JP6504108B2 - Image forming apparatus, method of controlling attachment / detachment of developer containing portion - Google Patents

Description

  BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and an attachment / detachment control method of a developer containing unit that is executed by the image forming apparatus.

  An image forming apparatus such as a printer includes an image forming unit that executes a printing process. For example, the image forming unit includes a developing unit that develops an electrostatic latent image formed on an image carrier such as a photosensitive drum using a developer such as toner. In this type of image forming apparatus, a developer containing portion such as a toner container for containing the developer supplied to the developing portion is mounted. For example, in this type of image forming apparatus, the developer containing portion is replaced at an arbitrary timing of the user. Here, in order to reduce the amount of developer remaining in the developer container at the time of replacement, image formation is provided with a lock mechanism that regulates the attachment and detachment of the developer container until the developer shortage of the developer container is detected. An apparatus is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Unexamined-Japanese-Patent No. 6-258941

  By the way, in the image forming apparatus, there is a case where a developer containing portion in which the developer whose fluidity is lowered due to coagulation or the like is stored is mounted. In this case, in the image forming apparatus, the supply of the developer from the developer supply unit can not catch up with the consumption of the developer by the printing process, and the developer remaining in the developing unit is left even immediately after the replacement of the developer containing unit. The amount may not increase. On the other hand, the user can improve the flowability of the developer in the developer storage unit by removing the developer storage unit from the image forming apparatus and shaking it. However, when the mounting and demounting of the developer containing portion is restricted by the lock mechanism, the user can not remove the developer containing portion from the image forming apparatus.

  The object of the present invention is to reduce the amount of developer remaining in the developer container at the time of replacement, and restrict the mounting and demounting of the developer container in a state where the amount of developer supplied from the developer container to the developing unit is small. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus capable of avoiding the problem and a method of restricting the attachment and detachment of the developer containing portion.

  An image forming apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes a mounting unit, a lock mechanism, a developing unit, a developer detection unit, a first detection processing unit, a release processing unit, and a first supply processing unit. A second supply processing unit and a regulation processing unit are provided. In the mounting portion, a developer storage portion for storing a developer is mounted. The lock mechanism can restrict attachment and detachment of the developer accommodating unit attached to the attaching unit. The developing unit develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier using the developer. The developer detection unit detects the remaining amount of the developer in the development unit. The first detection processing unit detects a first state in which the remaining amount of the developer stored in the developer storage unit mounted to the mounting unit is less than a predetermined first reference amount. The release processing unit causes the lock mechanism to release the restriction on the attachment / detachment of the developer storage unit when the first state is detected by the first detection processing unit. In the first supply processing unit, when it is determined that the developer storage unit attached to the mounting unit has been replaced, the remaining amount of the developer in the development unit detected by the developer detection unit is A first supply process is performed to supply the developer from the developer storage unit to the developing unit until a predetermined first threshold is exceeded. The second supply processing unit is configured to control the developing unit when the remaining amount of the developer in the developing unit detected by the developer detecting unit is less than a predetermined second threshold higher than the first threshold. The second supply process is performed to supply the developer from the developer storage unit to the developing unit during the execution of the printing process using the. The restriction processing unit causes the locking mechanism to stop the locking mechanism when the remaining amount of developer in the developing unit detected by the developer detection unit exceeds a predetermined third threshold higher than the first threshold. The attachment and detachment of the developer containing portion are restricted.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for controlling attachment and detachment of a developer containing portion, comprising: attaching a mounting portion to which a developer containing portion for containing a developer is mounted; and detaching the developer containing portion mounted to the mounting portion. A lock mechanism that can be regulated, a developing unit that develops an electrostatic latent image formed on an image carrier using the developer, and a developer detection unit that detects the remaining amount of the developer in the developing unit; , And includes the following first step, second step, third step, fourth step, and fifth step. In the first step, a first state is detected in which the remaining amount of the developer stored in the developer storage unit mounted to the mounting unit is less than a predetermined first reference amount. In the second step, when the first state is detected in the first step, the restriction on the attachment and detachment of the developer accommodating portion by the lock mechanism is released. In the third step, the remaining amount of the developer in the developing unit detected by the developer detection unit is determined in advance when it is determined that the developer containing unit attached to the mounting unit has been replaced. A first supply process is performed to supply the developer from the developer storage unit to the developing unit until the first threshold is exceeded. In the fourth step, the developing unit is used when the remaining amount of the developer in the developing unit detected by the developer detecting unit is less than a predetermined second threshold higher than the first threshold. A second supply process is performed to supply the developer from the developer storage unit to the developing unit while the printing process is being performed. In the fifth step, when the remaining amount of the developer in the developing unit detected by the developer detection unit exceeds a predetermined third threshold higher than the first threshold, the lock mechanism The mounting and demounting of the developer containing portion is restricted.

  According to the present invention, the amount of developer remaining in the developer storage portion at the time of replacement is reduced, and the removal of the developer storage portion is restricted in a state where the supply amount of developer from the developer storage portion to the development portion is small. The image forming apparatus capable of avoiding the problem and the method of restricting the attachment and detachment of the developer containing portion are realized.

FIG. 1 is a view showing the configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the system configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a view showing a configuration of an image forming unit of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a view showing the configuration of a developing unit of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a view showing the configuration of the mounting portion and the lock mechanism of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the attachment / detachment restriction release processing executed by the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the attachment / detachment restriction processing executed by the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings for understanding of the present invention. The following embodiments are merely specific examples of the present invention, and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention.

[Schematic Configuration of Image Forming Apparatus 10]
First, the configuration of an image forming apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. Here, FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the image forming apparatus 10. As shown in FIG. In the following, the vertical direction of the paper surface in FIG. 1 is defined as the vertical direction D1 of the image forming apparatus 10, the horizontal direction of the paper surface as the longitudinal direction D2 of the image forming device 10, and the depth direction of the paper surface as the horizontal direction D3 of the image forming device 10. I will explain.

  The image forming apparatus 10 is a multifunction machine having a print function for forming an image based on image data, and a plurality of functions such as a scan function, a facsimile function, and a copy function. Further, the present invention is applicable to image forming apparatuses such as a printer, a facsimile, and a copier.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the image forming apparatus 10 includes an ADF 1, an image reading unit 2, an image forming unit 3, a sheet feeding unit 4, a control unit 5, and an operation display unit 6.

  The sheet feeding unit 4 supplies a sheet to the image forming unit 3. For example, the sheet is a sheet material such as paper, coated paper, postcard, envelope, and OHP sheet.

  The control unit 5 includes control devices such as a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and an EEPROM (registered trademark) (not shown). The CPU is a processor that executes various arithmetic processing. The ROM is a non-volatile storage unit in which information such as a control program for causing the CPU to execute various processes is stored in advance. The RAM is a volatile storage unit, and the EEPROM is a non-volatile storage unit. The RAM and the EEPROM are used as temporary storage memories (work areas) of various processes executed by the CPU. In the control unit 5, the CPU executes various control programs stored in advance in the ROM. As a result, the image forming apparatus 10 is integrally controlled by the control unit 5. The control unit 5 may be configured by an electronic circuit such as an integrated circuit (ASIC) or the like, and is a control unit provided separately from the main control unit that generally controls the image forming apparatus 10. May be

  The operation display unit 6 is a display unit such as a liquid crystal display for displaying various information in response to a control instruction from the control unit 5, and operation keys or a touch panel for inputting various information in the control unit 5 according to user operation. The operation unit of

[Configuration of image forming unit 3]
Next, the configuration of the image forming unit 3 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. Here, FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the image forming unit 31. As shown in FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing the configuration of the right side surface of the image forming apparatus 10. As shown in FIG. The alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 4 indicates the position of the opening 313M in the developing unit 313.

  The image forming unit 3 can execute an image forming process (printing process) for forming a color or monochrome image by an electrophotographic method based on the image data read by the image reading unit 2. The image forming unit 3 can also execute the print processing based on image data input from an information processing apparatus such as an external personal computer.

  As illustrated in FIG. 1, the image forming unit 3 includes a plurality of image forming units 31 to 34, an optical scanning device 35, an intermediate transfer belt 36, a secondary transfer roller 37, a fixing device 38, and a discharge tray 39. .

  The image forming unit 31 is an electrophotographic image forming unit corresponding to Y (yellow), the image forming unit 32 C (cyan), the image forming unit 33 M (magenta), and the image forming unit 34 K (black). is there. The image forming units 31 to 34 are arranged in the order of yellow, cyan, magenta, and black from the front of the image forming apparatus 10 along the front-rear direction D2 of the image forming apparatus 10, as shown in FIG.

  As illustrated in FIG. 3, the image forming unit 31 includes a photosensitive drum 311, a charging roller 312, a developing unit 313, a primary transfer roller 314, and a drum cleaning unit 315. Each of the image forming units 32 to 34 also has the same configuration as that of the image forming unit 31. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the image forming units 32 to 34 include developing units 323 to 343.

  The photosensitive drum 311 is an example of the image carrier in the present invention, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface.

  The charging roller 312 charges the photosensitive drum 311.

  The developing unit 313 develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 311 using a developer including toner (an example of the developer of the present invention) and a carrier. The developing unit 313 will be described in detail later.

  The primary transfer roller 314 transfers the toner image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 311 by the developing unit 313 to the intermediate transfer belt 36.

  The drum cleaning unit 315 removes the toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 311.

  The light scanning device 35 forms an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum provided in each of the image forming units 31 to 34.

  The intermediate transfer belt 36 is an endless belt member to which a toner image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum included in each of the image forming units 31 to 34 is transferred. The intermediate transfer belt 36 is moved along the front-rear direction D2 of the image forming apparatus 10 by the driving roller being rotationally driven by a driving force supplied from a power source (not shown).

  The secondary transfer roller 37 transfers the toner image attached to the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 36 to the sheet.

  The fixing device 38 fuses and fixes the toner image transferred to the sheet by the secondary transfer roller 37 to the sheet.

  The sheet on which the toner image is fixed by the fixing device 38 is discharged to the sheet discharge tray 39.

  In the image forming unit 3, a color image is formed on the sheet supplied from the sheet feeding unit 4 according to the following procedure, and the sheet after image formation is discharged to the sheet discharge tray 39.

  First, in the image forming unit 31, the charging roller 312 uniformly charges the photosensitive drum 311 to a predetermined potential. Next, light based on the image data is irradiated on the surface of the photosensitive drum 311 by the light scanning device 35. Thereby, an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image data is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 311. The electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 311 is developed (visualized) as a yellow toner image by the developing unit 313.

  Subsequently, the yellow toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 311 is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 36 by the primary transfer roller 314. On the other hand, the toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 311 is removed by the drum cleaning unit 315. For example, in the drum cleaning unit 315, the toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 311 is removed by the cleaning member 315A. Then, the toner removed by the cleaning member 315A is transported to a toner storage container (not shown) by the transport screw 315B and collected.

  Also in the image forming units 32-34, according to the same processing procedure as the image forming unit 31, toner images of the respective colors are formed on the photosensitive drums provided in the image forming units 32-34, and yellow on the intermediate transfer belt 36. , Cyan, magenta and black in order. Then, the toner image transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 36 is transferred by the secondary transfer roller 37 to the sheet supplied from the sheet feeding unit 4. Thereafter, the toner image is fused and fixed by the fixing device 38 to form an image, and the sheet on which the toner image is transferred is discharged to the paper discharge tray 39.

  Next, the developing unit 313 will be described in detail. The configuration of each of the developing units 323 to 343 is the same as the configuration of the developing unit 313 described below.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the developing unit 313 includes a housing 313A, a first conveyance member 313B, a second conveyance member 313C, a magnet roller 313D, a development roller 313E, and a toner sensor 313N.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the housing 313A accommodates the first conveying member 313B, the second conveying member 313C, the magnet roller 313D, and the developing roller 313E. Further, the housing 313A contains the developer. Specifically, the housing 313A accommodates the developer in an internal space formed by the side wall and the bottom surface 313F.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the housing 313A has a first transport path 313H and a second transport path 313J in which the developer containing toner is transported. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a partition wall 313G is provided on the bottom surface 313F of the housing 313A. The side wall of the housing 313A, the bottom surface 313F, and the partition 313G form a first conveyance path 313H in which the developer is conveyed inside the housing 313A. Further, the side wall of the housing 313A, the bottom surface 313F, and the partition 313G form a second conveyance path 313J in which the developer is conveyed inside the housing 313A.

  The first transport member 313B is provided in the first transport path 313H as shown in FIG. The first transport member 313B transports the developer along the right direction D31 in the left-right direction D3 in the first transport path 313H, and charges the toner contained in the developer. Specifically, the first conveyance member 313B stirs the developer during conveyance of the developer to charge the toner contained in the developer. For example, the first conveyance member 313B is a stirring screw.

  The second transport member 313C is provided in the second transport path 313J as shown in FIG. The second transport member 313C transports the developer along the left direction D32 in the left-right direction D3 in the second transport path 313J, and charges the toner contained in the developer. Specifically, the second conveyance member 313C stirs the developer during conveyance of the developer to charge the toner contained in the developer. For example, the second conveyance member 313C is a stirring screw.

  On the downstream side of the transport direction of the developer by the first transport member 313B in the partition wall 313G, a first connection portion 313K that connects the first transport path 313H and the second transport path 313J is provided. On the other hand, on the downstream side of the transport direction of the developer by the second transport member 313C in the partition wall 313G, a second connection portion 313L that connects the first transport path 313H and the second transport path 313J is provided. As a result, the developer contained in the housing 313A is conveyed by being circulated through the first conveyance path 313H and the second conveyance path 313J by the first conveyance member 313B and the second conveyance member 313C.

  The magnet roller 313D acquires the developer conveyed by the second conveyance member 313C. Then, the magnet roller 313D supplies the toner contained in the developer obtained from the second conveyance member 313C to the developing roller 313E. The developing roller 313E develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 311 using the toner supplied from the magnet roller 313D.

  The developing method by the developing unit 313 is not limited to the two-component developing method using the developer containing the toner and the carrier described above. For example, the developing method of the developing unit 313 may be a one-component developing method using only toner. The developing unit 313 may not include the magnet roller 313D.

  An opening 313M is provided on the upstream side of the transport direction of the developer by the first transport member 313B in the first transport path 313H. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the opening 313M is provided on the top surface of the housing 313A above the first transport path 313H. The opening 313M is used for carrying in the toner supplied from a toner container 316 described later to the first conveyance path 313H. Specifically, the toner supplied from the toner container 316 is carried into the carry-in position P1 (see FIG. 4) of the first conveyance path 313H via the opening 313M.

  The toner sensor 313N detects the amount of toner at a detection position P2 (see FIG. 4) downstream of the developer conveyance direction by the first conveyance member 313B from the opening 313M in the first conveyance path 313H. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the toner sensor 313N is provided at the bottom of the housing 313A. For example, the toner sensor 313N is a magnetic permeability sensor including an LC oscillation circuit that outputs an electric signal according to the magnetic permeability of the developer contained in the housing 313A. Here, the toner sensor 313N is an example of the developer detection unit in the present invention.

  For example, in the image forming apparatus 10, the detection values detected by the toner sensor 313N are integrated during the detection period exceeding the toner conveyance time from the carry-in position P1 to the detection position P2 by the first conveyance member 313B, and the developing unit The remaining amount of the developer in 313 is acquired. For example, the detection period is a period in which the toner conveyed by the first conveyance member 313 B makes a round in the developing unit 313. The detection period may be longer or shorter than a period in which the toner conveyed by the first conveyance member 313B makes a round in the developing unit 313.

  As shown in FIG. 1, toner containers 316 to 346 are attached to the image forming unit 3. The toner container 316 contains yellow toner supplied to the image forming unit 31. The toner container 326 contains cyan toner supplied to the image forming unit 32. The toner container 336 accommodates the magenta toner supplied to the image forming unit 33. The toner container 346 contains the black toner supplied to the image forming unit 34. The toner containers 316 to 346 have the same configuration other than the color of the toner to be stored. Therefore, only the toner container 316 will be described below.

  For example, the toner container 316 is a substantially cylindrical container long along the left-right direction D3. The toner container 316 includes a transport member (not shown) that transports toner inside the toner container 316, and an IC tag (not shown) that stores specific data related to the toner container 316. For example, the specific data includes identification information of the toner container 316, quality determination information, the color of toner to be stored, and the remaining amount of toner to be stored.

  The image forming unit 3 further includes mounting units 317 to 347 and locking mechanisms 318 to 348 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5. The mounting portions 317 to 347 have the same configuration as that of the mounted toner container. Further, the configurations of the lock mechanisms 318 to 348 are common except for the toner container that regulates the attachment and detachment. Therefore, only the mounting portion 317 and the lock mechanism 318 will be described below.

  The toner container 316 is mounted on the mounting portion 317. For example, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 5, the mounting unit 317 is provided in an elongated shape in the left-right direction D <b> 3 above the image forming unit 3. The mounting portion 317 is covered by a housing cover 10A, as shown in FIG. Here, the toner container 316 is an example of the developer storage portion in the present invention.

  The case cover 10 </ b> A is an openable / closable cover member provided on the exterior of the image forming apparatus 10. Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the housing cover 10 </ b> A is provided on the right side surface of the image forming apparatus 10 corresponding to the arrangement position of the mounting portions 317 to 347. For example, the housing cover 10A is opened and closed by a hinge provided at either end in the front-rear direction D2. When any one of the toner containers 316 to 346 is attached and detached, the housing cover 10A is opened to expose the mounting portions 317 to 347 to the outside. An open / close detection switch (not shown) for detecting opening / closing of the housing cover 10A is provided at the end of the housing cover 10A opposite to the end where the hinge is provided. The open / close detection switch inputs an electrical signal to the control unit 5 according to the open / close state of the housing cover 10A.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a connection portion 317A is provided at the left end of the mounting portion 317 in the left-right direction D3. The connection portion 317A engages with the transport member provided in the toner container 316 mounted to the mounting portion 317. For example, the connection 317A is a gear. Further, the image forming unit 3 is provided with a driving unit 317B (see FIG. 2) such as a motor for supplying a driving force to the transport member of the toner container 316 mounted on the mounting unit 317 via the connection unit 317A. There is. The toner is supplied from the toner container 316 to the image forming unit 31 by driving the conveyance member by the driving force supplied from the driving unit 317B via the connection unit 317A.

  In addition, the mounting unit 317 is provided with a data acquisition unit 317 C (see FIG. 2) that acquires the specific data from the IC tag provided in the toner container 316. For example, the data acquisition unit 317C performs wireless communication with the IC tag provided in the toner container 316 attached to the attachment unit 317 to receive the specific data from the IC tag.

  The lock mechanism 318 regulates the attachment and detachment of the toner container 316 attached to the attachment portion 317. For example, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the locking mechanism 318 includes a locking piece 318A and a locking piece movable portion 318B. The locking piece 318A is provided at the right end portion of the mounting portion 317 in the left-right direction D3 as shown in FIG. For example, the locking piece 318A is provided movable in the vertical direction D1 between a closed position for closing the right end of the mounting portion 317 and an open position for opening the right end of the mounting portion 317. The locking piece movable portion 318B moves the locking piece 318A between the closed position and the open position. For example, the locking piece movable portion 318B is a solenoid. For example, in the locking mechanism 318, the locking piece 318A is held at either the closed position or the open position according to the presence or absence of power supply from the power supply unit (not shown) to the locking piece movable portion 318B. Ru.

  In the image forming apparatus 10, when the first state (toner out) in which the remaining amount of toner stored in the toner container 316 is less than a predetermined first reference amount is detected, the toner by the lock mechanism 318 is detected. The restriction on the attachment and detachment of the container 316 is released.

  Further, in the image forming apparatus 10, when the first state is detected and the toner container 316 is replaced, the remaining amount of toner in the developing unit 313 acquired by the toner sensor 313N is a first threshold value determined in advance. The first supply process is performed to supply the toner from the toner container 316 to the developing unit 313 until

  By the way, in the image forming apparatus 10, the toner container 316 in which the toner whose fluidity has been reduced due to coagulation or the like may be mounted. In this case, in the image forming apparatus 10, the toner supply from the toner container 316 can not catch up with the consumption of the toner by the printing process, and the remaining amount of toner in the developing unit 313 even immediately after the toner container 316 is replaced. May not increase. In this case, for example, the supply amount of toner from the developing unit 313 to the photosensitive drum 311 may be insufficient to cause a problem such as a decrease in image quality of an image to be printed. On the other hand, the user can improve the flowability of the toner in the toner container 316 by removing the toner container 316 from the image forming apparatus 10 and shaking it. However, when the mounting and demounting of the toner container 316 is restricted by the locking mechanism 318, the user can not remove the toner container 316 from the image forming apparatus 10.

  On the other hand, in the image forming apparatus 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention, as described below, the amount of toner remaining in the toner container 316 at the time of replacement (at the time of attachment / detachment) is reduced. It is possible to avoid that the mounting and demounting of the toner container 316 is restricted in a state where the amount of toner supplied to the portion 313 is small.

  Specifically, the ROM of the control unit 5 has an attachment / detachment control program for causing the CPU to execute the attachment / detachment regulation release processing (see the flowchart in FIG. 6) and the attachment / detachment regulation processing (see the flowchart in FIG. 7). It is stored in advance. The removable restriction program is recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD, a DVD, a flash memory, etc., read from the recording medium and installed in a storage unit such as the EEPROM of the control unit 5. It may be

  Then, as shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 5 has a second detection processing unit 51, a notification processing unit 52, a first detection processing unit 53, a release processing unit 54, a first supply processing unit 55, and a second supply processing. It includes a unit 56, a judgment processing unit 57, and a restriction processing unit 58. Specifically, the control unit 5 executes the attachment / detachment restriction program stored in the ROM using the CPU. Thus, the control unit 5 includes the second detection processing unit 51, the notification processing unit 52, the first detection processing unit 53, the release processing unit 54, the first supply processing unit 55, the second supply processing unit 56, and the determination processing unit 57. , And functions as a regulation processing unit 58.

  In the following, the developing unit 313, the toner container 316, the mounting unit 317, and the lock mechanism 318 will be described as an example. The following description is equally applicable to the developing units 323 to 343, the toner containers 326 to 346, the mounting units 327 to 347, and the locking mechanisms 328 to 348.

  The second detection processing unit 51 is configured such that the remaining amount of toner stored in the toner container 316 mounted to the mounting unit 317 is equal to or greater than the first reference amount, and is larger than the first reference amount. A second condition that is less than the reference amount is detected.

  For example, the second detection processing unit 51 detects the second state of the toner container 316 based on the remaining amount of toner in the developing unit 313 acquired by the toner sensor 313N. For example, when the toner is supplied from the toner container 316 to the developing unit 313 during execution of the printing process, the second detection processing unit 51 determines the remaining amount of toner in the developing unit 313 acquired by the toner sensor 313N. The second state is detected based on the increase rate.

  The second detection processing unit 51 calculates the consumption amount of toner based on the printing rate of the image data to be printed in the printing process, and calculates the cumulative value of the consumption amount of toner and the toner in the toner container 316. The second state may be detected by comparing the storage amount of Further, the second detection processing unit 51 calculates the amount of carried-out toner from the toner container 316 based on the driving time of the conveyance member by the driving unit 317B, and calculates the accumulated value of the calculated amount of carried-out toner and the toner container The second state may be detected by comparing the toner storage amount at 316.

  If the second detection processing unit 51 detects the second state of the toner container 316, the notification processing unit 52 notifies that effect.

  The first detection processing unit 53 detects the first state in which the remaining amount of toner stored in the toner container 316 mounted to the mounting unit 317 is less than the first reference amount.

  For example, similarly to the second detection processing unit 51, the first detection processing unit 53 detects the first state of the toner container 316 based on the remaining amount of toner in the developing unit 313 acquired by the toner sensor 313N. Do. For example, when the toner is supplied from the toner container 316 to the developing unit 313 during execution of the printing process, the first detection processing unit 53 determines the remaining amount of toner in the developing unit 313 acquired by the toner sensor 313N. The first state is detected based on the increase rate.

  The first detection processing unit 53 calculates the consumption amount of toner based on the printing rate of the image data to be printed in the printing process, and calculates the accumulated value of the consumption amount of toner and the toner in the toner container 316. The first state may be detected by comparing the storage amount of Further, the first detection processing unit 53 calculates the carried-out amount of toner from the toner container 316 based on the drive time of the conveyance member by the drive unit 317B, and calculates the cumulative value of the calculated carried-out amount of toner and the toner container The first state may be detected by comparing the toner storage amount at 316.

  When the first detection processing unit 53 detects the first state, the release processing unit 54 causes the lock mechanism 318 to release the restriction on the attachment and detachment of the toner container 316.

  For example, the release processing unit 54 causes the power supply unit to supply power to the locking piece movable unit 318B. Thereby, in the locking mechanism 318, the locking piece 318A is moved from the closed position to the open position and held in the open position.

  In the first supply processing unit 55, when it is determined that the toner container 316 mounted in the mounting unit 317 has been replaced, the remaining amount of toner in the developing unit 313 detected by the toner sensor 313N is the first threshold. The first supply process of causing the toner container 316 to supply the toner to the developing unit 313 is executed until it exceeds.

  For example, in the image forming apparatus 10, the mounting unit 317 is provided with a sensor (not shown) capable of detecting whether the toner container 316 is mounted. For example, the first supply processing unit 55 is a case after the release processing unit 54 releases the restriction on the attachment / detachment of the toner container 316 and the opening / closing detection switch detects the opening of the case cover 10A. When it is detected that the cover 10A is closed, the sensor is used to determine whether the toner container 316 is attached in the attachment unit 317. Then, if it is determined that the toner container 316 is attached to the attachment unit 317, the first supply processing unit 55 determines that the toner container 316 has been replaced.

  The first supply processing unit 55 determines that the toner container 316 has been replaced when the closing of the housing cover 10A is detected after the opening of the housing cover 10A is detected by the open / close detection switch. It is also good. The first supply processing unit 55 may determine that the toner container 316 mounted on the mounting unit 317 has been replaced when a predetermined operation is performed on the operation display unit 6.

  For example, in the first supply process, the first supply processing unit 55 controls the drive unit 317B to drive the transport member of the toner container 316.

  The second supply processing unit 56 is executing the printing process when the remaining amount of toner in the developing unit 313 detected by the toner sensor 313N is less than a predetermined second threshold higher than the first threshold. A second supply process of supplying toner from the toner container 316 to the developing unit 313 is executed.

  For example, in the second supply process, the second supply processing unit 56 controls the drive unit 317B to drive the transport member of the toner container 316.

  The determination processing unit 57 determines whether the toner container 316 mounted to the mounting unit 317 is a predetermined type of toner container. For example, the specific type of toner container is a toner container manufactured by one or more predetermined manufacturing entities.

  For example, when the first supply processing unit 55 executes the first supply process, the determination processing unit 57 causes the data acquisition unit 317C to acquire the specific data from the IC tag of the toner container 316. Then, based on the identification information included in the specific data or the quality determination information, the determination processing unit 57 determines whether the toner container 316 mounted on the mounting unit 317 is the toner container of the specific type. to decide.

  When the remaining amount of toner in the developing unit 313 detected by the toner sensor 313N exceeds a predetermined third threshold higher than the first threshold, the restriction processing unit 58 causes the locking mechanism 318 to Restrict the removal. For example, the third threshold is higher than the first threshold and lower than the second threshold.

  For example, the restriction processing unit 58 causes the power supply unit to stop the power supply to the locking piece movable unit 318B. Thereby, in the locking mechanism 318, the locking piece 318A is moved from the open position to the closed position and held in the closed position.

  In addition, the notification processing unit 52 performs the second detection processing unit 51 before the remaining amount of toner in the developing unit 313 detected by the toner sensor 313N exceeds the third threshold after the first supply processing is completed. When the second state is detected, the message notifying the removal of the toner container 316 from the mounting unit 317 is notified together with the fact that the second state is detected.

[Removal and Release Control Release Processing]
Hereinafter, an example of the procedure of the attachment / detachment restriction release process performed by the control unit 5 in the image forming apparatus 10 will be described with reference to FIG. Here, steps S11, S12,... Indicate the numbers of the processing procedures (steps) executed by the control unit 5.

<Step S11>
First, in step S11, the control unit 5 determines that the remaining amount of toner stored in the toner container 316 mounted to the mounting unit 317 is greater than or equal to the first reference amount and less than the second reference amount. 2 Determine whether or not a state is detected. Here, the process of step S11 is executed by the second detection processing unit 51 of the control unit 5.

  For example, the control unit 5 detects the second state of the toner container 316 based on the remaining amount of toner in the developing unit 313 acquired by the toner sensor 313N. For example, when the toner is supplied from the toner container 316 to the developing unit 313 during execution of the printing process, the control unit 5 determines the increase rate of the remaining amount of toner in the developing unit 313 acquired by the toner sensor 313N. The second state is detected based on the second state.

  Here, when the control unit 5 determines that the second state is detected (Yes in S11), the control unit 5 shifts the process to step S12. If the second state is not detected (No in S11), the control unit 5 waits for the detection of the second state in step S11.

<Step S12>
In step S12, the control unit 5 notifies that the second state of the toner container 316 has been detected. Here, the process of step S12 is executed by the notification processing unit 52 of the control unit 5.

  For example, the control unit 5 causes the operation display unit 6 to display a message indicating that the second state of the toner container 316 has been detected. As a result, the user recognizes that the amount of remaining toner in the toner container 316 has become low, and can prepare a new toner container 316 before the toner in the toner container 316 runs out.

<Step S13>
In step S13, the control unit 5 determines whether the first state in which the remaining amount of toner stored in the toner container 316 mounted to the mounting unit 317 is less than the first reference amount is detected. . Here, the process of step S13 is an example of the first step in the present invention, and is executed by the first detection processing unit 53 of the control unit 5.

  For example, as in step S11, the control unit 5 detects the first state of the toner container 316 based on the remaining amount of toner in the developing unit 313 acquired by the toner sensor 313N. For example, when the toner is supplied from the toner container 316 to the developing unit 313 during execution of the printing process, the control unit 5 determines the increase rate of the remaining amount of toner in the developing unit 313 acquired by the toner sensor 313N. And detecting the first state on the basis of the first state.

  Here, when the control unit 5 determines that the first state is detected (Yes in S13), the control unit 5 shifts the process to step S14. Moreover, if the said 1st state is not detected (No side of S13), the control part 5 will wait for detection of a said 1st state by step S13.

<Step S14>
In step S14, the control unit 5 restricts the execution of the printing process by the image forming unit 3.

  For example, when the printing process is being performed, the control unit 5 interrupts the printing process being performed. In addition, the control unit 5 prohibits the execution of the printing process when the printing process is not performed. The control unit 5 may interrupt the printing process after outputting a predetermined number of printed matter when the printing process is performed. As a result, in the image forming apparatus 10, it is possible to prevent the output of the printed matter whose print density is reduced.

<Step S15>
In step S <b> 15, the control unit 5 causes the lock mechanism 318 to release the restriction on the attachment and detachment of the toner container 316. Here, the process of step S15 is an example of the second step in the present invention, and is executed by the release processing unit 54 of the control unit 5.

  For example, the control unit 5 causes the power supply unit to supply power to the locking piece movable unit 318B. Thereby, in the locking mechanism 318, the locking piece 318A is moved from the closed position to the open position and held in the open position. Accordingly, the toner container 316 can be replaced.

<Step S16>
In step S16, the control unit 5 notifies that the first state of the toner container 316 has been detected.

  For example, the control unit 5 causes the operation display unit 6 to display a message indicating that the first state of the toner container 316 has been detected. As a result, the user can recognize that the remaining amount of toner in the toner container 316 has run out, and can perform replacement work of the toner container 316.

<Step S17>
In step S17, the control unit 5 determines whether the toner container 316 mounted on the mounting unit 317 has been replaced. For example, when the closing of the housing cover 10A is detected after the opening of the housing cover 10A is detected by the open / close detection switch, the control unit 5 uses the sensor to detect the toner container 316 in the mounting portion 317. Determine if it is attached. Then, when it is determined that the toner container 316 is attached to the attachment unit 317, the control unit 5 determines that the toner container 316 has been replaced.

  Here, when determining that the toner container 316 has been replaced (Yes in S17), the control unit 5 shifts the process to step S18. Further, if the toner container 316 has not been replaced (No in S17), the control unit 5 waits for the replacement of the toner container 316 in step S17.

<Step S18>
In step S18, the control unit 5 causes the data acquisition unit 317C to acquire the specific data from the IC tag of the toner container 316.

<Step S19>
In step S19, the control unit 5 supplies the toner from the toner container 316 to the developing unit 313 until the remaining amount of toner in the developing unit 313 detected by the toner sensor 313N exceeds the first threshold. Run. Then, after the end of the first supply process, the control unit 5 shifts the process to step S20. Here, the process of step S19 is an example of the third step in the present invention, and is executed by the first supply processing unit 55 of the control unit 5.

<Step S20>
In step S20, the control unit 5 cancels the restriction on the execution of the printing process by the image forming unit 3 in step S14. For example, when the printing process being executed at step S14 is interrupted, the control unit 5 resumes the interrupted execution of the printing process. Further, when the execution of the printing process is prohibited in step S14, the control unit 5 cancels the prohibition of the execution of the printing process.

<Step S21>
In step S21, the control unit 5 executes attachment / detachment restriction processing described below.

[Removal Control Processing]
Here, with reference to FIG. 7, an example of the procedure of the attachment / detachment regulation process executed in step S21 of the attachment / detachment regulation release process will be described.

<Step S31>
First, in step S31, the control unit 5 determines that the remaining amount of toner stored in the toner container 316 mounted on the mounting unit 317 is equal to or more than the first reference amount, as in step S11 of the mounting / demounting restriction release processing. It is determined whether the second state, which is less than the second reference amount, is detected. Here, the process of step S31 is executed by the second detection processing unit 51 of the control unit 5.

  Here, when the control unit 5 determines that the second state is detected (Yes in S31), the control unit 5 shifts the process to step S311. Moreover, if the said 2nd state is not detected (No side of S31), the control part 5 will transfer a process to step S32.

<Step S32>
In step S32, the control unit 5 determines whether the remaining amount of toner in the developing unit 313 detected by the toner sensor 313N exceeds the third threshold.

  Here, when the control unit 5 determines that the remaining amount of toner in the development unit 313 detected by the toner sensor 313N exceeds the third threshold (Yes in S32), the control unit 5 shifts the process to step S33. Further, if the remaining amount of toner in the developing unit 313 detected by the toner sensor 313N does not exceed the third threshold (No in S32), the control unit 5 shifts the processing to step S31 and It waits for the detection of the second state or the remaining amount of toner in the developing unit 313 detected by the toner sensor 313N to exceed the third threshold.

<Step S33>
In step S33, the control unit 5 causes the lock mechanism 318 to restrict the attachment and detachment of the toner container 316. Here, the process of step S33 is an example of the fifth step in the present invention, and is executed by the restriction processing unit 58 of the control unit 5.

  In the image forming apparatus 10, after the restriction of the printing process is canceled in step S20 of the attachment / detachment restriction releasing process, the printing process interrupted in step S14 or the user operation after the restriction of the printing process is cancelled. The printing process for which execution is instructed is executed. If the remaining amount of toner in the developing unit 313 detected by the toner sensor 313N is less than the second threshold when the printing process is executed, the control unit 5 switches from the toner container 316 to the developing unit 313. The second supply process for supplying toner is performed.

  Here, when there is no problem in the fluidity of the toner contained in the toner container 316 newly attached to the image forming apparatus 10, the remaining amount of toner in the developing unit 313 detected by the toner sensor 313N is By the execution of the second supply process, it rises from the state (the state immediately after the first supply process) in which the first threshold value is exceeded. Therefore, in this case, when the number of printed sheets increases, the remaining amount of toner in the developing unit 313 detected by the toner sensor 313N exceeds the third threshold (Yes in step S32).

  On the other hand, when the fluidity of the toner contained in the toner container 316 newly attached to the image forming apparatus 10 is lowered, the residual amount of toner in the developing unit 313 detected by the toner sensor 313N is Even when the second supply process is being performed, the state may be lowered from the state in which the first threshold is exceeded (the state immediately after the first supply process). Specifically, when the consumed amount of toner in the printing process exceeds the supplied amount of toner in the second supply process, the remaining amount of toner in the developing unit 313 detected by the toner sensor 313N decreases. Therefore, in this case, when the number of printed sheets increases, the control unit 5 detects the second state (Yes in step S31).

  That is, in the image forming apparatus 10, the toner container 316 is attached and detached by the lock mechanism 318 after it is confirmed that the toner container 316 can supply the toner to the developing unit 313 in an amount exceeding the toner consumption amount in the printing process. Regulation is carried out. Therefore, it is avoided that the attachment / detachment of the toner container 316 is restricted while the amount of toner supplied from the toner container 316 to the developing unit 313 is small.

  When the third threshold is set to a high value, the lock mechanism 318 may restrict the attachment / detachment of the toner container 316 whose supply capacity has been reduced due to the decrease in the fluidity of the stored toner. While the timing of the attachment / detachment restriction of the toner container 316 by the lock mechanism 318 is delayed.

<Step S311>
In step S311, the control unit 5 determines whether the toner container 316 mounted on the mounting unit 317 is the toner container of the specific type. Here, the process of step S311 is executed by the determination processing unit 57 of the control unit 5.

  For example, based on the identification information included in the specific data acquired in step S18 of the attachment / detachment restriction release process, or the quality determination information, the control unit 5 sets the toner container 316 attached to the attachment unit 317 to It is determined whether it is a specific type of toner container.

  Here, when the control unit 5 determines that the toner container 316 mounted in the mounting unit 317 is the toner container of the specific type (Yes in S311), the control unit 5 shifts the process to step S312. If the toner container 316 loaded in the loading unit 317 is not the toner container of the specific type (No in S311), the control unit 5 shifts the process to step S313.

<Step S312>
In step S312, the control unit 5 notifies that a message prompting removal of the toner container 316 from the mounting unit 317 is notified, together with the fact that the second state is detected. For example, the control unit 5 causes the operation display unit 6 to display a message indicating that it is recommended to remove the toner container 316 from the mounting unit 317 and shake, together with the fact that the second state is detected. As a result, the user recognizes that the fluidity of the toner contained in the toner container 316 is low, and can take corrective action such as shaking the toner container 316.

<Step S313>
In step S313, the control unit 5 notifies a message prompting removal of the toner container 316 from the mounting unit 317, together with the fact that the second state is detected. For example, the control unit 5 sends to the operation display unit 6 a message to the effect that it is recommended to replace the toner container 316 mounted on the mounting unit 317 with the specific type of toner container, together with the fact that the second state is detected. Display. Thus, the user recognizes that the fluidity of the toner contained in the toner container 316 is low, and can take action such as replacing the toner container 316 with the specific type of toner container. Here, the processes of step S312 and step S313 are executed by the notification processing unit 52 of the control unit 5.

  As described above, in the image forming apparatus 10, the remaining amount of toner in the developing unit 313 detected by the toner sensor 313N exceeds the third threshold higher than the first threshold, which is the termination condition of the first supply process. In this case, the lock mechanism 318 regulates the attachment and detachment of the toner container 316. As a result, the remaining amount of toner in the toner container 316 at the time of replacement (at the time of attachment / detachment) is reduced, and the attachment / detachment of the toner container 316 is restricted in a state where the supply amount of toner from the toner container 316 to the developing portion 313 is small. It is possible to avoid that.

1 ADF
Reference Signs List 2 image reading unit 3 image forming units 31 to 34 image forming units 313 to 343 developing units 313N to 343N toner sensors 316 to 346 toner containers 317 to 347 mounting units 318 to 348 lock mechanism 4 sheet feeding unit 5 control unit 51 second detection Processing unit 52 Notification processing unit 53 First detection processing unit 54 Release processing unit 55 First supply processing unit 56 Second supply processing unit 57 Determination processing unit 58 Restriction processing unit 6 Operation display unit 10 Image forming apparatus

Claims (4)

A mounting portion to which a developer containing portion for containing a developer is mounted;
A lock mechanism capable of restricting attachment / detachment of the developer accommodating unit attached to the attaching unit;
A developing unit for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an image carrier using the developer;
A developer detection unit that detects the remaining amount of the developer in the development unit;
A first detection processing unit that detects a first state in which a remaining amount of the developer stored in the developer storage unit mounted to the mounting unit is less than a predetermined first reference amount;
A release processing unit that causes the lock mechanism to release the restriction on the attachment and detachment of the developer storage unit when the first state is detected by the first detection processing unit;
When it is determined that the developer accommodating unit attached to the attaching unit has been replaced, the remaining amount of the developer in the developing unit detected by the developer detecting unit is set to a predetermined first threshold value. A first supply processing unit that executes a first supply process of supplying the developer from the developer storage unit to the developing unit until the amount exceeds the first supply processing unit;
When the remaining amount of the developer in the developing unit detected by the developer detecting unit is less than a predetermined second threshold higher than the first threshold, printing processing using the developing unit is being performed. A second supply processing unit that executes a second supply process of supplying the developer from the developer storage unit to the developing unit;
When the remaining amount of the developer in the developing unit detected by the developer detecting unit exceeds a predetermined third threshold higher than the first threshold, the developer accommodating unit is attached to the lock mechanism A regulatory processing unit that regulates
Equipped with
The third threshold value, the first higher than the threshold value, the image forming apparatus Ru value lower der than the second threshold value. The remaining amount of the developer stored in the developer storage unit mounted to the mounting unit is equal to or greater than the first reference amount and less than a predetermined second reference amount larger than the first reference amount A second detection processing unit that detects a certain second state;
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a notification processing unit configured to notify that effect when the second state is detected by the second detection processing unit.   The second detection processing unit before the remaining amount of the developer in the developing unit detected by the developer detection unit after the first supply processing ends after the notification processing unit has finished the first supply processing 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when the second state is detected, a message prompting removal of the developer storage unit from the mounting unit is notified together with a notification that the second state is detected. A mounting portion to which a developer storage portion for storing a developer is mounted, a lock mechanism capable of regulating attachment and detachment of the developer storage portion mounted to the mounting portion, and an image carrier formed using the developer According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling attachment and detachment of a developer containing unit performed by an image forming apparatus, comprising: a developing unit for developing the electrostatic latent image; and a developer detecting unit for detecting the remaining amount of the developer in the developing unit. There,
A first step of detecting a first state in which a remaining amount of the developer stored in the developer storage unit mounted to the mounting unit is less than a predetermined first reference amount;
A second step of causing the lock mechanism to release the restriction on the attachment and detachment of the developer accommodating portion when the first state is detected in the first step;
When it is determined that the developer accommodating unit attached to the attaching unit has been replaced, the remaining amount of the developer in the developing unit detected by the developer detecting unit is set to a predetermined first threshold value. And a third step of executing a first supply process of supplying the developer from the developer storage unit to the developing unit until it exceeds
When the remaining amount of the developer in the developing unit detected by the developer detecting unit is less than a predetermined second threshold higher than the first threshold, printing processing using the developing unit is being performed. A fourth step of performing a second supply process of supplying the developer from the developer storage unit to the developing unit;
When the remaining amount of the developer in the developing unit detected by the developer detecting unit exceeds a predetermined third threshold higher than the first threshold, the developer accommodating unit is attached to the lock mechanism The fifth step to regulate
Only including,
The method for restricting the attachment / detachment of the developer accommodating portion, wherein the third threshold is higher than the first threshold and lower than the second threshold .

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