Packaged image forming apparatus and diagnostic system of apparatus to be packaged

• US 9,429,894 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2013
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Original Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Mashiki, Masami
• Primary Examiner(s): Gray, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROTH, LAURA K
• Application Number:
  US14/011,852
• Publication Number:
  US 20140064745A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,098 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/2003 using heat
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5079 for maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/80 Details relating to power supplies, circuits boards, electrical connections
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1652 Electrical connection means

Abstract

A packaged image forming apparatus includes an image forming apparatus, and a packaging member for packaging the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes a power supply connection unit to which one end of a power cable, the other end of which is connected to an external power source, is detachably connected, a power supply voltage generation unit receiving a voltage via the power cable and generating a power supply voltage, a load circuit operating based on the power supply voltage, a status determination unit determining whether a connection status of the load circuit is normal, and a communication interface unit sending a determination result to the external device. The packaging member includes an access part enabling the one end of the power cable to be connected to the power supply connection unit in a state where the image forming apparatus is packaged.

Claims

1. A diagnostic system of an apparatus to be packaged, comprising:

a packaged image forming apparatus and an external device provided outside the packaged image forming apparatus, the packaged image forming apparatus including;

a fixation unit that performs fixation processing to a paper including a toner image via heating, the fixation unit including;

a heat roller that heats the paper during the fixation processing, and

a conductive heating element mounted inside the heat roller and generating heat as a result of a current flowing therethrough;

a power supply connection unit to which one end of a power cable, the other end of which is connected to an external power source, is detachably connected;

a single power supply voltage generation unit receiving a voltage supplied from the external power source via the power cable connected to the power supply connection unit and generating a power supply voltage;

a first load circuit supplied with the power supply voltage and outputting a first load voltage according to the power supply voltage;

a second load circuit supplied with the power supply voltage and outputting a second load voltage according to the power supply voltage;

a first main body-side connector detachably connected to a connector connected to the first load circuit, the first main body-side connector including;

a first power feeding terminal supplying the power supply voltage generated by the power supply voltage generation unit to the first load circuit, and

a first power receiving terminal receiving the first load voltage output from the first load circuit;

a second main body-side connector to which a connector connected to the second load circuit is detachably connected, the second main body-side connector including

a second power feeding terminal supplying the power supply voltage generated by the power supply voltage generation unit to the second load circuit, and

a second power receiving terminal receiving the second load voltage output from the second load circuit;

a single voltage detection unit detecting the first load voltage received by the first power receiving terminal and the second load voltage received by the second power receiving terminal;

a switch unit having a first terminal connected to the first power receiving terminal and a second terminal connected to a ground for switching between whether or not to pass an electric current between the first power receiving terminal and the ground;

a status determination unit sending a control signal to the switch unit for performing switching so that an electric current does not pass between the first power receiving terminal and the ground when the power supply voltage generation unit starts the generation of the power supply voltage and starts determination about whether a connection status of the first load circuit and the second load circuit is normal after the switch unit performs switching so that an electric current does not pass between the first power receiving terminal and the ground based on the control signal;

a communication interface unit for sending a determination result of the status determination unit to the external device;

a resistance having one end connected to the second power receiving terminal and another end connected to the ground; and

a selection unit connected to a first wiring connecting the first power receiving terminal and the first terminal of the switch unit and connected to a second wiring connecting the second power receiving terminal and the one end of the resistance and selecting one of the first load voltage applied to the first wiring and received by the first power receiving terminal and the second load voltage applied to the second wiring and received by the second power receiving terminal and outputting the selected load voltage to the voltage detection unit, wherein;

the voltage detection unit detects a load voltage inputted from the selection unit,

the status determination unit causes the selection unit to sequentially select the first load voltage and the second load voltage, causes the voltage detection unit to sequentially detect the sequentially selected load voltages and sequentially determines, based on the sequentially detected load voltages, whether a connector connected to a load circuit corresponding to one of the sequentially detected load voltages is electrically connected normally to a main body-side connector corresponding to that load circuit,

the first load circuit is the conductive heating element,

the first power receiving terminal is connected to one end on the ground side of the conductive heating element, and

the status determination unit determines that the connector connected to the first load circuit is electrically connected normally to the first main body-side connector when a voltage value of the first load voltage detected by the voltage detection unit exceeds a predetermined voltage value; and

a packaging member packaging the image forming apparatus, the packaging member includes;

an access part enabling the one end of the power cable to be connected to the power supply connection unit in a state where the image forming apparatus is packaged, and

the external device including;

a display unit displaying information,

a signal receiving unit receiving a determination result of the status determination unit sent from the communication interface unit, and

a determination result display unit causing the display unit to display information according to the determination result of the status determination unit received by the signal receiving unit.

2. The diagnostic system of an apparatus to be packaged according to claim 1, wherein

the image forming apparatus further comprises:

a temperature detection unit detecting a temperature within the image forming apparatus, wherein

the second load circuit is the temperature detection unit,

the temperature detection unit changes the second load voltage within a predetermined temperature range according to the detected temperature based on the power supply voltage, and

the status determination unit determines that the connector connected to the second load circuit is electrically connected normally to the second main body-side connector when the second load voltage detected by the voltage detection unit is a voltage corresponding to a voltage within the temperature range.

3. The diagnostic system of an apparatus to be packaged according to claim 1, wherein

the image forming apparatus further comprises:

a memory capable of reading and writing information, wherein

the status determination unit determines whether a connection status of the memory is normal when predetermined verification information is written in the memory and thereafter determination is made that the information read from the memory coincides with the verification information.

4. The diagnostic system of and apparatus to be packaged according to claim 3, wherein

the memory is configured from a plurality of predetermined successive storage areas, and

the status determination unit determines whether a connection status of the memory is normal when first verification information is written in a leading storage area among the plurality of storage areas and thereafter determination is made that information read from the leading storage area coincides with the first verification information, and at the same time when second verification information is written in a terminal storage area among the plurality of storage areas and thereafter determination is made that information read from the terminal storage area coincides with the second verification information.

5. The diagnostic system of an apparatus to be packaged according to claim 1, wherein:

the information according to the determination result of the status determination unit is information that associates a name for identifying the load circuit to be determined by the status determination unit and a symbol indicating whether the load circuit is connected normally.