JP5807411B2 - Information processing apparatus, image forming apparatus, and program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an image forming apparatus, and a program.

  In Patent Document 1 below, the rotation time of the photoconductor in the process cartridge and the application time of the primary AC high voltage applied to the photoconductor are factors related to the life of the photoconductor drum. A technique of an image forming apparatus is disclosed in which the application time is weighted according to the process speed to measure the life of the photoconductor and to notify an appropriate photoconductor replacement time.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-39690

  An object of the present invention is to propose a technique for predicting a film thickness of each photoconductor provided in each detachable unit suitable for the unit.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus including a plurality of parts including a photosensitive member, and a unit formed detachably on the image forming apparatus, and two or more predetermined ones of the plurality of parts are defined. a first obtaining means for obtaining the component part information relating to each, a second obtaining unit operable unit acquires the cumulative number of rotations of the photosensitive member in said unit from being attached to the image forming apparatus, prior Symbol first 1 the obtained by the obtaining means obtains the correction coefficient that corresponds to each set of component information, and the correction coefficient, based on the cumulative number of rotations of the acquired photoreceptor by said second acquisition means, wherein a feature calculating means for calculating the film thickness predicted value of the photosensitive member, a information based on the calculation result of the calculating means, and output means for outputting the broadcast information for prompting the replacement of the unit, in that it comprises To do.

The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 of the present invention, in the information processing apparatus, said unit, said a plurality of components, in addition to the photosensitive member to remove the toner remaining on the surface of the photoconductor When the unit is mounted, the first acquisition means includes, as the component information, film thickness information indicating the film thickness of the photoconductor before the unit is mounted and the removal member. The characteristic information indicating the characteristic is acquired, and the calculation unit acquires the correction coefficient corresponding to the set of the film thickness information and the characteristic information acquired by the first acquisition unit, and uses the acquired correction coefficient. A predicted film thickness value of the photoconductor is calculated.

The information processing apparatus according to claim 3 of the present invention, in the above-mentioned information processing apparatus, the unit, as the plurality of components, the photosensitive member, has also been retract and said removal member is a small housing And the first acquisition means further acquires housing information indicating the type of the housing as the component information, and the calculation means includes the film thickness information and the characteristic information acquired by the first acquisition means. The correction coefficient corresponding to the set with the housing information is acquired, and the estimated film thickness value of the photoconductor is calculated using the acquired correction coefficient.

The information processing apparatus according to claim 4 of the present invention, in the information processing apparatus, said unit, said a plurality of components, the addition of the photosensitive member, includes a charging device for charging the photoreceptor, the image 3rd acquisition means which acquires at least one of temperature information which shows temperature and humidity in a forming device, and humidity information as environmental information, and said 1st acquisition means is resistance which shows resistance of said charging device as said parts information The information is acquired, and the calculation means replaces the set of part information on the two or more parts with the environment information acquired by the third acquisition means and the resistance information acquired by the first acquisition means. The correction coefficient corresponding to the pair is acquired, and the film thickness of the photoconductor is calculated using the acquired correction coefficient.

The information processing apparatus according to claim 5 of the present invention is the information processing apparatus, wherein the calculation means uses the correction coefficient according to a pattern for applying a voltage to the charging device, and predicts the film thickness of the photoconductor. Is calculated.

  The information processing apparatus according to claim 6 of the present invention is the information processing apparatus, wherein the output means predicts the film thickness when the estimated film thickness value of the photoconductor calculated by the calculation means is less than or equal to a threshold value. The notification information indicating that the value is equal to or less than a threshold value is output.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus including a plurality of parts including a photosensitive member, the image forming unit including a unit formed detachably with respect to the main body apparatus, and the plurality of parts in the unit. obtaining means for obtaining respective part information relating to predetermined two or more parts from the unit out, detecting said unit to detect the cumulative rotational speed of the photosensitive member in said unit from being attached to the main unit means and obtains a correction coefficient that corresponds to the set of the respective component information acquired by the obtained unit preparative, and the correction coefficient, based on the cumulative number of rotations of said detected photoreceptor by said detecting means a calculation means for calculating the film thickness predicted value of the photosensitive member, a information based on the calculation result of the calculating means, and output means for outputting the broadcast information for prompting the replacement of the unit, the Characterized in that it obtain.

Program according to claim 8 of the present invention, a computer that controls the image forming apparatus is composed of a plurality of parts including the photoconductor, from the unit that is detachably formed with respect to the image forming apparatus, the plurality of obtaining a first obtaining unit configured to respectively obtain the component information about the predetermined two or more components are out of the component, the accumulated number of rotations of the photosensitive member wherein the unit is in the unit from being attached to the image forming apparatus second acquisition means acquires the correction coefficient that corresponds to a set of pre-Symbol each component information acquired by the first acquisition means, said correction coefficient and said acquired by the second acquisition means photoreceptor for based of the cumulative rotational speed, the calculation means for calculating the film thickness predicted value of the photosensitive member, a information based on the calculation result of the calculating means, and outputs the broadcast information for prompting the replacement of the unit Is a program for functioning as a force means.

  According to the first, seventh, and eighth aspects of the present invention, it is possible to predict the film thickness of the photoreceptor provided in each detachable unit, suitable for the unit.

  According to the second aspect of the invention, it is possible to calculate a predicted film thickness value in consideration of the thickness of the photosensitive member and the characteristics of the removal member in each unit.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to calculate the predicted film thickness of the photosensitive member in consideration of the type of housing of each unit.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to calculate the predicted film thickness value in consideration of the temperature and humidity in the charging device and the image forming apparatus in each unit.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to calculate a predicted film thickness value of the photoconductor according to the voltage applied to the charging device of each unit.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, for example, when the film thickness that is the lifetime of the photoconductor is set as the threshold value, the lifetime of the photoconductor is compared with a configuration that does not calculate the predicted film thickness of the photoconductor according to the unit. Can be reported more accurately.

1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of an image forming apparatus according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of an image forming unit according to the first embodiment. It is a figure which shows the functional block of the control part which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is the figure which illustrated the correction coefficient table concerning Embodiment 1. FIG. 6 is an operation flowchart illustrating a correction coefficient setting process in the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is an operation flowchart illustrating a film thickness prediction process in the first embodiment. It is a figure which shows transition of the film thickness estimated value in Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of an image forming apparatus according to a second embodiment. It is a figure which shows the functional block of the control part which concerns on Embodiment 2. FIG. It is the figure which illustrated the correction coefficient table concerning Embodiment 2. FIG. 10 is an operation flowchart illustrating component information setting processing in the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is an operation flowchart illustrating a film thickness prediction process in the second embodiment. It is the figure which illustrated the correction coefficient table concerning the modification 1. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a correction coefficient table according to modification example 2;

<Overview>
An information processing apparatus according to the present invention predicts a film thickness of a photoconductor based on information on components and the like constituting an image forming apparatus that are directly or indirectly related to wear of the photoconductor provided in the image forming apparatus. . Hereinafter, an image forming apparatus including an information processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described.
<Embodiment 1>
(Constitution)
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention. The image forming apparatus 10 is an electrophotographic printer. As shown in FIG. 1, a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, an image forming unit 13, a UI unit 14, a first communication unit 15, and a second communication unit 16 are included.

  The control unit 11 is an example of an information processing apparatus according to the present invention, and includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11a and a memory 11b including a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory). The CPU 11 a controls each unit connected to the control unit 11 by executing a control program stored in the ROM or the storage unit 12. Specifically, the image forming unit 13 performs image forming processing for forming an image based on image data instructed from a PC (not shown) via a first communication unit 15 (described later) on a recording medium such as paper, and the image A film thickness prediction process for predicting the film thickness of each photoconductor in the forming unit 13 is performed.

  The storage unit 12 is a storage device such as a hard disk. The storage unit 12 writes and reads various data under the control of the control unit 11. The storage unit 12 stores a correction coefficient table described later in advance, and the correction coefficient table is read when a process for predicting the film thickness of the photoreceptor is performed. Details of the correction coefficient table will be described later.

  Next, the image forming unit 13 will be described. FIG. 2A is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the image forming unit 13 according to the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, a color image is formed by the image forming units 13Y, 13M, 13C, and 13K having the photoreceptors 132 corresponding to the respective colors (yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K)). An example of an intermediate transfer type image forming apparatus to be formed will be described. The image forming unit 13 performs charging, exposure, development, transfer, and fixing processes by each image forming unit under the control of the control unit 11 and outputs a color image based on the instructed image data on a recording medium such as paper. Form. Hereinafter, an image forming unit and a peripheral configuration related to image formation will be described. Since the image forming units 13Y, 13M, 13C, and 13K have the same configuration, the image forming unit 13Y will be described as an example.

  FIG. 2B is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the image forming unit 13Y. The image forming unit 13 </ b> Y includes a unit 130 composed of a plurality of parts including the photoconductor 132 and an exposure device 134 that irradiates the unit 130 with exposure light. The unit 130 includes a photoreceptor 132, a charging device 133, a developing device 135, a cleaning device 136, and a storage device 137 in a housing 131, and is configured to be detachable from the main body of the image forming apparatus 10. A switch (not shown) connected to the control unit 11 is provided at the mounting position of the unit 130 in the image forming apparatus 10. When the unit 130 is mounted, an ON signal is sent to the control unit 11 and the unit 130 is removed. In this case, an off signal is sent to the control unit 11.

  Details of the configuration related to the image forming process will be described below. The photoconductor 132 is composed of a cylindrical member having a photoconductive film formed on the surface thereof, holds an electrostatic latent image formed by exposure of the surface, and drives the shaft (paper surface) of the photoconductor 132 by driving a motor (not shown). Rotate in the direction of the arrow in the figure centering on (vertical direction). The charging device 133 is disposed in contact with the surface of the photosensitive member 132, has a charging roll that rotates following the rotation of the photosensitive member 132, and applies a voltage to the charging roll by a voltage application unit (not shown). The surface of the body 132 is charged to a certain potential. The exposure device 134 exposes the surface of the photoreceptor 132 according to the image data to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photoreceptor 132. The developing device 135 develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photoreceptor 132 with toner as a developer.

  The cleaning device 136 is pressed against the surface of the photoconductor 132 and removes toner remaining on the surface of the photoconductor 132 without being transferred, and the toner collected by the removal member 136a. And a toner collecting container 136b to be stored. In the present embodiment, the removal member 136a is a blade-shaped member, but may be a brush-shaped member.

  Returning to FIG. 2A, a peripheral configuration related to image formation will be described. The primary transfer roll 210 is provided at a position facing the photoconductor 132 through the intermediate transfer belt 250. A primary transfer voltage having a polarity opposite to the polarity with which the toner is charged is applied to the photosensitive member 132 via the primary transfer roll 210 and the intermediate transfer belt 250 by a voltage application unit (not shown). By applying the primary transfer voltage, a potential difference is generated between the photoconductor 132 and the intermediate transfer belt 250, and the charged toner moves to the intermediate transfer belt 250. The intermediate transfer belt 250 is an endless belt, is rotatably supported by a plurality of rolls 251 and rotates in the direction of the arrow. The secondary transfer roll 211a and the backup roll 211b are provided at positions facing each other across the intermediate transfer belt 250, and form a nip portion. The recording medium comes into contact with the intermediate transfer belt 250 at the nip portion, and a secondary transfer voltage is applied to the intermediate transfer belt 250 via the secondary transfer roll 211a by a voltage application unit (not shown), thereby the intermediate transfer belt 250. The toner image is secondarily transferred from the recording medium to the recording medium.

  In the fixing device 212, the fixing roller 212a and the pressure roller 212b are arranged to face each other to form a nip portion. The fixing device 212 fixes the toner image on the recording medium by the heated fixing roller 212a and the pressure roller 212b while conveying the recording medium at the nip portion between the fixing roller 212a and the pressure roller 212b. The recording medium on which the toner image is fixed by the fixing device 212 is discharged under the control of the control unit 11.

  Next, the storage device 137 provided in the unit 130 will be described. The storage device 137 is a wireless IC tag such as an RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) tag, for example, and is configured with a passive RFID tag in this embodiment. The storage device 137 is driven by receiving the radio wave emitted from the second communication unit 16 through the antenna, reads out data stored in the storage device 137 in accordance with an instruction from the control unit 11, and performs predetermined modulation. The data is modulated by the method.

Here, the data stored in the storage device 137 will be described. The storage device 137 stores identification information for identifying the unit 130 and component information regarding the photosensitive member 132 and the cleaning device 136 in the unit 130. This component information is film thickness information indicating the film thickness of the photoconductor 132 before being mounted on the image forming apparatus 10 and characteristic information indicating the characteristics of the removal member 136a of the cleaning apparatus 136. The thickness information represents the type classified in accordance with the thickness, characteristic information, for example, those representing the classified types according to the characteristics such as hardness and elasticity of the removing member 136 a . The film thickness of the photoconductor 132 constituting the unit 130 and the characteristics of the removal member 136a vary depending on the lot in which the photoconductor 132 and the removal member 136a are manufactured. For this reason, in the present embodiment, a plurality of photoreceptors 132 and removal members 136a are sampled from each lot of the photoreceptors 132 and removal members 136a, and the film thickness of the photoreceptors 132 and the characteristics (eg hardness) of the removal members 136a are determined. Measurement is performed, and the photosensitive member 132 and the removal member 136a are classified in units of lots based on the tendency of each lot. Information indicating each lot is set as part information (film thickness information, characteristic information) for the photosensitive member 132 and the removal member 136a manufactured in each lot.

In this example, the photoconductor 132 is manufactured in lots of lot numbers R1, R2, and R3. Among R1, R2, and R3, the lot number in which the photoconductor 132 is manufactured is stored as film thickness information. Yes. The film thickness of the photoconductor 132 manufactured in the lot R2 is a value within a predetermined range (hereinafter referred to as a film thickness reference value), and the film thickness of the photoconductor 132 manufactured in the lot R1 is The film thickness of the photoconductor 132 manufactured in the lot R3 tends to be a value smaller than the film thickness reference value (R1>R2> R3). Further, the removal member 136a is manufactured in lots of lot numbers G1, G2, and G3, and among the G1, G2, and G3, the lot number in which the removal member 136a is manufactured is stored as characteristic information. Hardness of the removing member 136 a which is produced in batches G2 is a value within a predetermined range is (hereinafter, referred to as hardness reference value), the hardness of the removing member 136 a which is produced in batches G1 hardness reference value a value greater than the hardness of the removing member 136 a which is produced in batches G3 tend to be smaller than the hardness reference value (G1>G2> G3). In this manner, the storage device 137 of each unit 130 stores in advance component information relating to the components constituting the unit 130. The above is the configuration of the image forming unit 13.

  The UI (User Interface) unit 14 includes a touch panel and keys. The UI unit 14 sends an operation signal indicating the content of the key operation performed by the user with the touch panel to the control unit 11, and displays an instructed image on the touch panel under the control of the control unit 11. The first communication unit 15 is a communication interface that complies with a communication protocol such as a wired or wireless LAN, and exchanges data with a communication-connected PC under the control of the control unit 11. The second communication unit 16 has an antenna, transmits radio waves in a predetermined frequency band through the antenna under the control of the control unit 11, and exchanges data with the storage device 137 of the image forming unit 13. .

(Function block of control unit 11)
Next, functions related to the film thickness prediction process in the control unit 11 will be described. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the control unit 11. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the control unit 11 includes a first acquisition unit 111, a detection unit 112, a calculation unit 113, and an output unit 114. The first acquisition unit 111 is an example of a first acquisition unit and an acquisition unit of the present invention. The first acquisition unit 111 acquires component information from the storage device 137 of the unit 130 via the second communication unit 16 when each unit 130 of the image forming unit 13 is attached to the image forming apparatus 10. The detection unit 112 is an example of a detection unit and a second acquisition unit of the present invention. The detection unit 112 detects the rotation of the photoconductor 132 in each unit 130 and counts the cumulative number of rotations of the photoconductor 132.

The calculation unit 113 is an example of a calculation unit of the present invention. The calculation unit 113 reads the correction coefficient corresponding to the component information for each unit 130 acquired by the first acquisition unit 111 from the correction coefficient table in the storage unit 12, and stores the correction coefficient for each unit 130 as correction coefficient information. 12 to store. Further, the calculation unit 113 calculates the cumulative rotation number of each photoconductor 132 detected by the detection unit 112 and the correction coefficient information corresponding to the unit 130 of the photoconductor 132 to the arithmetic expression shown in the following (Equation 1). By substituting, the predicted film thickness of the photoreceptor 132 is calculated.
Predicted film thickness (y) = initial value (α) −correction coefficient (e) × cumulative rotational speed (x) (Expression 1)

  The output unit 114 is an example of the output unit of the present invention. The output unit 114 displays an image that prompts replacement of the unit 130 corresponding to the photoconductor 132 when the predicted film thickness of the photoconductor 132 calculated by the calculation unit 113 is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold. To display.

(data)
Next, the correction coefficient table stored in the storage unit 12 will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the configuration and data of the correction coefficient table. As shown in FIG. 4, the correction coefficient table 121 includes a type (g1, g2, g3) indicating the tendency of the characteristics of the removal member 136a and a type (r1, r2, r3) indicating the tendency of the film thickness of the photosensitive member 132. The values (a11, b11... C13) corresponding to each of these are stored as correction coefficients. This correction coefficient is a value suitable for the relationship between the film thickness and the characteristics of the removal member 136a by previously measuring the wear of the photosensitive body 132 by changing the value indicating the film thickness of the photoreceptor 132 and the characteristics of the removal member 136a through experiments. Is stipulated. The various types of the photosensitive member 132 and the removing member 136a correspond to the tendency of each lot of the photosensitive member 132 and the removing member 136a described above. That is, the type r2 is a film thickness reference value with a predetermined film thickness, the type r1 has a film thickness larger than the film thickness reference value, and the type r3 has a film thickness smaller than the film thickness reference value (r1>r2> r3). The type g2 is a hardness reference value in which the hardness of the removing member 136a is determined in advance, the type g1 has a hardness greater than the hardness reference value, and the type g3 has a hardness lower than the hardness reference value (g1>g2> g3). . In this example, the value of the correction coefficient increases as the type of the photoconductor 132 is r3 and the type of the removal member 136a approaches g1, and the correction coefficient increases as the type of the photoconductor 132 is r1 and the type of the removal member 136a approaches g3. Is set to be smaller.

(Operation example)
Next, the operation of the image forming apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 5 is an operation flowchart illustrating an operation example of the correction coefficient setting process of the image forming apparatus 10. When the unit 130 is mounted at a predetermined mounting position in the image forming apparatus 10, the control unit 11 receives an ON signal output from a switch (not shown) provided at the mounting position (step S <b> 11: YES). Component information including film thickness information indicating the film thickness of the photoconductor 132 in the unit 130 and characteristic information indicating the hardness of the removal member 136a is acquired from the storage device 137 of the unit 130 via the second communication unit 16 ( Step S12).

  The control unit 11 reads the correction coefficient corresponding to the part information of the unit 130 acquired in step S12 from the correction coefficient table 121 in the storage unit 12 (step S13). In the correction coefficient table 121 illustrated in FIG. 4, for example, when the film thickness information of the acquired component information is “R1” and the characteristic information is “G2”, the photoconductor type “r1” is displayed in the correction coefficient table 121. The correction coefficient “a12” corresponding to the removal member type “g2” is read out.

  The control unit 11 stores the correction coefficient read in step S13 and the identification information for identifying the unit 130 corresponding to the correction coefficient in the storage unit 12 as correction coefficient information (step S14).

  In step S11, if an ON signal is not output from the switch provided at the mounting position of each unit 130, the control unit 11 ends the correction coefficient setting process (step S11: NO). When the unit 130 is detached from the image forming apparatus 10 and an off signal is output from a switch provided at the mounting position of the unit 130, the control unit 11 stores correction coefficient information corresponding to the unit 130 in the storage unit. 12 every time the unit 130 is mounted, the above-described steps S11 to S14 are performed.

  Next, the operation of the film thickness prediction process of the image forming apparatus 10 after the correction coefficient setting process will be described. In the present embodiment, in the image forming apparatus 10, the film thickness prediction process is performed every time each photoconductor 132 rotates once. FIG. 6 is an operation flow diagram illustrating an operation example of the film thickness prediction processing of the image forming apparatus 10.

For example, when the image data is received via the first communication unit 15, the control unit 11 controls the image forming unit 13, and the image forming units 13Y, 13M, 13C, and 13K record an image based on the image data. The image forming process to be formed is performed. In the image forming process, the control unit 11 detects the rotation of each photoconductor 132 in the image forming units 13Y, 13M, 13C, and 13K, and counts the cumulative value of the rotation speed of each photoconductor 132 (step S21). Specifically, the control unit 11 stores the cumulative value of the rotation number of the respective photosensitive bodies 132 to the predetermined area in the storage unit 12, every time the photoreceptor 1 3 2 makes one rotation, the photosensitive 1 is added to the accumulated value of the field 132.

  The control unit 11 reads out the correction coefficient of the unit 130 corresponding to each photoconductor 132 from the correction coefficient information in the storage unit 12 (step S22), and the accumulated value of the rotation speed corresponding to each photoconductor 132 in the storage unit 12 is obtained. Then, the correction coefficient corresponding to each photoconductor 132 read out in step S22 is substituted into the arithmetic expression (Equation 1) to calculate the predicted film thickness of each photoconductor 132 (step S23). Then, when there is a predicted film thickness that is equal to or less than the threshold value among the predicted film thicknesses of the respective photoreceptors 132 calculated in step S23 (step S24: YES), the control unit 11 determines the predicted film thickness. An image prompting replacement of the unit 130 corresponding to the photosensitive member 132 is displayed on the UI unit 14 (step S25). Further, in step S24, when there is no predicted film thickness that is equal to or less than the threshold value among the predicted film thicknesses of the respective photoreceptors 132 calculated in step S23 (step S24: NO), the control unit 11 performs step S23. Returning to FIG. 4, the predicted film thickness of each photoconductor 132 is calculated.

  In the embodiment described above, in the film thickness prediction process for each unit 130, a correction coefficient corresponding to the component information regarding the photoconductor 132 and the removal member 136a in the unit 130 is used. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the film thickness displacement (solid line) when the correction coefficient is a fixed value and the film thickness displacement (broken line) when the correction coefficient corresponding to each unit 130 is used. As indicated by the solid line in FIG. 7, when the correction coefficient is a fixed value, the film thickness becomes a threshold value even if there is a difference in characteristics such as the film thickness of the photosensitive member 132 of the unit 130 and the hardness of the removal member 136a. The timing (number of rotations) does not change. On the other hand, as shown by the broken line in FIG. 7, when the correction coefficient corresponding to the photosensitive member 132 and the removal member 136 a of the unit 130 is used, a predicted film thickness value suitable for each unit 130 is calculated and In addition, the timing (number of rotations) at which the film thickness of the photosensitive member 132 becomes a threshold value changes. Therefore, the film thickness prediction accuracy of each photoconductor 132 is improved as compared with the case where each correction coefficient is a fixed value.

<Embodiment 2>
In the first embodiment described above, the example in which the film thickness of each photoconductor 132 is predicted using the correction coefficient corresponding to the film thickness of the photoconductor 132 and the characteristic of the removal member 136a in each unit 130 has been described. In the present embodiment, an example will be described in which the film thickness of each photoconductor 132 is predicted using component information regarding the charging device 133 in each unit 130 and a correction coefficient corresponding to the temperature and humidity in the image forming apparatus 10.

(Constitution)
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the image forming apparatus 10a according to the present embodiment. The components common to the first embodiment are denoted by common reference numerals. As shown in FIG. 8, the image forming apparatus 10 a differs from the first embodiment in that it includes an environment information detection unit 17. Hereinafter, a configuration different from that of the first embodiment will be described.

  The environmental information detection unit 17 includes a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor that respectively detect the temperature and humidity inside the image forming apparatus 10a, and temperature information indicating each detected value detected by the temperature sensor and the humidity sensor as environmental information. The humidity information is sent to the control unit 21.

  The control unit 21 performs image forming processing as described in the first embodiment, and uses temperature information and humidity information output from the environment information detection unit 17 and component information regarding the charging device 133 of each unit 130. A film thickness prediction process for predicting the film thickness of each photoconductor 132 of each unit 130 is performed.

  Here, the function of the control unit 21 related to the film thickness prediction process in the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 9 is a functional block diagram relating to the film thickness prediction processing of the control unit 21. As illustrated in FIG. 9, the control unit 21 includes a first acquisition unit 111 a, a third acquisition unit 115, and a calculation unit 113 a in addition to the detection unit 112 and the output unit 114.

  The first acquisition unit 111a is an example of a first acquisition unit according to the present invention. The first acquisition unit 111 a acquires component information regarding the charging device 133 in each unit 130 from the storage device 137 of each unit 130 via the first communication unit 15, and acquires the acquired component information of each unit 130 for each unit 130. Is stored in the storage unit 12. This component information includes resistance information indicating the resistance value of the charging device 133. In this embodiment, the resistance information represents a type classified according to the resistance value of the charging roll of the charging device 133, and a lot number in which the charging device 133 is manufactured is set as the resistance information. In this embodiment, the resistance value of the charging device 133 manufactured in the lot number “S1” is larger than a value within a predetermined range (hereinafter referred to as a resistance reference value), and the lot number “S2”. The resistance value of the charging device 133 manufactured in the above is a resistance reference value, and the resistance value of the charging device 133 manufactured in the lot having the lot number “S3” tends to be smaller than the resistance reference value.

  The third acquisition unit 115 is an example of a third acquisition unit according to the present invention. The third acquisition unit 115 acquires environment information including temperature information indicating the temperature detected by the environment information detection unit 17 and humidity information indicating humidity.

The calculation unit 113a calculates a correction coefficient according to the resistance information of each charging device 133 in each unit 130 and the environment information acquired by the third acquisition unit 115 every time each photoconductor 132 in each unit 130 makes one rotation. The above-described arithmetic expression (Expression 1) obtained from the correction coefficient table in the storage unit 12 and the acquired correction coefficient corresponding to each unit 130 and the accumulated value of the rotation number of each photoconductor 132 counted by the detection unit 112. And the predicted film thickness of each photoconductor 132 is calculated. The above is the configuration of the control unit 21.

  The storage unit 12a stores a correction coefficient table 121a according to the present embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the configuration and data of the correction coefficient table 121a. As illustrated in FIG. 10, the correction coefficient table 121a stores correction coefficients corresponding to the type indicating the resistance of the charging device 133 and the temperature and humidity in the image forming apparatus 10a. This correction coefficient is determined in advance by experiment by changing the resistance value, temperature, and humidity of the charging device 133 to measure the wear of the photoconductor 132, and is suitable for the relationship between the resistance value, temperature, and humidity. The type of the charging device 133 is a classification of resistance values, and corresponds to the tendency of each lot of the charging device 133 described above. That is, the type “s1” has a resistance value greater than the resistance reference value, the type “s2” has a resistance value that is a resistance reference value, and the type “s3” has a resistance value that is less than the resistance reference value (s1> s2> s3). . Further, the temperature (T1, T2, T3) and the humidity (W1, W2, W3) of the correction coefficient table 121a correspond to the temperature and humidity within a certain range, respectively. That is, for example, T2 corresponds to a temperature (° C.) within a range of t1 ≦ T2 ≦ t2, and W2 corresponds to a humidity (%) within a range of w1 ≦ W2 ≦ w2. The temperature range of T2 is set as a reference temperature, T1 is set to a temperature range higher than the reference temperature, and T3 is set to a temperature range lower than the reference temperature. Further, assuming that the humidity range of W2 is the reference humidity, W1 is set to a humidity range higher than the reference humidity, and W3 is set to a humidity range lower than the reference humidity.

  In this example, when the temperature information is T1 and the humidity information is W1, the temperature and humidity are higher than the reference temperature and the reference humidity, and the temperature and humidity are the reference temperature and the reference humidity state (hereinafter referred to as the reference state). ) Since the resistance of the charging device 133 tends to be lower, the surface of the photosensitive member 132 is less likely to be worn when a voltage is applied to the charging device 133. On the other hand, in the state where the temperature information is T3 and the humidity information W3, the temperature and humidity are lower than in the reference state, and the resistance value of the charging device 133 is likely to be higher than that in the reference state, and a voltage in the charging device 133 is applied. If it is, the surface of the photosensitive member 132 is easily worn. Therefore, the correction coefficient is set to a lower value as it approaches the state of temperature T1 and humidity W1, and is set to a higher value as it approaches the state of temperature T3 and humidity W3.

(Operation example)
Next, the operation of the image forming apparatus 10a according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 11 is an operation flow diagram illustrating an operation example of the component information setting process of the image forming apparatus 10a. When the unit 130 is mounted at a predetermined mounting position in the image forming apparatus 10a, the control unit 21 receives an ON signal output from a switch provided at the mounting position (step S31: YES), and component information Then, the resistance information of the charging device 133 in the unit 130 is acquired from the storage device 137 of the unit 130 via the second communication unit 16 (step S32).

  The control unit 21 stores the identification information for identifying the unit 130 acquired in step S32 and the component information in the storage unit 12 (step S33). If the on signal is not output from the switch provided at the mounting position of each unit 130 in step S11, the control unit 21 ends the component information setting process (step S31: NO). When the unit 130 is removed from the image forming apparatus 10 and an off signal is output from a switch provided at the mounting position of the unit 130, the control unit 21 stores component information corresponding to the unit 130 in the storage unit 12. Each time the unit 130 is mounted, the above-described steps S31 to S33 are performed.

  The operation of the film thickness prediction process of the image forming apparatus 10 after the component information setting process will be described. In the present embodiment, in the image forming apparatus 10, the film thickness prediction process is performed every time each photoconductor 132 rotates once. FIG. 12 is an operation flow diagram illustrating an operation example of the film thickness prediction processing of the image forming apparatus 10a. For example, when receiving a print instruction for image data via the first communication unit 15, the control unit 21 controls the image forming unit 13, and an image based on the image data by the image forming units 13 Y, 13 M, 13 C, and 13 K. Is formed on the recording medium. In the image forming process, the control unit 11 detects the rotation of each photoconductor 132 in each of the image forming units 13Y, 13M, 13C, and 13K, and counts the cumulative value of the rotation speed of each photoconductor 132 (step S41). . Specifically, the control unit 21 stores a cumulative value of the number of rotations of each photoconductor 132 in a predetermined area in the storage unit 12, and each time the photoconductor 132 rotates once, the photoconductor 132. 1 is added to the accumulated value of.

  Further, the control unit 21 reads out component information corresponding to the unit 130 of the photoconductor 132 that has detected rotation from the storage unit 12 (step S42), and further indicates the temperature in the image forming apparatus 10a from the environment information detection unit 17. Environmental information including temperature information and humidity information indicating humidity is acquired (step S43). The control unit 21 reads the correction coefficient corresponding to the component information (resistance information) and the environment information from the correction coefficient table 121a in the storage unit 12 (step S44), and the correction coefficient for the unit 130 and the accumulated value of the rotation speed are obtained. Is substituted into a predetermined arithmetic expression (Expression 1), and a film thickness prediction value of the photoconductor 132 in the unit 130 is calculated (step S45). For example, the component information (resistance information) corresponding to the unit 130 of the rotated photoconductor 132 is “S1”, and the temperature information within the temperature “T2” range and the humidity information within the humidity “W3” range are acquired. In this case, in the correction coefficient table 121a corresponding to the charging device type “s1”, the predicted film thickness is calculated using the correction coefficient “y13” corresponding to the temperature “T2” and the humidity “W3”.

  Then, when the predicted film thickness value of the photoconductor 132 calculated in step S44 is equal to or less than the threshold value (step S46: YES), the control unit 21 displays an image that prompts replacement of the unit 130 corresponding to the photoconductor 132. It is displayed on the UI unit 14 (step S47). In step S46, when the predicted film thickness value of the photoconductor 132 calculated in step S45 is equal to or less than the threshold value (step S46: NO), the control unit 21 returns to step S43 and returns the environment information detection unit 17 to the environment. Information is acquired and the processing from step S44 described above is performed.

  Although the resistance of the charging device 133 varies depending on the temperature and humidity, if there is a difference in the resistance value of the charging device 133 of each unit 130, the discharge intensity varies depending on the charging device 133. Is also different. In the above-described embodiment, in the film thickness prediction process for each unit 130, the correction coefficient corresponding to the component information regarding the charging device 133 in the unit 130 and the temperature and humidity in the image forming apparatus 10 a for the unit 130. Is used. Therefore, the prediction accuracy of the film thickness of each photoconductor 132 is improved as compared with the case where the correction coefficient is a fixed value.

<Modification>
Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be implemented in various other forms. For example, the above-described embodiment may be modified as follows to implement the present invention, or may be implemented in combination with each modification. Hereinafter, modifications of the present invention will be described.

(1) In the first embodiment described above, the storage device 137 of each unit 130 stores the film thickness information and characteristic information of the photoconductor 132 and the removal member 136a in the unit 130 as part information, and according to the part information. The example of predicting the film thickness of the photosensitive member 132 using the correction coefficient has been described. However, in addition to the film thickness information and the characteristic information, the component information includes housing information indicating the type of the housing 131 of the unit 130. It may be included. Even in the case of housing types having a common shape, there may be a difference in the mounting position of components such as the photoconductor 132 and the cleaning device 136 provided in the housing 131 depending on the lot in which the housing 131 is manufactured. For this reason, in this modification, the degree of wear of the film thickness of the photoconductor 132 provided in the housing 131 manufactured in each lot is verified in advance by experiments, and the lot number of the housing 131 and the photoconductor 132 in the housing 131 and the removal are removed. A correction coefficient corresponding to the component information of the member 136a is set, and the correction coefficient table shown in FIG. 13 is stored in the storage unit 12.

  FIGS. 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating the configuration and data of the correction coefficient tables 122a and 122b according to the present modification. In this example, the housing 131 is manufactured in two lots. In the storage device 137 of each unit 130, either Cav1 or Cav2 indicating the lot number (type) of the housing 131 is stored as part information. include. FIG. 13A is a correction coefficient table 122a corresponding to the lot number “Cav1” of the housing 131, and FIG. 13B is a correction coefficient table 122b corresponding to the lot number “Cav2” of the housing 131. is there. For example, when the housing information “Cav2”, the film thickness information “R2”, and the characteristic information “G3” are included in the component information acquired from the unit 130, in the correction coefficient table 122b, the photoreceptor type “r2”, The correction coefficient “b23” corresponding to the removal member type “g3” is used for the film thickness prediction process.

(2) In Embodiment 2 described above, the film thickness of the photoconductor 132 in the unit 130 is predicted using the resistance information of the charging device 133 in the unit 130 and the correction coefficient for the temperature and humidity in the image forming apparatus 10a. However, in addition to the resistance information of the charging device 133 and the temperature and humidity in the image forming apparatus 10a, a correction coefficient corresponding to a pattern for applying a voltage to the charging device 133 may be determined in advance. . Hereinafter, an example of this case will be described. In this modification, the image forming apparatus 10 a has a function of correcting a YMCK color shift by forming a test pattern toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 250. The image forming apparatus applies a DC voltage to the charging device 133 when forming an image of a test pattern that does not require uniformity of the surface potential of the photoreceptor 132. Further, when the image forming apparatus forms an image that requires uniformity of the surface potential of the photosensitive member 132, that is, an image based on image data instructed by the user, a pulsating voltage in which alternating current is superimposed on direct current. Is applied to the charging device 133. Further, the image forming apparatus rotates the photosensitive member 132 for the purpose of cleaning the photosensitive member 132 without applying a voltage to the charging device 133.

  When the pulsating voltage is applied to the charging device 133, the discharge intensity of the charging device 133 becomes higher than when a DC voltage is applied, and the surface of the photoconductor 132 is easily worn. Further, when the photosensitive member 132 is rotated without applying a voltage to the charging device 133, the degree of wear of the photosensitive member 132 is smaller than that in the above case, but the photosensitive member 132 is rotated by the rotation of the photosensitive member 132 and the charging device 133. Wear out. Therefore, in this modification, the voltage applied to the charging device 133 is (a) a DC voltage, (b) a pulsating voltage, (c) the voltage is not applied to the charging device 133 and the photosensitive member 132 is rotated. The correction coefficient table corresponding to each pattern in the case of performing this is stored in the storage unit 12.

  FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating the configuration and data of the correction coefficient table 123 according to this modification. As shown in FIG. 14, the correction coefficient table 123 includes correction coefficient tables 123a, 123b, and 123c having the configuration described in the correction coefficient table 121a of the second embodiment for each pattern. The correction coefficient table 123a stores correction coefficients in the pattern (a). The correction coefficient table 123b stores correction coefficients in the pattern (b). The correction coefficient table 123c stores correction coefficients in the pattern (c). For example, when forming an image based on the image data received via the first communication unit 15, the control unit 21 out of the correction coefficients stored in the correction coefficient table 123 b of the charging device 133 in the unit 130. Using the correction coefficient corresponding to the resistance information and the temperature and humidity in the image forming apparatus 10a, the film thickness prediction process of the photoconductor 132 in the unit 130 is performed. In the case of (c), since no voltage is applied to the charging device 133, a common correction coefficient according to temperature and humidity may be set regardless of the resistance information of the charging device 133.

(3) In the above-described embodiments and modifications, the correction coefficient table may store correction coefficients having different values, or may include correction coefficients having overlapping values.

(4) In the embodiment and the modification described above, the example in which the correction coefficient corresponding to each unit 130 is acquired from the correction coefficient table stored in advance in the storage unit 12 has been described. However, the correction coefficient is acquired by calculation. May be. In this case, for example, the correction coefficient is calculated by substituting the component information acquired from each unit 130 into a predetermined arithmetic expression for converting the component information into the correction coefficient.

(5) In the embodiment and the modification described above, the storage device 137 of the unit 130 includes, as part information, the lot number of the lot in which the photoconductor 132 and the removal member 136a in the unit 130 are manufactured, or the charging device 133. Although an example in which the lot number of the manufactured lot is stored has been described, the film thickness value before the photosensitive member 132 is mounted on the image forming apparatus 10, the value indicating the characteristics such as the hardness and elastic modulus of the removal member 136a. Alternatively, the resistance value of the charging device 133 may be stored as component information. In this case, in the control unit 11 or the control unit 21, each condition (film thickness and characteristics, or resistance) determined in the correction coefficient table by using a predetermined arithmetic expression or table for each value of the component information. You may make it apply to.

(6) In the above-described embodiment and modification, the example in which the predicted film thickness of the photoconductor 132 is calculated every time the photoconductor 132 rotates has been described. However, the film thickness of each photoconductor 132 is determined at a predetermined cycle. If it is the structure which calculates a predicted value, you may comprise as follows. For example, the predicted film thickness of the photosensitive member 132 in each unit 130 may be calculated every time the image forming process is performed, or the rotational speed of the photosensitive member 132 in each unit 130 when the image forming process is performed. The accumulated value may be stored in the storage unit 12, and the estimated film thickness value of each photoconductor 132 may be calculated using the accumulated value at predetermined time intervals.

(7) In the above-described embodiment, the film thickness prediction value is calculated using the accumulated value of the rotational speed of the photosensitive member 132. However, the current film thickness prediction value is stored in the storage unit 12, and the photosensitive film 132 is exposed. Each time the body 132 makes one revolution, the correction coefficient is subtracted from the predicted film thickness in the storage unit 12 to obtain a new predicted film thickness, and the predicted film thickness in the storage unit 12 is obtained. You may comprise so that it may replace.

(8) In Embodiment 2 described above, temperature information and humidity information are acquired as environment information, and a film thickness prediction value is calculated using a correction coefficient corresponding to the temperature information, humidity information, and resistance information of the charging device 133. Although the example to do was demonstrated, you may make it calculate a film thickness estimated value using the correction coefficient corresponding to at least one of temperature information and humidity information, and resistance information. In this case, in the correction coefficient table, a correction coefficient corresponding to one of the temperature information and the humidity information and the resistance information is stored in advance, and when performing the film thickness prediction process, the environmental information is stored as the environmental information. The information is acquired from the detection unit 17.

(9) In the above-described embodiment and modification, the image forming apparatuses 10 and 10 a calculate the predicted film thickness of the photosensitive member 132 of each unit 130, but for example, via the first communication unit 15. The predicted film thickness value may be calculated by an external device such as a PC connected to the image forming apparatus. For example, when the film thickness prediction process is performed using the correction coefficient based on the film thickness information and the characteristic information, the film thickness information and the characteristics are externally connected to the image forming apparatus 10 via the first communication unit 15. The correction coefficient table 121 in which the correction coefficient corresponding to the information is set is stored in advance, and the part information corresponding to each unit 130 and the rotational speed of the photosensitive member 132 in the unit 130 are transmitted from the image forming apparatus 10 to the external apparatus. To be configured. The external device calculates the predicted film thickness based on the correction coefficient corresponding to the number of rotations for each photoconductor 132 and the component information and the above-described calculation formula (Formula 1), and outputs notification information indicating the calculation result. Configure as follows.

(10) In the above-described embodiment, when the predicted film thickness is equal to or less than the threshold value, the UI unit 14 displays an image prompting the user to replace the photoconductor 132. As the notification information based on the value, for example, an LED provided for each unit 130 is turned on according to the predicted film thickness value, or an image showing the threshold value and predicted film thickness value of the photosensitive member 132 for each unit 130 is displayed. It may be displayed on the UI unit 14.

(11) In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the photosensitive member 132, the charging device 133, the developing device 135, the cleaning device 136, and the storage device 137 are provided in the housing 131 has been described. 132, the charging device 133, and the cleaning member may be provided, and the storage device 137 may be provided by being bonded to the outside of the housing 131.

(12) The image forming unit in the embodiment and the modification described above may include a so-called rotary developing device in which a plurality of developing devices are provided along the circumferential direction of the rotating body, and forms a monochrome image. It may be a thing.

(13) In the embodiment and the modification described above, an example in which the storage device 137 is an RFID tag has been described. However, for example, a storage medium such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory) may be used. The control unit 11 and the storage device 137 are configured to be connected by a bus at a position where the storage device 137 is provided in the unit 130, and when the unit 130 is mounted, component information is received from the storage device 137 via the bus. You may make it acquire.

(14) The program executed by the CPU 11a in the embodiments and modifications is readable by a computer such as a magnetic recording medium (magnetic tape, magnetic disk, etc.), an optical recording medium (optical disk, etc.), a magneto-optical recording medium, a semiconductor memory, etc. Can be provided in a state stored in a simple recording medium. Alternatively, the image forming apparatus may be downloaded using a communication unit such as the Internet.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10,10a ... Image forming apparatus, 11, 21 ... Control part, 12 ... Memory | storage part, 13 ... Image forming part, 13Y, 13M, 13C, 13K ... Image forming unit, 14 * ··· UI unit, 15 ... first communication unit, 16 ... second communication unit, 17 ... environmental information detection unit, 111 ... first acquisition unit, 112 ... detection unit, 113 ..Calculating unit 114... Output unit 115. Third acquisition unit 130... Unit 131 131 Housing 132 Photoconductor 133.・ Exposure device, 135... Development device, 136... Cleaning device, 136 a... Removal member, 136 b... Recovery container, 137... Storage device, 210. -Backup roll, 211b ... secondary transfer row , 212 ... fixing device, 212a ... fixing roll, 212b ... pressure roll 250 ... intermediate transfer belt

Claims (8)

First acquisition means for respectively acquiring component information relating to two or more predetermined components of the plurality of components from a unit configured by a plurality of components including a photoconductor and detachable from the image forming apparatus. When,
A second obtaining unit operable unit acquires the cumulative number of rotations of the photosensitive member in said unit from being attached to the image forming apparatus,
Gets the correction factor that corresponds to a set of pre-Symbol each component information acquired by the first acquisition means, based on the said correction factor, and the cumulative number of rotations of the photosensitive body obtained by said second obtaining means Calculating means for calculating a predicted film thickness of the photoreceptor,
Output means for outputting notification information for prompting replacement of the unit, which is information based on a calculation result of the calculation means ;
An information processing apparatus comprising: The said unit, said a plurality of components, in addition to the photosensitive member, includes removing member for removing the toner remaining on the surface of the photoreceptor,
When the unit is mounted, the first acquisition unit includes, as the component information, film thickness information indicating the film thickness of the photoreceptor before the unit is mounted and characteristic information indicating the characteristics of the removal member. Acquired,
The calculation means acquires the correction coefficient corresponding to the set of film thickness information and characteristic information acquired by the first acquisition means, and uses the acquired correction coefficient to calculate a predicted film thickness of the photoconductor. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus calculates the information processing apparatus. The said unit, as the plurality of components, the photosensitive member, includes a housing which is also retract and said removal member is a small,
The first acquisition means further acquires housing information indicating the type of the housing as the component information,
The calculation means acquires the correction coefficient corresponding to the set of the film thickness information, the characteristic information, and the housing information acquired by the first acquisition means, and uses the acquired correction coefficient to the photoreceptor. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a predicted film thickness value is calculated. The said unit, said a plurality of components, the addition of the photosensitive member, includes a charging device for charging the photoreceptor,
A third acquisition unit that acquires at least one of temperature information and humidity information indicating temperature and humidity in the image forming apparatus as environmental information;
The first acquisition means acquires resistance information indicating the resistance of the charging device as the component information,
The calculation unit corresponds to a set of the environment information acquired by the third acquisition unit and the resistance information acquired by the first acquisition unit, instead of a set of component information on the two or more components. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the correction coefficient is acquired, and the film thickness of the photoconductor is calculated using the acquired correction coefficient. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the calculation unit calculates a predicted film thickness value of the photoconductor using the correction coefficient corresponding to a pattern in which a voltage is applied to the charging device. The output means outputs the notification information indicating that the predicted film thickness is equal to or less than the threshold when the estimated film thickness of the photoconductor calculated by the calculation means is equal to or less than the threshold. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5. An image forming means comprising a unit composed of a plurality of parts including a photoconductor and detachably formed on the main body device;
Obtaining means for obtaining respective advance two or more parts information on parts defined among a plurality of parts from the unit in the unit,
A detection means for the unit to detect the cumulative rotational speed of the photosensitive member in said unit from being mounted on the main device,
Gets the correction coefficient that corresponds to the set of the respective component information acquired by the obtained unit preparative, and the correction coefficient, based on the cumulative number of rotations of said detected photoreceptor by said detecting means, said light-sensitive A calculating means for calculating a body thickness prediction value;
Output means for outputting notification information for prompting replacement of the unit, which is information based on a calculation result of the calculation means ;
An image forming apparatus comprising: A computer for controlling the image forming apparatus ;
Consists of several parts, including a photoreceptor, a unit which is detachably formed with respect to the image forming apparatus, the respectively acquires the parts information about predetermined two or more components are of the plurality of component 1 acquisition means;
A second obtaining unit operable unit acquires the cumulative number of rotations of the photosensitive member in said unit from being attached to the image forming apparatus,
Gets the correction factor that corresponds to a set of pre-Symbol each component information acquired by the first acquisition means, based on the said correction factor, and the cumulative number of rotations of the photosensitive body obtained by said second obtaining means Calculating means for calculating a predicted film thickness of the photoreceptor,
A program for functioning as output means for outputting notification information for prompting replacement of the unit, which is information based on a calculation result of the calculation means.

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