Image formation system and image formation apparatus

Abstract

To specify the cause of an abnormal state of an image formation apparatus on the basis of the sound caused by an operation by a user.SOLUTION: In an image formation system having an image formation apparatus and a management apparatus, the image formation apparatus includes: a variable mechanism; physical quantity detection means which detects the change in a physical quantity that occurs when the state of the variable mechanism changes; abnormality detection means which detects that an abnormal state has occurred; and transmission means which transmits the detection results of the physical quantity detection means and abnormality detection means to the management apparatus. The management apparatus includes: determination means which determines whether a cause of the abnormal state is the change in the state of the variable mechanism; and notification means which notifies that the cause of the abnormal state is the change in the state of the variable mechanism according to the determination result of the determination means. The determination means determines that the cause of the abnormal state is the change in the state of the variable mechanism when the abnormal state is detected by the abnormality detection means after the change in the physical quantity detected by the physical quantity detection means exceeds a threshold.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 13

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus system and an image forming apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Recently, in the market for image forming devices such as laser printers, there are an increasing number of opportunities for businesses to enter into maintenance contracts or pay-per-use contracts (e.g., contracts in which fees are charged depending on the number of pages printed) with users. When parts involved in image formation (e.g., motors and blades) reach the end of their lifespan as a result of repeated image formation operations, leaving the condition unattended can lead to breakdowns and poor quality of the image forming device. Therefore, in devices covered by the above-mentioned contracts, service personnel will replace these parts as necessary.

[0003] However, the risk of abnormalities such as breakdowns and quality defects in an image forming apparatus is affected not only by repeated image forming operations but also by how a user performs physical operations such as opening and closing a cover, inserting and removing a tray, or attaching and detaching a unit. In particular, operations using a force that exceeds the durability of the apparatus may cause abnormalities such as damage to components, shortening of the lifespan, or deterioration of the quality of printed images.

[0004] Patent Document 1 describes a method in which an image forming device is equipped with a microphone inside, which detects sounds made by user operations, and if the detected sound is loud and it is determined that the force applied to the adjustable mechanism such as the cover or tray is too strong, a warning is issued to the user. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-120701 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] If too much force is applied to the variable mechanism such as the cover or tray, an abnormal state may occur when the image formation operation is performed afterwards. For example, if too much force is applied to the paper feed tray when inserting the tray into the device body, the position of the recording material contained in the paper feed tray may be significantly shifted, which may cause a jam (also called a paper jam) during image formation.

[0007] In Patent Document 1, by issuing a warning to the user, it was possible to reduce the risk of abnormalities such as breakdowns and poor quality of the image forming device caused by user operations, but it did not go so far as to automatically identify the cause of any abnormalities that occurred thereafter.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to identify the cause of an abnormal state in an image forming apparatus based on a sound caused by an operation by a user. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the image forming system of the present invention has an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording material, and a management device that manages the image forming apparatus, in which the image forming apparatus has a variable mechanism that is physically operated by a user to change from a first state to a second state or from the second state to the first state, a physical quantity detection means that detects a change in physical quantity that occurs when the state of the variable mechanism changes, an abnormality detection means that detects the occurrence of an abnormal condition in the image forming apparatus, and a transmission means that transmits the detection results of the physical quantity detection means and the abnormality detection means to the management device, and the management device has a determination means that determines whether the cause of the abnormal condition is a change in the state of the variable mechanism based on the detection result transmitted by the transmission means, and a notification means that notifies the user that the cause of the abnormal condition is the change in the state of the variable mechanism according to the determination result of the determination means, and the determination means is characterized in that when the abnormal condition is detected by the abnormality detection means after the change in the physical quantity detected by the physical quantity detection means exceeds a predetermined threshold, the determination means determines that the cause of the abnormal condition is the change in the state of the variable mechanism.

[0010] In order to achieve the above object, an image forming system of the present invention includes an image forming apparatus which forms an image on a recording material, and a management device which manages the image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus including a variable mechanism which is physically operated by a user to change from a first state to a second state or from the second state to the first state, a first state detection means which detects the change in state of the variable mechanism, a second state detection means which detects the change in state of the variable mechanism at a position different from that of the first state detection means, an abnormality detection means which detects the occurrence of an abnormality in the image forming apparatus, and a management device which transmits detection results of the first state detection means, the second state detection means and the abnormality detection means to the management device. the management device has a determination means for determining whether or not the cause of the abnormal condition is a change in the state of the variable mechanism based on the detection result transmitted by the transmission means, and a notification means for notifying that the cause of the abnormal condition is a change in the state of the variable mechanism according to the determination result of the determination means, wherein the determination means determines that the cause of the abnormal condition is a change in the state of the variable mechanism when the time interval between when the first state detection means detects the change in state and when the second state detection means detects the change in state is shorter than a predetermined threshold time and when the abnormal condition is detected thereafter by the abnormality detection means.

[0011] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the image forming apparatus of the present invention comprises, in an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording material, a variable mechanism that is physically operated by a user to change from a first state to a second state or from the second state to the first state, a physical quantity detection means that detects a change in physical quantity that occurs when the state of the variable mechanism changes, an abnormality detection means that detects the occurrence of an abnormal condition in the image forming apparatus, a determination means that determines whether the cause of the abnormal condition is a change in the state of the variable mechanism based on the detection results of the physical quantity detection means and the abnormality detection means, and a notification means that notifies that the cause of the abnormal condition is the change in the state of the variable mechanism depending on the determination result of the determination means, wherein the determination means determines that the cause of the abnormal condition is the change in the state of the variable mechanism when the abnormal condition is detected by the abnormality detection means after the change in the physical quantity detected by the physical quantity detection means exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

[0012] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the image forming apparatus of the present invention has, in an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording material, a variable mechanism that is physically operated by a user to change from a first state to a second state or from the second state to the first state, a first state detection means for detecting the change in state of the variable mechanism, a second state detection means for detecting the change in state of the variable mechanism at a position different from the first state detection means, an abnormality detection means for detecting the occurrence of an abnormal condition in the image forming apparatus, a determination means for determining whether the cause of the abnormal condition is a change in the state of the variable mechanism based on the detection results of the first state detection means, the second state detection means and the abnormality detection means, and a notification means for notifying that the cause of the abnormal condition is a change in the state of the variable mechanism depending on the determination result of the determination means, wherein the determination means determines that the cause of the abnormal condition is the change in the state of the variable mechanism when the time interval between the detection of the change in state by the first state detection means and the detection of the change in state by the second state detection means is shorter than a predetermined threshold time and the abnormal condition is detected thereafter by the abnormality detection means. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, the cause of an abnormal state in an image forming apparatus can be identified based on the sound caused by an operation by a user. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which a cassette is pulled out from the main body of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an image forming system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 5] Graphs showing the signal of the cassette switch when a cassette is inserted, the sound wave reception interval at the sound collector, and the sound wave level detected by the sound collector. [Figure 6] A graph showing the sound level over time when a cassette is inserted. [Figure 7] 1 is a graph showing the relationship between the cassette insertion speed and the average sound level of the insertion sound. [Figure 8] 11 is a graph showing the transition of cassette insertion noise with respect to the number of printed sheets. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a state in which a cassette is forcibly attached; [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the appearance of an image forming apparatus having another configuration according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] 11 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a state in which a cassette is forcibly attached in the configuration of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 10. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a condition for identifying a cause of a malfunction due to over-attachment of a cassette. [Figure 13] 11 is a flowchart showing a process for identifying the cause of a malfunction. [Figure 14] 13 is a perspective view showing how a cartridge according to a second embodiment is inserted and removed; FIG. [Figure 15] 13 is a side view showing how a cartridge is inserted and removed according to the second embodiment. FIG. [Figure 16] 10 is a graph showing an output of a detection sensor when a cartridge is inserted or removed according to the second embodiment. [Figure 17] 13 is a side view showing how the right cover according to the third embodiment is opened and closed. FIG. [Figure 18] 13 is a graph showing an output of a detection sensor when a right cover is opened and closed according to the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] [Example 1] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Although the embodiments describe a number of features, not all of these features are essential to the invention, and the features may be combined in any manner. Furthermore, in the accompanying drawings, the same reference numbers are used for the same or similar configurations, and duplicated descriptions are omitted.

[0016] [Configuration of image forming device] Fig. 1 is a configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. In Fig. 1, the suffixes Y, M, C, and K of the reference symbols indicate that the toner colors correspond to yellow, magenta, cyan, and black. However, in the following description, when it is not necessary to distinguish between colors, reference symbols without the suffixes are used.

[0017] During image formation, the photoconductor 11, which is an image carrier, is rotated clockwise in the drawing. The charging roller 12 charges the surface of the photoconductor 11 to a predetermined potential. The optical unit 13 exposes the photoconductor 11 to light to form an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor 11. The developing device 14 contains a developer, and develops the electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor 11 with the developing roller 15 to form a developer image (image). The photoconductor 11, the charging roller 12, the developing device 14, and the developing roller 15 are integrated into a cartridge 26, which is detachable from the main body 10 of the image forming apparatus 1.

[0018] The primary transfer roller 16 outputs a primary transfer bias, transfers the electrostatic latent image on the photoreceptor 11 to the intermediate transfer belt 17, which is an image carrier, and forms a developer image on the intermediate transfer belt 17. Note that by transferring the developer images formed on the photoreceptors 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K onto the intermediate transfer belt 17 in an overlapping manner, a full-color developer image can be formed on the intermediate transfer belt 17.

[0019] The intermediate transfer belt 17 is stretched by a belt drive roller 18, a tension roller 25, and a secondary transfer opposing roller 20. During image formation, the belt drive roller 18 drives the intermediate transfer belt 17 to rotate in a counterclockwise direction in the figure by a driving force from a driving source (not shown). As a result, the developer image transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 17 is transported to a position facing the secondary transfer roller 19.

[0020] Meanwhile, recording materials (sheets) P ​​stored in a feeding cassette 2 are fed to a conveying path by a pick roller 3. The recording materials P are conveyed while being separated one by one at a nip between a feeding roller 4 and a separation roller 5. The pick roller 3, the feeding roller 4 and the separation roller 5 constitute a feeding section. The feeding cassette 2 is provided with a capacity detection sensor 30 that detects the amount of recording materials P contained therein. The capacity detection sensor 30 is constituted by an optical sensor, and detects the amount of recording materials P contained therein by detecting the height of the paper surface of the recording materials P. A conveying sensor 31 (abnormality detection means) is provided on the conveying path, and is configured to monitor the conveying state of the recording materials P.

[0021] The conveying roller pair 6 conveys the fed recording material P toward the downstream side of the conveying path, that is, toward the opposing position of the secondary transfer roller 19. The secondary transfer roller 19 outputs a secondary transfer bias to transfer the developer image on the intermediate transfer belt 17 to the recording material P. After the developer image has been transferred, the recording material P is conveyed to a fixing device 21. The fixing device 21 is detachably attached to the apparatus body 10 of the image forming apparatus 1, and applies pressure and heat to the recording material P to fix the developer image to the recording material P. After the developer image has been fixed, the recording material P is discharged to the outside of the image forming apparatus 1 by a discharge roller pair 22.

[0022] The image forming apparatus 1 also has a double-sided conveying path, indicated by dotted lines in FIG. 1, so that printing can be performed on both sides of the recording material P. When the user specifies double-sided printing, the position of the double-sided flapper 40 is determined so that the recording material P printed on the first side passes through the fixing device 21 and then passes through the double-sided conveying path. The recording material P that has passed through the double-sided flapper 40 is switched back by the double-sided reversing roller 41, passes through the double-sided conveying roller 42 in the right cover 80, and again reaches the position facing the secondary transfer roller 19, where printing is performed on the second side. The recording material P printed on both sides passes through the fixing device 21. At this time, the position of the double-sided flapper 40 is switched so that the recording material P faces the discharge roller 22, and the recording material P printed on both sides is discharged to the discharge tray 24.

[0023] The feeding cassette 2 provided in the image forming apparatus 1 is detachable from the apparatus body 10 in order to replenish the recording material P. Fig. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the image forming apparatus 1. Fig. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which the feeding cassette 2 has been pulled out from the apparatus body 10 of the image forming apparatus 1. As shown in Fig. 3, the apparatus body 10 of the image forming apparatus 1 is provided with a push-type cassette switch 1a as a state detection means for detecting the attached / detached state of the feeding cassette 2. The cassette switch 1a is designed to output a different output voltage when it is pressed and when it is released.

[0024] The cassette switch 1a is pressed against a cassette switch pressing surface 2b formed on the feed cassette 2, thereby detecting that the feed cassette 2 is in an attached state. The feed cassette 2 is detachable along a guide rail (not shown) provided in the device body 10 of the image forming apparatus 1. When refilling the recording material P, the user holds the cassette gripping portion 2a formed on the feed cassette 2 and pulls out the feed cassette 2 in the left direction of the black arrow 50 shown in FIG. 3. At this time, the cassette switch 1a and the cassette switch pressing surface 2b are separated, so that it is detected that the feed cassette 2 has been pulled out. By inserting the feed cassette 2 into the device body 10 after refilling the recording material P, the cassette switch pressing surface 2b presses the cassette switch 1a, and it is detected that the feed cassette 2 is attached.

[0025] The recording material P is fed in the direction of a white arrow 51. The feeding cassette 2 is provided with side regulating plates 2c and 2d, and the side regulating plates 2c and 2d keep the recording material P in a predetermined position with respect to the feeding cassette 2.

[0026] Returning to Fig. 1 for further explanation, the image forming apparatus 1 has a sound collector 70 (physical quantity detection means) that detects sound. In this embodiment, a MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System) microphone that converts vibration displacement of a diaphragm caused by pressure into a voltage change and outputs the voltage change is used as the sound collector 70. Note that, as long as it is possible to receive sound waves in the audible range, microphones other than MEMS microphones, such as condenser microphones, can also be used.

[0027] [Image formation system configuration] 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an image forming system 200 according to this embodiment. In addition to the image forming apparatus 1, the image forming system 200 includes a management server 170 (management device) that manages the image forming apparatus 1, and a monitoring tool 180 for a serviceman who performs maintenance and inspection of the image forming apparatus 1.

[0028] The controller 100 of the image forming apparatus 1 includes a sound processing circuit 110, a buffer 120, an operation state notification unit 130, an operation state notification unit 140, and a CPU 150. The sound processing circuit 110 includes an amplifier 111, an AD converter 112, a DC removal circuit 113, a square calculation circuit 114, and a section average circuit 115. The sound processing circuit 110 will be described in detail later. The CPU 150 is connected to a communication interface 160 and a display 165.

[0029] The operation state notification unit 130 monitors the state of one or more variable mechanisms of the image forming apparatus 1 based on a state detection signal input from a state detection unit such as the cassette switch 1a. When the operation state notification unit 130 detects a change in the state of a certain variable mechanism from a change in the voltage of the state detection signal, it notifies the CPU 150 of the change in state. The operation state notification unit 130 may also notify the CPU 150 of information identifying the variable mechanism whose state has changed.

[0030] The operation status notification unit 140 notifies the CPU 150 of position information of the recording material P being conveyed, which is read by the conveyance sensor 31, operation information of the motors and various actuators constituting the image forming apparatus 1, or operation information of electric components such as a power supply. There may be multiple operation status notification units 140, one for each sensor or actuator.

[0031] The CPU 150 is a processor that controls the operation of the image forming apparatus 1. In addition to controlling the normal image forming operation, the CPU 150 judges the operation state of the image forming apparatus 1 from the position information of the recording material P and the operation information of each component notified from the operation state notifying unit 140, and judges whether to continue or stop the operation. In other words, it judges whether an abnormal state has occurred. For example, if the conveyance sensor 31 cannot detect the recording material P by a predetermined timing after starting to feed the recording material P, the CPU 150 judges that a jam (also called a paper jam) has occurred and stops the operation of the image forming apparatus 1. Other factors that may cause the operation of the image forming apparatus 1 to be stopped include a temperature problem of the fixing unit 21 and an abnormal speed of the photoconductor 11 or the intermediate transfer belt 17.

[0032] The communication interface 160 is an interface for the image forming apparatus 1 to communicate with other apparatuses. The communication interface 160 may be a wired interface or a wireless interface. The display 165 is a device that displays information generated by the CPU 150. Operation information and information regarding malfunctions of the image forming apparatus 1 output from the CPU 150 are displayed on the display 165.

[0033] The management server 170 is provided with a CPU 175, similar to the controller 100. The CPU 150 can transmit information to the management server 170 via the communication interface 160. The CPU 175 of the management server 170 performs various analyses based on the received information. The monitoring tool 180 is provided with a display 185, and the CPU 175 can transmit analysis results that are useful for a serviceman to perform maintenance and inspection of the image forming apparatus 1 to the monitoring tool 180 and display the analysis results on the display 185.

[0034] By receiving the information about the malfunction of the device, the serviceman can instruct the user how to solve the malfunction of the device even if he is in a remote location, provide a worn out regularly replaced unit, or visit the user's site to repair the malfunction.

[0035] [How sound detection works] Next, a mechanism for detecting sound used in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4. The sound processing circuit 110 in Fig. 4 includes an amplifier 111, an AD converter 112, a DC removal circuit 113, a square calculation circuit 114, and a section average circuit 115.

[0036] The sound collector 70 acquires audible sound waves generated when a user physically operates a variable mechanism of the image forming apparatus 1, and outputs a sound level signal, which is an analog signal indicating the level of the acquired sound waves, to the amplifier 111. The amplifier 111 amplifies the sound level signal and outputs the amplified signal to the AD converter 112. The AD (Analog-Digital) converter 112 converts the format of the signal input from the amplifier 111 from analog to digital, and outputs the digital sound level signal to the DC removal circuit 113. The DC (Direct Current) removal circuit 113 converts the sound level signal input from the AD converter 112 into a signal indicating only the fluctuation of the sound level (sound pressure) by removing the DC component, and outputs the converted signal to the square calculation circuit 114. The sound level signal from which the DC component has been removed indicates the sound pressure fluctuation as a signed numerical value. The squaring circuit 114 squares the value of the sound level signal input from the DC removal circuit 113, and outputs the squared signal to the section average circuit 115. The squared sound level signal indicates the magnitude of the sound pressure fluctuation with a positive numerical value. The section average circuit 115 calculates the section average of the sound level signal input from the squaring circuit 114 for each time section having a certain time length. The time length of each time section may be a fixed length, for example, 2 ms. Alternatively, the section average circuit 115 may apply a different time length to each time section depending on the type of sound detected. The sound level signal is shaped through the above-mentioned squaring and section averaging, and becomes time-series sound level data indicating the magnitude of the sound pressure fluctuation for each time section. The section average circuit 115 sequentially transmits the sound level data as a result of the section averaging to the buffer 120.

[0037] When a change in the state of the variable mechanism of the image forming apparatus 1 is detected, the CPU 150 generates statistical information on the sound waves acquired by the sound collector 70 based on the sound wave level data stored in the buffer 120. As an example, the CPU 150 acquires the sound wave levels before and after the time when the state change is detected from the buffer 120, and generates statistical information on the sound waves from the acquired sound wave levels. The statistical information on the sound waves generated by the CPU 150 may include one or more of the average, maximum, and integrated value of the sound wave levels in the acquired time period. Such statistical information may be used as an index for evaluating the strength of the force applied to the variable mechanism during operation by the user.

[0038] [How to get operation sounds] A method of acquiring sound waves (i.e., operation sounds) when the variable mechanism is operated by a user will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a graph showing the voltage value of the state detection signal output by the cassette switch 1a, the reception interval of the sound waves by the sound collector 70, and the sound wave level received by the receiving unit when the feeding cassette 2, which is the variable mechanism, is attached to or detached from the device body 10 of the image forming device 1. In this embodiment, if the state in which the feeding cassette 2 is detached from the device body 10 is the first state, and the state in which the feeding cassette 2 is attached to the device body 10 is the second state, the operation sound is detected when the feeding cassette 2 transitions from the first state to the second state.

[0039] The signal of the cassette switch 1a transitioned from a low level to a high level at time T1. This indicates that the feeding cassette 2 has been removed from the device body 10. From this time T1, the sound collector 70 starts receiving sound waves. Next, at time T3, the signal of the cassette switch 1a transitioned from a high level to a low level. This indicates that the feeding cassette 2 has been completely inserted into the device body 10. In this embodiment, the strength of the force applied to the feeding cassette 2 when the feeding cassette 2 is inserted is evaluated by capturing the sound waves when the feeding cassette 2 is inserted into the device body 10. Therefore, in order to capture the sound waves when the feeding cassette 2 is inserted into the main body, the sound collector 70 receives sound waves from when the cassette switch 1a transitions to a low level until a certain time (T4).

[0040] As described above, the sound level data received by the sound collector 70 is sent to the buffer 120 at any time. The CPU 150 receives only the necessary data from the buffer 120. The necessary data here is only the data before and after the sound peak when the feeding cassette 2 is inserted into the device body 10, so the CPU 150 receives the sound level data from the section T2 to T4 including that sound level data. In this way, by acquiring sound level data synchronized with the signal of the cassette switch 1a, it is possible to distinguish from sounds other than the operation of the feeding cassette 2 (for example, sounds outside the device). This makes it possible to accurately detect the sound when the feeding cassette 2 is inserted into the device body 10.

[0041] [Changes in sound level due to differences in cassette operation strength] Fig. 6 shows the sound level received in the section from T2 to T4 in Fig. 5, i.e., the sound level data transmitted to CPU 150. The horizontal axis of the graph represents time (s), and the left vertical axis (left axis) represents the sound level. The right vertical axis (right axis) represents the voltage value of the state detection signal output by cassette switch 1a, and the magnitude of this voltage is shown by the dashed line in Fig. 6.

[0042] The solid line in FIG. 6 indicates a case where the feeding cassette 2 is operated with a relatively strong force, and the dashed line indicates a case where the feeding cassette 2 is operated with a relatively weak force. As shown in the figure, in the case where the feeding cassette 2 is inserted at a high speed with a strong operation strength, the sound level is particularly high around T=0.5, compared with the case where the feeding cassette 2 is inserted at a low speed with a weak operation strength. Therefore, by analyzing statistical values ​​such as the average value, maximum value, or integrated value of the sound level over the section 171 including T=0.5, it is possible to evaluate whether the operation of the feeding cassette 2 by the user was appropriate. In this embodiment, the average value of the sound level in the section 171 is calculated by the CPU 150 and used as an index of the operation strength of the feeding cassette 2 by the user. In the example of FIG. 6, the section 171 is a section of 100 milliseconds from T=0.45 to T=0.55.

[0043] 7 is a graph showing the relationship between the insertion speed (m / s) of the feeding cassette 2 and the average sound level (dBV) generated at that time. The horizontal axis of the graph represents the cassette insertion speed (m / s), and the vertical axis represents the average sound level (dBV). The cross marks plotted on the graph indicate the actual measured values ​​when no recording material P is contained in the feeding cassette 2. The triangle marks indicate the actual measured values ​​when the feeding cassette 2 contains a medium amount of recording material P (10% to 80% of the cassette capacity). The black circles indicate the actual measured values ​​when the feeding cassette 2 is fully loaded with recording material P (80% or more of the cassette capacity).

[0044] 7, the average sound wave level generated by the insertion of the feed cassette 2 is proportional to the cassette insertion speed, and is almost independent of the amount of recording material P contained in the feed cassette 2. Therefore, from the average sound wave level of the operation sound when the feed cassette 2 is operated, it is possible to estimate index values ​​such as the speed, acceleration, or force applied to the feed cassette 2 at that time.

[0045] Here, as an example, -20 dBV (172 in FIG. 7) is set as the threshold value for determining that the force applied to the feed cassette 2 is strong. In the following, the application of a strong force to the variable mechanism including the feed cassette 2 is referred to as strong attachment. Other variable mechanisms include an opening / closing cover and a unit that can be attached and detached from the device main body 10, but since these have different distances from the sound collector 70, it is desirable to set the threshold value for determining that the strong attachment described here has occurred individually for each variable mechanism. Furthermore, in a device configuration in which the feed cassette 2 is in multiple stages, the threshold value for determining that the strong attachment has occurred may be set individually for each feed cassette 2.

[0046] 8 is a graph illustrating the transition of the average sound wave level when inserting the feed cassette 2 and the number of printed sheets in the image forming apparatus 1. Since the illustrated feed cassette 2 can accommodate 500 sheets of recording material P, the feed cassette 2 is opened and closed to accommodate the recording material P approximately every time the number of printed sheets reaches 500 sheets.

[0047] In Fig. 8, the insertion of the feeding cassette 2 is performed at or below the threshold of -20 dBV up to the number of printed sheets P1, indicating that the feeding cassette 2 is inserted with a relatively weak force. On the other hand, at the number of printed sheets P2, a sound wave level exceeding the threshold of -20 dBV is detected, indicating that the feeding cassette 2 was inserted with a strong force. From the number of printed sheets P3 onwards, the sound wave level again becomes below the threshold of -20 dBV, indicating that the feeding cassette 2 was inserted with a relatively weak force.

[0048] In addition, the determination of whether or not strong attachment has been performed may be made when the threshold value is exceeded once, or may be made when the threshold value is exceeded multiple times. In addition, in order to eliminate the influence of the sensitivity variation of the sound collector 70 and the influence of the variation of the insertion sound for each device, strong attachment may be determined based on the relative change in the sound wave level. Determination based on the relative change is a method in which the sound wave level in a situation where the operation strength is weak is set as the initial value, and whether or not strong attachment has been performed is determined based on the amount of change in the sound wave level from the initial value.

[0049] [Jam occurs due to cassette being inserted too hard] In this embodiment, the cause of the jam is identified as being the forceful insertion by combining the occurrence of the forceful insertion with the characteristics of the jam phenomenon that may occur due to the forceful insertion, which will be described below.

[0050] First, an example of a jam caused by a forced attachment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0051] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing the position and attitude of the recording material P in the feed cassette 2 when the feed cassette 2 is forcibly attached. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing the cross section A in Fig. 3, and other members of the image forming apparatus 1 except for the feed cassette 2 are not shown.

[0052] FIG. 9(a) shows a normal state where no forced attachment occurs. FIG. 9(b) to (d) show states where forced attachment occurs. FIG. 9(b) shows a state where, when the recording material P is stored in a large amount, the feeding cassette 2 suddenly stops during forced attachment, and the inertial force acts on the upper several sheets of recording material P1, causing the recording material P1 to climb over the side regulating plate 2d. FIG. 9(c) shows a state where, when the recording material P is stored in a large amount, the side regulating plates 2c and 2d are shifted outward due to the weight of the recording material P, causing the upper several sheets of recording material P2 to shift in position. FIG. 9(d) shows a state where the recording material P is bent when the recording material P is stored in a small amount, causing the side regulating plates 2c and 2d to shift inward due to forced attachment. As shown in FIG. 9(b) to (d), if the recording material P is shifted from the correct position or posture due to the forced attachment, there is a high possibility that a jam will occur during image formation.

[0053] In the image forming apparatus 1 shown in Fig. 3, the inserting and removing direction of the feeding cassette 2 (black arrow 50 in Fig. 2) is perpendicular to the feeding direction 51 of the recording material P. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. Using Figs. 10 and 11, a jam caused by forced attachment in an image forming apparatus 300 having a different configuration from the image forming apparatus 1 in Figs. 1 to 3 will be described.

[0054] As shown in Figures 10(a) and (b), in the image forming apparatus 300, the insertion / removal direction 302 of the feeding cassette 301 and the feeding direction 303 of the recording material P are parallel. Cross section B of Figure 10(b) is shown in Figure 11. Figure 11(a) shows a normal state where no forced attachment has occurred. When the cassette 301 is inserted into the image forming apparatus 300, the lifter plate 305 lifts the recording material P, and the recording material P can be conveyed in the conveying direction 310 by the pick roller 306 and the feeding roller 307. The feeding roller 307 forms a separation nip together with the separation roller 308, and separates the multiple sheets of recording material P into one sheet.

[0055] FIG. 11B shows a state in which the trailing edge regulating plate 304 has moved to the left side in the figure due to the strong attachment. If the trailing edge regulating plate 304 moves significantly, the recording material P may separate from the pick roller 306, and in this case, the pick roller 306 cannot feed the recording material P. FIG. 11C shows a state in which the recording material P is not displaced, but only the trailing edge regulating plate 304 is displaced. In the image forming apparatus, the size of the recording material P may be set from the position information of the trailing edge regulating plate 304. The conveyance control of the recording material P may be performed using this set size and the actual length of the recording material P measured by a sensor provided in the conveyance path, such as the conveyance sensor 31 shown in FIG. 1. When the trailing edge regulating plate 304 is displaced as shown in FIG. 11C, a discrepancy occurs between the set size and the actual length, and the image forming operation is stopped as it is determined that an abnormality in the size mismatch of the recording material P has occurred. In addition, a method for measuring the actual length size of the recording material P using the conveying sensor 31 may be, for example, a method of multiplying the time from when the conveying sensor 31 detects the leading end of the recording material P to when it detects the trailing end by the speed of the recording material P.

[0056] 11D shows a state in which, when the recording material P is stored in a large amount, the inertial force caused by the sudden stop during the forced attachment acts on the upper several sheets of recording material P3, causing the recording material P3 to climb over the trailing end regulating plate 304. When the recording material P3 climbs over the trailing end regulating plate 304 as shown in FIG. 11D, the time from when feeding starts until it reaches the conveyance sensor 31 installed downstream of the feed roller 307 in the conveyance direction becomes longer. As a result, the threshold time for determining that a jam has occurred is exceeded, and the CPU 150 determines that a jam has occurred, even though a jam has not actually occurred.

[0057] In this way, regardless of the relationship between the insertion / removal direction of the feeding cassette 2 and the feeding direction of the recording material P, if the feeding cassette 2 is forcedly attached, the position or posture of the recording material P in the feeding cassette 2 may shift, resulting in a jam.

[0058] [Identifying the cause of jams caused by cassettes being inserted too tightly] In order to determine that the cause of the jam caused by the above phenomenon is forced insertion, it is desirable to add various conditions to the judgment criteria, such as the relationship between the timing of the forced insertion and the timing of the jam, the relationship between the location where the forced insertion occurred and the jam position, and the amount of paper that can be accommodated in the cassette.

[0059] First, the relationship between the timing of the occurrence of the forced insertion and the timing of the jam will be described again with reference to FIG. 8. As described above, in FIG. 8, the forced insertion occurs at the number of printed sheets P2. As described in FIG. 9 and FIG. 11, when the cassette is forcedly inserted, a jam is likely to occur immediately after the forced insertion. From this, it can be determined that a jam that occurs within the predetermined number of printed sheets 173 from the number of printed sheets P2 at which the forced insertion is detected is likely to be caused by the forced insertion. In this way, by adding the relationship between the timing of the occurrence of the forced insertion and the timing of the jam to the determination conditions, it is possible to more accurately identify that the cause of the jam is the forced insertion. Note that the predetermined number of printed sheets 173 may be the number of printed sheets (173 in FIG. 8) until the next time the feeding cassette 2 is opened and closed, or may be determined by the number of printed sheets after the occurrence of the forced insertion. Also, it may be determined by time instead of the number of printed sheets.

[0060] Next, the relationship between the location of the forced insertion and the jam position will be described. The accuracy of identifying the cause can be improved by adding the location of the forced insertion and the jam position to the conditions for determining the cause. For example, in an apparatus configuration in which cassettes are arranged in multiple stages, even if a jam occurs in a cassette lower than the cassette in which the forced insertion occurred (on the upstream side in the conveying direction of the recording material P), it is not determined that the jam is caused by the forced insertion because there is no causal relationship with the forced insertion. Alternatively, a jam that occurs in a feeding section from a source other than a cassette, such as a manual feed tray, is not determined to be caused by the forced insertion because there is no causal relationship with the forced insertion of the cassette. On the other hand, if there is a causal relationship between the location of the forced insertion and the jam position, such as when a jam occurs when the recording material P is fed from a cassette in which the forced insertion occurred, there is a high possibility that the jam is caused by the forced insertion.

[0061] As described above, the amount of paper that can be accommodated in the cassette affects the position and attitude of the recording material P in the cassette, or the displacement of the regulating plate. Therefore, by adding the amount of paper that can be accommodated in the cassette to the conditions for determining the cause of a jam, the accuracy of identifying the cause of a jam is improved.

[0062] These conditions are illustrated in FIG. 12. First, in Case 1, the feeding cassette 2 is not overloaded, so even if a jam occurs, it is not determined that the jam is caused by the overload. In Case 2, the feeding cassette 2 is overloaded, and a jam occurs within a predetermined number of prints after the overload occurs, but since the jam does not occur in a predetermined section, it is not determined that the jam is caused by the overload. Here, the predetermined section refers to a conveyance section of the recording material P that includes the cassette in which the overload occurs and is located downstream from the cassette. In Case 3, the number of prints from the occurrence of the overload until the jam occurs is not within a predetermined number of prints, so it is not determined that the jam is caused by the overload. In Case 4, the paper capacity is medium (10% to 80% of the cassette capacity), so it is unlikely that the jam is caused by the overload, and it is not determined that the jam is caused by the overload. In Case 5, as described above, a jam occurs within a predetermined printing section after the overload occurs, and the paper capacity at that time is full (80% or more of the cassette capacity), so it is determined that the jam is likely caused by the overload. In Case 6, the same conditions as Case 5 are met except that the paper capacity is very small (less than 10% of the cassette capacity), so it is determined that the cause is similarly likely to be overloading. Figure 12 is just one example, but by combining these conditions, it is possible to accurately determine the cause of a jam due to overloading.

[0063] A flowchart of a method for identifying the cause of a malfunction (abnormal state) caused by overfitting of the variable mechanism according to the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 13. The flowchart in Fig. 13 is realized by the CPU 150 included in the controller 100 executing a program stored in a ROM (not shown) or the like.

[0064] First, when the identification of the cause of the malfunction is started (S101), the CPU 150 detects whether or not there is a change in the state of the variable mechanism such as the feed cassette 2 (S102). When a change in state is detected, the CPU 150 detects and stores a change in a physical quantity that occurs when the state of the variable mechanism changes (S103). In this embodiment, the insertion speed of the feed cassette 2 is measured by detecting the insertion sound (sound pressure) of the feed cassette 2 with a microphone, but a speed detector that directly detects the insertion speed of the feed cassette 2 may be provided instead. In addition, a vibration detector that detects vibrations when the feed cassette 2 is inserted, a force detector that detects impact force, or the like may be provided instead. In addition, the variable mechanism is not limited to the feed cassette 2, and may be a unit that is detachable from the apparatus main body 10, such as an opening / closing cover, a fixing unit, or a cartridge.

[0065] Next, CPU 150 predicts whether or not a malfunction caused by the operation of the variable mechanism may occur from the detected change in physical quantity (S104), and then judges whether or not a malfunction has actually occurred (S105). If a malfunction has occurred, CPU 150 judges whether or not a malfunction caused by the operation of the variable mechanism predicted in S104 has occurred based on the conditions shown in FIG. 12 (S106). Note that CPU 150 may determine that a malfunction caused by the operation of the variable mechanism has occurred based on the satisfaction of some of the conditions, even if not all of the conditions shown in FIG. 12 are satisfied. CPU 150 may not determine that the malfunction is caused by the strong attachment when the malfunction is detected before the strong attachment of the variable mechanism is detected, and may determine that the malfunction is caused by the strong attachment when the malfunction is detected after the strong attachment is detected.

[0066] Finally, the CPU 150 displays the determination results of the cause identification and troubleshooting based on the cause on the display 165, or transmits them to the external management server 170 via the communication interface 160 (S107). The management server 170 may transmit the information to the monitoring tool 180 and display it on the display 185 of the monitoring tool 180. This ends the flowchart for identifying the cause of the malfunction (S108). Note that if no change in the state of the variable mechanism is detected in S102 or if no malfunction is detected in S105, the flowchart for identifying the cause ends.

[0067] Here, in the above-mentioned flow chart, the CPU 150 included in the controller 100 of the image forming apparatus 1 or the image forming apparatus 300 identifies the cause of the malfunction, but some or all of these processes may be performed by the CPU 175 of the management server 170. For example, the CPU 150 may transmit information (detection results) such as data obtained from the sound collector 70 and the location of the malfunction to the management server 170, and the CPU 175 may be in charge of analyzing detailed sound wave level data / identifying the cause of the malfunction. This can simplify the function of the controller 100 of the image forming apparatus 1 or the image forming apparatus 300. In addition, the memory capacity of the buffer 120 can be reduced, which also leads to a reduction in the cost of the controller 100.

[0068] [Identifying causes other than jams] When the cassette is strongly attached, problems other than jams may occur. For example, when the feeding cassette 2 is strongly attached, the side regulating plates 2c and 2d may be damaged, and the position of the recording material P in the feeding cassette 2 may be biased in one direction of the paper width. If an image forming operation is performed in this state, when the recording material P biased in one direction of the paper width passes through the fixing device 21 continuously, a portion of the heating section in the fixing device 21 through which the recording material P does not pass may be created. In this case, the heating section through which the recording material P does not pass may become overheated, causing the end temperature of the fixing device 21 to rise, which may lead to a breakdown of the image forming device 1. For this reason, the image forming device 1 may notify the user of a fixing end temperature rise error and stop the image forming operation. In this case, too, when a tendency for the end temperature to rise due to the strong attachment is detected, it is possible to determine that the cause of the fixing end temperature rise error is the strong attachment. For example, it is possible to avoid errors or breakdowns in the device by encouraging the user to check the feeding cassette 2.

[0069] In addition to the end temperature rise error of the fixing device 21, if the side regulating plates 2c and 2d are damaged, the recording material P will continue to skew. When skew occurs, in addition to jams and fixing end temperature rise errors, image quality defects may occur in which the image is tilted relative to the recording material P. In this case, too, the cause of skew due to forced attachment can be identified by combining with a sensor that detects skew. In this way, if the side regulating plates 2c and 2d are damaged, a continuous malfunction will be detected. Therefore, the predetermined number of printed sheets 173 described in FIG. 8 can be set to a longer range compared to the case of jamming, or a trend within the predetermined number of printed sheets (for example, a tendency for continuous skew, etc.) can be detected to determine whether the malfunction is due to forced attachment.

[0070] As described above, according to this embodiment, the cause of the abnormal state of the image forming apparatus can be identified based on the sound caused by the user's operation.

[0071] [Example 2] A method for identifying the cause of a malfunction according to Example 2 will be described. Since Example 2 has a basic configuration similar to that of Example 1 described in Fig. 1, a description of the same points as those in Example 1 will be omitted and only the different points will be described.

[0072] In the first embodiment, whether or not the cassette is over-inserted is determined by detecting the sound waves generated when the cassette is inserted. In this embodiment, the detection of over-insertion is performed in a manner different from that in the first embodiment. Also, the variable mechanism will be described using a cartridge 26 as a unit that is detachable from the device main body 10, instead of the cassette of the first embodiment.

[0073] [Outline of the configuration of the second embodiment] Fig. 14(a) is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus 1 with the front cover 30 open. As shown in Fig. 14(a), the front cover 30 can be opened and closed in the direction of the arrow 110. When the front cover 30 is opened, the cartridge 26 is exposed and can be inserted or removed by the user. Fig. 14(b) shows a state in which the yellow cartridge 26Y has been pulled out, and the cartridge 26 can be inserted or removed in the direction of the arrow 111.

[0074] 15(a) to 15(d) are schematic diagrams for explaining the state when the cartridge 26 is inserted into the apparatus main body 10. The image forming apparatus 1 is not shown except for parts necessary for the explanation. As shown in FIG. 15, the cartridge 26 is provided with a notch 27 and a driven coupling portion 28. The image forming apparatus 1 is provided with a motor 60, a pinion gear 61, a drive gear 62, and detection sensors 71, 71, and the drive gear 62 is integrally formed with a drive coupling portion 62a. The pinion gear 61 and the drive gear 62 are formed of helical gears.

[0075] FIG. 15(a) shows the cartridge 26 in a state where it has been pulled out from the main body 10 of the image forming apparatus 1, which corresponds to the state shown in FIG. 14(b). FIGS. 15(b) and 15(c) show the cartridge 26 in the middle of being inserted into the main body 10, and FIG. 15(d) shows the cartridge 26 in a state where it has been completely inserted into the main body 10, which corresponds to the state shown in FIG. 14(a). When the cartridge 26 is completely inserted into the main body 10, the driving coupling portion 62a and the driven coupling portion 28Y are coupled together, and the driving force of the motor 60 is transmitted to the driven coupling portion 28Y as the image forming operation starts. When the driven coupling portion 28Y is driven, the photoconductor 11, the charging roller 12, and the developing roller 15 in the cartridge 26 are driven, and image formation is performed.

[0076] [Method of detecting over-fitting in embodiment 2] Here, a mechanism for detecting the speed at which the cartridge 26 is inserted into the main body 10 of the image forming apparatus 1 will be described with reference to Figs. 15 and 16. First, a configuration for detecting the speed at which the cartridge 26 is inserted into the image forming apparatus 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 15. As described above, the image forming apparatus 1 is provided with the detection sensors 71, 71. The detection sensors 71, 71 may be reflective optical sensors or contact switches, and will be described as reflective optical sensors here. The reflective optical sensor outputs a voltage indicating ON when there is a reflective surface of an object in a nearby position, and outputs a voltage indicating OFF when there is no reflective surface of an object in a nearby position. In other words, the detection sensors 71, 71 are sensors for detecting whether the cartridge 26 is attached to the main body 10, and the two sensors detect the cartridge 26 at different positions.

[0077] In Fig. 15(a), there is no reflective surface of the cartridge 26 in a position close to either of the detection sensors 71, 71, so both detection results are OFF. In Fig. 15(b), the cartridge 26 approaches the detection sensor 71, so only the detection sensor 71 is ON. In Fig. 15(c), the detection sensor 71 remains ON, and the cartridge 26 approaches the detection sensor 72, so the detection sensor 72 is also ON. In Fig. 15(d), the detection sensor 71 approaches the cutout portion 27, so it is OFF again, and the detection sensor 71 is OFF and the detection sensor 72 is ON, so that the cartridge 26 is fully inserted into the image forming apparatus 1.

[0078] FIG. 16 is a graph showing the ON / OFF state of the detection sensors 71, 71 in FIG. 15(a) to (d). In FIG. 16, at time Ta (corresponding to FIG. 15(a)), both the detection sensors 71, 71 are OFF. At time Tb (corresponding to FIG. 15(b)) when the cartridge 26 approaches the detection sensor 71, the detection sensor 71 turns ON. Furthermore, at time (corresponding to FIG. 15(c)) when the cartridge 26 approaches the detection sensor 72, the detection sensor 72 turns ON. By detecting the time interval from when the cartridge 26 moves from the detection sensor 71 to the detection sensor 71, that is, the time Tc from the time Tb, the moving speed of the cartridge 26 can be calculated. Specifically, the moving speed V of the cartridge 26 is calculated as V=L / (Tc-Tb) using the distance L between the detection sensors 71 and 71. When the moving speed V becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold time value, it is determined that the cartridge 26 has been strongly inserted by the user, that is, that a strong insertion has occurred. The threshold time for determining whether or not the cartridge 26 is being forced into the device is set as a value at which the quality of the device is guaranteed, and if a forceful insertion occurs, it is determined that the cartridge 26 has been inserted into the device with a force greater than the force at which the quality of the device is guaranteed.

[0079] [Identifying the cause of malfunction due to over-attachment in Example 2] In FIG. 15, when the cartridge 26 is forcibly attached, for example, a strong impact may be applied to the driven coupling 28 portion Y and the driving coupling portion 62a. At this time, a strong impact in the insertion / removal direction 50 is applied to the meshing portion of the pinion gear 61 and the driving gear 62, which are helical gears, and the pinion gear 61 and the driving gear 62 may be damaged. If the pinion gear 61 and the driving gear 62 are damaged, the driving load applied to the motor 60 becomes very large, and the motor 60 may become unable to drive. At this time, the CPU 150 determines that a driving error has occurred in the motor 60, and interrupts the image forming operation. In this way, a malfunction (abnormal state) due to forcible attachment may also occur in the cartridge 26.

[0080] More specifically, a sensor that detects the drive torque of motor 60 and an encoder that detects the rotation state of motor 60 (both not shown) are provided, and CPU 150 monitors these sensors or encoders to detect whether an abnormality has occurred in motor 60. If an abnormal state of motor 60 is detected immediately after strong insertion of cartridge 26 is detected, CPU 150 determines that strong insertion of cartridge 26 is the cause of the abnormality.

[0081] As described above, in the second embodiment as well, the cause of the abnormal state of the image forming apparatus can be identified based on the sound caused by the user's operation.

[0082] Although this embodiment employs a method for determining strong wearing based on the difference in detection timing between the detection sensors 71, 71, it is also possible to employ a method for determining strong wearing based on the magnitude of sound pressure using the sound collector 70, as in the case of embodiment 1. Also, as explained in embodiment 1, in this embodiment too, the process of identifying the cause of the abnormality may be handled by the CPU 175 of the management server 170.

[0083] [Example 3] A method for identifying the cause of a malfunction according to Example 3 will be described. Since Example 3 has a basic configuration similar to that of Example 1 described with reference to Fig. 1, a description of the same points as those of Examples 1 and 2 will be omitted, and only the different points will be described.

[0084] In this embodiment, the right cover 80 is taken as an example of the variable mechanism, and a malfunction (abnormal state) that may occur due to the right cover 80 being forcefully attached will be described.

[0085] [Outline of the configuration of the third embodiment] The configuration of the right cover 80 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 17. Fig. 17(a) to (d) show the image forming apparatus 1 in the state in which the right cover 80 is open (Fig. 17(a)) to the state in which it is completely closed (Fig. 17(d)). Parts of the image forming apparatus 1 that are not necessary to explain this embodiment are not shown.

[0086] As shown in Fig. 17(a), a double-sided drive pinion gear 81 and a double-sided drive gear 82 connected to a double-sided motor (not shown) are rotatably supported in the device body 10 of the image forming device 1, and right cover sensors 89 and 90 are provided. The right cover sensors 89 and 90 may be reflective optical sensors or contact type switches, and will be described here as reflective optical sensors. Meanwhile, the right cover 80 is attached to the device body 10 of the image forming device 1 via a pivot 91, and is freely rotatable around the pivot 91 in the direction of the arrow 112.

[0087] A double-sided driven gear 83, a pulley gear 84, a belt 85, and a pulley 86 are rotatably supported on the right cover 80, and the right cover flags 87 and 88 are also provided. The pulley gear 84 has a gear portion 84a and a pulley portion 84b which are integrally formed coaxially with respect to the rotation shaft, and the gear portion 84a meshes (engages) with the double-sided driven gear 83, and the pulley portion 84b is capable of transmitting driving force to the pulley 86 via the belt 85. The pulley 86 is connected to the double-sided conveying roller 42 (shown in FIG. 1), and when the pulley 86 rotates, the double-sided conveying roller 42 rotates.

[0088] FIG. 17(b) shows a state in which the right cover flag 88 approaches the right cover sensor 90 as the right cover 80 is being closed. At this time, the right cover sensor 90 shifts from an OFF state to an ON state. FIG. 17(c) shows a state in which the right cover 80 is more closed than in FIG. 17(b) and the right cover flag 87 approaches the right cover sensor 89. At this time, the right cover sensor 89 shifts from an OFF state to an ON state. FIG. 17(d) shows a state in which the right cover 80 is completely closed. At this time, the double-sided driving gear 82 and the double-sided driven gear 83 are connected, and the driving force of the double-sided motor (not shown) can be transmitted to the pulley 86, and the double-sided conveying roller 42 (shown in FIG. 1) can be driven.

[0089] [Method of detecting over-fitting in the third embodiment] Here, a mechanism for detecting the speed at which the right cover 80 is closed will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0090] FIG. 18 is a graph showing the ON / OFF state of the right cover sensors 89, 90 in FIG. 17(a) to (d). In FIG. 18, at time T1 (corresponding to FIG. 17(a)), both of the right cover sensors 89, 90 are OFF. At time T2 (corresponding to FIG. 17(b)) when the right cover flag 88 approaches the right cover sensor 90, the right cover sensor 90 turns ON. Furthermore, at time (corresponding to FIG. 17(c)) when the right cover flag 87 approaches the right cover sensor 89, the right cover sensor 89 turns ON. By detecting the time interval from when the right cover sensor 90 turns ON to when the right cover sensor 89 turns ON, that is, the time from time T2 to time T3, the speed at which the right cover 80 is closed can be calculated. When this speed exceeds a predetermined value, it is determined that the right cover 80 is closed strongly by the user, that is, that a strong attachment has occurred.

[0091] [Identifying the cause of malfunction due to over-attachment in Example 3] In FIG. 17, when the right cover 80 is forcibly attached, for example, a strong impact may be applied to the double-sided driving gear 82 and the double-sided driven gear 83 (driven gear). The impact may damage the double-sided driving gear 82 and the double-sided driven gear 83. For example, if some of the teeth of the double-sided driving gear 82 or the double-sided driven gear 83 are damaged, rotation fluctuation occurs when the damaged teeth mesh, and the driving force is not properly transmitted to the double-sided conveying roller 42. As a result, the recording material P cannot be conveyed accurately, resulting in a double-sided conveying error. In addition, if the support part of the double-sided driving gear 82 or the double-sided driven gear 83 is damaged due to forcible attachment, the damaged gear of the support part may tilt, causing a meshing failure. As a result, the driving load applied to the double-sided motor (not shown) becomes very large, and it becomes impossible to drive. At this time, the image forming apparatus 1 judges that a driving error has occurred in the double-sided motor, and interrupts the image forming operation. In this way, the right cover 80 may also suffer from a defect due to forcible attachment.

[0092] As described above, in the third embodiment as well, the cause of the abnormal state of the image forming apparatus can be identified based on the sound caused by the user's operation.

[0093] Although this embodiment employs a method for determining strong wearing based on the difference in detection timing between the detection sensors 71, 71, it is also possible to employ a method for determining strong wearing based on the magnitude of sound pressure using the sound collector 70, as in the case of embodiment 1. Also, as explained in embodiment 1, in this embodiment too, the process of identifying the cause of the abnormality may be handled by the CPU 175 of the management server 170.

[0094] In the above embodiment, the image forming apparatus 1 (or the image forming apparatus 300) is connected to the management server 170 and the monitoring tool 180 to constitute the image forming system 200. This makes it easier for the serviceman to perform maintenance and inspection by notifying the serviceman of the cause of the abnormal state. However, the person who performs maintenance and inspection of the image forming apparatus 1 is not limited to the serviceman, and the user himself may also perform maintenance and inspection of the image forming apparatus 1. Therefore, the image forming apparatus 1 does not necessarily need to constitute the image forming system 200, and may be used alone. In other words, the CPU 150 of the image forming apparatus 1 may be configured to, when it identifies the cause of the abnormal state, display the information on the display 165 and notify the user of the cause.

[0095] In addition, in the above embodiment, the image forming apparatus 1 (or the image forming apparatus 300) is described as being of an electrophotographic type, but the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention can be similarly applied to image forming apparatuses that employ different printing methods, such as an inkjet method or an offset printing method. [Explanation of symbols]

[0096] 1. Image forming device 2 Feeding cassette 31 Transport sensor 70 Sound collector 150 CPU 160 Communication Interface 165 Display 170 Management Server 175 CPU 180 Monitoring Tools 185 Display 200 Image forming system

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording material, A server capable of communicating with the aforementioned image forming apparatus, In an image forming system having, The image forming apparatus is A variable mechanism that is physically operated by a user to change from a first state to a second state or from the second state to the first state, A physical quantity detection means for detecting a physical quantity that occurs when the state of the variable mechanism changes, An abnormality detection means for detecting the occurrence of an abnormal condition in the image forming apparatus, The system includes a transmission means for transmitting the detection result of the physical quantity detection means and the detection result of the anomaly detection means to the server. An image forming system characterized in that, when the physical quantity detected by the physical quantity detection means exceeds a threshold and the abnormal condition is detected by the abnormal condition detection means, the server sends a notification to the display device so that the display device displays information regarding the cause of the abnormal condition or troubleshooting information.

2. The image forming system according to claim 1, characterized in that the physical quantity detection means includes at least one of the following: a sound collector that detects sound pressure generated when the state of the variable mechanism changes; a speed detector that detects the speed of the variable mechanism when the state of the variable mechanism changes; a vibration detector that detects vibration generated when the state of the variable mechanism changes; and a force detector that detects impact force generated when the state of the variable mechanism changes.

3. The image forming system according to claim 1, characterized in that the server notifies the display device if the difference between the cumulative number of printed pages up to a first point in time when the physical quantity exceeds the threshold and the cumulative number of printed pages up to a second point in time when the abnormal state is detected by the abnormality detection means is less than or equal to a predetermined number, and does not notify the display device if the difference is greater than the predetermined number.

4. The image forming system according to claim 1, characterized in that the server notifies the display device if there is a relationship between the position of the variable mechanism where the physical quantity exceeds the threshold and the position where the abnormal state occurred, and does not notify the display device if there is no relationship between the position of the variable mechanism and the position where the abnormal state occurred.

5. The image forming system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the variable mechanism is detachable from the main body of the image forming apparatus and is a cassette for housing recording material used for image forming.

6. The image forming apparatus has a storage volume detection means for detecting the amount of recording material stored in the cassette, If the capacity detected by the capacity detection means is greater than the first threshold, the server makes the notification to the display device. The server shall not send the notification to the display device if the capacity is less than or equal to the first threshold and greater than a second threshold which is less than the first threshold. The image forming system according to claim 5, characterized in that the server transmits the notification to the display device when the storage capacity is less than or equal to the second threshold.

7. The image forming system according to claim 1, characterized in that the variable mechanism is detachable from the main body of the image forming apparatus and includes a coupling portion that engages with a drive gear provided on the main body of the apparatus, and is a cartridge that forms an image on a recording material.

8. The variable mechanism is a cover that can be opened and closed relative to the main body of the image forming apparatus and comprises a driven gear that engages with a drive gear provided on the main body of the apparatus, and a transport means for transporting recording material, wherein the transport means rotates by a driving force transmitted via the driven gear, as described in claim 1.

9. In an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording material, A variable mechanism that is physically operated by a user to change from a first state to a second state or from the second state to the first state, A physical quantity detection means for detecting a physical quantity that occurs when the state of the variable mechanism changes, An abnormality detection means for detecting the occurrence of an abnormal condition in the image forming apparatus, A notification unit sends a notification to a display device so that the display device displays information regarding the cause of the abnormal condition or troubleshooting information when the abnormal condition is detected by the abnormal condition detection means after the physical quantity detected by the physical quantity detection means exceeds a threshold, An image forming apparatus characterized by comprising:

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that the physical quantity detection means includes at least one of the following: a sound collector that detects sound pressure generated when the state of the variable mechanism changes; a speed detector that detects the speed of the variable mechanism when the state of the variable mechanism changes; a vibration detector that detects vibration generated when the state of the variable mechanism changes; and a force detector that detects impact force generated when the state of the variable mechanism changes.

11. A server capable of communicating with an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording material, The image forming apparatus is A variable mechanism that is physically operated by a user to change from a first state to a second state or from the second state to the first state, A physical quantity detection means for detecting a physical quantity that occurs when the state of the variable mechanism changes, An abnormality detection means for detecting the occurrence of an abnormal condition in the image forming apparatus, The system includes a transmission means for transmitting the detection result of the physical quantity detection means and the detection result of the anomaly detection means to the server. A server characterized in that, when the physical quantity detected by the physical quantity detection means exceeds a threshold and the abnormal condition is detected by the abnormal condition detection means, the server sends a notification to the display device so that the display device displays information regarding the cause of the abnormal condition or troubleshooting information.

Images