JP5048631B2 - Image forming apparatus and photosensitive member rotation synchronization method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and a photosensitive member rotation synchronization method, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus including a plurality of photosensitive members and a photosensitive member rotation synchronization method.

  The image forming apparatus includes yellow, magenta, cyan, and black color developing units, and forms toner images of each color in these developing units, and forms a full-color image by performing multi-stage transfer on a transfer belt. Some employ a so-called tandem system.

  Here, the plurality of photoconductors may rotate while being decentered around different positions due to errors in processing or the like. As a result, when performing multi-stage transfer on the transfer belt, a positional shift for each color occurs, making it difficult to form an appropriate image.

  In such a case, a technique for performing phase alignment in order to reduce misalignment due to eccentricity of a plurality of photoconductors is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-339976 (Patent Document 1).

According to Patent Document 1, a phase mark is added to the shortest radial direction position in each of the plurality of photosensitive members. Then, the rotation of the photoconductor is sequentially stopped at a timing when the sensor detects that the phase mark has come in a direction directly above. Thereby, phase alignment of a plurality of photoconductors is performed.
JP-A-10-339976 (paragraph numbers 0030 to 0041)

  However, in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to stop the rotation of the photoconductors sequentially at the timing when the phase mark comes in the direction directly above when performing phase alignment of a plurality of photoconductors. In this case, if it is attempted to form an image after performing phase alignment, it is necessary to start the rotation of the photosensitive member again, so that it may take a long time to form the image.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of efficiently performing phase alignment of a plurality of photoconductors.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for synchronizing the rotation of a photoconductor capable of efficiently performing phase alignment of a plurality of photoconductors.

  An image forming apparatus according to the present invention is an image forming apparatus including a plurality of photoconductors that rotate synchronously in the same direction, a position detection unit that detects a predetermined location on the circumference of the photoconductor, and a position detection The storage means stores the difference between the predetermined location detected by the means and the eccentric position on the circumference of the photoconductor, the angle detection means for detecting the rotation angle of the photoconductor, and the angle detection means stores the difference by the storage means. And a control means for controlling the eccentric positions on the circumference of the photoconductor so as to coincide with each other in the plurality of photoconductors. The plurality of photoconductors include a first photoconductor serving as a reference for matching the eccentric positions, and a second photoconductor that operates in accordance with the first photoconductor, and the control unit includes the second photoconductor. Determining means for determining whether or not the eccentric position of the body is separated from the eccentric position of the first photosensitive member by a predetermined angle, and the rotation of the second photosensitive member according to the result determined by the determining means. Speed changing means for accelerating or decelerating the speed, and the speed changing means changes the acceleration amount when accelerating the rotation speed of the second photoconductor so that the deceleration amount when decelerating is the same. .

  In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a rotation synchronizing method for a photoconductor for rotating a plurality of photoconductors synchronously in the same direction, wherein a predetermined location on the circumference of the photoconductor is detected, and the detected predetermined Using the difference between the location and the eccentric position on the circumference of the photoconductor stored in advance, the eccentric positions on the circumference of the photoconductor are synchronized while rotating the plurality of photoconductors. A first photosensitive member that serves as a reference for matching the eccentric position and a second photosensitive member that operates in accordance with the first photosensitive member are selected from the photosensitive members, and the eccentric position of the second photosensitive member is determined. Then, it is determined whether or not the eccentric position of the first photoconductor is more than a predetermined angle, and according to the determined result, the acceleration amount and the deceleration when the rotational speed of the second photoconductor is accelerated are determined. It is characterized by accelerating or decelerating so that the amount of deceleration at the same time is the same.

  In the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, when the eccentric positions on the circumference of the photoconductor are matched with each other in the plurality of photoconductors, it is determined whether or not the eccentric positions are separated from a predetermined angle. Depending on the result, the rotational speed of the photoreceptor is accelerated or decelerated. At this time, the acceleration amount when accelerating and the deceleration amount when decelerating are changed to be the same. Thereby, it is possible to return to the original speed before the acceleration or deceleration at the timing when the phase alignment is completed, so that the phase alignment can be performed efficiently.

  Further, the method of synchronizing rotation of the photoconductor according to the present invention determines whether or not the eccentric position is separated from a predetermined angle when synchronizing the eccentric position on the circumference of the photoconductor. In response, the rotational speed of the photoconductor is accelerated or decelerated. At this time, the acceleration amount when accelerating and the deceleration amount when decelerating are changed to be the same. Thereby, it is possible to return to the original speed before the acceleration or deceleration at the timing when the phase alignment is completed, so that the phase alignment can be performed efficiently.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a digital multifunction peripheral 10 when an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied to the digital multifunction peripheral 10. Referring to FIG. 1, the digital multifunction peripheral 10 displays a control unit 11 that controls the entire digital multifunction peripheral 10, a DRAM 12 for writing and reading image data and the like, and information that the digital multifunction peripheral 10 has. An operation unit 13 that includes a display screen and serves as an interface with the user in the digital multifunction peripheral 10, a document feeder 14 that automatically transports a document to a predetermined document reading position, and a document that has been transported by the document feeder 14 An image reading unit 15 that reads the image at a predetermined reading position with a scanner, an image forming unit 16 that forms the image from a document read by the image reading unit 15, a hard disk 17 that stores image data and the like, and a public A FAX communication unit 18 connected to the line 20 and a network IF (interface) for connecting to the network 21 And a face) unit 19.

  The control unit 11 compresses and writes the original data supplied from the image reading unit 15 in the DRAM 12, reads the data written in the DRAM 12, decompresses and decodes the data, and outputs the data to the image forming unit 16.

  The digital multifunction machine 10 operates as a copying machine by forming an image in the image forming unit 16 via the DRAM 12 using the document read by the image reading unit 15. Further, the digital multifunction peripheral 10 forms an image in the image forming unit 16 via the DRAM 12 using the image data transmitted from the personal computer 22 connected to the network 21 through the network IF unit 19, thereby serving as a printer. Operate. Further, the digital multifunction peripheral 10 forms an image in the image forming unit 16 through the DRAM 12 using the image data transmitted from the public line 20 through the FAX communication unit 18, and also by the image reading unit 15. The image data of the read original is transmitted to the public line 20 through the FAX communication unit 18 to operate as a facsimile machine. That is, the digital multi-function peripheral 10 has a plurality of functions such as a copying (copying) function, a printer function, and a FAX function regarding image processing. Further, each function has functions that can be set in more detail.

  In FIG. 1, thick arrows indicate the flow of image data, and thin arrows indicate the flow of control signals or control data.

  Here, a specific configuration of the image forming unit 16 will be described. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a partial configuration of the image forming unit 16. In FIG. 2, solid arrows indicate the flow of paper, and dotted arrows indicate the rotation direction of the transfer belt. 1 to 2, an image forming unit 16 includes yellow, magenta, cyan, and black toner image forming units 26a to 26d, and main body driving units for the respective colors (not shown in FIG. 2). With.

  Here, the yellow toner image forming unit 26a will be described. Since the other color toner image forming units 26b to 26d have the same configuration, description thereof will be omitted.

  First, the yellow toner image forming unit 26a includes a photoreceptor 30a, a charging unit 27a, an exposure unit 28a, a developing unit 29a, and a cleaning unit 31a. When the charging unit 27a applies a voltage to the photoreceptor 30a to charge the surface to a predetermined potential, the exposure unit 28a exposes a yellow light image on the surface of the photoreceptor 30a. As a result, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photoreceptor 30a. Then, the developing unit 29a attaches yellow toner to the electrostatic latent image to form a yellow toner image. Similarly, toner images of the respective colors are formed in the toner image forming units 26b to 26d of other colors of magenta, cyan, and black. Then, the toner images of the respective colors are superimposed on the transfer belt 34 rotating in the direction indicated by the dotted arrow in FIG. 2 in order of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black in order to prevent positional deviation. Transcribed. At this time, the photoconductors 30a to 30d of the respective colors rotate in synchronization with the same direction. Then, the toner remaining on the surface of the photoreceptor 30a is removed by the cleaning unit 31a, and preparation for forming the next image is performed.

  The color image formed on the transfer belt 34 is secondarily transferred to a sheet by the transfer roller 32 and fixed by the fixing roller 33. In this way, a color image is formed on the paper.

  The yellow toner image forming unit 26 a further includes a detection unit 35 and a storage unit 36. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a yellow toner image forming unit 26 a and a yellow main body driving unit 37.

  The detection unit 35 includes a PI (Photo Interrupter) sensor 40 and a light shielding plate 41. 4 and 5 are perspective views showing the detection unit 35. FIG. Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5, PI sensor 40 is provided in cleaning unit 31 a and has a light emitting side member 40 a having a light emitting surface that emits light, and a light receiving surface that receives light emitted from the light emitting surface. And a light receiving side member 40b. The light emitting surface and the light receiving surface are provided to face each other.

  The light shielding plate 41 is provided on a cylindrical flange portion 44 located at an end portion in the longitudinal direction of the photoreceptor 30a. The light shielding plate 41 protrudes radially outward from the outer diameter surface of the flange portion 44, and is located at a predetermined location on the circumference of the flange portion 44. The light shielding plate 41 is a black member. The light shielding plate 41 is positioned between the light emitting surface and the light receiving surface of the PI sensor 40 as the photoconductor 30a rotates, and shields the light emitted from the light emitting surface without causing the light receiving surface to receive the light. A predetermined location on the circumference of the photoreceptor 30a is detected. That is, the predetermined part is a position where the light is shielded by the light shielding plate 41, and is a reference part serving as a reference for the rotation angle of the photoconductor 30a. Further, the predetermined place is only one place on the circumference. Here, the PI sensor 40 and the light shielding plate 41 operate as position detecting means.

  Further, the flange portion 44 and the photoconductor 30a are joined with an adhesive or the like. Thereby, vibrations and the like due to the joining of the flange portion 44 and the photoreceptor 30a can be prevented.

  The storage unit 36 stores the eccentric position on the circumference of the photoconductor 30a. The eccentric position is information indicating the maximum amplitude position of the photoconductor 30a. Specifically, the circumference of the photoconductor is divided into 30 parts at equal intervals, and the position of the maximum amplitude position in the rotation direction is stored starting from the reference location detected by the PI sensor 40. That is, the difference between the reference position detected by the PI sensor 40 and the eccentric position among the 30 sections of the photoreceptor is stored. Here, the storage unit 36 operates as a storage unit.

  Here, the yellow main body drive unit 37 will be described. Since the other color main body drive units have the same configuration, description thereof will be omitted.

  First, the yellow main body drive unit 37 includes a motor 43 that operates as a drive unit that rotationally drives the photoreceptor 30a, and an encoder 42.

  The encoder 42 has a rotation shaft and outputs a pulse signal according to the rotation angle of the photoconductor 30a.

  The motor 43 outputs a control signal output according to an instruction from the control unit 11 and a rotation signal output when the motor 43 rotates, that is, a pulse output from the encoder 42 in accordance with the rotation angle of the photoconductor 30a. The rotation is controlled based on the signal.

  The motor 43 and the encoder 42 are disposed on the same rotational axis. Then, the rotation angle of the photoconductor 30a is detected. Specifically, assuming that the pulse signal generated when the photoconductor 30a rotates once is 1456 pulses, it is determined how many pulses in the 1456 pulses have been rotated starting from the reference position detected by the PI sensor 40. Thus, the rotation angle of the photoconductor 30a is detected. Here, the encoder 42 operates as angle detection means.

  Here, the maximum amplitude positions of the photoreceptors 30a to 30d of the respective colors are different for the photoreceptors 30a to 30d of the respective colors. That is, the difference between the reference location detected by the PI sensor 40 and the eccentric position is different for each color photoconductor 30a to 30d. In this embodiment, the black difference is set to five. Then, the eccentric position of black is 1456 ÷ 30 × 5 = 242th pulse starting from the reference position. Further, assuming that the difference in yellow is 20, the yellow eccentric position is 1456 ÷ 30 × 20 = 970th pulse. If the difference of magenta is 16 pieces, the eccentric position of magenta is 1456 ÷ 30 × 16 = 776th pulse. Further, assuming that the cyan difference is 22 pieces, the eccentric position of cyan is 1456 ÷ 30 × 22 = 1068th pulse.

  Here, the case where the eccentric positions of the photoconductors 30a to 30d of the respective colors are synchronized and the phase alignment of the photoconductors 30a to 30d of the respective colors is performed in a steady state will be described. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a case where the phase alignment of the photoconductors 30a to 30d of each color is performed. With reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 6, a description will be given of the case where the phase alignment of the photoconductors 30 a to 30 d for each color is performed in a steady state. The steady state is a state in which the motor 43 is rotating at a steady speed at which image formation is possible.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a reference location A and an eccentric position B in the black photoconductor 30d. The arrows in FIG. 7 indicate the rotation direction. First, the control unit 11 detects the reference location A on the circumference by the PI sensor 40 in the black photoconductor 30d (step S11 in FIG. 6; the following steps are omitted). Moreover, the control part 11 detects the eccentric position B from the difference memorize | stored by the memory | storage part 36 (S12). In this embodiment, as described above, it is the 242nd pulse.

  Then, the eccentric position B is replaced with the 0th pulse in the 1456 pulses (S13). That is, the eccentric position B is set as the head. Specifically, the 242nd pulse is replaced with the 0th pulse, and the 0th pulse is replaced with the 1214th pulse from 1456-242. That is, the 0th pulse is the eccentric position B, and the 1214th pulse is the reference location A. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the replaced reference location A and the eccentric position B.

  Similarly, the photoconductors 30a to 30c of other colors of yellow, magenta, and cyan detect the reference position and the eccentric position. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the reference positions and eccentric positions of the photoreceptors 30a to 30d for each color of black, yellow, magenta, and cyan. Referring to FIG. 9, in the yellow photoreceptor 30a, the 0th pulse is the eccentric position D, and the 486th pulse is the reference position C from 1456-970. In the magenta photoreceptor 30b, the 0th pulse is the eccentric position F, and the 1680th pulse is the reference point E from 1456-776. In the cyan photoconductor 30c, the 0th pulse is the eccentric position H, and the 1388th pulse is the reference position G from 1456-1068.

  Then, the control unit 11 performs control so that the eccentric positions D, F, and H of other colors of yellow, magenta, and cyan coincide with the eccentric position B of black with reference to the eccentric position B of black. That is, the eccentric positions of the photoconductors 30a to 30d for the respective colors are synchronized. Here, the black photoconductor 30d is a first photoconductor serving as a reference for matching the eccentric positions, and the yellow, magenta, and cyan photoconductors 30a to 30c operate in accordance with the first photoconductor. This is a second photoconductor. Here, the control unit 11 operates as control means.

  First, the yellow photoreceptor 30a will be described. It is determined whether or not the yellow eccentric position D is separated from the black eccentric position B by a predetermined angle in the rotational direction (S14). In this embodiment, the predetermined angle is 180 ° of a semicircle, that is, 1456 ÷ 2 = 728 pulses, and it is determined whether or not it is away from the 728 pulses. Here, the control unit 11 operates as a determination unit.

  Specifically, the difference between the black eccentric position B and the yellow eccentric position D, that is, the phase difference is calculated, and the pulse of the reference position A with respect to the black eccentric position B and the reference position C with respect to the yellow eccentric position D are calculated. Control to match the pulse. Therefore, the reference point A for the black eccentric position B is 1214 pulses and the reference point C for the yellow eccentric position D is 486 pulses, so the phase difference is 1214-486 = 728. Therefore, it is determined that the rotation direction is not separated from the predetermined angle (YES in S14).

  Then, the rotational speed of the yellow photoconductor 30a is decelerated with respect to the current rotational speed. Thereafter, in order to return the rotational speed to the original speed, the rotation of the yellow photoconductor 30a is accelerated. Then, at the timing when this acceleration is completed and the rotational speed returns to the original speed, the yellow eccentric position D is matched with the black eccentric position B (S15). Here, the control unit 11 operates as speed changing means.

  Further, magenta will be described. Since the reference position A with respect to the eccentric position B of black is 1214 pulses and the reference position E with respect to the eccentric position F of magenta is 680 pulses, the phase difference is 1214-680 = 534. Therefore, it is determined that the rotation direction is not separated from the predetermined angle (YES in S14), and the rotation speed of the magenta photoconductor 30b is decelerated from the current rotation speed. Thereafter, in order to return this rotational speed to the original speed, the rotation of the magenta photoreceptor 30b is accelerated. Then, at the timing when the acceleration is completed and the rotational speed returns to the original speed, the eccentric position F of magenta is made to coincide with the eccentric position B of black (S15).

  For cyan, the reference point A for the black eccentric position B is 1214 pulses, and the reference point G for the cyan eccentric position H is 388 pulses, so the phase difference is 1214-388 = 826. Therefore, it is determined that the rotation direction is more than a predetermined angle (NO in S14), and the rotation speed of the cyan photoconductor 30c is accelerated with respect to the current rotation speed. Thereafter, the rotation of the cyan photoconductor 30c is decelerated in order to return the rotation speed to the original speed. Then, at the timing when the deceleration ends and the rotational speed returns to the original speed, the eccentric position H of cyan is made to coincide with the eccentric position B of black (S16).

  As described above, the digital multi-function peripheral 10 stores the differences between the reference points A, C, E, and G and the eccentric positions B, D, F, and H. Then, by detecting the rotation angles of the photoconductors 30a to 30d, the eccentric positions on the circumference of the photoconductors 30a to 30d are made to coincide with each other in the plurality of photoconductors 30a to 30d using the stored differences. Thereby, the timing for performing phase alignment can be made arbitrary, and it is not necessary to stop the rotation of the photoconductors 30a to 30d. Therefore, the phase alignment of the plurality of photoconductors 30a to 30d can be appropriately performed in a short time.

  Further, when the digital multifunction peripheral 10 matches the eccentric positions on the circumferences of the photoconductors 30a to 30d in the plurality of photoconductors 30a to 30d, whether or not the eccentric positions are separated from a predetermined angle is determined. to decide. Then, the rotational speed of the photoconductors 30b to 30d is changed according to the determined result. As a result, the rotational speeds of the photoconductors 30b to 30d can be changed in accordance with the magnitude of the angle at which the eccentric positions are separated from each other, so that the phases of the plurality of photoconductors 30a to 30d are appropriately adjusted in a short time. be able to.

  In addition, the rotation synchronization method of the photoconductors 30a to 30d for synchronizing the eccentric positions of the photoconductors 30a to 30d of the respective colors does not require the rotation of the photoconductors 30a to 30d, and the plurality of photoconductors 30a to 30d are arranged. While rotating, the eccentric positions on the circumference of the photoreceptors 30a to 30d are synchronized. Therefore, the phase alignment of the plurality of photoconductors 30a to 30d can be appropriately performed in a short time.

  In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the eccentric positions D, F, and H of other colors of yellow, magenta, and cyan are matched with the eccentric position B of black with reference to the eccentric position B of black has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the eccentric position of another color may be used as a reference.

  In the above embodiment, the example in which the circumference of the photosensitive member is divided into 30 parts has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it may be divided into two parts or any number of parts.

  In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the motor 43 and the encoder 42 are arranged on the same rotational axis has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and when the reduction ratio is fixed, It may be on a different axis of rotation.

  In the above embodiment, the example in which the encoder 42 is used when detecting the rotation angle of the photoconductors 30a to 30d has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a DC brushless motor is adopted as the motor 43. The rotation angle of the photoconductors 30a to 30d may be detected by an FG (Frequency Generator) pulse signal of a DC brushless motor.

  In the above-described embodiment, the image forming unit 16 has been described as including the photoconductors 30a to 30d for four colors of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black. However, the present invention is not limited to this. And a photosensitive member for two colors of black may be provided.

  In the above-described embodiment, the phase difference between the black eccentric position B and the yellow eccentric position D is the same value as 728, that is, the semicircle 728. In this case, the yellow photoconductor Although the example in which the rotational speed of 30a is decelerated with respect to the current rotational speed has been described, the present invention is not limited to this, and the rotational speed of the yellow photoconductor 30a may be accelerated with respect to the current rotational speed.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the example has been described in which the predetermined location that is the reference location that serves as the reference for the rotation angle of the photoconductor 30a is the location that is shielded by the light shielding plate 41. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, it may be a position advanced by a predetermined pulse from the position shielded by the light shielding plate 41.

  Here, another embodiment is described in which control is performed so that the original speed can be restored at the timing when the phase alignment is completed. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing another embodiment. Other embodiments will be described with reference to FIGS. In addition, about S21-S26, since it is the same as that of S11-S16 of above-mentioned FIG. 5, description is abbreviate | omitted.

  First, in S25, the rotational speed of the magenta photoconductor 30b is reduced with respect to the current rotational speed, and control is performed so that the eccentric position F of black matches the eccentric position B of black (S25). At this time, since the difference between the reference position A with respect to the black eccentric position B and the reference position E with respect to the magenta eccentric position F is 1214-680 = 534, the control unit 11 has a half phase difference, that is, Control is performed so as to decelerate the current rotational speed up to the point of 534 ÷ 2 = 267 pulses (S27).

  Then, when the point of 267 pulses is exceeded, control is performed so as to accelerate to the point of 534 pulses by the amount decelerated with respect to the current rotational speed (S28). That is, control is performed so that the deceleration amount and the acceleration amount are the same, and the original speed is restored. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a change in rotational speed when the deceleration amount and the acceleration amount are the same.

  By doing so, it is possible to return to the reference speed before deceleration at the timing when the phase alignment is completed, so that the phase alignment can be performed efficiently.

  Similarly, in the case of controlling the cyan eccentric position B to coincide with the black eccentric position B by accelerating the rotational speed of the cyan photoconductor 30c with respect to the current rotational speed (S26), Since the difference between the reference point A for the eccentric position B and the reference point G for the eccentric position H of cyan is 1214-388 = 826, the phase difference is halved, that is, the point of 826 ÷ 2 = 413 pulses. Then, control is performed to accelerate the current rotational speed (S29).

  Then, when the point of 413 pulses is exceeded, control is performed to decelerate to the point of 826 pulses by the amount accelerated with respect to the current rotational speed (S30). That is, control is performed so that the acceleration amount and the deceleration amount are the same, and the original speed is restored. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a change in rotational speed when the acceleration amount and the deceleration amount are the same.

  Next, still another embodiment in which the eccentric positions of the photoconductors 30a to 30d for the respective colors are synchronized and the phase alignment of the photoconductors 30a to 30d for the respective colors is performed will be described.

  First, when the eccentric positions of the photoconductors 30a to 30d of the respective colors are matched, the rotational speed of the photoconductors 30a to 30d is accelerated or decelerated as described above. However, the rotation speeds of the photoconductors 30a to 30d have an upper limit speed and a lower limit speed, and cannot be accelerated above the upper limit speed, and cannot be decelerated below the lower limit speed. May take a long time.

  FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a change in rotational speed when the lower limit speed is provided when the deceleration amount and acceleration amount of the magenta photoreceptor 30b shown in FIG. 11 are the same. The two-dot chain line in FIG. 13 indicates the lower limit speed of the magenta photoreceptor 30b. Referring to FIG. 11 and FIG. 13, in this case, the time for performing phase alignment becomes long.

  Accordingly, still another embodiment in which phase alignment is performed by matching the eccentric positions of the photoconductors 30a to 30d of the respective colors will be described. FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing still another embodiment. Still another embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. Since S31 to S34 are the same as S11 to S14 in FIG. 5 described above, description thereof will be omitted.

  First, in S34, it is determined whether or not the magenta eccentric position F is separated from the black eccentric position B by a predetermined angle (S34). The predetermined angle is 180 ° of the semicircle, that is, 1456 ÷ 2 = 728 pulses, and it is determined whether or not the distance is greater than 728 pulses.

  Then, since the reference point A with respect to the black eccentric position B is 1214 pulses and the reference point E with respect to the magenta eccentric position F is 680 pulses, the phase difference is 1214-680 = 534. Accordingly, it is determined that the rotation direction is not separated from the predetermined angle (YES in S34), and the rotation speed of the magenta photosensitive member 30b is reduced with respect to the current rotation speed, so that the black eccentric position B is reached. Control is performed to match the eccentric position F of magenta (S35).

  However, as described above, since it rotates at a speed close to the lower limit speed, it takes 1.5 seconds to perform phase alignment (see FIG. 13). Therefore, the predetermined angle is changed (S36). Specifically, 180 ° is changed to 90 °. Then, it is determined from 1456 ÷ 4 × 1 whether or not it is further than 364 pulses. Here, the control unit 11 operates as angle changing means.

  Then, it is determined that the rotation direction is more than a predetermined angle (NO in S34), and the rotation speed of the magenta photoconductor 30b is accelerated with respect to the current rotation speed, so that the black eccentric position B is reached. Control is performed to match the eccentric position F of magenta (S37).

  FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a change in the rotation speed when phase adjustment is performed by accelerating the deceleration amount and the acceleration amount of the magenta photoreceptor 30b. Referring to FIG. 15, in this case, it takes 1.2 seconds to perform phase alignment. Therefore, phase alignment can be performed in a time shorter by 0.3 seconds.

  By doing so, it is possible to perform phase alignment by changing to a predetermined angle that allows phase alignment in a shorter time. Moreover, the phase alignment of the plurality of photoconductors 30a to 30d can be performed at an appropriate speed without exceeding the upper limit speed and the lower limit speed.

  Next, still another embodiment in which the eccentric positions of the photoconductors 30a to 30d for the respective colors are synchronized and the phase alignment of the photoconductors 30a to 30d for the respective colors is performed will be described. Specifically, a description will be given of a case where the eccentric positions of the photoconductors 30a to 30d for each color are synchronized and the phases of the photoconductors 30a to 30d for each color are aligned during startup. In addition, at the time of starting, the rotation of the motor 43 is stopped, that is, the state from the rotation speed 0 to the steady speed.

  FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing a case where the eccentric positions of the photoconductors 30a to 30d for each color are synchronized and the phases of the photoconductors 30a to 30d for each color are aligned at the time of startup. Since S41 to S45 are the same as S11 to S16 in FIG. 5 described above, description thereof will be omitted.

  Referring to FIGS. 1 to 16, first, in S46, the rotational speed of cyan photoreceptor 30c is accelerated with respect to the current rotational speed, so that the eccentric position H of cyan coincides with the eccentric position B of black. Control is performed (S46). Here, at the time of activation, the rotational speed is accelerated by causing the current rotational speed to follow the target speed. The target speed is corrected by a predetermined correction amount corresponding to the phase difference (S47).

  FIG. 17 is a diagram showing the target speed, and specifically shows the number of pulse signals that are target values to be output from the encoder 42. The number of pulse signals is inversely proportional to the rotational speed. Therefore, it is 22109 at the low speed immediately after the start of rotation, and gradually decreases as the steady speed is approached, and 3736 at the steady time.

  The predetermined correction amount is changed according to the target speed shown in FIG. Specifically, the target value is changed by dividing by 128, for example. When the target value is 22109, the corresponding target value is 173 from 22109/128, and when the target value is 3736, the corresponding target value is 29 from 3736/128. . Therefore, the predetermined correction amount is a ratio according to the target speed. That is, by using the above correction amount, the eccentric positions D, F, and H of the other colors have the same number of pulses as the eccentric positions D of the other colors, regardless of the correction at any time point from the start to the target speed. It will approach B. Note that the six-stage numerical values shown in FIG. 17 are merely representative numerical values, and the predetermined correction amount is appropriately changed. That is, for example, a predetermined correction amount is changed for a target speed between 22109 and 7933.

  By doing this, even when the target speed changes, the predetermined correction amount can be changed in accordance with the change, so that the predetermined correction amount can be set at a ratio according to the target speed. . As a result, phase alignment can be appropriately performed in a short time even at startup.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the predetermined correction amount is calculated by dividing the target speed by 128 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this and may be divided by an arbitrary value.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described with reference to drawings, this invention is not limited to the thing of embodiment shown in figure. Various modifications and variations can be made to the illustrated embodiment within the same range or equivalent range as the present invention.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a digital multifunction peripheral when an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied to the digital multifunction peripheral. It is the schematic which shows the structure of a part of image formation part. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a yellow toner image forming unit and a yellow main body driving unit. It is a perspective view which shows a detection part. It is a perspective view which shows a detection part. It is a flowchart shown about the case where the phase alignment of the photoreceptor of each color is performed. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a reference location A and an eccentric position B in a black photoconductor. It is a figure which shows the replaced reference location A and the eccentric position B. It is a figure which shows the reference location and eccentric position of the photoreceptor of each color of black, yellow, magenta, and cyan. It is a flowchart shown about other embodiment. It is a figure which shows the change of the rotational speed at the time of making the deceleration amount and the acceleration amount the same. It is a figure which shows the change of the rotational speed at the time of making acceleration amount and deceleration amount the same. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a change in rotational speed when the deceleration amount and acceleration amount of the magenta photoreceptor shown in FIG. 11 are the same, and a lower limit speed is provided. It is a flowchart shown about other embodiment. It is a figure which shows the change of the rotational speed in the case of performing phase alignment by accelerating when the amount of deceleration and the amount of acceleration of the magenta photoconductor are the same. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a case where the eccentric positions of the photoconductors of the respective colors are synchronized and the phase alignment of the photoconductors of the respective colors is performed at the time of activation. It is a figure which shows target speed.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Digital multifunction device, 11 Control part, 12 DRAM, 13 Operation part, 14 Document feeder, 15 Image reading part, 16 Image formation part, 17 Hard disk, 18 FAX communication part, 19 Network IF part, 20 Public line, 21 Network , 22 PC, 26a, 26b, 26c, 26d Toner image forming part, 27a, 27b, 27c, 27d Charging part, 28a, 28b, 28c, 28d Exposure part, 29a, 29b, 29c, 29d Developing part, 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d Photoconductor, 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d Cleaning unit, 32 transfer roller, 33 fixing roller, 34 transfer belt, 35 detection unit, 36 storage unit, 37 main body drive unit, 40 PI sensor, 40a light emitting side member, 40b Light-receiving side member, 41 Light-shielding plate, 42 Encor , 43 motor, 44 flange portion.

Claims (2)

An image forming apparatus comprising a plurality of photoconductors that rotate synchronously in the same direction,
Position detecting means for detecting a predetermined location on the circumference of the photoreceptor;
Storage means for storing a difference between the predetermined location detected by the position detection means and an eccentric position on the circumference of the photoreceptor;
Angle detecting means for detecting the rotation angle of the photosensitive member;
Control means for controlling the eccentric positions on the circumference of the photoconductor to match each other in the plurality of photoconductors by using the difference stored by the storage unit by the angle detection unit;
The plurality of photoconductors include a first photoconductor that serves as a reference for matching the eccentric positions, and a second photoconductor that operates according to the first photoconductor,
The control means determines whether or not the eccentric position of the second photoconductor is separated from the eccentric position of the first photoconductor by a predetermined angle;
Speed changing means for accelerating or decelerating the rotational speed of the second photoconductor in accordance with the result determined by the determining means
The speed changing unit is configured to change the acceleration amount when accelerating the rotation speed of the second photoconductor so that the deceleration amount when decelerating is the same. A method of synchronizing the rotation of a photoconductor that rotates a plurality of photoconductors in the same direction,
Detect a predetermined location on the circumference of the photoconductor,
Using the difference between the detected predetermined location and the pre-stored eccentric position on the circumference of the photoconductor, the eccentric positions on the circumference of the photoconductor are synchronized while rotating the plurality of photoconductors,
When synchronizing, a first photoconductor as a reference for matching the eccentric position and a second photoconductor that operates in accordance with the first photoconductor are selected from a plurality of photoconductors,
Determining whether the eccentric position of the second photoconductor is more than a predetermined angle from the eccentric position of the first photoconductor;
According to the result of the determination, the acceleration or deceleration is performed such that the acceleration amount when accelerating the rotation speed of the second photosensitive member is the same as the deceleration amount when decelerating. Rotation synchronization method.

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