Patent Grant
10866553
Embodiments described herein relate generally to an image forming apparatus, a determination method and a developer processing apparatus.
In the related art, a technique is known that the performance of developer in a developing device is maintained by supplying new developer to the developing device and discharging old developer from the developing device. Also, a technique is known that a small amount of a carrier (for example, a magnetic substance) is mixed into a cartridge containing toner to be supplied to a developing device to supply the carrier together with the toner. In such techniques, supplying or discharging of the carrier into or from the developing device is performed together with supplying of the toner to the developing device. Therefore, if the supply amount of toner is small, the carrier in the developing device is hardly replaced. That is, if a printing rate of an output image is low, the carrier is hardly supplied, and the carrier in the developing device is not sufficiently replaced. There is a problem in that, if the carrier in the developing device is not sufficiently replaced, the developer deteriorates, thereby causing an image defect.
In general, according to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes a developing device, a developer container, and a controller. The developing device contains developer including toner and a carrier, and includes a stirrer for stirring the developer. The developer container contains the developer to be supplied to the developing device. The controller acquires a deterioration index indicating a degree of deterioration of the developer in the developing device based on stirring cumulative information which is information relating to a cumulative value of time for which the stirrer stirs the developer in the developing device and supply cumulative information indicating information relating to a cumulative value of the developer supplied from the developer container to the developing device, and determines a timing at which the developer needs to be replaced based on information on history of the deterioration index.
The image forming apparatus 100 forms an image on a sheet using toner. For example, the sheet may be paper or label paper. Any material may be used as the sheet, as long as the image forming apparatus 100 can form an image on the surface thereof.
The display 110 is an image display device such as a liquid crystal display, an organic electro luminescence (EL) display, or the like. The display 110 displays various kinds of information relating to the image forming apparatus 100.
The control panel 120 includes a plurality of buttons. The control panel 120 receives an operation of a user. The control panel 120 outputs a signal corresponding to the operation performed by the user to a controller 160 of the image forming apparatus 100. The display 110 and the control panel 120 may be configured as an integrated touch panel.
The image forming unit 130 forms an image on the sheet based on image information generated by the image reading unit 200 or image information received via a communication path. For example, the image forming unit 130 forms an image by the following processing. The image forming unit 130 forms an electrostatic latent image on a photoconductor drum based on the image information. The image forming unit 130 forms a visible image by causing toner to be attached to the electrostatic latent image. Specific examples of the toner include decolorable toner, non-decolorable toner (general toner), decorative toner, and the like. Some toners have a feature that colors thereof fade (disappear) due to heating.
The image forming unit 130 transfers the visible image onto a sheet. The image forming unit 130 fixes the visible image on the sheet by applying heat and pressure to the sheet. The sheet on which the image is formed may be a sheet contained in the sheet containing unit 140 or may be a manually-fed sheet.
The image reading unit 200 reads image information to be read based on brightness and darkness. The image reading unit 200 records the read image information. The recorded image information may be transmitted to another information processing device via a network. The recorded image information may be formed on the sheet as an image by the image forming unit 130.
The sensor 17 outputs a physical quantity (first physical quantity) relating to an amount of toner remaining in the developing device 35 of the image forming apparatus 100. In the following description, the first physical quantity is greater as the amount of toner remaining in the developing device 35 is greater. For example, the sensor 17 may be configured using an automatic toner sensor. In this case, the sensor 17 may be configured to detect density of toner. The sensor 17 may be configured to detect a remaining amount of toner. For example, the sensor 17 may be configured using a sensor that measures magnetic permeability.
The cartridge 2 is configured detachably from the image forming apparatus 100. The cartridge 2 is filled with developer including toner and a carrier. The developer supply motor 31 is a motor that operates when the developer in the cartridge 2 is supplied to the developing device 35. The cleaning unit 32 removes toner attached to the surface of the photoconductor 34. The charger 33 charges the surface of the photoconductor 34. The photoconductor 34 has a surface on which an image is formed with the toner.
When the developer supply motor 31 is driven, the developer in the cartridge 2 moves to the developing device 35 via the developer supply port 42. The toner included in the developer that moved to the developing device 35 is attached to an electrostatic latent image of the photoconductor 34 when an image is formed. The visible image is formed by the attachment of the toner. When the toner in the developing device 35 is used to form an image, the amount of the toner in the developing device 35 gradually decreases. The amount of the toner in the developing device 35 is detected based on the output of the sensor 17. If it is determined that the amount of the toner in the developing device 35 is less than the lower threshold value, the developer supply motor 31 is driven until the amount becomes the upper threshold value or more. Due to the driving of the developer supply motor 31, the developer in the cartridge 2 moves into the developing device 35.
When the developer moves into the developing device 35, the developer in the developing device 35 overflows. The overflowing developer is discharged to the outside of the developing device 35 via the developer discharge port 43. In this manner, due to the overflow of the developer, the amount of the developer in the developing device 35 is maintained constant, and the carrier deteriorating in the developing device 35 is discharged to the outside. In the developing device 35, a new carrier is supplied as developer, and as a result, the carrier in the developing device 35 is gradually replaced with the new carrier. The replacement of the developer in the developing device 35 is performed per developing device 35 corresponding to each toner.
The storage unit 150 is configured using a storage device such as a magnetic hard disk device or a semiconductor storage device. The storage unit 150 stores data required when the image forming apparatus 100 operates. For example, the storage unit 150 may store data of a program executed by the controller 160. For example, the storage unit 150 may temporarily store image data to be formed in the image forming apparatus 100. For example, the storage unit 150 may store image data generated by the image reading unit 200. For example, the storage unit 150 may store information indicating a condition of the determination performed by the controller 160 or the value of a counter.
The controller 160 is configured using a processor such as a central processing unit (CPU) and a memory. The controller 160 reads out and executes a program stored in the storage unit 150 in advance. The controller 160 controls an operation of each device included in the image forming apparatus 100. The controller 160 controls the driving of the developer supply motor 31 based on the physical quantity output from the sensor 17. For example, if the physical quantity output from the sensor 17 indicates a decrease of the toner density, the controller 160 supplies the developer to the developing device 35 by driving the developer supply motor 31. The controller 160 performs estimation with respect to the deterioration of the developer in the developing device 35.
The communication unit 170 is a communication interface that performs data communication with another device according to a predetermined communication protocol.
Next, the processing of the controller 160 is specifically described. The controller 160 acquires information (hereinafter, referred to as “stirring cumulative information”) relating to a cumulative value of time for which the developer is stirred in the developing device 35 of the image forming apparatus 100. The controller 160 acquires information (hereinafter, referred to as “supply cumulative information”) relating to a cumulative value of the developer supplied to the developing device 35. The controller 160 acquires the stirring cumulative information and the supply cumulative information for each developing device 35. For example, if the developing devices 35 are provided respectively for yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K), the controller 160 acquires the stirring cumulative information and the supply cumulative information for each color. The controller 160 estimates the degree of deterioration of the developer in the developing device 35 for each developing device 35 based on the stirring cumulative information and the supply cumulative information. For example, the controller 160 may estimate the degree of deterioration by acquiring an index value (hereinafter, referred to as a “deterioration index”) indicating the degree of deterioration of the developer in the developing device 35.
The controller 160 may acquire a cumulative value (hereinafter, referred to as a “print number counting value”) of the number of printed sheets in the image forming apparatus 100, as a specific example of the stirring cumulative information. As a specific example of the stirring cumulative information, the controller 160 may acquire a cumulative value (hereinafter, referred to as a “developing device counting value”) of the driving time of the developing device 35. For example, the developing device counting value may be acquired by counting up one every two seconds while the developing device 35 is driven.
The controller 160 may acquire a cumulative value (hereinafter, referred to as a “supply motor counting value”) of the driving time of the developer supply motor 31, as a specific example of the supply cumulative information. For example, the supply motor counting value may be acquired by counting up one every 12 seconds while the developer supply motor 31 is driven. The controller 160 may acquire a cumulative value of values obtained by multiplying a printing rate and the number of printed sheets as a specific example of the supply cumulative information. The controller 160 may acquire a cumulative value of the number of print pixels as a specific example of the supply cumulative information.
Hereinafter, processing when the controller 160 uses the developing device counting value as the stirring cumulative information and uses the supply motor counting value as the supply cumulative information will be described as a specific example.
The controller 160 records the developing device counting value and the supply motor counting value in the storage unit 150. The controller 160 updates each counting value thereof at a predetermined update timing. The update timing may be a timing after a print job is executed, for example. The controller 160 updates each counting value thereof to zero by initialization at a predetermined initialization timing (initialization). For example, the initialization timing is a timing at which the developer is supplied to the developing device 35 for the first time, a timing at which the developer is replaced, or a timing at which an initial operation (for example, toner density adjusting operation) is executed after the replacement of the developer. The initialization timing may be automatically determined as a timing at which the replacement of the developer is detected by a sensor or the like which is provided in the developing device 35. The initialization timing may be manually instructed by a person who replaces the developer of the developing device 35.
The controller 160 may calculate a deterioration index, for example, based on the following expression.
Current deterioration index=(Previous deterioration index+A)×(1−B)×100
A=(Current developing device counting value−previous developing device counting value)/developing device counting reference value
B=(Current supply motor counting value−previous supply motor counting value)/supply motor counting reference value
In the above expression, the developing device counting reference value refers to a driving time counting value of the developing device 35 which is required for printing, until the performance of the developer reaches a replacement level without supplying the carrier. The supply motor counting reference value refers to a supplying time counting value of the cartridge 2 which is required for supplying the developer for one capacity unit of the developing device 35 to the developing device 35. The current deterioration index is the latest deterioration index calculated newly, and the previous deterioration index is a deterioration index that is calculated in the immediately preceding processing. The current developing device counting value is the latest developing device counting value, and the previous developing device counting value is a developing device counting value acquired in the immediately preceding processing. The current supply motor counting value is the latest supply motor counting value, and the previous supply motor counting value is a supply motor counting value acquired in the immediately preceding processing.
The value of A calculated in this manner is a value referring to a rate at which the developer deteriorates between the end of the previous print job and the end of the current print job. The value of B calculated in this manner refers to a rate at which the developer is replaced (refreshed) with new developer between the end of the previous print job and the end of the current print job. The driving of the developing device 35 in the present exemplary embodiment is not so-called continuous printing, but a value in an operation mode (so-called an intermittent operation) in which printing is performed for each a predetermined number of sheets (for example, five sheets), stopped, and is restarted.
The first half “previous deterioration index+A” on the right side of the expression for calculating the current deterioration index refers to a rate at which the developer is stirred and deteriorates in the developing device 35 in the current print job. The latter half “1−B” on the right side refers to a rate at which the developer is not replaced (not refreshed) but remains in the developing device 35, though new developer is supplied to the developing device 35 in the current print job. The state of deterioration of the developer stored in the developing device 35 can be estimated by multiplying the first half by the latter half of the above-mentioned expression.
The controller 160 may determine the necessity for the replacement of the developer based on the history of the deterioration index. Specific examples of the determination are described.
For example, in a usage pattern a in which a large number of prints with an average printing rate of 10% or more are performed, the carrier is frequently replaced. Therefore, the deterioration index is maintained to be low, and the deterioration index does not exceed the threshold value. Meanwhile, in a usage pattern b in which most prints have an average printing rate of about 1%, since the carrier is hardly replaced, the deterioration index gradually increases, and the deterioration index exceeds the threshold value in the prints of about 150K sheets. In a usage pattern c, even though prints have an average printing rate of 10% or more up to about 300K sheets, the average printing rate decreases to about 1% thereafter. Therefore, after the prints of about 300K sheets, the deterioration index gradually increases, and the deterioration index exceeds the threshold value in the prints of about 400K sheets.
Even in each of the usage patterns, the controller 160 may estimate the following matters based on the history of the deterioration index up to the present. Also, the controller 160 may output an estimation result.
When determining the replacement necessity, the controller 160 may calculate a deterioration progress index and perform determination based on the deterioration index and the deterioration progress index. The deterioration progress index is an index indicating a temporal change of the deterioration of the developer. For example, the deterioration progress index may be a statistical value (for example, a maximum value) of a value (for example, a differential value) indicating the amount of the change of the deterioration index for a predetermined period of time from the present to the past, or may be another value. The controller 160 determines that the developer needs to be replaced when the deterioration index exceeds the threshold value, and the deterioration progress index is a value indicating that there is no predetermined drastic change for the predetermined period of time (for example, past one week from the present). These two conditions are collectively referred to as deterioration conditions. Meanwhile, the controller 160 determines that the developer does not need to be replaced even if the deterioration index exceeds the threshold value, when the deterioration progress index is a value indicating that there is a predetermined drastic change for the predetermined period of time.
The reason that such a determination is made is described with reference to
The output destination of the estimation result may be the display 110 of the image forming apparatus 100, may be an information processing device (for example, a personal computer or a smartphone) of a user of the image forming apparatus 100, or may be an information processing device (for example, a personal computer or a smartphone) of a maintenance person of the image forming apparatus 100. When the estimation result is output to another device, information is transmitted via the communication unit 170. By referring to such an estimation result, for example, a maintenance person can replace the developer at a proper timing. Also, in the usage pattern in which an average printing rate changes in the middle like the usage pattern c, the maintenance person can replace the developer at a proper timing.
According to the image forming apparatus 100 configured as above, the timing for the replacement in accordance with the deterioration of the developer in the developing device 35 is determined based on the history of the deterioration. Therefore, the determination can be accurately performed, for example, even if there are various usage patterns as in
The controller 160 may display the history of the deterioration index as illustrated in
While certain embodiments have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventions. Indeed, the novel embodiments described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms: furthermore various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form of the embodiments described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the inventions. The accompanying claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the scope and spirit of the invention.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5162849 | Yoshino et al. | Nov 1992 | A |
| 8213812 | Izumi et al. | Jul 2012 | B2 |
| 20150177646 | Yamada et al. | Jun 2015 | A1 |
