JPH11344908A - Cartridge attached to/detached from image forming device, image forming device and control method for image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To increase the number of sheets being printable at the time of forming an image in which a stored waste toner amount is small by making the maximum amount of toner stored in a storage device at the time of forming the image different between a 1st image forming mode and a 2nd image forming mode. SOLUTION: The full tank state of waste toners can be detected by a waste toner full tank state detecting mechanism 50 when lots of the waste toners of a long-life cartridge 13 are stored in a cleaning container 14 and the waste toners reach the storage amount of the waste toners. Then, a user is informed that the full tank state is detected and urged to exchange the cartridge. A count-up value added for every printing operation after the mechanism 50 detects the water toner storage amount V is set based on waste toner storable amount ΔV and the estimated maximum value of the waste toner amount in each printing mode. Then, the maximum amount of the toner stored in the container when an image is formed in a 1st image forming mode is different from that of the toner stored therein when the image is formed in a 2nd image forming mode.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electrophotographic or electrostatic recording type image forming apparatus, a cartridge used in the image forming apparatus, and a method of controlling the image forming apparatus.

In particular, the present invention relates to a cartridge having a container for accommodating toner cleaned from the surface of an image carrier for carrying toner, an image forming apparatus, and an image forming apparatus having an accommodating space for accommodating toner in the container. The present invention relates to an apparatus control method.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art In an image forming apparatus such as a printer, a latent image is formed by selectively exposing an image carrier, which is uniformly charged by a charging device, to a developer (toner). ), The image is recorded by transferring the image formed by the developer onto a recording medium. The developer remaining on the image carrier after the transfer is removed by a cleaning blade and the developer is stored in a cleaning container so that the next development is performed by the image carrier having a clean surface.

In recent years, the image carrier, the charger, the developing device,
The cleaning unit, the waste toner box and the like are integrated into a cartridge to form a cartridge. By mounting the cartridge in the apparatus main body, the user can replace parts of the image carrier of the developer, thereby facilitating maintenance. Has been put to practical use. Further, as the life of the image carrier is extended and the number of printable sheets increases, the developing device that limits the supply capacity is made an independent unit, and the developing cartridge, the image carrier as an image forming process unit, the charger, and the cleaning unit are integrated. Drum cartridges, which are process cartridges, make it easier to install and maintain the main assembly of the apparatus as in the case of the above-described process cartridge in which the developing unit and the image carrier are unitized. It is being used. In this drum cartridge, the waste toner, which is the toner cleaned by cleaning, is stored in a cleaning container having a sufficient capacity for the life of the image carrier, and is removed when the drum cartridge is replaced.

[0005]

As such an image forming apparatus, for example, there is an image forming apparatus described in JP-A-10-39692. After the collection container for collecting the cleaned waste toner is full and the replacement is notified, printing is enabled, and the number of prints to be printed is counted to detect the fullness. When a predetermined number of prints have been made, the image forming apparatus main body is stopped.

However, according to the method disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 10-39692, the number of prints to be printed is counted after the collection container is full and a notice of replacement is given. When printing a large number of images with a small amount of waste toner, such as images with low print ratios, the main body of the image forming apparatus stops even though printing is permitted, even though the main body is not damaged. It will be.

An object of the present invention is to provide a cartridge capable of printing as many sheets as possible when an image having a small amount of waste toner contained in a container such as a monoblack image or an image having a low printing rate is formed. , An image forming apparatus, and a control method of the image forming apparatus.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a first image forming step of forming a toner image on a first image carrier in accordance with an image forming mode, and a method of forming a toner image on the first image carrier into the first image carrier.
A transfer step of transferring onto a second image carrier different from the image carrier, a cleaning step of cleaning toner remaining on the surface of the first image carrier after the transfer step, and a toner cleaned by the cleaning step And a control step of controlling the image forming apparatus based on a predetermined value stored in a non-volatile storage medium that is removable from the image forming apparatus main body together with the container. In the controlling step, the predetermined value is a first count value that counts in a first image forming mode and a first count value that counts in a second image forming mode in order to control an image forming apparatus. Are used together with a different second count value, and are stored in the container when an image is formed in the first image forming mode. Wherein a maximum amount of toner to be volume second
An object of the present invention is to provide a control method for an image forming apparatus, wherein the maximum amount of toner stored in the container when an image is formed in an image forming mode is different.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a first image forming step of forming a toner image on a first image carrier in accordance with an image forming mode, and a method of forming a toner image on the first image carrier into the first image carrier. A transfer step of transferring onto a second image carrier different from the one image carrier, a cleaning step of cleaning toner remaining on the surface of the first image carrier after the transfer step, and a cleaning step. An accommodating step of accommodating the toner in the accommodating container, a detecting step of detecting that the amount of the accommodating toner accommodated in the accommodating container has reached a predetermined amount, and a predetermined step stored in the nonvolatile storage medium after the detecting step A control step of controlling the image forming apparatus based on the value, wherein in the control step, the predetermined value is a first image for controlling the image forming apparatus. First counting when forming mode
And a second value different from the first image forming mode.
It is used together with a second count value, which is different from the first count value, which counts in the image forming mode, and is the maximum amount of toner contained in the container when an image is formed in the first image forming mode. An object of the present invention is to provide a control method of an image forming apparatus, wherein the maximum amount of toner stored in the container when an image is formed in the second image forming mode is different.

[0010] Another object of the present invention is to provide a container for storing toner to be cleaned from the surface of an image bearing member carrying a toner, and a non-volatile storage medium storing a predetermined value for controlling the image forming apparatus. Wherein the predetermined value stored in the non-volatile storage medium is a first count value to be counted when forming an image in the first image forming mode in order to control the image forming apparatus; and A second count different from the first count value, which is counted when an image is formed in a second image formation mode different from the one image formation mode;
An object of the present invention is to provide a cartridge and an image forming apparatus that are used together with a count value.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a container for storing toner cleaned from the surface of an image carrier for carrying toner, and a nonvolatile storage for storing a predetermined value for controlling the image forming apparatus. A predetermined value stored in the non-volatile storage medium is a value used together with a count value for counting the number of colors of toner used in an image in order to control the image forming apparatus. It is to provide a cartridge.

Further objects of the present invention will become clear from the description hereinafter.

[0013]

To achieve the above object, a typical configuration of the present invention is as follows: (1) First image forming for forming a toner image on a first image carrier in accordance with an image forming mode. Transferring a toner image on the first image carrier to a second image carrier different from the first image carrier, and remaining on the surface of the first image carrier after the transfer step A cleaning step of cleaning the toner, a storage step of storing the toner cleaned by the cleaning step in a container, and a predetermined value stored in a non-volatile storage medium that is removable from the image forming apparatus main body together with the container. Controlling the image forming apparatus,
In the controlling step, the predetermined value is a first count value that counts in a first image forming mode and a first count value that counts in a second image forming mode in order to control an image forming apparatus. Are used together with a second count value, the maximum amount of toner contained in the container when forming an image in the first image forming mode and the maximum amount of toner when forming an image in the second image forming mode. A method of controlling an image forming apparatus, wherein the maximum amount of toner stored in a container is different.

(2) A first image forming step of forming a toner image on a first image carrier according to an image forming mode, wherein the toner image on the first image carrier is different from that of the first image carrier. A transfer step of transferring the toner onto the second image carrier, a cleaning step of cleaning the toner remaining on the surface of the first image carrier after the transfer step, and a housing step of housing the toner cleaned by the cleaning step in a housing. A detecting step of detecting that the amount of toner stored in the container has reached a predetermined amount, and controlling the image forming apparatus based on a predetermined value stored in the nonvolatile storage medium after the detecting step Wherein the predetermined value is counted in the first image forming mode in order to control the image forming apparatus. The count value of 1 is used together with a second count value that is different from the first count value and counts in a second image formation mode different from the first image formation mode. An image forming apparatus wherein the maximum amount of toner stored in the container when formed and the maximum amount of toner stored in the container when an image is formed in the second image forming mode are different. Is a control method.

(3) a container for containing a toner to be cleaned from the surface of the image carrier for carrying the toner, and a non-volatile storage medium for storing a predetermined value for controlling the image forming apparatus; The predetermined value stored in the non-transitory storage medium is different from the first count value counted when forming an image in the first image forming mode to control the image forming apparatus, and the first image forming mode. A cartridge which is different from the first count value and is used together with a second count value, which is counted when an image is formed in a second image forming mode. .

(4) a first image carrier for carrying a toner image;
Transfer means for transferring the toner image on the first image carrier to a second image carrier different from the first image carrier, remaining on the surface of the first image carrier after the transfer by the transfer means A cleaning unit for cleaning the toner, a container for storing the toner cleaned by the cleaning unit, and a detachable unit provided with the container for storing a predetermined value for controlling the image forming apparatus main body; A predetermined value stored in the nonvolatile storage medium, together with a first count value and a second count value different from the first count value, for controlling the image forming apparatus. An image forming apparatus characterized by being used.

(5) a container for storing the toner cleaned from the surface of the image carrier for carrying the toner, and a non-volatile storage medium storing a predetermined value for controlling the image forming apparatus; The predetermined value stored in the non-transitory storage medium is a value used together with a count value for counting the number of colors of toner used in an image in order to control the image forming apparatus. It is a removable cartridge.

[0018]

[First Embodiment] An image forming apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[General Description of Image Forming Apparatus] First, the general structure of the image forming apparatus will be schematically described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of the overall configuration of a laser printer which is an embodiment of a color image forming apparatus.

As shown in FIG. 1, the color laser printer comprises a drum-shaped photosensitive member 15 as a first image carrier which rotates at a constant speed, a fixed black developing device 21B and three rotatable color developing devices. Developing means 20 and 21 composed of 20Y, 20M and 20C;
The second image carrier, which holds the color image developed and multi-transferred by the printer and further transferred to the transfer material 2 as the recording material as the third image carrier fed from the feeding unit 60 Transfer member 9. The transfer material 2 to which the color image has been transferred is then transported to the fixing unit 25 to transfer the color image to the transfer material 2.
And is discharged to a discharge section 37 on the upper surface of the printer main body (image forming apparatus main body) A by discharge rollers 34, 35, and 36. The above-mentioned rotatable color developing device 2
0Y, 20M, 20C and the fixed black developing device 21B are configured to be individually detachable from the printer main body A. The feeding means is constituted by the feeding section 60 and the discharge rollers 34, 35, 36.

Next, the configuration of each section of the image forming apparatus will be described in detail sequentially.

[Image Carrier Unit] The drum cartridge 13, which is a unit as a process cartridge,
The photoconductor 15 and the cleaning container 14 of the cleaning device C also serving as a holder for the photoconductor 15 are integrally formed. The drum cartridge 13 is inserted into a cartridge accommodating portion through a mounting opening (not shown) provided in the printer main body A, and is detachably supported by a mounting guide (not shown) as mounting means provided in the cartridge accommodating portion. The unit can be easily replaced in accordance with the life of the photoconductor 15. The photoconductor 15 according to the present embodiment is configured by applying an organic photoconductor layer to the outside of an aluminum cylinder having a diameter of about 60 mm, and is rotatably supported by the cleaning container 14. Photoconductor 15
, A cleaning blade 16 and a primary charging unit 17 are arranged. Further, by transmitting the driving force of a driving motor (not shown) to one end on the rear side in the figure, the photosensitive member 15 is rotated counterclockwise in the figure in accordance with the image forming operation.

[Charging Means] The charging means 17 employs a contact charging method, in which a conductive roller is brought into contact with the photosensitive member 15 and a voltage is applied to the conductive roller to change the surface of the photosensitive member 15. It charges uniformly.

[Exposure Means] Exposure to the photoreceptor 15 is performed from the scanner unit 30. That is, when an image signal is given to a laser diode (not shown), the laser diode irradiates the polygon mirror 31 with image light corresponding to the image signal. The polygon mirror 31 is rotated at a high speed by a scanner motor (not shown), and the image light reflected by the polygon mirror 31 selectively rotates the surface of the photoconductor 15 at a constant speed via the imaging lens 32 and the reflection mirror 33. To form an electrostatic latent image on the photoreceptor 15.

[Developing Units] The developing units 20 and 21 are provided for yellow, magenta, and yellow to visualize the electrostatic latent image.
It is composed of three rotary developing devices 20Y, 20M, and 20C capable of developing each color of cyan and black, and one black developing device 21B.

The black developing unit 21B is a fixed developing unit.
Are arranged with a small interval (about 300 μm)
A visible image is formed on the photoconductor 15 using black toner.

The black developing device 21B feeds the toner in the container by a feeding mechanism (not shown),
The coating blade 21BB pressed against the outer periphery of the BS applies a thin layer of toner to the outer periphery of the sleeve 21BS that rotates clockwise in the drawing, and applies a charge to the toner (friction charging).
I do. In addition, by applying a developing bias to the sleeve 21BS, toner development is performed corresponding to the electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor 15.

Three rotary developing devices 20Y, 20M, 20C
Are held detachably on a developing rotary 23 that rotates about a shaft 22. During image formation, the developing units 20Y, 20M, and 20C rotate about the shaft 22 while being held by the developing rotary 23. , Predetermined developing device 2
0Y, 20M, and 20C stop at the position facing the photoconductor 15, and further, the developing sleeves 20YS, 20MS, and 20CS.
Is positioned so as to face the photoconductor 15 at a small interval (about 300 μm), and then forms a visible image corresponding to the electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor 15. At the time of forming a color image, the developing rotary 23 rotates every rotation of the intermediate transfer body 9, and the developing process is performed in the order of a yellow developing device 20Y, a magenta developing device 20M, a cyan developing device 20C, and then a black developing device 20B.

FIG. 1 shows a state in which the yellow rotary developing device 20Y is positioned at a position facing the drum cartridge 13 and is stationary. The rotary developing device 20Y feeds the toner in the container by a feeding mechanism (not shown) to the coating roller 2.
0YR, a thin layer of toner is applied to the outer circumference of the sleeve YS rotating clockwise in the figure by the coating roller 20YR and the blade 20YB pressed against the outer circumference of the sleeve 20YS, and charge is applied to the toner ( Triboelectric charging). Photoconductor 15 on which latent image is formed
By applying a developing bias to the sleeve 20YS opposite to the above, toner development is performed on the photoconductor 15 in accordance with the latent image. In the magenta developing device 20M and the cyan developing device 20C, toner development is performed by the same mechanism as described above.

Each of the rotary developing devices 20Y, 20M, 20C
Each of the sleeves 20YS, 20MS, and 20CS is connected to a high-voltage power supply for each color developing device provided in the printer main unit A and a driving means (neither is shown) when each developing device is rotated to the developing position. A voltage is selectively applied sequentially for each development, and the driving means is connected.

[Intermediate Transfer Body] In the intermediate transfer body 9, during the color image forming operation, the toner image on the photoconductor 15 visualized by the developing units 20Y, 20M, and 20C is printed four times (Y,
M, C, and B images), the image is rotated in a clockwise direction in synchronization with the outer peripheral speed of the photoconductor 15 in order to receive multiple transfer, and a voltage is applied to the intermediate transfer body 9 that has received the multiple transfer. The transfer material 2 is sandwiched and conveyed by the transfer roller 10 to transfer the toner images of the respective colors on the intermediate transfer body onto the transfer material 2 at the same time.

The intermediate transfer member 9 according to the present embodiment has a structure in which an outer periphery of an aluminum cylinder 12 having a diameter of 180 mm is covered with an elastic layer 11 such as a medium resistance sponge or a medium resistance rubber. The intermediate transfer member 9 is driven by a gear (not shown) which is rotatably supported and integrally fixed, and rotates.

[Cleaning device] Cleaning device C
After the toner visualized on the photoconductor 15 by the developing means 20 and 21 is transferred to the intermediate transfer body 9,
Cleans the toner remaining on the surface,
The waste toner, which is the cleaned toner, is stored in the cleaning container 14. The amount of waste toner stored in the cleaning container 14 does not fill the cleaning container 14 to the limit earlier than the life of the photoconductor 15.
Therefore, the cleaning container 14 is simultaneously replaced when the life of the photosensitive member 15 is replaced. Cleaning container 14
Will be described in detail later.

[Sheet Feeding Section] The sheet feeding section 60 transfers the transfer material 2 to the transfer section.
And mainly comprises a cassette 1 containing a plurality of transfer materials 2, a paper feed roller 3, a feed roller 4, a retard roller 5 for preventing double feed, a paper feed guide 6, and a registration roller 8. You. During image formation, the paper feed roller 3 is driven and rotated in accordance with the image forming operation, and the paper feed cassette 1 is rotated.
The transfer material 2 is separated and fed one by one, guided by a paper feed guide 6, and reaches a registration roller 8 via a transport roller 7. During the image forming operation, the registration roller 8 performs a non-rotating operation of stopping the transfer material 2 in a standby state and a rotating operation of transporting the transfer material 2 toward the intermediate transfer body 9 in a predetermined sequence, which is the next step. The image and the transfer material 2 at the time of the transfer step are aligned.

[Transfer Section] The transfer section comprises a transfer roller 10 which can swing.

The transfer roller 10 has a metal shaft wound around a medium-resistance foamed elastic material, and is movable up and down in the figure and has a drive. While the four-color toner image is being formed on the intermediate transfer member 9, that is, while the intermediate transfer member 9 is rotating a plurality of times, the transfer roller 10 shown by a solid line in the drawing is located below the intermediate roller so as not to disturb the image. It is separated from the transfer body 9. Intermediate transfer member 9
After the four color toner images have been formed thereon, the transfer roller 10 is moved by a cam member (not shown) to an upper position indicated by a thin line in FIG. And is pressed against the intermediate transfer member 9 with a predetermined pressure. At this time, a bias is applied to the transfer roller 10 at the same time, and the toner image on the intermediate transfer body 9 is transferred to the transfer material 2. Here, the intermediate transfer member 9 and the transfer roller 1
Since the transfer material 2 is driven at 0, the transfer material 2 sandwiched between the two is conveyed at a predetermined speed to the left in the drawing at the same time as the transfer process is performed. Sent.

[Fixing Unit] The fixing unit 25 is provided with the developing unit 2
The toner image formed on the transfer material 2 is fixed on the transfer material 2 via the intermediate transfer member 9 with the toner image formed by the transfer media 0 and 21. As shown in FIG. A roller 26 and a pressure roller 27 for pressing the transfer material 2 against the fixing roller 26 are provided. Each of the rollers 26, 27 is a hollow roller and has a heater 28, 29 therein, and is driven to rotate, and is simultaneously driven. Are transported.

That is, the transfer material 2 carrying the toner image is conveyed by the fixing roller 26 and the pressure roller 27 and is heated and pressurized so that the toner is transferred to the transfer material 2.
Is established.

[Cleaning Container] Cleaning Container 1
4 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

The cleaning container 14 includes a container body 14a.
The partition member 4 is divided into a cleaning chamber 38 and a toner storage chamber 39 as a container for storing waste toner.
By providing 0, it is possible to prevent the waste toner from flowing backward and adversely affecting the cleaning.

The cleaning of the toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive member 15 is performed in the cleaning chamber 38 by the cleaning blade 16 and the cleaning roller 1 serving as cleaning means.
9 (see FIG. 3). The residual toner on the surface of the photoreceptor 15 slips through the toner receiving sheet 18 and enters the cleaning chamber 38, and firstly the cleaning roller 19
Then, it is scraped off by the cleaning blade 16.

The waste toner T, which has been cleaned by the cleaning roller 19 and the cleaning blade 16 and accumulated in the cleaning chamber 38,
By the rotation of the screw 41, the toner is conveyed in parallel with the longitudinal direction of the photoconductor 15 and is accumulated in the toner accumulation chamber 39.

In this embodiment, the toner remaining on the surface of the photoreceptor 15 is called "residual toner", and the toner cleaned by the cleaning means is called "waste toner".

When the waste toner T conveyed and accumulated in the toner accumulation chamber 39 reaches the position of the screw 42 provided in the toner accumulation chamber 39, the rotation of the screw 42 reverses the conveyance of the screw 41 in the cleaning chamber 38. Is sent in the toner accumulation chamber 39 in the direction shown in FIG.
(See FIGS. 2 and 3).

As shown in FIG. 2, the interior of the toner accumulation chamber 39 is
A plurality of waste toner chamber partition ribs 43 extending in the longitudinal direction.
Are divided into four compartments. By disposing a waste-toner-full detecting mechanism 50 as a waste-toner-full detecting unit in the most-full-toner detecting chamber 44 in the waste toner conveying direction by the screw 42 among the small chambers, the large-capacity toner storage chamber 39 can be used. This prevents the waste toner T from shifting and erroneously detecting a full state. This waste toner full detection mechanism is
This is a mechanism for detecting, by light, that the amount of stored toner has reached a predetermined amount. The details will be described below.

[Waste Toner Full Tank Detection Mechanism] Waste toner full detection by the waste toner full tank detection mechanism 50 is performed optically. Light transmitting windows 45 are disposed on both sides of the upper surface 39d and the rear surface 39e of the toner storage chamber 39 so as to face each other.
The window cleaning blades 46 are provided between the five and rotated to wipe off the waste toner stains on the light transmitting window 45. The presence or absence of the waste toner T is detected by transmitting light into the full tank detection chamber 44 by the light emitting element 47 and the light receiving element 48 provided integrally in the printer main body A or the cleaning container 14. When the waste toner T accumulated in the full tank detection chamber 44 reaches the position of the light transmission window 45, the light is blocked by the waste toner T, and the light cannot be detected by the light receiving element 48, so that the printer body A
Is determined to be full by the control circuit (CPU) 51 (see FIG. 5). This information is displayed on an operation panel (not shown) provided on the printer main body A or on a computer to inform the user of the replacement of the drum cartridge 13.

At this point, the inside of the toner storage chamber 39 is not completely filled with the waste toner, and there is a margin for the amount of waste toner that can be stored. Therefore, the user can perform a printing operation. That is, the waste toner storage amount V in the toner accumulation chamber 39 at this time is as shown in FIG.
The waste toner storage capacity Vm of the toner storage chamber 39 has not reached the waste toner storage capacity Vm, and the waste toner storage capacity ΔV (= Vm−V) until the waste toner storage capacity V reaches the waste toner storage capacity Vm in the toner storage chamber 39. V).

[Image Forming Operation Processing After Detecting Full Filling of Waste Toner] Next, the image forming operation processing after detecting the full filling of waste toner according to the present embodiment will be described.

In the case of the user, the waste toner full warning is desirably printable from when the user receives the warning until the drum cartridge 13 to be replaced is ready. Therefore, it is desirable to print (image formation) on a certain appropriate amount of the transfer material 2 corresponding to the waste toner accommodable amount ΔV. It is desirable that the appropriate amount be as large as possible.

As described above, if printing can be performed on the transfer material 2 after the detection of the fullness of the waste toner, the user may erroneously use the drum cartridge 13 in a state where the waste toner is completely filled in the cleaning container 14 thereafter. It is desirable to prevent.

In consideration of the fact that the drum cartridge 13 is of a detachable type, even if the power of the printer main unit A is turned off, the detection of the full level of the waste toner is performed, and then the information is stored so that the subsequent information is not lost. It is desirable.

Further, the waste toner accommodable amount ΔV in the cleaning container 14 after the detection of the full level of the waste toner is performed.
Is determined to some extent by the arrangement of the waste toner full detection mechanism 50 in the cleaning container 14.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, in order to allow the user to know that the waste toner is full, and to prepare for replacement of the cartridge, the user is notified that the waste toner is full, and then the predetermined amount is set. It is configured such that the number of transfer materials 2 can be printed, and thereafter, the drum cartridge 13 cannot be used. Further, the threshold value of the count for disabling the use of the cleaning device C or the drum cartridge 13 is stored (stored) in a non-volatile storage medium as storage means provided in the drum cartridge 13.

When several printing modes (image forming modes) having different printing processes are mixed like a full-color printing machine, the method of counting the number of images formed on the transfer material 2 is changed according to the printing mode. By using a counting method, the number of image formed sheets can be increased as much as possible, which is desirable.

This will be described in more detail.

As shown in FIG. 5, information on the threshold value of the count relating to the number of transfer materials 2 to be printed after the full tank is detected can be connected to the control circuit 51 of the printer main body A via the connector 52 and A storage medium provided in the drum cartridge 13 that can be transmitted and exchanged, for example, a drum cartridge ROM (read only memory) (serial ROM) 4
9 is stored in advance.

The count-up value that is added after the waste toner full tank detection mechanism 50 detects the predetermined waste toner storage amount V is calculated after the waste toner full tank detection mechanism 50 detects the waste toner storage amount V. A value of the waste toner accommodable amount ΔV in the cleaning container 14 until the cleaning device C or the drum cartridge 13 becomes unusable;
It is set using the value of the amount of waste toner stored in the cleaning container 14 for each printing operation of the printer.

In brief, such a setting method is a method of obtaining an actually measured value of the amount of waste toner discharged for each printing and estimating the number of printable sheets. That is, the count-up value is set based on the waste toner accommodable amount ΔV and the estimated maximum value of each waste toner amount in various print modes.
This makes it possible to print the maximum number of sheets with a limited storage amount.

Hereinafter, a method of counting the number of printed sheets of the transfer material 2 after detecting the full tank will be described in detail with specific numerical values.

The maximum waste toner amount in full color printing: 0.1 g / image The maximum waste toner amount in mono black printing: 0.05 g / image
Image * Image: One image per printing operation. For one full-color sheet, four images of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black are printed, so four images are obtained. One mono black is one image. And The waste toner storage amount ΔV from when the waste toner full tank detection mechanism 50 detects the waste toner storage amount V to when the waste toner completely fills the cleaning container 14 and the function cannot be guaranteed is 150 [ g], the number of printable sheets in the three printing modes of full color, mono black, and full color mono black mixed during this period is as follows: full color: 375 [sheets] mono black: 3000 [sheets] full color mono black mixed (full color : Mono black = 7: 3): 508 [sheets].

Based on the above results, a method of counting the number of printed sheets after the waste toner full detecting mechanism 50 detects the waste toner storage amount V is as follows: full color: 3 [count / image]; mono black: 7 [Count / Image] Further, the threshold value of the count for disabling the cleaning device C or the drum cartridge 13 is set to 4
200 [count].

Next, a flow chart of a method for detecting the full amount of waste toner in the case of full-color printing and mono-color printing will be described with reference to FIG.

First, in the control circuit 51 of the printer main body A, after the waste toner full detecting mechanism 50 detects that the waste toner is full (step 1), the printing operation of the transfer material 2 by the printer is possible. A print waiting state is set (step 2). When printing is performed in the full color mode, 3 [counts / image] is performed. When printing is performed in the mono color mode, 7 [counts / image] is performed.
Are added (step 3), and the added result (integrated value of count value) is sequentially compared with a count threshold value (4200 [count]) (step 4). When they match, control is performed to disable the use of the cleaning device C or the drum cartridge 13 (step 5). That is, the image forming operation of the image forming apparatus is stopped.

Table 1 below shows the number of prints and the maximum amount of waste toner when continuous printing is performed in the same print mode.

Further, the full-color mode and the mono-black mode are used in a mixed manner, and the ratio of the number of printed sheets until the count value reaches 4200 becomes full-color: mono-black =
The maximum waste toner amount when the ratio is 7: 3 is also shown.

[0067]

[Table 1]

As is apparent from the above table, the maximum amount of waste toner is the amount of waste toner that can be stored in the cleaning container 14.
V, the user can print the proper amount of ink after the full warning until the user is ready to replace the drum cartridge, and the user can accidentally remove the drum cartridge that is full of toner to the limit. Use can be prevented.

As described above, in this embodiment, a large amount of waste toner in the drum cartridge 13 having a long life is removed from the cleaning container 1.
4, when the waste toner reaches the waste toner storage amount V, the full-toner detection mechanism 50 can detect the full-toner state, thereby informing the user that the full-toner has been detected and replacing the cartridge. Prompt. Then, after printing several hundred sheets of the transfer material 2, if the integrated value of the count related to the printing of the transfer material 2 matches the threshold value, the cleaning device C or the drum cartridge 13 is disabled for safety.

As a result, the user can obtain the cartridge preparation period from the time when the user is notified of the warning indicating that the waste toner is full, to the time when the cleaning device C or the drum cartridge 13 becomes unusable.

The count-up value to be added for each printing operation after the waste toner full detecting mechanism 50 detects the waste toner storage amount V is a waste toner storage amount ΔV and a waste toner amount in each print mode. Since it is set based on the estimated maximum value of the above, printing can be performed by the number of prints corresponding to each mode. That is, when printing is performed in the mode with a small amount of waste toner, printing can be performed more than the number of prints in the mode with a large amount of waste toner, and a longer preparation period for the user can be secured.

By appropriately adopting a desired counting method corresponding to several printing modes having different printing processes, the printing of the transfer material 2 after the full state is detected even in several printing modes having different printing processes. It is possible to avoid excess or deficiency in the possible number of sheets, and it is possible to perform printing of an appropriate amount according to the waste toner accommodable amount ΔV.

The transfer material 2 after the full tank detection is activated
And the cleaning device C or the drum cartridge 1
Since the count threshold value for disabling the use of No. 3 is stored in the non-volatile storage medium provided in the drum cartridge 13, that is, information unique to the drum cartridge can be stored in the non-volatile storage medium. Even if the user turns off the power of the printer main unit A, or if the user takes out the drum cartridge 13 from the inside of the printer main unit A and uses it with the printer main body of another printer, printing after the full tank detection is possible, and the count value Becomes unavailable when the threshold value reaches the threshold value, and the use of the drum cartridge filled with toner to the limit can be prevented.

[Embodiment 2] In the present embodiment, the number of prints from the detection of the full tank to the time when the drum cartridge 13 becomes unusable is intended to be intended to print only mono-black more intentionally due to the characteristics of the printer. Is exemplified. Hereinafter, specific numerical values will be described in detail.

Assuming that the counter up value is: full color: 1 [count / image], mono black: 1 [count / image], and the count threshold for disabling the drum cartridge is 1400 [count], The number of prints during this time is as shown in Table 2 below. “Mixing of full color mono black” is the total number of printed sheets when the ratio of the number of printed sheets until the count value reaches 1400 is full color mode: mono black mode = 7: 3.

[0076]

[Table 2]

As described above, the number of prints from the detection of the full level to the time when the drum cartridge 13 becomes unusable can be determined by the counting method used when the intention is to intentionally print only a large amount of mono black due to the characteristics of the printer. The same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained.

[Other Embodiments] In the above-described embodiment, an image forming apparatus having a mono black mode and a full color mode for forming an image with four color toners has been described. In addition to the two modes described above, the present invention can be suitably applied to an image forming apparatus having a print mode of a two-color image and a three-color image.

Since the image is formed twice in the two-color image printing mode, or the image is formed three times in the three-color image printing mode, the count value is accumulated more than in the full-color printing mode in which the image is formed four times. The value decreases, and the number of printable sheets increases until the threshold is reached.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the image forming apparatus in which the print mode is different depending on the type and the number of colors is described. For example, a line image mode for forming a line image and a photographic image mode for forming a photographic image The present invention can be suitably applied to an image forming apparatus having different count values.

As described above, by changing the count value between the line image and the photographic image, the preparation period of the user can be ensured by a length corresponding to the image forming mode. Since the maximum amount of waste toner is smaller in a line image than in a photographic image, forming a line image increases the number of printable sheets compared to forming a photographic image. It can be secured.

Further, in order to lengthen the preparation period of the user, the printing rate (the rate of printing per recording material)
The count value may be changed according to. For example, 0 is counted when the printing rate is 0%, 1 is counted when the printing rate is 1 to 40%, and a value larger than 1 is counted when the printing rate is 41% or more. (As the printing rate increases, the amount of waste toner increases, so the count value increases.) As described above, by using the count value corresponding to the printing rate, printing can be performed until the toner is almost completely filled in the cleaning container. Thus, a longer period for preparing the user's cartridge can be secured, and the user's exchangeability is further improved.

The image forming modes such as the line image mode, the photographic image mode, and the image printing rate can be determined based on the image signal given to the laser diode.

In the above-described embodiment, the counting is performed for each image. However, the count value may be counted for each recording material. However, in this case, the count value of each image forming mode is determined based on the difference in the maximum amount of waste toner in each mode, and differs depending on the image forming mode.

Therefore, in the first image forming mode, the first count value is set to be smaller than in the first image forming mode, as opposed to the method of uniformly counting "1" for each recording material as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 10-39692. The present invention, in which the second count value different from the first count value is counted in the second image forming mode different from the first embodiment, makes it possible to more accurately predict the amount of waste toner and to provide a user with a longer preparation period. Becomes possible.

Note that the counting method has been used so far.
(increment) has been described, but the present invention
A (decrement) counting method may be used. For example, the count value corresponding to the image forming mode is subtracted from the threshold value of the count, and if the result is greater than 0, printing is enabled (waiting for printing), and if equal to 0, the image forming operation is stopped.

The image forming apparatus in which the threshold value of the count value is stored in a removable non-volatile storage medium together with the cleaning container which is a container for storing waste toner has been described. May be stored in the non-volatile storage medium of the printer main body A. A non-volatile storage medium that is removable together with the cleaning container may store a predetermined value used to determine the amount of toner in the cleaning container or how many more images can be formed. .

The present invention does not adopt the form of a process cartridge (drum cartridge 13), but rather employs an electronic device in which the photosensitive member 15 and cleaning means (cleaning device C) acting on the photosensitive member 15 are directly attached to the image forming apparatus main body. The present invention can be suitably applied to a photographic or electrostatic recording type image forming apparatus.

The photosensitive member 15 in the process cartridge (drum cartridge 13) includes, for example, the following. First, a photoconductor is used as the photosensitive portion, and as the photoconductor, for example, amorphous silicon,
Amorphous selenium, zinc oxide, titanium oxide, organic photoconductor (OPC) and the like are included. Also, as a shape for mounting the photoconductor, for example, a drum-shaped or belt-shaped one is used. For example, in the case of a drum-type photoconductor, a photoconductor is deposited or coated on a cylinder made of an aluminum alloy or the like. And so on.

In the above-described embodiment, the charging means 17 employs a so-called contact charging method. However, as another structure, a metal shield such as aluminum is provided around three sides of a conventionally known tungsten wire. Of course, a configuration may be used in which positive or negative ions generated by applying a high voltage to the tungsten wire are moved to the surface of the photoconductor, and the surface of the photoconductor is uniformly charged.

The charging means may be a blade (charging blade), a pad type, a block type, a rod type, a wire type, or the like, in addition to the roller type.

Further, as a means for cleaning the toner remaining on the photoreceptor, a cleaning means may be constituted by using a blade, a fur brush, a magnetic brush or the like.

The above-described process cartridge (drum cartridge 13) includes, for example, a charging unit and a cleaning unit other than a photoconductor and a developing unit that acts on the photoconductor. In addition to the above-described embodiment, for example, there is a cartridge in which the photosensitive member and the cleaning unit are integrally formed into a cartridge so as to be detachable from the main body of the image forming apparatus.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, an image forming apparatus for transferring a toner image to a recording material via an intermediate transfer member has been described. The present invention can also be suitably applied to an image forming apparatus for transferring a toner image on a photoconductor to a photoconductor.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the image forming apparatus having the cleaning device for removing the residual toner after the transfer from the surface of the photoreceptor and storing the same is described.
The present invention can be suitably applied to an image forming apparatus provided with a cleaning device for cleaning a carrier carrying a toner image such as an intermediate transfer body.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, a color laser printer is exemplified as an image forming apparatus. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, an electronic photocopier, a facsimile machine, or an electronic Naturally, it can be used in a photographic image forming apparatus.

Further, as a transfer material as a recording material, a recording sheet, a plastic sheet such as an OHP sheet, a cloth, or the like can be used.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the technical idea of the present invention.

[0099]

As described above, according to the present invention, the count value used for controlling the image forming apparatus together with the predetermined value stored in the non-volatile storage medium is determined in the first image forming mode. When forming an image, the second
Is different from when an image is formed in the image forming mode.
The first image forming mode and the second image forming mode include:
The maximum value of the toner stored in the container is different. By using a different count value according to the image forming mode in this manner, it is possible to provide the user with a longer cartridge preparation period.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of an overall configuration of a laser printer as an image forming apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the drum cartridge as viewed from above.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the drum cartridge as viewed from the front.

FIG. 4 is a view of the drum cartridge as viewed from the front and back side.

FIG. 5 is a configuration block diagram showing a connection relationship between a control circuit on the image forming apparatus main body side and a cartridge ROM on the process cartridge side.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a waste toner amount full detection method according to the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

2 Transfer Material (Recording Material) 13 Drum Cartridge (Process Cartridge) 14 Cleaning Container (Waste Toner Container) 15 Photoconductor (Image Carrier) 49 Cartridge ROM (Storage Unit) 50 Waste Toner Full Tank Detection Mechanism (Waste Toner Full) Ton detecting means) 60 Feeding section (transporting means) C Cleaning device (cleaning means) V Waste toner capacity Vm Waste toner capacity limit ΔV Waste toner capacity

Claims (49)

[Claims] 1. A toner image forming method comprising:
A first image forming step of forming on the image carrier, a transfer step of transferring the toner image on the first image carrier onto a second image carrier different from the first image carrier, and after the transfer step A cleaning step of cleaning toner remaining on the surface of the first image carrier, a storing step of storing the toner cleaned by the cleaning step in a container, and a non-volatile detachable with the container together with the image forming apparatus main body. A control step of controlling the image forming apparatus based on a predetermined value stored in a storage medium, wherein the predetermined value is counted in a first image forming mode in order to control the image forming apparatus. A second count, which is different from the first count value, which counts in a first image forming mode and a second image forming mode. The maximum amount of toner contained in the container when forming an image in the first image forming mode and the toner contained in the container when forming an image in the second image forming mode Wherein the maximum amount of the image forming apparatus is different. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second image carrier is a recording material. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first image bearing member is an intermediate transfer member. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first image bearing member is a photoreceptor. 5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the second image bearing member is an intermediate transfer member. 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first image forming mode is a mode for forming a monocolor image. 7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the first image forming mode is a mode for forming a black and white image. 8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the second image forming mode is a mode for forming an image of a plurality of colors. 9. The printing method according to claim 1, wherein the toner image formed in the first image forming mode and the toner image formed in the second image forming mode have different printing rates per recording material. A method for controlling an image forming apparatus. 10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first image forming mode is a line image. 11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first image forming mode is a photographic image. 12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when a plurality of color images are formed on the image carrier, the first count value and the second count value are values counted for each color image. A method for controlling an image forming apparatus, the method comprising: 13. The control of the image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first count value and the second count value are values counted for each image formed on one recording material. Method. 14. The integrated value according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined value stored in the nonvolatile storage medium is an integrated value obtained by integrating the first count value when an image is formed in the first image forming mode. And when the image is formed in the second image forming mode, is compared with an integrated value obtained by integrating the second count value. 15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined value stored in the nonvolatile storage medium is a value used to stop or continue the operation of the image forming apparatus. How to control the device. 16. The image according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined value stored in the nonvolatile storage medium is a value obtained based on a maximum value of a toner amount that can be stored in the container. A method for controlling a forming apparatus. 17. The image according to claim 1, further comprising a detecting step of detecting that the amount of toner stored in the container has reached a predetermined amount, wherein the control step is performed after the detecting step. A method for controlling a forming apparatus. 18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the detecting step uses a light detecting unit. 19. A first image forming step of forming a toner image on a first image carrier according to an image forming mode, wherein a toner image on the first image carrier is formed on a first image carrier different from the first image carrier. (2) a transfer step of transferring the image onto the image carrier, a cleaning step of cleaning the toner remaining on the surface of the first image carrier after the transfer step, and a housing step of housing the toner cleaned by the cleaning step in a housing. A detecting step of detecting that the amount of toner stored in the container has reached a predetermined amount; a control step of controlling the image forming apparatus based on a predetermined value stored in a nonvolatile storage medium after the detecting step In the control step, the predetermined value is counted in the first image forming mode in order to control the image forming apparatus. A first count value, counting the time of the first image forming mode different from the second image forming mode, the first
Used together with a second count value different from the count value, the maximum amount of toner contained in the container when forming an image in the first image forming mode, and forming an image in the second image forming mode A maximum amount of toner contained in the container is sometimes different. 20. A non-volatile storage device, comprising: a container that stores toner to be cleaned from the surface of an image carrier that carries toner; and a non-volatile storage medium that stores a predetermined value for controlling the image forming apparatus. The predetermined value stored in the storage medium is a first count value counted when forming an image in the first image forming mode to control the image forming apparatus, and a first count value different from the first image forming mode. A cartridge which is different from the first count value and is used together with a second count value, which counts when an image is formed in the two-image forming mode, and which is used in combination with the image forming apparatus. 21. The cartridge according to claim 20, wherein the cartridge is a process cartridge including the image carrier. 22. The cartridge according to claim 20, further comprising a cleaning unit that cleans toner from the surface of the image carrier. 23. The integrated value according to claim 20, wherein the predetermined value stored in the nonvolatile storage medium is an integrated value obtained by integrating the first count value when an image is formed in the first image forming mode. A cartridge that can be attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus, wherein, when an image is formed in the second image forming mode, the integrated value is obtained by integrating the second count value. 24. The image forming apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the predetermined value stored in the nonvolatile storage medium is a value used to stop or continue the operation of the image forming apparatus. A cartridge that can be attached to and detached from the device. 25. The image according to claim 20, wherein the predetermined value stored in the nonvolatile storage medium is a value obtained based on a maximum value of a toner amount that can be stored in the container. A cartridge that can be attached to and detached from the forming device. 26. A first image carrier for carrying a toner image, transfer means for transferring the toner image on the first image carrier to a second image carrier different from the first image carrier, and the transfer means Cleaning means for cleaning the toner remaining on the surface of the first image carrier after the transfer by the method, a container for storing the toner cleaned by the cleaning means, and a detachable unit provided with the container. A non-volatile storage medium storing a predetermined value for controlling the image forming apparatus main body, wherein the predetermined value stored in the non-volatile storage medium is a first value for controlling the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus is used together with a count value and a second count value different from the first count value. 27. The image forming apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the unit is a process cartridge having the image carrier. 28. The image forming apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the second image carrier is a recording material. 29. An image forming apparatus according to claim 26, wherein said first image bearing member is an intermediate transfer member. 30. The image forming apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the first image carrier is a photoconductor. 31. An image forming apparatus according to claim 30, wherein said second image bearing member is an intermediate transfer member. 32. The image forming apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the first image forming mode is a mode for forming a monochromatic image. 33. The image forming apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the first image forming mode is a mode for forming a black and white image. 34. The image forming apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the second image forming mode is a mode for forming a plurality of color images. 35. The printing method according to claim 26, wherein the toner image formed in the first image forming mode and the toner image formed in the second image forming mode have different printing rates per recording material. Image forming apparatus. 36. The image forming apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the first image forming mode is a line image. 37. The image forming apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the first image forming mode is a photographic image. 38. The image forming apparatus according to claim 26, wherein when a plurality of color images are formed on the image carrier, the first count value and the second count value are values counted for each color image. An image forming apparatus, comprising: 39. An image forming apparatus according to claim 26, wherein said first count value and said second count value are values counted for each image formed on one recording material. 40. The integrated value according to claim 26, wherein the predetermined value stored in the nonvolatile storage medium is an integrated value obtained by integrating the first count value when an image is formed in the first image forming mode. An image forming apparatus configured to compare the second count value with an integrated value obtained when the image is formed in the second image forming mode. 41. The image forming apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the predetermined value stored in the nonvolatile storage medium is a value used to stop or continue the operation of the image forming apparatus. apparatus. 42. An image according to claim 26, wherein said predetermined value stored in said nonvolatile storage medium is a value obtained based on a maximum value of a toner amount that can be stored in said container. Forming equipment. 43. The apparatus according to claim 26, further comprising: detecting means for detecting the amount of toner stored in the container, wherein the detecting means detects that the amount of toner stored in the container has reached a predetermined amount. An image forming apparatus, wherein control of the image forming apparatus is performed based on a predetermined value stored in the nonvolatile storage medium. 44. An image forming apparatus according to claim 43, wherein said detecting means uses light. 45. A non-volatile storage device comprising: a container that stores toner cleaned from the surface of an image carrier that carries toner; and a non-volatile storage medium that stores a predetermined value for controlling an image forming apparatus. The predetermined value stored in the storage medium is a value used together with a count value for counting the number of colors of toner used in an image in order to control the image forming apparatus. Possible cartridge. 46. The cartridge according to claim 45, wherein the cartridge is a process cartridge including the image carrier. 47. A cartridge according to claim 45, wherein said cartridge further comprises a cleaning means for cleaning toner from the surface of said image bearing member. 48. A cartridge according to claim 45, wherein said count value is a fixed value. 49. The image forming apparatus according to claim 20, wherein when the image is formed in the first image forming mode, the maximum amount of toner stored in the container and the image is formed in the second image forming mode. The maximum amount of toner contained in the container when formed is different, the cartridge being detachable from the image forming apparatus.