KR20000019775A - Method for cleaning image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A method for cleaning in an image forming apparatus is provided to clean an image-forming instrument automatically after eliminating an image file caused by paper jam while printing for preventing a paper from being spoiled. CONSTITUTION: A method for cleaning an image forming apparatus is composed of: a step(S100) for receiving a printing command from an outer apparatus, a step(S101) for a printer engine to operate a printing operation by using transferred bitmap data, a step(S102) for a sensor in a sensor unit to detect a paper jam, a step(S103) for the sensor to detect the removal of the jammed paper, a step(S104) for judging if an automatically printing function of a cleaning page is established, a step(S105) for operating the automatically printing function of cleaning page for eliminating the toner remained in the image forming apparatus, a step(S106) for reprinting the paper jammed page, a step(S107) for confirming if the printing operation is completed, and a step(S108) for finishing the printing operation and for returning to a standby state.

Description

How to Clean the Image Forming Device

The present invention relates to a cleaning method of an image forming apparatus, and more particularly, when a paper jam occurs when performing an image forming operation, the image remaining means remaining in the image forming means by automatically cleaning the image forming means when the paper jam is removed. The present invention relates to a cleaning method of an image forming apparatus to prevent prints from being contaminated.

In general, a facsimile machine, a printer, a copier, or a multifunction device that can realize a combination of these functions through a single device are all products manufactured based on a printing function, and thus, an image forming apparatus is provided.

Such an image forming apparatus is provided with a paper cassette on which the green chain paper is loaded, and picks up and transports the paper loaded in the paper cassette, and with a dye such as a toner on the paper transferred through the image forming means. Form and discharge the phase.

When performing a print job through such an image forming apparatus, a paper jam may occur in which printing paper cannot be fed smoothly and thus a desired output cannot be obtained. When a paper jam occurs, a paper jam occurs in the image forming means. The image (ie afterimage) of the generated page remains. At this time, if the paper jam is removed and the printing operation is continued, the image (afterimage) remaining in the image forming means is printed with the data to be printed.

In order to prevent such a case, the cleaning page for cleaning the printing paper while passing through the image forming means by driving the image forming means without transmitting data to an exposure apparatus that generates light to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum. Page) function, the cleaning page function requires a certain key input from the user, so it can be executed only after the print job for one file is completed.

However, according to the conventional image forming apparatus, the following problem occurs.

That is, if a paper jam occurs during the printing operation, the image forming means becomes contaminated due to toner that is not fixed to the printing paper. In this way, in order to clean the contaminated image forming means, the user needs to select a predetermined key for executing the cleaning page function. Since the user cannot accept the key input until the print job is completed, a paper jam occurs. Although the image forming means is contaminated, the cleaning page function cannot be performed during the printing operation for one file.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve such problems, and an object of the present invention is to set a single file by setting a cleaning page automatic printing function to automatically clean an image forming means when a paper jam occurs when performing a print job. The present invention provides a cleaning method of an image forming apparatus that automatically cleans an image forming means after a paper jam occurs during a printing operation.

1 is a schematic block diagram of an image forming apparatus applied to the present invention;

2 is a schematic configuration diagram of the printer engine shown in FIG.

3 is an operation flowchart for performing a cleaning method of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention;

Figure 4 is an exemplary view showing an embodiment of setting the cleaning function according to the present invention.

<Description of the code | symbol about the principal part of drawing>

101: central processing unit 102: sensor

103: engine controller 105: memory

113: photosensitive drum 117: fixing unit

118: exposure apparatus 121: printing paper

A feature of the present invention for achieving the above object is a printing step of receiving data transmitted from an external device, printing the received data on the printing paper through the image forming means, and a paper jam in the middle of performing the printing step. If a detection step of detecting whether or not a paper jam is detected and a cleaning page printing function for cleaning the image forming means is set in the detecting step, the printing paper is transferred to the image forming means without transmitting any data to the exposure apparatus of the image forming means. And a cleaning step of performing a cleaning page printing function of supplying and fixing the toner remaining in the image forming means on the printing paper to be removed.

Preferably, the method further comprises a detecting step of detecting whether a cleaning page printing function for cleaning the image forming means is set when the paper jam detected in the detecting step is removed; The cleaning step may be performed only when it is determined that the cleaning page printing function is set.

In one embodiment, the cleaning page function may be set as a predetermined key is operated.

In another embodiment, the cleaning page function may be set by selecting a predetermined button on the driver program in the external device.

Preferably, the cleaning method of the image forming apparatus is characterized in that the printing operation is performed from the page where the paper jam occurs after performing the cleaning page printing function.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 shows a schematic block diagram of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 2 shows a schematic configuration diagram of the printer engine shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 shows an image forming apparatus according to the present invention. An operation flowchart for performing the cleaning method is shown, and FIG. 4 is an exemplary view showing an embodiment of setting a cleaning function according to the present invention.

First, referring to FIG. 1, the central processing unit 101 controls the image forming apparatus as a whole. In particular, when a paper jam is detected by various sensors in the sensor unit 102, whether the automatic cleaning page printing function is set or not is set. The engine controller 103 is controlled to execute the cleaning page function for confirming and cleaning the image forming means.

The sensor unit 102 includes various sensors for detecting a paper jam and various sensors for detecting the presence or absence of a paper and an original.

The engine controller 103 is a part in charge of actual printing. The engine controller 103 includes a control unit 103a for controlling the printer engine 104 and a memory 103b for storing bitmap data to be printed. Performs a series of actions related to.

The printer engine 104 performs a print job using the bitmap data stored in the memory 103b under the control of the control unit 103a configured in the engine controller 103.

The memory 105 stores the operation program of the central processing unit 101, the temporary control program according to the general control program, and the program execution of the central processing unit 101, and particularly remains in the image forming means when a paper jam occurs. If it is set by the user whether or not to perform a cleaning page function for cleaning the toner, a pre-stored cleaning page function execution program is provided to the central processing unit 101.

OPE (Operation Panel) 106 includes a plurality of keys that can generate key data of the system, in particular, a key for setting automatic printing of the cleaning page, and is input to the central processing unit 101 when key data is generated. And a display window 106a capable of displaying the display data of the central processing unit 101.

Meanwhile, referring to FIG. 2, a schematic configuration of a printer engine is as follows.

As shown in FIG. 2, the pickup roller 111, the charging roller 112, the photosensitive drum (OPC: Organic Photoconductive) 113, the transfer roller 114, and development for printing predetermined image data on printing paper. The roller 115, the supply roller 116, the fixing unit 117, the exposure apparatus 118, and the sensors 119 and 120.

Here, the voltage applied to each component is a charging voltage of -1.4 [kW] for the charging roller 112, a developing voltage of -300 [V] for the developing roller 115, and +2.0 [kW for the transfer roller 114. ], The supply voltage of -500 [V] is applied to the supply roller 116. That is, when the charging roller 112 charged by the high-voltage charging voltage rotates to evenly charge the photosensitive member formed on the outer circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 113, the photosensitive drum 113 with the light generated by the exposure apparatus 118 is charged. The electrostatic latent image to be printed is formed on the surface of the film. Thereafter, a potential difference is generated between the supply roller 116 to which the high voltage supply voltage is applied and the developing roller 115 to which the voltage of a level lower than the supply roller 116 is applied. Therefore, the toner that has negatively charged components from the feeding roller 116 to the developing roller 115 is moved, and the toner supplied to the developing roller 115 is applied to an electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 113 to have a visible image. To form. The high pressure transfer roller 114 transfers the visible image formed by the toner applied to the surface of the photosensitive drum 113 to the printing paper 121 to be transferred. The visible image transferred to the printing paper 121 is fixed to the printing paper 121 by the high heat and pressure of the fixing unit 117, thereby completing the printing process.

In addition, a register sensor 119 and a discharge sensor 120 are installed to detect a paper jam in which the print paper 121 does not feed smoothly and does not obtain a desired output during the printing operation. The sensor 119 is mounted between the paper feed roller 111 and the photosensitive drum 113, and the discharge sensor 120 is mounted between the fixing unit 117 and the discharge roller (not shown).

An operation of the present invention configured as described above will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 3.

Here, when the user operates a predetermined function key for setting the cleaning function among various function keys arranged on the operation panel 106 of the multifunction device or inputs a predetermined function button for setting the cleaning function through the driver program of the external device, The setting information of the cleaning function is stored in a predetermined area in the memory 105.

First, when a print command is received from an external device (S100), the central processing unit 101 controls the engine controller 103 to drive the printer engine 104 to maintain the standby state. When the printing preparation is completed as described above, the engine controller 103 stores the data stored in the memory 105 as the bitmap data in the memory 103b of the engine controller 103 by the control of the central processing unit 101. The controller 103a of the engine controller 103 transmits the bitmap data stored in the memory 103b to the printer engine 104 in band units, and the printer engine 104 performs a print job using the transmitted bitmap data. It performs (S101).

The central processing unit 101 detects whether a paper jam is detected through the sensors 119 and 120 in the sensor unit 102 during the printing operation (S102). Here, when it is detected that a paper jam occurs, the central processing unit 101 controls the engine controller 103 to stop the driving of the printer engine 104 and to maintain the standby state.

Thereafter, the sensors 119 and 120 in the sensor unit 102 check whether the paper jam is removed (S103), and when the paper jam is removed, it is determined whether the automatic cleaning page printing function is set by the user (S104). .

As a result, when the automatic cleaning page printing function is set, the engine controller 103 drives the waiting printer engine 104 again, picks up the printing paper and supplies it to the image forming means to remove toner remaining in the image forming means. The automatic cleaning page printing function is executed (S105). At this time, the engine controller 103 does not transmit any data to the exposure apparatus 118 that generates light for forming an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 113.

That is, when the paper jam detected through the sensors 119 and 120 in the sensor unit 102 is removed, the central processing unit 101 controls the engine controller 103 to drive the printer engine 104 again. Accordingly, predetermined voltages are applied to the charging roller 112, the transfer roller 114, the developing roller 115, the supply roller 116, and the fixing unit 117, respectively, and at this time, the exposure apparatus 118 No data is transmitted. That is, a charging voltage of -1.4 [kW] for the charging roller 112, a developing voltage of -300 [V] for the developing roller 115, a transfer voltage of +2.0 [kW] for the transfer roller 114, and a supply roller ( 116 is supplied with a supply voltage of -500 [V], and when the charging roller 112 charged by the high-voltage charging voltage rotates to evenly charge the photosensitive member formed on the outer circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 113, the exposure apparatus 118 The electrostatic latent image to be printed is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 113 charged with light generated by the light. Since no data is transmitted to the exposure apparatus 118, no electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 113. It is not formed. Therefore, even if the printing paper 121 is picked up and supplied to the image forming means, the new image is not fixed to the printing paper 121 but the toner remaining in the image forming means is fixed to the printing paper 121 and discharged.

When the printing paper 121 for executing the automatic cleaning page printing function is discharged through the image forming means, after reprinting the page where the paper jam has occurred (S106), it is checked whether the print job is completed (S107). Here, if the print job is completed, the print job is finished (S108), the process returns to the initial standby state, and if the print job is not completed, the process is repeated from step 101 (S101).

Therefore, if a paper jam occurs in the middle of a print job, even if the print job for one file is not completed, when the paper jam is cleared, the automatic cleaning page printing function is automatically executed to remove the toner remaining in the image forming means.

As described above, in the detailed description of the present invention, specific embodiments have been described, but various modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be defined by the claims below and equivalents thereof.

As described above, according to the cleaning method of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, a paper jam occurs during a printing operation so that the automatic cleaning page printing function is set to remove the toner remaining in the image forming means due to a paper jam. When the paper jam is cleared even though the printing of one file is not completed, the printing paper is supplied to the image forming means to remove the toner remaining in the image forming means.

Claims (5)

A printing step of receiving data transmitted from an external device and printing the received data on printing paper through image forming means; A sensing step of detecting whether a paper jam occurs while performing the printing step; In the detecting step, when a paper jam is detected and a cleaning page printing function for cleaning the image forming means is set, the printing paper is supplied to the image forming means without transferring any data to the exposure apparatus of the image forming means. And a cleaning step of performing a cleaning page printing function of fixing and removing toner remaining in an image forming means on the printing paper. The method of claim 1, A detecting step of detecting whether a cleaning page printing function for cleaning the image forming means is set when the paper jam detected in the detecting step is removed; And the cleaning step is performed only when it is determined that the cleaning page printing function is set in the detecting step. The method of claim 2, The cleaning method of the image forming apparatus, characterized in that the cleaning page function is set by operating a predetermined key. The method of claim 2, And the cleaning page function is set by selecting a predetermined button on a driver program in the external device. The method of claim 1, wherein the cleaning method of the image forming apparatus comprises: And performing the printing operation from the page where the paper jam occurs after performing the cleaning page printing function.