JP7413912B2 - Image forming device and cleaning member lifespan determination method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and a method for determining the lifespan of a cleaning member for an image carrier mounted in the image forming apparatus.

In an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, a cleaning member such as a cleaning blade is brought into sliding contact with the surface of an image carrier on which a toner image is formed, such as a photoreceptor drum or an intermediate transfer belt. 2. Description of the Related Art Removal (cleaning) of deposits such as residual toner on the surface of the body is performed. In such an image forming apparatus, when the cleaning blade wears out and the product life is over, cleaning failures occur.

Therefore, an image forming apparatus has been proposed that suppresses cleaning defects by determining cleaning conditions depending on the wear (deterioration state) of the cleaning blade (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this image forming apparatus, even if the cleaning blade is worn out, poor cleaning can be suppressed, so it is possible to extend the durable life of the cleaning blade.

JP2013-61471A

However, in the technology described in Patent Document 1 mentioned above, the image forming apparatus has a problem in the product life of the cleaning blade when toner slips through the cleaning blade, that is, when a cleaning failure occurs due to wear of the cleaning blade. Warn the user that it has passed. When the warning is issued, the user must replace the parts, but the image forming apparatus cannot be used during the replacement period. Therefore, in image forming apparatuses, it is required to predict the lifespan of the cleaning blade before a cleaning failure occurs.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides an image forming apparatus capable of predicting the lifespan of a cleaning member, and a method for predicting the lifespan of a cleaning member.

The image forming apparatus of the present invention includes an image carrier, a cleaning member that cleans the surface of the image carrier, and a control section. The control unit includes a vibration detection unit that detects vibrations of the cleaning member, a frequency component detection unit that performs processing to detect frequency components from vibration data of the vibration detected by the vibration detection unit, and a calculation result by the frequency component detection unit. It has an integration calculation section that integrates the spectral intensity in a predetermined frequency section and calculates an integrated value of the spectral intensity, and a lifespan determination section that determines the lifespan of the cleaning member from the change over time of the integrated value of the spectral intensity.

Further, a method for determining the lifespan of a cleaning member according to the present invention is a method for determining the lifespan of a cleaning member of an image forming apparatus that includes an image carrier, a cleaning member that cleans the surface of the image carrier, and a control unit. , the process of detecting the vibration of the cleaning member, the process of detecting the frequency component from the vibration data of the detected vibration, and the process of integrating the spectral intensity in a predetermined frequency interval in the detection result of the frequency component, and calculating the integrated value of the spectral intensity. A process of calculating and a process of determining the lifespan of the cleaning member from the change over time in the integrated value of the spectral intensity are performed.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus capable of predicting the lifespan of a cleaning member and a method for predicting the lifespan of a cleaning member.

1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus. 1 is a block diagram showing the main functional configuration of an image forming apparatus. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of each image forming section in the image forming apparatus. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram for predicting the lifespan of a cleaning member in a control unit of an image forming apparatus. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a current value detected by a vibration detection section. It is a figure which displays the spectral intensity of the electric current value for every frequency by FFT analysis. It is a condition table showing an example of setting conditions in FFT analysis. 3 is a graph showing changes over time in integrated values of spectral intensity from 0.1 Hz to 120 Hz. It is a graph showing a change over time in a current value detected by a vibration detection unit. 3 is a table showing changes over time in integrated values of spectral intensity in a predetermined frequency section. It is a graph showing a change over time in an integrated value of spectral intensity in a predetermined frequency section. It is a graph showing a change over time in an integrated value of spectral intensity in a predetermined frequency section. It is a table showing the usage amount (%) of the cleaning member, the integrated value of the spectrum intensity, and the driving torque. This is an example of a data table of reference values used to determine the lifespan of a cleaning member. This is an example of a data table of reference values used to determine the lifespan of a cleaning member. This is an example of a data table of reference values used to determine the lifespan of a cleaning member. This is an example of a data table of reference values used to determine the lifespan of a cleaning member. 3 is a flowchart of lifespan determination processing performed by the image forming apparatus. 12 is a flowchart of processing for storing calculation results of FFT analysis performed in the image forming apparatus and verification results of integrated values of spectral intensities. 3 is a flowchart of lifespan determination processing performed by the image forming apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the illustrated example.

[Configuration of image forming apparatus]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the main configuration of the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus 100 forms an image on a recording medium such as paper using an electrophotographic image forming process.

The image forming apparatus 100 forms an image on a recording medium such as paper using an electrophotographic image forming process.
The image forming apparatus 100 includes an image forming section 10, a control section 20, a paper feeding section 21, an image reading section 22, a display section 23, an operation section 24, a storage section 25, and a belt cleaning section 9. Configured with the necessary features.

The image forming section 10 includes a yellow image forming section 11Y, a magenta image forming section 11M, a cyan image forming section 11C, a black image forming section 11K, an intermediate transfer belt 12 as an intermediate transfer body, and a secondary transfer roller 13. and a fixing device 14.

The image forming units 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K are arranged in series (tandem) along the belt surface of the intermediate transfer belt 12, and form toner images of each color on the intermediate transfer belt 12. The image forming units 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K have substantially the same configuration except that the toner images they form differ in color.

Each of the image forming sections 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K includes a latent image forming section consisting of a photoreceptor drum 1, a charging section 2, and an exposure section 3, a developing section 4, a lubricant application section 7, a primary transfer roller 5, and a cleaning section. It has 6.

In each of the image forming units 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K, toner images formed on the photosensitive drum 1 rotating in the direction of the arrow (counterclockwise in the figure) are transferred to the photosensitive drum 1 and the primary transfer roller 5, respectively. The images are sandwiched between the images, and are sequentially and primarily transferred so as to be superimposed on a predetermined position on the outer circumferential surface side (first surface side) of the intermediate transfer belt 12. As a result, a color toner image is formed on the intermediate transfer belt 12 by overlapping the toner images formed in each image forming section 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K.

The intermediate transfer belt 12 is pressed against the recording material by a secondary transfer roller 13, and the color toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 12 is transferred (secondary transfer) to the recording material. The fixing device 14 heats and presses the toner image transferred onto the recording medium to perform a fixing process.

The belt cleaning section 9 is a mechanism that cleans the intermediate transfer belt 12 after the secondary transfer. The belt cleaning section 9 includes a belt cleaning blade 9A, a cleaning brush 9B, and a casing 9C.

The belt cleaning blade 9A comes into contact with the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 12 and scrapes off residual transfer toner, paper dust, lubricant, and the like. The belt cleaning blade 9A is in contact with the intermediate transfer belt 12 in a region where the roller supporting the intermediate transfer belt 12 is in contact with the intermediate transfer belt 12. The tip (edge) of the belt cleaning blade 9A is in contact with the rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt 12 in a counter direction.

The cleaning brush 9B is disposed upstream of the belt cleaning blade 9A in the rotational direction of the intermediate transfer belt 12. The cleaning brush 9B is a roller-shaped brush that comes into contact with the intermediate transfer belt 12 to remove foreign matter including toner attached to the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 12.
Casing 9C supports belt cleaning blade 9A and cleaning brush 9B. Further, the casing 9C accommodates toner and the like removed by the belt cleaning blade 9A and cleaning brush 9B.

The control unit 20 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and the like. The CPU loads various programs stored in the ROM into the RAM, and cooperates with the loaded various programs to collectively control the operations of each part of the image forming apparatus 100. For example, the control unit 20 inputs electrical signals from the image reading unit 22, performs various image processing, and outputs image data Dy, Dm, Dc, and Dk of each color of YMCK generated by the image processing to the image forming unit 10. do. Further, the control section 20 controls the operation of the image forming section 10 to form an image on the recording medium.

The paper feed section 21 includes a plurality of paper feed trays, each of which accommodates a plurality of different types of recording media. The paper feed section 21 supplies the image forming section 10 with a recording medium accommodated in a predetermined conveyance path.

The image reading unit 22 includes an optical system such as a light source and a reflecting mirror. The image reading section 22 irradiates the original transported by the automatic document transporting section or the original placed on the platen glass with a light source, receives reflected light, converts the received reflected light into an electrical signal, and transmits the signal to the control section 20. Output to.

The display unit 23 is constituted by an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), and displays various operation screens, operating status of each function, etc. according to display control signals input from the control unit 20.
The operation unit 24 receives various input operations from the user and outputs operation signals to the control unit 20. As the operation section 24, various operation keys such as a numeric keypad and a start key, a touch panel configured integrally with the display section 23, etc. can be used.

The storage unit 25 is composed of an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a semiconductor memory, etc., and stores data such as program data and various setting data.

[Image creation section]
FIG. 3 shows the configuration of each image forming section 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K in the image forming apparatus 100. Each of the image forming sections 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K includes a photosensitive drum 1 (image carrier), a charging section 2, an exposing section 3, a developing section 4, a primary transfer roller 5, and a cleaning section 6. , and a lubricant application section 7.

The photosensitive drum 1 is rotationally driven in the direction A shown in FIG. 3, and carries an electrostatic latent image and a toner image on its surface layer. The photosensitive drum 1 is, for example, an organic photosensitive member in which a photosensitive layer made of a resin containing an organic photoconductor is formed on the outer peripheral surface of a drum-shaped metal base. Examples of the resin constituting the photosensitive layer include polycarbonate resin, silicone resin, polystyrene resin, acrylic resin, methacrylic resin, epoxy resin, polyurethane resin, vinyl chloride resin, and melamine resin.

The charging unit 2 uniformly charges the surface of the photoreceptor drum 1 using a charging roller. Although it is preferable to use a charging roller because the photoreceptor drum 1 can be uniformly charged to a constant potential, a corotron charger, a scorotron charger, or the like may be used as the charging unit 2.

The exposure section 3 exposes the surface of the photoreceptor drum 1 charged by the charging section 2 to form an electrostatic latent image based on the image data Dy, Dm, Dc, and Dk of each color of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black. Form.

The developing section 4 visualizes the electrostatic latent image formed by the exposing section 3 using a developer containing toner. The developing section 4 includes a developing sleeve 41 arranged to face the photoreceptor drum 1 across a development area, and attaches toner to the electrostatic latent image on the photoreceptor drum 1 to form a toner image.

The primary transfer roller 5 transfers (primary transfer) the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 1 to the intermediate transfer belt 12 moving in the direction B shown in FIG. 3 .

The cleaning section 6 removes and collects toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 1 without being transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 12. The cleaning section 6 includes a cleaning blade 61 that comes into contact with the photoreceptor drum 1 and scrapes off residue on the photoreceptor drum 1, and a collection member 62 that collects the residue scraped off by the cleaning blade 61.

The lubricant application section 7 is installed downstream of the cleaning section 6 in the rotation direction A of the photoreceptor drum 1, and applies lubricant to the surface of the photoreceptor drum 1. The lubricant applicator 7 includes an applicator brush 71 (lubricant supply member), a solid lubricant 72, a pressure member 73, and a leveling blade 74.

The application brush 71 has a rotation axis parallel to the rotation axis of the photoreceptor drum 1, and is installed so as to come into contact with both the solid lubricant 72 and the photoreceptor drum 1. In this state, the applicator brush 71 supplies the lubricant scraped off from the solid lubricant 72 to the photoreceptor drum 1 by rotating in a counter direction to the rotational direction of the photoreceptor drum 1 . At this time, it also plays the role of spreading and coating the lubricant onto the photoreceptor drum 1 by the contact pressure. The application brush 71 is rotationally driven by a brush motor (not shown). Note that the rotation direction of the application brush 71 may be set to rotate in the with direction with respect to the rotation direction of the photoreceptor drum 1 in consideration of other qualities such as streak unevenness and torque reduction.

The pressure member 73 is made of a spring or the like, and presses the solid lubricant 72 against the applicator brush 71 .
The leveling blade 74 is installed downstream of the applicator brush 71 in the rotation direction A of the photoreceptor drum 1 . The leveling blade 74 has the function of further spreading and coating the lubricant supplied onto the photoreceptor drum 1 by the application brush 71 onto the photoreceptor drum 1 and removing excess lubricant particles.

[Developer]
The toner in the developer can be manufactured by a commonly used known method, such as a pulverization method, an emulsion polymerization method, a suspension polymerization method, or the like. Binder resins used in toners include, for example, styrene resins (styrene or monopolymers and copolymers containing styrene substitutes), polyester resins, epoxy resins, vinyl chloride resins, phenolic resins, and polyethylene resins. , polypropylene resin, polyurethane resin, silicone resin, etc. The binder resin made of these resins alone or in combination preferably has a softening temperature in the range of 80 to 160°C or a glass transition point in the range of 50 to 75°C.

As the colorant, commonly used colorants can be used, such as carbon black, aniline black, activated carbon, magnetite, benzine yellow, permanent yellow, naphthol yellow, phthalocyanine blue, fast sky blue, and ultramarine blue. , Rose Bengal, Lakey Red, etc. The colorant is preferably used in an amount of 2 to 20 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the binder resin.

In addition, in the case of positively charging toner, the charge control material contained in the binder resin includes, for example, nigrosine dye, quaternary ammonium salt compound, triphenylmethane compound, imidazole compound, polyamine resin, etc. In the case of charge control materials for negatively chargeable toners, azo dyes containing metals such as chromium, cobalt, aluminum, and iron, metal salicylate compounds, metal alkylsalicylate compounds, curlixarene compounds, and the like are used. This charge control material is preferably used in a proportion of 0.1 to 10 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the binder resin. Furthermore, regarding the mold release agent contained in the binder resin, for example, polyethylene, polypropylene, carnauba wax, Sasol wax, etc. are used singly or in combination of two or more types, and 0.1 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the binder resin. It is preferable to use it in a proportion of 10 parts by weight.

(external additive)
From the viewpoint of improving the charging performance, fluidity, or cleaning properties of the toner, particles such as known inorganic fine particles or organic fine particles, and a lubricant can be added to the surface of the toner base particles as external additives. Various types of these external additives may be used in combination.

The lubricant is used for the purpose of further improving cleaning properties and transfer properties. Examples of lubricants include stearic acid salts such as zinc, aluminum, copper, magnesium, and calcium; oleic acid salts such as zinc, manganese, iron, copper, and magnesium; and palmitic acid salts such as zinc, copper, magnesium, and calcium. Examples include (higher) fatty acid metal salt particles such as salts of linoleic acid such as zinc and calcium, and salts of ricinoleic acid such as zinc and calcium. The external additive has at least fatty acid metal salt particles (lubricant) having a volume-based median diameter in the range of 0.5 to 1.5 μm. If the volume-based median diameter of the fatty acid metal salt particles is less than 0.5 μm, it is not preferable because the particles will be deformed and fused due to the mixing stress of the developing device, and the surfaces of the carrier and other members will be contaminated. On the other hand, if the volume-based median diameter of the fatty acid metal salt particles is larger than 1.5 μm, their retention with the toner (base particles) decreases and they separate quickly, resulting in uneven image defects. Undesirable. The volume-based median diameter (volume average particle diameter) of the fatty acid metal salt particles (lubricant) can be measured using a laser diffraction particle size analyzer SALD-2100. The fatty acid metal salt particles (lubricant) can be separated from the toner by selecting the filter pore size depending on the purpose or by centrifugation in the application of the external additive separation method described above.

As the fatty acid metal salt (particles) having the volume-based median diameter, the various (higher) fatty acid metal salts (particles) described above can be used, but among them, stearate metal salts are preferred, such as calcium stearate, stearate metal salts, etc. Magnesium acid, zinc stearate, etc. From the viewpoint of performance as a lubricant and electrostatic toner retention, zinc stearate is particularly preferred.
The content of the fatty acid metal salt particles (lubricant) having the volume-based median diameter is 0.05 to 0.60% by mass based on the total amount of the toner.

As an external additive, it is sufficient to use a lubricant in the above particle size range (fatty acid metal salt particles with the above volume-based median diameter), and in addition, particles such as the above-mentioned known inorganic fine particles and organic fine particles may be used. May be used together.

The inorganic fine particles include inorganic oxide fine particles such as silica, titania, and alumina, inorganic stearic acid compound fine particles such as aluminum stearate fine particles, and zinc stearate fine particles, and calcium titanate, strontium titanate, and zinc titanate. Inorganic fine particles such as inorganic titanic acid compound fine particles are preferred. Among these, inorganic titanate compound fine particles (metal oxide fine particles) such as strontium titanate and calcium titanate are characterized by a high polishing effect. Examples of silica particles include colloidal silica, alkoxysilane hydrolyzate (silica produced by the sol-gel method), silica produced by a wet method such as precipitated silica, fumed silica, and fused silica produced by a dry method. Silica etc. manufactured by

If necessary, these inorganic fine particles may be subjected to gloss treatment or hydrophobization treatment using silane coupling agents, titanium coupling agents, higher fatty acids, silicone oil, etc. in order to improve heat-resistant storage properties and environmental stability. etc. may also be performed. From the viewpoint of improving the fluidity of the external additive, it is preferable to use silica particles that have been hydrophobized (surface treated) with hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) or the like.

As these inorganic fine particles, it is preferable to use spherical inorganic fine particles having a number average primary particle diameter of about 5 nm to 2 μm and which are hydrophobized or not hydrophobized. Note that the number average primary particle diameter of inorganic fine particles can be calculated using an electron microscope photograph, but specifically, a photograph of a toner sample is taken at a magnification of 30,000 times with a scanning electron microscope, and this photographic image is is captured by a scanner. An image processing analysis device LUZEX (registered trademark), AP (manufactured by Nireco Co., Ltd.) performs binarization processing on the external additives present on the toner surface of the photographic image, and horizontally analyzes 100 external additives for each type of external additive. The directional Feret diameter is calculated, and its average value is taken as the number average particle diameter.

As the inorganic fine particles, two types of particles (for example, silica particles) having different number average primary particle diameters may be used. For example, the number average primary particle diameter of the larger particle is preferably 60 to 250 nm, more preferably 80 to 200 nm. Within the above range, it is possible to promote the adhesion of larger particles to the toner base particles and improve the stability of the charge amount and the cleaning performance. Further, the number average primary particle size of the smaller particle size is preferably 5 to 45 nm, more preferably 12 to 40 nm. Within the above range, it is possible to sufficiently obtain good charging properties of the small diameter silica particles, and it is also easy to adhere uniformly on the surface of the toner base particles, and the initial charge amount and charge amount are stable in a high temperature and high humidity environment. can improve sex.

As the organic fine particles, spherical organic fine particles having a number average primary particle diameter of about 10 nm to 2 μm can be used. Specifically, organic fine particles made of homopolymers such as styrene or methyl methacrylate or copolymers thereof can be used. Note that the number average primary particle diameter of the organic fine particles can be calculated using an electron micrograph in the same manner as the number average primary particle diameter of the inorganic fine particles.

The amount of the external additive added is preferably 0.1 to 10.0 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the toner particles.
Examples of methods for adding external additives include adding using various known mixing devices such as turbular mixers, Henschel mixers, Nauta mixers, and V-type mixers.

As the carrier, a binder-type carrier, a coat-type carrier, or the like is used, and the particle size of the carrier is not limited, but is preferably 15 to 100 μm. The mixing ratio of toner and carrier may be adjusted so as to obtain a desired toner charge amount, and can be suitably adjusted by setting the toner ratio to the total amount of toner and carrier to be 3 to 30% by weight. be done. Further, it is more preferable that the toner ratio is 4 to 20% by weight.

A binder-type carrier is one in which magnetic fine particles are dispersed in a binder resin, and can be constructed by fixing positively or negatively chargeable fine particles to the surface of the carrier or by providing a surface coating layer. The charging characteristics of the binder type carrier are controlled by the material of the binder resin, the chargeable fine particles, and the type of the surface coating layer. As the binder resin, thermoplastic resins such as vinyl resins typified by polystyrene resins, polyester resins, nylon resins, and polyolefin resins, thermosetting resins such as phenol resins, and the like are used.

Examples of magnetic fine particles dispersed in a binder type carrier include spinel ferrite such as magnetite and gamma iron oxide, spinel ferrite containing one or more metals other than iron (manganese, nickel, magnesium, copper, etc.) , magnetoplumbite type ferrite such as barium ferrite, iron or alloy particles having iron oxide on the surface, etc. are used. At this time, if high magnetization is required, it is preferable to use iron-based ferromagnetic fine particles. On the other hand, when considering chemical stability, it is preferable to use ferromagnetic fine particles such as spinel ferrite or magnetoplumbite type ferrite. By appropriately selecting the type and content of the ferromagnetic fine particles, a carrier having desired magnetization can be obtained. Further, the shape of the magnetic particles may be granular, spherical, or acicular. Further, it is appropriate that the magnetic fine particles be added to the carrier in an amount of 50 to 90% by weight.

In the case of a binder type carrier with chargeable particles or conductive particles fixed to the surface, for example, after uniformly mixing and adhering the particles to a magnetic resin carrier on the carrier surface, mechanical or thermal impact force is applied. By applying the fine particles, the fine particles are implanted and fixed into the magnetic resin carrier on the surface of the carrier. At this time, the fine particles are not completely embedded in the magnetic resin carrier, but are fixed so that a portion thereof protrudes from the surface of the magnetic resin carrier.

When chargeable fine particles are used as the fine particles, an organic or inorganic insulating material is used. Specifically, for example, organic insulating fine particles such as polystyrene, styrene copolymers, acrylic resins, various acrylic copolymers, nylon, polyethylene, polypropylene, fluororesins, and crosslinked products thereof are used, and their materials, polymerization By appropriately selecting a catalyst, surface treatment, etc., the charge level and polarity of the carrier can be set to a desired level. Further, as the inorganic fine particles, for example, negatively chargeable inorganic fine particles such as silica, titanium dioxide, etc., and positively chargeable inorganic fine particles such as strontium titanate, alumina, etc. are used.

Further, in the case of a binder type carrier provided with a surface coating layer, silicone resin, acrylic resin, epoxy resin, fluororesin, etc. are used as the surface coating material for forming the surface coating layer. In this way, by forming a surface coating layer in which the resin material is coated on the surface and cured, the charge imparting ability can be improved.

On the other hand, a coated carrier is a carrier composed of carrier core particles made of a magnetic material coated with a coated resin, and like a binder-type carrier, a coated carrier also has positively or negatively charged chargeable fine particles on the carrier surface. It can be fixed. The charging characteristics of the coated carrier, such as polarity, are controlled by the type of surface coating layer and the type of chargeable fine particles, and the same material as the binder type carrier can be used as the material. Further, as the coating resin for coating the carrier core particles, the same resin as the binder resin of the binder type carrier is used.

[Functional block diagram]
FIG. 4 shows a functional block diagram of the controller 20 of the image forming apparatus 100 for predicting the lifespan of the cleaning member that comes into contact with the image carrier. The control section 20 includes a vibration detection section 51 , an FFT calculation section 52 , an integration calculation section 59 , a lifespan determination section 53 , a set value storage section 54 , a history management section 55 , and a display control section 56 .
In the following, as an example of predicting the lifespan of the cleaning member, the image bearing member is the photoreceptor drum 1 of each image forming section 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K in the image forming apparatus 100, and the cleaning member is the photoreceptor drum 1. A case where the cleaning blade 61 is in contact will be explained. However, the lifespan of the cleaning member according to the present embodiment can be predicted if the configuration includes a rotationally driven image carrier and a cleaning member that comes into contact with the image carrier. Therefore, the same configuration is applied when the image carrier is an intermediate transfer body (intermediate transfer belt 12, secondary transfer belt, etc.) and the cleaning member is a belt cleaning blade 9A that contacts the intermediate transfer belt 12. This makes it possible to predict the lifespan of the cleaning member.

(Vibration detection section)
The vibration detection unit 51 acquires a current value and the like (vibration data) for detecting the vibration of the cleaning blade 61 that contacts the photoreceptor drum 1 . The frictional resistance between the cleaning blade 61 and the photosensitive drum 1 changes as the cleaning blade 61 vibrates. Therefore, the vibration detection unit 51 can detect the vibration of the cleaning blade 61 by detecting the current value for driving the photoreceptor drum 1. For example, the vibration detection unit 51 acquires time information and a current value by detecting a current value of a drive unit such as a motor for driving the photoreceptor drum 1 in units of time. Alternatively, time information and driving torque are acquired by detecting a value obtained by converting a current value into torque.

FIG. 5 shows an example of the current value (driving torque) detected by the vibration detection unit 51. The time obtained here is normalized to the start time of 0 seconds for use in calculation.
In FIG. 5, the vertical axis shows the value (V) obtained by converting the current value into torque, and the horizontal axis shows the elapsed time (s). As shown in FIG. 5, the driving torque required for driving changes as the frictional resistance increases or decreases due to the vibration of the cleaning blade 61. Therefore, the current value that drives the photoreceptor drum 1 fluctuates over time so as to increase or decrease within a constant torque range. Therefore, by acquiring this current value (torque), it is possible to detect the vibration of the cleaning blade 61 in contact with the photoreceptor drum 1. It should be noted that the fluctuation in the driving torque of the photoreceptor drum 1 shown in FIG. The influence of the intermediate transfer belt 12, coating brush 71, leveling blade 74, etc. is also included. Therefore, the current value (driving torque) shown in FIG.

Further, the vibration detection unit 51 can also acquire a current value (resistance value) using a stress measuring element attached to the cleaning blade 61 that converts an amount of mechanical strain into an amount of electricity. For example, the current value (resistance value) for detecting the vibration of the cleaning blade 61 can be obtained by reading the change in the current value (resistance value) from a strain gauge or the like.

Note that when the image carrier is the intermediate transfer belt 12, the vibration of the belt cleaning blade 9A (belt cleaning section 9) that comes into contact with the intermediate transfer belt 12 is detected. Vibration detection by the vibration detection unit 51 is performed based on the current value for driving the intermediate transfer belt 12, the strain gauge attached to the belt cleaning blade 9A, etc., as in the case of the photoconductor drum 1 and cleaning blade 61 described above. Can be read.

(FFT calculation section)
The FFT calculation unit 52 is a frequency component detection unit that performs processing to detect frequency components of the current value etc. (vibration data) acquired as vibration of the cleaning blade 61 by the vibration detection unit 51. In this embodiment, fast Fourier transform (FFT) analysis is performed as a process for detecting frequency components. For example, by performing FFT analysis on the current values shown in FIG. 5, etc., the frequency components shown in FIG. 6 are detected. In FIG. 6, the spectral intensity of the current value is displayed for each frequency by FFT analysis.

The frequency components detected by the FFT analysis correspond to vibrations of natural frequencies generated from various parts of the object to be monitored (the photosensitive drum 1 in FIG. 5). For example, by FFT analysis, the driving system of the photoconductor drum 1, the natural frequency caused by the photoconductor drum 1 itself generated by the rotation of the photoconductor drum 1, the cleaning blade 61, the developing sleeve 41, the charging section 2, the intermediate transfer belt, etc. 12, each frequency component corresponding to a natural frequency caused by each component that contacts the photoreceptor drum 1, such as the application brush 71 and the leveling blade 74, is detected. For this reason, in FFT analysis, by checking in advance from which configuration a given frequency component is generated, and by detecting which frequency component changes and how, it is possible to detect the location of an abnormality and to detect the occurrence of an abnormality. It is possible to estimate the cause. In particular, FFT analysis can detect minute abnormalities that are difficult to detect using other methods, so it can be applied to the deterioration diagnosis and life prediction of the cleaning member of this embodiment.

In the frequency components detected by the FFT analysis shown in FIG. 6, frequencies exhibiting high peak values of spectral intensity are concentrated in a frequency range of 30 Hz or less. In particular, frequencies exhibiting high peak values of spectral intensity are concentrated in frequency sections below 20 Hz and below 10 Hz.

The frequency components shown in FIG. 6 include not only those caused by the vibration of the cleaning blade 61, but also those caused by the photosensitive drum 1 itself, the developing sleeve 41 other than the cleaning blade 61, the charging section 2, the applicator brush 71, Also included are components that come into contact with the photoreceptor drum 1, such as the leveling blade 74, and those caused by gears attached to each of these components. Further, it includes those caused by the configuration of the intermediate transfer belt 12, the primary transfer roller 5, etc.

For this reason, it is preferable to obtain in advance the frequencies of peak values caused by components other than the cleaning blade 61 in the frequency components obtained by FFT analysis, and to exclude these frequencies. In particular, rotating bodies such as the photoreceptor drum 1, which tends to have a large intensity peak in a certain frequency band, the coating brush 71, the developing sleeve 41, the primary transfer roller 5, etc., and the gears attached thereto. It is preferable to obtain the frequencies of the peak values caused by this in advance and exclude them. Thereby, it is possible to selectively extract the frequency of the peak value caused by the cleaning blade 61 in the frequency components obtained by the FFT analysis. For example, in an image forming apparatus, by comparing frequency components obtained by FFT analysis between a configuration in which the cleaning blade 61 is provided and a configuration in which the cleaning blade 61 is not provided, the frequency of the peak value caused by the cleaning blade 61 can be determined. The frequency of the peak value caused by a configuration other than the cleaning blade 61 can be determined.

The peak value of the frequency component caused by the cleaning blade 61 varies depending on the material and shape of the cleaning blade 61, the configuration related to the photoreceptor drum 1, and various other conditions. Therefore, it is preferable to detect the frequency of the peak value due to the cleaning member and the frequency of the peak value due to the configuration other than the cleaning blade 61 for each unit of the image forming apparatus having the same configuration. Even when the intermediate transfer belt 12 is used as the image carrier and the belt cleaning blade 9A is used as the cleaning member, the frequency of the peak value caused by the cleaning member and the frequency of the peak value caused by the configuration other than the cleaning member are similarly detected. It is preferable to do so. In particular, find in advance the frequencies of peak values caused by the intermediate transfer belt 12 that tends to have large peaks in a certain frequency band, and rotating bodies such as rollers that come into contact with the intermediate transfer belt 12, and exclude these. is preferred.

The time interval and number of points of current values acquired in FFT analysis will be explained. The maximum frequency during FFT analysis is half the time interval to be acquired. For example, if current values are acquired at 1 ms (1 kHz) intervals, the maximum frequency that can be acquired by FFT analysis is 500 Hz. Then, if frequencies up to the above maximum frequency of 500 Hz are acquired under the condition that the resolution of the FFT analysis is about 0.1 Hz, the frequency output points will be 5000 points. Therefore, approximately 10,000 sampling points are required, which is twice the output points.

In the FFT analysis of this embodiment shown in FIG. 6 above, current values are acquired at 1 ms intervals, and from the data of 8192 sampling points (8.192 seconds), 4096 points up to 120 Hz are output by FFT analysis, and the resolution is The frequency was set to 0.122Hz. Note that the FFT analysis is not limited to this value, and conditions can be set according to the desired resolution.

FIG. 7 shows a condition table of an example of setting conditions in FFT analysis. FIG. 7 shows the measurement interval, measurement time, output point, and resolution for the case where material A is used for the cleaning blade 61. Further, FIG. 7 shows integrated values of spectral intensities in frequency sections based on the results of FFT analysis. The integrated value of this spectrum intensity will be described later.

If the resolution is increased in FFT analysis, more accurate data can be obtained, but calculation processing takes time. Therefore, if sufficient data can be acquired to determine the lifespan of the cleaning member, there is no need to increase the resolution any further. In terms of resolution in FFT analysis, it is preferable to set the measurement interval to 1 to 2 ms and the measurement time to 1.1 to 8.2 s. As shown in Condition 4 shown in Figure 7, if the measurement interval is 2ms, the measurement time is 1.1, and the number of output points is 256 or more, it is possible to acquire sufficient data to determine the lifespan of the cleaning member. can. Furthermore, as in condition 2 shown in Fig. 7, if the measurement interval is 1 ms, the measurement time is 1.1, and the resolution is 0.977 Hz or less, sufficient data can be obtained to determine the life of the cleaning member. be able to.

When determining the cleaning life of an image forming apparatus, sufficient data can be acquired if the output points are 256 or more as in the above example. Therefore, the number of output points is ^2N , and it is preferable that N is 8 or more, that is, the number of output points is 256 or more. In addition, in order to more accurately determine the cleaning lifespan of the image forming apparatus, perform the FFT analysis of the present embodiment shown in FIG. 6 described above under condition 1 shown in FIG. It is preferable to set it to 4096 or more. Therefore, the number of output points is ^2N , and it is preferable that N is 12 or more, that is, the number of output points is 4096 or more.

In addition, in the FFT analysis of the present embodiment shown in FIG. 6 above, the FFT analysis was performed on the current value etc. (vibration data) acquired during the image forming job at the time of stopping the post-processing after the image forming job was completed. The timing to perform the FFT analysis is not limited to this, and the FFT analysis may be performed in real time during an image forming job, or after the post-processing is stopped.

(Integration calculation unit; calculation of integrated value of spectral intensity)
The integration calculation unit 59 shown in FIG. 4 integrates the spectral intensity of each frequency (Hz) from the frequency components subjected to FFT analysis in the FFT calculation unit 52, and calculates an integrated value of the spectral intensity. The integration calculation section 59 obtains the spectral intensity for each frequency (Hz) according to the resolution from the FFT calculation section 52 described above. Then, the integration calculation unit 59 calculates the integrated value of the spectral intensity by integrating the respective spectral intensities determined for each frequency (Hz).

FIG. 8 shows a graph showing the relationship between the integrated value of spectral intensity and elapsed time. In FIG. 8, the vertical axis represents the integrated value of the spectral intensity, and the horizontal axis represents the usage time of the cleaning blade 61 in usage amount (%). The usage amount (%) on the horizontal axis indicates a usage amount of 0% at the start of use, and a usage amount of 100% at the end of life (remaining life of 0). Moreover, in FIG. 8, the integrated value of the spectrum intensity is shown up to 110% of the usage amount which exceeds the life span.

Further, FIG. 8 shows the calculated values under condition 1 shown in FIG. 7, and corresponds to the integrated value of the spectral intensities of the results of the FFT analysis shown in FIG. Note that FIG. 8 shows the relationship between the integrated value of the spectral intensity in the frequency range of 0.1 to 120 Hz and the elapsed time from the start of use of the cleaning blade 61. Furthermore, since the measurement interval under condition 1 shown in FIG. 7 is 8.2 seconds, the integration calculation unit 59 calculates the integration value of the spectral intensity every 8.2 seconds. The graph shown in FIG. 8 is obtained by plotting the integrated value of the spectral intensity calculated at each measurement interval (8.2 seconds) by the integration calculation unit 59 according to the elapsed time.

Further, in FIG. 8, a graph showing the relationship between the integrated value of the spectral intensity and the elapsed time is shown in the case where the cleaning blade 61 is made of four types of materials: material A, material B, material C, and material D. An example is shown for each. As shown in FIG. 8, the relationship between the integrated value of spectral intensity and elapsed time differs depending on the material. However, as a common tendency for each material, immediately after the start of use, the integrated value of the spectral intensity rapidly increases and reaches a maximum value. Further, after reaching the maximum value, the integrated value of the spectral intensity rapidly decreases. Depending on the material (material C, material D), the integrated value of the spectral intensity shows a minimum value. Further, after reaching the minimum value, the integrated value of the spectral intensity changes stably.

FIG. 9 shows the current value (driving torque) detected by the vibration detection unit 51 when four types of materials, material A, material B, material C, and material D, are used as the cleaning blade 61. As shown in FIG. 9, the driving torque is large immediately after the cleaning blade 61 starts to be used, and then rapidly decreases. After the drive torque decreases to a certain value, it maintains a substantially stable value. Note that, microscopically, as shown in FIG. 5, the driving torque changes as the frictional resistance increases or decreases due to the vibration of the cleaning blade 61.

(Integration calculation unit; calculation of integrated value of spectral intensity in a predetermined frequency interval)
Further, the integration calculation section 59 calculates an integration value of the spectral intensity in a predetermined frequency section depending on the material of the cleaning blade 61 from the frequency components subjected to FFT analysis in the FFT calculation section 52 described above. A predetermined frequency section corresponding to the material constituting the cleaning blade 61 is stored for each material in the set value storage section 54, which will be described later.

The cleaning blade 61 removes residual toner on the photoreceptor drum 1 at the contact portion with the photoreceptor drum 1 . However, minute external additives may slip through the cleaning blade 61. Therefore, minute vibrations occur at the contact portion between the cleaning blade 61 and the photoreceptor drum 1 due to the external additive slipping through. Since the period of this vibration differs slightly depending on the printing information of the toner and the position in the longitudinal direction, a specific period cannot be selected and occurs in a region of 100 Hz or less.

The amplitude of the cleaning blade 61 is large in the initial stage when the tip edge is being scraped, because the vibration caused by the external additive slipping through is added to the vibration when the tip edge is being scraped. Further, when the cleaning blade 61 has been used for a certain period of time and the leading edge has been scraped and the worn surface is stable, vibrations caused by the external additives passing through become dominant and the amplitude becomes small.
Further, as the cleaning blade 61 approaches the end of its life, the wear surface at the tip becomes larger. Therefore, the pressing force on the photoreceptor drum 1 is dispersed, causing toner to slip through the contact portion, or chipping occurs at the tip of the cleaning blade 61, causing toner to slip through. As a result, vibrations due to the toner slipping through are added to vibrations due to the external additive slipping through, increasing the amplitude.

In this manner, the amplitude at the contact portion between the cleaning blade 61 and the photosensitive drum 1 changes depending on the usage time of the cleaning blade 61. Therefore, by observing the vibration state of the cleaning blade 61, it is possible to determine the state of the cleaning blade 61, such as the usage amount and remaining life (remaining life).

Specifically, changes over time in integrated values of spectral intensity are observed for frequency sections that exhibit a characteristic shape. As described above, the amplitude changes depending on the usage time of the cleaning blade 61. Further, from the beginning of use of the cleaning blade 61, the amplitude first increases greatly, then decreases, becomes stable after the width decreases, and finally increases.

However, in the graph shown in FIG. 8, which shows the change over time in the integrated value of the spectral intensity, it increases greatly immediately after the start of use, then decreases greatly, and then becomes a stable value to some extent in the decreased state. Therefore, there is no noticeable change in the cleaning blade 61 depending on the usage time. This is because the graph shown in FIG. 8 shows the integrated value of all spectral intensities from 0.1 Hz to 120 Hz. In the graph shown in FIG. 8, the change in the integrated value of the spectral intensity according to the usage time of the cleaning blade 61 is buried in the change in the integrated value of the spectral intensity due to other factors, so only the influence of the cleaning blade 61 is observed. difficult to observe.

On the other hand, the above-mentioned change in amplitude depending on the usage time of the cleaning blade 61 occurs significantly in a predetermined frequency range depending on the material of which the cleaning blade 61 is made. Therefore, changes in the integrated value of the spectral intensity depending on the usage time of the cleaning blade 61 also occur significantly in a predetermined frequency section. That is, by extracting only a predetermined frequency section and observing the change over time in the integrated value of the spectral intensity in this frequency section, it is possible to observe the change in the integrated value of the spectral intensity according to the usage time of the cleaning blade 61. can.

FIGS. 10 to 12 show examples of changes over time in the integrated value of the spectral intensity in a predetermined frequency section exhibiting the above-mentioned characteristic shape. 10 to 12 are graphs in which only frequency sections showing characteristic shapes depending on the state of the cleaning blade 61 are extracted from the temporal changes in the integrated values of the spectral intensities of the materials A to D shown in FIG. 8 described above. . Further, FIG. 13 shows a table of the amounts used (%) of materials A to D in the graphs shown in FIGS. 10 to 12 and the integrated value of spectral intensity (FFT integrated value). Note that FIG. 13 also shows the driving torque for reference.

FIG. 10 shows changes over time in integrated values of spectral intensities from 30 Hz to 70 Hz for Material A and Material B. FIG. 11 shows the change over time in the integrated value of the spectral intensity from 0.1 Hz to 70 Hz for material C. FIG. 12 shows the change over time in the integrated value of the spectral intensity from 70 Hz to 120 Hz for material D.

As shown in FIGS. 10 to 12, in the graphs in a predetermined frequency range, the time-dependent change in the integrated value of the spectral intensity shows a different shape for each material. However, in each graph, a common characteristic shape appears in the temporal change of the integrated value of the spectral intensity.
First, in the graphs showing the integrated value of the spectral intensity and the elapsed time shown in FIGS. 10 to 12, the integrated value of the spectral intensity rapidly increases and reaches a maximum value immediately after the cleaning blade 61 starts to be used. Then, after showing the maximum value, the integrated value of the spectral intensity rapidly decreases and shows the minimum value. Further, after reaching the minimum value, the integrated value of the spectral intensity changes stably. In FIGS. 10 to 12, the integrated value gradually increases. In FIG. 12, the value changes gradually and then suddenly increases, but this increase is more gradual than the change in the integrated value immediately after the start of use.
Then, after the life of the cleaning blade 61 finally ends, the integrated value of the spectral intensity starts to decrease. This final drop in the integrated value is a little steeper than the state in which the integrated value changes stably, but it changes more gently than immediately after the start of use.

Therefore, by selecting a frequency section showing the above-mentioned characteristic shape for each material constituting the cleaning blade 61 and observing the change over time in the integrated value of the spectral intensity in this frequency section, the state of the cleaning blade 61 can be determined. can be determined. Note that the frequency range showing the above-mentioned characteristic shape for each material constituting the cleaning blade 61 needs to be determined in advance. Furthermore, any frequency section in which the above-mentioned characteristic shape appears prominently can be arbitrarily set as the predetermined frequency section. In particular, as the frequency section exhibiting the above-mentioned characteristic shape, it is preferable to set as the predetermined frequency section a frequency section that shows a minimum value and then gradually increases. When the integrated value of the spectral intensity gradually increases, the current amount of use (degree of wear) of the cleaning blade 61 can be easily determined by comparison with a reference value indicating the amount of use set in advance. The predetermined frequency range and usage amount reference values for each material are stored in the set value storage section 54 described below.

Note that, as described above, the frequency components include those caused by components other than the cleaning member, such as the cleaning blade 61. Therefore, when calculating the integrated value of the spectral intensity, it is preferable to exclude components in frequency bands caused by components other than the cleaning member from calculating the integrated value. In the examples shown in FIGS. 10 to 12 described above, the frequency component of the image carrier, which is a rotating body, was calculated by excluding the component of 1.83 Hz at 110 rpm. Thereby, the integrated value was calculated by excluding frequency components caused by components other than the cleaning member.

Frequency components to be excluded when calculating the integrated value include rotating bodies other than the image carrier, such as brushes, developing rollers, and gears that drive these. If the frequency component to be excluded is due to a rotating body, the frequency due to this rotating body can be calculated as N/60Hz, where the rotational speed of the rotating body is Nrpm. Further, in the case of a gear, if the rotational speed of the gear is Nrpm and the number of teeth of the gear is P, the frequencies to be excluded can be calculated as N/60 and NxP/60. If necessary, one or more of these frequency components, or all of them, may be excluded.

(Life judgment section)
The life determination section 53 shown in FIG. 4 determines the life of the cleaning blade 61 based on the change over time in the integrated value of the spectral intensity in a predetermined frequency interval using the calculation result by the integration calculation section 59 described above.

As described above, the time-dependent change in the integrated value of the spectral intensity in a predetermined frequency interval exhibits a characteristic shape. Therefore, the life determination unit 53 determines the usage amount, remaining life (remaining life), etc. of the cleaning blade 61 by observing changes over time in the integrated value of the spectrum intensity in a predetermined frequency interval corresponding to the material that constitutes the cleaning blade 61. The state of the blade 61 can be determined.

As shown in FIGS. 10 to 12 described above, the integrated value of the spectral intensity in a predetermined frequency section shows a minimum value, stabilizes, and then starts to decline. Therefore, after the integrated value of the spectral intensity reaches the minimum value, the life determining unit 53 uses the preset reference value for determining the life of the cleaning blade 61 and the spectral intensity calculated by the integrating calculation unit 59. The deterioration state of the cleaning blade 61 can be determined by comparing the integrated value. For example, using the life table stored in the setting value storage unit 54 described below, the current integrated value of spectral intensity is compared with the reference value stored in the table, and the current integrated value of spectral intensity is the reference value. If it exceeds , the lifespan of the cleaning blade 61 can be determined.

Furthermore, after the life determination unit 53 indicates the minimum value, the usage amount, remaining life (remaining life), etc. of the cleaning blade 61 are determined based on the current integrated value of the spectral intensity and the reference value for determining the life. can be determined. For example, the degree of deterioration of the cleaning blade 61 can be determined by comparing the current integrated value of the spectral intensity with a data table (life table) in which reference values for determining the deterioration state are set. Further, in addition to comparing with a predetermined reference value, the degree of deterioration of the cleaning blade 61 can also be determined from the current integrated value of the spectral intensity using an arbitrary formula. The lifespan determination unit 53 uses a mathematical formula in which the integrated value of the spectral intensity and the deterioration state change linearly, or a mathematical formula by approximating a curve, depending on the configuration of the image forming apparatus 100, the material of the cleaning blade 61, etc. The deterioration state of the cleaning blade 61 may also be determined. For example, the deterioration state of the cleaning blade 61 can be determined using a mathematical formula that approximates the graphs shown in FIGS. 10 to 12 described above.

Therefore, if the integrated value of the spectral intensity in a predetermined frequency range observed in the current image forming apparatus exceeds the reference value set as the product life of the cleaning blade 61, the life determination unit 53 It can be determined that the life span has expired. Furthermore, the lifespan determination unit 53 can determine the deterioration state of the cleaning blade 61 by comparing the integrated value of the spectral intensity in a predetermined frequency interval observed in the current image forming apparatus with the data table. . Information on a predetermined frequency interval specified by the lifespan determination unit 53 to calculate the integrated value of the spectral intensity, a reference value indicating the lifespan of the cleaning member, a data table, etc. are stored in the set value storage unit 54 described below. There is.

(Set value storage)
The set value storage unit 54 stores information on a predetermined frequency interval for calculating the integrated value of spectral intensity necessary for the lifespan determination performed in the lifespan determination unit 53, a reference value indicating the lifespan of the cleaning member, a data table, etc. Remember. Examples of data tables (lifetime tables) including reference values stored in the set value storage section 54 are shown in FIGS. 14 to 17.

FIG. 14 shows the frequency range (30 to 70 Hz) for calculating the integrated value of the spectral intensity when the cleaning blade 61 is made of material A, the usage amount (%) of the cleaning blade 61, and the integrated value of the spectral intensity. This is a data table in which (FFT integrated value) is set.
Based on this data table, the integration calculation section 59 sets a predetermined frequency interval for calculating the integration value of the spectral intensity. Furthermore, the lifespan determination unit 53 determines the usage amount and remaining lifespan of the cleaning blade 61 by comparing the integrated value of the spectral intensity with the numerical values in this data table.

In the data table shown in FIG. 14, when the integrated value of the spectral intensity from 30 to 70 Hz is 5900, the usage amount of the cleaning blade 61 is determined to be 40%. Further, when the integrated value of the spectrum intensity is 6000, 6100, and 6500, the usage amount of the cleaning blade 61 is determined to be 60%, 80%, and 100%, respectively. That is, when the integrated value of the spectral intensity reaches 6500 after showing the minimum value, it is determined that the product life of the cleaning blade 61 has ended.
Note that in the initial stage of use of the cleaning blade 61, it is difficult to determine the usage amount because the integrated value of the spectral intensity fluctuates greatly. Furthermore, since it is in the initial stage of use and the period until the end of its life is long, there is little need to accurately determine the amount used. Therefore, in the data table, only 40% and above are set. The usage amount (%) value set in this data table can be arbitrarily set by determining in advance the change over time in the integrated value of the spectral intensity for each material constituting the cleaning blade 61.

FIG. 15 shows the frequency range (30 to 70 Hz) for calculating the integrated value of the spectral intensity when the cleaning blade 61 is made of material B, the usage amount (%) of the cleaning blade 61, and the integrated value of the spectral intensity. This is a data table in which (FFT integrated value) is set.
In the data table shown in FIG. 15, when the integrated value of the spectral intensity from 30 to 70 Hz is 7000, the usage amount of the cleaning blade 61 is determined to be 40%. Further, when the integrated value of the spectral intensity is 8000, 8500, and 9100, the usage amount of the cleaning blade 61 is determined to be 60%, 80%, and 100%, respectively. That is, when the integrated value of the spectral intensity reaches a minimum value and then reaches 9100, it is determined that the product life of the cleaning blade 61 has ended.

FIG. 16 shows the frequency range (0.1 to 70 Hz) for calculating the integrated value of the spectral intensity when the cleaning blade 61 is made of material C, the usage amount (%) of the cleaning blade 61, and the spectral intensity. This is a data table in which integrated values (FFT integrated values) are set.
In the data table shown in FIG. 16, when the integrated value of the spectral intensity from 0.1 to 70 Hz is 35,000, the usage amount of the cleaning blade 61 is determined to be 40%. Further, when the integrated value of the spectral intensity is 40,000, 45,000, and 50,000, the usage amount of the cleaning blade 61 is determined to be 60%, 80%, and 100%, respectively. That is, when the integrated value of the spectral intensity reaches a minimum value and then reaches 50,000, it is determined that the product life of the cleaning blade 61 has ended.

FIG. 17 shows the frequency range (70 to 120 Hz) for calculating the integrated value of the spectral intensity when the cleaning blade 61 is made of material D, the usage amount (%) of the cleaning blade 61, and the integrated value of the spectral intensity. This is a data table in which (FFT integrated value) is set.
In the data table shown in FIG. 17, when the integrated value of the spectral intensity from 30 to 120 Hz is 2700, the usage amount of the cleaning blade 61 is determined to be 40%. Furthermore, when the integrated value of the spectral intensity is 2770, 2850, and 2930, the usage amount of the cleaning blade 61 is determined to be 60%, 80%, and 100%, respectively. That is, when the integrated value of the spectral intensity reaches the minimum value and then reaches 2930, it is determined that the product life of the cleaning blade 61 has ended.

Note that the relationship between the integrated value of the spectral intensity set in the data table and the usage amount differs depending on the configuration of the image forming apparatus 100. Therefore, for each configuration of the image forming apparatus 100, the usage amount, usage time, and deterioration state of the cleaning members (cleaning blade 61, belt cleaning blade 9A, etc.) and the integrated value of the spectral intensity according to each state are detected in advance. It is preferable to set it in the data table.

(History Management Department)
The history management section 55 stores the calculation results of the frequency components of the FFT analysis by the FFT calculation section 52 and the calculation results of the integrated value of the spectral intensity by the integration calculation section 59. Further, the history management unit 55 supplies the stored calculation results of the FFT analysis and the calculation results of the integrated value of the spectrum intensity by the integration calculation unit 59 to the life determination unit 53. If the lifespan determination unit 53 does not determine the lifespan of the cleaning blade 61 at the same time as the image forming job is executed, the lifespan determination unit 53 reads the calculation result of the FFT analysis stored in the history management unit 55 after the job is completed, and performs the above-mentioned cleaning. It is possible to determine the lifespan of components.

(Display control section)
The display control unit 56 causes the display unit 23 of the image forming apparatus 100 to display the result of the above-mentioned lifespan determination. The content to be displayed may be, for example, the deterioration state of the cleaning blade 61, usage amount, remaining life (remaining life) amount, etc. with reference to the above-mentioned data table. It is also possible to display the calculation results of frequency components by FFT analysis, the calculation results of the current integrated value of spectrum intensity in the frequency section detected by the life determination section 53, and their history information.

In addition, in the above explanation, a method of displaying information on the display unit is described as a method of notifying the user of information such as lifespan judgment results and calculation results, but the method of notifying the user of information other than display is described. This method may also be used. For example, an audio output device, a mobile terminal, or the like is used as a notification unit for notifying a user of information, and a notification is sent to the control unit 20 of the image forming apparatus 100 to control notification of information to the audio output device, mobile terminal, etc. A control section is provided. The notification control unit can also notify the user of various types of information by notifying the user by voice using an audio output device, a mobile terminal, or the like, or transmitting information to the mobile terminal.

[Processing flow]
Next, an operation related to determining the lifespan of the above-mentioned cleaning member in the image forming apparatus 100 will be described.

(Lifespan judgment)
FIG. 18 shows a flowchart of the lifespan determination process performed in the control unit 20 of the image forming apparatus 100.
First, the image forming apparatus 100 receives a print instruction from the user from the operation unit 24 (step S10). Then, image formation is started (print start) according to the print instruction (step S11), and after the supported image formation is completed, printing is ended (step S12).

Next, in the control unit 20, the vibration detection unit 51 acquires a current value (vibration data) in order to detect the vibration of the cleaning blade 61 during image formation (step S13). For example, data on the current value (driving torque) for driving the photoreceptor drum 1 during image formation is stored in the storage unit 25 (see FIG. 2), and the vibration detection unit 51 reads the data from the storage unit 25. Data is acquired after image formation is completed. Further, the vibration detection unit 51 may acquire data on the driving current value (driving torque) of the photoreceptor drum 1 in real time during image formation.

Next, the FFT calculation unit 52 performs calculation processing of FFT analysis on the data of the current value (driving torque) for driving the photoreceptor drum 1 acquired by the vibration detection unit 51 (step S14). Through this FFT analysis, the frequency component of the current value (driving torque) for driving the photosensitive drum 1 is detected. Then, the FFT calculation section 52 stores the FFT-analyzed calculation result data of the frequency component of the current value (driving torque) for driving the photoreceptor drum 1 in the history management section 55 (step S15).

Next, the integration calculation unit 59 calculates an integrated value of the spectral intensity in a predetermined frequency range according to the material that constitutes the cleaning blade 61 from the frequency components subjected to FFT analysis by the FFT calculation unit 52 (step S16). . Then, the integration calculation unit 59 stores the calculation result data of the integration value of the spectral intensity in the history management unit 55 (step S17).

Next, the lifespan determination unit 53 determines the lifespan of the cleaning blade 61 from the calculation result data of the integrated value of the spectral intensity (step S18). The lifespan determination in the lifespan determination section 53 is performed using the calculation result of the integrated value of the spectral intensity and various conditions stored in the set value storage section 54. For example, the life determination unit 53 compares the calculation result of the integrated value of the spectral intensity with the usage amount reference value of the data table stored in the setting value storage unit 54. Thereby, the lifespan determination section 53 determines the lifespan of the cleaning blade 61. Furthermore, the life determination section 53 can also determine the usage amount of the cleaning blade 61 by comparing the calculation result of the integrated value of the spectral intensity with the data table stored in the setting value storage section 54.

After the lifespan determination section 53 determines the lifespan of the cleaning blade 61, the process according to this flowchart ends. Note that, if necessary, the result of the above-mentioned lifespan determination may be displayed on the display section 23 of the image forming apparatus 100 using the display control section 56.

(Storing calculation results)
Next, FIG. 19 shows a flowchart in the case of storing the calculation result of FFT analysis and the calculation result of the integrated value of spectral intensity without performing life determination.
First, in the same way as steps S10 to S14 in FIG. 18 described above, the process from receiving a print instruction to calculating FFT analysis (steps S20 to S24) is performed.
Next, the FFT calculation unit 52 stores the calculation result of the FFT analysis in the history management unit 55 (step S25). Further, the integration calculation unit 59 performs calculation processing of an integrated value of the spectral intensity in a predetermined frequency section depending on the material of the cleaning blade 61 from the frequency components subjected to FFT analysis by the FFT calculation unit 52 (step S26). Then, the integration calculation unit 59 stores the calculation result data of the integration value of the spectrum intensity in the history management unit 55 (step S27).
Then, the history management unit 55 outputs the stored calculation results (history) of the FFT analysis to the display control unit 56 (step S28), and ends the processing according to this flowchart. Thereafter, the display control unit 56 causes the display unit 23 of the image forming apparatus 100 to display the calculation result of the FFT analysis and the calculation result of the integrated value of the spectrum intensity.

The calculation result data of the FFT analysis and the calculation result data of the integrated value of spectral intensity stored in the history management unit 55 can be determined by the above-mentioned lifespan, for example, by the life judgment unit 53 reading out the data stored in the history management unit 55. It can be used for judgment. In addition, by using the calculation result data of the FFT analysis and the calculation result data of the integrated value of spectral intensity stored in the history management unit 55, various conditions for determining the lifespan and deterioration state of the cleaning member are investigated. be able to.

(Selection of lifespan judgment)
Next, a description will be given of a process in which the image forming apparatus 100 performs the lifespan determination after determining whether or not to perform the lifespan determination of the cleaning member. FIG. 20 shows a flowchart of the lifespan determination process, including determination of whether to perform lifespan determination of the cleaning member.

First, in the same way as steps S10 to S12 in FIG. 18 described above, processes from receiving a print instruction to printing completion processing (steps S30 to S32) are performed.
Next, after printing is finished, the control unit 20 determines whether or not to determine the lifespan of the cleaning member (step S33). For example, the control unit 20 stores conditions for determining the lifespan in the set value storage unit 54, and determines to perform the process of determining the lifespan of the cleaning member when the conditions are met.

If the control unit 20 determines that the lifespan of the cleaning member is not to be determined (NO in step S33), the process according to this flowchart ends.
If the control unit 20 determines that the lifespan of the cleaning member is to be determined (YES in step S33), the lifespan determination unit 53 determines the lifespan from the acquisition of vibration data by the vibration detection unit 51, similarly to steps S13 to S18 in FIG. The processes up to (steps S34 to S39) are performed. Then, the processing according to this flowchart ends.

By performing the above processing, the obtained drive current value (drive torque) of the image carrier (photoreceptor drum or intermediate transfer member) is subjected to FFT analysis, and from the FFT analysis result, the integrated value of the spectral intensity in the initial frequency section is calculated. By acquiring the calculation result data, it is possible to determine the life span and deterioration state of the cleaning member. In particular, since it is possible to observe changes in the state of the cleaning member over time from the calculation result data of the integrated value of the spectral intensity, it is possible to accurately predict the deterioration state and lifespan of the cleaning member.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the configuration described in the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the configuration of the present invention.

1 photosensitive drum, 2 charging section, 3 exposing section, 4 developing section, 5 primary transfer roller, 6 cleaning section, 7 lubricant application section, 9 belt cleaning section, 9A belt cleaning blade, 9B cleaning brush, 9C casing, 10 Image forming section, 11C Cyan image forming section, 11K Black image forming section, 11M Magenta image forming section, 11Y Yellow image forming section, 12 Intermediate transfer belt, 13 Secondary transfer roller, 14 Fixing device, 20 Control section, 21 Supply paper section, 22 image reading section, 23 display section, 24 operation section, 25 storage section, 41 developing sleeve, 51 vibration detection section, 52 FFT calculation section, 53 lifespan judgment section, 54 setting value storage section, 55 history management section, 56 display control unit, 59 integration calculation unit, 61 cleaning blade, 62 collection member, 71 application brush, 72 solid lubricant, 73 pressure member, 74 leveling blade, 100 image forming device

Claims (13)

an image carrier;
a cleaning member that cleans the surface of the image carrier;
comprising a control unit;
The control unit includes:
a vibration detection unit that detects vibrations of the cleaning member;
a frequency component detection unit that performs a process of detecting a frequency component from vibration data of the vibration detected by the vibration detection unit;
an integration calculation unit that integrates spectral intensities in a predetermined frequency interval in the calculation results by the frequency component detection unit and calculates an integrated value of the spectral intensities;
An image forming apparatus, comprising: a lifespan determination unit that determines the lifespan of the cleaning member based on a change over time in the integrated value of the spectral intensity. The control unit includes a set value storage unit that stores a preset reference value indicating a lifespan of the cleaning member in the integrated value of the spectral intensity;
The lifespan determination unit indicates a first maximum value and a first minimum value in the temporal change of the integrated value of the spectral intensity, and determines the integrated value of the spectral intensity after passing the first minimum value and the The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lifespan of the cleaning member is determined by comparing it with a reference value. comprising a notification unit that reports various information according to instructions from the control unit,
The lifespan determining unit is configured to determine, in a case where the integrated value of the spectral intensity after showing the first maximum value and the first minimum value is less than the reference value in the change over time of the integrated value of the spectral intensity. By comparing the current integrated value of the spectral intensity with the reference value stored in the setting value storage unit, information regarding the current usage amount of the cleaning member and the remaining life of the cleaning member are obtained. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the notifying unit notifies at least one of the information regarding the information. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a time interval at which the vibration detection section detects the vibration of the cleaning member is 1 ms or less. The vibration detection unit detects the vibration of the cleaning member from a current value of a drive unit that drives the image carrier or a torque value converted from the current value. Image forming device. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the vibration detection unit detects the vibration of the cleaning member from a value of a strain gauge attached to the cleaning member. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the image carrier is a photosensitive drum. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the image carrier is an intermediate transfer member. an image carrier;
a cleaning member that cleans the surface of the image carrier;
A method for determining the lifespan of the cleaning member of an image forming apparatus comprising:
a process of detecting vibrations of the cleaning member;
A process of detecting frequency components from vibration data of detected vibrations,
A process of integrating spectral intensities in a predetermined frequency interval in the frequency component detection results and calculating an integrated value of the spectral intensities;
A method for determining the lifespan of a cleaning member, comprising: determining the lifespan of the cleaning member from a change over time in the integrated value of the spectral intensity. The method for determining the life of a cleaning member according to claim 9, wherein the predetermined frequency range is from 0.1 Hz to 120 Hz. The method for determining the lifespan of a cleaning member according to claim 9, wherein the output point of the detection of the frequency component is ^2N , and N is 8 or more. The method for determining the lifespan of a cleaning member according to claim 9, wherein in the integration of the spectral intensity, the integrated value of the spectral intensity is calculated by excluding from the calculation at least some of the frequency components resulting from configurations other than the cleaning member. . 13. The cleaning member lifespan determination method according to claim 12, wherein the integrated value of the spectral intensity is calculated by excluding a frequency component of the image carrier of the image forming apparatus from the calculation.

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