Image forming apparatus

• US 10,642,204 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2019
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Inc.
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Inc.
• Inventors: Sakai, Katsuhide, Ishihara, Yasuhiro, Chikazawa, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Aydin, Sevan A
• Application Number:
  US16/259,720
• Publication Number:
  US 20190265624A1
• Time in Patent Office: 463 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5008 Driving control for rotary photosensitive medium, e.g. speed control, stop position control
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5045 Detecting the temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/55 Self-diagnostics; Malfunction or lifetime display
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00632 Electric detector, e.g. of voltage or current

Abstract

An image forming apparatus that forms an image on a sheet includes: a rotating body that forms the image; a motor that rotationally drives the rotating body; a current measurer that measures a motor current flowing through a current supply path including a winding of the motor at a measurement timing that is a timing after the motor is started; a torque acquisitor that acquires a torque value of the motor, based on a measured value of the motor current; and a corrector that performs correction to cancel a current change amount based on a characteristic change depending on a temperature state of the motor at the measurement timing, in acquisition of the torque value by the torque acquisitor.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus that forms an image on a sheet, the apparatus comprising:

a rotating body that forms the image;

a motor that rotationally drives the rotating body;

a current measurer that measures a motor current flowing through a current supply path including a winding of the motor at a measurement timing that is a timing after the motor is started;

a torque acquisitor that acquires a torque value of the motor, based on a measured value of the motor current;

a corrector that performs correction to cancel a current change amount based on a characteristic change depending on a temperature state of the motor at the measurement timing, in acquisition of the torque value by the torque acquisitor; and

a motor controller that performs vector control to rotate the motor at a target speed,

wherein the corrector obtains the current change amount based on a difference between a measured value or an estimated value of a rotational speed of the motor at the measurement timing, and the target speed, and performs correction using the current change amount.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the corrector performs correction depending on an elapsed time from starting of the motor to the measurement timing, based on information indicating a relationship between a motor operation time and the current change amount.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

the corrector stores in advance, as the information, correction information indicating a relationship between an elapsed time from starting when the motor is started in a specific temperature state, and the current change amount, and

the corrector performs correction, based on the elapsed time and the measured value of the motor current measured at the measurement timing.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the corrector identifies a temperature characteristic of the winding of the motor, based on a measured value of the motor current when the motor is started, identifies a temperature of the winding at the measurement timing from the temperature characteristic, and obtains as the current change amount a change rate of a resistance value from starting to the measurement timing by using information indicating a relationship between the temperature of the winding and the resistance value, and

the corrector performs correction using the change rate.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the motor includes a temperature sensor that detects a motor temperature, and

the corrector performs correction depending on the motor temperature, based on information indicating a relationship between the motor temperature and the current change amount.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a determiner that determines a state of the rotating body, based on the torque value acquired.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein:

the rotating body is a roller that conveys the sheet, and

the determiner determines a wear state of a circumferential surface of the rotating body.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein:

the rotating body is a member that rotates in a state in which a blade that cleans a circumferential surface of the rotating body is in contact with the rotating body, and

the determiner determines a sliding state between the rotating body and the blade.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the determiner determines or predicts a lifetime of the rotating body.

10. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a rotating body that forms the image;

a motor that rotationally drives the rotating body;

a current measurer that measures a motor current flowing through a current supply path including a winding of the motor at a measurement timing that is a timing after the motor is started;

a torque acquisitor that acquires a torque value of the motor, based on a measured value of the motor current;

a corrector that performs correction to cancel a current change amount based on a characteristic change depending on a temperature state of the motor at the measurement timing, in acquisition of the torque value by the torque acquisitor; and

a motor controller that performs vector control to bring a rotational position of the motor to a target position,

wherein the corrector obtains the current change amount based on a difference between a measured value or an estimated value of the rotational position of the motor at the measurement timing, and the target position, and performs correction using the current change amount.