Image formation apparatus

• US 5,950,038 A
• Filed: 02/26/1998
• Issued: 09/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Okui, Kiyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): MOSES, RICHARD L
• Application Number:
  US09/031,322
• Time in Patent Office: 558 Days
• Field of Search: 399/25-27, 399/38, 399/43
• US Class Current: 399/43
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/55 Self-diagnostics; Malfunction or lifetime display
• 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 15/751 relating to drum G03G15/757 takes precedence

Abstract

An image formation apparatus which comprises a photosensitive unit 15 having a photosensitive body 14 and a device for acting on the photosensitive body 14, the photosensitive unit 15 being disposed detachably in the main body of the apparatus, and a main body controller 36 for controlling the operation of components for performing the image formation operation using the photosensitive body 14, the main body controller 36 having a main memory 40 for storing predetermined items. A recyclable substance is used for the photosensitive body 14 and the photosensitive unit 15 is provided with an auxiliary memory 17. The serial number of the main body of the apparatus and the total number of print sheets of paper counted since the main body of the apparatus was a new product are stored in the main memory 40 and the auxiliary memory 17. The cumulative number of print sheets of paper the photosensitive body 14 has printed is further stored in the auxiliary memory 17.

Claims

1. An image formation apparatus comprising:

a main body of said apparatus;

a photosensitive unit having a photosensitive body and a device for acting on the photosensitive body, said photosensitive unit being disposed detachably in said main body of said apparatus; and

a main body controller for controlling operation of components for performing image formation operation using the photosensitive body, said main body controller having a main memory for storing predetermined items,

wherein a recyclable substance is used for the photosensitive body and said photosensitive unit is provided with an auxiliary memory, and

a cumulative number of print sheets of paper the photosensitive body has printed and a total number of print sheets of paper counted over a life of the main body of said apparatus are stored in both the main memory and the auxiliary memory.

2. The image formation apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein when said photosensitive unit is replaced with another photosensitive unit, the total number of print sheets of paper counted over the life of the main body of said apparatus, stored in the main memory are stored in an auxiliary memory of the other photosensitive unit with which said photosensitive unit is replaced.

3. The image formation apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein when said main body controller is replaced with another main body controller, the cumulative number of print sheets of paper the photosensitive body has printed and the total number of print sheets of paper counted over the life of the main body of said apparatus, stored in the auxiliary memory are stored in a main memory of the other main body controller with which said main body controller is replaced.

4. The image formation apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a number of times the photosensitive body has been recycled is stored in the auxiliary memory.

5. The image formation apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein whether or not the photosensitive body is to be recycled is determined based on either or both of the number of times the photosensitive body has been recycled and the cumulative number of print sheets of paper the photosensitive body has printed.

6. An image formation apparatus comprising:

a main body of said image formation apparatus;

a photosensitive unit having a photosensitive body and a device for acting on the photosensitive body, said photosensitive unit being disposed detachably in said main body of said apparatus; and

a main body controller for controlling operation of components for performing image formation operation using the photosensitive body, said main body controller having a main memory for storing predetermined items,

wherein a recyclable substance is used for the photosensitive body and said photosensitive unit is provided with an auxiliary memory,

an identification of the main body of said apparatus and a total number of print sheets of paper counted over a life of the main body of said apparatus are stored in the main memory and the auxiliary memory, and

a cumulative number of print sheets of paper the photosensitive body has printed is further stored in the auxiliary memory.

7. The image formation apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein when said photosensitive unit is replaced with another photosensitive unit, the identification of the main body of said apparatus and the total number of print sheets of paper counted over the life of the main body of said apparatus, stored in the main memory are stored in an auxiliary memory of the other photosensitive unit with which said photosensitive unit is replaced.

8. The image formation apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein when said main body controller is replaced with another main body controller, the identification of the main body of said apparatus and the total number of print sheets of paper counted over the life of the main body of said apparatus, stored in the auxiliary memory are stored in a main memory of the other main body controller mounted with which said main body controller is replaced.

9. The image formation apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the number of times the photosensitive body has been recycled is stored in the auxiliary memory.

10. The image formation apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein whether or not the photosensitive body is to be recycled is determined based on at least one of the number of times the photosensitive body has been recycled and the cumulative number of print sheets of paper the photosensitive body has printed.

11. An image formation apparatus comprising:

a main body of said image formation apparatus;

a photosensitive unit having a photosensitive body and a device for acting on the photosensitive body, said photosensitive unit being disposed detachably in said main body of said apparatus;

an image formation unit being disposed detachably in said main body of said apparatus for performing image formation operation together with said photosensitive unit; and

a main body controller for controlling operation of components for performing image formation operation using said photosensitive unit and said image formation unit, said main body controller having a main memory for storing predetermined items,

wherein a recyclable substance is used for the photosensitive body and said photosensitive unit is provided with an auxiliary memory, and

an identification of the main body of said apparatus and a value resulting from incrementing a total number of print sheets of paper counted during use of the main body of said apparatus, the value incremented each time a sheet of paper is printed are stored in the main memory and the auxiliary memory,

a value resulting from incrementing a cumulative number of print sheets of paper the photosensitive body has printed is stored in the auxiliary memory, and

a value resulting from incrementing at least one of time and a number of print sheets using said image formation unit each time a sheet of paper is printed is stored in the main memory to measure a life of said image formation unit.

12. The image formation apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein when said photosensitive unit is replaced with another photosensitive unit, the identification of the main body of said apparatus and the value resulting from incrementing the total number of print sheets of paper counted over the life of the main body of said apparatus each time a sheet of paper is printed, stored in the main memory are stored in an auxiliary memory of the other photosensitive unit with which said photosensitive unit is replaced.

13. The image formation apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein when said main body controller is replaced with another main body controller, the identification of the main body of said apparatus and the value resulting from incrementing the total number of print sheets of paper counted over the life of the main body of said apparatus each time a sheet of paper is printed, stored in the auxiliary memory are stored in a main memory of the other main body controller mounted with which said main body controller is replaced.

14. The image formation apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein the number of times the photosensitive body has been recycled is stored in the auxiliary memory.

15. The image formation apparatus as claimed in claim 14 wherein whether or not the photosensitive body is to be recycled is determined based on at least one of the number of times the photosensitive body has been recycled and the cumulative number of print sheets of paper the photosensitive body has printed, stored in the auxiliary memory.

16. The image formation apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein when said image formation unit is replaced with a new product, at least one of the value of the time and the number of print sheets using said image formation unit before replacement, stored in the main memory, is erased and the total number of print sheets counted over the life of the main body of the apparatus to that point in time is stored in the auxiliary memory as a constant value not incremented as later printing is performed.