IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS THAT CONTROLS REGULATION UNIT

• US 20200133197A1
• Filed: 10/10/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kaida, Yoshiteru
• Granted Patent: US 11,016,437 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5004 Power supply control, e.g. power-saving mode, automatic power turn-off
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5016 User-machine interface; Display panels; Control console
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5033 by measuring the photoconductor characteristics, e.g. temperature, or the characteristics of an image on the photoconductor
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/553 Monitoring or warning means for exhaustion or lifetime end of consumables, e.g. indication of insufficient copy sheet quantity for a job
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/556 for toner consumption, e.g. pixel counting, toner coverage detection or toner density measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1633 using doors or covers G03G21/1638 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1647 Mechanical connection means
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1839 Means for handling the process cartridge in the apparatus body
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1878 Electronically readable memory
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1654 Locks and means for positioning or alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1869 Cartridge holders, e.g. intermediate frames for placing cartridge parts therein
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1892 Presence detection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

The image forming apparatus includes a cartridge replaceable by detachably mounting to the image forming apparatus, a door that takes a closed state or an open state, a locking pin that switches a state of the regulation unit between a regulating state in which the replacement unit is prevented to be detached from the image forming apparatus and a release state in which the replacement unit is to be detachable from the image forming apparatus, and a lock control unit (a control unit) that makes a determination as to whether or not the state of the regulation unit is to be switched from the release state to the regulating state, at a predetermined timing when initial processing is completed after a power source is turned on or a state of the door becomes the closed state from the open state.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, comprising:

a replacement unit replaceable by detachably mounting to the image forming apparatus;

an open-close unit configured to be in a closed state in which the replacement unit is prevented to be accessed or in an open state in which the replacement unit is to be accessed;

a regulation unit configured to switch a state of the regulation unit between a regulating state in which the replacement unit is prevented to be detached from the image forming apparatus and a release state in which the replacement unit is to be detachable from the image forming apparatus; and

a determination unit configured to make a determination as to whether or not the state of the regulation unit is to be switched from the release state to the regulating state,

wherein the determination by the determination unit is made at a predetermined timing when initial processing is completed after a power source is turned on or a state of the open-close unit becomes the closed state from the open state.

2. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination by the determination unit is made after print processing is finished following to the completion of the initial processing.

3. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein a state of the image forming apparatus is capable of shifting to a power-saving state whose power consumption is less than power consumption of image formation, and

wherein the determination by the determination unit is made in a case where the state of the image forming apparatus is shifted to the power-saving state after the completion of the initial processing.

4. An image forming apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the image forming apparatus is capable of shifting to a stand-by state to perform image forming operations, and

wherein the shift to the power-saving state is performed after a predetermined time period elapses from the shift to the stand-by state

5. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a display unit configured to display a screen operated according to completion of replacement of the replacement unit,

wherein the determination by the determination unit is made after the screen is operated in the display unit following completion of the initial processing.

6. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a human detecting sensor configured to detect a human,

wherein the determination by the determination unit is made after the human detecting sensor no longer detect a human following to the completion of the initial processing.

7. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the initial processing comprises processing of detecting presence or absence of a recording material on a conveyance path, and cleaning processing.

8. An image forming apparatus according to claim 7, comprising:

a first memory unit configured to store information about a state of the replacement unit between the regulating state and the release state; and

a second memory unit provided in the replacement unit, the second memory unit configured to store information about the replacement unit,

wherein processing of detecting a state of the replacement unit is processing of detecting the state of the replacement unit based on information stored in the first memory unit and the second memory unit.

9. An image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the information about the replacement unit includes a serial number of the replacement unit and information about an image forming apparatus into which the replacement unit is to be mounted.

10. An image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the replacement unit is a cartridge including at least a photosensitive member on which an electrostatic latent image is to be formed;

and a development unit configured to develop the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive member with toner to form a toner image.

11. An image forming apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein the cartridge in unused state is sealed with a seal member to contain the toner inside the cartridge, and

wherein the initial processing includes processing of removing the seal member.

12. An image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the information about the replacement unit includes information about a color of the cartridge.

13. An image forming apparatus according to claim 10, comprising:

a remaining amount detection unit configured to detect a remaining amount of the toner; and

a control unit configured to store, in the second memory unit, at least a total rotation time of rotation of the photosensitive member, a total rotation distance of the rotation of the photosensitive member, and the remaining amount of the toner detected by the remaining amount detection unit, after image forming operations are performed,

wherein the control unit determines a life of the replacement unit based on the total rotation time, the total rotation distance, and the remaining amount of the toner stored in the second memory unit.

14. An image forming apparatus according to claim 13, wherein in a case where it is determined that the replacement unit is in the release state based on the information stored in the first memory unit, and the replacement unit is not at a life end based on the information stored in the second memory unit, the control unit controls the regulation unit to switch the state of the regulation unit to the regulating state.

15. An image forming apparatus according to claim 14, wherein in a case where a remaining life of the replacement unit becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value, the control unit controls the regulation unit to release the replacement unit to replace the replacement unit with a new one of the replacement unit, and stores the state of the replacement unit as in the release state in the first memory unit.

16. An image forming apparatus according to claim 13,

wherein the regulation unit comprises a lock member and a locking pin, and

wherein the control unit controls the regulating unit to be in the regulating state by bring the locking pin in a projecting state to move the lock member to a position where the replacement unit is not able to be pulled out, and to be in a release state by bringing the locking pin in a retracting state to move the lock member to a position where the replacement unit is able to be pulled out.

17. An image forming apparatus according to claim 16,

wherein the replacement unit includes a plurality of the replacement units, and

wherein the lock member and the locking pin are provided for each of the plurality of the replacement units.

18. An image forming apparatus according to claim 13,

wherein the regulation unit comprises a lock member and a locking pin configured to engage with the lock member in a projecting state and disengage from the lock member in a depressed state, and

wherein the control unit controls the regulating unit to be in the regulating state by bring the locking pin in a projecting state to engage the locking pin with the lock member, and to be in a release state by bringing a locking pin in a retracting state to disengage the locking pin from the lock member.

19. An image forming apparatus according to claim 18,

wherein the replacement unit includes a plurality of the replacement units,

wherein the open-close unit includes a plurality of the open-close units,

wherein the open-close unit is provided to each of the plurality of the replacement units, and

wherein the lock member is provided to each of the plurality of the open-close units.

20. An image forming apparatus according to claim 18,

wherein the replacement unit includes a plurality of the replacement units,

wherein the open-close unit is a door for accessing the plurality of the replacement units, and

wherein the lock member is provided to the door.