JPH041682A - Printing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent toner from being erroneously inserted by installing a bar code scanner in a toner hopper, reading the bar code of a toner cartridge side, and operating misinsertion preventive shutter. CONSTITUTION:When the toner cartridge 72 is replaced, the bar code 6 provided in the toner cartridge 72 is read by the bar code scanner 1 installed in the toner hopper 70 and a processor 2 decides the read result. When the read result is not normal, the processor 2 outputs a signal to a driver 3, which outputs a signal to a shutter motor 4; and then an insertion opening is closed with the erroneous insertion preventive shutter 5 to prevent a wrong kind of toner from being erroneously inserted and a signal is outputted to an alarm device 7 at the same time to generate an alarm. Consequently, the erroneous insertion of toner is prevented and the occurrence of serious trouble to a developing device is prevented.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a printing device, and particularly to a printing device using an electrophotographic method.

[Conventional technology]

Various types of printing devices are generally used for printing output from computer systems, and electrophotographic printing devices are often used especially for large-volume, high-speed printing.

A typical configuration example of such an electrophotographic printing apparatus will be explained with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

The printing apparatus shown in FIG. 2 includes a laser 10 as a light source, an electrophotographic section 30, a tractor section 40, a fixing section 50, and a stacker section 6.
0, and characters are formed using a laser 10 as a light source and an electrophotographic section 30. The formed characters are transferred onto the continuous paper 100 by the transfer device 41 of the tractor section 40 and sent to the fixing section 50. The fed continuous paper 100 is fixed by the fixing device 50 and stored in the stacker section 60. In this operation, a developer 31 is used to form characters.
The toner is electrostatically attracted onto the photoreceptor 32.

Since the toner in the developing device 31 is consumed to form characters, the toner is replenished into the developing device 31 from the toner hopper 70. Since the toner is consumed sequentially in this way, when a certain amount of toner is used, the toner in the toner cartridge 70 runs out,
A toner empty sensor 71 installed in the toner hopper 70 operates to notify that the toner hopper 70 is out of toner. When the toner hopper 70 runs out of toner, the already set empty toner cartridge 72 is taken out and a replacement toner cartridge 72 is set to replenish the toner.

When the toner in the toner hopper 70 runs out, the toner empty sensor 71 operates as described above and notifies the apparatus of the time to replenish toner. When the replenishment time is notified, the empty toner cartridge 72 that has already been set is taken out, a replacement toner cartridge 72 is set, and replenishment is performed.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

In the conventional example described above, the characteristics of the photosensitive drum are different depending on the laser wavelength, and the configuration of the developing device is different depending on the developing characteristics. 6. Also, toners with different characteristics may be used in the same device, but if toners with different characteristics are mixed with the original toner, the characteristics will be distorted, resulting in poor printing quality and developing equipment. However, the drawback was that there were no protective measures to prevent this from occurring.

[Means to solve the problem]

The printing device of the present invention is an electrophotographic printing device, and includes a barcode scanner for reading a barcode displayed on a toner cartridge, and a determination as to whether or not a signal of the barcode read by the barcode scanner is correct. a processing device that performs
・Constructed with a shutter mechanism that closes the insertion hole of the spring and an alarm device that issues an alarm.

〔Example〕

Next, the present invention will be explained based on FIG.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 1 differs from the conventional example shown in FIG. 3 by adding a barcode scanner 1 and a shutter 5 to prevent incorrect insertion on the toner hopper 70 side, and a processing device (hereinafter referred to as CPU 2) for signal discrimination. In addition, a bar code 6 is provided on the toner cartridge 72.

More specifically, when replacing the toner cartridge 72, the barcode 6 installed in the toner cartridge 72 is read by the barcode scanner 1 installed in the toner hopper 70, and the reading result is sent to the CPU 2 as a signal. The CPU 2 judges the signal, and if it is normal, the toner cartridge 72 can be inserted as is, but if it is not normal, the CPU 2 outputs a signal to the driver 3, and the driver 3 outputs a signal to the shutter motor 4. An insertion prevention shutter 5 closes the insertion port to prevent wrong insertion of a different type of toner, and at the same time outputs a signal to an alarm alarm 7 to issue an alarm to notify that the toner is incorrect. Also, if there is a toner cartridge without a barcode or a reading failure,
Perform the same action.

With such an operation, it is possible to provide a printing device that solves the above-mentioned problems.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the present invention installs a barcode scanner in the toner hopper, reads the barcode on the toner cartridge side, and judges the reading result to operate the erroneous insertion prevention shutter and prevent erroneous toner insertion. This has the effect of preventing printing defects and developing device failures.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the structure of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the structure of a toner hopper of a printing device according to the prior art, and FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the structure of a toner hopper of a printing device according to the prior art. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram mainly showing the configuration of an example. 1... Barcode scanner, 2... CUP, 3...
・Driver, 4... Shutter motor, 5... Erroneous insertion prevention shutter, 6... Bar code, 7... Alarm alarm, 10... Laser, 30... Electrophotography department,
31... Developing device, 32... Photoreceptor, 40... Tractor section, 41... Transfer device, 50... Fixing section, 60...
...Stacker section, 70...Toner hopper, 71...
- Toner empty sensor, 72... Toner cartridge.

Claims (1)

[Claims] In an electrophotographic printing device, a barcode scanner reads a barcode displayed on a toner cartridge, a processing device determines whether a signal of the barcode read by the barcode scanner is correct, and the A printing device comprising: a shutter mechanism that closes the toner cartridge insertion hole when a processing device determines that the barcode signal is incorrect; and an alarm device that issues an alarm.