Image forming apparatus

Abstract

To reduce unnecessary initialization operations.SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus comprises: an apparatus body; an opening / closing member; a fixing device that is movable between a first position and a second position retreated from the first position; a unit; detection means; and a control section. When the detection means detects a movement of the fixing device from the first position to the second position in a period from when the opening / closing member is moved from a closed position to an open position until when the opening / closing member is moved from the open position to the closed position, the control section executes predetermined initialization operations to make the unit usable in image forming operations on the basis of the opening / closing member being moved to the closed position, and when the detection means does not detect the movement of the fixing device from the first position to the second position in the period, does not execute the predetermined initialization operations on the basis of the opening / closing member being moved to the closed position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording material. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes that a cover on the front of the image forming apparatus can be opened to clear a jam, and that a support member can be pulled out to the front of the apparatus to replace a developer cartridge or a developing device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-175258 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When a detachable unit is replaced or there is a possibility that it has been replaced, an initialization operation is performed to make the unit available for image formation. However, if the initialization operation is performed every time the opening / closing member is opened and closed even though the unit has not actually been replaced, this may result in inconveniences such as a longer period of time during which image formation cannot be performed (downtime) or faster consumption of consumables.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus that can reduce unnecessary initialization operations. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is a device comprising: a device body having an opening; an opening / closing member movable between a closed position where the opening is closed and an open position where the opening is open; a fixing device movable between a first position where an image is fixed to a recording material and a second position retracted from the first position; a unit used in an image forming operation to form an image on a recording material, the unit being allowed to be attached to and detached from the device body through the opening when the opening / closing member is in the open position and the fixing device is in the second position; detection means capable of detecting movement of the fixing device from the first position to the second position; and a control unit, If the detection means detects movement of the fixing device from the first position to the second position during the period from when the opening / closing member is moved from the closed position to the open position until when the opening / closing member is moved from the open position to the closed position, a predetermined initialization operation is performed to make the unit usable for the image forming operation based on the opening / closing member being moved to the closed position, and if the detection means does not detect movement of the fixing device from the first position to the second position during the period, the image forming apparatus does not perform the predetermined initialization operation based on the opening / closing member being moved to the closed position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus that can reduce unnecessary initialization operations. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic diagram of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic diagram of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] 1 shows a hardware configuration of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6]3A to 3C are explanatory diagrams for explaining cartridge replacement in the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] 4 is a flowchart showing a control according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram of an image forming apparatus according to a second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a circuit diagram according to a second embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing a control according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] In this disclosure, the term "image forming apparatus" refers generally to an apparatus having the function of forming an image on a recording material (recording medium). The image forming apparatus may be a single-function printer, a copier, or a multifunction device. The image forming apparatus may be an apparatus that primarily forms color images, or an apparatus that primarily forms monochrome images. The image forming apparatus may also be a system (image forming system) in which ancillary devices used integrally with the image forming apparatus main body are connected to the image forming apparatus main body that forms images on recording materials. Examples of the ancillary devices include a sheet processing apparatus (finisher) that performs processes such as binding on sheets on which images have been formed, a conveying device that conveys sheets from the image forming apparatus main body to another device, and a feeding device (optional feeder) that feeds sheets toward the image forming apparatus main body.

[0011] Example 1 A printer 1 as an image forming apparatus according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the cross-sectional configuration of the printer 1. The printer 1 is an electrophotographic color laser beam printer that forms an image on a sheet S as a recording material. The sheet S can be made of a variety of sheet materials of different sizes and materials, including paper such as plain paper and cardboard, surface-treated sheet materials such as coated paper, specially shaped sheet materials such as envelopes and index paper, plastic film, cloth, etc.

[0012] In the following description and drawings, the vertical direction when the printer 1 is installed on a horizontal surface is referred to as the up-down direction and is indicated by an up-down arrow V. The horizontal direction when the printer 1 is installed on a horizontal surface, which is perpendicular to the direction of the rotation axis of the photosensitive drum 61 provided in the printer 1, is referred to as the horizontal direction and is indicated by a left-right arrow H. One side of the horizontal direction (the side where the door 20 is located, the right side in FIG. 1) is referred to as the "front" or "forward," and the other side of the horizontal direction is referred to as the "rear" or "rearward."

[0013] The printer 1 includes an apparatus main body 1A, a scanner 2 as an exposure device, a door 20 as an opening / closing member, a sheet feeding section 30, a transfer unit 40, a cartridge tray unit 50, and a fixing device 80.

[0014] In this embodiment, the device main body 1A refers to the portion of the printer 1 excluding the door 20, the scanner 2, the sheet feeding section 30, the transfer unit 40, the cartridge tray unit 50, and the fixing device 80. The device main body 1A is a housing including a frame member (metal frame) that forms the frame of the printer 1 and a cover member that forms the exterior surface of the printer 1. The device main body 1A houses the scanner 2, the sheet feeding section 30, the transfer unit 40, the cartridge tray unit 50, and the fixing device 80.

[0015] The door 20 is an opening / closing member provided to the device main body 1A so as to be able to open and close. The device main body 1A is provided with an opening 1A1 (opening). The door 20 is movable between a closed position in which the opening 1A1 is closed and an open position in which the opening 1A1 is open. When the door 20 is in the closed position, the outer surface of the door 20, together with the outer surface of the device main body 1A, forms the exterior surface of the printer 1. The door 20 forms the exterior surface of the front side of the printer 1, which is approximately rectangular parallelepiped in shape.

[0016] The device main body 1A is provided with a door sensor 91 for detecting the opening and closing of the door 20. The door sensor 91 is configured so that the output signal of the door sensor 91 differs depending on whether the door 20 is in the closed position or the open position.

[0017] The sheet feeding section 30 has a stacking tray 31 (sheet storage section, cassette) on which sheets S are stacked, a feeding roller 32 as a feeding member, and a separation roller that forms a separation nip between the feeding roller 32 and the stacking tray 31. The stacking tray 31 can be pulled out forward from the apparatus main body 1A. A user can replenish the stacking tray 31 with sheets S while the stacking tray 31 is pulled out from the apparatus main body 1A. The stacking tray 31 can be pulled out while the door 20 is closed.

[0018] The cartridge tray unit 50 has a tray 51 and the cartridges PY, PM, PC, and PK. The tray 51 is a support member that supports the cartridges PY to PK. The tray 51 is also a drawer unit that is inserted into the apparatus main body 1A so as to be able to be pulled out.

[0019] The cartridges PY, PM, PC, and PK contain yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) toner (developer), respectively. The cartridges PY, PM, PC, and PK have the same configuration except for the toner colors they contain. Therefore, the configuration and operation of only one of the cartridges PY, PM, PC, and PK will be described, and descriptions of the others may be omitted. Furthermore, when there is no need to distinguish between the cartridges PY, PM, PC, and PK, any one of the cartridges PY, PM, PC, and PK may be simply referred to as cartridge P.

[0020] The cartridge tray unit 50 has four photosensitive drums 61 as image carriers, four charging rollers 62 as charging members, and four developing rollers 71 as developer carriers or developing members. The cartridge tray unit 50 also has four cleaning blades as cleaning members. The rotational axes of the photosensitive drums 61, the developing rollers 71, and the charging rollers 62 are parallel to each other.

[0021] The photosensitive drum 61, charging roller 62, developing roller 71, and cleaning member may be provided in either the cartridge P or the tray 51. In other words, the cartridge P, which has at least one member selected from the group including the photosensitive drum 61, charging roller 62 (charging member), developing roller 71 (developing member), and cleaning member, is an example of a "unit" in the present disclosure. In this embodiment, each of the cartridges PY, PM, PC, and PK has one photosensitive drum 61, one charging roller 62, one developing roller 71, and one cleaning member.

[0022] The transfer unit 40 has a transfer belt 41 as an intermediate transfer body, four primary transfer rollers 42, a cleaning unit 43, a drive roller 46 that drives the transfer belt 41, and a tension roller (driven roller) 47. The printer 1 in this embodiment also has an optical sensor 44 that detects the toner image transferred to the transfer belt 41. In this embodiment, the transfer belt 41 is disposed below the four photosensitive drums 61 and abuts against the photosensitive drums 61 so as to form a primary transfer portion between the transfer belt 41 and the photosensitive drums 61.

[0023] The printer 1 also has a secondary transfer roller 45 that contacts the transfer belt 41 to form a secondary transfer portion. The rotational axis directions of the primary transfer roller 42, drive roller 46, tension roller 47, and secondary transfer roller 45 are parallel to each other. A registration roller pair 4 is disposed before the secondary transfer portion (upstream in the sheet conveying direction).

[0024] The fixing device 80 includes a fixing unit 81 and an inverting unit 5. The fixing unit 81 includes a pair of rotating bodies that sandwich and transport the sheet S, and a heating unit for heating the toner image on the sheet S. In this embodiment, the pair of rotating bodies is a pair of rollers consisting of a heating roller (fixing roller) and a pressure roller, and the heating unit is a halogen lamp that heats the heating roller. The rotating bodies that make up the pair of rotating bodies may be a cylindrical film or an endless belt stretched over multiple rollers. The heating unit may also be a heater substrate with a heating element pattern printed on a ceramic substrate, or a coil unit that heats a conductive layer in the heating roller or film by induction heating. The inverting unit 5 includes a pair of inverting rollers that invert and transport the sheet S for double-sided printing, and a guide unit that guides the sheet S that has passed through the fixing unit 81 to a pair of discharge rollers or a pair of inverting rollers.

[0025] (Relationship between the cartridge tray unit and the fixing unit) Next, the movement of the cartridge tray unit 50 in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1. The cartridge tray unit 50 is movable from the inside to the outside of the apparatus main body 1A. The apparatus main body 1A has a first end 1b1 (front end) provided with an opening 1A1 and a second end 1b2 (rear end) opposite the first end 1b1. The cartridge tray unit 50 is movable through the opening 1A1 between an inner position where it is housed inside the apparatus main body 1A and an outer position where it protrudes outside the apparatus main body 1A. The inner position is the position of the cartridge tray unit 50 when the printer 1 performs an image forming operation. The outer position is the position of the cartridge tray unit 50 where the cartridge P can be attached to and detached from the tray 51. The cartridge tray unit 50 in this embodiment can be removed toward the front side of the printer 1 in the horizontal direction (H) and attached toward the rear side of the printer 1.

[0026] The direction in which the cartridge tray unit 50 moves from the inner position to the outer position is called the tray removal direction Dd1, and the opposite direction to the tray removal direction Dd1 is called the tray attachment direction Da1. The tray removal direction Dd1 can be said to be the direction from the second end 1b2 toward the first end 1b1. In the horizontal direction, the fixing device 80 is disposed at one end side of the apparatus main body 1A (the side where the first end 1b1 is disposed).

[0027] The transfer unit 40 is also movable from the inside to the outside of the device main body 1A. The transfer unit 40 is movable through the opening 1A1 between an inner position where it is housed inside the device main body 1A and an outer position where it protrudes outside the device main body 1A. The inner position is the position of the transfer unit 40 when the printer 1 performs an image forming operation. The direction in which the transfer unit 40 moves from the inner position to the outer position is called the transfer removal direction Dd2, and the direction opposite to the transfer removal direction Dd2 is called the transfer attachment direction Da2. The transfer removal direction Dd2 can be said to be the direction from the second end 1b2 toward the first end 1b1.

[0028] (Image formation operation) Next, the image forming operation of the printer 1 in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The image forming operation is a series of operations in which the printer 1 forms an image on the sheet S while conveying the sheet S one by one.

[0029] The printer 1 has a video controller 204 and an engine controller 203 (FIG. 4). The video controller 204 instructs the engine controller 203 to execute an image forming operation based on image information received from an external host device. The host device is, for example, a personal computer, an image reader, or a facsimile machine. The engine controller 203 executes the image forming operation by controlling various units involved in the creation of a toner image and the transport of the sheet S.

[0030] In the image forming operation, each photosensitive drum 61 and the transfer belt 41 are rotationally driven. A charging voltage is applied to the charging roller 62, which uniformly charges the surface of the corresponding photosensitive drum 61. The scanner 2 irradiates each photosensitive drum 61 with laser light corresponding to image information, exposing the surface of each photosensitive drum 61. As a result, an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image information is formed on the surface of each photosensitive drum 61.

[0031] The developing rollers 71 carry toner and supply it to the corresponding photosensitive drums 61. A developing voltage is applied to the developing rollers 71, and the electrostatic latent images formed on the corresponding photosensitive drums 61 are developed with the toner supplied from the developing rollers 71. As a result, toner images are formed on the surfaces of the respective photosensitive drums 61. In this embodiment, a contact development method is used in which development is performed with the developing rollers 71 in contact with the corresponding photosensitive drums 61, but a jumping development method in which development is performed with a gap between the developing rollers 71 and the corresponding photosensitive drums 61 may also be used.

[0032] When a full-color image is formed, a toner image of each color is formed on each photosensitive drum 61. The toner image of each color formed on each photosensitive drum 61 is transferred onto the transfer belt 41 by the corresponding primary transfer roller 42, and is transported toward a secondary transfer portion formed between the transfer belt 41 and a secondary transfer roller 45. Toner that has not been transferred to the transfer belt 41 is removed from the photosensitive drum 61 by a cleaning member.

[0033] Meanwhile, in the sheet feeding unit 30, a single sheet S is fed from a stack of sheets S stacked on a stacking tray 31 by a feeding roller 32 and a separation roller, and is transported toward the secondary transfer unit. In the secondary transfer unit, a toner image is transferred (secondary transfer) from the transfer belt 41 to the sheet S. Toner that has not been transferred to the sheet S is removed from the transfer belt 41 by a cleaning blade 43A serving as a cleaning member provided in the cleaning unit 43.

[0034] The sheet S onto which the toner image has been transferred in the secondary transfer unit is transported to the fixing device 80. The fixing unit 81 fixes the toner image on the sheet S to the sheet S by applying heat and pressure while nipping the sheet S at the nip portion (fixing nip) of a pair of rotating bodies and transporting the sheet S. After passing through the fixing nip, the sheet S is discharged by a pair of discharge rollers of the reversing unit 5 onto a discharge tray 10 provided on the top surface of the apparatus main body 1A.

[0035] In the case of double-sided printing, in which images are formed on both sides of a sheet S, the sheet S, which has an image formed on its first side and has passed through the fixing nip, is guided to a pair of reversing rollers in the reversing unit 5. The sheet S is then switched back by the pair of reversing rollers and conveyed again toward the secondary transfer unit via a double-sided conveying path formed inside the door 20. Then, after an image is formed on the second side of the sheet S while passing through the secondary transfer unit and the transfer nip for the second time, the sheet S is discharged onto the discharge tray 10 by a pair of discharge rollers.

[0036] (Initialization operation) Next, the initialization operation of the printer 1 in this embodiment will be described. The initialization operation is an operation that puts the printer 1 into a state (initial state, standby state) in which an image forming operation can be performed. The initialization operation is executed when the door 20 attached to the device main body 1A is moved from the open position to the closed position. In this embodiment, the initialization operation is executed when the open door 20 is closed during jam clearance or when replacing the cartridge P, fixing device 80, or transfer unit 40, which are units or consumables that are detachable from the device main body 1A. However, as will be described later, the content of the operation executed in the initialization operation may differ depending on conditions such as whether or not the cartridge has been replaced.

[0037] (Relationship between the cartridge tray unit and the fixing unit) Next, the positional relationship between the cartridge tray unit 50 and the fixing device 80 in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 shows the movement space of the cartridge tray unit 50 and the transfer unit 40 in addition to Fig. 1.

[0038] The cartridge tray unit 50 passes through a predetermined space when moving from the inner position to the outer position. This predetermined space is called the movement space or movement trajectory of the cartridge tray unit 50. Also, the space that the transfer unit 40 passes through when moving from the inner position to the outer position is called the movement space or movement trajectory of the transfer unit 40.

[0039] 3, the fixing device 80 is movable relative to the apparatus main body 1A between a use position (first position) and a retracted position (second position). FIG. 3 illustrates the movement space of the fixing device 80 in addition to FIG. 2, and also illustrates a state in which the door 20 is in the open position. The use position is the position of the fixing device 80 when the printer 1 performs an image forming operation, that is, when the fixing device 80 performs a fixing operation to fix an image on a recording material. The retracted position is a position in which the fixing device 80 is retracted upward from the use position.

[0040] 2, the use position of the fixing device 80 overlaps with the movement space of the cartridge tray unit 50. In other words, when the fixing device 80 is in the use position, at least a part of the fixing device 80 is inside the movement space of the cartridge tray unit 50. Therefore, when the fixing device 80 is in the use position, movement of the cartridge tray unit 50 from the inside position to the outside position is prevented. In other words, when the fixing device 80 is in the use position, the cartridge P cannot be attached to or detached from the apparatus main body 1A.

[0041] When the fixing device 80 is in the retracted position, the entire fixing device 80 is outside the movement space of the cartridge tray unit 50. Therefore, when the fixing device 80 is in the use position, it is permitted to move from an inner position to an outer position of the cartridge tray unit 50. In other words, when the door 20 is in the open position and the fixing device 80 is in the retracted position (second position), the cartridge P (unit) is permitted to be attached to and detached from the apparatus main body 1A.

[0042] The fixing device 80 has a fixing frame 80a that supports a fixing section 81. When the fixing device 80 moves from the use position to the retracted position, the fixing frame 80a displaces relative to the apparatus main body 1A while supporting the fixing section 81. The fixing frame 80a forms the outer surface of the fixing device 80, and the movement space when the fixing device 80 moves between the use position and the retracted position is generally the same as the movement trajectory of the fixing frame 80a.

[0043] (Retraction mechanism of fixing device) Next, the retraction mechanism of the fixing device 80 in this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 3. To pull out the cartridge tray unit 50 to the outside of the apparatus main body 1A, first, the door 20 is moved to the open position as shown in Figure 3. Next, the fixing device 80 is moved to a retracted position outside the movement space of the cartridge tray unit 50.

[0044] The printer 1 has a connecting member 85 (fixing connecting member, fixing link) that is movably connected to the apparatus main body 1A. The fixing device 80 is connected to the apparatus main body 1A via the connecting member 85. The connecting member 85 is rotatable around a rotation center 85A. When the cartridge tray unit 50 is pulled out to the outside of the apparatus main body 1A, the connecting member 85 is moved to the outside of the movement space of the cartridge tray unit 50. While supported by the connecting member 85, the fixing device 80 is movable from the use position to the retracted position and from the retracted position to the use position in accordance with the movement of the cartridge tray unit 50.

[0045] In this embodiment, movement of the fixing device 80 to the retracted position is initiated by a user operating an operating lever 92 serving as an operating unit. When a user operates the operating lever 92 to receive an instruction, a retracting unit 300 (FIG. 5), which will be described later, rotates a connecting member 85 to move the fixing device 80 from the use position to the retracted position, or from the retracted position to the use position. The operating lever 92 and the retracting unit 300 are disposed in the apparatus main body 1A. The retracting unit 300 moves the fixing device 80, for example, by driving a motor connected to the connecting member 85 to rotate the connecting member 85. This motor functions as an actuator (drive unit) for moving the fixing device 80.

[0046] The trigger for the retraction mechanism to move the fixing device 80 is not limited to the user's operation of the operation lever 92. For example, the retraction mechanism may move the fixing device 80 in response to a user's operation of a button on the operation display unit 205. Furthermore, the retraction mechanism may move the fixing device 80 when the control unit 1C receives, from the host device, a user's operation on an operation screen (driver screen) of the external host device communicably connected to the control unit 1C.

[0047] Furthermore, the mechanical configuration of the retraction mechanism for fixing device 80 is not limited to the one described above. For example, fixing device 80 may be attached to a sliding member that can slide up and down, and a retraction mechanism may be used in which a pinion gear that meshes with a rack portion of the sliding member is rotated by a motor. Alternatively, fixing device 80 may be supported in a manner that allows it to slide in a predetermined direction along a rail of the apparatus main body 1A, and the user may manually move fixing device 80 in the predetermined direction.

[0048] In this embodiment, the position of the fixing device 80 is detected by a retraction sensor 90 provided in the apparatus main body 1A. The retraction sensor 90 is configured to output different signals depending on whether the fixing device 80 is in the use position or the retracted position. In other words, the retraction sensor 90 is a sensor that outputs a signal according to the position of the fixing device 80.

[0049] As described above, in this embodiment, the cartridge tray unit 50 is removed and the cartridge P is replaced with a new one in a state in which the fixing device 80 is retracted from the use position to the retracted position.

[0050] In this embodiment, the movement trajectory of the transfer unit 40 does not overlap with the fixing device 80 in the use position. However, the transfer unit 40 may be removed and replaced or maintained with the fixing device 80 retracted from the use position to the retracted position. Also, the movement trajectory of the transfer unit 40 may be configured to overlap with the fixing device 80 in the use position.

[0051] In addition, instead of a configuration in which cartridge P is replaced while the fixing device 80 is in the retracted position, i.e., while it is still attached to the device main body 1A, cartridge P may be replaced while the fixing device 80 is removed from the device main body 1A.

[0052] (Hardware configuration) Next, the hardware configuration of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4. The printer 1 is equipped with a control unit 1C including an operation display unit 205, a video controller 204, and an engine controller 203. The control unit 1C functions as a control means (control circuit) that controls the operation of the image forming apparatus.

[0053] The video controller 204 transmits the status of the printer 1 received from the engine controller 203 to the operation display unit 205. The operation display unit 205 includes a display unit such as a liquid crystal panel and an input unit such as physical buttons or a touch panel function of the liquid crystal panel. The operation display unit 205 switches the display content of the display unit based on the status of the printer 1 received from the video controller 204. The video controller 204 also transmits image information and print instructions received from an external host device to the engine controller 203.

[0054] The engine controller 203 has a CPU 207, a ROM 208, and a RAM 209. The CPU 207 loads programs and various data into the ROM 208 and executes the programs using the RAM 209 as a work area. The ROM 208 is an example of a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium. The RAM 209 is an example of a storage unit that stores information used to control the printer 1 (for example, save history information or connection / disconnection history information, which will be described later).

[0055] The above-mentioned elements (203, 204, 205) are connected to one another via a bidirectionally accessible system bus 210, and are also accessible to an I / O port 211. An actuator (not shown) is connected to each I / O port 211, and controls each actuator that realizes an image forming operation or an initialization operation via the I / O port 211. The actuators include a motor for rotating the photosensitive drum 61 and the transfer belt 41, and a motor for rotating the feed roller 32.

[0056] A door sensor 91 and a retraction sensor 90 are also connected to each I / O port 211. The CPU 207 can detect the open / closed state (open position and closed position) of the door 20 and the position (use position and retracted position) of the fixing device 80 via the I / O port. The door sensor 91 and the retraction sensor 90 may be, for example, a contact switch that detects contact with the detection object (the door 20 and the fixing device 80), or an optical sensor that has a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element and optically detects a part of the detection object.

[0057] (function block) Next, when the control unit 1C in this embodiment is divided into blocks for each function achieving means, it becomes as shown in Figure 5. The control unit 1C includes a retraction means 300, an open / close detection means 301, a retraction detection means 302, and an initialization control unit 303.

[0058] The retracting means 300 moves the fixing device 80 from the use position to the retracted position in response to a user operation of the operating lever 92, and also moves the fixing device 80 from the retracted position to the use position. The open / close detecting means 301 detects whether the door 20 of the apparatus main body 1A is in the open position or the closed position based on a detection signal from the door sensor 91. The retracting detecting means 302 detects whether the fixing device 80 moved by the retracting means 300 is in the use position or the retracted position based on a detection signal from the retracting sensor 90. The retracting detecting means 302 is an example of a detecting means capable of detecting movement of the fixing device 80 from the use position (first position) to the retracted position (second position).

[0059] The initialization control unit 303 has an initialization operation determination means (hereinafter referred to as operation determination means 304) and an initialization operation execution means (hereinafter referred to as operation execution means 305).

[0060] The operation determination means 304 determines the content of the initialization operation to be performed based on the door open / close information from the open / close detection means 301 and the position information of the fixing device 80 from the retraction detection means 302. The operation execution means 305 executes the initialization operation based on the content of the initialization operation determined by the operation determination means 304. In this embodiment, the operation execution means 305 executes the initialization operation including the charge cleaning operation, the cartridge presence / absence detection operation, and the coupling engagement operation when, for example, the cartridge P is replaced.

[0061] Hereinafter, the initialization operation including the charge cleaning operation, the cartridge presence / absence detection operation, and the coupling engagement operation will be referred to as the “initialization operation associated with cartridge replacement.” Each of the charge cleaning operation, the cartridge presence / absence detection operation, and the coupling engagement operation is performed when there is a possibility that the cartridge P, which is an example of a “unit,” has been replaced. 10 is an example of a predetermined initialization operation.

[0062] The initialization control unit 303 may be capable of executing initialization operations other than the “initialization operation associated with cartridge replacement.” For example, when it is detected that a jam has been cleared while the door 20 is open, the initialization operation may involve rotating the transfer belt 41 to cause the cleaning unit 43 to remove any foreign matter that may be adhering to the transfer belt 41.

[0063] The charge cleaning unit 306 performs a charge cleaning operation to clean the charge roller 62. In the charge cleaning operation, voltage application and halt are alternately repeated to clean toner that may have scattered during cartridge replacement and adhered to the charge roller 62. Specifically, while the photosensitive drum 61 and charge roller 62 are being rotated, voltage application and halt are alternately repeated to the charge roller 62, thereby transferring toner that may have adhered to the charge roller 62 to the photosensitive drum 61. In this embodiment, one set of operation consists of voltage application for 500 ms and voltage halt for 500 ms, and 10 sets of operations are repeated in one charge cleaning operation.

[0064] The method of the charge cleaning operation is not limited to this. For example, a cleaning member may be provided to clean the charge roller 62. In this case, the charge cleaning operation may be an operation of rotating the charge roller 62 for a predetermined period of time.

[0065] The cartridge presence / absence detecting means 307 performs a cartridge presence / absence detecting operation to detect the presence or absence of the cartridges PY, PM, PC, and PK. In the cartridge presence / absence detecting operation, the optical sensor 44 detects a toner pattern (patch image) formed on the transfer belt 41 using the cartridges PY, PM, PC, and PK, thereby detecting the presence or absence of each cartridge.

[0066] The method of detecting the presence or absence of a cartridge is not limited to this. For example, a memory may be attached to the cartridge P, and the control unit 1C may determine the presence or absence of the cartridge P by reading information from the memory.

[0067] The coupling engaging means 308 performs a coupling engaging operation to engage a coupling provided on the cartridge P with a coupling provided on the apparatus main body 1A. Engagement of the couplings enables transmission of drive from a motor (drive source) in the apparatus main body 1A to the photosensitive drum 61. Specifically, the motor drives the photosensitive drum 61 in the following order: forward drive for 300 ms, reverse drive for 300 ms, and forward drive for 300 ms. This engages the couplings in a configuration (for example, a dog clutch) in which the coupling on the cartridge side and the coupling on the apparatus main body side can be engaged at a predetermined relative rotation angle.

[0068] (Cartridge replacement procedure) Next, the cartridge replacement procedure in this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 6(a) to 6(c). Figure 6(a) is a cross-sectional view of the printer 1 with the door 20 open. Figure 6(b) is a cross-sectional view of the printer 1 with the fixing device 80 retracted from the use position to the retracted position from the state shown in Figure 6(a). Figure 6(c) is a cross-sectional view of the printer 1 with the cartridge tray unit pulled out from the state shown in Figure 6(b).

[0069] When replacing the cartridge P, the user first moves the door 20 from the closed position to the open position as shown in Fig. 6(a). The open / close detection means 301 detects that the door 20 has moved from the closed position to the open position based on a signal from the door sensor 91.

[0070] Next, when the user operates the operation lever 92, the retraction means 300 moves the fixing device 80 from the use position to the retracted position as shown in Fig. 6(b). The retraction detection means 302 detects that the fixing device 80 has moved from the use position to the retracted position based on a signal from the retraction sensor 90.

[0071] Next, as shown in Figure 6(c), the user pulls out the cartridge tray unit 50 from the inside position to the outside position of the apparatus main body 1A. The user replaces any cartridge P in the cartridge tray unit 50. After replacing the cartridge P, the user pushes the cartridge tray unit 50 back from the outside position to the inside position (Figure 6(b)).

[0072] After pushing back the cartridge tray unit 50, the user operates the operating lever 92. The retraction means 300 moves the fixing device 80 from the retracted position to the use position (FIG. 6(a)). The retraction detection means 302 detects, based on a signal from the retraction sensor 90, that the fixing device 80 has moved from the retracted position to the use position.

[0073] Finally, the user moves the door 20 from the open position to the closed position. The open / close detection means 301 detects that the door 20 has moved from the open position to the closed position based on the signal from the door sensor 91. This completes the cartridge P replacement procedure.

[0074] (Initialization operation when replacing cartridge) When the door 20 is opened or closed and there is a possibility that one or more cartridges P have been replaced, the control unit 1C executes an initialization operation associated with the cartridge replacement to put the printer 1 into a state in which image formation is possible.

[0075] In this embodiment, when the opening and closing of the door 20 is detected and the movement of the fixing device 80 to the retracted position is detected while the door 20 is open, the operation determining means 304 determines that there is a possibility that one or more cartridges P have been replaced. In this case, the operation determining means stores in the RAM 207 information indicating that the fixing device 80 has been retracted during the above-mentioned period.

[0076] Hereinafter, information regarding whether or not the fixing device 80 was moved to the evacuation position while the door 20 was open will be referred to as "evacuation history information." Evacuation history information indicating that the fixing device 80 was moved to the evacuation position will be referred to as "evacuation history present." Evacuation history information indicating that the fixing device 80 was not moved to the evacuation position will be referred to as "evacuation history absent."

[0077] The operation execution means 305 executes an initialization operation that is predetermined according to the evacuation history information based on the movement of the door 20 from the open position to the closed position. Specifically, the operation execution means 305 of this embodiment executes an initialization operation associated with cartridge replacement when the evacuation history is "present." On the other hand, the operation execution means 305 of this embodiment does not execute an initialization operation associated with cartridge replacement when the evacuation history is "absent." In this case, the operation execution means 305 may execute another preset initialization operation.

[0078] (Control Flow) Next, the control flow of the initialization operation in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 7. The flowchart shown in Fig. 7 starts when the image forming operation is completed. In other words, this flow is executed continuously while the main power of the printer 1 is turned on and the printer 1 is not performing the image forming operation (during non-image formation). Each step of this flow is executed by one of the functional blocks of the control unit 1C.

[0079] The operation determination means 304 monitors whether the fixing device 80 has been retracted while the door 20 is open, based on the detection results of the opening / closing detection means 301 and the retraction detection means 302 (S1 to S3). That is, the opening / closing detection means 301 detects whether the door 20 of the apparatus main body 1A is in the open position, based on a signal from the door sensor 91 (S1). The retraction detection means 302 detects whether the fixing device 80 has been moved from the use position to the retraction position, based on a signal from the retraction sensor 90 (S2).

[0080] When the retraction detection means 302 detects that the fixing device 80 has moved to the retracted position while the open / close detection means 301 detects that the door 20 is open (S1 Yes → S2 Yes), the operation determination means 304 determines that there is a possibility that the cartridge P has been replaced. In this case, the operation determination means 304 stores "retraction history present" in the RAM 209 as the retraction history information (S3). In other words, when the detection means detects that the fixing device has moved from the first position to the second position while the open / close detection means detects that the opening / closing member is in the open position, the control unit 1C stores information indicating that the unit has been replaced in the storage unit. Note that when the door 20 is opened, the retraction history information is set to the initial value of "retraction history absent."

[0081] The operation execution means 305 executes or does not execute an initialization operation associated with cartridge replacement (S4 to S8) based on the fact that the door 20 is closed, and in accordance with the evacuation history information determined by the operation determination means 304. That is, the opening / closing detection means 301 detects that the door 20 has been moved from the open position to the closed position based on a signal from the door sensor 91 (S4).

[0082] When the door 20 is moved to the closed position, the operation execution means 305 accesses the RAM 209 to check the evacuation history information (S5). If the evacuation history is "present," the operation execution means 305 executes an initialization operation associated with cartridge replacement (S6). In other words, when the opening / closing detection means detects that the opening / closing member has been moved from the open position to the closed position, the control unit 1C refers to the information in the storage unit (evacuation history information) and determines to execute a predetermined initialization operation. If the evacuation history is "absent," the operation execution means 305 does not execute the initialization operation associated with cartridge replacement (S7). The time from when the door 20 is closed until the printer 1 is able to start an image forming operation without executing the initialization operation associated with cartridge replacement is shorter than the time from when the door 20 is closed until the printer 1 is able to start an image forming operation after the initialization operation associated with cartridge replacement is executed.

[0083] Regardless of whether an initialization operation is performed in association with cartridge replacement, after the door 20 is closed, the operation determination means 304 clears the evacuation history information (S8). That is, the evacuation history information is initialized to "no evacuation history." If movement of the door 20 from the open position to the closed position is not detected (S4 No), the evacuation history information is not cleared, and the above processing is continued by returning to the beginning.

[0084] In this manner, the control unit 1C of this embodiment executes an initialization operation associated with cartridge replacement based on the closure of the door 20 if movement of the fixing device 80 to the retracted position is detected while the door 20 is open. On the other hand, the control unit 1C does not execute an initialization operation associated with cartridge replacement based on the closure of the door 20 if movement of the fixing device 80 to the retracted position is not detected while the door 20 is open. In other words, if the detection means detects movement of the fixing device from the first position to the second position during the period from when the opening / closing member is moved from the closed position to the open position until the opening / closing member is moved from the open position to the closed position, the control unit of this embodiment executes a predetermined initialization operation to make the unit available for image formation based on the opening / closing member being moved to the closed position. On the other hand, if the detection means does not detect movement of the fixing device from the first position to the second position during the above-mentioned period, the control unit of this embodiment does not execute an initialization operation based on the opening / closing member being moved to the closed position.

[0085] If movement of the fixing device 80 to the retracted position is not detected while the door 20 is open, it is highly likely that the cartridge P has not been replaced. Therefore, in this case, by not performing the initialization operation associated with cartridge replacement based on the closure of the door 20, it is possible to prevent cases in which an unnecessary initialization operation is performed. This also makes it possible to prevent the period (downtime) from being extended due to the execution of an unnecessary initialization operation after the door 20 is closed until the printer 1 is able to start image forming operations.

[0086] Furthermore, cartridges P are consumables whose internal toner is consumed by the creation of toner images, and the toner is consumed to create a toner pattern during the initialization operation associated with cartridge replacement when detecting the presence or absence of a cartridge. Furthermore, the cartridges P, fixing device 80, and transfer unit 40 may have lifespans set based on the cumulative rotation amount of the photosensitive drum 61, transfer belt 41, or heating roller, for example, and unnecessary initialization operations may unnecessarily increase the cumulative rotation amount. According to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent the accelerated consumption of consumables caused by unnecessary initialization operations.

[0087] In this way, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus that can reduce unnecessary initialization operations.

[0088] Example 2 In the first embodiment, an example was described in which it was determined whether or not to perform the initialization operation based on the detection result of the retraction sensor 90 that detects the movement of the fixing device 80. In the second embodiment, an example will be described in which the movement of the fixing device 80 from the use position to the retraction position is detected with a cheaper configuration. Hereinafter, elements with the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment have basically the same configurations and functions as those described in the first embodiment unless otherwise specified, and differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

[0089] (function block) Next, functional blocks of the control unit 1C in the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 8. The control unit 1C has a retraction unit 300, an open / close detection unit 301, an insertion / removal detection unit 309, and an initialization control unit 303.

[0090] The printer 1 has an insertion / removal detection system 310. The insertion / removal detection system 310 includes the fixing device 80, a power supply device 320 that supplies power to the fixing device 80, a main body side connector 102 connected to the power supply device 320, a fixing side connector 107 provided in the fixing device 80, and an insertion / removal detection means 309 of the control unit 1C. Details of the insertion / removal detection system 310 will be described later.

[0091] The main body side connector 102 and the fixing side connector 107 are a pluggable connector unit Cn1. The fixing device 80 is electrically connected to the power supply device 320 and the control unit 1C via the fixing side connector 107 and the main body side connector 102.

[0092] The fixing device 80 also includes a heating element RH1, thermistors TH1 and TH2, and an interconnecting board PCB1 (FIG. 9). The heating element RH1 is a heating resistor that generates Joule heat when energized. The thermistors TH1 and TH2 are temperature detection elements for detecting the temperature of the heating element RH1.

[0093] One of the main body side connector 102 and the fixation side connector 107 is a receptacle type, and the other of the main body side connector 102 and the fixation side connector 107 is a plug type. In this embodiment, the main body side connector 102 and the fixation side connector 107 are so-called drawer connectors. A drawer connector is a connector unit that has, for example, a resin housing for guiding provided on the outside of the contact members (terminals) and a floating mechanism that absorbs misalignment between the connectors, enabling a stable connection even when the connectors are frequently inserted and removed.

[0094] In this embodiment, the main body-side connector 102 and the fixing side connector 107 are configured to be disconnected when the fixing device 80 moves from the use position to the retracted position. The insertion / removal detection means 309 is an example of a detection means that can detect the movement of the fixing device 80 from the use position (first position) to the retracted position (second position). The insertion / removal detection means 309 is configured to detect whether the main body-side connector 102 and the fixing side connector 107 are connected (connected state, mated state) or disconnected (disconnected state, removed state). In other words, the insertion / removal detection means 309 is configured to detect that the main body-side connector 102 (first connector) and the fixing side connector 107 (second connector) are disconnected.

[0095] In the second embodiment, movement of the fixing device 80 from the use position to the retracted position is determined based on the detection result of the insertion / removal detection means 309. Therefore, in the second embodiment, there is no need to add the retraction sensor 90 as in the first embodiment, and unnecessary initialization operations can be reduced with a cheaper configuration.

[0096] (insertion / removal detection system) The insertion / removal detection system 310 will be described with reference to Fig. 9. The insertion / removal detection system 310 includes a cable 100. The above-mentioned main body side connector 102 is provided at one end of the cable 100. The cable 100 also includes an AC connector 105, a DC connector 101, AC lines HACL and HACN, and a DC bundled wire 103.

[0097] The main body connector 102 is a connector that integrates an AC connector portion 102A for supplying AC voltage and a DC connector portion 102D for transmitting DC voltage or DC signals. The AC connector 105 is an AC connector, and the DC connector 101 is a connector for transmitting DC voltage, ground potential, and DC signals. The AC connector 105 and the DC connector 101 are provided at the end of the cable 100 opposite to the main body connector 102. The AC connector 105 is connected to an AC connector 106 of the power supply device 320. The DC connector 101 is connected to a DC connector 108 of the control unit 35.

[0098] The AC lines HACL and HACN are alternating current wires. One end of the AC lines HACL and one end of the AC lines HACN are connected to the AC connector portion 102A of the main body connector 102. The other end of the AC lines HACL and the other end of the AC lines HACN are connected to the AC connector 105. The AC line HACL is electrically connected to one end of the heating element RH1 via the main body connector 102 and the fuser side connector 107. The AC line HACN is electrically connected to the other end of the heating element RH1 via the main body connector 102 and the fuser side connector 107. The AC lines HACL and HACN are power supply lines for supplying power to the heating element RH1 of the fixing device 80.

[0099] The DC cable 103 is a wire for direct current. One end of the DC cable 103 is connected to the DC connector portion 102D of the main body connector 102, and the other end of the DC cable 103 is connected to the DC connector 101. The DC cable 103 is made up of a plurality of wires. The plurality of wires includes signal lines STH1, STH2, LP, LPR, and SIG, and ground lines TGND and SGND.

[0100] The signal lines STH1 and STH2 and the ground lines TGND and SGND are electrically connected to the relay board PCB1 via the main body side connector 102 and the fixing device side connector 107. The thermistors TH1 and TH2 are also connected to the relay board PCB1. Within the relay board PCB1, the grounds of thermistors TH1 and TH2 are combined into one. This combined ground is electrically connected to the ground line TGND of the DC cable 103.

[0101] The CPU 207 is electrically connected to thermistors TH1 and TH2 via the DC connector 108, signal lines STH1 and STH2, ground line TGND, DC connector portion 102D of the main body-side connector 102, fixing-side connector 107, and relay board PCB1. Therefore, the CPU 207 can acquire output signals from thermistors TH1 and TH2 and detect the temperature of the heating element RH1. During image formation, the CPU 207 controls the power supply to the heating element RH1 based on the signals from thermistors TH1 and TH2, and maintains the fixing nip at a target temperature (fixing temperature) suitable for fixing an image.

[0102] The signal line LP is electrically connected to the signal line LPR via the main body side connector 102 and the fixing device side connector 107. Among the multiple terminals of the fixing device side connector 107, the terminals corresponding to the signal lines LP and LPR are short-circuited by a short-circuit line 107S.

[0103] The signal line SIG is electrically connected to the relay board PCB1 via the main body side connector 102 and the fixing side connector 107, and further passes through the relay board PCB1 and is connected to the ground line SGND.

[0104] Next, the insertion / removal detection system 310 will be described. The insertion / removal detection system 310 includes an input terminal LPIN of the CPU 207, a resistor R10 (pull-up resistor), a resistor R20, and a ground GND. The insertion / removal detection system 310 also includes signal lines LP and LPR of the DC cable 103, a short-circuit line 107S of the fixing device 80, DC connectors 101 and 108, and a main body side connector 102. The input terminal LPIN of the CPU 207 is connected to one end of the resistor R10 and one end of the resistor R20. The other end of the resistor R10 is connected to a 3.3V DC power supply. The other end of the resistor R20 is electrically connected to the signal line LP via the DC connectors 101 and 108. The signal line LPR is electrically connected (grounded) to the ground GND via the DC connectors 101 and 108.

[0105] The short-circuit line 107S of the fixing device 80 functions as a switch that opens and closes the circuit of the insertion / removal detection system 310. That is, when the main body-side connector 102 and the fixing side connector 107 are connected, the circuit is closed and a low-level voltage is input to the input terminal LPIN of the CPU 207. When the main body-side connector 102 and the fixing side connector 107 are disconnected, the circuit is open and a high-level voltage is input to the input terminal LPIN of the CPU 207.

[0106] Hereinafter, information relating to whether or not the connector unit Cn1 became disconnected while the door 20 was open will be referred to as "disconnection history information." Disconnection history information indicating that the connector unit Cn1 became disconnected will be referred to as "disconnection history present." Disconnection history information indicating that the connector unit Cn1 did not become disconnected will be referred to as "disconnection history absent."

[0107] (Control Flow) Next, the control flow of the initialization operation in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 10. The flowchart shown in Fig. 10 starts when the image forming operation is completed. In other words, this flow is executed continuously while the main power of the printer 1 is turned on and the printer 1 is not performing the image forming operation (during non-image formation). Each step of this flow is executed by one of the functional blocks of the control unit 1C.

[0108] The operation determining means 304 monitors whether the fixing device 80 is retracted while the door 20 is open based on the detection results of the open / close detecting means 301 and the insertion / removal detecting means 309 (S11 to S13). That is, the open / close detecting means 301 detects whether the door 20 of the apparatus main body 1A is in the open position based on a signal from the door sensor 91 (S11). The insertion / removal detecting means 309 detects whether the connector unit Cn1 has been disconnected based on an input signal to the input terminal LPIN of the CPU 207 (S12). The insertion / removal detecting means 309 determines that the connector unit Cn1 has been disconnected (disconnected state) when a high-level input signal is input to the input terminal LPIN. If the open / close detecting means 301 detects that the door 20 is open and the insertion / removal detecting means 309 detects that the connector unit Cn1 is in the disconnected state (S11 Yes → S12 Yes), the operation determining means 304 determines that the cartridge P may have been replaced. In this case, the operation determination means 304 stores "disconnection history present" as the connection disconnection history information in the RAM 209 (S13). Note that when the door 20 is opened, the connection disconnection history information has the initial value of "disconnection history absent."

[0109] The operation execution means 305 executes an initialization operation in accordance with the disconnection history information determined by the operation determination means 304 based on the fact that the door 20 has been closed (S14 to S18). That is, the opening / closing detection means 301 detects that the door 20 has been moved from the open position to the closed position based on a signal from the door sensor 91 (S14). When the door 20 has been moved to the closed position, the operation execution means 305 accesses the RAM 209 to check the disconnection history information (S15). If the disconnection history is "present", the operation execution means 305 executes an initialization operation associated with cartridge replacement (S16). If the disconnection history is "absent", the operation execution means 305 does not execute an initialization operation associated with cartridge replacement (S17).

[0110] Regardless of whether an initialization operation accompanying cartridge replacement has been performed, after the door 20 is closed, the operation determination means 304 clears the disconnection history information (S18). That is, the disconnection history information is initialized to "no disconnection history." If movement of the door 20 from the open position to the closed position is not detected (No in S14), the disconnection history information is not cleared, and the above processing is continued by returning to the beginning.

[0111] In this way, when the control unit 1C of this embodiment detects that the fixing device 80 has moved to the retracted position while the door 20 is open, it executes the initialization operation associated with cartridge replacement based on the closing of the door 20. On the other hand, when the control unit 1C does not detect that the fixing device 80 has moved to the retracted position while the door 20 is open, it does not execute the initialization operation associated with cartridge replacement based on the closing of the door 20.

[0112] Therefore, similar to the first embodiment, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus capable of reducing unnecessary initialization operations.

[0113] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the movement of the fixing device 80 from the use position to the retracted position is detected by detecting the disconnected state of the connector unit Cn1. Therefore, it is possible to reduce unnecessary initialization operations with a simpler configuration than in the first embodiment.

[0114] (Other Examples) In the above-described embodiment, a configuration has been described in which the cartridge P is allowed to be attached and detached when the fixing device 80 is moved to the retracted position, and the cartridge P cannot be attached and detached when the fixing device 80 is in the use position. The present disclosure is not limited to this, and the unit (replacement unit) that is attached and detached to the apparatus main body 1A when the fixing device 80 is moved to the retracted position may be, for example, the transfer unit 40 or a waste toner collection unit.

[0115] When the replacement unit is the transfer unit 40, the predetermined initialization operation may be a cleaning operation of the transfer belt 41 and / or a new product detection operation for detecting whether the transfer unit 40 is new. When the replacement unit is a waste toner recovery unit, the predetermined initialization operation may be a new product detection operation for detecting whether the recovery unit is new. The cleaning operation of the transfer belt 41 is an operation for cleaning toner that may have scattered onto the surface of the transfer belt 41 from the cleaning unit 43, etc., by rotating the transfer belt 41 for a predetermined time. The new product detection operation is an operation for detecting whether the transfer unit 40 or the recovery unit is new, for example, by the control unit 1C reading information from a memory attached to the transfer unit 40 or the recovery unit.

[0116] (Other embodiments) The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program.The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

[0117] Summary of the Disclosure The present disclosure includes at least the following: (Configuration 1) a device body having an opening; an opening / closing member movable between a closed position that closes the opening and an open position that opens the opening; a fixing device that is movable between a first position where an image is fixed onto a recording material and a second position where the fixing device is retracted from the first position; a unit used in an image forming operation for forming an image on a recording material, the unit being attachable to and detachable from the apparatus main body through the opening when the opening / closing member is in the open position and the fixing device is in the second position; a detection unit capable of detecting movement of the fixing device from the first position to the second position; A control unit; Equipped with The control unit when the detection means detects movement of the fixing device from the first position to the second position during a period from when the opening / closing member is moved from the closed position to the open position until when the opening / closing member is moved from the open position to the closed position, a predetermined initialization operation is performed based on the fact that the opening / closing member has been moved to the closed position to make the unit available for the image forming operation; If the detection means does not detect the movement of the fixing device from the first position to the second position during the period, the predetermined initialization operation is not performed based on the movement of the opening / closing member to the closed position. An image forming apparatus characterized by: (Configuration 2) a sensor that outputs a signal corresponding to the position of the fixing device; the detection means detects the movement of the fixing device from the first position to the second position based on the signal from the sensor; 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, (Configuration 3) a first connector disposed in the device body and electrically connected to the control unit; a second connector disposed on the fixing device, connected to the first connector when the fixing device is in the first position, and disconnected from the first connector when the unit is in the second position; The detection means is configured to detect that the first connector and the second connector are disconnected. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, (Configuration 4) further comprising a retracting means for retracting the fixing device from the first position to the second position, the retracting unit retracts the fixing device in response to an instruction from a user when the opening / closing member is in the open position. 4. The image forming apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 3. (Configuration 5) Further provided is a support member for supporting the unit, the support member is movable between an inner position where the unit is housed inside the device body and an outer position where the support member is pulled out to the outside of the device body to allow the unit to be attached to or detached from the support member. 5. The image forming apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 4. (Configuration 6) When the fixing device is in the first position, at least a portion of the fixing device is located inside a movement space in which the support member moves from the inner position to the outer position, When the fixing device is in the second position, the entire fixing device is located outside the movement space. 6. The image forming apparatus according to configuration 5. (Configuration 7) a time period from when the opening / closing member is moved from the open position to the closed position until the image forming device is ready to start the image forming operation without the predetermined initialization operation being performed is shorter than a time period from when the opening / closing member is moved from the open position to the closed position until the predetermined initialization operation is performed and the image forming device is ready to start the image forming operation; 7. The image forming apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 6. (Configuration 8) further comprising an opening / closing detection means for detecting the opening / closing of the opening / closing member, The control unit has a storage unit, The control unit storing information indicating that the unit may have been replaced in the storage unit when the detection means detects that the opening / closing member is in the open position and the detection means detects that the fixing device has moved from the first position to the second position; when the opening / closing detection means detects that the opening / closing member has been moved from the open position to the closed position, the information in the storage unit is referenced to determine whether the predetermined initialization operation is to be performed. 8. The image forming apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 7. (Configuration 9) The unit is a cartridge having at least one member selected from the group including a photosensitive drum, a charging member that charges the photosensitive drum, a developing member that supplies a developer to the photosensitive drum to perform development, and a cleaning member that removes toner adhering to the surface of the photosensitive drum. 9. The image forming apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 8. (Configuration 10) the cartridge has the charging member, the predetermined initialization operation is an operation of cleaning the charging member; 10. The image forming apparatus according to configuration 9, (Configuration 11) the predetermined initialization operation is an operation of detecting the presence or absence of the cartridge; 11. The image forming apparatus according to configuration 9 or 10. (Configuration 12) the cartridge has the photosensitive drum, the predetermined initialization operation is an operation of engaging a coupling of the main body of the apparatus with a coupling of the cartridge to enable transmission of drive from a drive source disposed in the main body of the apparatus to the photosensitive drum; 12. The image forming apparatus according to any one of configurations 9 to 11. (Configuration 13) the unit includes an intermediate transfer member that carries a toner image that has been primarily transferred from the photosensitive drum to a recording material for secondary transfer; 9. The image forming apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 8. (Configuration 14) the predetermined initialization operation is an operation of cleaning the intermediate transfer body or an operation of detecting whether the unit is new or not; 14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13, (Configuration 15) the unit is a recovery unit that stores waste toner recovered from a photosensitive drum or an intermediate transfer body; 9. The image forming apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 8. (Configuration 16) the predetermined initialization operation is an operation of detecting whether the collection unit is new or not; 16. The image forming apparatus according to configuration 15. [Explanation of symbols]

[0118] 1A... device main body / 1C... control unit / 20... opening / closing member (door) / 80... fixing device / 302, 309... detection means (retraction detection means, insertion / removal detection means) / P... unit (cartridge)

Claims

1. a device body having an opening; an opening / closing member movable between a closed position that closes the opening and an open position that opens the opening; a fixing device that is movable between a first position where an image is fixed onto a recording material and a second position where the fixing device is retracted from the first position; a unit used in an image forming operation for forming an image on a recording material, the unit being attachable to and detachable from the apparatus main body through the opening when the opening / closing member is in the open position and the fixing device is in the second position; a detection unit capable of detecting movement of the fixing device from the first position to the second position; A control unit; Equipped with The control unit when the detection means detects that the fixing device has moved from the first position to the second position during a period from when the opening / closing member has moved from the closed position to the open position until when the opening / closing member has moved from the open position to the closed position, a predetermined initialization operation is performed based on the fact that the opening / closing member has moved to the closed position to make the unit available for the image forming operation; if the detection means does not detect the movement of the fixing device from the first position to the second position during the period, the predetermined initialization operation is not performed based on the movement of the opening / closing member to the closed position. An image forming apparatus characterized by:

2. a sensor that outputs a signal corresponding to the position of the fixing device; the detecting means detects the movement of the fixing device from the first position to the second position based on the signal from the sensor; 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

3. a first connector disposed in the device body and electrically connected to the control unit; a second connector disposed on the fixing device, connected to the first connector when the fixing device is in the first position, and disconnected from the first connector when the unit is in the second position; The detection means is configured to detect that the first connector and the second connector are disconnected.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

4. a retracting unit for retracting the fixing device from the first position to the second position; the retracting unit retracts the fixing device in response to an instruction from a user when the opening / closing member is in the open position.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

5. Further provided is a support member for supporting the unit, the support member is movable between an inner position where the unit is housed inside the device body and an outer position where the support member is pulled out to the outside of the device body to allow the unit to be attached to or detached from the support member.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

6. When the fixing device is in the first position, at least a portion of the fixing device is located inside a movement space in which the support member moves from the inner position to the outer position, When the fixing device is in the second position, the entire fixing device is located outside the movement space.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5,

7. a time period from when the opening / closing member is moved from the open position to the closed position until the image forming device is ready to start the image forming operation without the predetermined initialization operation being performed is shorter than a time period from when the opening / closing member is moved from the open position to the closed position until the predetermined initialization operation is performed and the image forming device is ready to start the image forming operation; 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

8. further comprising an opening / closing detection means for detecting the opening / closing of the opening / closing member, The control unit has a storage unit, The control unit when the opening / closing detection means detects that the opening / closing member is in the open position and the detection means detects that the fixing device has moved from the first position to the second position, storing information in the storage section indicating that the unit may have been replaced; when the opening / closing detection means detects that the opening / closing member has been moved from the open position to the closed position, the information in the storage unit is referenced to determine whether the predetermined initialization operation is to be performed.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

9. The unit is a cartridge having at least one member selected from the group including a photosensitive drum, a charging member that charges the photosensitive drum, a developing member that supplies a developer to the photosensitive drum to perform development, and a cleaning member that removes toner adhering to the surface of the photosensitive drum.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

10. the cartridge has the charging member, the predetermined initialization operation is an operation of cleaning the charging member; 10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9,

11. the predetermined initialization operation is an operation of detecting the presence or absence of the cartridge; 10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9,

12. the cartridge has the photosensitive drum, the predetermined initialization operation is an operation of engaging a coupling of the main body of the apparatus with a coupling of the cartridge to enable transmission of drive from a drive source disposed in the main body of the apparatus to the photosensitive drum; 10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9,

13. the unit includes an intermediate transfer member that carries a toner image that has been primarily transferred from the photosensitive drum to a recording material for secondary transfer; 9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

14. the predetermined initialization operation is an operation of cleaning the intermediate transfer body or an operation of detecting whether the unit is new or not; 14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13.

15. the unit is a recovery unit that stores waste toner recovered from a photosensitive drum or an intermediate transfer body; 9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

16. the predetermined initialization operation is an operation of detecting whether the collection unit is new or not; 16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 15.

Images