPROM is also used for the photoconductor replacement number storage section 29. 30
Is a photoconductor replacement count clearing jig which is selectively connected to the I / O port 23 and clears the stored value added to the photoconductor replacement count storage unit 29. This jig uses a specific memory card.

In such a structure, the work of replacing the photoconductor 3 and other parts will be described with reference to the flow chart shown in FIG. First, with the flag of the photoconductor replacement count storage unit 29 cleared, 1 is added to the photoconductor replacement count storage unit 29 every time a new photoconductor life counting unit 27 is set in the housing 1 together with the photoconductor 3. (Replacement number counting means). Subsequently, the stored value n of the photoconductor replacement count storage unit 29 is compared with the limit count corresponding to the life of the components other than the photoconductor 3 (replacement count comparison means). If it is determined that the stored value n is less than or equal to the limit number of times, the life of the components other than the photoconductor 3 remains, so printing is performed based on the print signal, and the photoconductor life count is performed every time one sheet is printed. 1 in storage element 28 of section 27
Is added to update the number of printed sheets A, and subsequently, it is detected whether or not the number of printed sheets A reaches a prescribed number (detection means). When the number of printed sheets A reaches the specified number, a flag is set in the photoconductor replacement number storage unit 29. Subsequently, it is determined whether the number of printed sheets A has reached the limit number of sheets. Here, the limit number of sheets corresponds to the life of the photoconductor 3, and is set to 10000 sheets in this embodiment, and the above-mentioned specified number is set to 7500 sheets, which is slightly smaller than this. When the number of printed sheets A has reached the limit number, a warning is given by the liquid crystal display 24 or the buzzer 25, and based on this warning, the new photoreceptor life counting unit 27 causes the photoreceptor 3
Will be exchanged with. Then, on condition that the flag is set, the value stored in the photoconductor replacement number storage unit 29 is set to 1
Is added (replacement number counting means). In this way, when the number of times of replacement n updated and stored in the photosensitive member replacement number storage unit 29 is judged to have reached the limit number by the replacement number comparing means, the liquid crystal display 24 or the buzzer 25.
A warning is issued by this, and parts other than the photoconductor 3 are replaced based on this warning. Here, the replaced parts include the charging charger 4, the developing device 6, the transfer charger 9, the charge removing chargers 10 and 12, and the like. After the parts are replaced, the value stored in the photoconductor replacement frequency storage unit 29 is cleared. That is, the photoconductor replacement number storage unit 29 is initialized. This initialization is performed by connecting the I / O port 23 with the photoconductor replacement count clearing jig 30. Note that n is set to 8 in this embodiment. That is, when the number of printed sheets A reaches 80,000, parts other than the photoconductor 3 are replaced.

Here, the flag is cleared when the new photoconductor life counter 27 is set. The cleared flag is not set again unless the number of printed sheets A is judged to have reached the specified number by the detecting means. Therefore, at the time of installation work for maintenance, the photoreceptor 3 which has not been used or has a sufficient life is left as a photoreceptor. Life counter 2
Even if it is reattached a plurality of times together with 7, the replacement number n is not added, so that it is possible to prevent waste caused by erroneously accelerating the maintenance time of components other than the photoconductor 3.

The warning means changes the content of the warning and displays the life of the photoconductor 3 and the life of other parts separately by the liquid crystal display 24, or changes the warning sound to change the phototone 3 to another.
It is possible to use either one of the liquid crystal display 24 and the buzzer 25 and omit the other by giving a warning by distinguishing between the lifespan of 1 and the lifespan of other parts.

[0012]

The present invention stores the count value of the number of printed sheets and replaces the photoconductor life counting section with the photoconductor when the count value reaches the limit number of sheets, and the number of printed sheets of the photoconductor life counting section. A detection unit that detects a state in which the number of sheets has reached a specified number determined within a range of the limit number of sheets, a rewritable photoconductor replacement count storage unit that stores the number of times the photoconductor is replaced, and a detection operation by the detection unit As conditions, the number-of-replacements counting means for updating the stored value of the photosensitive-member exchange number storage unit each time the photosensitive member is exchanged, and the stored value of the photosensitive-member exchange number storage unit correspond to the life of parts other than the photosensitive member When the photoconductor is replaced together with the photoconductor life counting unit based on the counting result of the photoconductor life counting unit, it is composed of a replacement number comparing unit for comparing with the limit number of times and a warning unit for outputting the result of the replacement number comparing unit. The value stored in the photoconductor replacement number storage unit is updated by the replacement number counting unit each time this replacement work is performed, and a warning is issued from the warning unit when the updated stored value reaches the limit number. Will be issued,
The maintenance timing of parts other than the photoconductor can be automatically known, and when the photoconductor life counter is replaced, the number of prints stored in the photoconductor life counter is fixed by the detection means. Only when it is determined that
Since the number of exchanges is added to the photoconductor exchange count storage unit, the number of exchanges is not added even if the photoconductor that has been unused or has a sufficient life is reattached together with the photoconductor life counting unit multiple times during the installation work in maintenance. Therefore, there is an effect that it is possible to prevent the waste of accelerating the maintenance time of the components other than the photoconductor by mistake.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electronic circuit.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of the electrophotographic apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 3 photoconductor 27 photoconductor life counting unit 29 photoconductor replacement count storage unit

Continuation of the front page (56) Reference JP-A 61-166554 (JP, A) JP-A 57-163276 (JP, A) JP-A 1-26865 (JP, A) JP-A 3-200980 (JP , A) JP 1-177044 (JP, A) JP 63-92962 (JP, A) JP 59-87464 (JP, A) JP 63-20157 (JP, A) JP 3-208083 (JP, A) JP-A-3-243978 (JP, A) Patent 2631374 (JP, B2)

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A photoconductor life counting section that stores a count value of the number of printed sheets and is replaced together with the photoconductor when the count value reaches a limit number of sheets, and a print sheet number of the photoconductor lifetime counting section is less than or equal to the limit number of sheets. Detection means for detecting a state in which the number of sheets has reached a specified number, a rewritable photoconductor replacement count storage section for storing the number of times of replacement of the photoconductor, and the photosensing operation on the condition of the detection operation by the detection means. An exchange number counting means for updating the stored value of the photoconductor exchange frequency storage unit each time the body is exchanged, and comparing the stored value of the photoconductor exchange frequency storage unit with a limit frequency corresponding to the life of the parts other than the photoconductor. A parts maintenance timing warning device for an electrophotographic apparatus, comprising: a replacement count comparison means for performing the replacement count comparison and a warning means for outputting a result of the replacement count comparison means.