PACKAGED IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM OF APPARATUS TO BE PACKAGED

• US 20140064745A1
• Filed: 08/28/2013
• Published: 03/06/2014
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 9,429,894 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/9
• 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 packaged image forming apparatus, comprising:

an image forming apparatus including

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 supplied from the external power source via the power cable connected to the power supply connection unit and generating a power supply voltage,

a load circuit operating by being supplied with the power supply voltage,

a status determination unit determining whether a connection status of the load circuit is normal, and

a communication interface unit for sending a determination result of the status determination unit to an external device provided outside the packaged image forming apparatus; and

a packaging member packaging the image forming apparatus, including;

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.

2. The packaged image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the load circuit outputs a load voltage according to the power supply voltage by being supplied with the power supply voltage,

the image forming apparatus further comprising:

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

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

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

a voltage detection unit detecting the load voltage received by the power receiving terminal, wherein

when the power supply voltage is supplied to the load circuit, the status determination unit determines whether the connector connected to the load circuit is electrically connected normally to the main body-side connector, based on the load voltage detected by the voltage detection unit.

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

the image forming apparatus includes:

a plurality of load circuits; and

a plurality of main body-side connectors to which connectors connected respectively to the plurality of load circuits are detachably connected,

the image forming apparatus further comprising;

a selection unit selecting one among a plurality of load voltages corresponding to the plurality of load circuits, wherein

the voltage detection unit detects the load voltage selected by the selection unit, and

the status determination unit causes the selection unit to sequentially select the plurality of load voltages, 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 the sequentially detected load voltage is electrically connected normally to the main body-side connector corresponding to that load circuit.

4. The packaged image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the image forming apparatus further comprises:

a switch unit switching between whether or not to pass an electric current between the power receiving terminal of the main body-side connector and a ground, wherein

the status determination unit determines that the connector connected to the load circuit is electrically connected normally to the main body-side connector when a voltage value of the load voltage detected by the voltage detection unit exceeds a predetermined voltage value in a state where the switch unit is switched so as not to pass an electric current between the power receiving terminal and the ground.

5. The packaged image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the load circuit includes:

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

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

6. The packaged image forming apparatus 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.

7. The packaged image forming apparatus according to claim 6, 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 information read from the terminal storage area coincides with the second verification information.

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

the packaged image forming apparatus of claim 1; and

an 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.