JP5802099B2 - Image forming apparatus and image forming method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and an image forming method, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus having a function of determining whether or not a replacement part is a non-genuine product, and an image forming method in the image forming apparatus.

  Replacement parts such as photoconductor drums, transfer belts, and toner cartridges used in image forming devices such as multifunction peripherals are supplied with genuine supplies by the device manufacturers to guarantee print quality. There are an increasing number of cases where third parties other than manufacturers sell supplies as compatible parts. Although the compatible parts are supplied at a low price, the printing quality is not guaranteed at all, and the equipment is not maintained by the seller of the compatible parts. Further, the image forming apparatus itself is not designed to support even non-genuine supplies. Therefore, when a non-genuine product is used, printing blurring, fogging, and the like are remarkably generated due to environmental conditions such as high temperature / high humidity, low temperature / low humidity, and print quality is deteriorated.

  For example, when non-genuine toner is used in the image forming apparatus, the toner characteristics and the development bias are not sufficiently set, so the amount of toner adhering to the photosensitive drum increases and fogging occurs on the recording paper. There is.

  In addition, if the non-genuine toner does not match the settings of the image forming apparatus main body, the toner transferred onto the recording paper is not sufficiently melted at the fixing unit, and the toner does not adhere to the recording paper. The character may be crushed because it is melted too much at the part. As described above, when the toner characteristics and the heating temperature of the fixing unit are not appropriate (more specifically, when the heating temperature of the toner and the fixing unit does not coincide with each other), the toner adheres to the heating roller. In other words, the recording paper to be printed is soiled, or the toner adheres to the pressure roller side so that the front and back of the recording paper are soiled.

  To deal with such a problem, for example, Patent Document 1 describes an image forming apparatus that can identify whether or not a replacement part is a genuine product. The image forming apparatus reads the toner manufacturer company name information from the memory tag built in the toner cartridge, compares the read company name information with the company name information stored in advance, and if they match, the image forming apparatus is attached. The toner cartridge is determined to be a genuine product, the company name information is displayed on the display unit, and the image density correction operation is executed. If they do not match, the installed toner cartridge is a non-genuine product. The company name information is not displayed on the display unit, and the image density correction operation is not executed.

  Patent Document 2 describes an image forming apparatus that can select a first mode that presumes the use of genuine consumables and a second mode that permits the use of non-genuine consumables. The image forming apparatus includes: a consumables determination unit that determines whether a mounted consumable is genuine or non-genuine; a print job reception unit that receives a print instruction; and a print job reception when the first mode is selected. If the consumables used to reproduce the color instructed to print by means include consumables determined to be non-genuine by the consumables determination means, without using the consumables determined to be non-genuine, An image is formed using only consumables determined to be genuine.

JP 2010-266588 A JP 2009-300694 A

  However, the above-described fog generation rate when non-genuine toner is used in the image forming apparatus increases because the image density increases as the temperature and humidity increase, and the printing rate increases. As it becomes, it tends to increase.

  In fact, in general documents, the toner adhesion area (printing rate) with respect to the entire area of the recording paper is 5 to 6%. Therefore, when black and white reversal printing is performed, the ratio of the toner adhesion area to the area of the entire recording paper is large. As a result, the amount of toner adhering to the heating roller in the fixing unit increases and a good image cannot be obtained. In addition, if the toner on the recording paper is not firmly fixed due to an increase in the toner amount, there is a problem of toner contamination such that the toner adheres to the user's hand or the toner scatters.

  Note that the above-described fogging is not possible even when non-genuine toner is used in the image forming apparatus, and when non-genuine products are used for replacement parts other than toner. There is a possibility that it increases as the printing rate increases.

  By the way, since the above-mentioned supplies are exchanged or replenished by an administrator, the general user is printing as if good printing is performed. Therefore, it is known in advance that when an ordinary user performs black-and-white reversal printing using an image forming apparatus equipped with non-genuine replacement parts, the fog generation rate increases as the printing rate increases. Therefore, it is necessary to perform printing that does not reverse black and white by re-operation, or to perform printing after replacing the supply with a genuine product, resulting in unnecessary labor, recording paper, and power. End up.

  In contrast, the techniques described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 described above prohibit image density correction because it is impossible to perform good printing when it is detected that the toner cartridge is a non-genuine product, Alternatively, when high image quality is required, printing is performed using only genuine products without using non-genuine products, but no consideration is given to the relationship between the non-genuine products and the printing rate. In addition, when a non-genuine product is used, a method of prohibiting the printing operation is conceivable. However, if the prohibition is uniformly performed, the user's convenience is greatly impaired.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances. Even when non-genuine replacement parts are used, an increase in the printing rate is suppressed without impairing the user's convenience, and fogging is prevented. An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of preventing occurrence and preventing fouling of a fixing unit and scattering of unfixed toner, and an image forming method in the image forming apparatus.

In order to solve the above problems, the first technical means of the present invention includes an image forming unit that forms an image, a non-genuine product determination unit that determines whether or not a replacement part of the image forming unit is a non-genuine product, An image forming apparatus comprising: an operation receiving unit that receives a user operation including an operation for setting an image forming condition; and a control unit that controls image formation in the image forming unit based on an image forming condition set from the operation receiving unit. When the non-genuine product determination unit determines that the replacement part of the image forming unit is a non-genuine product, the control unit is configured to perform black and white reversal printing among the image forming condition setting operations. Only the setting operation is prohibited.

  According to a second technical means, in the first technical means, the replacement part of the image forming unit is a toner cartridge.

According to a third technical means, in the first or second technical means, the operation accepting unit has a function of displaying a setting item including an item of black-and-white reversal printing, and the control unit is provided in the image forming unit. When it is determined that the replacement part is a non-genuine product, the setting item is displayed on the operation receiving unit in a state where the black-and-white reversed printing item is masked.

According to a fourth technical means, in the first or second technical means, the operation receiving unit has a function of displaying a setting item including an item of black-and-white reversal printing, and the control unit is provided in the image forming unit. When the replacement part is determined to be a non-genuine product, among the setting items to be displayed on the operation reception unit, the black and white reversed printing item is hidden.

The fifth technical means includes: an image forming unit that forms an image; a control unit that controls image formation in the image forming unit based on set image forming conditions; and replacement parts of the image forming unit are non-genuine products An image forming method using an image forming apparatus including a non-genuine product determination unit that determines whether or not a replacement part of the image forming unit is a non-genuine product. A determining step to perform, and when the replacement part of the image forming unit is determined to be a non-genuine product in the determining step, only a setting operation for performing black and white reversal printing among the setting operations of the image forming condition And an image forming step in which the image forming unit forms an image based on the set image forming conditions.

  According to the present invention, when it is determined that a replacement part other than a genuine part supplied by the manufacturer (that is, a non-genuine replacement part) is used in the image forming apparatus, the black / white reversal increases the toner adhesion rate. Even if non-genuine replacement parts are used to prevent printing, the increase in the printing rate is suppressed, thereby preventing an increase in the amount of toner adhering to the recording paper and preventing fogging. This makes it possible to prevent contamination of the fixing portion and scattering of unfixed toner. In addition, this eliminates the need to perform reprinting without black / white reversal printing or printing after replacing the supplies with genuine ones, resulting in additional labor, recording paper, and power. It will never be. In addition, according to the present invention, when a non-genuine product is used, a process of uniformly prohibiting a printing operation is not performed, so that convenience for the user is not impaired.

1 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment in which an image forming apparatus according to the present invention is configured as a multifunction peripheral. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary configuration of a main part of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention and an information processing apparatus connected thereto. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a toner cartridge that is a replacement part. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of black and white reversal printing by an image forming apparatus. It is a flowchart for demonstrating an example of the image forming method by the image forming apparatus of this invention. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the other example of the image forming method by the image forming apparatus of this invention. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an appearance of an operation panel included in the image forming apparatus. FIG. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of an initial screen in a copy mode displayed on the operation panel of FIG. 7. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a setting screen when a “special function” button is selected from the initial screen of FIG. 8. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a setting screen displayed when an “image editing” button is selected from the setting screen of FIG. 9 when the toner cartridge is a genuine product. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a setting screen displayed when an “image editing” button is selected from the setting screen of FIG. 9 when the toner cartridge is a non-genuine product.

  DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of an image forming apparatus and an image forming method of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment in which an image forming apparatus according to the present invention is configured as a multifunction peripheral, and illustrates an example of an image forming apparatus configured as a multifunction peripheral having a scanner function.
The image forming apparatus 100 forms an image on recording paper by transmitting image data transmitted from the outside or read by a scanner (image reading means), and includes an apparatus main body 130 and an automatic document processing apparatus 120.

The apparatus main body 130 includes an exposure unit 1, a developing device 2, a photosensitive drum 3, a cleaner unit 4, a charger 5, an intermediate transfer belt unit 6, a fixing unit 7, a paper feed cassette 81, a paper discharge tray 91, and the like.
A document placing table 92 made of transparent glass is provided on the upper portion of the apparatus main body 130, and an automatic document processing device 120 that automatically conveys the document to the document placing table 92 is attached on the upper side. The automatic document processing device 120 is configured to be rotatable in the direction of arrow M, and the document can be placed manually by opening the document table 92.

  The apparatus main body 130 has an image reading unit 90 accommodated in a housing. The image reading means 90 is a reduction optical system image reading means composed of a light source unit 93 that holds the light source and the first mirror, a mirror unit 94 that holds the second and third mirrors, and a lens and the CCD 95. . In addition, the apparatus main body 130 is provided with an operation panel (not shown) so that a user can input an operation. Further, the apparatus main body 130 includes means for inputting image data from an externally connected apparatus, or means for reading image data from a portable recording medium (none of which is shown).

  The image data handled in the image forming apparatus 100 corresponds to, for example, four color images of black (K), cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y). Accordingly, four each of the developing device 2, the photosensitive drum (image carrier) 3, the charger 5, and the cleaner unit 4 are provided so as to form four types of latent images corresponding to the respective colors. An image station is configured.

The charger 5 is a charging means for uniformly charging the surface of the photosensitive drum 3 to a predetermined potential. In addition to the charger type as shown in FIG. 1, a contact type roller type or brush type charger is used. Sometimes used.
The exposure unit 1 is configured as a laser scanning unit (LSU) provided with a laser emitting portion, a reflection mirror, and the like. The exposure unit 1 includes a polygon mirror that scans a laser beam and optical elements such as a lens and a mirror for guiding the laser beam reflected by the polygon mirror to the photosensitive drum 3. In addition, as the exposure unit 1, for example, a method using an EL or LED writing head in which light emitting elements are arranged in an array can be employed.

  The exposure unit 1 has a function of forming an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image data on the surface thereof by exposing the charged photosensitive drum 3 according to the input image data. The developing unit 2 visualizes the electrostatic latent images formed on the respective photosensitive drums 3 with toners of four colors (Y, M, C, K). The cleaner unit 4 removes and collects toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 3 after development and image transfer.

The intermediate transfer belt unit 6 disposed above the photosensitive drum 3 includes an intermediate transfer belt 61, an intermediate transfer belt driving roller 62, an intermediate transfer belt driven roller 63, an intermediate transfer roller 64, and an intermediate transfer belt cleaning unit 65. I have. Four intermediate transfer rollers 64 are provided corresponding to each color of Y, M, C, and K.
The intermediate transfer belt driving roller 62, the intermediate transfer belt driven roller 63, and the intermediate transfer roller 64 are driven to rotate while the intermediate transfer belt 61 is stretched. Each intermediate transfer roller 64 provides a transfer bias for transferring the toner image on the photosensitive drum 3 onto the intermediate transfer belt 61.

  The intermediate transfer belt 61 is provided in contact with each photosensitive drum 3. Then, the color toner images (multicolor toner images) are formed on the intermediate transfer belt 61 by sequentially superimposing and transferring the respective color toner images formed on the photosensitive drum 3 onto the intermediate transfer belt 61. The intermediate transfer belt 61 is formed in an endless shape using, for example, a film having a thickness of about 100 μm to 150 μm.

  Transfer of the toner image from the photosensitive drum 3 to the intermediate transfer belt 61 is performed by an intermediate transfer roller 64 that is in contact with the back side of the intermediate transfer belt 61. A high-voltage transfer bias (a high voltage having a polarity (+) opposite to the toner charging polarity (−)) is applied to the intermediate transfer roller 64 in order to transfer the toner image. The intermediate transfer roller 64 is a roller whose base is a metal (for example, stainless steel) shaft having a diameter of 8 to 10 mm and whose surface is covered with a conductive elastic material (for example, EPDM, urethane foam, or the like). With this conductive elastic material, a high voltage can be uniformly applied to the intermediate transfer belt 61. In this configuration example, a roller shape is used as the transfer electrode, but a brush or the like can also be used.

  The electrostatic images visualized according to the hues on the photosensitive drums 3 as described above are stacked on the intermediate transfer belt 61. The stacked electrostatic images are transferred onto the recording sheet by the rotation of the intermediate transfer belt 61 by a transfer roller 10 which is a secondary transfer mechanism unit disposed at a contact position between the sheet and the intermediate transfer belt 61 described later. The The secondary transfer mechanism is not limited to a transfer roller, and a corona charger or a transfer belt can also be used.

  At this time, the intermediate transfer belt 61 and the transfer roller 10 are pressed against each other at a predetermined nip, and a voltage for transferring the toner onto the paper is applied to the transfer roller 10 (the polarity opposite to the toner charging polarity (−)). (+) High voltage). Further, in order to obtain the nip constantly, the transfer roller 10 uses either the transfer roller 10 or the intermediate transfer belt drive roller 62 as a hard material (metal or the like) and the other as a soft material (elasticity such as an elastic roller). Rubber roller, foaming resin roller, etc.).

  Further, as described above, the toner adhered to the intermediate transfer belt 61 by contacting the photosensitive drum 3 or the toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 61 without being transferred to the recording paper by the transfer roller 10 is used in the next step. Therefore, the intermediate transfer belt cleaning unit 65 is configured to remove and collect the toner. The intermediate transfer belt cleaning unit 65 includes a cleaning blade as a cleaning member that comes into contact with the intermediate transfer belt 61. The intermediate transfer belt 61 that comes into contact with the cleaning blade is supported by an intermediate transfer belt driven roller 63 from the back side. ing.

  The paper feed cassette 81 is a tray for storing recording paper (sheets) used for image formation, and is provided below the exposure unit 1 of the apparatus main body 130. In addition, recording paper used for image formation can also be placed in the manual paper feed cassette 82. A paper discharge tray 91 provided above the apparatus main body 110 is a tray for collecting printed recording sheets face down.

  In addition, the apparatus main body 110 includes a substantially vertical sheet conveyance path S1 for feeding the recording sheets of the sheet feeding cassette 81 and the manual sheet feeding cassette 82 to the sheet discharge tray 91 via the transfer roller 10 and the fixing unit 7. Is provided. In the vicinity of the paper transport path S1 from the paper feed cassette 81 or the manual paper feed cassette 82 to the paper discharge tray 91, pickup rollers 11a and 11b, a plurality of transport rollers 12a to 12d, a registration roller 13, a transfer roller 10, and a fixing unit. 7 etc. are arranged.

  The transport rollers 12a to 12d are small rollers for promoting and assisting the transport of the recording paper, and a plurality of the transport rollers 12a to 12d are provided along the paper transport path S1. The pickup roller 11a is provided near the end of the paper feed cassette 81, picks up recording paper one by one from the paper feed cassette 81, and supplies it to the paper transport path S1. Similarly, the pickup roller 11b is provided near the end of the manual paper feed cassette 82, picks up recording paper from the manual paper feed cassette 82 one by one, and supplies it to the paper transport path S1.

  The registration roller 13 temporarily holds the recording paper that is being transported through the paper transport path S1. The recording paper is transported to the transfer roller 10 at the timing when the leading edge of the toner image on the photosensitive drum 3 is aligned with the leading edge of the recording paper.

  The fixing unit 7 includes a heat roller 71 and a pressure roller 72. The heat roller 71 and the pressure roller 72 are configured to rotate with the recording paper interposed therebetween. The heat roller 71 is set so as to reach a predetermined fixing temperature by a control means based on a signal from a temperature detector (not shown). It has the function of fusing, mixing, and pressing the multicolor toner image transferred to the paper, and thermally fixing the recording paper. An external heating belt 73 for heating the heat roller 71 from the outside is provided.

  Next, the recording paper conveyance path will be described more specifically. As described above, the image forming apparatus 100 is provided with the paper feed cassette 81 and the manual paper feed cassette 82 that store recording paper in advance. In order to feed the recording paper from these paper feed cassettes 81 and 82, pickup rollers 11a and 11b are respectively arranged so as to guide the recording paper one by one to the paper transport path S1.

  The recording paper conveyed from each of the paper feed cassettes 81 and 82 is conveyed to the registration roller 13 by the conveyance roller 12a in the paper conveyance path S1, and the timing at which the leading edge of the recording paper and the leading edge of the image information on the intermediate transfer belt 61 are aligned. The image information is written on the recording paper. Thereafter, the recording paper passes through the fixing unit 7, whereby the unfixed toner on the recording paper is melted and fixed by heat, and is then discharged onto the paper discharge tray 91 through the conveying roller 12 b disposed thereafter.

  The above-mentioned transport path is for a single-sided printing request for recording paper. On the other hand, for a double-sided printing request, the single-sided printing is completed and the recording paper after passing through the fixing unit 7 as described above. When the end is gripped by the final transport roller 12b, the transport roller 12b rotates in reverse to guide the recording paper to the transport path S2 in which the transport rollers 12c and 12d are arranged. Then, the conveyance path S2 joins the conveyance path S1, and the recording paper is conveyed from the registration roller 13 to the transfer roller 10. At this time, since the front and back sides of the recording paper are reversed at the stage of joining from the conveyance path S2 to S1, the transfer roller 10 performs printing on the back side of the recording paper. Then, the recording paper printed on the back surface is fixed by the fixing unit 7 and discharged to the paper discharge tray 91.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary configuration of a main part of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention and an information processing apparatus connected thereto. The image forming apparatus 100 is configured as, for example, the above-described multifunction peripheral, and controls the functions of the image forming apparatus 100 and is realized by a microcomputer having a CPU, ROM (and / or EEPROM), RAM, and the like therein. 101, an operation panel 102 including an operation unit 102a and a display unit 102b, an image forming unit 103 that forms an image indicated by image data on a recording sheet according to the control of the control unit 101, and an information processing apparatus 200 via a network N. It comprises a communication unit 104 for connection, a storage unit 105 such as a hard disk, a reading unit 106 that reads ID information from an IC chip attached to the toner cartridge 108, and various circuits and peripheral circuits that process signals from the sensors. Sensor circuit 107 and toner cartridge 1 as an example of a replacement part 8, constituted by a detection unit 109 for detecting the temperature and / or humidity.

  In the microcomputer, so-called firmware (program) of the image forming apparatus 100 is stored so as to be executable. For example, the firmware is stored in the EEPROM so as to be rewritable or stored in the ROM. This program can be distributed via a portable recording medium or a network in which the program is recorded so as to be readable by a computer. Although not shown in FIG. 2, the image forming apparatus 100 includes other components such as a scanner as illustrated in FIG. Examples of the image data to be printed include data read by the scanner and data received as a print job from the communication unit 104.

  The operation panel 102 is an example of an operation receiving unit that receives a user operation including an image forming condition setting operation, and the operation unit 102a and the display unit 102b constitute a touch panel that can perform an input operation on the operation screen. . The operation unit 102 a of the operation panel 102 receives a user operation and outputs it to the control unit 101. The display unit 102b of the operation panel 102 displays an operation screen and various types of information. Each operation screen displayed on the display unit 102b including a setting screen for performing an operation for setting image forming conditions is a storage area that can be output to the display unit 102b as a graphical user interface (GUI) image, such as the storage unit 105, for example. Stored in For example, when the image data read by the scanner or the image data stored in the storage unit 105 is printed, the control unit 101 forms an image in the image forming unit 103 based on the image forming conditions set from the operation panel 102. Will be controlled. Note that printing an image read by a scanner means executing a copy.

  Further, the information processing apparatus 200 is, for example, a general-purpose PC (personal computer), and controls the communication unit 201 for connecting to the image forming apparatus 100 via the network N and each function of the information processing apparatus 200. An arithmetic processing unit 202 including a CPU, RAM, ROM, and the like, a storage unit 203 such as a hard disk in which a printer driver 203a for the image forming apparatus 100 is installed, an input unit 204 such as a keyboard and a mouse, a liquid crystal display, and the like The display unit 205 is configured. The printer driver 203a is software (program) for controlling the image forming apparatus 100 to execute image forming processing (printing processing). The printer driver 203 a is read from the storage unit 203 by the arithmetic processing unit 202 and executed on the RAM of the arithmetic processing unit 202 when printing is performed. The printer driver 203a can be distributed via a portable recording medium in which the printer driver 203a is recorded so as to be readable by a computer or a network.

  For example, when printing image data such as a document file created by the information processing apparatus 200, the control unit 101 of the image forming apparatus 100 performs image processing at the image forming unit 103 based on the image forming conditions set by the printer driver 203a. It will control the formation. The image forming apparatus 100 receives the image data and the image forming conditions as one print job, and executes printing.

  The image forming apparatus 100 according to the present invention suppresses the increase in the printing rate and prevents the occurrence of fog without impairing the user's convenience even when a non-genuine product is used as a replacement part. The main purpose is to prevent contamination of toner and scattering of unfixed toner.

  As a printing method in which the printing rate increases (that is, the toner adhesion rate increases), black-and-white reversal printing is exemplified. Originally, the function of black and white reversal printing is to reduce toner consumption by reversing black and white when copying a document with many black parts, but even with graphics or the like, the toner adhesion area relative to the total area of the recording paper ( (Printing rate) is not so high, when the black and white reversal printing is performed, the ratio of the adhesion area of the toner to the total area of the recording paper increases, and a large amount of toner passes through the fixing unit, so that the heating roller of the fixing unit 7 There is a case where it is difficult to melt all of the toner on the recording paper because the heat of the (heat roller 71) is taken away.

  In such a case, a good image cannot be obtained, and toner that is not fixed to the recording paper adheres to the heat roller 71 and contaminates the heat roller 71. Further, the toner attached to the heat roller 71 adheres from the heat roller 71 to the pressure roller 72 by the post-rotation of the heat roller 71 and the pressure roller 72 after the recording paper passes, whereby the fixing unit. 7, the toner adheres to the front and back of the transported recording paper, and the recording paper is soiled. Further, when the toner is excessively melted by the heat roller 71, when the melted toner spreads to the front surface of the recording paper and the molten toner reaches the front end portion in the conveyance direction of the recording paper, the front end portion of the recording paper and the heat roller There is a case where the leading end of the recording paper cannot be peeled off by the peeling claw due to the close contact with the 71, and the recording paper is wound around the heat roller 71, which cannot be handled by a general user, and the heat roller There is a problem that the damage of 71 becomes large.

  Therefore, in the present invention, when a setting operation for performing black-and-white reversal printing is performed, it is predicted that the amount of toner adhesion will increase unlike the original purpose of black-and-white reversal printing, and when a non-genuine product is used. In particular, the above problem is solved by prohibiting a setting operation for performing black-and-white reversal printing when a non-genuine product is used.

  That is, as a configuration for achieving the purpose of suppressing the increase in the printing rate, the image forming apparatus 100 determines whether or not the replacement part of the image forming unit 103 is a non-genuine product. When the non-genuine product determination unit 101a determines that the replacement part of the image forming unit 103 is a non-genuine product, the control unit 101 performs a setting operation for performing black-and-white reversal printing among the image forming condition setting operations. Ban. Here, the black-and-white reversal printing is, as illustrated in FIG. 4, printing on the read original 151 like the recording paper 152 by reversing the black / white of the black portion and the white portion. . Note that this prohibition process of the control unit 101 may be installed as one process of firmware, for example. Further, although the example in which the non-genuine product determination unit 101 a is realized as one function of the control unit 101 is given, the non-genuine product determination unit 101 a may be provided independently of the control unit 101.

  In the above, the replacement part is a part that constitutes a part of the apparatus from the viewpoint of function and whose performance can be recovered and maintained by replacement. For example, in the case of the image forming apparatus 100, the toner cartridge (or developing cartridge), the photosensitive member cartridge, the cartridge in which the developing member and the photosensitive member are integrally formed, the ink cartridge, the ink tank, and the print head are integrally formed. A cartridge, a thermal transfer type ink sheet cartridge, and the like correspond to this. These replacement parts may be called supplies.

  In this example, the toner cartridge 108 is described as an example of a replacement part. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and is not limited to any of the cartridges described above. However, since the toner cartridge has the most influence on the fog, the replacement part of the image forming unit 103 to be determined by the non-genuine product determination unit 101a is a toner cartridge, that is, the non-genuine product is detected as a non-genuine product. The toner cartridge is preferably a toner cartridge, and at least the determination target preferably includes a toner cartridge. Therefore, an example in which the replacement part is the toner cartridge 108 will be described below.

  In FIG. 2, the non-genuine product determination unit 101 a determines whether the toner cartridge 108 attached to the image forming apparatus 100 is a genuine product or a non-genuine product. The non-genuine product determination method is realized using the techniques described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 described above, and conventionally known techniques such as JP-A-2002-202697 and JP-A-2009-145396. The method is not particularly limited. Hereinafter, as a method for determining a non-genuine product by the non-genuine product determination unit 101a, a case where the determination is performed in the image forming apparatus 100 will be described as an example. However, the determination is performed using an external server device or the like. Also good.

  The toner cartridge 108 records unique ID information that can individually identify the toner cartridge 108. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, it is mounted as an IC chip 108a, and ID information is recorded in advance in a nonvolatile memory such as an EEPROM or a ferroelectric memory. Alternatively, this ID information may be configured by a simple method such as a barcode. The ID information may be the manufacturer's identification number or the like because it is sufficient to know that the manufacturer is at least a genuine manufacturer. The reading unit 106 differs depending on the form of the ID information given to the toner cartridge 108. In the case of a barcode, the reading unit 106 is a barcode reader. In the case of an IC chip, the reading unit 106 is constituted by reading means using electrical or high frequency. Is done.

  The storage unit 105 stores ID information of genuine products of the toner cartridge in advance. When the replacement of the toner cartridge 108 is confirmed, the non-genuine product determination unit 101a is read by the reading unit 106. The ID information of the toner cartridge 108 and the genuine product ID information stored in the storage unit 105 are compared to determine whether or not they match. Note that the manufacturer of the image forming apparatus 100 may store all the ID information of genuine toner cartridges applicable to the image forming apparatus 100 in the storage unit 105 at the manufacturing stage, and upgrade the firmware version. Accordingly, the ID information of the toner cartridge of the new product may be newly stored. When the ID information matches, it is determined as a genuine product, and when the ID information does not match, it is determined as a non-genuine product. It should be noted that some non-genuine products may not be provided with ID information. Therefore, even if the reading unit 106 cannot read the ID information, the product is determined to be a non-genuine product.

  In the above, replacement mounting of the toner cartridge 108 can be detected by the sensor circuit 107. As described above, the sensor circuit 107 includes various sensors and peripheral circuits that process signals from the sensors. The sensor includes a mechanical or optical door sensor and a cartridge sensor. The door sensor is a sensor that detects whether the door of the image forming apparatus 100 is open or closed, and the cartridge sensor is a sensor that detects whether or not the toner cartridge 108 is attached to the image forming apparatus 100. Peripheral circuits include a waveform shaping circuit for shaping the waveform of the sensor output, a filter circuit, a binarization circuit, a voltage level adjustment circuit, and the like. The sensor output is converted into a digital signal having a logic level of, for example, 0-5V. Convert.

  If the sensor circuit 107 detects that the toner cartridge 108 has been replaced, the control unit 101 accesses the IC chip 108a and instructs the reading unit 106 to read the ID information. Then, the non-genuine product determination unit 101a compares the ID information read by the reading unit 106 with the ID information stored in the storage unit 105, thereby determining whether the replaced toner cartridge 108 is a genuine product or not. Judge whether it is a genuine product. In this way, the non-genuine product determination unit 101a can determine whether the ID information matches or does not match. Even when the reading unit 106 cannot read, it is determined that there is a mismatch, that is, a non-genuine product.

  When the non-genuine product determination unit 101a determines that the replacement part of the image forming unit 103 is a non-genuine product, the control unit 101 performs black-and-white reversal printing in the image forming condition setting operation as described above. The setting operation of is prohibited. An example in which the replacement part is the toner cartridge 108 is given. On the other hand, when the image forming apparatus 100 has a configuration in which a plurality of parts can be replaced, similarly, only one replacement part may be processed as a determination target, but each replacement part is a non-genuine product as described above. If it is determined that at least one replacement part is a non-genuine product, a setting operation for performing black-and-white reversal printing may be prohibited.

  In this way, when black-and-white reversal printing is performed, if non-genuine supplies do not match the settings of the image forming apparatus 100, fogging may occur due to the use environment such as high temperature and high humidity, and good printing may not be performed. Therefore, in the image forming apparatus 100 of the present invention, when it is determined that a replacement part other than a genuine product supplied by the manufacturer (that is, a non-genuine replacement part) is used in the image forming apparatus, Black and white reversal printing that increases the toner adhesion rate is prohibited. Thereby, in the image forming apparatus 100 of the present invention, even when a non-genuine replacement part is used, an increase in the printing rate is suppressed, thereby preventing an increase in the amount of toner attached to the recording paper, It is possible to prevent the occurrence of fogging and to prevent the fixing unit from becoming dirty and the unfixed toner from being scattered. As a result, it is not necessary to perform reprinting without black-and-white reversal or to perform printing after replacing the supply with a genuine product, resulting in additional labor, recording paper, and power. There is nothing. Further, in the image forming apparatus 100 according to the present invention, when a non-genuine product is used, the process of uniformly prohibiting the printing operation is not performed, so that the convenience for the user is not impaired.

  2 illustrates an example of an image forming system in which the image forming apparatus 100 and the information processing apparatus 200 are connected via the network N. However, as described here, the image forming apparatus 100 is independent. The image forming apparatus 100 according to the present invention is not premised on connection with the information processing apparatus 200 and includes the communication unit 104 because the configuration is such that black / white reverse printing setting operations from the operation panel 102 are prohibited. You don't have to. In addition, since the function of black-and-white reversal printing is usually not performed by printing from the information processing apparatus 200, the black-and-white reversal print setting operation prohibition process described above or described later is not specifically described in detail. This can also be applied to the setting screen (GUI image) of the printer driver 203a when printing from the beginning.

Next, an example of an image forming method by the image forming apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
In this example, a case will be described in which an ID information read command is generated when the sensor circuit 107 detects the mounting of the toner cartridge 108 based on the configuration of the image forming apparatus 100 of FIG. However, when the image forming apparatus 100 is turned on, or when the image forming apparatus 100 is reset by opening or closing a cover provided at the time of maintenance provided in the vicinity, an ID information read command is generated. May be.

  First, the control unit 101 determines whether or not an ID information read command from the sensor circuit 107 is generated with the mounting of the toner cartridge 108 (step S11), and determines that an ID information read command is generated (step S11). If YES, the reading unit 106 is instructed to read the ID information of the toner cartridge 108, and the reading is executed (step S12). Note that the information to be read may not be the ID information but may be the manufacturer name of the image forming apparatus 100, and an instruction to read information such as the amount of toner used may be issued at the same time. Next, the control unit 101 (non-genuine product determination unit 101a) compares the ID information read by the reading unit 106 with the ID information (registered ID information) stored in the storage unit 105 (step S13). . Then, the control unit 101 determines whether or not they match (step S14).

  If they match (YES in step S14), it means that it is determined that the toner cartridge 108 is a genuine product. In this case, the control unit 101 displays a normal image forming condition setting screen (GUI image) without prohibition of image forming conditions on the operation panel 102 in accordance with a predetermined operation (copy operation or printing operation) by the user (step S102). S16), the process proceeds to step S17.

  Then, the control unit 101 determines whether or not the “OK” button has been pressed on such a normal setting screen (step S17), and determines that the “OK” button has been pressed (in the case of YES). In accordance with a predetermined operation by the user (for example, pressing of a copy start button or a print start button such as buttons 142 and 143), the image forming unit 103 is based on the image forming conditions input from the setting screen displayed in step S16. Is instructed to form an image (step S18). In this case, since it is a normal setting screen, it is possible to set image forming conditions for performing black and white reverse printing.

  In steps S16 and S17, while pressing a “OK” button while a GUI image that can accept an operation for setting an image forming condition is displayed as a setting screen, the screen changes to a GUI image corresponding to the operation. In the setting screen, a “cancel” button is displayed so as to be pressed. A similar hardware key may be provided near the operation panel 102. When the “Cancel” button is pressed, it is preferable to return to the initial screen or the previous screen.

  On the other hand, if they do not match or cannot be read by the reading unit 106 (NO) in step S14, the toner cartridge 108 is determined to be a non-genuine product, and the control unit 101 sets the image forming apparatus 100. For the screen, the setting operation for performing black and white reversal printing among the setting operations of the image forming conditions is prohibited (step S15), and the setting screen in the prohibited state is displayed (step S16).

  After step S16, the control unit 101 determines whether or not the “OK” button has been pressed on the setting screen in which black-and-white reverse printing is prohibited (step S17), and determines that the “OK” button has been pressed (step S17). In the case of YES), in accordance with a predetermined operation by the user (for example, pressing of a copy start button such as button 143 or a print start button), image formation is performed based on the image formation conditions input from the setting screen displayed in step S16. The unit 103 forms an image (step S18). Even in the setting screen in which black-and-white reverse printing is prohibited, in steps S16 and S17, a transition is made to a GUI image corresponding to the operation while waiting in a state where a setting screen that can accept an operation for setting the image forming condition is displayed.

  Similarly, the “Cancel” button is displayed on the setting screen that prohibits black and white reverse printing. If this “Cancel” button is pressed, you can return to the initial screen or the previous screen. Good. This “Cancel” button on the setting screen prohibiting black-and-white reverse printing is pressed even when the user wants to cancel printing because the desired image forming condition is not displayed on the image forming condition setting screen. In this case, the user recognizes that the black and white reversal printing cannot be performed because the toner cartridge 108 is a non-genuine product by notifying the reason for prohibition. It is conceivable to take measures such as replacement with a genuine product. When the toner cartridge is replaced with a genuine toner cartridge, the flow of FIG. 4 is executed again, and image formation can be performed under desired image formation conditions.

  As described above, when the prohibition is made in step S15, when displaying the setting screen in which the black-and-white reverse printing is prohibited in step S16, the user can understand the reason for prohibiting the black-and-white reverse printing on the setting screen. In addition, it is desirable to notify by displaying a message or the like that black and white reverse printing is prohibited because the toner cartridge 108 is a non-genuine product.

  If it is determined in step S11 that an ID information read command has not been issued (NO), the process proceeds to step S16, and the control unit 101 prohibits the setting screen or prohibits it according to the previous setting. No setting screen is displayed.

  In FIG. 2, the image forming apparatus 100 includes an example including a detection unit 109 that detects temperature and / or humidity in an environment where the image forming apparatus 100 is installed. The detection unit 109 is used for the following processing.

  That is, when it is determined that the toner cartridge 108 is a non-genuine product and the temperature and / or humidity detected by the detection unit 109 is not within the predetermined range, the control unit 101 performs all image forming condition setting operations. It may be prohibited so that the image forming process cannot be executed. When the toner cartridge 108 is a non-genuine product, it is difficult to perform a good image forming process under a high temperature / high humidity exceeding a predetermined range or a low temperature / low humidity environment. Therefore, by prohibiting all image forming condition setting operations, useless image forming processing is prevented from being executed. In this case as well, it is desirable to notify the user of the reason why the image forming process cannot be executed and to urge the user to replace the toner cartridge with a genuine product.

Next, another example of the image forming method by the image forming apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
First, the control unit 101 detects that the power of the image forming apparatus 100 is turned on or that a cover such as a front door or a paper feed cassette has shifted to a closed state (step S21). If YES in step S21, the control unit 101 activates a sensor inside the image forming apparatus 100 to perform detection (step S22). The internal sensors are a group of sensors that detect an apparatus abnormality such as a paper jam and the state of the apparatus such as a toner cartridge (developing tank) 108, recording paper, and a toner remaining amount. Then, the control unit 101 obtains the detection result of the internal sensor and determines whether or not a unit having no abnormality is attached (step S23). The determination here does not include determination as to whether the toner cartridge is a genuine product.

  If NO in step S23, that is, if an abnormality is detected in each unit such as the image forming apparatus 100 and the fixing unit 7, the control unit 101 stops energizing the driving system such as the fixing unit 7 and the motor (step S23). In step S29, an error message indicating that the apparatus is abnormal is displayed on the operation panel 102 (step S30), and the image forming apparatus 100 itself is stopped.

  On the other hand, if YES in step S23, that is, if no abnormality is detected in each unit such as the image forming apparatus 100 and the fixing unit 7, the control unit 101 including the non-genuine product determination unit 101a Communication with the reading unit 106 is performed (step S24), and retained information relating to the developing device / toner is read from the nonvolatile memory provided in the toner cartridge 108 (step S25). Typical examples of the information stored directly from the toner cartridge 108 or read from the reading unit 106 include the manufacturer of the toner cartridge, the model name, the remaining amount of toner (or the amount of toner used), and the development bias (set by the device used last time). Bias value), recycling status (replacement history of internal parts when recycled), and the like. Based on these pieces of information, the non-genuine product determination unit 101a determines whether the mounted toner cartridge / toner is a genuine product provided by the maker of the image forming apparatus main body (step S26).

  If YES in step S26, that is, if it is determined to be a genuine product, copying can be performed without any limitation. On the other hand, if NO in step S26, that is, if it is determined to be a non-genuine product, the control unit 101 disables the selection of black / white reverse printing setting items or does not display the black / white reverse printing setting items. The setting operation for black and white reverse printing is prohibited (step S27). If necessary, after another image forming condition setting operation is performed, the copy process is executed by pressing the copy start button (step S28).

  Next, a screen transition example of the operation panel 102 (display unit 102b) in the copy process of the image forming apparatus 100 will be described. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of the appearance of the operation panel 102 provided in the image forming apparatus 100. As described above, the operation panel 102 includes the operation unit 102a and the display unit 102b, and the display unit 102b is a touch panel. When copying, when the user presses a copy mode selection button 141 that is a hardware key provided as a part of the operation unit 102a, an initial screen in the copy mode as shown in FIG. 8 is displayed on the display unit 102b. Is displayed. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of an initial screen in the copy mode displayed on the operation panel of FIG. Of course, the operation unit 102a also includes a touch sensor on the display unit 102b. In this state, when the color print button 142 and the monochrome print button 143 that are hardware keys are pressed, color printing and monochrome printing are executed on the document mounted on the document table or the automatic document processing apparatus, respectively.

  In the initial screen of FIG. 8, buttons including a “special function” button 170 are displayed so as to be selectable, and a layout image showing the outline of the apparatus is displayed at the center of the screen. The size of the recording paper set in each tray is displayed. In the example of the screen in FIG. 8, the paper feed cassette 1 containing A4 paper is selected by default.

  Then, when the user touches the “special function” button 170 from the initial screen of FIG. 8, a list of items for setting each function included in the special function is displayed as shown in FIG. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the setting screen when the “special function” button is selected from the initial screen of FIG. In the setting screen of FIG. 9, an “image editing” button 172 is selectably displayed as one of the above lists, and an “OK” button for returning to the previous screen or the initial screen after completing the setting. 174 is also displayed in a selectable manner. The list shown in the setting screen of FIG. 9 shows a state in which the function group on the third page of the four pages is displayed by operating the previous page button and the next page button 171 among the function groups included in the special function. ing. The “image editing” button 172 includes an item for executing black and white reversed printing, and is a button for shifting to a setting screen in which image editing functions including other functions are collected. 9 can be said to be an example of a screen that is displayed regardless of whether the toner cartridge 108 is a genuine product or a non-genuine product.

  A setting screen when the “edit image” button 172 is selected will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11. 10 and 11 are diagrams illustrating an example of a setting screen displayed when the “image editing” button is selected from the setting screen of FIG. 9. FIG. 10 illustrates a case where the toner cartridge is a genuine product. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a setting screen displayed when a toner cartridge is a non-genuine product.

  When the “image editing” button 172 is touched on the setting screen of FIG. 9, if the toner cartridge 108 is a genuine product, as shown in FIG. 10, a button group including a “black / white reversal” button 173, An “OK” button 174 for selecting any button in the button group and setting an item corresponding to the selected button to complete the setting operation is also displayed in a selectable manner. Here, FIG. 9 shows a state in which the “black / white reversal” button 173 is selected by touching, and the display form of the button itself is reversed in black and white. From this state, the user touches the “OK” button 174. This completes the setting operation for performing black and white reverse printing. In this state, when the user presses the monochrome print button 143, monochrome printing with black and white reversed is performed on the document mounted on the document table or the automatic document processing apparatus. In addition, it can also comprise so that reverse printing may be applied to color printing. In this case, when the user performs color printing, when the color print button 142 is pressed after performing the above-described black-and-white reverse print setting operation, the control unit 101 controls each color of the image to be the opposite color. It is only necessary to configure so that printing is performed.

  On the other hand, when the toner cartridge 108 is a non-genuine product, when the “edit image” button 172 is touched on the setting screen of FIG. 9, as shown in FIG. 11, among the button groups displayed in FIG. The “black and white reversal” button 173 is not displayed (is erased) and cannot be selected. Alternatively, the “black / white reversal” button 173 may be masked by grayout display or the like. Further, in the setting screen of FIG. 11, an example is given in which a message 175 indicating that black and white reversal is restricted because the toner cartridge 108 is a non-genuine product is displayed.

As described above, when the replacement part of the image forming unit 103 is determined to be a non-genuine product, the control unit 101 hides the black and white reversed printing item among the setting items to be displayed on the operation panel 102. That is, it is preferable not to display the setting item for black and white reverse printing. Of course, it is assumed that the operation panel 102 has a function of displaying setting items including items of black and white reversed printing. Alternatively, when the replacement part of the image forming unit 103 is determined to be a non-genuine product, the control unit 101 displays the setting item on the operation panel 102 in a state where the black-and-white reversal printing item is masked by grayout or the like. May be.

  As described above, according to the present invention, when it is detected that non-genuine toner is used, black-and-white reversal printing that increases the toner adhesion rate during copying or printing in the image forming apparatus 100 is limited. Therefore, even if the printing quality of the non-genuine toner is poor, an increase in the printing rate can be suppressed. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent an increase in the amount of toner adhered to the recording paper, thereby preventing fogging and preventing the fixing unit from being smudged and scattering of unfixed toner. Consumables such as recording paper can be prevented from being wasted and copying / printing and the like can be minimized, so that convenience for the user can be improved.

  In addition, as exemplified in the flow of control in the image forming apparatus and the image forming system, the present invention can take a form as an image forming method by the image forming apparatus as described above. Referring to FIG. 2, in this image forming method, the non-genuine product determination unit 101a determines whether the replacement part of the image forming unit 103 is a non-genuine product, and the control unit 101 When it is determined in the determination step that the replacement part of the image forming unit 103 is a non-genuine product, a prohibiting step for prohibiting a setting operation for performing black-and-white reversal printing among the image forming condition setting operations, and the image forming unit 103, And an image forming step for forming an image based on the set image forming conditions. Other application examples are as described for the image forming apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Exposure unit, 2 ... Developing device, 3 ... Photoconductor drum, 4 ... Cleaner unit, 5 ... Charger, 6 ... Intermediate transfer belt unit, 7 ... Fixing unit, 10 ... Transfer roller, 11a, 11b ... Pickup roller, 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d ... conveying roller, 13 ... registration roller, 61 ... intermediate transfer belt, 62 ... intermediate transfer belt driving roller, 63 ... intermediate transfer belt driven roller, 64 ... intermediate transfer roller, 65 ... intermediate transfer belt cleaning Unit: 71 ... Heat roller, 72 ... Pressure roller, 73 ... External heating belt, 81 ... Paper feed cassette, 82 ... Manual paper feed cassette, 90 ... Image reading means, 91 ... Paper discharge tray, 92 ... Document placement table, 93 ... Light source unit, 94 ... Mirror unit, 95 ... CCD, 100 ... Image forming apparatus, 101 ... Control unit, 101a ... Non Authentic product determination unit, 102 ... operation panel, 102a ... operation unit, 102b, 205 ... display unit, 103 ... image forming unit, 104, 201 ... communication unit, 105, 203 ... storage unit, 106 ... reading unit, 107 ... sensor circuit , 108... Toner cartridge 108 a IC chip 109 detection unit 120 automatic document processing apparatus 130 main body 200 information processing apparatus 201 communication unit 202 arithmetic processing unit 203 storage unit 203a ... Printer driver, 203b ... Setting screen, 204 ... Input unit, 205 ... Display unit.

Claims (5)

An image forming unit that forms an image, a non-genuine product determination unit that determines whether a replacement part of the image forming unit is a non-genuine product, an operation reception unit that receives a user operation including an operation for setting image forming conditions, An image forming apparatus comprising: a control unit that controls image formation in the image forming unit based on an image forming condition set from the operation receiving unit;
When the replacement part of the image forming unit is determined to be a non-genuine product by the non-genuine product determination unit, the control unit prohibits only a setting operation for performing black and white reverse printing among the setting operations of the image forming condition An image forming apparatus.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the replacement part of the image forming unit is a toner cartridge. The operation receiving unit has a function of displaying setting items including an item of black and white reverse printing,
When the replacement part of the image forming unit is determined to be a non-genuine product, the control unit causes the operation receiving unit to display setting items in a state where the black-and-white reversal printing item is masked. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1. The operation receiving unit has a function of displaying setting items including an item of black and white reverse printing,
When the replacement part of the image forming unit is determined to be a non-genuine product, the control unit hides the black and white reversed printing item among the setting items displayed on the operation receiving unit. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1. An image forming unit that forms an image, a control unit that controls image formation in the image forming unit based on set image forming conditions, and a non-determining whether or not the replacement part of the image forming unit is a non-genuine product An image forming method using an image forming apparatus including a genuine product determination unit,
The non-genuine product determination unit determines whether or not the replacement part of the image forming unit is a non-genuine product;
A prohibiting step of prohibiting only a setting operation for performing black and white reversal printing among the setting operations of the image forming condition when the control unit determines that the replacement part of the image forming unit is a non-genuine product in the determination step. When,
An image forming step in which the image forming unit forms an image based on the set image forming conditions;
An image forming method comprising:

Images