JPH05210275A - Electrophotographic device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily manage the lifes of both of a line head and a photosensitive body. CONSTITUTION:In an electrophotographic device 10 having a photosensitive body 20 and a line head unit 30, which can be attached/detached to/from a main body 1, nonvolatile memories 26 and 36 are attached to respective units 10 and 20, initial value rewriting means 11 and 12, and transferring/writing means 11 and 12 are provided, and a constitution that both of line head life data Dh and photosensitive body life data Dd, stored in respective memories 26 and 36, are always made coincident, is adopted.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electrophotographic apparatus having a light source formed by a line head.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 show a general structure of an electrophotographic apparatus (10). 6, a CPU 11, a ROM 12, a RAM 13, and an input / output port 1 connected by a bus 15
4 and the like form a control unit, and the control unit includes a photoconductor unit 20, a line head unit 30, a paper feeding device 41,
The feed device 42, an operation panel 51 provided with various keys and a display device, a sensor circuit 53 (various sensors 54), and a heater circuit 55 (heater 56) forming a fixing device are connected. 52 is a power supply.

As for the mechanical structure, as shown in FIG. 7, a photosensitive member unit 20 including a drum-shaped photosensitive member 20d and a developing roller 22 is detachably attached to the center of a main body 1. In addition, the transfer device 23,
A cleaning device 24, a static eliminator 25, and a charger 21 are provided.

Further, a sheet cassette 41C forming a sheet feeding device 41, a pickup roller 41R, and a sheet feeding solenoid 41S are disposed on the upstream side in the sheet flow direction, and a fixing device having a heater 56 built in is disposed downstream thereof. A fixing device 56A including a roller 56H and a press roller 56P is provided.

The feed device 42 includes a feed motor 42.
MF, feed sensor 42SN, discharge roller 42ME,
Paper P including a power transmission mechanism, paper guide, etc. not shown
Is fed from the right side to the left side in FIG. Further, the feed motor 42MF includes the photoconductor 20d and the roller 5 of the fixing device 56A.
6H, 56P, etc. are also rotationally driven.

Here, the line head unit 30 is a line head 30 in which a large number of edge emitting EL elements are arranged.
h, it is formed including the driver and the lens, and is attachable to and detachable from the main body 1. The edge emitting EL element emits light from its light emitting layer when the signal level applied to the common electrode and the block electrode exceeds a set threshold level. In the main body 1, the charger 21 and the developing roller 2
It is possible to draw an electrostatic latent image on the charged photoconductor 20d, which is disposed between the photoconductor 20 and the photoconductor 20d.

Heretofore, the photoconductor unit 20 and the line head unit 30 have conventionally been constructed such that they are separately removed from the main body 1 and replaced with each other. Is 1
It was decided that it would be 10,000 copies. This is because the life of the photoconductor 20d is deteriorated and expired depending on the number of printing sheets. Further, the line head 30h is considered to have a longer life than the photoconductor 20d, and the replacement time thereof is generally set appropriately.

[0008]

By the way, due to the diversification, not only the performance of the photoconductor 20d but also the performance of the line head 30h
With various specifications, life management is becoming troublesome.

Even if the photoconductor 20d is new, the image quality may be disturbed. It is presumed that a specific edge-emitting element is frequently used for light emission, and even if the edge-emitting element does not emit light, a voltage is applied between electrodes, so that the life may be shortened.

Particularly, in actual operation, the photoconductor unit 20 and the line head unit 30 are inspected for inspection.
It may be removed from the main body 1. In this case, it is wasted because it may be discarded even though its life has not yet expired. On the other hand, if it takes time and effort to re-install it in the main body 1 and start the operation, the service life will be exhausted immediately, and there will be a problem that the image quality cannot be guaranteed. This is a problem that tends to occur as the time elapsed after removal increases.

It is an object of the present invention to not only manage the life of the photoconductor but also the life of the line head reliably and easily, and prevent waste such as discarding or reattaching each unit. To provide a device.

[0012]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has a line head unit and a photoconductor unit which are detachable from a main body,
In an electrophotographic apparatus formed so as to draw an electrostatic latent image on a photoconductor charged by using irradiation light from an edge emitting EL element that constitutes a line head, the electrophotographic apparatus is updated with the operation of the line head. A non-volatile memory capable of storing both the line head life data and the photoconductor life data updated with the operation of the photoconductor, is attached to each of the line head unit and the photoconductor unit,
On condition that one of the line head unit and the photoconductor unit has been replaced, the life data of the one unit stored in the non-volatile memory of the other unit that is still attached to the main body. And initial value rewriting means for rewriting to the initial value, and transfer writing for reading the life data of the other unit stored in the non-volatile memory of the other unit and transfer-writing to the non-volatile memory of the one unit. Means and are provided.

[0013]

According to the present invention having the above structure, the line head life data and the photoconductor life data at that time are stored in both the non-volatile memory attached to the line head unit and the non-volatile memory attached to the photoconductor unit during operation. Both data are updated and stored. Therefore, the life of the line head and the life of the photoconductor can be managed. Here, when one unit is replaced with a new one, the life data of the one unit stored in the non-volatile memory of the other unit is rewritten to the initial value (for example, “0”) by the initial value rewriting means. At the same time, the life data stored in the non-volatile memory of the other unit, that is, the history is transferred and written in the life data column of the other unit of the one unit.

Therefore, at any time, the actual line head life data and the photoconductor life data at that time are surely stored in the nonvolatile memory in at least one unit. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate waste and troubles caused by discarding the photoconductors and line heads that are still usable and reattaching the line head or the like which is near the end of its life.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the electrophotographic apparatus has the same basic configuration as that of the conventional example (FIGS. 6 and 7), and each of the photoconductor unit 20 and the line head unit 30 has a nonvolatile memory (26 , 36) and the initial value rewriting means (11, 12) and the transfer writing means (11, 1)
2) is provided, and both life data Ddi and Dhi stored in the nonvolatile memories 26 and 36 are the same even when either one of the units is replaced with a new one.

In this embodiment, the line head life detecting means (11, 12) and the photoconductor life detecting means (11, 12) are also used.
12, 42 SN) and both life data Dhi, Ddi
Is automatically detected and write control means (11, 12) is provided to the non-volatile memories 26, 36 to store these data Dhi, Dd.
It is formed to automatically write i. Further, a life confirmation means (11, 12, 51) and a life management control means (11, 12) are provided, and both lifespans (Dhi, D) are always available.
di) can be stored and a replacement message is displayed and output when the limit value (LDh, LDd) is reached.

The same components as those of the conventional example (FIGS. 6 and 7) are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be simplified or omitted.

In FIG. 1, the non-volatile memory 26 and the line head unit 3 attached to the photoconductor unit 20.
The non-volatile memory 36 attached to 0 has an area capable of storing both the photoreceptor life data Dd and the line head life data Dh. When the units 20 and 30 are mounted in the main body 1, the nonvolatile memories 26 and 36 are connected to the bus 15 via the connectors 27 and 37.

Next, the photosensitive member life detecting means is used for the photosensitive member 20.
It is a means for automatically detecting the photoreceptor life data Ddi that is updated with the operation of d, and is regarded as the number of printing sheets in this embodiment. Specifically, the CPU 11, R
The OM12 and the feed sensor 45 are formed, and
It is executed at T13.

Similarly, one of the line head life detecting means is a means for automatically detecting the line head life data Dhi which is updated with the operation of the line head 30h. In this embodiment, the selected end surface light emission in the line head is carried out. It is supposed to be regarded as the number of times that the type EL element emits light. Specifically, it is formed of the CPU 11 and the ROM 12, and is executed in ST10 of FIG. The life of the line head can be detected by detecting the number of print sheets. Life data Ddi, Dhi detected by each means
Is temporarily stored in the RAM 13.

The writing control means includes the line head life data Dhi automatically detected by the line head life detection means (11, 12) and the photoconductor life detection means (11, 12, 42S).
N) is a means for writing both data of the photoreceptor life data Ddi automatically detected in each of the non-volatile memories 36, 26, and is formed from the CPU 11 and the ROM 12.
This is executed in ST11, 12 and ST14, 15 of FIG.

Next, the life management control means determines the life data Ddi stored in each of the nonvolatile memories 26 and 36.
When Dhi exceeds the limit values LDd and LDh, a message relating to the replacement of the photoconductor 20d and the line head 30h is displayed on the display in the operation panel 51.
It is formed of the PU 11 and the ROM 12.

The limit values LDd and LDh may be stored in the ROM 12 if they are fixed values, but in this embodiment, they are stored in the RAM 13 with a backup battery, and the values are stored in the operation panel 51. The setting can be changed by key operation.

Thus, the life management control means (11, 1
In 2), the line head limit value LDh and the photoconductor limit value LDd are read from the RAM 13 as shown in ST16 of FIG. If Dhi ≧ LDh, a replacement request message for the line head 30h (line head unit 30) is displayed and output (ST17, 18 in FIG. 4). on the other hand,
If Ddi ≧ LDd, photoconductor (photoconductor unit 20)
The replacement request message is displayed and output (ST19, 2
0).

If NO is determined in ST17 and ST19, the process returns to ST10 in FIG. That is, the life is always managed.

Here, the initial value rewriting means is, when one of the line head units 30 (photoconductor units 20) is replaced with a new one, on the condition that the line head unit 30 (photoconductor unit 20) is replaced with the other one, the other photoconductor remains attached to the main body 1. The life data Dhi (Ddi) of the line head unit 30 (photoconductor unit 20) stored in the non-volatile memory 26 (36) of the unit 20 (line head unit 30) is set to an initial value (for example, “0”). Rewriting means, CPU1
1, ROM 12, ST44 and S in FIG.
It is executed at T47. Initialization in self is ST43,46
Done in.

That is, the life data Dhi (Dd) of the replaced line head unit 30 (photoconductor unit 20)
Since i) is new, it is set to “0”, and therefore the life data Dhi (Dd) of the device (the other party) still attached to the main body 1
i) is matched with this.

Similarly, the history of the photoconductor unit 20 (line head unit 30) still attached to the main body 1, that is, the life data Ddi (Dh) updated up to that time.
The means for transferring and writing i) to the data column of the replaced line head unit 30 (photoconductor unit 20) is transfer writing means. This means is the CPU 11, R
It consists of OM12, ST42, 43 and ST4 of FIG.
It is executed at 5,46.

The life check means is the CPU 11 or RO.
It consists of M12 and operation panel 51, and ST30 to ST3 of FIG.
It is executed in 4. That is, the life confirmation request is made by the key operation on the operation panel 51 (YES in ST30).
And the CPU 11 uses one of the nonvolatile memories 26 and 36.
The line head life data Dhi and the photoconductor life data Ddi are read from and the life message is displayed on the display (ST31, 32). Therefore, it is possible to know the life data up to that time at any time, and it is possible to prevent an unexpected exchange message or device stoppage. This life message is automatically deleted after a certain time (Ts) has passed (ST
34).

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. now,
It is assumed that the photoconductor unit 20 and the line head unit 30 start operation from a new state. Then, the line head life detecting means (11, 12) and the photoconductor life detecting means (11, 12, 42SN) automatically detect the line head life data Dhi and the photoconductor life data Ddi which are respectively updated with the operation. Then, it is temporarily stored in the RAM 13 (ST10, 13 in FIG. 3).

Then, the write control means (11, 12)
The data Dhi and Ddi are written and written in the nonvolatile memories 36 and 26 of the units 30 and 20, respectively (S).
T11,12, ST14,15). Therefore, if the confirmation request is made using the life confirmation means (11, 12), the life data Dhi, Ddi updated up to that point can be known at any time (ST30 to 34 in FIG. 5).

Further, life management control means (11, 12)
Reads the preset limit values LDh and LDd, and reads the line head life data Dhi and the photoconductor life data Ddi from either of the nonvolatile memories 36 and 26 (ST16). Then, the two are compared, and Dhi ≧
If it is LDh, a replacement request message for the line head unit 30 is displayed and output (ST17, 18). Similarly,
If Ddi ≧ LDd, a replacement request message for the photoconductor unit 20 is displayed and output (ST19, 20).

Here, the photoconductor unit 20 has a limit value L
It is assumed that a new one has been replaced based on the replacement request Dd, which is displayed and output when the number of printing sheets reaches 10,000, for example. That is, the CPU 11 confirms that the unit has been replaced and that it is the photoconductor unit 20 (NO in ST40 and ST41 in FIG. 2).

Then, the initial value rewriting means (11, 12)
Sets the lifetime data Dd of the non-volatile memory 26 on the photoconductor unit 20 side to the initial value (“0”) (ST46), and also sets the lifetime data Dd of the non-volatile memory 36 on the line head unit 30 side (“”). 0 ") (ST47). Thus, both non-volatile memories 26, 36
The photoconductor life data Dd is matched with "0".

Simultaneously with the transfer writing means (11, 12)
Is a nonvolatile memory 36 on the line head unit 30 side.
The life data Dhi is read (ST45), and the read life data Dh is entered in the line head life data Dh column of the non-volatile memory 26 on the photoconductor unit 20 side.
Transfer and write hi (ST46). Therefore, the history of the line head 30h can be stored in the opponent unit (20).

On the contrary, the line head unit 30
When ST is replaced, the same initial value rewriting and transfer writing are executed in ST41 to 44.

Therefore, according to this embodiment, the initial value rewriting means (11, 12) and the transfer writing means (11, 1).
2) is provided, and even if either unit 20 or 30 is replaced, the history remains in the other unit 30 or 20 attached to the main body 1, and the storage data Ddi and Dhi of both units 20 and 30 are always Since they are the same, it is possible to reliably prevent waste due to discarding of usable units and reattachment of unusable units.

The line head life detecting means (11,
12) and photoreceptor life detecting means (11, 12, 42SN)
And the write control means (11, 12) are provided, and the line head life data Dhi and the photoconductor life data Ddi are updated and stored in the memories 26 and 36. The life of the head 30h can be easily and easily managed. Therefore, high quality can always be maintained.

Since both life data Dhi and Ddi are stored in both memories 26 and 36, even if one unit 30 (20) is removed from the main body 1 for replacement, its history is recorded in the other unit 20. It can be confirmed on the (30) side. Therefore, the usable unit 20,
Wasted or unusable units 20 and 30
The time and waste of re-installation can be eliminated more reliably.

Further, life confirmation means (11, 12, 51)
Since the unit is provided, the unit 20,
The degree of life deterioration of each of the 30 can be known, and life management is easier.

Further, life management control means (11, 12)
Is provided, and the exchange message is displayed when the limit values LDh and LDd are reached, the limit value L
By setting Dh and LDd appropriately, it is possible to avoid unexpected deterioration of image quality, a request for replacement, and device stoppage.

[0042]

According to the present invention, the initial value rewriting means and the transfer writing means are provided, and even if any unit is replaced, the history remains in the other unit mounted on the main body, and both units are replaced. Since the data stored in the unit is always the same, it is possible to reliably prevent waste of the usable unit and reattachment of the unusable unit.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is likewise a flowchart for explaining an initial rewriting / transfer writing operation.

FIG. 3 is likewise a flowchart for explaining a life detection / writing operation.

FIG. 4 is likewise a flowchart for explaining a life management operation.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart for explaining a life confirmation operation of the same.

FIG. 6 is an overall configuration diagram showing a conventional example.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a mechanical configuration of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Main Body 10 Electrophotographic Device 11 CPU (Initial Value Rewriting Means, Transfer Writing Means) 12 ROM (Initial Value Rewriting Means, Transfer Writing Means) 13 RAM 15 Bus 20 Photoconductor Unit 20d Photoconductor 21 Charger 22 Development Roller 23 Transfer device 24 Cleaning device 25 Static eliminator 26 Non-volatile memory 27 Connector 30 Line head unit 30h Line head 36 Non-volatile memory 37 Connector 41 Paper feeder 42 Feed device 42SN Feed sensor 51 Operation panel Dh Line head life data Dd Photoreceptor Life data

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification code Office reference number FI technical display location B41J 29/20 8804-2C G03G 15/04 116 9122-2H

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An electrostatic latent image on a photoconductor, which has a line head unit and a photoconductor unit that can be attached to and detached from a main body, and is charged by using irradiation light from an edge-emitting EL element that constitutes the line head. In the electrophotographic apparatus formed so as to draw, a nonvolatile memory capable of storing both line head life data updated with the operation of the line head and photoconductor life data updated with the operation of the photoconductor. Type memory is attached to each of the line head unit and the photoconductor unit, and if one of the line head unit and the photoconductor unit is replaced, the other one of the line head unit and the photoconductor unit that is mounted on the main body is replaced. Initial value rewriting means for rewriting the life data of the one unit stored in the non-volatile memory of the unit to the initial value; An electrophotographic apparatus comprising: a transfer writing unit that reads the life data of the other unit stored in the non-volatile memory of the one unit, and transfers and writes the life data to the non-volatile memory of the one unit. ..