JP7089391B2 - Image forming device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that forms an image by an electrophotographic method, an electrostatic recording method, or the like.

The image forming apparatus is a consumable item, and an image is formed by attaching a cartridge that can be attached to and detached from the main body. Here, the material and the like of the members included in the cartridge may be changed from those initially used. If the material of the member contained in the cartridge is changed, it may be necessary to change the image forming conditions accordingly. Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a storage device is provided in a cartridge and an image is formed under appropriate image formation conditions based on the information stored in the storage device.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2007-240928

However, in an image forming apparatus having a plurality of cartridges, a cartridge in which the material of the member has been changed and a cartridge in which the material has not been changed, that is, cartridges having different versions may be mixed and mounted. In such a case, if the image forming condition is set based on the information stored in the storage device of the cartridge in which the material of the member is changed, it may not be possible to form an image properly.

The present invention provides an image forming apparatus capable of setting appropriate image forming conditions even when cartridges of different versions are mixed and mounted.

According to one aspect of the invention, the image forming apparatus is removable from the image forming apparatus and forms an image using a plurality of cartridges each having a member and a storage means for forming an image. A forming means and a setting means for setting an image forming condition when forming an image are provided, and the storage means of at least two of the plurality of cartridges is an identification indicating a version of the corresponding cartridge. The storage means of a cartridge whose version is different from the initial version of the at least two cartridges stores information, and the correction reference value of at least the image formation condition and the combination of the versions are relative to the correction reference value. The value indicating the ratio of the correction value or the value indicating the correction value with respect to the correction reference value and the correction information indicating the correction information are stored, and the setting means is a version of at least one of the at least two cartridges. Is different from the initial version, a value indicating the ratio of the correction reference value stored in the storage means of the cartridge of the different version to the correction value corresponding to the combination of the versions of at least two cartridges, or It is characterized in that the image formation condition is set based on the value indicating the correction value .

According to the present invention, it is possible to set appropriate image forming conditions even when cartridges of different versions are mixed and mounted.

The block diagram of the image forming apparatus by one Embodiment. FIG. 3 is a control configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment. The figure which shows the information stored in the storage device by one Embodiment. The flowchart of the correction processing of the image formation condition by one Embodiment. The figure which shows the information stored in the storage device by one Embodiment. The flowchart of the correction processing of the image formation condition by one Embodiment. The figure which shows the information stored in the storage device by one Embodiment. The flowchart of the correction processing of the image formation condition by one Embodiment. FIG. 3 is a control configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment. The figure which shows the information stored in the storage device by one Embodiment. The block diagram of the image forming apparatus by one Embodiment. The figure which shows the information stored in the storage device by one Embodiment.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The following embodiments are examples, and the present invention is not limited to the contents of the embodiments. Further, in each of the following figures, components not necessary for the description of the embodiment will be omitted from the drawings.

<First Embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 1, the letters a, b, c, and d at the end of the reference numerals indicate that the colors of the toners formed by the corresponding members are yellow, magenta, cyan, and black, respectively. However, when it is not necessary to distinguish colors, a reference code with the last character omitted is used. The photoconductor 1 is an image carrier, and is rotationally driven in the direction of the arrow in the drawing at the time of image formation. The charging roller 2 outputs a charging bias to charge the surface of the photoconductor 1 that is rotationally driven to a uniform potential. The exposure unit 11 scans and exposes the charged photoconductor 1 with light to form an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor 1. The developing unit 8 has toner, and by outputting a development bias, the toner is adhered to the electrostatic latent image of the photoconductor 1, and a toner image is formed on the photoconductor 1. The primary transfer roller 81 outputs a primary transfer bias to transfer the toner image of the photoconductor 1 to the intermediate transfer belt 80, which is a transfer body. The cleaning unit 3 collects the toner remaining on the photoconductor 1 without being transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 80. The photoconductor 1, the charging roller 2, the developing unit 8, and the cleaning unit 3 are configured as an integrated cartridge 9 that can be attached to and detached from the main body of the image forming apparatus. Further, the cartridge 9 further has a storage device 6.

The intermediate transfer belt 80 is stretched and supported by the secondary transfer facing roller 86, the drive roller 14, and the tension roller 15, and is rotationally driven depending on the rotation of the drive roller 14 at the time of image formation. The sheet of the cassette 16 or the sheet inserted from the paper feed port 30 is conveyed toward the nip region of the secondary transfer roller 82 and the secondary transfer facing roller 86 by a plurality of rollers provided along the transfer path. .. The secondary transfer roller 82 transfers the toner image of the intermediate transfer belt 80 to the sheet by outputting the secondary transfer bias. The sheet on which the toner image is transferred is conveyed to the fixing unit 19. The fixing unit 19 heats and pressurizes the sheet to fix the toner image on the sheet. After fixing the toner image, the sheet is discharged to the outside of the image forming apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a control configuration diagram of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment. When the controller 101 communicates with the external host computer 100 and receives an instruction or the like related to image formation from the host computer 100, the controller 101 controls the engine control unit 102 to perform image formation. The CPU 104 of the engine control unit 102 controls other functional blocks of the engine control unit 102. Here, the cartridge control unit 105 controls each member of each cartridge 9, the secondary transfer control unit 113 controls the secondary transfer process by the secondary transfer roller 82, and the fixing control unit 114 controls the fixing unit 19. Controls the fixing process by. The correction determination unit 120 determines whether or not the image formation condition needs to be corrected from the information stored in the storage device 6 of each cartridge 9, and calculates the correction value when the correction is necessary. In the following, the image forming conditions for determining the necessity of correction based on the information stored in the storage device 6 are the secondary transfer bias (secondary transfer condition) and the fixing temperature (fixing condition) of the fixing unit 19. The embodiment will be described as such. The function of the correction determination unit 120 may be configured to be executed by the CPU 104.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of information recorded in the storage device 6 in the present embodiment. The identification information is information indicating whether or not the material of the toner has been changed. In the present embodiment, the identification information of 0 indicates that the toner material has not been changed from the initial one, and the identification information of 1 indicates that the toner material has been changed from the initial one. It shall indicate that it is present. When the identification information is 1, the correction information is stored in the predetermined area of the storage device 6. In the present embodiment, since the image formation conditions to be controlled are the secondary transfer bias and the fixing temperature, the secondary transfer correction value and the fixing correction value are stored as correction information, respectively. Here, in the present embodiment, since the images are formed by mounting the four cartridges 9a to 9d, there are 16 combinations of the values of the identification information stored in each storage device 6. Of these, since it is not necessary to correct the image formation conditions in the combination in which the identification information of all the storage devices 6 is 0, the secondary transfer correction value and the fixing correction value are each 15 correction values. Is set.

In the following description, the combination of the identification information values stored in the four storage devices 6a to 6d is a combination value in which the identification information values are arranged in the order of the storage devices 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d. express. For example, if the identification information of the storage devices 6a, 6b, and 6c is 1, and the identification information of the storage device 6d is 0, the combination value is "1110".

Regarding the secondary fixing correction value, reference numeral 301 in FIG. 3 is a correction value applied when the combination value is "0001", and reference numeral 302 is a correction value applied when the combination value is "0010". be. Further, reference numeral 314 is a correction value applied when the combination value is "1110", and reference numeral 315 is a correction value applied when the combination value is "1111". The same applies to the fixing correction value. Reference numeral 316 in FIG. 3 is a correction value applied when the combination value is "0001", and reference numeral 317 is a correction applied when the combination value is "0010". The value. Further, reference numeral 329 is a correction value applied when the combination value is "1110", and reference numeral 330 is a correction value applied when the combination value is "1111".

For example, if the identification information of the storage devices 6a, 6b, and 6c is 1, and the identification information of the storage device 6d is 0, the combination value becomes "1110". In this case, the correction determination unit 120 notifies the secondary transfer control unit 113 that the secondary transfer bias is increased by 18 V from the reference value, and the fixing control unit 114 indicates that the fixing temperature is lowered by 9 degrees from the reference value. Notify to. The reference value of the secondary transfer bias and the reference value of the fixing temperature are set in advance in the image forming apparatus, for example. Alternatively, the reference value of the secondary transfer bias and the reference value of the fixing temperature are calculated by the image forming apparatus based on the parameters set in advance in the image forming apparatus and based on the environmental condition at that time.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the image formation condition correction process according to the present embodiment. In S10, the correction determination unit 120 reads the identification information from each storage device 6, and in S11, determines whether or not there is a storage device 6 in which 1 is set as the identification information. If all the identification information is 0, it is not necessary to correct the image formation condition, so the correction determination unit 120 ends the process. On the other hand, if there is a storage device 6 in which 1 is set as the identification information in S11, the correction determination unit 120 reads the correction information from the storage device 6 in which 1 is set as the identification information. Then, in S13, the correction determination unit 120 determines the correction value of the image formation condition from the combination of the identification information, as described with reference to FIG. Then, in S14, the correction determination unit 120 updates the image formation conditions based on the correction values of the determined image formation conditions.

With the above configuration, it is possible to set appropriate image formation conditions even when a cartridge whose material has been changed and a cartridge whose material has not been changed are mounted in a mixed manner.

<Second embodiment>
Subsequently, the second embodiment will be described focusing on the differences from the first embodiment. In the first embodiment, the identification information of 0 indicates that the material of the member of the corresponding cartridge 9 has not been changed (it is the initial material), and the identification information of 1 indicates the material. Was shown to have changed. However, the material may be changed more than once from the initial material. In this case, the identification information may not be binary information of "0" or "1", but may be version information indicating the version of the material of the member of the cartridge 9. That is, by setting the cartridge 9 using the initial material as the initial version "0" and increasing the value of the identification information by 1 each time the material is changed, the identification information expresses multiple material changes. can do. However, in this case, the number of combinations of the values of the identification information increases, and the number of correction values that must be stored in the storage device 6 also increases. For example, when ^three of 0, 1, and 2 are mixed as identification information, it is necessary to set a correction value of 34-1 = 80 for one image formation condition. This embodiment corresponds to the second and subsequent material changes, and suppresses an increase in the amount of correction information data stored in the storage device 6.

5 (A) and 5 (B) are explanatory views of information recorded in the storage device 6 in the present embodiment. FIG. 5A shows the information recorded in the storage device 6 when the material of the toner is changed for the first time, and 1 is set for the identification information because it is the first change. Further, the correction information of the present embodiment is composed of a correction reference value and a correction level. Since the image formation conditions to be controlled in this embodiment are the secondary transfer bias and the fixing temperature, the two correction reference values, that is, the secondary transfer correction reference value and the fixing correction reference value, are stored in the storage device 6, respectively. Stored. Similarly, two correction levels, a secondary transfer correction level and a fixing correction level, are stored in the storage device 6. Here, the correction level is information indicating the ratio of the correction value to the correction reference value, and in this example, one correction level is expressed by 2 bits. That is, 0 to 3 are used as the correction level. Here, in this example, the correction levels of 0, 1, 2, and 3 mean that the ratios of the correction values to the correction reference values are 0%, 33%, 67%, and 100%, respectively.

As described in the first embodiment, in the case of the first change, since there are 15 combinations of identification information that need to be corrected, 15 correction levels are set for each image formation condition. Regarding the secondary transfer bias, reference numeral 502 in FIG. 5A is a correction level when the combination value of the identification information is "0001", and reference numeral 503 is a correction level when the combination value is "0010". The correction level. Further, reference numeral 516 is a correction level when the combination value is "1111". For example, if the combination value of the identification information read from the mounted cartridge 9 is "0001", the correction level is 1, that is, 33%, and therefore the + 10 V set as the secondary transfer correction reference value. +3.3V, which is 33%, is the correction value for the secondary transfer bias. The same applies to the fixing conditions.

FIG. 5B shows the information recorded in the storage device 6 of the cartridge 9 having the toner from which the material was changed a second time. Since this is the second change, 2 is set for the identification information. The number of combinations of identification information is ³⁴ = 81, and the number of combinations including even one 2 as identification information is 61. Therefore, when the identification information shown in FIG. 5B is 2, 61 correction levels are stored for each image formation condition. In FIG. 5B, reference numerals 522, 523, and 524 indicate the correction level of the secondary transfer bias when the combination value of the identification information is "0002", "0012", and "0020", respectively. Further, in FIG. 5B, reference numeral 530 indicates the correction level of the secondary transfer bias when the combination value of the identification information is "0122". Further, reference numeral 582 indicates the correction level of the secondary transfer bias when the combination value of the identification information is "2222". Further, reference numeral 630 indicates a correction level of the fixing temperature when the combination value of the identification information is "0122".

For example, it is assumed that the combination value of the identification information read from the storage device 6 of the mounted cartridge 9 is "0122". In this case, as shown by reference numeral 530, the correction level of the secondary transfer bias is 2 (67%), so that the correction value is 67% of the secondary transfer correction reference value of + 20V, that is, + 13.4V. Will be. Similarly, as indicated by reference numeral 630, the correction level of the fixing temperature is 1 (33%), so that the correction value is 33% of the fixing temperature reference value of -20 degrees, that is, -6.7 degrees. become.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the image formation condition correction process according to the present embodiment. In S20, the correction determination unit 120 reads the identification information from each storage device 6, and in S21, determines whether or not the storage device 6 in which 2 is set as the identification information exists. When the storage device 6 in which 2 is set as the identification information exists, the correction determination unit 120 reads the correction information from the storage device 6 in which 2 is set as the identification information in S22. Then, in S23, the correction determination unit 120 determines the correction value of the image formation condition based on the combination of the read correction information and the identification information, as described with reference to FIG. 5 (B). Then, in S24, the correction determination unit 120 updates the image formation conditions based on the correction values of the determined image formation conditions.

On the other hand, if there is no storage device 6 in which 2 is set as the identification information in S21, the correction determination unit 120 determines in S25 whether the storage device 6 in which 1 is set as the identification information exists. When the storage device 6 in which 1 is set as the identification information exists, the correction determination unit 120 reads the correction information from the storage device 6 in which 1 is set as the identification information in S26. After that, in S23, the correction value of the image formation condition is determined based on the combination of the read correction information and the identification information, and the correction value is set in S24. If there is no storage device 6 in which 1 is set as the identification information in S25, the correction of the image formation condition is not necessary, so that the correction determination unit 120 ends the process.

The flowchart of FIG. 6 is for the case where the maximum value of the identification information is 2, but the same applies when the maximum value of the identification information is 3 or more. Specifically, the correction determination unit 120 reads identification information from each storage device 6 of the mounted cartridge 9. Then, the maximum value of the identification information is determined, the correction information is read from the storage device 6 storing the identification information of the determined maximum value, and the correction value is determined based on the combination value and the read correction information.

With the above configuration, it is possible to set appropriate image formation conditions even when the material is changed twice or more. Further, by showing the correction value as a ratio to the correction reference value instead of the correction value, the amount of correction information data can be reduced. Further, by storing only the correction level of the combination including the value set as the identification information instead of all the combinations of the identification information, the data amount of the correction information can be reduced. When the correction levels of FIGS. 5 (A) and 5 (B) are 0, 1, 2, and 3, the ratios of the correction values to the correction reference values are 0%, 33%, 67%, and 100%. Has been explained. However, the correction value assigned to the correction level is not limited to the ratio. For example, in the case of secondary transfer correction, + 0V, + 6V, + 12V, + 20V to be added to the secondary transfer correction reference value are assigned to correction levels 0, 1, 2 and 3, and the correction determination unit 120 assigns an image. The secondary transfer bias as a formation condition may be corrected. In the case of fixing temperature (bias) correction, the current −0 ° C., -3 ° C., -6 ° C.V, -10 ° C. are assigned to the correction levels 0, 1, 2 and 3 with respect to the fixing correction reference value, and the correction judgment is made. The unit 120 may correct the fixing temperature. As described above, the correction levels 0, 1, 2, and 3 may be set as a value indicating a correction value instead of a value indicating a ratio of the correction values. In this case, when the correction determination unit 120 reads the correction level, the correction determination unit 120 reads the correction value set in advance corresponding to the value of the correction level and uses it for the correction.

<Third embodiment>
Subsequently, the third embodiment will be described focusing on the differences from the first embodiment. In the first embodiment, the correction information is uniformly stored in the storage device 6 of the cartridge 9 whose material has been changed. For example, when the materials of the yellow cartridge 9a and the black cartridge 9d are changed, the same correction information is stored in the storage devices 6a and 6d. In the present embodiment, the memory capacity is saved by recording the correction information only in the storage device 6d of the black cartridge 9d, which has the greatest influence of the secondary transfer bias and the fixing temperature on the change of the toner material.

7 (A) and 7 (B) are explanatory views of information recorded in the storage device 6 in the present embodiment. FIG. 7A is information stored in the storage devices 6a to 6c of the yellow, cyan, and magenta cartridges 9a to 9c in which the toner material is changed. Although 1 is set as the identification information due to the change of the toner material, the correction information is not stored. FIG. 7B is information stored in the storage device 6d of the black cartridge 9d whose toner material has been changed. By changing the toner material, 1 is set as the identification information, and the correction information is further stored. The correction information of the present embodiment includes a correction value and a correction mask value for each image formation condition to be controlled. Since the image formation conditions to be controlled in this embodiment are the secondary transfer bias and the fixing temperature, the secondary transfer correction value and the fixing correction value are stored as the correction values. Further, as the correction mask value, the fixing correction mask value and the secondary transfer correction mask value are stored.

The correction mask value is information indicating to which combination of identification information the correction value is applied. In this example, each correction mask value is a 4-bit value, and a combination value of identification information and a logical product operation are performed. If the result is equal to the correction mask value, it is determined that correction is necessary, and the result is the correction mask value. If it is not equal to, it is determined that correction is not necessary.

Specifically, in FIG. 7B, since the secondary transfer correction mask values indicated by reference numeral 701 are all 1, the combined value of the identification information read from the storage device 6 of the mounted cartridge 9. It is determined that correction is necessary only when is "1111". Since the secondary transfer correction value is + 10V, the secondary transfer bias is increased by 10V when performing the correction. On the other hand, since the fixing correction mask value indicated by the reference numeral 702 is "0001", if the identification information of the storage device 6d of the black cartridge 9d is at least 1, the value of the identification information of the storage device 6 of the other cartridge 9 is 1. Regardless, it is determined that correction is necessary. Since the fixing correction value is −10 degrees, the fixing temperature is lowered by 10 degrees when performing the correction.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of the image formation condition correction process according to the present embodiment. In S30, the correction determination unit 120 reads the identification information from each storage device 6, and in S31, determines whether the identification information read from the storage device 6d of the black cartridge 9d is 1. If the identification information is not 1 in S31, the correction is not necessary, so the correction determination unit 120 ends the process. On the other hand, when the identification information is 1 in S31, the correction determination unit 120 reads the correction information from the storage device 6d in S32, and reads the correction information in S33 and S34 as described with reference to FIG. The necessity of correction is determined based on the combination value of the correction mask value and the identification information. If no correction is required, the correction determination unit 120 ends the process. On the other hand, when correction is necessary, the correction determination unit 120 updates the image formation condition based on the correction information in S35.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the correction condition is set only for the storage device 6 of the cartridge 9 whose image formation condition must be changed by changing the material. This makes it possible to set appropriate image formation conditions while saving the capacity of the storage device 6.

<Fourth Embodiment>
In the first embodiment, the cartridge control unit 105 is supposed to independently control each member of the cartridge. That is, for example, it was assumed that the charging bias output by the charging rollers 2a to 2d could be individually controlled. In this case, even if the material of a certain charging roller 2 is changed, the image forming conditions for the charging roller 2 can be individually set regardless of whether or not the material of another charging roller 2 is changed. However, for example, a configuration in which a power source for supplying a charging bias to the charging rollers 2a to 2c of the cartridges 9a to 9c can be considered in common. In the following, when one of the processes of forming images of at least two different colors on the photoconductor 1 and the process of transferring the images to the intermediate transfer belt 80 cannot be changed for each color and is common. However, a configuration for setting appropriate image formation conditions will be described.

FIG. 9 is a control configuration diagram of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment. The same reference numerals are given to the components similar to the control configuration of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2, and the description thereof will be omitted. In the present embodiment, the charging rollers 2a to 2c are configured to supply the charging bias from one common power supply unit, and the charging rollers 2d are configured to supply the charging bias from the other power supply unit. do. Therefore, the cartridge control unit 105 includes a first charge control unit 201 that controls the charge bias common to the charge rollers 2a to 2c, and a second charge control unit 202 that controls the charge bias of the charge roller 2d.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of information recorded in the storage devices 6a to 6c in the present embodiment. The identification information is information indicating whether or not the material of the charging roller has been changed. The identification information of 0 indicates that the identification information has not been changed, and the identification information of 1 has been changed. Is shown. When the identification information is 1, the correction information is stored in the predetermined area of the storage device 6. Here, in the present embodiment, since the charging bias common to the three charging rollers 2a to 2c is the control target, there are eight combinations of the values of the identification information stored in the storage devices 6a to 6c. Here, if the identification information of the three storage devices 6 is all 0, it is not necessary to correct the charging bias, which is the image formation condition of the controlled object in the present embodiment. Therefore, the charging correction value, which is the correction information, is used. Seven correction values are set.

Also in this embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the combination value of the identification information is expressed by arranging the values of the identification information in the order of the storage devices 6a, 6b, 6c. For example, if the identification information of the storage devices 6a and 6b is 1 and the identification information of the storage device 6c is 0, the combination value becomes "110". Reference numeral 1001 in FIG. 10 is a correction value applied when the combination value is "001", and reference numeral 1002 is a correction value applied when the combination value is "010". Further, reference numeral 1006 is a correction value applied when the combination value is "110", and reference numeral 1007 is a correction value applied when the combination value is "111".

For example, if the identification information of the storage devices 6a and 6b is 1 and the identification information of the storage device 6c is 0, the combination value becomes "110", so that the correction determination unit 120 increases the charging bias by 6V. Notify the first charge control unit 201 of this.

In the present embodiment, the image forming condition to be controlled is a charging bias (charging condition) common to the charging rollers 2a to 2c, but the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. The image forming condition common to the plurality of members may be a development bias (development condition), a primary transfer bias (primary transfer condition), or an exposure intensity (exposure condition). Further, the members having common image forming conditions can be any combination of the same members for forming a toner image of yellow, cyan, magenta, and black. Further, the member whose identification information indicates the change of the material is also changed to the member corresponding to the member having the common image forming condition. With the above configuration, it is possible to set appropriate image forming conditions even when the image forming conditions for at least two of the same members for forming images of different colors are common.

<Fifth Embodiment>
Subsequently, the fifth embodiment will be described focusing on the differences from the first to fourth embodiments. In the first to fourth embodiments, a color image forming apparatus including a plurality of colors of cartridges 9a to 9d has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. It can also be applied to a monocolor image forming apparatus.

FIG. 11 is a configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment. The image forming apparatus of FIG. 11 includes at least a cleaning cartridge (photoreceptor unit) 1101, an exposure device 1120, a developing cartridge (developing unit) 1103, a transfer device 1104, and a fixing device 1105 in the apparatus main body 1100 of the image forming apparatus. .. Further, the cleaning cartridge (photoreceptor unit) 1101 and the developing cartridge (development unit) 1103 are independently detachable from the apparatus main body 1100.

The cleaning cartridge 1101 includes a cleaning frame body 1114, a photosensitive drum 1110 which is an image carrier, a charging roller 1111 which is a charging member, a cleaning blade 1112 which is a cleaning member, and a storage element 1137a. In this embodiment, since there are two cartridges, the storage element 1137a of the cleaning cartridge is used as the first storage element, and the storage element 1137b of the development cartridge 1103, which will be described later, is used as the second storage element.

The developing cartridge 1103 of this embodiment has a negatively charged one-component developer 1130 (hereinafter referred to as “toner”) used for image formation. The developing cartridge 1103 includes a developing roller 1131 that is a developer carrier, a developing blade 1132 that is a developer regulating member, a supply roller 1133 that supplies toner to the developer carrier, and a storage element 1137b such as a non-volatile memory. Has.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of information recorded in the storage devices 1137a and 1137b in the present embodiment. The identification information is information indicating whether or not the material of the toner or the component has been changed. In the case of the cleaning cartridge 1101, the identification information being 0 indicates that the material of the photoconductor drum 1110 has not been changed from the initial one. When the identification information is 1, it means that the material of the photosensitive drum 1110 has been changed from the initial one. Further, in the case of the developing cartridge 1103, the fact that the identification information is 0 indicates that the materials of the developing agent 1130 and the developing roller 1131 have not been changed from the initial ones. When the identification information is 1, it means that the materials of the developer 1130 and the developing roller 1131 have been changed from the initial ones.

When the identification information of 1 is acquired from any of the cartridges, the correction information is stored in the predetermined areas of the storage devices 1137a and 1137b. In the present embodiment, since the image formation conditions to be controlled are the secondary transfer bias and the fixing temperature, the secondary transfer correction value and the fixing correction value are stored as correction information, respectively. Here, in the present embodiment, since the images are formed by mounting the two cartridges 1101 and 1103, there are four combinations of the values of the identification information stored in the storage devices 1137a and 1137b. Of these, in the combination in which the identification information of all the storage devices 1137a and 1137b is 0, it is not necessary to correct the image formation conditions. Therefore, the secondary transfer correction value and the fixing correction value are three, respectively. The correction value is set.

In the following description, the combination of the identification information values stored in the two storage devices 1137a to 1137b is expressed as a combination value in which the identification information values are arranged in the order of the storage devices 1137a and 1137b. For example, when the identification information of the storage device 1137a is 1 and the identification information of the storage device 1137b is 0, the combination value is "10".

Regarding the secondary fixing correction value, reference numeral 1201 in FIG. 12 is a correction value applied when the combination value is "01", and reference numeral 1202 is a correction value applied when the combination value is "10". be. Further, reference numeral 1203 is a correction value applied when the combination value is "11". The same applies to the fixing correction value. Reference numeral 1204 in FIG. 3 is a correction value applied when the combination value is "01", and reference numeral 1205 is a correction applied when the combination value is "10". The value. Further, reference numeral 1206 is a correction value applied when the combination value is "11".

For example, if the identification information of the storage devices 1137a and 1137b is both 1, the combination value becomes "11". In this case, the correction determination unit 120 notifies the secondary transfer control unit 113 that the secondary transfer bias is increased by 5 V from the reference value, and the fixing control unit 114 indicates that the fixing temperature is lowered by 6 degrees from the reference value. Notify to. The reference value of the secondary transfer bias and the reference value of the fixing temperature are set in advance in the image forming apparatus, for example. Alternatively, the reference value of the secondary transfer bias and the reference value of the fixing temperature are calculated by the image forming apparatus based on the parameters set in advance in the image forming apparatus and based on the environmental condition at that time. Further, since the flowchart showing the detailed processing of the correction determination unit 120 is the same as the flowchart described with reference to FIG. 4, detailed description here will be omitted.

According to the above disclosure of each embodiment, it is possible to set appropriate image formation conditions even if cartridges of different versions are mixed and mounted.

[Other embodiments]
The present invention supplies a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiment to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and one or more processors in the computer of the system or device reads and executes the program. It can also be realized by the processing to be performed. It can also be realized by a circuit (for example, ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

9: Cartridge, 120: Correction judgment unit

Claims (6)

It is an image forming device
A forming means that is removable from the image forming apparatus and that forms an image using a plurality of cartridges each having a member and a storage means for forming an image.
Setting means for setting image formation conditions when forming an image, and
Equipped with
The storage means of at least two of the plurality of cartridges stores identification information indicating the version of the corresponding cartridge.
The storage means of a cartridge having a version different from the initial version of the at least two cartridges determines at least the correction reference value of the image formation condition and the ratio of the correction value to the correction reference value for the combination of the versions. The value shown, or the value indicating the correction value with respect to the correction reference value, and the correction information indicating the correction information are stored.
When the version of at least one of the at least two cartridges is different from the initial version, the setting means has the correction reference value stored in the storage means of the cartridges of the different versions and the at least two. An image forming apparatus, characterized in that the image forming conditions are set based on a value indicating a ratio of the correction values corresponding to a combination of versions of two cartridges or a value indicating the correction values . When the setting means has a plurality of versions of the at least two cartridges different from the initial version, the correction information stored in the storage means of the cartridge of the latest version of the at least two cartridges. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the image forming conditions are set based on the above. The at least two cartridges are all of the plurality of cartridges, and the image forming condition is a transfer condition when an image is transferred to a sheet, or when an image transferred to the sheet is fixed to the sheet. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the image forming apparatus includes the fixing condition of the above. The forming means forms images of different colors on the photoconductors contained in the plurality of cartridges, transfers the images formed on the photoconductors contained in the plurality of cartridges to the transfer body, and transfers the images to the transfer body. By transferring the transferred image to a sheet and fixing it, an image is formed on the sheet.
The image forming condition is when an image of two different colors is formed on the photoconductor using the at least two cartridges, or when two different colors are formed on the photoconductor of the at least two cartridges. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 , which is a condition for transferring an image to the transfer body. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the identification information indicates a version of a material of a member included in the corresponding cartridge. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the identification information indicates a version of the material of the toner contained in the corresponding cartridge.

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