Image formation device

Abstract

To automatically identify a fitted option member.SOLUTION: An image formation device comprises a plurality of motor units 20, 21, 22 of which any one is exclusively fitted, and a control part (1) which controls operation of the fitted motor unit 20, 21, 22. The motor unit 20, 21, 22 includes a harness 24, 25, 26 which has a plurality of pins and is connected to the control part (1). In the harness 24, 25, 26, different two pins are connected according to each of motor unit 20, 21, 22. The control part (1) identify the fitted motor unit 20, 21, 22 on the basis of an identification signal that is generated by connection of the harness 24, 25, 26 to the harness. The identification signal changes in a state thereof according to the connected two pins of the connected harness 24, 25, 26.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus to which a post-processing device can be connected. [Background technology]

[0002] In the printing machine market, demands for higher quality in output are becoming higher than ever before. Furthermore, it is becoming more common for sheets with printed images to be subjected to post-processing (processing, binding, etc.). To meet these various demands for output generated by image forming devices, various types of post-processing devices can be connected to image forming devices. To transfer printed sheets to the post-processing device, the heights of the sheet discharge section of the image forming device and the sheet receiving section of the post-processing device are aligned.

[0003] In order to match the height of the receiving section of the post-processing device, the image forming device is provided with, for example, multiple discharge units of different heights. One of the multiple discharge units is provided with a discharge mechanism for discharging sheets depending on the post-processing device. This configuration makes it possible to transfer sheets to a wide variety of post-processing devices. A configuration has been proposed that simplifies various settings during installation by automatically identifying the attached post-processing device when the sheet discharge height of the image forming device is selected depending on the post-processing device to be connected (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-235331 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The image forming apparatus may have multiple discharge outlets, but only one discharge outlet is required depending on the post-processing device. To reduce initial costs, the discharge mechanism is provided only for the discharge outlet from which the sheet is discharged, and is not provided for the other discharge outlets. In this way, the discharge mechanism is an optional component that can be selectively attached to the available discharge outlets.

[0006] Simple discharge mechanisms that make an ejection outlet available by installing a single component such as a motor make it difficult to exchange information to determine which ejection outlet has the ejection mechanism. In particular, ejection mechanisms that do not include a control board, such as a stepping motor, cannot exchange information to determine which ejection outlet has the ejection mechanism. In this case, simply installing a stepping motor does not allow for identification of an available ejection outlet, which complicates the work of a service technician when installing an image forming apparatus. Furthermore, there is a risk of malfunctions in the image forming apparatus occurring if the service technician fails to input information. By changing the ejection mechanism installed for each ejection outlet, it is possible to identify which ejection outlet has become available by identifying the ejection mechanism.

[0007] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above-mentioned problems, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus that can automatically identify an attached optional member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The image forming apparatus of the present invention is characterized by comprising a connector including a plurality of identification terminals to which cables are selectively connected, and an identification means for identifying the state of the apparatus according to which of the plurality of identification terminals is connected to the cable. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, the attached optional member can be automatically identified. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an inkjet recording apparatus. [Figure 2] FIG. 4 is a detailed configuration diagram of a discharge stacking module. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a connection configuration between a discharge mechanism and a control unit 1. [Figure 6] (a) and (b) are explanatory diagrams of a method for identifying the discharge mechanism. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of an identification table for a discharge mechanism. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an inkjet recording apparatus, which is an image forming apparatus of this embodiment. The inkjet recording apparatus 100 forms an image by ejecting ink onto a sheet. The inkjet recording apparatus 100 of this embodiment is a sheet-fed image forming apparatus that produces a finished product by forming an ink image on a sheet using two liquids: a reaction liquid and ink. The sheet may be any recording material that can accept ink, such as plain paper, cardboard, plastic film for overhead projectors, specially shaped sheets such as envelopes or index paper, or cloth.

[0013] The inkjet recording apparatus 100 includes a paper feed module 1000, a print module 2000, a drying module 3000, a fixing module 4000, a cooling module 5000, an inverting module 6000, and a paper discharge stacking module 7000. A sheet, which is a cut-sheet recording material on which an image is printed, is supplied from the paper feed module 1000, undergoes predetermined processing related to image formation in each module, and is then discharged to the paper discharge stacking module 7000. In the inkjet recording apparatus 100 of this embodiment, each module has its own housing, and the housings are connected together. Alternatively, the inkjet recording apparatus 100 may include the functions of each module within a single housing.

[0014] The paper feed module 1000 includes multiple (three tiers in this embodiment) storage cabinets 1100a-1100c. Each of the storage cabinets 1100a-1100c can store sheets. Each of the storage cabinets 1100a-1100c can be pulled out toward the front of the device, and is pulled out toward the front of the device to store sheets. The paper feed module 1000 feeds sheets one by one to the print module 2000. To achieve this, each of the storage cabinets 1100a-1100c is provided with a separation belt and a transport roller. Note that the number of storage cabinets 1100a-1100c is an example, and there may be one, two, four or more tiers.

[0015] The print module 2000 is an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet fed from the paper feed module 1000. The print module 2000 includes a pre-imaging registration correction unit (not shown), a print belt unit 2200, and a recording unit 2300. The pre-imaging registration correction unit corrects the inclination and position of the sheet fed from the paper feed module 1000 and conveys the sheet to the print belt unit 2200.

[0016] The print belt unit 2200 and the recording unit 2300 are disposed facing each other across the sheet transport path, downstream of the pre-imaging registration correction unit in the sheet transport direction. The print belt unit 2200 adsorbs and transports the sheet transported from the pre-imaging registration correction unit. The recording unit 2300 is a sheet processing unit that forms an image by performing a recording process (printing) on ​​the sheet transported by the print belt unit 2200 from above using a recording head. The recording head prints by ejecting ink onto the sheet. As the sheet is adsorbed and transported by the print belt unit 2200, a constant clearance is maintained between the sheet and the recording head.

[0017] A plurality of recording heads are arranged along the sheet transport direction. The recording heads of this embodiment are five line-type recording heads corresponding to the four colors of Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan), and K (black), as well as the reaction liquid. The number of colors and recording heads is not limited to five. The inkjet method may employ a method using a heating element, a piezoelectric element, an electrostatic element, or a MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) element. Each color ink is supplied to the recording head from an ink tank (not shown) via an ink tube. The ink contains, for example, 0.1% to 20.0% by mass of a resin component, water, a water-soluble organic solvent, a colorant, wax, additives, etc., based on the total mass.

[0018] The sheet printed by the recording unit 2300 is transported by the print belt unit 2200. An inline scanner (not shown) is disposed downstream in the transport direction from the recording unit 2300. The inline scanner is used to detect misalignment and color density of the image formed on the sheet and correct the printed image.

[0019] The drying module 3000 dries a sheet on which an image has been formed by the print module 2000 by blowing hot air onto the sheet. By drying the sheet, the drying module 3000 reduces the liquid components contained in the ink, improving the fixation of the ink to the sheet. The drying module 3000 includes a decoupling unit 3200, a drying belt unit 3300, and a hot air blowing unit 3400.

[0020] The sheet printed by the recording unit 2300 of the print module 2000 is transported to the decoupling unit 3200 in the drying module 3000. The decoupling unit 3200 weakly holds and transports the sheet by using friction generated between the sheet and the belt due to the pressure of the air blown from above. This prevents the portion of the sheet remaining on the print belt unit 2200 from shifting while straddling the decoupling unit 3200 and the print belt unit 2200.

[0021] The sheet conveyed from the decoupling unit 3200 is adsorbed and conveyed to the drying belt unit 3300, and at the same time, hot air is blown onto the ink-applied surface (the surface on which the image is printed) from the hot air blowing unit 3400 located above the belt, drying the ink-applied surface (the surface on which the image is printed). The ink and reaction liquid applied to the sheet are heated, promoting the evaporation of water, which allows the sheet to absorb the applied ink and suppresses the occurrence of so-called cockling, in which the sheet stretches locally and wrinkles. Note that, from the standpoints of safety and energy efficiency, electric heating wires or infrared heaters are preferred as heaters for heating the air. In addition to the method of applying hot air, the drying method may also be a combination of a method of irradiating the sheet surface with electromagnetic waves (such as ultraviolet or infrared rays) or a method of conductive heat transfer by contact with a heating element.

[0022] The fixing module 4000 heats the sheet dried in the drying module 3000 to dry the ink, thereby fixing the image to the sheet. The fixing module 4000 includes a fixing belt unit 4100 having an upper belt unit and a lower belt unit. The fixing module 4000 passes the sheet conveyed from the drying module 3000 between the heated upper belt unit and lower belt unit, thereby allowing the ink solvent to sufficiently penetrate (fix) the sheet.

[0023] The cooling module 5000 cools the sheet on which the image has been fixed by the fixing module 4000, solidifying the ink softened by heating and suppressing changes in the temperature of the sheet caused by downstream devices. The cooling module 5000 includes multiple cooling units 5100. The multiple cooling units 5100 cool the high-temperature sheet transported from the fixing module 4000. Each cooling unit 5100 increases the pressure inside the cooling box by drawing outside air into the cooling box with a fan. The air inside the cooling box is blown out from nozzles formed in the transport path and directed at the sheet, cooling it. The multiple cooling units 5100 are arranged on both sides of the transport path, allowing the sheet to be cooled from both sides.

[0024] A transport path switching unit is provided inside the cooling module 5000. The transport path switching unit switches the transport path of the sheet depending on whether the sheet is transported to the reversing module 6000 or to a double-sided transport path used for double-sided printing.

[0025] During double-sided printing, the sheet is transported to a transport path below the cooling module 5000 and then transported through a double-sided transport path including the fixing module 4000, drying module 3000, print module 2000, and paper feed module 1000. The double-sided transport section of the fixing module 4000 is provided with a first reversing unit 4200 that reverses the sheet from front to back. The sheet is transported to the first reversing unit 4200, then reversed and transported toward the drying module 3000, thereby reversing the print side of the image. By passing through the first reversing unit 4200, printing on the back side of the sheet becomes possible. The sheet is then transported again to the pre-imaging registration correction unit, print belt unit 2200, and recording unit 2300 of the print module 2000, where it is printed.

[0026] The reversing module 6000 includes a second reversing section 6400. The reversing module 6000 can reverse the front and back sides of the conveyed sheet using the second reversing section 6400. This allows the orientation of the front and back sides of the discharged sheet to be changed. The paper output stacking module 7000 includes a top tray 7200 and a stacking tray 7500. The paper output stacking module 7000 aligns and stacks the sheets conveyed from the reversing module 6000 on the top tray 7200 or the stacking tray 7500.

[0027] (Paper output stacking module) FIG. 2 is a detailed configuration diagram of the output stacking module 7000. The output stacking module 7000 transports a sheet delivered from the reversing module 6000 to a top tray 7200, a stacking tray 7500, or one of the sheet discharge ports A, B, and C via a transport path 703. The transport path 703 is provided with an entrance roller 701, a first switching unit 702, a second switching unit 704, a third switching unit 705, a fourth switching unit 706, and a sheet discharge roller 707. The sheet delivered from the reversing module 6000 is received by the entrance roller 701. The sheet is guided to the top tray 7200, the stacking tray 7500, or one of the sheet discharge ports A, B, and C by the first switching unit 702, the second switching unit 704, the third switching unit 705, and the fourth switching unit 706. The direction in which the sheet is guided is determined based on the sheet discharge destination designated by the user via an operation unit (not shown). The first switching unit 702, the second switching unit 704, the third switching unit 705, and the fourth switching unit 706 are individually driven by solenoids, which will be described later.

[0028] When a user instructs that a sheet be discharged onto the top tray 7200, the sheet is guided to the top tray 7200 by the first switching unit 702. When a user instructs that a sheet be stacked onto the stacking tray 7500, the sheet is guided to the paper discharge rollers 707 by the first switching unit 702, the second switching unit 704, the third switching unit 705, and the fourth switching unit 706. The paper discharge rollers 707 stack the sheet onto the stacking tray 7500.

[0029] A grip belt 708 suspended between a drive pulley 710 and a driven pulley 711 is provided above the stacking tray 7500. Grippers 709a and 709b are attached to the grip belt 708. Rotation of the drive pulley 710 causes the grip belt 708 to rotate in a rotation direction 712. The sheet is gripped by one of the grippers 709a and 709b and is transported onto the stacking tray 7500 by the rotation of the grip belt 708.

[0030] A leading edge stopper 713 having a contact inclined surface 713a and a retraction belt 714 are provided below the driven pulley 711. A sheet conveyed onto the stacking tray 7500 by the rotation of the grip belt 708 is released from the gripper 709a (or 709b) by the contact inclined surface 713a and handed over to the retraction belt 714. The retraction belt 714 brings the leading edge of the sheet into contact with the leading edge stopper 713, thereby aligning the leading edge position of the sheet. At this time, the sheet is stacked on the stacking tray 7500 with its trailing edge separated from the discharge roller 707 and its leading edge position regulated.

[0031] The distance between the pull-in belt 714 and the discharge roller 707 is set shorter than the length of the sheet to be discharged. The height of the stacking tray 7500 is controlled so that the pull-in belt 714 comes into contact with the uppermost surface of the sheet stack stacked on the stacking tray 7500. The next sheet discharged from the discharge roller 707 is conveyed over the stacking tray 7500 with its leading edge gripped by the next gripper 709b (or 709a) and is then stacked. When the stacked sheet is to be removed, the stacking tray 7500 is lowered to a position below where the sheet can be removed.

[0032] A post-processing device that performs predetermined post-processing can be connected downstream of the sheet discharge stacking module 7000. When a post-processing device is provided downstream of the sheet discharge stacking module 7000, the sheet is guided to one of the sheet discharge outlets A, B, or C by the first switching unit 702, the second switching unit 704, the third switching unit 705, and the fourth switching unit 706. In this way, the sheet discharge outlets A, B, and C are discharge units for delivering the sheet to the post-processing device.

[0033] There are multiple types of post-processing devices that can be connected to the paper discharge stacking module 7000, each with a different post-processing function. The height of the sheet receiving section of the post-processing device varies depending on the type. For this reason, the paper discharge outlets A, B, and C of the paper discharge stacking module 7000 each have a different paper discharge height. In this embodiment, the paper discharge height of paper discharge outlet A is 1020 mm, the paper discharge height of paper discharge outlet B is 860 mm, and the paper discharge height of paper discharge outlet C is 745 mm.

[0034] A discharge roller 715 is provided to discharge a sheet from discharge outlet A. A first sheet detection sensor 719 that detects a sheet is provided between discharge roller 715 and discharge outlet A. A discharge roller 717 is provided to discharge a sheet from discharge outlet B. A second sheet detection sensor 720 that detects a sheet is provided between discharge roller 717 and discharge outlet B. A discharge roller 718 is provided to discharge a sheet from discharge outlet C. A third sheet detection sensor 721 that detects a sheet is provided between discharge roller 718 and discharge outlet C. Each of the discharge outlets A, B, and C can discharge a sheet by selectively providing a discharge mechanism. Selectively providing a discharge mechanism means, for example, that when a discharge mechanism is provided in one of the discharge outlets A, B, and C, no discharge mechanism is provided in the other two. In other words, a discharge mechanism is exclusively provided in one of the discharge outlets A, B, and C.

[0035] The discharge mechanism for paper discharge outlet A includes a motor (not shown) for driving paper discharge rollers 715 and a cable for connection to a control unit described later. The discharge mechanism for paper discharge outlet B includes a motor (not shown) for driving paper discharge rollers 717 and a cable for connection to a control unit described later. The discharge mechanism for paper discharge outlet C includes a motor (not shown) for driving paper discharge rollers 718 and a cable for connection to a control unit described later.

[0036] Depending on the post-processing device connected downstream of the paper output stacking module 7000, a discharge mechanism is attached to one of the paper output ports A, B, and C, and not to the other output ports. If no post-processing device is connected downstream, no discharge mechanism is attached. In this way, the discharge mechanisms are optional components, one of which can be attached as needed. The above-mentioned paper output height is one example of a condition for selecting an optional component, and is not limited to this. Furthermore, the paper output ports A, B, and C are examples of multiple option attachment portions to which optional components can be selectively attached.

[0037] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a control unit for comprehensively controlling the operation of the discharge stacking module 7000. The control unit 1 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 2, an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) 3, a stepping motor drive unit 4, a solenoid drive unit 5, and a GPIO IF 6. A stepping motor 7, a solenoid 8, and sensors 9 are connected to the control unit 1. The control unit 1 is, for example, a circuit board on which electrical components such as the CPU 2, the FPGA 3, the stepping motor drive unit 4, the solenoid drive unit 5, and the GPIO IF 6 are mounted. The stepping motor 7 is an example of a motor constituting the discharge mechanism. The solenoid 8 is a solenoid for individually driving the first switch unit 702, the second switch unit 704, the third switch unit 705, and the fourth switch unit 706. For this purpose, the number of solenoids 8 provided corresponds to the number of switch units (here, four).

[0038] The control unit 1 mainly drives the loads such as the stepping motor 7 and solenoid 8 in the discharge stacking module 7000 and executes processing in accordance with the detection results of the sensors 9. The stepping motor 7 is driven and controlled by a stepping motor drive unit 4. The solenoid 8 is driven and controlled by a solenoid drive unit 5. The solenoids 8 are individually driven and controlled by the solenoid drive unit 5 to drive the first switch unit 702, the second switch unit 704, the third switch unit 705, and the fourth switch unit 706. The detection results of the sensors 9 are input to the control unit 1 via the GPIO IF 6. The CPU 2 and FPGA 3 are communicatively connected and cooperate to control the operation of the discharge stacking module 7000. The CPU 2 transmits various control signals to the stepping motor drive unit 4 and the solenoid drive unit 5 via the FPGA 3. The CPU 2 acquires the detection results acquired from the sensors 9 via the GPIO IF 6 via the FPGA 3. The CPU 2 controls the operation of the discharged paper stacking module 7000 based on the detection results of the sensors 9 .

[0039] Although not shown in the drawings, the control unit 1 is connected to a main control unit that controls the overall operation of the inkjet recording apparatus 100. The control unit 1 controls the operation of the discharged paper stacking module 7000 in cooperation with the main control unit.

[0040] (ejection mechanism) The following describes a discharge mechanism that is provided exclusively for one of the paper discharge ports A, B, and C. Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the discharge mechanism. The discharge mechanism of this embodiment is a motor unit that includes a stepping motor 7 and a cable (here, a harness).

[0041] The motor unit 20, which can be attached to the paper discharge port A, includes a stepping motor 7 and a harness 24. The motor unit 20 drives the paper discharge roller 715. The harness 24 electrically connects the stepping motor 7 to the control unit 1. The harness 24 is provided with a connector 24a and a connector 24b. The connector 24a is connected to the stepping motor 7 and is composed of four pins for transmitting control signals necessary to drive the stepping motor 7. The connector 24b is connected to the control unit 1 and is an optional side connector composed of eight pins. The first pin and the sixth pin of the connector 24b, which is connected to the control unit 1, are connected.

[0042] The motor unit 21, which can be attached to the paper discharge port B, includes a stepping motor 7 and a harness 25. The motor unit 21 drives a paper discharge roller 717. Similar to the motor unit 20, the harness 25 electrically connects the stepping motor 7 and the control unit 1. The harness 25 is connected to the first and seventh pins of a connector 25b (option side connector) that is connected to the control unit 1. The rest of the configuration is the same as that of the motor unit 20.

[0043] The motor unit 22 provided at the paper discharge port C includes a stepping motor 7 and a harness 26. The motor unit 22 drives a paper discharge roller 718. Similar to the motor unit 20, the harness 26 electrically connects the stepping motor 7 and the control unit 1. The harness 26 is connected to the first and eighth pins of a connector 26b (option side connector) that is connected to the control unit 1. The rest of the configuration is the same as that of the motor unit 20.

[0044] One of these motor units 20, 21, and 22 is selected and provided exclusively depending on the type of post-processing device connected to the discharge stacking module 7000. The motor units 20, 21, and 22 differ in the configuration of the connectors 24b, 25b, and 26b connected to the control units 1 of the harnesses 24, 25, and 26. Specifically, the connectors 24b, 25b, and 26b are each connected to two different pins. The two connected pins are different for each connector. In the connectors 24b, 25b, and 26b, one of the two pins (pin 1) is a common reference terminal, and the other pins are different identification terminals (pins 6, 7, and 8). The different identification terminals connected to the first pin, which is the reference terminal, generate an identification signal, described below, for identifying the installed discharge mechanism.

[0045] In this embodiment, the stepping motors 7 constituting each of the motor units 20, 21, and 22 are the same, but each may be a stepping motor with different characteristics. For example, if the load on the paper discharge rollers 715, 717, and 718 differs depending on the paper discharge height, motors with different torque specifications may be provided for each of the motor units 20, 21, and 22. The type of motor is also not limited to a stepping motor.

[0046] Fig. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the connection configuration between the discharge mechanism and the control unit 1. Fig. 5 shows the connection configuration between the motor unit 20 and the control unit 1 when the discharge mechanism is provided at the discharge port A. The harness 24 of the motor unit 20 is connected to the stepping motor drive unit 4 and the GPIO IF 6 of the control unit 1 via a harness 30. The harness 30 has a connector 30a connected to the harness 24 and connectors 30b and 30c connected to the control unit 1.

[0047] The first to eighth pins of connector 24b of harness 24 correspond to the first to eighth pins of connector 30a of harness 30. In harness 30, the second to fifth pins of connector 30a are connected to the first to fourth pins of connector 30b. In harness 30, the first and sixth to eighth pins of connector 30a are connected to the first to fourth pins of connector 30c. The second, third, fourth, and fifth pins of connector 24b of harness 24 are connected to stepping motor driver 4 via the first, second, third, and fourth pins of connector 30b of harness 30. The first, sixth, seventh, and eighth pins of connector 24b of harness 24 are connected to GPIO IF 6 via the first, second, third, and fourth pins of connector 30c of harness 30. Even when the motor units 21 and 22 are provided, the connection relationship between the pins of the harnesses 25 and 26 and the harness 30 remains the same.

[0048] A control signal for controlling the stepping motor 7 is input from the stepping motor driver 4 to the stepping motor 7 via the harnesses 30 and 24. The first to fourth pins of connector 30b of the harness 30, the second to fifth pins of connector 30a, the second to fifth pins of connector 24b of the harness 24, and the first to fourth pins of connector 24a are signal terminals used to transmit the control signal. The second to fourth pins of connector 30c of the harness 30, the sixth to eighth pins of connector 30a, and the sixth to eighth pins of connector 24b of the harness 24 are identification terminals for identifying the ejection mechanism. The first pin of connector 30c of the harness 30, the first pin of connector 30a, and the first pin of connector 24b of the harness 24 are reference terminals.

[0049] Fig. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a method for identifying the discharge mechanism. In this embodiment, as described above, sheets are discharged from one of discharge ports A, B, or C depending on the height of the sheet receiving section of the post-processing device connected to the discharge stacking module 7000. For this purpose, one of motor units 20, 21, or 22, which are discharge mechanisms, is selected and provided. Fig. 6 shows the case where motor unit 20 is provided.

[0050] The connection relationship between the stepping motor 7, harnesses 24, 30, and control unit 1 in Fig. 6(a) is as explained in Fig. 5. As a result, the first, sixth, seventh, and eighth pins of the connector 24b of the harness 24 of the motor unit 20 are connected to the GPIO IF6 via the first, second, third, and fourth pins of the connector 30c of the harness 30.

[0051] The GPIO IF6 grounds a signal line (node) connected to the first pin of the connector 30c. The GPIO IF6 applies a predetermined power supply voltage (3.3 V in this example) to signal lines 43, 44, and 45 (nodes) connected to the second to fourth pins of the connector 30c via resistive elements (pull-up resistors 40, 41, and 42), respectively. The signal lines 43, 44, and 45 are connected to the FPGA 3. The signal line 43 inputs a first identification signal, which is generated when a motor unit is connected, to the FPGA 3. The signal line 44 inputs a second identification signal, which is generated when a motor unit is connected, to the FPGA 3. The signal line 45 inputs a third identification signal, which is generated when a motor unit is connected, to the FPGA 3.

[0052] The FPGA3 functions as an identification device that identifies the connected discharge mechanism based on the first to third identification signals. For example, when the motor unit 20 is connected as the discharge mechanism, the first and sixth pins of the connector 24b of the harness 24 are connected, and therefore the first and second pins of the connector 30c of the harness 30 are connected. As a result, the signal line 43 of the GPIO IF6 is grounded, and the first identification signal becomes the ground potential (L level). The second and third identification signals are in the open state, and therefore become 3.3 [V] (H level). The L level and H level are identified by comparing the voltage of each identification signal with a predetermined threshold.

[0053] The FPGA3 can identify that the motor unit 20 is connected because the first identification signal is L level, the second identification signal is H level, and the third identification signal is H level. When other ejection mechanisms (motor units 21, 22) are connected, similar identification is performed. Since the pin numbers connected to the first pin of the connector 24b differ depending on the ejection mechanism (motor units 20, 21, 22), the logic values ​​of the first to third identification signals differ for each ejection mechanism. The FPGA3 can identify the connected ejection mechanism based on the logic values ​​of the first to third identification signals.

[0054] Figure 6(b) is a modified example of Figure 6(a). Here, only one identification signal is input to the FPGA 3. For this reason, the configuration of the GPIO IF 6 differs from that of Figure 6(a).

[0055] In the GPIO IF6, a signal line 50 (node) connected to the first pin of the connector 30c is grounded via a resistive element (pull-down resistor 49) and is also connected to the FPGA 3. The signal line 50 inputs an identification signal generated when a motor unit is connected to the FPGA 3. The GPIO IF6 applies a predetermined power supply voltage (here, 3.3 V) to the signal lines (nodes) connected to the second to fourth pins of the connector 30c via resistive elements (first, second, and third pull-up resistors 46, 47, and 48) each having a different resistance value.

[0056] The FPGA 3 functions as an identification device that identifies the connected discharge mechanism based on the identification signal. For example, when the motor unit 20 is connected as the discharge mechanism, the first and sixth pins of the connector 24b of the harness 24 are connected, and therefore the first and second pins of the connector 30c of the harness 30 are connected. As a result, the signal line 50 of the GPIO IF6 inputs to the FPGA 3 an identification signal that is an analog voltage value obtained by dividing the power supply voltage by the first pull-up resistor 46 and the pull-down resistor 49.

[0057] Similarly, when the motor unit 21 is connected, an identification signal which is an analog voltage value obtained by dividing the power supply voltage by the second pull-up resistor 47 and the pull-down resistor 49 is input to the FPGA 3. When the motor unit 22 is connected, an identification signal which is an analog voltage value obtained by dividing the power supply voltage by the third pull-up resistor 48 and the pull-down resistor 49 is input to the FPGA 3.

[0058] Because the resistance values ​​of the first, second, and third pull-up resistors 46, 47, and 48 are different, the analog voltage value of the identification signal input to the FPGA 3 varies depending on the connected discharge mechanism. The FPGA 3 can identify the connected discharge mechanism based on the analog voltage value of the identification signal. For example, assume that the resistance value of the first pull-up resistor 46 is the highest, the resistance value of the third pull-up resistor 48 is the lowest, and the resistance value of the second pull-up resistor 47 is intermediate between these. In this case, the analog voltage value of the identification signal is lowest when motor unit 20 is connected, highest when motor unit 22 is connected, and intermediate when motor unit 21 is connected. The motor units are identified based on these analog voltage values.

[0059] As described above, the motor units 20 to 23 are connected to two different poles (two pins) of the harnesses 24 to 26. In the example of Fig. 4, the two poles are connected to the connectors 24b, 25b, and 26b on the side of the connectors 24 to 26 that are connected to the control unit 1, but the two poles may also be connected to the connector 24a on the side that is connected to the stepping motor 7. When the two poles are connected to the connector 24a, the number of pins of the connector 24a is at least the same as that of the connector 24b, and the two poles that are not connected to the stepping motor 7 are connected.

[0060] The GPIO IF 6 inputs to the FPGA 3 an identification signal generated when the connectors 24 to 26 are connected. The identification signal has a different analog voltage value or logical value depending on the type of the connected connectors 24 to 26. In the case of FIG. 6(a), the FPGA 3 identifies the connected ejection mechanism based on the logical values ​​of the three identification signals, the first to third identification signals. In the case of FIG. 6(b), the FPGA 3 identifies the connected ejection mechanism based on the analog voltage value of the identification signal. The control unit 1 can detect which of the ejection ports A, B, and C is available based on the identified ejection mechanism.

[0061] In this embodiment, the identification signal has three states to identify which of the three motor units 20-22 is attached, but similar identification is possible even when four or more motor units are exclusively connected. When there are four or more motor units, the number of pins provided on the harness increases, and the identification signal state becomes four or more. The number of pins on the connector is the number of signals transmitted and received between the stepping motor 7 and the control unit 1, plus one plus the number of connectable motor units. The number of pins on each of the harnesses 24-26 and the harness 30, and the two different poles to be connected, are determined appropriately depending on the number of connectable discharge mechanisms.

[0062] 6(a), for example, a predetermined power supply voltage (here, 3.3 V) may be applied to the signal line connected to the first pin of the connector 30c via a pull-up resistor, and the signal lines 43, 44, and 45 may be grounded. In this case, the logical values ​​of the first to third identification signals are inverted, but the FPGA 3 can identify the connected ejection mechanism.

[0063] Fig. 7 is an example diagram of an identification table for the discharge mechanism. Fig. 7(a) is an identification table when configured as shown in Fig. 6(a). Fig. 7(b) is an identification table when configured as shown in Fig. 6(b). The FPGA3 stores such an identification table in advance, and identifies the connected motor unit based on the first to third identification signals or the identification signal acquired from the GPIO IF6.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 7(a), the connected motor units are identified by the logical values ​​of the first to third identification signals. When none of the motor units 20 to 22 are connected, the connector 30c is open, and the first to third identification signals are all at H level. When the paper discharge outlet A is used, the motor unit 20 is connected, so the first identification signal is at L level, and the second and third identification signals are at H level. When the paper discharge outlet B is used, the motor unit 21 is connected, so the second identification signal is at L level, and the first and third identification signals are at H level. When the paper discharge outlet C is used, the motor unit 22 is connected, so the third identification signal is at L level, and the first and second identification signals are at H level.

[0065] 7(b), the connected motor unit is identified by the analog voltage value of the identification signal. Here, the first pull-up resistor 46 is 20 [KΩ], the second pull-up resistor 47 is 15 [KΩ], the third pull-up resistor 48 is 1 [KΩ], the pull-down resistor 49 connected to the signal line 50 is 10 [KΩ], and the power supply voltage is 3.3 [V].

[0066] When none of the motor units 20 to 22 are connected, the connector 30c is open, and the analog voltage value of the identification signal is 0 [V]. When the paper output port A is used, the motor unit 20 is connected, and the analog voltage value of the identification signal is 1.10 [V], which is the divided voltage value of the 20 [KΩ] of the first pull-up resistor 46 and the 10 [KΩ] of the pull-down resistor 49. When the paper output port B is used, the motor unit 21 is connected, and the analog voltage value of the identification signal is 1.98 [V], which is the divided voltage value of the 15 [KΩ] of the second pull-up resistor 47 and the 10 [KΩ] of the pull-down resistor 49. When the paper output port C is used, the motor unit 22 is connected, and the analog voltage value of the identification signal is 3.00 [V], which is the divided voltage value of the 1 [KΩ] of the third pull-up resistor 48 and the 10 [KΩ] of the pull-down resistor 49.

[0067] The resistance values ​​of the first to third pull-up resistors 46 to 48 and pull-down resistor 49 are merely examples. The resistance values ​​of the first to third pull-up resistors 46 to 48 and pull-down resistor 49 may be any value that divides the analog voltage value of the identification signal into analog voltage values ​​within a range detectable by FPGA 3. The power supply voltage does not need to be limited to 3.3 V, and may be determined based on the resistance values ​​of the first to third pull-up resistors 46 to 48 and pull-down resistor 49 and the analog voltage values ​​within a range detectable by FPGA 3.

[0068] By connecting two different, predetermined poles (two pins: a reference terminal and one of multiple identification terminals) on each of the motor units 20-22, the GPIO IF6 generates an identification signal corresponding to the two poles connected and inputs it to the FPGA 3. The FPGA 3 can identify the connected motor unit based on the identification signal. Therefore, even for motor units that only have a winding coil and do not include a control board, such as a stepping motor, simply installing the motor unit makes it possible to automatically identify the installed motor unit. This allows the image forming apparatus to automatically identify the available outlet simply by installing the motor unit. This eliminates the need for service personnel to perform extra work when installing the image forming apparatus, reducing the workload during installation. It also reduces the possibility of malfunctions in the image forming apparatus due to service personnel forgetting to enter information.

[0069] In this embodiment, the inkjet recording apparatus 100 has been described as an image forming apparatus, but the image forming apparatus may be configured to form images by other methods, such as an electrophotographic method, not limited to an inkjet method. In any case, the configuration of this embodiment is effective as long as the image forming apparatus can be connected to another device, such as a post-processing device, which performs predetermined processing on printed sheets in the subsequent stage.

Claims

1. a connector including a plurality of identification terminals to which cables are selectively connected; and an identification means for identifying the state of the device according to the identification terminal connected to the cable among the plurality of identification terminals. Image forming device.

2. the connector further includes a reference terminal in addition to the plurality of identification terminals, The cable connects one of the plurality of identification terminals to the reference terminal.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.

3. the connector further includes a reference terminal in addition to the plurality of identification terminals, the cable connects one of the plurality of identification terminals to the reference terminal; a first voltage is supplied to the reference terminal; each of the plurality of identification terminals is connected via a resistance element to a node to which a second voltage different from the first voltage is supplied; 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.

4. the identification means identifies the state based on identifying one of the plurality of identification terminals having a voltage different from the others.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3.

5. the identification means identifies the state by comparing the voltages of the respective identification terminals with a predetermined threshold value.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3.

6. the connector further includes a reference terminal in addition to the plurality of identification terminals, the cable connects one of the plurality of identification terminals to the reference terminal; the reference terminal is connected to a node supplied with a first voltage via a resistive element; the plurality of identification terminals are connected to nodes to which a second voltage different from the first voltage is supplied via a plurality of resistance elements having different resistance values ​​from each other, 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.

7. The identification means identifies the state based on a voltage of the reference terminal.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6.

8. the identification means identifies the state based on a voltage divided by the resistor element connected to the reference terminal and the resistor element connected to the identification terminal to which the cable is connected.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6.

9. A plurality of option mounting portions are provided to which option members can be selectively mounted, the identification means identifies the option mounting portion to which the optional member is attached from among the plurality of option mounting portions according to an identification terminal connected to the cable, 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.

10. The connector further includes a signal terminal for transmitting a signal to be communicated between the connector and the optional member.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9.

11. further comprising an option-side connector connected to the connector; The cable connects two terminals included in the option-side connector.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9.

12. The optional member further includes a control unit for controlling the driving of the motor.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9.

13. each of the plurality of attachment portions includes a discharge portion for discharging a sheet; The attached optional member discharges the sheet from the discharge section.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9.

Images