JP7447511B2 - Image forming device and image forming system - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus and an image forming system.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, electrophotographic image forming apparatuses such as LED printers are known. This type of image forming apparatus includes an apparatus main body and a drum cartridge that is removably attached to the apparatus main body. A conventional image forming apparatus including an apparatus main body and a drum cartridge is described in, for example, Patent Document 1.

The image forming apparatus described in Patent Document 1 includes a control section within the apparatus main body. The control section includes a drum counter and a lifespan determining means. The drum counter counts the number of rotations of the photosensitive drum. The life determining means determines that the photosensitive drum has reached the end of its life when the number of rotations of the photosensitive drum counted by the drum counter reaches a photosensitive drum life value. In the image forming apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the life of a drum cartridge (photosensitive drum) is managed by a control unit included in the apparatus main body.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-50601

There is a need for a technique for supplying a new drum cartridge to the user at an appropriate timing when an abnormality occurs in the drum cartridge.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a technique for providing a drum cartridge to a user at an appropriate timing when an abnormality occurs in the drum cartridge.

In order to solve the above problems, a first aspect of the image forming apparatus includes a drum cartridge including a photoreceptor drum, a detector for detecting an abnormality in the drum cartridge, and a drum cartridge electrically connected to the detector. a control unit; and a communication interface for the control unit to communicate with a communication device via a network, the control unit performing an abnormality determination process to determine whether the detector detects an abnormality in the drum cartridge. and a transmission process of transmitting order information for ordering a new drum cartridge to the communication device if it is determined by the abnormality determination process that an abnormality of the drum cartridge has been detected.

A second aspect is the image forming apparatus of the first aspect, wherein the drum cartridge further includes a charger that charges the surface of the photoreceptor drum, and the detector detects an abnormality in the charger. , the abnormality determination process includes a process in which the control unit determines whether an abnormality in the charger has been detected by the detector, and the transmission process includes a process in which the control unit determines whether an abnormality in the charger has been detected by the detector. If determined, the control unit includes a process of transmitting the order information to the communication device.

A third aspect is the image forming apparatus of the second aspect, further comprising a voltage application circuit that applies a voltage to the charger, the detector detects a voltage value or a current value of the charger, The abnormality determination process includes a process in which the control unit determines whether abnormal discharge of the charger is detected based on the voltage value or the current value detected by the detector, and the transmission process includes , a process for the control unit to transmit the order information to the communication device when it is determined by the abnormality determination process that abnormal discharge of the charger has been detected.

A fourth aspect is the image forming apparatus of the third aspect, in which the abnormality determination process includes a process in which the control unit determines whether a voltage value of the charger exceeds a threshold value representing abnormal discharge.

A fifth aspect is the image forming apparatus according to the third aspect or the fourth aspect, wherein the abnormality determination process includes the controller determining whether the number of abnormal discharges occurring in the charger exceeds a threshold value representing a discharge abnormality. includes the process of determining.

A sixth aspect is the image forming apparatus according to any one of the third to fifth aspects, wherein the abnormality determination process determines that the number of abnormal discharges that occur in the charger within a predetermined time is a threshold value representing a discharge abnormality. The control section includes a process in which the control unit determines whether or not the value exceeds the specified value.

A seventh aspect is the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, further comprising a main body memory that stores life information representing the remaining life of the drum cartridge, and the control unit: A lifespan determination process is executed to determine whether or not the order information should be transmitted to the communication device based on the lifespan information stored in the body memory, and the transmission determination process causes the communication device to transmit the order information. If it is determined that the information should be transmitted, the order information is transmitted to the communication device.

An eighth aspect is the image forming apparatus according to the seventh aspect, wherein the control unit determines that the lifespan information is equal to or less than a threshold value indicating replacement time through the lifespan determination process, and the control unit determines that the lifespan information is less than or equal to a threshold value indicating replacement time through the lifespan determination process; , transmitting the order information to the communication device when it is determined that an abnormality in the drum cartridge is detected;

A ninth aspect is the image forming apparatus according to the eighth aspect, wherein the lifespan determination process is such that when the lifespan information exceeds a threshold value representing a time before the replacement time of the drum cartridge, the lifespan determination process includes: The method includes a process of determining that the order information should be transmitted to the communication device.

A tenth aspect is the image forming apparatus according to any one of the seventh to ninth aspects, wherein the main body memory stores history information indicating that an abnormality in the drum cartridge has been detected by the detector. , the transmission process includes a history determination process in which the control unit determines whether the order information should be transmitted to the communication device based on the history information stored in the main body memory.

An 11th aspect is the image forming apparatus according to the 10th aspect, in which the history determination process includes determining whether the history information stored in the main body memory corresponds to a period before the replacement time of the drum cartridge. This includes processing to determine whether a threshold value representing the value has been exceeded.

A twelfth aspect is the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to eleventh aspects, wherein the transmission process includes an approval determination process of determining whether the control unit has received approval to transmit the order information; The control unit transmits the order information to the communication device when determining that the approval has been received through the approval determination process.

A thirteenth aspect is the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to twelfth aspects, wherein the order information is information for causing the communication device to determine whether to order a new drum cartridge. This is information indicating an abnormality of the drum cartridge detected by the detector through the abnormality determination process.

A fourteenth aspect is the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to thirteenth aspects, which is a toner cartridge containing toner, the toner cartridge storing toner life information representing the remaining life of the toner cartridge. a toner cartridge having a memory, wherein the control unit determines that the toner cartridge has been replaced through a toner replacement determination process that determines whether the toner cartridge has been replaced; a toner lifespan information storage process for storing the toner lifespan information from the toner memory into the body memory; and a toner lifespan determination process for determining whether the toner lifespan information stored in the body memory exceeds a predetermined threshold. Execute.

A fifteenth aspect is an image forming system including an image forming apparatus and a communication device capable of communicating with the image forming apparatus via a network, wherein the image forming apparatus includes a drum cartridge including a photoreceptor drum; , comprising: a detector for detecting an abnormality in the drum cartridge; a control section electrically connected to the detector; and a communication interface for the control section to communicate with a communication device via a network; The control unit performs an abnormality determination process for determining whether an abnormality in the drum cartridge is detected by the detector, and when it is determined by the abnormality determination process that an abnormality in the drum cartridge is detected, the control unit transmits a new drum to the communication device. A sending process for sending order information for ordering cartridges is executed.

A 16th aspect is the image forming system according to the 15th aspect, wherein the order information includes information indicating that an abnormality in the drum cartridge has been detected, and the communication device is configured to create a new image forming system based on the order information. Execute the ordering process to order the appropriate drum cartridge.

A seventeenth aspect is the image forming system according to the sixteenth aspect, wherein the image forming apparatus further includes a main body memory that stores life information representing the remaining life of the drum cartridge, and the order information is stored in the main body. The communication device includes the life information stored in a memory and information indicating that an abnormality in the drum cartridge has been detected, and the communication device orders a new drum cartridge based on the order information.

According to the first aspect, the image forming apparatus can transmit order information for ordering a new drum cartridge to the communication device in response to detection of an abnormality in the drum cartridge.

According to the second aspect, the image forming apparatus can transmit order information to the communication device in response to an abnormality occurring in the charger of the drum cartridge.

According to the third aspect, the image forming apparatus can transmit order information to the communication device in response to detection of abnormal discharge in the charger.

According to the fourth aspect, the image forming apparatus can detect abnormal discharge of the charger based on an abnormal voltage value of the charger.

According to the fifth aspect, the image forming apparatus can detect abnormal discharge of the charger based on the number of discharges of the charger.

According to the seventh aspect, the image forming apparatus determines whether to transmit order information based on the remaining lifetime. As a result, the image forming apparatus can order a new drum cartridge at an appropriate timing when the remaining life span is reached.

According to the ninth aspect, the image forming apparatus can transmit the order information to the communication apparatus at a timing earlier than the replacement time. Thereby, the image forming apparatus can order a new drum cartridge before the replacement time arrives.

According to the tenth aspect, the image forming apparatus can determine whether to send order information to the communication device based on history information indicating that an abnormality in the drum cartridge has been detected.

According to the eleventh aspect, the image forming apparatus can transmit the order information to the communication device at a timing earlier than when the history information is replaced.

According to the twelfth aspect, the image forming apparatus can request the user's approval before transmitting the order information to the communication device. Thereby, the image forming apparatus can suppress automatically ordering a new drum cartridge.

According to the thirteenth aspect, the image forming apparatus can transmit information indicating an abnormality that has occurred in the drum cartridge to the communication device. This allows the communication device to determine whether to order a new drum cartridge based on the received information.

According to the fifteenth aspect, the image forming apparatus can transmit order information for ordering a new drum cartridge to the communication device in response to detection of an abnormality in the drum cartridge.

According to the sixteenth aspect, the communication device can order a new drum cartridge based on order information indicating that an abnormality in the drum cartridge has been detected.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an image forming system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a photoreceptor drum and peripheral elements of the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing electrical connections between a control unit and other elements in the image forming apparatus of the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating contract processing and cancellation processing executed in the image forming system of the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the flow of drum check processing executed when a drum cartridge is replaced in the image forming apparatus. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a detailed flow of drum information latch processing. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the contents of a drum cartridge usage control process according to an operation mode and drum type information. 7 is a diagram showing details of the drum life check process shown in FIG. 6. FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the flow of a first periodic implementation process executed in the image forming apparatus. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a second periodic implementation process executed in an image forming apparatus operating in contract mode. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a discharge check process executed in the image forming apparatus. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the flow of toner check processing executed when a toner cartridge is replaced in an image forming apparatus. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a first periodic implementation process executed in a contract image forming apparatus according to a second embodiment. It is a figure which shows the 2nd periodic implementation process performed by the server of 2nd Embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the contents of drum cartridge usage control processing according to the operation mode and drum type information according to the third embodiment. It is a figure showing drum life check processing concerning a 4th embodiment. FIG. 7 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a modified image forming apparatus.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the components described in this embodiment are merely examples, and the scope of the present disclosure is not intended to be limited thereto. In the drawings, dimensions and numbers of parts may be simplified as necessary for easy understanding.

<1. First embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an image forming system 100 according to the first embodiment. The image forming system 100 includes an image forming apparatus 1, a server 7, and a registration device 8. Image forming apparatus 1 and server 7 are communicably connected via the Internet. As shown in FIG. 1, the server 7 can communicate with a plurality of image forming apparatuses 1 via the Internet. Further, the server 7 and the registration device 8 are communicably connected via the Internet.

In the image forming system 100, a contract is concluded between the user of the image forming apparatus 1 and the supplier of the image forming apparatus 1 or supplies (toner cartridge 30 and drum cartridge 20) used in the image forming apparatus 1. be done. The contract, for example, establishes the amount that the user will be charged for printing pages using the supplies. Specifically, the billing amount can be appropriately set according to the number of prints, the amount of toner used for each color, the print mode such as monochrome printing or color printing, the printing resolution, the size of printing paper, and the like. The billing amount may be, for example, a fixed amount for a specific number of prints over a certain period of time (for example, one month), or may be a pay-as-you-go system depending on the amount of printing. Further, the billing amount may be a fixed amount up to a predetermined amount of printing, and an additional charge may be made for the amount exceeding the predetermined amount of printing. Hereinafter, a user who has concluded a contract with a supplier may be referred to as a "contract user," and a user who has not concluded a contract may be referred to as a "regular user."

The server 7 is a device for managing information regarding contract users, managing billing amounts and payments, and providing various services to contract users. Services provided to contract users include, for example, services that ship supplies to contract users. The server 7 includes a control section 71, a storage section 73, and a network I/F 75. The control unit 71 is electrically connected to the storage unit 73 and the network I/F 75 via bus wiring.

The control unit 71 includes a CPU 711 and a memory 713. The memory 713 is a storage medium from which information can be read and written; specifically, it is a flash ROM or an EEPROM, and stores a program 715. The control unit 71 executes various processes by causing the CPU 711 to operate according to a program 715. Specifically, the storage unit 73 is a storage such as a hard disk drive. The storage unit 73 stores registration information 731. Specifically, the registration information 731 includes information regarding the contract user, information regarding the image forming apparatus 1 registered by the contract user, payment information (credit card information, bank account information, etc.), and the like.

The registration device 8 is an information terminal used to register various information in the server 7. Specifically, the registration device 8 is a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet owned by a user desiring a contract, a computer connected to the image forming device 1 via a cable or the like, or information operated by a supplier or the like. It is a terminal.

The registration device 8 includes a control unit 81 and a network I/F 83. The control unit 81 and the network I/F are connected via bus wiring or the like. The control unit 81 includes a CPU 811 and a memory 813. The memory 813 is a storage medium from which information can be read and written, and specifically, is a flash ROM or an EEPROM. Memory 831 stores program 815. As the CPU 811 operates according to the program 815, the control unit 81 executes various processes. The program 815 includes application software for causing the control unit 81 to execute processing for transmitting and receiving information to and from the server 7 .

<Configuration of image forming apparatus>
FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the image forming apparatus 1 of the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the photosensitive drum 21 and peripheral elements of the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing electrical connections between the control section 51 and other elements in the image forming apparatus 1 of the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 2, the image forming apparatus 1 includes a main body housing 10, a cover 11, a drum cartridge 20, four toner cartridges 30, four light source units (not shown), a transfer unit 40, It includes a control section 51 and a display 60.

The main body case 10 has a rectangular box shape. The drum cartridge 20, the four toner cartridges 30, the transfer unit 40, and the control section 51 are housed in the main body casing 10. The drum cartridge 20, the four toner cartridges 30, and the transfer unit 40 can be attached to and removed from the main body housing 10 and replaced. Display 60 is located on the outer surface of main body casing 10. The main body housing 10 has a frame that holds the drum cartridge 20.

The cover 11 is rotatable about a rotating shaft 11a extending in the first direction between an open position shown by a solid line in FIG. 2 and a closed position shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. When the cover 11 is placed in the open position, the opening of the main body casing 10 is opened. When the cover 11 is placed in the closed position, the opening of the main body casing 10 is covered by the cover 11. Opening/closing of the cover 11 is detected by an opening/closing sensor 12 electrically connected to the control unit 51.

The drum cartridge 20 has four slots SL. One toner cartridge 30 is removably installed in each slot SL. A drum cartridge 20 holding four toner cartridges 30 is attached to the main body casing 10 as a process cartridge.

As shown in FIG. 2, the drum cartridge 20 includes four photosensitive drums 21. As shown in FIG. The photosensitive drum 21 is a cylindrical member extending in the first direction, and is rotatable about a drum shaft extending in the first direction. As shown in FIG. 3, the photoreceptor drum 21 specifically includes a cylindrical aluminum tube 211 extending in the first direction, and a photosensitive layer 213 that covers the outer periphery of the aluminum tube 211. The photosensitive layer 213 is made of a photosensitive material.

As shown in FIG. 2, the drum cartridge 20 has a drum memory 22. As shown in FIG. The drum memory 22 is, for example, a flash ROM or an EEPROM. The drum memory 22 stores information regarding the drum cartridge 20 to which the drum memory 22 is attached.

The drum cartridge 20 includes four chargers 23. Each charger 23 charges the corresponding photoreceptor drum 21. As shown in FIG. 3, the charger 23 is a so-called scorotron-type charger that includes a charging wire 231 extending in the first direction and a grid 233. The charging wire 231 and the grid 233 are electrically connected to the voltage application circuit 15 provided in the main body case 10 . The voltage application circuit 15 applies a predetermined bias to the charging wire 231 and the grid 233 under the control of the control unit 51 . The voltage application circuit 15 includes, for example, a transformer.

The image forming apparatus 1 includes a detector 17 electrically connected to a voltage application circuit 15 . The detector 17 detects an abnormality in the drum cartridge 20, specifically, abnormal discharge in the charger 23. The abnormal discharge is a discharge different from corona discharge, which is a normal discharge, and specifically, it is an arc discharge or a spark discharge.

For example, when the charger 23 is used for a long period of time, toner components (for example, silica) adhere to the charging wire 231, and the impedance of the charging wire 231 increases. As the impedance increases, the current flowing through grid 233 decreases. Therefore, when attempting to control the current of the grid 233 at a constant current, the voltage value of the charging wire 231 increases. When the voltage value of the charging wire 231 exceeds a predetermined value, an abnormal discharge occurs between the charging wire 231 and the grid 233, and a large amount of current flows. Note that abnormal discharge may also occur between the charging wire 231 and the surface of the photoreceptor drum, causing a large amount of current to flow. If abnormal discharge occurs, the photoreceptor drum 21 may not be able to be charged uniformly, and image quality may deteriorate.

The image forming apparatus 1 includes a detector 17 to detect abnormal discharge. When abnormal discharge occurs when a predetermined bias is applied to the charging wire 231 and the grid 233 by controlling the voltage application circuit 15 by the control unit 51, an overcurrent occurs in the transformer provided in the voltage application circuit 15. do. The detector 17 detects an overcurrent flowing in the voltage application circuit 15 that is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold. The control unit 51 is electrically connected to the detector 17 and detects abnormal discharge in the charger 23 based on the output from the detector 17. Note that the control unit 51 is electrically connected to the charging wire 231 and the grid 233, and can read the voltage value applied to the charging wire 231 and the grid 233.

As shown in FIG. 2, the toner cartridge 30 includes a developing roller 31, a toner memory 32, and a casing 33. The developing roller 31 is a cylindrical member extending in the first direction. The developing roller 31 is rotatable about a developing shaft extending in the first direction. The toner memory 32 is a storage medium from which information can be read and written, and specifically, it is a flash ROM or an EEPROM. The toner memory 32 stores information regarding the toner cartridge 30 to which the toner memory 32 is attached. Each casing 33 of the four toner cartridges 30 contains toner of a mutually different color (for example, any one of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black).

As shown in FIG. 2, the drum cartridge 20 with the toner cartridge 30 attached thereto is attached to the main body housing 10 with the cover 11 placed in the open position. The drum cartridge 20 with the toner cartridge 30 attached thereto passes through the opening of the main body housing 10 and is attached to the cartridge holding section.

The four light source units are attached to the inner surface of the main body casing 10. Each light source unit faces the surface of the photosensitive drum 21 when the drum cartridge 20 is attached to the main body housing 10 and the cover 11 is in the closed position. Further, each light source unit is capable of irradiating light onto the outer peripheral surface of the photoreceptor drum 21. The light source is a laser or an LED (light emitting diode).

The transfer unit 40 includes a transfer belt 41 , a drive roller 43 , a driven roller 45 , and four transfer rollers 47 . The transfer belt 41 is annular (endless belt). The outer circumferential surface of the photoreceptor drum 21 can come into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the transfer belt 41 . The transfer belt 41 is stretched between a drive roller 43 and a driven roller 45. The control unit 51 rotates the transfer belt 41 by driving the drive roller 43 . The driven roller 45 rotates in accordance with the movement of the transfer belt 41 driven by the drive roller 43 .

The four transfer rollers 47 are located inside the transfer belt 41. The transfer roller 47 has a cylindrical shape extending in the first direction, and is rotatable about a rotation shaft extending in the first direction. The outer surface of the transfer roller 47 is made of, for example, conductive rubber. The transfer roller 47 is electrically connected to the voltage application circuit 15, and a transfer bias is applied when necessary.

The transfer roller 47 is located below the photosensitive drum 21. The transfer belt 41 is sandwiched between the photosensitive drum 21 and the transfer roller 47. When a transfer bias is applied to the outer surface of the transfer roller 47, the toner adhering to the outer surface of the photoreceptor drum 21 moves toward the transfer belt 41 side. As a result, the toner moves to the printing paper on the transfer belt 41 and is transferred to the printing paper.

When performing printing processing in the image forming apparatus 1, the charger 23 uniformly charges the entire surface of the photoreceptor drum 21. Then, the light source unit irradiates the photosensitive drum 21 with laser light or LED light depending on the image to be printed. The developing roller 31 then attaches toner to the exposed surface of the photoreceptor drum 21. Further, the transfer unit 40 transfers the toner adhered to the photoreceptor drum 21 onto printing paper. The toner transferred to the printing paper is heated by a thermal fixing unit (not shown) and fixed to the printing paper. Further, toner remaining on the photoreceptor drum 21 is removed from the photoreceptor drum 21 by a cleaning roller 25 .

As shown in FIG. 4, the image forming apparatus 1 includes a control section 51, an operation section 53, a display 55, and a network I/F 57. The control unit 51 includes a CPU 511 and a main body memory 513. The main body memory 513 stores a program 515. When the CPU 511 operates according to the program 515, the control unit 51 executes various processes. Note that the control unit 51 may include a dedicated circuit such as an ASIC (application-specific semiconductor integrated circuit).

The control unit 51 is set to either the "contract mode" or the "normal mode", and executes processing according to the set operation mode. As described later, the operation mode of the image forming apparatus 1 is set to the contract mode or the normal mode based on a setting command sent from the server 7. Processing contents corresponding to the contract mode and the normal mode are defined in the program 515.

The operation unit 53 is a button that accepts user operations. Display 55 displays images representing various information. The display 55 may function as the operation section 53 by being configured with a so-called touch panel.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the drum cartridge 20 and the four toner cartridges 30 are installed in the main body housing 10, the drum memory 22 and the four toner memories 32 are electrically connected to the control unit 51. This enables the control unit 51 to perform data communication with the drum memory 22 and each toner memory 32.

The drum memory 22 stores a drum ID, drum life information, drum type information, drum history information, an ordered flag, and threshold information. The drum ID is identification information for identifying each drum cartridge 20, and specifically, is a serial number. The drum life information includes, for example, the cumulative number of rotations of the photosensitive drum 21 and the cumulative number of sheets printed using the photosensitive drum 21. The cumulative number of rotations of the photosensitive drum 21 is the number of rotations calculated by incrementing or decrementing each time printing (job) is performed in the drum cartridge 20 specified by the drum identification information. The cumulative number of printed sheets using the photosensitive drum 21 is the number of printed sheets calculated by incrementing or decrementing each time printing (job) is performed in the drum cartridge 20 specified by the drum identification information.

The drum type information is information representing the type of drum cartridge 20. Specifically, the drum type information is information representing either a "normal drum" or an "inexpensive drum." In the following, a drum cartridge 20 whose drum type information indicates "regular drum" will be referred to as "regular drum cartridge 20", and a drum cartridge 20 whose drum type information indicates "inexpensive drum" will be referred to as "inexpensive drum cartridge 20". There is.

The inexpensive drum cartridge 20 is less expensive than the regular drum cartridge 20. Further, the durability is lower than that of the normal drum cartridge 20. Specifically, by changing at least one of the material of the photosensitive layer 213, the thickness of the photosensitive layer 213, and the material of the cleaning roller 25, the price or durability of the drum cartridge 20 can be changed. can.

The drum history information is information indicating that an abnormality in the drum cartridge 20 has been detected. When the control unit 51 detects an abnormality in the drum cartridge 20, it records it as drum history information. Specifically, the drum history information includes discharge history information indicating that an abnormality in the charger 23 of the drum cartridge 20 has been detected. Specifically, the discharge history information includes the number of pre-discharge detections and the number of discharge detections.

The number of times of discharge detection is the number of times of discharge abnormality detected in the discharge check process (see FIG. 12) described later. Discharge abnormality means a state in which abnormal discharge has occurred. Specifically, when the detector 17 detects an overcurrent in the charger 23, the control unit 51 performs a count assuming that a discharge abnormality has been detected. .

In addition, the control unit 51 may perform a count, assuming that a discharge abnormality has been detected when the number of abnormal discharges that have occurred in the charger 23 within a predetermined time exceeds a threshold value representing a discharge abnormality. Specifically, the number of occurrences of abnormal discharge may be the number of times the current value of the charging wire 231 exceeds a threshold value representing abnormal discharge. For example, if three or more abnormal discharges (overcurrents) occur within 50 msec, the control unit 51 may perform one count as one discharge abnormality has been detected.

Further, the pre-discharge detection count is the number of pre-discharge abnormalities detected in the discharge check process. The pre-discharge abnormality means a state in which abnormal discharge is likely to occur. Specifically, if the voltage value of the charging wire 231 exceeds a predetermined threshold value when a predetermined bias is applied to the charger 23, the control unit 51 determines that a pre-discharge abnormality has been detected and performs a count. . z

The ordered flag is information indicating whether or not a new drum cartridge 20 has been ordered. In the image forming apparatus 1, the control unit 51 sends order information for ordering a new drum cartridge 20 to the server 7 before the remaining life of the drum cartridge 20 expires or when an abnormality is detected. Execute the sending process to send. When the control unit 51 executes the transmission process, it assumes that a new drum cartridge 20 has been ordered and updates the ordered flag of the drum memory 22 installed in the main body casing 10. By updating the ordered flag, it is possible to prevent new drum cartridges 20 from being ordered twice.

The threshold value information is information representing a threshold value used in various determination processes that the control unit 51 executes regarding the drum cartridge 20. The threshold value information includes, for example, a threshold value for determining whether the drum cartridge 20 has a remaining life or not, a threshold value for determining an abnormality of the drum cartridge 20, and the like.

The drum memory 22 may store information such as the compatible model of the drum cartridge 20, specifications of the drum cartridge 20, information indicating whether it is new, information indicating whether it is a genuine product, error history, etc. good.

As shown in FIG. 4, the toner memory 32 stores toner ID, toner life information, and toner type information. The toner ID is identification information for identifying each toner cartridge 30, and specifically, is a serial number. The toner life information is at least one of the cumulative number of rotations of the developing roller 31, the cumulative number of sheets printed using the developing roller 31, and the cumulative number of dots. The cumulative number of rotations of the developing roller 31 is the number of rotations calculated by incrementing or decrementing each time printing (job) is performed in one toner cartridge 30 specified by the toner ID. The cumulative number of printed sheets using the developing roller 31 is the number of printed sheets calculated by incrementing or decrementing each time printing (job) is performed in one toner cartridge 30 specified by the toner ID. Further, the cumulative number of dots using the developing roller 31 is the number of dots calculated by incrementing or decrementing each time printing (job) is performed in one toner cartridge 30 specified by the toner identification information. The toner memory 32 may store information representing the remaining amount of toner contained in the casing 33 instead of the cumulative number of dots.

The toner type information is information representing the type of the toner cartridge 30, and specifically, information representing either "contract use" or "regular use." Hereinafter, a toner cartridge 30 whose toner type information is "contract use" will be referred to as a "contract toner cartridge 30", and a toner cartridge 30 whose toner type information is "regular use" will be referred to as a "regular toner cartridge 30". Sometimes referred to as As will be described later, the toner type information is information used to control the use of the toner cartridge 30 in the image forming apparatus 1.

Further, the toner memory 32 may store information such as a compatible model of the toner cartridge 30, specifications of the toner cartridge 30, information indicating whether the toner cartridge 30 is new, information indicating whether the toner cartridge 30 is a genuine product, and the like.

The control unit 51 permits the use of the normal toner cartridge 30 regardless of the normal mode or the contract mode. That is, if the toner cartridge 30 is for normal use, the printing process can be performed regardless of whether the control unit 51 is set to the normal mode or the contract mode. On the other hand, with respect to the contract toner cartridge 30, the control unit 51 prohibits printing processing when set to the normal mode, and permits printing processing when set to the contract mode. Note that in the normal mode, it is not essential for the control unit 51 to prohibit the use of the contract toner cartridge 30, but it may be possible to use the contract toner cartridge 30 under certain conditions. For example, the control unit 51 may display on the display 55 a screen urging replacement, a warning screen indicating a violation of regulations, or the like.

The main body memory 513 stores drum information and toner information. The drum information is information regarding the drum cartridge 20 installed in the main body casing 10, and specifically includes a drum ID, drum life information, drum type information, drum history information, and an ordered flag. threshold information. The toner information is information regarding each toner cartridge 30 installed in the main body housing 10, and specifically includes a toner ID, toner type information, and toner life information.

The control unit 51 causes the main body memory 513 to store various information read from the drum memory 22 as drum information. Further, the control unit 51 causes the main body memory 513 to store various information read from each toner memory 32 as toner information. Further, the control unit 51 updates the drum information and toner information as necessary. Furthermore, the control unit 51 updates various information stored in the corresponding drum memory 22 or each toner memory 32 based on the updated drum information or toner information.

<Example of operation of image forming system>
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing contract processing S1 and cancellation processing S2 executed in the image forming system 100 of the first embodiment. Contract processing S1 is a process normally performed when a user concludes a contract with a supplier, and on the image forming system 100, the operation mode of the target image forming apparatus 1 is changed from normal mode to contract mode. Including processing. The cancellation process S2 is a process performed when a contract user cancels a contract, and is a process for changing the operation mode of the target image forming apparatus 1 from the contract mode to the normal mode on the image forming system 100. . Each process will be explained below.

<Contract processing>
In contract processing S1, first, registration device 8 transmits contract request Rq1 to server 7 (contract request transmission processing S11). The contract request Rq1 includes information related to the user who desires a contract (including the user's name and address, etc.), information related to the contract such as the billing amount, information related to payment, and identification of the image forming apparatus 1 used by the user. The device information (device ID) may be included. Note that it is not essential for the registration device 8 to perform the contract request transmission process. For example, the image forming apparatus 1 may transmit the contract request Rq1 to the server 7 when the user performs a predetermined operation on the image forming apparatus 1.

Based on the received contract request Rq1, the server 7 transmits a change command Rs1 to the image forming apparatus 1 requested for the contract (change command transmission process S12). The change command Rs1 is a command to the control unit 51 included in the target image forming apparatus 1, and is a command to set the operation mode of the control unit 51 to the contract mode. Upon receiving the change command Rs1, the control unit 51 sets the operation mode to the contract mode (operation mode setting process S13). Hereinafter, the image forming apparatus 1 in which the operation mode of the control unit 51 is set to the contract mode may be referred to as the "contract image forming apparatus 1."

Furthermore, as will be described later, the contract mode includes two sub-operation modes: a "low-value contract mode" and a "high-value contract mode." The control unit 51 executes different controls regarding the remaining use of the drum cartridge 20 depending on the set sub-operation mode. The specific details of the control will be described later. Note that the "low-price contract mode" is a sub-operation mode that is set, for example, when a contract with a smaller billing amount (lower price) than the "high-price contract mode" is concluded.

<Cancellation process>
In the cancellation process S2, the registration device 8 first transmits a cancellation request Rq2 to the server 7 (cancellation request transmission process S21). The cancellation request Rq2 may include information regarding the user who desires cancellation. Note that it is not essential for the registration device 8 to perform the cancellation request transmission process. For example, the image forming apparatus 1 may transmit the cancellation request Rq2 to the server 7 when the user performs a predetermined operation on the image forming apparatus 1.

Based on the received cancellation request Rq2, the server 7 transmits a change command Rs2 to the image forming apparatus 1 requested to cancel (change command transmission process S22). The change command Rs2 is a command to the control unit 51 included in the target image forming apparatus 1, and is a command to set the operation mode of the control unit 51 to the normal mode. Upon receiving the change command Rs2, the control unit 51 sets the operation mode to the normal mode (operation mode setting process S23). Hereinafter, the image forming apparatus 1 in which the operation mode of the control unit 51 is set to the normal mode may be referred to as the "normal image forming apparatus 1."

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the flow of a drum check process executed when the drum cartridge 20 is replaced in the image forming apparatus 1. Each process shown in FIG. 6 is assumed to be a process executed by the control unit 51 of the image forming apparatus 1 unless otherwise specified.

The control unit 51 of the image forming apparatus 1 executes a replacement determination process S31. The replacement determination process S31 is a process for determining whether the drum cartridge 20 has been replaced. Specifically, when the power of the image forming apparatus 1 is switched from ON to OFF, or when the open/close sensor 12 detects that the cover 11 has moved from the open position to the closed position, the control unit 51 controls the drum cartridge. The drum ID of No. 20 is compared with the drum ID stored in advance in the main body memory 513. If the drum IDs match, the control unit 51 determines that the drum cartridge 20 has not been replaced (NO in replacement determination process S31), and if the drum IDs do not match, it determines that the drum cartridge 20 has been replaced. (YES in replacement determination process S31).

When the control unit 51 determines that the drum cartridge 20 has been replaced in the replacement determination process S31, it executes the drum information latch process S32. The drum information latch process S32 is a process in which the control unit 51 reads various information stored in the drum memory 22 and writes the read various information into the main body memory 513.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a detailed flow of the drum information latch process S32. As shown in FIG. 7, the drum information latch process S32 includes reading and writing drum life information (reading process S41), reading and writing drum type information (reading process S42), and reading and writing drum history information (reading process S43), reading and writing of the ordered flag (reading process S44), and reading and writing of threshold information (reading process S45).

In addition, in the reading process S41, the control unit 51 stores the cumulative number of printed sheets and the cumulative number of drum rotations represented by the drum life information read from the drum memory 22 in the main body memory 513 as drum information. Further, in the reading process S43, the control unit 51 causes the main body memory 513 to store the number of pre-discharge detections and the number of discharge detections represented by the drum history information read from the drum memory 22 as drum information.

Returning to FIG. 6, after completing the drum information latch process S32, the control unit 51 executes an extension possibility determination process S33. The extension possibility determination process S33 is a process for determining the type information of the drum cartridge 20. The control unit 51 executes any one of an extension permission process S34, an extension restriction process S35, and an error process S36 according to the result of the extension permission/prohibition determination process S33.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the details of the usage control process of the drum cartridge 20 according to the operation mode and drum type information. The control unit 51 switches and executes extension permission control and extension restriction control according to the set operation mode and the drum type information stored in the drum memory 22.

Specifically, the extension permission control is a control that allows extension of the use of the drum cartridge 20 even if the drum cartridge 20 exceeds the remaining life represented by the drum life information stored in the main body memory 513. It is. Further, the extension restriction control is a control for restricting the use of the drum cartridge 20 beyond the remaining life represented by the drum life information stored in the main body memory 513.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, the control unit 51 performs extension permission control to permit extension of use of the normal drum cartridge 20 regardless of the operation mode. Further, for the low-priced drum cartridge 20, in the low-price contract mode, the control section 51 performs extension permission control to permit extension of use, and in the high-price contract mode, performs extension restriction processing to restrict extension of use.

Note that when the control unit 51 is set to the normal mode, the use of the inexpensive drum cartridge 20 is disabled. This limits the use of the inexpensive drum cartridge 20 to only contract users.

In the drum type information, in the high-value contract mode, "normal drum" corresponds to "permission information" that permits extension of use of the drum cartridge 20 beyond its remaining life. Furthermore, in the high-price contract mode, the "low-priced drum" corresponds to "restriction information" that restricts the use of the drum cartridge 20 beyond its remaining life.

Specifically, the extension permission process S34 and the extension restriction process S35 shown in FIG. include. Further, the error processing S36 specifically includes a process in which the control unit 51 causes the main body memory 513 to store an unusable flag indicating that the use of the drum cartridge 20 is prohibited. Further, the error processing S36 may include a process of displaying a predetermined screen on the display 55 requesting replacement of the inexpensive drum cartridge 20 installed in the main body housing 10 with an appropriate regular drum cartridge 20. After executing the error process S36, the control unit 51 ends the drum check process.

After executing the extension permission process S34 or the extension restriction process S35, the control unit 51 executes the drum life check process S37. The drum life check process S37 is a process in which the control unit 51 checks the drum history information and drum life information stored in the main body memory 513 by the drum information latch process S32.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing details of the drum life check process S37 shown in FIG. 6. When the control unit 51 starts the drum life check process S37, it first executes the determination process S51. The determination process S51 is a process of determining whether the drum cartridge 20 is in a state where it should be replaced (hereinafter referred to as a "replacement required state") based on the drum history information stored in the main body memory 513. In determination process S51, the control unit 51 determines whether the "number of pre-discharge detections" represented by the drum history information exceeds a threshold T1E representing a state in which replacement is required, and also determines whether the "number of times discharge detection" represented by the drum history information indicates that replacement is required. It is determined whether the threshold value T2E representing the state is exceeded. In the determination process S51, the control unit 51 should at least determine whether the "number of discharge detections" represented by the drum history information exceeds the threshold value T2E representing the replacement required state. Alternatively, in determination process S51, the control unit 51 determines whether the "number of pre-discharge detections" represented by the drum history information exceeds a threshold value T1E representing a state requiring replacement, and whether the "number of times discharge detection" represented by the drum history information requires replacement. It may be determined whether the threshold value T2E representing the state is exceeded or not.

If the control unit 51 determines in the determination process S51 that the number of pre-discharge detections exceeds the threshold T1E, or if the control unit 51 determines that the number of discharge detections exceeds the threshold T2E (YES in the determination process S51), the drum Assuming that the cartridge 20 needs to be replaced, the control unit 51 executes display processing S53, which will be described later. Note that the control unit 51 may further measure the voltage value of the charging wire 231 after determining in the determination process S51 that the number of discharge detections exceeds the threshold value T2E. When the control unit 51 determines that the measured voltage value of the charging wire 231 is lower than a predetermined voltage value (or the measured voltage value of the charging wire 231 is an abnormal value), the control unit 51 performs display processing S53. May be executed. If the control unit 51 determines in the determination process S51 that the number of pre-discharge detections does not exceed the threshold T1E and that the number of discharge detections does not exceed the threshold T2E (NO in the determination process S51), the control unit 51 performs the determination process S52. Execute.

The determination process S52 is a process of determining whether the drum cartridge 20 requires replacement based on the drum life information stored in the main body memory 513. In determination process S52, the control unit 51 determines whether the "cumulative number of printed sheets" in the drum life information exceeds a threshold T3E representing a state in which replacement is required, and whether the "cumulative number of rotations of the drum" in drum life information exceeds a threshold value T3E representing a state in which replacement is required. Determine whether T4E is exceeded. If the control unit 51 determines in the determination process S52 that the cumulative number of printed sheets exceeds the threshold T3E, or if the control unit 51 determines that the cumulative number of drum rotations exceeds the threshold T4E (YES in the determination process S52), the control The unit 51 executes display processing S53. If the control unit 51 determines in the determination process S52 that the cumulative number of printed sheets does not exceed the threshold T3E and the cumulative drum rotation number does not exceed the threshold T4E (NO in the determination process S52), the control unit 51 performs the determination process S56. Execute.

The display process S53 is a process in which the control unit 51 causes the display 55 to display an image prompting replacement of the drum cartridge 20 (for example, an image including the words "Replace Drum"). After completing the display process S53, the control unit 51 executes an extension permission determination process S54 to determine whether extension of use is permitted. That is, if the control unit 51 is performing extension permission control in the extension permission process S34 (FIG. 6) (YES in the extension permission determination process S54), it ends the drum life check process. On the other hand, when the control unit 51 performs extension restriction control in the extension restriction process S35 (FIG. 6) (NO in the extension possibility determination process S54), it executes an error process S55. The error processing S55 includes, for example, a process in which the control unit 51 displays a predetermined error screen on the display 55 (for example, "Drum Stop") and a process in which use of the drum cartridge 20 is prohibited. Note that in the error processing S55, it is not essential that the use of the drum cartridge 20 is prohibited, and use may be permitted under certain conditions.

The determination process S56 is a process of determining whether the drum cartridge 20 is in an order-required state based on the drum life information. The order-required state is a state before the replacement-required state, and is a state in which a new drum cartridge should be ordered. Specifically, the order-required state is a state in which the remaining life is short, or a state in which there is a high possibility that a trouble such as a breakdown will occur.

In the determination process S56, the control unit 51 determines whether the "cumulative number of printed sheets" of the drum life information exceeds a predetermined threshold T3 representing the order-required state, and whether the "cumulative drum rotation number" of the drum life information indicates the order-required state. It is determined whether the expressed threshold T4 is exceeded. If the control unit 51 determines that the cumulative number of printed sheets exceeds the threshold value T3, or if the control unit 51 determines that the cumulative number of drum rotations exceeds the threshold value T4 (YES in determination process S56), the control unit 51 performs display processing. Execute S57. On the other hand, if the control unit 51 determines that the cumulative number of printed sheets does not exceed the threshold T3 and the cumulative drum rotation number does not exceed the threshold T4 (NO in determination process S56), the control unit 51 ends the drum life check process. do.

The display process S57 is a process in which the control unit 51 causes the display 55 to display a screen (for example, an image including the words "Drum End Soon") indicating that the drum cartridge 20 is in an order-required state. When the control unit 51 completes the display process S57, it ends the drum life check process. Further, if the control unit 51 determines in the determination process S56 that the cumulative number of printed sheets does not exceed the threshold value T3 and that the cumulative number of drum rotations does not exceed the threshold value T4, the control unit 51 ends the drum life check process.

Returning to FIG. 6, upon completing the drum life check process S37, the control unit 51 executes an operation request waiting process S38. The operation request waiting process S38 is a process for putting the image forming apparatus 1 in a "Ready" state (waiting for an operation request). That is, the control unit 51 puts the image forming apparatus 1 in a state of waiting for a print request, and makes the image forming apparatus 1 standby.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the flow of the first periodic implementation process executed in the image forming apparatus 1. The first periodic implementation process is a process that is executed by the control unit 51 periodically or for each predetermined event, and is a process that updates the drum life information stored in the drum memory 22. After starting the first periodic implementation process, the control unit 51 executes an update determination process S61. The update determination process S61 is a process for determining whether the drum life information (specifically, the cumulative number of printed sheets and the cumulative number of drum rotations) stored in the main body memory 513 has been updated. Specifically, the control unit 51 compares the drum life information stored in the main body memory 513 and the drum life information stored in the drum memory 22, and determines whether the drum life is different if the drum life information is different. It is determined that the information has been updated.

If the control unit 51 determines that the drum life information has not been updated (NO in update determination process S61), it ends the first periodic update process. Further, when the control unit 51 determines that the drum life information has been updated (YES in update determination process S61), it executes write process S62. The write process S62 is a process for writing drum life information in the main body memory 513 to the drum memory 22. After completing the write process S62, the control unit 51 executes a drum life check process S37 (FIG. 9). When the control unit 51 completes the drum life check process S37, the control unit 51 ends the first regular implementation process.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the second periodic implementation process executed in the image forming apparatus 1 operating in the contract mode. The second periodic implementation process is a process that is executed by the control unit 51 periodically or for each predetermined event, and is a process that is performed to order a new drum cartridge 20.

When the control unit 51 starts the second regular implementation process, it first executes an order determination process S71 to determine whether a new drum cartridge 20 has not been ordered yet. In the ordering determination process S71, the control unit 51 makes a determination based on the ordered flag stored in the main body memory 513. If the control unit 51 determines in the order determination process S71 that no order has been placed, it executes the order determination process S72, and if it determines that the order has been placed, it ends the second periodic implementation process.

The order determination process S72 is a process of determining whether the drum cartridge 20 is in an order-required state based on the number of pre-discharge detections in the drum history information stored in the main body memory 513. Specifically, in the ordering determination process S72, the control unit 51 determines whether the number of pre-discharge detections exceeds a threshold value T1 representing an ordering required state. If the control unit 51 determines in order determination process S72 that the number of pre-discharge detections exceeds threshold T1 (YES in order determination process S72), control unit 51 executes order information transmission process S75, which will be described later. If the control unit 51 determines in the ordering determination process S72 that the number of pre-discharge detections does not exceed the threshold T1 (NO in the ordering determination process S72), the control unit 51 executes the ordering determination process S73.

The ordering determination process S73 is a process of determining whether the drum cartridge 20 is in an order-required state based on the number of discharge detections in the drum history information stored in the main body memory 513. In the ordering determination process S73, the control unit 51 determines whether the number of discharge detections exceeds a threshold value T2 representing an ordering required state. If the control unit 51 determines in order determination process S73 that the number of discharge detections exceeds the threshold T2 (YES in order determination process S73), control unit 51 executes order information transmission process S75, which will be described later. If the control unit 51 determines in the ordering determination process S73 that the number of discharge detections does not exceed the threshold T2 (NO in the ordering determination process S73), the control unit 51 executes the ordering determination process S74.

The ordering determination process S74 is a process of determining whether the drum cartridge 20 is in an order-required state based on the drum life information stored in the main body memory 513. In order determination processing S74, the control unit 51 determines whether the cumulative number of printed sheets exceeds a threshold T3 representing an order required state and whether the cumulative drum rotation number exceeds a threshold T4 representing an order required state. If the control unit 51 determines in the order determination process S74 that at least one of the cumulative number of printed sheets or the cumulative drum rotation number exceeds the corresponding thresholds T3 and T4 (YES in the order determination process S74), the control unit 51 transmits order information. Process S75 is executed. Further, if the control unit 51 determines in the order determination process S74 that the cumulative number of printed sheets and the cumulative drum rotation number do not exceed the corresponding thresholds T3 and T4 (NO in the order determination process S74), the control unit 51 End the implementation process.

The order information transmission process S75 is a process in which the control unit 51 transmits information for ordering a new drum cartridge 20 to the server 7. The order information includes, for example, information indicating that a new drum cartridge 20 is requested, and device information of the image forming apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. 5, upon receiving the order information, the server 7 transmits the order information to the shipping company's server 9 (order processing S751). Specifically, the order information includes information such as the name and address of the contracted user corresponding to the order information, and information indicating the type of the new drum cartridge 20 (regular drum or low-priced drum). The shipping company ships a new drum cartridge 20 to the target contract user based on the ordering information (shipping process S752). Thereby, the contract user can receive a new drum cartridge 20 before the drum cartridge 20 installed in the main body casing 10 becomes in a state where it needs to be replaced.

Note that the order information transmission process S75 may include an approval determination process in which the control unit 51 determines whether approval to transmit the order information has been received. Specifically, the control unit 51 requests the user to input approval by displaying an image requesting approval on the display 55. Then, the control unit 51 may determine that approval has been received when a predetermined input is received. When the control unit 51 determines that approval has been received through the approval determination process, the control unit 51 transmits order information. Thereby, order information can be prevented from being automatically transmitted to the server 7 without the user's approval.

After completing the order information transmission process S75, the control unit 51 executes the ordered flag process S76. The ordered flag process S76 is a process for storing the ordered flag in the main body memory 513 and the drum memory 22. After completing the ordered flag process S76, the control unit 51 ends the second periodic update process.

In addition, when the number of pre-discharge detections is a parameter of the count-up method, the threshold value T1 is set to a value smaller than the threshold value T1E. Here, the number of pre-discharge detections may be used as a countdown parameter. When the number of pre-discharge detections is a parameter of the countdown method, the threshold value T1 may be set to a value larger than the threshold value T1E. The same applies to the threshold values T2 and T2E for the number of discharge detections, the threshold values T3 and T3E for the cumulative number of printed sheets, and the threshold values T4 and T4E for the cumulative number of drum rotations.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a discharge check process executed in the image forming apparatus 1. When the control unit 51 starts the discharge check process, it determines whether application of bias to the charger 23 has started (bias determination process S81). When the control unit 51 determines that the application of the bias has started, the control unit 51 executes a pre-discharge determination process S82. The pre-discharge determination process S82 is a process in which the control unit 51 determines whether the voltage value applied to the charging wire 231 is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold while a predetermined bias is applied to the charger 23. . If the control unit 51 determines that the voltage value of the charging wire exceeds a predetermined threshold (YES in the pre-discharge determination process S82), the control unit 51 determines that a pre-discharge abnormality has occurred and stops applying bias to the charger 23. (bias application stop processing S83). When the control unit 51 stops applying the bias to the charger 23, it increments the number of pre-discharge detections in the drum history information stored in the main body memory 513 (increment process S84). After completing the increment, the control unit 51 executes pre-discharge detection error processing S85. Specifically, the pre-discharge detection error process S85 includes a process in which the control unit 51 causes the display 55 to display an image that prompts the charging wire 231 to be cleaned. When the control unit 51 completes the pre-discharge detection error process S85, it ends the discharge check process.

Further, when the control unit 51 determines that the pre-discharge abnormality has not occurred (NO in the pre-discharge determination process S82), the control unit 51 performs the discharge determination process S86. The discharge determination process S86 is a process in which the control unit 51 determines whether the detector 17 has detected an overcurrent while a predetermined bias is applied to the charger 23. If the control unit 51 determines that the detector 17 has detected an overcurrent (YES in the discharge determination process S86), the control unit 51 determines that a discharge abnormality has occurred and stops applying bias to the charger 23 (bias Application stop processing S87). When the control unit 51 stops applying the bias to the charger 23, it increments the number of discharge detections in the drum history information stored in the main body memory 513 (increment process S88). After completing the increment, the control unit 51 executes discharge detection error processing S89. Specifically, the discharge detection error process S89 includes a process in which the control unit 51 causes the display 55 to display an image prompting the charging wire 231 to be cleaned. After completing the discharge detection error process S89, the control unit 51 ends the discharge check process.

The pre-discharge determination process S82 and the discharge determination process S86 are examples of an abnormality determination process that determines whether an abnormality has been detected in the drum cartridge 20, which is a replacement part.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the flow of toner check processing executed when the toner cartridge 30 is replaced in the image forming apparatus 1. Each process shown in FIG. 13 is assumed to be a process executed by the control unit 51 of the image forming apparatus 1 unless otherwise specified.

The control unit 51 of the image forming apparatus 1 executes toner replacement determination processing S91. The toner replacement determination process S91 is a process for determining whether the toner cartridge 30 has been replaced. Specifically, when the power of the image forming apparatus 1 is switched from ON to OFF, or when the opening/closing sensor 12 detects that the cover 11 has moved from the open position to the closed position, the control unit 51 controls the toner cartridge. The toner ID of No. 30 is compared with the toner ID stored in advance in the main body memory 513. If the toner IDs match, the control unit 51 determines that the toner cartridge 30 has not been replaced (NO in toner replacement determination process S91), and if the toner IDs do not match, it determines that the toner cartridge 30 has been replaced. (YES in toner replacement determination process S91).

When the control unit 51 determines that the toner cartridge 30 has been replaced in the replacement determination process S91, it executes the toner information latch process S92. The toner information latch process S92 is a process in which the control unit 51 reads the toner ID and toner life information stored in the toner memory 30 and writes the read information to the main body memory 513. Toner information latch processing S92 is an example of toner life information storage processing.

After completing the toner information latch process S92, the control unit 51 executes a toner life check process S93. The toner lifespan check process S93 includes a toner lifespan determination process that determines whether the toner lifespan information exceeds a predetermined threshold value. The predetermined threshold value may be, for example, a value representing a state in which the toner cartridge 30 should be replaced. When the control unit 51 determines that the toner life information does not exceed a predetermined threshold value through the toner lifespan determination process, it ends the toner lifespan check process S93. On the other hand, if it is determined that the toner life information exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the control unit 51 displays, for example, on the display 55 an image indicating that the toner cartridge 30 should be replaced, assuming that the toner cartridge 30 has reached the end of its life. Perform the processing to

<2. Second embodiment>
Next, a second embodiment will be described. Note that, in the following description, elements having the same functions as the elements described in the first embodiment may be given the same reference numerals or reference numerals with additional alphabetic characters, and detailed explanations thereof may be omitted.

In the image forming system 100 of the first embodiment, as described in FIG. 11, the contract image forming apparatus 1 determines whether the drum cartridge 20 is in an order-required state. However, it is not essential for the control unit 51 of the contract image forming apparatus 1 to determine whether the order is required.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the first periodic implementation process executed in the contract image forming apparatus 1 of the second embodiment. In the contract image forming apparatus 1 of the second embodiment, after completing the drum life check process S37 in the first periodic implementation process, the control unit 51 executes the drum information transmission process S63. The drum information transmission process S63 is a process in which the control unit 51 of the contract image forming apparatus 1 transmits the drum information stored in the main body memory 513 to the server 7. Further, in the drum information transmission process S63, the control unit 51 transmits the device information of the contract image forming apparatus 1 to the server 7 along with the drum history information. That is, the device information and drum information are transmitted to the server 7 in an associated state. When the control unit 51 completes the drum information transmission process S63, the control unit 51 ends the first regular implementation process. Note that in the normal image forming apparatus 1, the drum information transmission process S63 is not executed. That is, the control unit 51 set to the normal mode executes the first periodic implementation process described in FIG. 10 .

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing the second periodic implementation process executed in the server 7 of the second embodiment. The second periodic implementation process shown in FIG. 15 is partially similar to the second periodic implementation process shown in FIG. 11. However, while the second periodic execution process shown in FIG. 15 is a process executed by the server 7, the second periodic execution process shown in FIG. 11 is a process executed by the contract image forming apparatus 1. differ.

The server 7 of the second embodiment executes reception determination processing S70 to determine whether drum information and device information have been received. The drum information and device information are information transmitted by the contract image forming apparatus 1 in the drum information transmission process S63 (FIG. 14). When the server 7 receives the drum information and device information through the reception determination process S70, the server 7 executes the order determination process S71a. In the ordering determination process S71, it is determined based on the drum information received by the server 7 whether a new drum cartridge 20 has not been ordered yet.

When the server 7 places an order for a new drum cartridge 20, it stores an ordered flag in the corresponding drum ID of the registration information 731 through an ordered flag process S76a, which will be described later. Therefore, in the ordering determination process S71a, the server 7 checks whether the ordered flag is stored in the drum ID of the received drum information in the registration information 731. If the server 7 determines that no order has been placed (YES in the ordering determination process S73), the server 7 executes the ordering determination process S72a.

The order determination processes S72a, S73b, and S74b are processes for determining whether the drum cartridge 20 is in an order-required state, and are the same as the order determination processes S72, S73, and S74 described in FIG. 11, except that the server 7 executes them. It is. That is, the server 7 determines whether the number of pre-discharge detections exceeds the threshold T1 (ordering determination process S72a), whether the number of discharge detections exceeds the threshold T2 (ordering determination process S73a), and whether the cumulative number of printed sheets exceeds the threshold T3. , or whether the cumulative drum rotation exceeds the threshold value T4 (order determination process S74a) is executed as appropriate.

If the server 7 determines that the drum cartridge 20 is in an order-required state through the order determination processes S72a, S73b, and S74b (YES in the order determination processes S72a, S73b, and S74b), the server 7 executes the order process S751. If the server 7 determines that the drum cartridge 20 is in an order-required state through the order determination processes S72a, S73b, and S74b (NO in the order determination processes S72a, S73b, and S74b), the server ends the second regular implementation process.

As explained in FIG. 5, the ordering process S751 is a process in which the server 7 transmits ordering information to the server 9 of the shipping company. As shown in FIG. 5, the shipping company ships the new drum cartridge 20 to the target contract user based on the ordering information received by the server 9 (shipping process S752). Thereby, the contract user can receive a new drum cartridge 20 before the drum cartridge 20 installed in the contract image forming apparatus 1 becomes in a state where it needs to be replaced.

Returning to FIG. 15, upon completing the ordering process S751, the server 7 executes the ordered flag process S76. As described above, the ordered flag processing S76 is a process of storing an ordered flag in the drum ID for which an order has been placed in the registration information 731.

As described above, in the second embodiment, the control unit 51 of the contract image forming apparatus 1 transmits drum information through the drum information transmission process S63 (FIG. 14), and the server 7 determines whether or not to order a new drum cartridge 20. judge. That is, in the drum information transmission process S63, the drum information that the control unit 51 transmits to the server 7 is an example of order information for ordering a new drum cartridge 20. Further, the drum information transmission process S63 is an example of a transmission process in which the control unit 51 transmits order information to the server 7.

<3. Third embodiment>
FIG. 16 is a diagram showing the contents of drum cartridge usage control processing according to the operation mode and drum type information according to the third embodiment. In the image forming system 100 of the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 16, when the operation mode of the control unit 51 is the high-price contract mode, an extension restriction process is performed to restrict the extension of use regardless of the type of the drum cartridge 20. will be held. For example, if the drum cartridge 20 is used for a long period of time, foreign matter may adhere to the surface of the photoreceptor drum 21, which may reduce print quality. Therefore, in a specific operation mode such as high-priced contract mode, by performing extension restriction processing regardless of the type of drum cartridge 20, use beyond the lifespan is restricted, and image quality deterioration due to foreign matter etc. is prevented. is suppressed.

<4. Fourth embodiment>
FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating drum life check processing according to the fourth embodiment. The drum lifespan check process shown in the fourth embodiment differs from the drum lifespan check process shown in FIG. 9 in that a judgment process S50 is added before the judgment process S51. The determination process S50 is a process in which the control unit 51 determines whether the drum cartridge 20 is in a state that requires checking based on the drum life information. The check-required state is a state before the replacement-required state, and is a state in which discharge history information needs to be checked.

In the determination process S50, the control unit 51 determines whether the "cumulative number of printed sheets" of the drum life information exceeds a predetermined threshold T31 representing a state that requires checking, and whether the "cumulative number of drum rotations" of the drum life information indicates a state that requires checking. It is determined whether the expressed threshold T41 is exceeded. Note that the threshold value T31 may be the same as the threshold value T3 or T3E representing the order-required state. Further, the threshold value T41 may be the same as the threshold value T4 or T4E representing the order-required state.

If the control unit 51 determines that the cumulative number of printed sheets exceeds the threshold value T31, or if the control unit 51 determines that the cumulative number of drum rotations exceeds the threshold value T41 (YES in determination process S50), the control unit 51 performs the determination process. Perform S51. On the other hand, if the control unit 51 determines that the cumulative number of printed sheets does not exceed the threshold T31 and the cumulative drum rotation number does not exceed the threshold T41 (NO in the determination process S50), the control unit 51 skips the determination process S51. Then, the determination process S52 is executed. As described above, the control unit 51 may perform the determination process S51 of checking the discharge history information based on the lifespan information of the drum cartridge 20.

<5. Modified example>
Although the embodiments have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above, and various modifications are possible.

For example, the charger 23 is not necessarily of the scorotron type, but may be of another type, such as a charging roller.

In the above embodiment, as described in FIG. 8, the control unit 51 controls the extension of use of the drum cartridge 20 (specifically, extension permission control and extension restriction control) according to the operation mode and drum type information. I am doing this by switching. However, it is not essential to switch the usage extension control according to the drum type information. For example, the control unit 51 may switch and control the extension of use depending only on the operation mode. Specifically, the control unit 51 may perform control to limit usage extension when set to contract mode, and may perform control to permit usage extension when set to normal mode. Further, it is not essential to switch the control of extended use depending on the operation mode. For example, the control unit 51 may switch and control the usage extension based only on the drum type information.

The server 7 is an example of a communication device, and the communication device is not limited to the server 7. The communication device may be an information terminal such as a PC, a smartphone, or a tablet. Then, the control unit 51 of the image forming apparatus 1 may transmit order information (including drum information and the like in the second embodiment) to the information terminal. In this case, the information terminal may transmit the order information to the server 7. Furthermore, e-mail may be used for data communication between devices.

Although the image forming apparatus 1 is configured as a color printer including toner cartridges 30 of multiple colors, it may be a monochrome printer with a single color. If the image forming apparatus is a monochrome printer, a drum cartridge having one photosensitive drum 21 may be provided for one toner cartridge 30. Furthermore, it is not essential that the drum cartridge 20 be configured to hold four toner cartridges 30 at the same time. FIG. 18 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a modified image forming apparatus 1a. The image forming apparatus 1a has a main body casing 10a, and four drum cartridges 20a are replaceably installed in the main body casing 10a. Each drum cartridge 20a has one photosensitive drum 21 and a drum memory 22. One toner cartridge 30 is replaceably attached to each drum cartridge 20a. The image forming apparatus 1a may be applied to an image forming system 100 shown in FIG. Note that in this embodiment, the toner cartridge 30 includes the developing roller 31, but the toner cartridge 30 does not need to include the developing roller 31. The drum cartridge 20 may include a developing roller 31. Further, in addition to the toner cartridge 30 without a developing roller and the drum cartridge 20, a developing cartridge including a developing roller 31 may be provided, and the cartridge may be a three-component type. In this case, the developer cartridge can be attached to the drum cartridge 20, and the toner cartridge 30 can be attached to the drum cartridge 20.

In the above embodiment, the drum cartridge 20 is exemplified as a replacement part that can be attached to the main body housing 10 and is used together with the toner cartridge 30 for image formation, but the replacement part is not limited to the drum cartridge 20. The replacement part may be, for example, the transfer unit 40 or the light source unit.

Although the present disclosure has been described in detail, the above description is illustrative in all aspects, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto. It is understood that countless variations not illustrated can be envisioned without departing from the scope of this disclosure. The configurations described in each of the above embodiments and modifications can be appropriately combined or omitted as long as they do not contradict each other.

100 Image forming system 1 Image forming apparatus 10 Main body housing 15 Voltage application circuit 17 Detector 20 Drum cartridge 21 Photosensitive drum 22 Drum memory 23 Charger 231 Charging wire 233 Grid 30 Toner cartridge 32 Toner memory 51 Control unit 513 Main body memory 515 program

Claims (16)

An image forming apparatus,
a drum cartridge including a photoreceptor drum;
a detector for detecting an abnormality in the drum cartridge;
a control unit electrically connected to the detector;
a communication interface for the control unit to communicate with a communication device via a network;
Equipped with
The control unit includes:
an abnormality determination process for determining whether an abnormality in the drum cartridge is detected by the detector;
a transmission process of transmitting order information for ordering a new drum cartridge to the communication device when it is determined by the abnormality determination process that an abnormality of the drum cartridge is detected;
Run
The drum cartridge further includes a charger that charges the surface of the photoreceptor drum,
The detector detects an abnormality in the charger,
The abnormality determination process includes a process in which the control unit determines whether an abnormality in the charger is detected by the detector,
The image forming apparatus is characterized in that the transmission process includes a process in which the control unit transmits the order information to the communication device when it is determined that an abnormality in the charger is detected by the detector. . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
a voltage application circuit that applies voltage to the charger;
Furthermore,
The detector detects a voltage value or a current value of the charger,
The abnormality determination process includes a process in which the control unit determines whether abnormal discharge of the charger has been detected based on the voltage value or the current value detected by the detector,
The transmission process may include a process in which the control unit transmits the order information to the communication device when it is determined by the abnormality determination process that abnormal discharge of the charger has been detected. Forming device. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 ,
The image forming apparatus is characterized in that the abnormality determination process includes a process in which the control unit determines whether a voltage value of the charger exceeds a threshold value representing abnormal discharge. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 or 3 ,
The image forming apparatus is characterized in that the abnormality determination process includes a process in which the control unit determines whether the number of abnormal discharges occurring in the charger exceeds a threshold value representing a discharge abnormality. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4 ,
The image forming apparatus is characterized in that the abnormality determination process includes a process in which the control unit determines whether the number of abnormal discharges that have occurred in the charger within a predetermined time exceeds a threshold value representing a discharge abnormality. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5 ,
a body memory that stores lifespan information representing the remaining lifespan of the drum cartridge;
Furthermore,
The control unit includes:
Executing a lifespan determination process for determining whether the order information should be transmitted to the communication device based on the lifespan information stored in the main body memory;
The image forming apparatus is characterized in that when it is determined by the lifespan determination process that the order information should be transmitted to the communication device, the order information is transmitted to the communication device. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6 ,
The control unit includes:
If the lifespan determination process determines that the lifespan information is less than or equal to a threshold value indicating replacement time, and the abnormality determination process determines that an abnormality in the drum cartridge has been detected, the communication device sends the order to the communication device. An image forming apparatus characterized by transmitting information. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7 ,
The lifespan determination process includes:
The control unit includes processing for determining that the order information should be transmitted to the communication device when the lifespan information exceeds a threshold value representing a time before the replacement time of the drum cartridge. , image forming device. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6 ,
The main body memory stores history information indicating that an abnormality in the drum cartridge has been detected by the detector,
The transmission process includes a history determination process in which the control unit determines whether to transmit the order information to the communication device based on the history information stored in the main body memory. Image forming device. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9 ,
The history determination process includes a process in which the control unit determines whether the history information stored in the main body memory exceeds a threshold value representing a time before the drum cartridge replacement time. An image forming device. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10 ,
The transmission process includes:
approval determination processing for determining whether the control unit has received approval to transmit the order information;
including;
The image forming apparatus is characterized in that the control unit transmits the order information to the communication device when determining that the approval has been received through the approval determination process. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11 ,
The order information is information for causing the communication device to determine whether to order a new drum cartridge, and is information indicating an abnormality in the drum cartridge detected by the detector in the abnormality determination process. An image forming apparatus characterized by: The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 6 to 10 ,
A toner cartridge containing toner,
a toner cartridge having a toner memory storing toner life information representing the remaining life of the toner cartridge;
Furthermore,
The control unit includes:
toner replacement determination processing for determining whether the toner cartridge has been replaced;
a toner lifespan information storage process of storing the toner lifespan information from the toner memory into the body memory when it is determined that the toner cartridge has been replaced by the toner replacement determination process;
a toner lifespan determination process that determines whether the toner lifespan information stored in the main body memory exceeds a predetermined threshold;
An image forming apparatus characterized by performing the following. An image forming system,
an image forming device;
a communication device capable of communicating with the image forming device via a network;
Equipped with
The image forming apparatus includes:
a drum cartridge including a photoreceptor drum;
a detector for detecting an abnormality in the drum cartridge;
a control unit electrically connected to the detector;
a communication interface for the control unit to communicate with the communication device via the network;
Equipped with
The control unit includes:
an abnormality determination process for determining whether an abnormality in the drum cartridge is detected by the detector;
a transmission process of transmitting order information for ordering a new drum cartridge to the communication device when it is determined by the abnormality determination process that an abnormality of the drum cartridge is detected;
Run
The order information includes information indicating that an abnormality in the drum cartridge has been detected,
The image forming system is characterized in that the communication device executes an ordering process for ordering a new drum cartridge based on the order information . The image forming system according to claim 14 ,
The image forming apparatus includes:
a body memory that stores lifespan information representing the remaining lifespan of the drum cartridge;
Furthermore,
The order information includes the lifespan information stored in the main body memory and information indicating that an abnormality in the drum cartridge has been detected,
The image forming system is characterized in that the communication device orders a new drum cartridge based on the order information. An image forming apparatus,
a drum cartridge including a photoreceptor drum;
a detector for detecting an abnormality in the drum cartridge;
a control unit electrically connected to the detector;
a communication interface for the control unit to communicate with a communication device via a network;
Equipped with
The control unit includes:
an abnormality determination process for determining whether an abnormality in the drum cartridge is detected by the detector;
a transmission process of transmitting order information for ordering a new drum cartridge to the communication device when it is determined by the abnormality determination process that an abnormality of the drum cartridge is detected;
Run
The order information is information for causing the communication device to determine whether to order a new drum cartridge, and is information indicating an abnormality in the drum cartridge detected by the detector in the abnormality determination process. An image forming apparatus characterized by:

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