JP5443007B2 - Electronic apparatus and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

    The present invention relates to an electronic device on which a replacement member is detachably mounted.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an electronic apparatus such as an image forming apparatus, when a toner cartridge that is a replacement member is replaced, when the toner cartridge is mounted, the suitability of the toner cartridge is determined in the process of the mounting operation (for example, , See Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2007-140266 (paragraphs 0027 to 45, FIG. 1)

  However, in the conventional apparatus, the suitability of the replacement member is determined in the course of the mounting operation of the replacement member. Therefore, even if the replacement member is not suitable, the operation is performed at least during the mounting process in order to determine it. In order to install a suitable replacement member, it is often accompanied by an extra replacement work.

An electronic device according to the present invention comprises:
An exchange member provided detachably in the electronic device, a storage member provided in the exchange member for storing type information of the exchange member, and a support provided in the electronic device for detachably attaching the exchange member A member, a first information extraction unit that acquires the type information from the storage member of the exchange member attached to the support member, and the type from the storage member of the exchange member that is not attached to the support member. Based on the second information extraction unit that acquires information, the type information obtained by the first information extraction unit, and the type information obtained by the second information extraction unit, the second information extraction unit The replacement member that is not mounted on the support member from which the type information is acquired by the section is the same type as the replacement member that is mounted on the support member from which the type information is acquired by the first information extraction unit Whether or not A type determining means for constant, and a display unit,
The type determining means includes
At the stage when the replacement member has reached the replacement time, a guidance message for prompting replacement of the replacement member is displayed on the display unit,
If the type information cannot be obtained by the second information extraction unit after displaying the guidance sentence for exchanging the exchange member on the display unit, the type information is read by the second information extraction unit. A prompting message is displayed on the display unit .

  An image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes the above-described electronic device, and is characterized in that the type information is application information indicating color difference or color information.

  Before mounting the replacement member, it becomes possible to determine whether the replacement member is suitable. This eliminates the need for a mounting operation for confirming whether or not the mounting is appropriate, and eliminates unnecessary mounting work at the time of replacement.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram for explaining a main configuration of a monochrome printer according to a first embodiment as an image forming apparatus of the present invention. In Embodiment 1, it is a block diagram which shows the principal part structure of a 1st information extraction part and a 2nd information extraction part. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a main part of a control system of a monochrome printer in the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is an image diagram for explaining that a developer storage unit is detachable from an image forming unit main body. FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an operation flow when a developer storage unit is replaced in the monochrome printer according to the first embodiment in which an image forming unit for high image quality is used as illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram for explaining a main configuration of a color printer according to a second embodiment as an image forming apparatus of the present invention. In Embodiment 2, it is a block diagram which shows the principal part structure of a 1st information extraction part. In Embodiment 2, it is a block diagram which shows the principal part structure of a 2nd information extraction part. FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a main configuration of a control system of a color printer in a second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, in a color printer in which four image forming units are used for each of the colors (K), (Y), (M), and (C), the operation when replacing the developer storage unit It is a flowchart which shows a flow.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram for explaining a main configuration of a monochrome printer 1 according to a first embodiment as an image forming apparatus of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the monochrome printer 1 includes a main body 1a and a top cover 1b. In the main body 1a, in order from the upstream side of the conveyance path of the recording medium 2, the recording medium storage unit 3, the paper feed roller 4, the traveling system sensor 5, the first registration roller 6, the traveling system sensor 7, and the second registration roller. 8, a travel system sensor 9, an image forming unit 10 and a transfer roller 14, a fixing unit 15, a travel system sensor 16, and a discharge stacker unit 17 constituting an image forming unit are arranged.

  Note that the meaning of the end symbol (a) in the image forming unit 10 (a), developer storage portion 11 (a), memory tag 12 (a), and photosensitive drum 13 (a) in FIG. explain.

  The recording medium 2 printed by the monochrome printer 1 is stored in a state where a plurality of recording media are stacked by the recording medium storage unit 3. The paper feed roller 4 feeds the recording medium 2 from the recording medium storage unit 3 one by one, and the first registration roller 6 and the second registration roller 8 are fed from the recording medium storage unit 3 by the paper feed roller 4. The recording medium 2 is conveyed to the image forming unit.

  The traveling system sensor 5 and the traveling system sensor 7 installed immediately before the first registration roller 6 and the second registration roller 8 respectively in the conveyance path of the recording medium 2 detect that the recording medium 2 has arrived and detect each registration resist. The traveling system sensor 9 disposed at the subsequent stage of the second registration roller 8 can obtain the operation timing of the roller, and can detect the timing at which the recording medium 2 reaches the image forming unit by detecting the reached recording medium 2. To do.

  The image forming unit 10 that forms an image forming unit together with the transfer roller 14 includes a developer storage unit 11 and a photosensitive drum 13 as replacement members. The developer storage unit 11 stores a developer such as toner, and includes a memory tag 12 as a storage member. The memory tag 12 is a printed circuit board mounted with a non-contact type IC chip, and has a non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM that can be read and written therein, and holds type information such as a use and a destination. The photosensitive drum 13 forms an electrostatic latent image that is developed by a developer such as toner, and holds a toner image to be transferred to the recording medium 2.

  A plurality of types of image forming units 10 are prepared for each application. Here, a case will be described in which two types are prepared, one for high image quality for printing landscape images and the like, and one for characters for printing simple images such as characters. For example, the specifications of the photosensitive drum 13 and the toner to be used are different between the high-quality and the character, so that the developer storage unit 11 that stores the toner can be identified for the time being. Therefore, from here, the image forming unit 10 (a), the developer storage unit 11 (a), the memory tag 12 (a), and the photosensitive drum 13 (a) are used for high image quality, and the image forming unit is used for characters. The unit 10 (b), the developer accommodating portion 11 (b), the memory tag 12 (b), and the photosensitive drum 13 (b) are distinguished from each other by the end codes (a) and (b). However, in the case where it is not necessary to distinguish for explanation, the suffixes (a) and (b) are not added.

  Therefore, in the monochrome printer 1 shown in FIG. 1, the image forming unit 10 (a), the developer storage unit 11 (a), the memory tag 12 (a), and the photosensitive drum 13 (a) for high image quality are used. ) Is used.

The transfer roller 14 is disposed to face the photosensitive drum 13 (a), and the toner image formed on the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 13 (a) of the image forming unit 10 (a) is transferred to the image on the recording medium 2. Transfer to the forming surface. Fixing unit 1 5 causes the toner image formed on the recording medium 2 is fixed by heat and pressure. In the conveyance path of the recording medium 2, the traveling system sensor 16 disposed downstream of the fixing unit 1 5, by detecting the recording medium 2 to which the toner image is fixed, the recording medium 2, and finally delivery stacker It is possible to detect the discharge to the unit 17.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a main configuration of the first information extraction unit 18 and the second information extraction unit 19. The first information extraction unit 18 and the second information extraction unit 19 have the same contents in structure, and are collectively shown in FIG.

  As shown in the figure, the first information extraction unit 18 and the second information extraction unit 19 are configured by a reader / writer control board 101, an antenna board 102, and a cable 103, and the reader / writer control board 101 and the antenna board are connected by the cable 103. 102 is connected. As shown in FIG. 1, the first information extraction unit 18 communicates with the memory tag 12 of the developer storage unit 11 mounted on the top cover unit 1b of the monochrome printer 1 and mounted in the main body unit 1a. The extraction unit 19 is separate from the main unit 1a of the monochrome printer 1 and is disposed at a predetermined position outside the main unit 1a. The developer storage unit is not attached to the main body of the image forming unit 10 as a support member and exists alone. 11 memory tags 12 are communicated.

  The display unit 20 includes a liquid crystal display panel, a switch, and the like, and enables the status display of the monochrome printer 1 and information input operation by the user.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the main configuration of the control system in the monochrome printer 1 of the present embodiment.

  The CPU 21 is a central part that controls each operation of the monochrome printer 1 and executes various processes according to a program for controlling the entire apparatus. A display unit 20, a storage unit 22, a comparison unit 23, a determination unit 24, a first information extraction unit 18, and a second information extraction unit 19 are connected to the CPU 21.

  The storage unit 22 includes a ROM 22a and a RAM 22b. The ROM 22a stores a program for controlling the entire apparatus and necessary data (for example, type information). The RAM 22b is read by the first information extraction unit 18 and the second information extraction unit 19 and the like. The type information of the developer storage unit 11 can be written and read. The comparison unit 23 compares the type information read from the memory tag 12 in the developer storage unit 11 with the type information previously stored in the ROM 22a of the storage unit 22, and the determination unit 24 compares the type information stored in the ROM 22a of the storage unit 22. Based on the result, whether the developer storage unit 11 is correct or not is determined. The CPU 21, the comparison unit 23, and the determination unit 24 correspond to a type determination unit.

  A printing operation performed by the monochrome printer 1 of the present embodiment in the above configuration will be described below.

  When the monochrome printer 1 receives a print instruction from a host controller (not shown), each operation is controlled by the CPU 21 based on the control program, and the print operation is executed. First, the recording medium 2 is conveyed from the recording medium storage unit 3 into the monochrome printer 1 by the mechanical drive system of the paper feed roller 4, the first registration roller 6, and the second registration roller 8. The driving timing of the first registration roller 6 and the second registration roller 8 is determined by detecting the position of the recording medium 2 by the traveling system sensor 5 and the traveling system sensor 7, respectively.

  When the recording medium 2 is detected by the traveling system sensor 9, the surface of the photosensitive drum 13 is uniformly charged by a charging means (not shown), and recording light corresponding to the print data signal from the host controller is not shown. It is exposed from the head. An electrostatic latent image is formed on the exposed surface of the photosensitive drum 13, and a developer such as toner is supplied from the developer storage unit 11 by an electrical suction force to develop the electrostatic latent image. A toner image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 13. This toner image is transferred to the surface of the recording medium 2 conveyed by the transfer roller 14, and the recording medium 2 on which the toner image is formed is conveyed to the fixing unit 15 and fixed by heat and pressure. The recording paper 2 on which the toner image is fixed passes through the discharge sensor 16 and is discharged to the discharge stacker 17.

  Here, the image forming unit 10 mounted on the monochrome printer 1 will be further described. FIG. 4 is an image diagram for explaining that the developer accommodating portion 11 is detachable from the main body of the image forming unit 10.

  The monochrome printer 1 has an image forming unit 10 including a detachable developer accommodating portion 11 and a photosensitive drum 13 inside the apparatus. The image forming unit 10 can be attached to and detached from the monochrome printer 1 by opening and closing the top cover portion 1 b (FIG. 1) of the monochrome printer 1. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the developer accommodating portion 11 itself has a mechanical structure that can be attached to and detached from the image forming unit 10 main body by a stopper or the like. 4A is an image diagram showing a state in which the developer accommodating portion 11 is mounted on the main body of the image forming unit 10, and FIG. 4B is a diagram showing the state where the developer accommodating portion 11 is removed from the main body of the image forming unit 10. It is an image figure which shows the state removed.

  As described above, the image forming unit 10 includes the image forming unit 10 (a) for high image quality for printing landscape images and the like, and the character for printing simple images such as characters. Image forming unit 10 (b). As a matter of course, a combination suitable for each application, that is, the photosensitive drum 13 (a) has a developer accommodating portion 11 (a), and the photosensitive drum 13 (b) has a developer accommodating portion 11 (b). If it is not used correspondingly, problems such as image quality degradation occur.

  Further, the image forming unit 10 including the developer accommodating portion 11 and the photosensitive drum 13 has a predetermined number of printable sheets and is generally called a consumable item. In particular, the developer storage unit 11 has a smaller number of printable sheets. Therefore, if the number of printable sheets is exceeded by repeating the above-described printing operation, the life of the consumable is reached, and a new developer storage unit 11 is required. For this reason, the CPU 21 has a print number measurement function for measuring the number of printed sheets, and the cumulative number of printed sheets obtained by mounting the developer storage unit 11 on the memory tag 12 provided for each developer storage unit 11 is calculated. It is configured to update and record sequentially. As described above, since the user frequently replaces the developer storage unit 11, it is important to manage the developer storage unit 11 according to use and to confirm it in advance.

  These management and prior confirmation methods in the present embodiment will be further described.

  A memory tag 12 is incorporated in the developer storage unit 11, and the memory tag 12 holds application information as type information of the developer storage unit 11 in advance. The developer storage unit 11 (a) has a memory tag 12 (a) having usage information A as high image quality usage information, and the developer storage unit 11 (b) has a memory tag having usage information B as character usage information. 12 (b) are respectively attached. The memory tag 12 is a printed circuit board mounted with a non-contact type IC chip, and is configured such that the type information can be read by the first information extraction unit 18 and the second information extraction unit 19.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the first information extraction unit 18 and the second information extraction unit 19 include a reader / writer control board 101 on which a circuit having a wireless communication function is mounted, a cable 103, and an antenna board 102 that generates a magnetic field. Composed. The reader / writer control board 101 supplies power for generating a magnetic field to the antenna board 102, and reads application information from the memory tag 12 by transmitting / receiving data to / from the memory tag 12. The read usage information is compared with the usage information held in advance in the ROM 22a of the storage unit 22 shown in FIG.

  Thereafter, the usage information read from the developer storage unit 11 mounted in the main body 1a by the first information extraction unit 18 is referred to as first usage information, and is newly prepared by the second information extraction unit 19. The application information read from the developer storage unit 11 is referred to as second application information, and may be distinguished as necessary.

  The first information extraction unit 18 mounted on the top cover unit 1b is removed from the memory tag 12 of the developer storage unit 11 mounted in the main body unit 1a with the top cover unit 1b of the monochrome printer 1 closed. Read first usage information. The first use information read here is compared with the use information stored in advance in the ROM 22a, so that the image forming unit 10 currently used is the image forming unit 10 (a) for high image quality. Alternatively, the image forming unit 10 (b) for character printing (for character use) can be recognized, and this recognition operation is performed when the apparatus power supply is activated or periodically.

  On the other hand, since the second information extraction unit 19 is mounted at a predetermined position outside the main body unit 1a, the second usage information can be read from the developer storage unit 11 that is not mounted on the main body of the image forming unit 10. Become.

  Further, as described above, the CPU 21 manages the cumulative number of printed sheets in the developer storage unit 11 in use via the first information extraction unit 18, and the cumulative number of printed sheets by the developer storage unit 11 becomes a predetermined number. It is determined whether or not the replacement time has been reached, and an operation based on the determination result is commanded as will be described later.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a flow of operations when the developer accommodating portion 11 is replaced in the monochrome printer 1 in which the image forming unit 10 (a) for high image quality is used as shown in FIG. Based on this flowchart, an operation example of the monochrome printer 1 of the first embodiment will be described below.

  As shown in FIG. 1, in the monochrome printer 1 in which the image forming unit 10 (a) for high image quality is mounted, the cumulative number of prints using the currently installed developer storage portion 11 (a) is The CPU 21 (FIG. 3) counts the number of printed sheets and records it in the memory tag 12 (a). By comparing this accumulated number of printed sheets with a predetermined number of sheets, the currently installed developer storage section It is determined whether or not 11 (a) is the replacement time (step S101). If it is determined that it is not yet time for replacement (No in step S101), the monochrome printer 1 performs a standby state or normal printing operation (step S109).

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the currently installed developer storage unit 11 (a) is in the replacement period (step S101, Yes), the display unit 20 is controlled by the CPU 21, and the liquid crystal display panel or the like of the display unit 20 is displayed with “ A message such as “Please change the developer” is displayed (step S102).

  Here, the user newly prepares a replacement developer storage unit 11 (FIG. 1) so that the newly prepared memory tag 12 of the developer storage unit 11 can communicate with the second information extraction unit 19. Prepare to. On the other hand, the second information extraction unit 19 is controlled by the CPU 21, and communication with the memory tag 12 of the developer storage unit 11 prepared by the user is started. The 2nd information extraction part 19 reads use information from the memory tag 12, and the read 2nd use information is memorize | stored in RAM22b by CPU21. The CPU 21 recognizes that the advance check has been performed normally by completing this series of processes (step S103).

  When the advance check is not recognized (step S103, No), that is, when the second use extraction unit 19 cannot read the second usage information of the replacement developer storage unit 11 (FIG. 1), the CPU 21 displays the display unit. 20, a guidance sentence such as “Please collate” is displayed on the liquid crystal display panel or the like of the display unit 20 (step S 105), the process again proceeds to step S 103, and the above-described preliminary check operation is repeated.

  On the other hand, if the advance check is normally performed (Yes in step S103), the CUP 21 stores the usage information of the newly prepared developer storage unit 11 (FIG. 1) stored in the RAM 22b of the storage unit 22 in advance. The usage information A held in the ROM 22a is read (step S104). Here, since it is assumed that the image forming unit 10 (a) for high image quality is used, it is assumed that the usage information A is held in the ROM 22a in advance.

  The second usage information of the newly prepared developer storage unit 11 (FIG. 1) read from the RAM 22b and the high-quality usage usage information A read from the ROM 22a are sent to the comparison unit 23. The comparison result is processed by the determination unit 24, and it is determined whether or not the second usage information of the newly prepared developer storage unit 11 (FIG. 1) is for high image quality (step S106).

Accordingly, here, if the second usage information read by the second information extraction unit 19 is the usage information A, they match (step S106, Yes), the display unit 20 is controlled by the CPU 21, and the liquid crystal display of the display unit 20 is displayed. A guidance text such as “Verification is OK. Please replace” is displayed on the panel (step S107). As a result, the user opens and closes the top cover portion 1b of the monochrome printer 1 to replace the developer storage portion 11 (a). After confirming the replacement of the developer storage unit 11 (a), the monochrome printer 1 performs a standby state or normal printing operation (step S10 9 ).

  On the other hand, in step S106, if the second usage information read by the second information extraction unit 19 (FIG. 1) is usage information B, they do not match (No in step S106), and the CPU 21 controls the display unit 20, A guidance message such as “Verify NG. Please prepare a developer container containing the correct developer” is displayed on the liquid crystal display panel of the display unit 20 (step S108), and the process returns to step S103 to check again (step S103) to collation processing (step S106) are repeated.

  As described above, in this flow, when the developer storage unit currently used reaches the replacement time during printing by the monochrome printer 1, printing is stopped and the user is prompted to replace the developer storage unit. At that time, it is checked whether or not the replacement developer storage section newly prepared by the user is a developer storage section for a predetermined use (here, high-quality use), and so on. If so, the user is prompted to exchange, and if it is of a different use, the user is encouraged to prepare the same use.

  Next, a modification of the present embodiment will be described.

  In the above-described embodiment, the second usage information read from the newly prepared developer storage unit 11 (FIG. 1) and the usage information stored in advance in the ROM 22a of the storage unit 22 (the usage information A in the above example). The comparison by the comparison unit 23 determines whether or not the newly prepared developer storage unit 11 is suitable for replacement. In this modification, the currently installed developer storage unit The first usage information 11 (a) and the second usage information read from the newly prepared developer storage unit 11 (FIG. 1) are directly compared. Since other operations and configurations in this modification are the same as those of the monochrome printer 1 of the first embodiment, different points will be mainly described here.

In this modification, the first usage information (read from the memory tag 12 of the developer storage unit 11 mounted in the main body 1a in the recognition operation performed when the apparatus power supply is started or periodically performed ( In the above example, the first use information A) is temporarily stored in the RAM 22b of the storage unit 22, and the newly prepared developer storage stored in the RAM 22b of the storage unit 22 in step S104 of the flowchart shown in FIG. Second usage information of the unit 11 (FIG. 1) and first usage information of the developer storage unit 11 mounted in the main body 1a previously stored in the RAM 22b of the storage unit 22 (first example in the above example). Application information A) is read out, and in step S106, the application information is compared by the comparison unit 23, and the newly prepared developer storage unit 11 (FIG. 1) is mounted in the main body 1a. Determines whether of the same applications as the developer accommodating portion being. In this modification, processes other than the above-described steps S104 and S106 are performed in the same manner as the content of the flowchart of FIG.

  Therefore, in this modification, when the developer storage unit currently used reaches the replacement time during printing by the monochrome printer 1, printing is stopped and the user is prompted to replace the developer storage unit. At this time, whether or not the replacement developer storage unit 11 newly prepared by the user has the same application as that of the developer storage unit 11 currently installed in the main body 1a. If it is, the user is prompted to exchange, and if it is of a different use, the user is encouraged to prepare the same use.

  In the present embodiment, the second information extraction unit 19 is separated from the main body 1a of the monochrome printer 1 and is disposed at a predetermined position outside the main body 1a. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Even if it is integrated with the main body 1a, it may be installed anywhere as long as it can be easily confirmed in advance.

Further, in the present embodiment, cumulative printing is performed by sequentially updating and recording the cumulative number of prints with the developer accommodating portion 11 attached to the memory tag 12 provided for each developer accommodating portion 11. Although that manages the number is not limited to this, after mounting the developer accommodating portion 11, so long as it does not replace to exchange date, may simply be to manage the number of printed sheets after installation .

  In the present embodiment, the configuration of the second information extraction unit 19 is a reader / writer that performs wireless communication. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, application information is provided on the outer wall of the developer storage unit 11. It is good also as a structure which affixes the barcode which recorded and read the barcode information. Furthermore, character information such as the product number and code of the developer storage unit 11 may be input by, for example, an information input operation on the display unit 20, and the determination may be made based on the input information.

  Further, in the modification of the present embodiment, the usage information of the replacement part currently mounted (developer storage part 11 (a)) and the replacement part (developer storage part 11) to be replaced in the future is displayed. Whether or not replacement is possible is determined by comparison, but is not limited to this. For example, when shipping replacement parts for the first time after shipping from a factory or the like, it is compared with information stored in the printer at the time of shipment. Alternatively, when the information is not stored, various modes may be taken, such as not making a notification of non-compliance of wearing without comparison.

  As described above, according to the apparatus of the present embodiment, when the developer accommodating portion 11 is replaced, the newly prepared replacement developer accommodating portion 11 is not attached to the image forming unit 10 alone. Since it can be determined whether or not it is suitable for replacement in the existing state, the replacement work accompanied by the check can be performed without complicated and troublesome work.

  Further, according to the modification of the present embodiment, the replacement part (for example, the developer storage unit 11) is compared with the usage information of the replacement part currently mounted (for example, the developer storage unit 11 (a)). Because it is determined whether it is appropriate or not, for devices that can be equipped with multiple replacement parts, regardless of the type of parts that are installed, only replacement parts that have the same usage as the parts that are already installed are suitable for replacement. It becomes possible to judge as.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
FIG. 6 is a schematic configuration diagram for explaining a main configuration of the color printer 201 according to the second embodiment as the image forming apparatus of the present invention.

  This color printer 201 is mainly different from the monochrome printer 1 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 described above in that the image forming unit 210K for black (K), the image forming unit 210Y for yellow (Y), and the magenta The four image forming units of the (M) image forming unit 210M and the cyan (C) image forming unit 210C are sequentially arranged from the upstream side of the sheet conveyance path, and accordingly, the corresponding four transfer operations. The rollers 214K, 214Y, 214M, and 214C and the conveyor belt unit 250 are provided, the alarm devices 215K, 215Y, 215M, and 215C are added, and the image quality is a single image quality. Therefore, in this color printer 201, parts common to the monochrome printer 1 of the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, or the description is omitted by omitting the drawings, and different points are mainly described.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the color printer 201 includes a main body portion 201a and a top cover portion 201b. In the main body 201a, a recording medium storage unit 3, a paper feed roller 4, a travel system sensor 5, a first registration roller 6, a travel system sensor 7, a second registration roller 8, a travel system sensor 9, and an image forming unit are configured. The four image forming units 210K, 210Y, 210M, and 210C (the image forming unit 210 is used when there is no need to distinguish between them) and the transfer rollers 214K, 214Y, 214M, and 214C (when there is no need to distinguish between them). The transfer roller 210), the fixing unit 15, the travel system sensor 16, and the discharge stacker unit 17 are sequentially arranged from the upstream side of the conveyance path of the recording medium 2. Further, a conveyance belt unit 250 having a conveyance belt 251 for conveying the recording medium 2 is provided in the conveyance path where the four transfer rollers and the transfer rollers are arranged to face each other.

  The image forming units 210K, 210Y, 210M, and 210C that form the image forming unit together with the transfer rollers 214K, 214Y, 214M, and 214C are respectively developer storage units 211K, 211Y, 211M, and 211C (when there is no need to distinguish between them). And a photosensitive drum 213K, 213Y, 213M, 213C (referred to as a photosensitive drum 213 if there is no need to distinguish between them). The developer storage units 211K, 211Y, 211M, and 211C store developers such as black (K), yellow (Y), magenta (M), and cyan (C) toner, respectively, and memory tags 212K and 212Y. , 212M, 212C (when there is no need to distinguish between them, the memory tag 212 is provided). Each memory tag is a printed circuit board mounted with a non-contact type IC chip, and has a nonvolatile memory such as an EEPROM that can be read and written therein, and holds type information such as color, usage, destination, and the like. Each of the photosensitive drums 213 is formed with an electrostatic latent image that is developed with a developer such as toner that differs for each color, and holds a toner image to be transferred to the recording medium 2.

  Each of the transfer rollers 214K, 214Y, 214M, and 214C is disposed to face the photosensitive drums 213K, 213Y, 213M, and 213C via the conveyance belt 251, and each of the photosensitive drums 213K, 213Y, 213M, and 213C is disposed. The toner images of the respective colors formed on the outer peripheral surface are sequentially transferred onto the image forming surface of the recording medium 2 conveyed by the conveying belt 251.

  FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the main configuration of the first information extraction unit 268, and FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the main configuration of the second information extraction unit 269.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the first information extraction unit 268 includes a reader / writer control board 301, four cables 303K, 303Y, 303M, and 303C (the cable 303 is used when there is no need to distinguish between them), and four The antenna boards 302K, 302Y, 302M, and 302C (the antenna board 302 is used when there is no need to distinguish between them) are connected to the reader / writer control 301 and the corresponding antenna board 302 by the cables 303, respectively. Has been. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 8, the second information extraction unit 269 includes a reader / writer control board 351, a cable 353, and an antenna board 352, and the reader / writer control board 351 and the antenna board 352 are connected by the cable 353. ing.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the first information extraction unit 268 is mounted on the top cover unit 201b of the color printer 201 and communicates with the memory tags 212 of the four developer storage units 211 mounted in the main body unit 201a. However, the second information extraction unit 269 is arranged separately from the main body 201a of the color printer 201 and is disposed at a predetermined position outside the main body 201a. It communicates with the memory tag 212 of the existing developer container 211 (see FIG. 8).

  The display unit 20 is configured by a liquid crystal display panel, a switch, and the like, and enables display of the status of the color printer 201 and information input operation by the user. The notification units 215K, 215Y, 215M and 215C (FIG. 6) are installed corresponding to the vicinity in which the image forming units 210K, 210Y, 210M, and 210C are disposed, and are configured by, for example, light emitting diodes.

  FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the main configuration of the control system in the color printer 201 of the present embodiment.

  The CPU 421 is a central part that controls each operation of the color printer 201, and executes various processes according to a program for controlling the entire apparatus. A first information extraction unit 268, a second information extraction unit 269, a display unit 20, a storage unit 422, a comparison unit 423, a determination unit 424, and a notification unit 215 are connected to the CPU 421.

  The storage unit 422 includes a ROM 422a and a RAM 422b. The ROM 422a stores a program for controlling the entire apparatus, and the RAM 422b stores the type information of the developer storage unit 211 read by the first information extraction unit 268, the second information extraction unit 269, and the like. Writing or reading is possible. The comparison unit 423 uses the first information extraction unit 268 to newly read the type information read from the memory tag 212 in the developer storage unit 211 mounted in the main body unit 201a, and the second information extraction unit 269 to newly The type information read from the memory tag 212 in the prepared developer storage unit 211 is compared, and the determination unit 424 determines whether the developer storage unit 411 is correct based on the comparison result by the comparison unit 423. .

  A printing operation performed by the color printer 201 of the present embodiment in the above configuration will be further described.

  The color printer 201 includes four image forming units 210 each including a developer storage unit 211 and a photosensitive drum 213 inside the apparatus. The arrangement order of the image forming units 210 is, for example, the order of black (K), yellow (Y), magenta (M), and cyan (C) from the upstream side of the apparatus. Since the four developer storage portions 211 are arranged in this way, the replacement of the developer storage portion 211 may occur simultaneously in two to four ranges. Further, the main body of the image forming unit 210 and the developer storage portion 211 must be combined for the same color and arranged at predetermined positions for the respective colors. When these are used in a combination of different colors, problems such as image quality degradation occur.

  Each image forming unit 210 has a predetermined number of printable sheets and is generally referred to as a consumable item. In particular, the developer storage unit 211 has a smaller number of printable sheets, and thus the printing operation is repeated. When the number of printable sheets is exceeded, the life of the consumables is reached, and a new developer storage unit 211 is required. For this reason, the CPU 421 has a print number measurement function for measuring the number of prints, and the cumulative number of printed sheets when the developer storage unit 211 is attached to the memory tag 212 provided for each developer storage unit 211. Are sequentially updated and recorded. As described above, since the user frequently replaces the developer storage unit, it is important to manage the developer storage unit 211 according to use and to confirm it in advance.

  These management and prior confirmation methods in the present embodiment will be further described.

  Each developer storage unit 211 has a memory tag 212 incorporated therein, and each memory tag 212 previously holds color information as type information of the corresponding developer storage unit 211. Here, black color information is color information (K), yellow color information is color information (Y), magenta color information is color information (M), and cyan color information is color information (C). The memory tag 212 is a printed circuit board mounted with a non-contact type IC chip, and is configured such that the type information can be read by the first information extraction unit 268 and the second information extraction unit 269.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the first information extraction unit 268 includes a reader / writer control board 301 on which a circuit having a wireless communication function is mounted, a cable 303, and an antenna board 302 that generates a magnetic field. The reader / writer control board 301 supplies electric power for generating a magnetic field to the antenna board 302, and transmits / receives data to / from the memory tag 212 in the developer storage section 211 mounted in the main body section 201a. Read color information from the tag. The read color information is temporarily held in the RAM 422 b of the storage unit 422 shown in FIG. 9 and then sent to the comparison unit 423.

  Similarly, the second information extraction unit 269 includes a reader / writer control board 351 on which a circuit having a wireless communication function is mounted, a cable 363, and an antenna board 362 that generates a magnetic field, as shown in FIG. The reader / writer control board 351 supplies power to generate a magnetic field to the antenna board 363, and transmits / receives data to / from the memory tag 212 in the newly prepared developer storage unit 211, whereby the color information from the memory tag is obtained. Can be read out. The read color information is temporarily held in the RAM 422 b of the storage unit 422 shown in FIG. 9 and then sent to the comparison unit 423. Since the second information extraction unit 269 is mounted at a predetermined position outside the main body unit 201a, the type information (color information) can be read from each developer storage unit 211 before being installed inside the apparatus. .

  Thereafter, the color information read from the developer storage unit 211 mounted in the main body 201a by the first information extraction unit 268 is referred to as first color information, and is newly prepared by the second information extraction unit 269. The color information read from the developer storage unit 211 is referred to as second color information and may be distinguished as necessary.

  FIG. 10 shows a developer container in the color printer 201 in which four image forming units 211 are used for each of the colors (K), (Y), (M), and (C) as shown in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of operation | movement at the time of replacement | exchange. Based on this flowchart, an operation example of the color printer 201 according to the first embodiment will be described below.

  As shown in FIG. 6, in the color printer 201 in which each image forming unit 211 is mounted, the cumulative number of printed sheets using the currently installed developer storage unit 211 is determined by the print number measurement function of the CPU 421. It is counted and recorded in each memory tag 212. By comparing this cumulative number of printed sheets with a predetermined number of sheets, it is determined whether or not the currently installed developer storage section is in the replacement period (step S201). If it is determined that it is not yet time for replacement (No at Step S201), the color printer 201 performs a standby state or normal printing operation (Step S220).

  On the other hand, when it is determined that any of the currently installed developer storage units 211 is the replacement time (step S201, Yes), the first information extraction unit 268 is controlled by the CPU 201, and the developer storage is the replacement time. For example, if the read color information is yellow (Y), it is recognized that the developer storage unit 211Y is in the replacement period, and the first color information (Y ) Is once recorded in the RAM 422b of the storage unit 422 (step S202).

  When the developer storage unit 211 that needs to be replaced is specified in this way, the display unit 20 is controlled by the CPU 421, and a guidance such as “Please replace the XX color developer” is displayed on the liquid crystal display panel of the display unit 20. A sentence is displayed (step S203).

  Here, the user newly prepares a developer storage unit 211 (FIG. 6) for replacement of the designated color, and the newly prepared memory tag 212 of the developer storage unit 211 is connected to the second information extraction unit 269. Prepare to be able to communicate. On the other hand, the CPU 421 controls the second information extraction unit 269 to start communication with the memory tag 212 of the developer storage unit 211 prepared by the user. The second information extraction unit 269 reads the second color information from the memory tag 212, and the read second color information is stored in the RAM 422b by the CPU 421. The CPU 421 recognizes that the advance check has been performed normally by completing this series of processes (step S204).

  When the advance check is not recognized (No in step S204), that is, when the second information extraction unit 269 cannot read the second color information in the replacement developer storage unit 211 (FIG. 6), the CPU 421 displays the display unit. 20 to display a guidance text such as “please check” on the liquid crystal display panel of the display unit 20 to prompt a prior check (step S205), and then the process proceeds to step S204 again to perform the above-described prior check. Repeat the operation.

  On the other hand, if the advance check is normally performed (step S204, Yes), the CUP 421 determines that black (in accordance with the color of the second color information in the developer storage unit 211 (FIG. 6) newly prepared for replacement. If K), the process proceeds to step S207. If yellow (Y), the process proceeds to step S208. If magenta (M), the process proceeds to step S209. If cyan (C), the process proceeds to step S210 (step S206).

  Next, the second color information read by the second information extraction unit 269 in step S204 and the first color information read by the first information extraction unit 268 in step S202 are compared from the RAM 422b of the storage unit 422. 423, the comparison unit 423 compares the first and second color information, and the determination unit 424 stores a new developer for the color to be replaced by the newly prepared replacement developer storage unit 211. It is determined whether or not it is a unit 211 (steps S207 to S210).

  When the first color information read by the first information extraction unit 268 matches the second color information read by the second information extraction unit 269, the newly prepared replacement developer storage unit 211 is provided. Then, it is determined that the developer storage unit 211 needs to be replaced (step S207 to step S210, Yes), and the notification unit 215 (FIG. 9) stores the corresponding developer storage unit 211 in the color printer 201. The indicator (LED) 215K, 215Y, 215M, 215C (FIG. 6) arranged in the vicinity is turned on to indicate to the user the developer storage unit 211 that needs to be replaced (steps S211 to S214). The display unit 20 is controlled, and a guidance message such as “Verification is OK. Please replace” is displayed on the liquid crystal display panel of the display unit 20 (step S215 to step S215). Flop S218), the process proceeds to step S201 again, the developer accommodating portion 211 of all the colors that come to exchange timing until the new exchange, a series of processes is repeated.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the newly prepared replacement developer storage unit 211 is not the developer storage unit 211 that needs to be replaced (step S207 to step S210, No), the CPU 421 displays the display unit 20. Is displayed on the liquid crystal display panel of the display unit 20 and a guidance message such as “Check NG. Please prepare the correct developer” is displayed, and the process proceeds to step S204 again, and the check process (step S204) to The collation process (steps S207 to S210) is repeated.

  As described above, in this flow, when printing is performed by the color printer 201, when any of the currently used developer storage units reaches the replacement time, printing is stopped and the developer storage unit that needs to be replaced. The user is prompted to replace it by specifying the toner color. At that time, it is checked whether or not the replacement developer storage unit newly prepared by the user is for a color that requires replacement, and if so, a plurality of arrangements are arranged. Among the developer storage units that have been displayed, a display indicating the developer storage unit that needs to be replaced is displayed and the user is prompted to replace it. If not, the user is prompted to prepare one for the same color.

  In the present embodiment, the second information extraction unit 269 is arranged separately from the main body 201a of the color printer 201 and disposed at a predetermined position outside the main body 201a. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Even if it is integrated with the main body 201a, it may be installed anywhere as long as it is easy to carry out prior confirmation.

  In addition, the configuration of the second information extraction unit 269 is a reader / writer that performs wireless communication. However, the configuration is not limited to this. For example, a barcode that records color information on the outer wall of the developer storage unit 211 is used. It is good also as a structure which affixes and reads the barcode information. Furthermore, character information such as the product number and code of the developer storage unit 211 may be input by, for example, an information input operation on the display unit 20, and the determination may be made based on the input information.

  As described above, according to the apparatus of the present embodiment, when the developer container 211 is replaced, the newly prepared developer container 211 for replacement is not attached to the image forming unit 210 alone. Since it can be determined whether or not it is suitable for replacement in the existing state, the replacement work accompanied by the check can be performed without complicated and troublesome work. In addition, even when a plurality of replacements are required at the same time, the notification unit 215 can prompt the user to locate the developer storage unit 42 that needs to be replaced.

  In this embodiment, an example in which the present invention is applied to a tandem image forming apparatus has been described. However, the present invention can also be applied to an electronic apparatus having a replacement member that needs to be replaced periodically.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Monochrome printer, 1a Main body part, 1b Top cover part, 2 Recording medium, 3 Recording medium storage part, 4 Paper feed roller, 5 Traveling system sensor, 6 1st registration roller, 7 Traveling system sensor, 8 2nd registration roller, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 9 Traveling system sensor, 10 Image forming unit, 11 Developer storage part, 12 Memory tag, 13 Photosensitive drum, 14 Transfer roller, 15 Fixing part, 16 Traveling system sensor, 17 Discharge stacker part, 18 1st information extraction part, 19 Second information extraction unit, 20 display unit, 21 CPU, 22 storage unit, 22a ROM, 22b RAM, 23 comparison unit, 24 determination unit, 101 reader / writer control board, 102 antenna board, 103 cable, 201 color printer, 210 Image forming unit, 211 development Storage unit, 212 Memory tag, 213 Photosensitive drum, 214 Transfer roller, 215 Notifying unit, 215K, 215Y, 215M, 215C Alarm, 250 Conveying belt unit, 251 Conveying belt, 268 First information extracting unit, 269 Second information Extraction unit, 301 reader / writer control, 302 antenna board, 303 cable, 351 reader / writer control board, 352 antenna board, 353 cable, 421 CPU, 422 storage unit, 422a ROM, 422b RAM, 423 comparison unit, 424 determination unit.

Claims (5)

An exchange member detachably provided in the electronic device;
A storage member that is provided in the replacement member and stores type information of the replacement member;
A support member provided in the electronic device and detachably mounted on the replacement member;
A first information extraction unit that acquires the type information from the storage member of the exchange member mounted on the support member;
A second information extraction unit that acquires the type information from the storage member of the replacement member that is not mounted on the support member;
The support member from which the type information is acquired by the second information extraction unit based on the type information obtained by the first information extraction unit and the type information obtained by the second information extraction unit Type determination means for determining whether or not the replacement member that is not mounted to the same type as the replacement member that is mounted to the support member from which the type information is acquired by the first information extraction unit; ,
Display and
With
The type determining means includes
At the stage when the replacement member has reached the replacement time, a guidance message for prompting replacement of the replacement member is displayed on the display unit,
If the type information cannot be obtained by the second information extraction unit after displaying the guidance sentence for exchanging the exchange member on the display unit, the type information is read by the second information extraction unit. An electronic device characterized in that a prompting message is displayed on the display unit.   The type determination means determines whether or not the type information obtained by the first information extraction unit and the type information obtained by the second information extraction unit are the same. The replacement member that is not attached to the support member from which the type information is acquired by the second information extraction unit is attached to the support member from which the type information is acquired by the first information extraction unit. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device is determined to be of the same type as the exchange member.   An informing unit is provided in the vicinity of the support member, and an informing unit for informing the user of the replacement position of the exchanging member by the informing device when the determination result of the type determining unit is the same. Item 4. The electronic device according to Item 3.   A monochrome image forming apparatus comprising the electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the type information is application information indicating a difference in image quality.   An image forming apparatus comprising the electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the type information is color information.

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