JP3766378B2 - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus in which a photosensitive unit including the photosensitive member is detachably provided in the apparatus main body.
[0002]
[Prior art]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 59-61854 A [Patent Document 2]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 61-147267
Although the image forming apparatus described in these patent documents is called a process cartridge, a process unit, or a process kit, the developing unit, the cleaning unit, or the charging unit disposed around the photosensitive member. A unit (hereinafter referred to as a process unit) in which an apparatus such as the above is integrally assembled with a photosensitive member is detachably provided in the apparatus main body.
[0004]
In the conventional image forming apparatus described above, the process unit that has reached the end of its life is replaced with a new one to maintain the image quality, and how to measure the remaining life for that purpose. Various proposals have been made on how to display, how to determine, and how to prompt the user to exchange.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, in the above conventional image forming apparatus, since the life of the process unit is set so that it is almost replaced on the basis of the life of the photoconductor, the photoconductor of the old process unit taken out by replacement is disposed of. However, it is not considered to recycle the photoreceptor.
[0006]
However, in the case where a material that can withstand a long life, such as amorphous silicon, is used for the photoreceptor, even if the surface is slightly scratched, it can be reused by being recycled to continue its use.
When such a method of regenerating and reusing a photoconductor is used, it can be reused by regenerating the photoconductor of the unit taken out by replacement, or the photosensitive unit of a newly installed unit by replacement. It is necessary to manage whether the body is new or recycled.
[0007]
In addition, when the image forming apparatus itself guarantees a certain number of printed sheets, the main body control board having the counter circuit of the apparatus main body and the memory storing the number of printed sheets up to that time is electrically destroyed. In such cases, there is a problem that calculation for guaranteeing the number of printed sheets cannot be performed.
[0008]
Therefore, the present invention has an object to solve the above-mentioned problems, and in the case of adopting a method of regenerating and reusing a photoreceptor, the photoreceptor of the unit taken out by replacement can still be reused. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus that makes it easy to manage such information and enables calculation for guaranteeing the number of printed sheets even if the main body control board is electrically destroyed. It is.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problems, the present invention
A photoconductor unit having a photoconductor and a device acting on the photoconductor and detachably provided in the main body of the device;
In an image forming apparatus comprising a main body control board having a main body memory for controlling the operation of each device for performing an image forming operation using the photosensitive member and storing predetermined items,
Rutotomoni used as renewable on the photosensitive member,
An attached memory is provided in the photosensitive unit,
In both the main body memory and the attached memory, the number of prints unique to the photoconductor and the total number of prints from when the apparatus main body is new are stored.
If neither the photoconductor unit nor the main body control board is replaced and the total number of printed sheets of the main body of the apparatus stored in both the attached memory and the main body memory is different from each other, read from the main body memory. Further, the total number of printed sheets from when the apparatus main body is new is stored in a free area different from the area previously stored in the attached memory.
[0010]
According to the image forming apparatus having such a configuration, in order to store the number of prints unique to the photoconductor in the memory attached to the photoconductor unit, by reading the memory attached to the photoconductor unit taken out by replacement, the photoconductor unit It is possible to easily determine whether the photoconductor can be reused by reproduction based on the number of printed sheets.
[0011]
Also, even if the main unit control board is electrically destroyed, the total number of prints from the new unit main unit is also stored in the memory attached to the photoconductor unit. By newly storing the total number of printed sheets in the main body memory of the control board, calculation for guaranteeing the number of printed sheets can be performed regardless of replacement.
[0012]
In addition, since the number of prints unique to the photoconductor and the total number of prints from when the device main body is new are stored in the main body memory of the main body control board, the memory attached to the newly installed photoconductor unit is also stored in the memory attached to the main body of the device main body. The total number of printed sheets can be stored.
[0013]
If neither the photosensitive unit nor the main body control board is replaced, and the total number of printed sheets from the new time of the apparatus main body stored in both the attached memory and the main body memory is different from each other, the apparatus read from the main body memory Since the total number of prints since the main unit was new is stored in a free area different from the area previously stored in the attached memory, it was stored in both the attached memory and the main body memory. Even if the total number of printed sheets from when the apparatus main body is new is different, the history can be confirmed, and the reliability can be improved.
[0014]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
1 to 5 are diagrams showing a printer according to a first embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention.
[0015]
In the printer 10 shown in FIG. 1, a drum 14 (photosensitive member) whose charge is made uniform by a main charger 11 of a drum unit 15 (photosensitive member unit ) is then subjected to photosensitive scanning by an optical unit 12 to form an electrostatic latent image. The electrostatic latent image is developed by the developing roller 16 while further rotating. The developing roller 16 is provided in the developing unit 20 and develops the electrostatic latent image using toner powder supplied from a toner container 18 of the developing unit 20.
[0016]
As the drum 14 further rotates, the developed toner image is transferred onto a transfer sheet passing between the drum 14 and the transfer roller 22. The transfer paper is stored in the paper feed cassette 24 and is taken out by the paper feed roller 26 of the paper feed unit 28, and is conveyed between the drum 14 and the transfer roller 22 and passes there. Alternatively, the transfer paper is fed from a manual feed tray provided corresponding to the side opening of the apparatus main body and conveyed between the drum 14 and the transfer roller 22.
[0017]
The transfer sheet on which the toner image is transferred by the drum 14 and the transfer roller 22 is then sent to the fixing unit 30 and passes between the heat roller 32 and the press roller 34 to form the transferred toner image. The toner powder is fixed, and the transfer paper is then discharged.
[0018]
There are two methods for discharging the transfer paper: the face-up method that discharges the transfer paper as it is with the print side up, and the face-down method that discharges the transfer paper upside down (print side down). The paper discharge method can be freely selected.
[0019]
The optical unit 12, the drum unit 15, the developing unit 20, the paper feeding unit 28, and the fixing unit 30 are controlled by an engine control board (main body control board) 36 to perform the image forming operation. The board 36 receives a command from a host computer such as a personal computer or a word processor via the main controller board 38 and performs a control operation. The optical unit 12 receives image data from the host computer via the main controller board 38.
[0020]
By the way, the drum unit 15 is detachably provided in the apparatus main body so that it can be removed together with the drum 14, the main charger 11, the cleaning device 13, and other accompanying devices (not shown). Accordingly, when the drum 14 of the drum unit 15 guarantees a predetermined number of prints, for example, up to 500,000, and the drum 14 is damaged, the drum unit 15 is taken out and the drum 14 is replaced. Can be easily performed.
[0021]
FIG. 2 is a block circuit diagram of the image forming apparatus. The drum unit 15 is provided with a rewritable attached memory 17 such as an EEPROM. As shown in FIG. 4, the attached memory 17 has a drum 14 reproduction count N1, a drum 14-specific print number N2, The total number of printed sheets N3 from when the apparatus main body is new is stored.
[0022]
The engine control board 36 is provided with a rewritable flash ROM 40 (main body memory) together with an MPU (microprocessor) used for control operation and a control logic gate array. In the flash ROM 40 of the engine control board 36, as in the attached memory 17 of the drum unit 15, as shown in FIG. 5, the number of reproductions N1 of the drum 14, the number of prints N2 unique to the drum 14, and the apparatus main body when new. The total number of printed sheets N3 is stored.
[0023]
When the drum unit 15 is replaced with another drum unit 15 for some reason, the newly installed main unit stored in the flash ROM 40 of the engine control board 36 is stored in the attached memory 17 of the newly installed drum unit 15. The total number of prints is written.
[0024]
If the engine control board 36 is replaced with another engine control board for some reason, the drum stored in the attached memory 17 of the drum unit 15 is stored in the flash ROM 40 of the newly installed engine control board 36. 14 and the total number of printed sheets from when the apparatus main body is new are written.
[0025]
Next, the operation of the printer 10 according to the above embodiment will be described based on the flowchart of FIG.
[0026]
When the printer 10 is turned on, first, the drum 14-specific print number N2 (see FIG. 4) stored in the attached memory 17 of the drum unit 15 and the drum-14-specific print number stored in the flash ROM 40 of the engine control board 36 are used. N2 (see FIG. 5) is read and compared. If N2 in the attached memory 17 is “00” and N2 in the flash ROM 40 is not “00”, it is understood that the drum unit 15 has been replaced with a new one (step S1). YES)
[0027]
In that case, the total number N3 (see FIG. 5) of the main body of the apparatus main body stored in the flash ROM 40 when it is new is read out and written in the corresponding area of the attached memory 17 of the drum unit 15 (step S2). The N2 of the flash ROM 40 is reset to “00”.
[0028]
Thereafter, each time printing is performed in the printer 10, the number of prints unique to the drum 14 and the total number of prints are counted up one by one (step S8). Both are stored in the attached memory 17.
[0029]
If the number N1 of drums 14 played back (see FIG. 4) stored in the attached memory 17 of the drum unit 15 is not “00”, it is understood that the drum unit 15 has been exchanged (YES in step S3). . In this case, step S2 is also executed.
[0030]
If the engine control board 36 is replaced with a new one due to damage or the like without replacing the drum unit 15 (YES in step S4), the apparatus main body stored in the flash ROM 40 of the newly installed engine control board 36 is stored. Since the total number of printed sheets N3 (see FIG. 5) since the new article is “00”, the total number of printed sheets N3 (see FIG. 4) of the main body of the apparatus stored in the attached memory 17 is read and used as the engine. The same value is written in the flash ROM 40 of the control board 36 (step S5).
[0031]
Neither the drum unit 15 nor the engine control board 36 is exchanged, and the total number of printed sheets N3 (see FIG. 4) of the apparatus main body stored in the attached memory 17 and the total number of printed sheets N3 stored in the flash ROM 40 are as follows. If they are different (NO in step S6), the total number of printed sheets N3 stored in the flash ROM 40 is read into an available area different from the area where the total number of printed sheets N3 has been stored in the attached memory 17 so far. Write (step S7).
Then, when such an event overlaps many times and there is no excess area in the attached memory 17, the oldest stored contents are sequentially rewritten.
[0032]
By the way, when the drum unit 15 is replaced with another one due to scratches or the like, the attached memory 17 of the drum unit 15 taken out from the apparatus main body stores the number of prints unique to the drum 14. If it is less than 10,000, it can be regenerated, and if it is 50,000 or more, the drum 14 can be disposed of.
[0033]
Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the attached memory 17 stores the number N1 of times the drum 14 has been played, and the drum 14 once played may not be played or may be played multiple times. .
[0034]
When the drum unit 15 is replaced, the number of prints inherent to the drum 14 stored in the flash ROM 40 of the engine control board 36 is reset, and the count is started from zero and stored.
[0035]
If the drum unit 15 is provided with a plurality (at least three) of the attached memory 17 and the same data is stored in the plurality of attached memories 17, an overcurrent flows while one attached memory 17 is writing data. Even when it is damaged, it is possible to determine accurate data by majority vote of the plurality of attached memories 17.
[0036]
In the above embodiment, 50,000 sheets are used as a criterion for determining whether or not the drum 14 can be reproduced. Needless to say, other numbers can be used as the criterion.
Furthermore, although the case where the number of sheets of 500,000 is guaranteed has been described in the above embodiment, it is needless to say that the number of sheets need not be limited to 500,000.
[0037]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, in order to store the number of prints inherent to the photoconductor in the memory attached to the photoconductor unit, by reading the memory attached to the photoconductor unit taken out by replacement, Whether or not the photoreceptor can be reused by reproduction can be easily determined based on the number of printed sheets.
[0038]
Also, even if the main unit control board is electrically destroyed, the total number of prints from the new unit main unit is also stored in the memory attached to the photoconductor unit. By newly storing the total number of printed sheets in the main body memory of the control board, calculation for guaranteeing the number of printed sheets can be performed regardless of replacement.
[0039]
In addition, since the number of prints unique to the photoconductor and the total number of prints from when the device main body is new are stored in the main body memory of the main body control board, the memory attached to the newly installed photoconductor unit is also stored in the memory attached to the main body of the device main body. The total number of printed sheets can be stored.
[0040]
If neither the photosensitive unit nor the main body control board is replaced, and the total number of printed sheets from the new time of the apparatus main body stored in both the attached memory and the main body memory is different from each other, the apparatus read from the main body memory Since the total number of prints since the main unit was new is stored in a free area different from the area previously stored in the attached memory, it was stored in both the attached memory and the main body memory. Even if the total number of printed sheets from when the apparatus main body is new is different, the history can be confirmed, and the reliability can be improved.
[0041]
Furthermore, according to the above embodiment, the number of times of reproduction can be stored in the attached memory 17, so that the attached memory 17 of the drum unit 15 newly installed by replacement can be read to reproduce whether the drum 14 is new. It can be easily discriminated whether it is a product, and it can be easily discriminated whether the drum 14 of the drum unit 15 taken out by replacement can still be reused by reproduction.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a printer according to a first embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block circuit diagram of the printer 10 of FIG.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an operation procedure of the printer 10 of FIG.
FIG. 4 is a diagram simply showing the storage contents of an attached memory 17 of the drum unit 15;
FIG. 5 is a diagram simply showing the storage contents of the flash ROM 40 of the engine control board 36;
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Printer 11 Main charger 12 Optical unit 13 Cleaning device 14 Drum 15 Drum unit 16 Developing roller 17 Attached memory 18 Toner container 20 Developing unit 22 Transfer roller 24 Paper feed cassette 26 Paper feed roller 28 Paper feed unit 30 Fixing unit 32 Heat roller 34 Press Roller 36 Engine control board 38 Main controller board 40 Flash ROM

Claims (5)

A photoconductor unit having a photoconductor and a device acting on the photoconductor and detachably provided in the main body of the device;
In an image forming apparatus comprising a main body control board having a main body memory for controlling the operation of each device for performing an image forming operation using the photosensitive member and storing predetermined items,
Rutotomoni used as renewable on the photosensitive member,
An attached memory is provided in the photosensitive unit,
In both the main body memory and the attached memory, the number of prints unique to the photoconductor and the total number of prints from when the apparatus main body is new are stored.
If neither the photoconductor unit nor the main body control board is replaced and the total number of printed sheets of the main body of the apparatus stored in both the attached memory and the main body memory is different from each other, read from the main body memory. An image forming apparatus characterized in that the total number of printed sheets from when the apparatus body is new is stored in a free area different from the area previously stored in the attached memory. When the photoconductor unit is replaced with another photoconductor unit, the total number of printed sheets from when the apparatus main body is new stored in the main body memory is added to the memory attached to the newly installed photoconductor unit. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is stored. When the main body control board is replaced with another main body control board, the main body memory of the main body control board newly mounted by replacement, the number of prints unique to the photoconductor stored in the attached memory, and the main body of the apparatus The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the total number of printed sheets from when new is stored. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the number of reproductions of the photosensitive member is stored in the attached memory. The reproduction possibility of the photoconductor is determined based on the number of reproductions of the photoconductor and / or the number of prints unique to the photoconductor stored in the attached memory. Item 5. The image forming apparatus according to Item 4.

Images