Image forming device

Abstract

This image forming device includes a body and an insertion / removal part that can be inserted into and removed from the body. A plurality of device controllers are disposed in the insertion / removal part, and respectively control corresponding load devices. An intermediate controller is disposed in the insertion / removal part, communicates with the plurality of device controllers, and controls the plurality of device controllers. A main controller is disposed in the body, communicates with the intermediate controller, and controls the plurality of device controllers via the intermediate controller.

Description

Image forming apparatus

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an image forming system used in a printer, a copier, a facsimile machine, a multifunction peripheral, or the like.

[0002] Various maintenance is required for an image forming apparatus. In order to facilitate maintenance, a removable unit composed of some components constituting the image forming apparatus is formed so as to be inserted into and removed from the main body of the image forming apparatus. The removable unit has, for example, conveyance rollers, a motor for driving them, sensors, and a control board mounted with an integrated circuit (IC) for controlling them. A drawer connector is used to connect the board on the main body side and the board of the removable unit (Patent Document 1).

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-38982

[0004] By the way, when the number of removable units increases or the number of electrical loads mounted on the removable units increases, the number or size of the required drawer connectors also increases. In particular, due to the increase in the size of the image forming apparatus, the number or size of the drawer connectors increases, leading to an increase in manufacturing costs. Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to connect the main body and the removable part of the image forming apparatus at a low cost.

[0005] The present disclosure provides, for example, an image forming apparatus having a main body, a removable part that can be inserted into and removed from the main body, a plurality of device controllers disposed in the removable part and controlling corresponding load devices, an intermediate controller disposed in the removable part and communicating with the plurality of device controllers to control the plurality of device controllers, and a main controller disposed in the main body and communicating with the intermediate controller to control the plurality of device controllers via the intermediate controller.

[0006] According to the present disclosure, it becomes possible to connect the main body and the removable part of the image forming apparatus at a low cost.

[0007] Other features and advantages of this disclosure will become apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, the same or similar components are given the same reference numeral.

[0008] The attached drawings are included in the specification and constitute part thereof, illustrating embodiments of the disclosure and used together with the description to explain the principles of the disclosure. A schematic diagram showing the structure of an image forming apparatus. A block diagram showing part of the control system. A block diagram showing part of the control system. A diagram illustrating the insertion and removal of the insertion / removal unit from the main body. A diagram illustrating the insertion and removal of the insertion / removal unit from the main body. A block diagram showing components mounted on the substrate of the insertion / removal unit. A block diagram showing components mounted on the substrate of the insertion / removal unit. A block diagram illustrating the power supply of the insertion / removal unit. A diagram illustrating the hardware of each device. A flowchart illustrating the communication method.

[0009] The embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the claims. While the embodiments describe multiple features, not all of these features are necessary, and the features may be combined in any way. Furthermore, in the attached drawings, identical or similar configurations are given the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0010] 1. Example 1 1-1. Device Configuration Diagram 1 shows the schematic structure of the image forming apparatus 10. In the following description, "front" refers to the front side of the image forming apparatus 10 shown in Figure 1. "Rear (back)" refers to the back side of the image forming apparatus 10 shown in Figure 1. "Right" refers to the right side of the image forming apparatus 10 shown in Figure 1. "Left" refers to the left side of the image forming apparatus 10 shown in Figure 1. The front side is the side on which the user operates the image forming apparatus 10 when performing maintenance work. For example, the operation panel having a display and a touch sensor panel is located on the front side. Cassettes 31 and 32 containing the recording material S are pulled out from the back side toward the front side. "Vertical direction" refers to the vertical direction when the image forming apparatus 10 is installed on a surface such as the floor. Therefore, the downward direction is the direction of gravity, and the upward direction is the direction opposite to the direction of gravity.

[0011] The image forming apparatus 10 has a main body 10A. The main body 10A has image forming units PY, PM, PC, and PK. The image forming units PY, PM, PC, and PK form toner images on the recording material S based on image signals received from an external terminal such as a document reader or a personal computer (not shown) that reads an image on the document. The image forming units PY, PM, PC, and PK each form toner images of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K), respectively, and transfer them to the intermediate transfer belt 21.

[0012] The supply unit 130 supplies recording material S to the feeding and transport unit 105. The supply unit 130 includes cassettes 31 and 32 and feeding rollers 33 and 34. Cassettes 31 and 32 each contain multiple recording materials S. The feeding roller 33 picks up the recording material S contained in cassette 31 and feeds it to the feeding and transport unit 105. The feeding roller 34 picks up the recording material S contained in cassette 32 and feeds it to the feeding and transport unit 105. For example, the recording material S is transported to the feeding and transport unit 105 from bottom to top (a so-called vertical transport method). Various types of sheet materials can be used as recording material S, such as paper (e.g., plain paper, cardboard, rough paper, textured paper, and coated paper), plastic film, and cloth.

[0013] The feeding and transport unit 105 has a plurality of transport rollers 35 that transport the recording material S to the transfer transport unit 106. The transfer transport unit 106 has a pair of pre-registration rollers 41 that correct the skew of the recording material S. The pair of pre-registration rollers 41 corrects the skew of the recording material S. Specifically, the leading edge of the recording material S transported by the pair of pre-registration rollers 41 abuts against the nip portion of the registration roller pair 42, which is not rotating. This causes the recording material S to loop, and the skew of the recording material S is corrected. An intermediate transfer belt 21 is positioned above the registration roller pair 42, which is a pair of rotating bodies. The registration roller pair 42 transports the recording material S to the secondary transfer unit in accordance with the timing at which the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 21 is transferred to the recording material S. The registration roller pair 42 is positioned upstream of the secondary transfer unit and closest to the secondary transfer unit in the transport direction (from right to left) of the recording material S being transported in the transfer transport unit 106. The secondary transfer section is formed by a secondary transfer inner roller 22 and a secondary transfer outer roller 44 that face each other, sandwiching the intermediate transfer belt 21, which serves as a transfer member (first transfer member, intermediate transfer body). The secondary transfer section is a nip section that transfers the toner image from the intermediate transfer belt 21 onto the recording material S by applying a predetermined pressure and secondary transfer voltage to the recording material S and the toner image.

[0014] The image formation process for the recording material S, which is delivered to the secondary transfer section at a similar timing to the transport process of the recording material S up to the secondary transfer section described above, is as follows. First, the image forming sections PY to PK are described. However, the image forming sections PY to PK have basically the same structure except for the toner color. Therefore, in the following, the yellow image forming section PY will be described as a representative of the image forming sections PY to PK. The description of the image forming section PY can be read as a description of the image forming sections PM, PC, and PK. Note that the letters YMCK attached to the end of the reference codes may be omitted.

[0015] The image forming unit PY includes a photosensitive drum 1Y, a charger 2Y, an exposure unit 3Y, and a developer unit 4Y. The charger 2Y uniformly charges the surface of the rotating photosensitive drum 1Y. The exposure unit 3Y is driven based on an image signal and irradiates the surface of the rotating photosensitive drum 1Y with laser light. This forms an electrostatic latent image. As the photosensitive drum 1Y rotates, the electrostatic latent image is transported to the developer unit 4Y. The developer unit 4Y develops the electrostatic latent image using toner supplied from a toner bottle 90Y to form a toner image. The developer unit 4Y may have a developing sleeve that carries a developer containing toner and a carrier. As the developing sleeve rotates, toner is supplied to the photosensitive drum 1. The toner is consumed during development. The toner bottle 90Y is a container that holds replenishment toner. The toner bottle 90Y is driven to rotate at appropriate timings, and toner is replenished from the toner bottle 90Y to the developer unit 4Y.

[0016] The primary transfer roller 5Y is positioned opposite the photosensitive drum 1Y, with the intermediate transfer belt 21 in between. The primary transfer roller 5Y is subjected to a primary transfer voltage and transfers the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 1Y to the intermediate transfer belt 21 (primary transfer). After the primary transfer is complete, any toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 1Y is removed by a cleaning member (drum cleaner).

[0017] The intermediate transfer belt 21 is an endless belt that is stretched by the secondary transfer rollers 22, drive rollers 23, tension rollers 24, etc., and rotates in the direction indicated by arrow A. The image forming units PY to PK each execute the image forming process in parallel. As a result, the four-color toner images are superimposed sequentially on the intermediate transfer belt 21, forming a full-color image. As the intermediate transfer belt 21 moves, the toner image is transported to the secondary transfer unit.

[0018] In the secondary transfer section, the arrival timing of the recording material S coincides with the arrival timing of the full-color toner image. As a result, the toner image is transferred from the intermediate transfer belt 21 to the recording material S (secondary transfer). After the secondary transfer is completed, any toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 21 is removed by the belt cleaner 109.

[0019] The transfer transport unit 106 transports the recording material S onto which the toner image has been transferred to the pre-fixing transport unit 110. The pre-fixing transport unit 110 transports the recording material S to the fuser 50. The fuser 50 applies heat and pressure to the recording material S and the toner image. This fixes the toner image to the recording material S. The fuser 50 has a fixing roller that is heated by a heater (not shown) and a pressure roller that contacts the rotating fixing roller to form a fixing nip.

[0020] The recording material S, on which the toner image has been fixed by the fuser 50, is transported from the fuser 50 to the inversion transport unit 111. The inversion transport unit 111 has a first flapper 112, a second flapper 113, discharge rollers 61 and 62, and a plurality of inversion rollers 114. In single-sided printing mode, the user may specify that the recording material S be discharged with the printed side facing upwards (face-up discharge). In this case, the first flapper 112 guides the recording material S to the transport path 115. The discharge rollers 61 and 62 discharge the recording material S to the outside of the image forming apparatus 10.

[0021] In single-sided printing mode, the user may specify that the recording material S be discharged with the printed side facing downwards (face-down discharge). In this case, the first flapper 112 guides the recording material S to the transport path 116. Multiple reversing rollers 114 are arranged in the transport path 116. As the reversing rollers 114 rotate forward, the recording material S is transported further down the transport path 117. When the rear end of the recording material S is transported to the transport path 117, the reversing rollers 114 begin to reverse. As a result, the recording material S is transported from the transport path 117 to the transport path 119, and the discharge rollers 61 and 62 discharge the recording material S to the outside of the image forming apparatus 10.

[0022] In double-sided printing mode, the recording material S with an image formed on the first side is transported downwards along the transport path 117. When the rear end of the recording material S is transported to the second flapper 113, the reversing roller 114 starts to reverse. The second flapper 113 guides the recording material S to the transport path 118. The transport path 118 transports the recording material S to the sub-transport section 120. The sub-transport section 120 uses a plurality of transport rollers 36, 37 to transport the recording material S back to the feeding and transport section 105. The subsequent transport and image formation process on the second side are the same as for the first side. The recording material S with an image formed on the second side is discharged to the outside by the discharge rollers 61, 62.

[0023] Paper jams of the recording material S may occur in the feeding and transport section 105, the transfer transport section 106, the fuser 50, the reversal transport section 111, and the sub-transport section 120. Therefore, these are formed as insertion and removal units that can be pulled out (removed) and inserted (attached) from the main body 10A. This makes it easier for the user to remove the recording material S.

[0024] 1-2. Control System Figures 2 and 3 show the zone architecture adopted in the control system 200 of the image forming apparatus 10. In this example, the image forming apparatus 10 is divided into seven functional zones. The first zone includes cassettes 31 and 32. The second zone includes the feeding and transport unit 105. The third zone includes the transfer transport unit 106. The fourth zone includes the drive unit for the intermediate transfer belt 21 and the image forming units PY, PM, PC, and PK. The fifth zone includes the fuser 50. The sixth zone includes the inversion transport unit 111. The seventh zone includes the sub-transport unit 120. Of the seven zones, the second, third, fifth, sixth, and seventh zones are formed as insertion and removal units.

[0025] The control system 200 comprises a central device 201, zone devices 210, edge devices 220, and various control mechanisms 240. Each of the central device 201, zone devices 210, and edge devices 220 is implemented by hardware such as a CPU. Some or all of these devices may be implemented by hardware such as large-scale integrated circuits (LSIs), ASICs, or field-programmable gate arrays. Some or all of these devices may be implemented through the cooperation of software and hardware.

[0026] In the control system 200, the central device 201 is the highest-level controller. The central device 201 may also be called the main controller. The central device 201 controls multiple edge devices 220 through one of the multiple zone devices 210. That is, the central device 201 communicates with the edge devices 220 through the zone devices 210 and controls the edge devices 220. The zone devices 210 convert control commands received from the central device 201 into control commands for the edge devices 220 according to predetermined rules. Furthermore, the zone devices 210 identify the destination of the control command and transmit the control command to the identified destination edge device 220. The zone devices 210 may also be called zone controllers or intermediate controllers. The edge devices 220 may also be called edge controllers or device controllers. The central device 201 may transmit control commands and identification information indicating the destination of the control commands generated from the control commands (e.g., identification information of the edge device 220, identification information of the control mechanism 240) to the zone devices 210. The control command may include the content of the control command transmitted by the zone device 210 and the destination information of the control command (the identification information described above).

[0027] When the zone device 210 receives output information from the edge device 220 under its control, it processes the output information as needed and transmits it to the central device 201.

[0028] Various configurations can be used for the connection between the central device 201 and the zone device 210, and between the zone device 210 and the edge device 220. For example, the physical layer may include Controller Area Network (CAN), Ethernet®, RS-232, RS-485, or Low Voltage Differential Signaling (LVDS). The communication protocol may include, for example, CAN open, TCP / IP, or EthernetCAT. These are just examples. The network topology may be tree, star, or ring, or a combination of these.

[0029] The control mechanism 240 includes a control unit and a drive unit that perform the image forming operation of the image forming apparatus 10. The control mechanism 240 may include the following control units, etc.

[0030] 1-2-1. First Zone The first zone device 211 controls the edge devices 221 and 222 located in the first zone. Edge device 221 controls the feeding unit 241, which is responsible for driving and controlling the feeding roller 33 of the cassette 31. Edge device 222 controls the feeding unit 242, which is responsible for driving and controlling the feeding roller 34 of the cassette 32. The feeding units 241 and 242 include a motor and a control circuit that controls the motor.

[0031] 1-2-2. Second Zone The second zone device 212 controls the edge devices 223 and 224 located in the second zone. The edge device 223 controls the transport unit 243, which is responsible for driving and controlling the transport roller 35. The transport roller 35a transports the recording material S received from the first zone upward in the feeding and transport unit 105. The edge device 224 controls the transport unit 244, which is responsible for driving and controlling the transport roller 35b. The transport roller 35b transports the recording material S to the transfer transport unit 106. The transport units 243 and 244 include a motor and a control circuit that controls the motor.

[0032] 1-2-3. Third Zone The third zone device 213 controls the edge devices 225, 226, and 227 located in the third zone. The edge device 225 controls the transport unit 245 and the control unit 246. The transport unit 245 is responsible for driving and controlling the pre-registration roller pair 41. The control unit 246 is responsible for correcting the skew of the recording material S. The control unit 246 stops the registration roller pair 42 until the leading edge of the recording material S contacts the registration roller pair 42 and a loop is formed in the recording material S. The edge device 226 is responsible for controlling the transport unit 247 and the control unit 248. The transport unit 247 is responsible for driving and controlling the registration roller pair 42. The control unit 248 controls the transfer position of the toner image on the recording material S. The control unit 248 may control the start of toner image formation or the start of rotation of the registration roller pair 42 so that the timing of the toner image arrival at the secondary transfer unit and the timing of the recording material S arrival are synchronized. The edge device 227 controls the transport unit 249 and the control unit 250. The transport unit 249 is responsible for driving and controlling the secondary transfer outer roller 44. The control unit 250 controls the magnitude and sign of the secondary transfer voltage applied to the secondary transfer outer roller 44. The transport units 245, 247, and 249 include a motor and a control circuit that controls the motor. The control unit 250 has a power supply circuit that generates the secondary transfer voltage and a control circuit that controls the power supply circuit.

[0033] 1-2-4. Fourth Zone The fourth zone device 214 controls the edge devices 228 and 229 located in the fourth zone. Edge device 228 controls the drive unit 251. The drive unit 251 rotates the intermediate transfer belt 21. Edge device 229 controls the control units 252, 253, and 254. Control unit 252 controls the motors that rotate the photosensitive drums 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K. Control unit 253 controls the motors that rotate the developing sleeves of the developing units 4Y, 4M, 4C, and 4K, and the power supply circuit that generates the developing voltage applied to the developing sleeves. Control unit 254 controls the motors that rotate the toner bottles 90Y, 90M, 90C, and 90K.

[0034] 1-2-5. Fifth Zone The fifth zone device 215 controls the edge device 230 located in the fifth zone. The edge device 223 controls the transport unit 255 and the control unit 256. The transport unit 255 controls a motor that rotates a transport roller or transport belt provided in the pre-fixing transport unit 110, and a motor that rotates a pressure roller provided in the fuser 50. The control unit 256 may include a control circuit that controls the temperature of a heater provided in the fuser 50 or detects the heater temperature using a thermistor.

[0035] 1-2-6. Sixth Zone The sixth zone device 216 controls the edge devices 231 and 232 located in the sixth zone. Edge device 231 controls the transport unit 257 and the control unit 258. The transport unit 257 controls the motor that rotates the reversing roller 114. The control unit 258 controls the solenoid that drives the first flapper 112 and the solenoid that drives the second flapper 113. Edge device 232 controls the transport unit 259. The transport unit 259 controls the motor that rotates the discharge rollers 61 and 62.

[0036] 1-2-7. The seventh zone device 217 controls the edge devices 233 and 234 located in the seventh zone. The edge device 233 controls the transport unit 260. The transport unit 260 controls the motor that drives the transport roller 36, which is located on the upstream side in the transport direction of the recording material S, among the multiple transport rollers located in the sub-transport unit 120. The edge device 234 controls the transport unit 261. The transport unit 261 controls the motor that drives the transport roller 37, which is located on the downstream side in the transport direction of the recording material S, among the multiple transport rollers located in the sub-transport unit 120.

[0037] 1-3. Relationship between Zones and Insertion / Extraction Units As described above, the second, third, fifth, sixth, and seventh zones are formed as insertion / extraction units. That is, the insertion / extraction units, namely the feeding and transporting unit 105, the transfer transporting unit 106, the fuser 50, the inversion transporting unit 111, and the sub-transporting unit 120, each have one zone device 210, one or more edge devices 220, and a plurality of control mechanisms 240.

[0038] Specifically, the feeding and transport section 105 is formed by a second zone device 212, edge devices 223 and 224, transport section 243, and transport section 244. The transfer transport section 106 is formed by a third zone device 213, edge devices 225 to 227, and a control mechanism (transport section 245, control unit 246, transport section 247, control unit 248, transport section 249, and control unit 250). The fuser 50 is formed by a fifth zone device 215, edge device 230, and a control mechanism (transport section 255 and control unit 256). The inversion transport section 111 is formed by a sixth zone device 216, edge devices 231 and 232, and a control mechanism (transport section 257, control unit 258, and transport section 259). The sub-transport section 120 is composed of a seventh zone device 217, edge devices 233 and 234, and a control mechanism (transport sections 260 and 261).

[0039] 1-4. Structural diagrams 4A and 4B of the insertion / removal unit show the relationship between the main body 10A and the insertion / removal unit 410. The insertion / removal unit 410 is representative of, for example, the feeding and transporting section 105, the transfer transporting section 106, the fuser 50, the inversion transporting section 111, and the sub-transporting section 120. The main control board 400 is fixed to the back surface 10B of the main body 10A. Furthermore, a drawer connector 401 is fixed to the back surface 10B. Cable 405 electrically connects the main control board 400 and the drawer connector 401.

[0040] The insertion / removal unit 410 includes a driver board 403, electrical load components 404, and a drawer connector 402. The electrical load components 404 are, for example, a motor, a solenoid, and a sensor. Cable 407 electrically connects the driver board 403 and the electrical load components 404. Cable 406 electrically connects the driver board 403 and the drawer connector 402.

[0041] In Figure 4A, the insertion / removal unit 410 is inserted into the main body 10A from the front 10F side toward the rear 10B side. Therefore, the drawer connector 402 on the insertion / removal unit 410 side is mated to the drawer connector 401 on the main body 10A side. This electrically connects the main control board 400 and the driver board 403.

[0042] In FIG. 4B, the insertion / removal unit 410 is pulled out from the front surface 10F of the main body 10B. The user may remove the insertion / removal unit 410 from the main body 10B in order to remove the jammed recording material S. When the insertion / removal unit 410 is pulled out from the main body 10A, the drawer connector 402 is removed from the drawer connector 401 (non-mating state). Therefore, the main control board 400 and the driver board 403 are electrically disconnected.

[0043] When the jam processing is completed, the transfer conveyance unit 106 is attached to the main body 10A again. As shown in FIG. 4A, the main control board 400 and the driver board 403 are electrically connected again.

[0044] Thus, when the insertion / removal unit 410 is pulled out from the main body 10A, the connection between the main control board 400 and the driver board 403 is automatically released. When the insertion / removal unit 410 is inserted into the main body 10A, the main control board 400 and the driver board 403 are automatically connected.

[0045] 1-5. Arrangement of Electrical Components in the Insertion / Removal Unit FIG. 5 shows the connection relationship between the insertion / removal unit​​​​​The driver substrate 403A includes a control circuit 505A that controls the electrical load component 404, a zone device 210 that controls the control circuit 505A, and a power distribution unit 504. The zone device 210 controls the control circuit 505A and the edge devices 220B and 220C based on a control command received from the central device 201. For example, the zone device 210 interprets the control command according to a predetermined processing rule, generates a control command for the control circuit 505A, and outputs it to the destination (control circuit 505A) according to the predetermined processing rule. The control command may be referred to as control information or a control signal. In this embodiment, the control command (command), control command, control information, control signal, and control content are terms that can be mutually replaced. The zone device 210 interprets the control command according to a predetermined processing rule, generates control commands for the edge devices 220B and 220C, and outputs them to the destinations (edge devices 220B and 220C) according to the predetermined processing rule. The control circuit 505A controls the electrical load component 404 according to the control command output from the zone device 210. The control circuit 505A outputs a detection signal output from a sensor among the electrical load components 404 to the zone device 210. The zone device 210 transmits the output signal to the central device 201.

[0048] The power distribution unit 504 distributes the power supplied from the power supply unit 502 mounted on the main control board 400 through the drawer connectors 401 and 402 to the electrical load component 404 mounted on the insertion / extraction unit 410. The power distribution unit 504 supplies power to the zone device 210, the control circuit 505A, the edge device 220B, the control circuit 505B, the edge device 220C, and the control circuit 505C.

[0049] The driver board 403B has the edge device 220B and the control circuit 505B mounted on it. The edge device 220B receives control commands transmitted from the zone device 210, generates control signals based on the control commands, and controls the control circuit 505B. The control circuit 505B controls the electrical load component 404 based on the control signals output from the edge device 220B. The control circuit 505B outputs the detection signal output from the sensor to the edge device 220B. The edge device 220B transmits the detection signal to the zone device 210. The zone device 210 transmits the detection signal to the central device 201.

[0050] The driver board 403C has an edge device 220C and a control circuit 505C mounted on it. The edge device 220C receives control commands transmitted from the zone device 210, generates control signals corresponding to the control commands, and controls the control circuit 505C. The control circuit 505C controls the electrical load component 404 based on the control signals output from the edge device 220C. The control circuit 505C outputs the detection signal output from the sensor to the edge device 220C. The edge device 220C transmits the detection signal to the zone device 210. The zone device 210 transmits the detection signal to the central device 201.

[0051] In this way, the central device 201 and the zone device 210 are electrically connected via drawer connectors 401 and 402 and communication lines in cables 405 and 406. The power supply unit 502 and the power distribution unit 504 are also electrically connected via drawer connectors 401 and 402 and power lines in cables 405 and 406. The edge devices 220B and 220C are electrically connected via communication lines 511 inside the zone device 210 and the insertion / removal unit 410. The power distribution unit 504 distributes power to the edge devices 220B and 220C and the control circuits 505B and 505C via power lines 512. The power distribution unit 504 supplies power to the zone device 210 and the control circuit 505A through wiring provided on the driver board 403A.

[0052] When controlling an electrical load component 404 connected to the control circuit 505A, the control details of the electrical load component 404 may be transmitted between the central device 201 and the zone device 210 via serial communication. The zone device 210 may control the electrical load component 404 by outputting a control signal to the control circuit 505A according to the control details.

[0053] When controlling an electrical load component 404 connected to control circuit 505B, the control information for the electrical load component 404 is transmitted between the central device 201 and the zone device 210 via serial communication. Furthermore, the control information for the electrical load component 404 is transmitted between the zone device 210 and the edge device 220B via serial communication. The edge device 220B generates a control signal for control circuit 505B according to the control information. As a result, control circuit 505B controls the electrical load component 404. The same procedure applies when controlling an electrical load component 404 connected to control circuit 505C.

[0054] The component and substrate layout and the number of edge devices 220 shown in Figure 5 are merely examples. This embodiment is not limited by the substrate configuration or the number of edge devices 220.

[0055] Figure 6 shows an example with a different component and board layout. The main control board 400 is divided into a first main board 400A and a second main board 400B. The central device 201 is mounted on the first main board 400A. The power supply unit 502 is mounted on the second main board 400B. The zone devices 210, edge devices 220B and 220C may be mounted together on a single driver board 403.

[0056] Figure 7 shows an example where the number of electrical load components 404 mounted on the insertion / removal unit 410 has increased. As shown in Figure 7, an edge device 220D that controls the added electrical load components 700 is electrically connected to the zone device 210 by a communication line. The electrical load components 700 may include, for example, a sensor S4, a motor M4, and a fan F4. The edge device 220D and the control circuit 505D are mounted on the driver board 403D. The zone device 210 receives a control command from the central device 201 to control the electrical load components 700. The zone device 210 interprets the control command, understands that it is a control command to control the electrical load components 700, converts the control command into a control command for the edge device 220D, and transmits the control command. When the edge device 220D receives the control command from the zone device 210, it controls the control circuit 505 based on the control command. The control circuit 505 controls the electrical load components 700 based on the control signal output from the edge device 220D.

[0057] As the image forming apparatus 10 becomes larger, the number of electrical load components 404 within the insertion / removal unit 410 may increase. In this case, an edge device 220D for controlling the electrical load components 700 is added, and the edge device 220D is connected to the zone device 210. This reduces the number and total length of cables used to connect the main unit 10A and the insertion / removal unit 410.

[0058] In particular, if a zone device 210 is not placed in a single insertion / extraction unit 410, the central device 201 and multiple edge devices 220B, 220C, and 220D must be directly connected by cables. As a result, the total amount of cables increases. Furthermore, the drawer connectors 401 and 402 need to accommodate all the cables for directly connecting the central device 201 and multiple edge devices 220B, 220C, and 220D. Therefore, the size of the drawer connectors 401 and 402 increases. On the other hand, by mounting the zone device 210 in the insertion / extraction unit 410, the number and total amount of cables provided between the central device 201 and the insertion / extraction unit 410 are reduced. This is because the drawer connectors 401 and 402 only need to accommodate the cables for directly connecting the central device 201 and a single zone device 210. As a result, it becomes possible to use smaller and less expensive drawer connectors 401 and 402.

[0059] 1-6. Power Distribution Unit Figure 8 shows the functions of the power distribution unit 504 in detail. The power distribution unit 504 is supplied with voltages VCC1 and VCC2, which have different values, from the power supply unit 502. The power distribution unit 504 has DC-DC power supply units 810 and 811. DC-DC power supply units 810 and 811 are DC voltage conversion circuits that boost or step down the input voltage to a predetermined voltage and output it. DC-DC power supply unit 810 converts voltage VCC1 to voltage VCC3. DC-DC power supply unit 811 converts voltage VCC1 to voltage VCC4. Voltage VCC3 is supplied as a power supply voltage to the zone device 210, edge device 220B, and edge device 220C, respectively. Voltage VCC4 is supplied as a power supply voltage to the control circuit 505A.

[0060] The voltages VCC1 and VCC2 supplied from the power supply unit 502 are supplied to the control circuit 505B as power supply voltages. The voltage VCC2 supplied from the power supply unit 502 is supplied to the control circuit 505C as a power supply voltage.

[0061] Thus, there may be multiple voltages VCC1 to VCC4 with different values ​​that are required by the insertion / removal unit 410. In this case, the power distribution unit 504 can generate voltages VCC1 to VCC4 from voltages VCC1 and VCC2 supplied from the power supply unit 502. In other words, the power supply unit 502 only needs to output voltages VCC1 and VCC2, and does not need to output all of voltages VCC1 to VCC4. This makes it possible to reduce the number and total length of power lines in the drawer connectors 401 and 402.

[0062] The number of power lines and the number of DCDC power units 810 and 811 used to supply voltage from the power supply unit 502 to the power distribution unit 504, as shown in Figure 8, are merely examples. This embodiment is not limited by the number of power lines or the number of DCDC power units 810 and 811.

[0063] 1-7. Hardware of Each Device Figure 9 shows the hardware of each device included in the control system 200. Here, one zone device 210 is illustrated. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, multiple zone devices 210 are communicated to the central device 201. Figure 9 shows one edge device 220. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, multiple edge devices 220 are connected to the zone device 210.

[0064] The central device 201 includes a CPU 901, a memory unit 902, and a zone communication circuit 903. The memory unit 902 stores a control program for controlling the image forming operation. The zone communication circuit 903 is a communication circuit (e.g., a serial communication circuit) for communicating with multiple zone devices 210 installed in different zones or insertion / removal units 410. The CPU 901 generates control commands based on the control program and detection signals (output signals) output from the sensing device 945 of the control mechanism 240, and transmits the control commands to specific zone devices 210 through the zone communication circuit 903. The memory unit 902 includes a non-volatile memory for storing the control program and a volatile memory for temporarily storing information.

[0065] As shown in Figure 5, the zone communication circuit 903 of the central device 201 and the zone communication circuit 913 of the zone device 210 are connected via drawer connectors 401 and 402.

[0066] The zone device 210 includes a CPU 911, a memory unit 912, a zone communication circuit 913, and an edge communication circuit 914. The CPU 911 interprets control commands received from the central device 201 by the zone communication circuit 913 according to the control program and processing rules stored in the memory unit 912. The CPU 911 generates one or more control instructions (control information) from a single control command according to the processing rules and identifies the destination of the control instructions. As shown in Figure 5, the destination may be, for example, an edge device 220 or a control mechanism 240 connected to the zone device 210. The edge communication circuit 914 transmits the control instructions passed from the CPU 911 to the destination specified by the CPU 911. The memory unit 912 includes a non-volatile memory for storing the control program and processing rules, and a volatile memory for temporarily storing information.

[0067] The edge communication circuit 914 may receive a detection signal (output signal) from the sensing device 945 via the edge device 220. The CPU 911 transmits the output signal from the sensing device 945 to the central device 201 via the zone communication circuit 913. At this time, the CPU 911 may process the output signal according to predetermined processing rules (e.g., statistical processing, merging processing). When the CPU 901 of the central device 201 acquires the output signal from the sensing device 945 via the zone communication circuit 903, it may feed the output signal back into the image forming operation. The zone communication circuit 913 and the zone communication circuit 903 can be any communication circuits that can communicate with each other. The edge communication circuit 914 and the edge communication circuit 924 can also be any communication circuits that can communicate with each other.

[0068] The edge device 220 includes a CPU 921, a memory unit 922, and an edge communication circuit 924. The CPU 921 receives control commands transmitted by the zone device 210 via the edge communication circuit 924. The CPU 921 interprets the control commands according to the control program stored in the memory unit 922, generates a control signal corresponding to the control command, and outputs the control signal to the control circuit 505 of the control mechanism 240. The control circuit 505 controls the electrical load component 404 based on the control signal. If the control mechanism 240 is the heater of the fuser 50, the CPU 921 sets the temperature specified by the central device 201 to the control circuit 505. The CPU 921 acquires the detection signal output from the sensing device 945 of the control mechanism 240 via the control circuit 505. The CPU 921 transmits the output signal from the sensing device 945 to the zone device 210 via the edge communication circuit 924. The memory unit 922 includes a non-volatile memory for storing control programs and processing rules, and a volatile memory for temporarily storing information.

[0069] The control mechanism 240 includes a control circuit 505, electrical load components 404, and a sensing device 945. The electrical load components 404 include, for example, a motor, solenoid, heater, fan, and power supply circuit. The sensing device 945 includes, for example, a sheet sensor, a thermistor of the fuser 50, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a voltage sensor, or a current sensor. The sheet sensor is, for example, a sensor that detects the passage of the recording material S, a sensor that detects the size of the recording material S, or a sensor that detects the basis weight of the recording material S. The control circuit 505 controls the electrical load components 404 according to a control signal output from the CPU 911 of the zone device 210 or the CPU 921 of the edge device 220. The control circuit 505 acquires a detection signal output from the sensing device 945 and outputs the detection signal to the CPU 911 of the zone device 210 or the CPU 921 of the edge device 220.

[0070] 1-8. Flowchart 10 shows the communication method performed by the zone device 210. When the CPU 911 of the zone device 210 starts up, it performs the following processes according to the control program. The following communication method will be performed repeatedly.

[0071] In S1001, the CPU 911 determines whether it has received a control command transmitted from the central device 201. If a control command is received, the CPU 911 proceeds from S1001 to S1002.

[0072] In S1002, the CPU 911 refers to the processing rule (first rule) stored in the memory unit 912 and generates control instructions from the control command according to the processing rule. Here, a control instruction for one destination may be generated, or control instructions for multiple different destinations may be generated. In this way, multiple control instructions (first control instruction, second control instruction, ...) may be generated from a single control command.

[0073] In S1003, the CPU 911 refers to the processing rules stored in the memory unit 912 and identifies the destination of the control instruction according to the processing rules. Here, one destination may be identified, or multiple destinations may be identified. To distinguish between multiple destinations, the edge device 220 may be assigned identification information. Furthermore, each of the multiple control mechanisms 240 may also be assigned identification information.

[0074] In S1004, the CPU 911 controls the edge communication circuit 914 and sends a control command to the specified destination.

[0075] If the zone communication circuit 913 has not received a control command from the central device 201 in S1001, the CPU 911 proceeds from S1001 to S1011.

[0076] In S1011, the CPU 911 determines whether it has received an output signal (detection signal) transmitted from any of the edge devices 220 under its control. If an output signal is received, the CPU 911 proceeds from S1011 to S1012. If no output signal is received, the CPU 911 either terminates the series of communication methods or returns from S1011 to S1001.

[0077] S1012 is optional. In S1012, the CPU 911 refers to the processing rule (second rule) stored in the memory unit 912 and processes the output signal according to the processing rule. For example, the CPU 911 may store the numerical values ​​indicated by the output signal and perform statistical processing specified by the processing rule on the multiple stored numerical values. Statistical processing may include, for example, calculation of the mean, calculation of the variance, calculation of the maximum value, calculation of the minimum value, and calculation of the median.

[0078] In S1013, the CPU 911 refers to the processing rules stored in the memory unit 912 and generates a communication frame with the output signal as a payload according to the processing rules. The communication frame may include either or both of the identification information of the control mechanism 240, which is the source of the output signal, and the identification information of the edge device 220.

[0079] In S1014, the CPU 911 controls the zone communication circuit 913 and sends a communication frame to the central device 201, which is acting as a master above itself.

[0080] 2. Other The insertion / removal unit 410 is an example of an insertion / removal section that can be inserted into and removed from the main body 10A. The edge device 220 is an example of a plurality of device controllers that are arranged in the insertion / removal section and control their respective corresponding load devices (e.g., control mechanism 240). The zone device 210 is an example of an intermediate controller that is arranged in the insertion / removal section and communicates with and controls the plurality of device controllers. The central device 201 is an example of a main controller that is arranged in the main body 10A and communicates with the intermediate controller and controls the plurality of device controllers via the intermediate controller. In this way, the zone device 210 that controls the plurality of device controllers mounted on the insertion / removal unit 410 is mounted on the insertion / removal unit 410. As a result, it becomes possible to connect the main body 10A of the image forming apparatus 10 and the insertion / removal unit 410 at low cost.

[0081] The drawer connector 401 provided on the main body 10A is an example of a first connector. The drawer connector 402 provided on the insertion / extraction unit 410 is an example of a second connector that is electrically connected to the first connector when the insertion / extraction part is inserted into the main body 10A. The central device 201 and the zone devices 210 are connected in a communicative manner via the first and second connectors. Compared to directly connecting the central device 201 to multiple edge devices 220, connecting the central device 201 to the zone devices 210 will reduce the number or size of connectors.

[0082] As shown in Figure 5, the driver board 403B is an example of a first board on which at least one of a plurality of device controllers is mounted. The driver board 403A is a second board on which an intermediate controller is mounted, and is an example of a second board on which a distribution unit (e.g., power distribution unit 504) that distributes voltage supplied from outside the insertion / removal section to the first board is mounted. The main control board 400 is a third board provided on the main body 10A, and is an example of a third board on which the main controller is mounted, and a supply unit (e.g., power supply unit 502) that supplies power to the distribution unit is mounted.

[0083] As shown in Figure 6, the driver board 403 is an example of a first board on which at least one device controller from among a plurality of device controllers, an intermediate controller, and a distribution unit that distributes voltage supplied from outside the insertion / extraction unit to a plurality of load devices are mounted. As shown in Figure 5, the main control board 400 is a second board provided on the main body 10A, and is an example of a second board on which the main controller is mounted and a power supply unit that supplies power to the distribution unit is mounted.

[0084] As shown in Figure 8, the DC-DC power supply units 810 and 811 are an example of voltage generation means that convert the voltage supplied from the supply unit to generate one or more different voltages. The DC-DC power supply units 810 and 811 may supply one of the one or more different voltages to one of the load devices.

[0085] As shown in Figure 8, the power supply unit 502 and the power distribution unit 504 may be connected via a first connector (drawer connector 401) and a second connector (drawer connector 402) to supply voltage.

[0086] As shown in Figures 5 to 7, the zone device 210 (intermediate controller) may control other load devices (e.g., control circuit 505A, sensor, motor, fan) without going through the device controller. The central device 201 may control load devices via the intermediate controller, device controller, and control circuits 505B, 505C, and 505D.

[0087] The load device may be a motor that rotates a rotating body involved in image formation (e.g., transport roller, photosensitive drum 1, intermediate transfer belt 21). The load device may be a solenoid that moves a component involved in image formation (e.g., feed rollers 33, 34, flappers 112, 113). The load device may be a sensor that acquires information necessary for image formation (e.g., thermistor of the fuser 50, temperature sensor, humidity sensor).

[0088] The feeding and transport unit 105, the transfer transport unit 106, the fixer 50, the inversion transport unit 111, and the sub-transport unit 120 may also be called the first insertion / extraction unit, the second insertion / extraction unit, the third insertion / extraction unit, the fourth insertion / extraction unit, and the fifth insertion / extraction unit (in no particular order). The image forming apparatus 10 has multiple zones corresponding to multiple functions for forming an image on a sheet. The zone where the first insertion / extraction unit is located may be called the first zone. The zone where the second insertion / extraction unit is located may be called the second zone. The zone where the third insertion / extraction unit is located may be called the third zone. The zone where the fourth insertion / extraction unit is located may be called the fourth zone. The zone where the fifth insertion / extraction unit is located may be called the fifth zone. Note that zones may also be called blocks. The feeding and transport unit 105 is an example of a feeding means for feeding a sheet (recording material S). The transfer transport unit 106 is an example of a first transport means for transporting a sheet. The fixer 50 is an example of a fixing means for fixing an image on a sheet. The reversing transport unit 111 and the sub-transport unit 120 are examples of second transport means for transporting the sheet that has passed through the fixing means. (Other embodiments) The present disclosure can also be realized by supplying a program that implements one or more of the functions of the above embodiments to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and by a process in which one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that implements one or more functions. The disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, claims are attached to make the scope of the disclosure public.

[0089] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2025-006264, filed on January 16, 2025, and all of its contents are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising: a main body; an insertion / removal section that can be inserted into and removed from the main body; a plurality of device controllers arranged in the insertion / removal section and controlling corresponding load devices; an intermediate controller arranged in the insertion / removal section, communicating with the plurality of device controllers and controlling the plurality of device controllers; and a main controller arranged in the main body, communicating with the intermediate controller and controlling the plurality of device controllers via the intermediate controller.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the main body has a first connector, the insertion / removal part has a second connector which is electrically connected to the first connector when the insertion / removal part is inserted into the main body, and the main controller and the intermediate controller are communicated with each other via the first connector and the second connector.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a first substrate on which at least one of the plurality of device controllers is mounted; a second substrate on which the intermediate controller is mounted, and further comprising a distribution unit that distributes voltage supplied from outside the insertion / removal unit to the first substrate; and a third substrate provided on the main body, on which the main controller is mounted and a supply unit that supplies power to the distribution unit.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a first substrate on which at least one device controller among the plurality of device controllers, the intermediate controller, and a distribution unit that distributes a voltage supplied from outside the insertion / extraction unit to a plurality of load devices; and a second substrate provided on the main body, on which the main controller is mounted and a power supply unit that supplies power to the distribution unit is mounted.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the distribution unit includes a voltage generation means for converting the voltage supplied from the supply unit to generate one or more different voltages, and supplying one of the one or more different voltages to one of the plurality of load devices.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the main body has a first connector, the insertion / removal part has a second connector which is electrically connected to the first connector when the insertion / removal part is inserted into the main body, the main controller and the intermediate controller are connected to communicate via the first connector and the second connector, and the supply unit and the distribution unit are connected to supply voltage via the first connector and the second connector.

7. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the intermediate controller is configured to control another load device without going through any of the plurality of device controllers.

8. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the main controller controls the load device via the intermediate controller, one of the plurality of device controllers, and a control circuit.

9. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the load device includes one or more of the following: a motor that rotates a rotating body involved in image forming; a solenoid that moves a member involved in image forming; and a sensor that acquires information necessary for image forming.

10. An image forming apparatus having multiple zones corresponding to multiple functions for forming an image on a sheet, comprising: a main body; a central device mounted on the main body; a first insertion / removal section arranged in a first zone and removable from the main body; a first zone device arranged in the first insertion / removal section and controlled by the central device; a plurality of first edge devices arranged in the first insertion / removal section and controlled by the first zone device; and one or more first load devices arranged in the first insertion / removal section and controlled by a corresponding first edge device among the plurality of first edge devices.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the central device is configured to control the plurality of first edge devices via the first zone device and to acquire information from the plurality of first edge devices via the first zone device.

12. An image forming apparatus according to claim 10 or 11, comprising: a second insertion / removal section located in a second zone and removable from the main body; a second zone device located in the second insertion / removal section and controlled by the central device; a plurality of second edge devices located in the second insertion / removal section and controlled by the second zone device; and one or more second load devices located in the second insertion / removal section and controlled by a corresponding second edge device among the plurality of second edge devices, wherein the central device is configured to control the plurality of second edge devices via the second zone device and to acquire information from the plurality of second edge devices via the second zone device.

13. An image forming apparatus according to claim 12, comprising: a third insertion / removal section that can be inserted into and removed from the main body; a third zone device disposed in the third insertion / removal section and controlled by the central device; a plurality of third edge devices disposed in the third insertion / removal section and controlled by the third zone device; and one or more third load devices disposed in the third insertion / removal section and controlled by a corresponding third edge device among the plurality of third edge devices, wherein the central device is configured to control the plurality of third edge devices via the third zone devices and to acquire information from the plurality of third edge devices via the third zone devices.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the first insertion / extraction section, the second insertion / extraction section, and the third insertion / extraction section are each different insertion / extraction sections, and each is one of the following: a feeding means for feeding a sheet, a first transport means for transporting the sheet, a fixing means for fixing an image onto the sheet, and a second transport means for transporting the sheet that has passed through the fixing means.

Images