JPH0534935A - Image connecting and analyzing device and organic photoconductor defect detector - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To allow the measurement of the area of paper, the measurement of the area of defects, such as flaws, stains and pinholes, and the removal of the defects of the paper and to allow the decision of the presence or absence of the defects of an OPC drum. CONSTITUTION:This device is constituted of a detecting section 1, an image processing section 2, an illuminating section 3, a paper driving section 4, a speed control section 5, a paper speed signal 7, and an image signal 8. The signal from the detecting section 1 and the paper speed signal 7 from the speed control section 5 are connected and analyzed in the image processing section 2. The OPC defect detector is constituted of the image connecting and analyzing device, the OPC drum 9 provided circumferentially with an electrifying section 10, an exposing section 11, a developing section 12, a transfer section 13, an erasing section 14, and a cleaner section 15 and a printing section consisting of a fixing section 16 and the paper 6. The black solid printing and white solid printing for plural revolutions of the OPC drum 9 are executed on the paper 6. The white dot defects and black dot defects for the plural revolutions of the OPC drum are taken into the detecting section 1 and the positions on the OPC drum 9 surface are calculated. Only the defects generated in the same position on the OPC drum 9 are specified as the defects of the drum 9.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image connection analysis apparatus for performing connection analysis of a one-dimensional image on a work which is an object to be detected using a detection unit such as a line sensor.

The present invention also relates to an organic photoconductor (organic photoconductor) having an image coupling analysis device used in an electrophotographic device such as a copying machine or a printer.
tor, hereinafter abbreviated as OPC).

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional image coupling analysis apparatus using a line sensor irradiates light onto a work so that the line sensor of a detection unit and the light intensity on the work, which is an object to be detected, can be detected by the line sensor. The illumination unit, the signal processing unit that processes the signal from the line sensor, and the drive unit that conveys the work at a constant speed.

Then, the analog signal from the line sensor is binarized by the signal processing unit, and the number of elements of the line sensor which has become 0 level or 1 level is calculated, whereby the width of the work is measured and defects on the work are detected. The presence or absence is judged.

Further, in the conventional OPC drum defect detection apparatus, the OPC drum is visually checked with an electrophotographic apparatus (copying machine, printer, etc.) and black solid printing paper and white solid printing paper printed by the electrophotographic apparatus. Workers are inspecting,
No image link analysis device is used.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the above-described image coupling analysis apparatus using a line sensor, a one-dimensional image in the width direction of a work is captured from the line sensor, and an image processing unit performs image processing in the width direction of the work. Therefore, there is a drawback that the length of the workpiece in the feed direction, the area of the entire work, the length of the defect in the feed direction of the workpiece, and the area of the defect on the workpiece cannot be measured.

In addition, the conventional OPC drum defect detection device can visually detect a small defect on a black solid print or a white solid print, or a paper defect and an OPC drum defect for visual inspection by an operator. There is a drawback that it takes a lot of man-hours to determine

The first object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks by connecting and analyzing the signal from the detecting section and the work speed signal from the work driving section in the image processing section, and to measure the area of the work and the work. An object of the present invention is to provide an image connection analysis device capable of measuring the area of defects such as scratches, stains, and pinholes.

A second object of the present invention is to perform black solid printing and white solid printing for a plurality of rotations of the OPC drum on the printing paper in the printing unit, and to print on the paper from the detection unit of the image linkage analysis device. The image signal and the speed signal of the paper from the speed control unit are connected and analyzed by the image processing unit, and the areas of defects such as scratches, stains, and pinholes on the OPC drum transferred onto the paper are measured, and the OPC drum is plurally printed. By taking in the white spot defect and the black spot defect on the paper printed by the rotation, calculating the position on the OPC drum surface, and specifying only the defect occurring at the same position on the OPC drum as the defect of the OPC drum. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an OPC defect detecting device which eliminates the above defects, removes paper defects, and determines the presence or absence of defects in the OPC drum.

[0010]

An image linkage analysis apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a drive unit for driving a work, which is an object to be detected, and a speed control unit for controlling the speed of the drive unit. A detection unit for detecting the light intensity on the work and capturing a one-dimensional image; a one-dimensional image on the work by processing a signal from the detection unit and the speed signal of the work from the speed control unit. And an illumination unit for irradiating light onto the work so that the detection unit can detect the light intensity on the work.

The OPC defect detecting apparatus of the second invention is the above-mentioned image coupling / analyzing apparatus, and a charging unit for charging the organic photoconductor drum and the surface of the organic photoconductor drum are irradiated with light to be static. The exposure section for forming a transfer image, the developing section for forming a toner image on the organic photoconductor surface, the cleaner section for removing unnecessary toner of the organic photoconductor drum, and the organic photoconductor surface Printing including an erase section for removing unnecessary electrostatic charges, a transfer section for transferring the toner image on the surface of the organic photoconductor drum to a printing sheet, and a fixing section for fixing the toner image on the sheet And the printing unit prints the surface condition of the organic photoconductor drum on the paper, and the detection unit of the image connection analysis device detects the light intensity on the paper and captures a one-dimensional image. Image and signal from the detector in the image processor Processes the speed signal of the sheet from the speed control unit of the imaging analyzer is performed the determination of the presence or absence of a defect.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an OPC defect detecting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, the OPC defect detection apparatus of this embodiment comprises an image connection analysis apparatus and a printing section, and the image connection analysis apparatus includes a detection section 1, an image processing section 2, and an illumination section 3. A sheet drive unit 4, a speed control unit 5, a sheet speed signal 7 and an image signal 8.

The printing section includes a charging section 10 and an exposure section 1.
1, an OPC drum 9 around which a developing unit 12, a transfer unit 13, an erase unit 14, and a cleaner unit 15 are arranged, a fixing unit 16, and a sheet 6.

In the printing section, the charging section 10 charges the surface of the OPC drum 9, the exposure section 11 irradiates the surface of the OPC drum 9 with light, and the electrostatic charge on the surface of the OPC drum 9 is erased. The toner is attached to the entire surface of the OPC drum 9, and the toner attached to the surface of the OPC drum 9 is transferred onto the paper 6 by the transfer unit 13. At this time, OP
If the C drum 9 has a defect, a portion on which the toner is not transferred remains as a white spot defect on the paper 6. After this solid black printing is performed twice or more, the surface of the OPC drum 9 is charged by the charging unit 10, and in the exposure unit 11, the toner is attached to the surface of the OPC drum 9 by the developing unit 12 without irradiating light. The toner attached to the surface of the OPC drum 9 is transferred onto the paper 6 by the transfer unit 13, and white solid printing is performed twice or more. If there is a defect on the OPC drum 9 when this solid white printing is performed, the toner-transferred portion remains on the paper 6 as a black spot defect. Then, the toner transferred onto the paper 6 by the transfer unit 13 is fixed onto the paper 6 by the fixing unit 16.

The paper 6 is fixed by the paper drive unit 4 in the order of black solid printing 17 of the first round, black solid printing 18 of the second round, white solid printing 19 of the third round, white solid printing 20 of the fourth round. It is conveyed under the detection unit 1 at a speed.

In the detection unit 1 of the image analysis apparatus, white spot defects are detected from the black solid print 17 on the first round and the black solid print 18 on the second round due to the change in the light intensity on the paper 6, and the white solid print on the third round is printed. 1
Black spot defects are detected from the solid white prints 20 on the ninth and fourth laps. The illumination unit 3 irradiates the paper 6 with light, and the paper 6
The upper one-dimensional image in the width direction is captured by the detection unit 1. The image processing unit 2 integrates the image signal 8 in the width direction on the paper 6 fetched by the detection unit 1 and the paper speed signal 7 in the paper feed direction from the speed control unit 5 so that the paper 6 is not scratched or soiled. Calculate the area of defects such as pinholes.

In the image processing unit 2, the length in the width direction of the paper 6 per pixel is obtained from the number of pixels of the detection unit 1 and the width of the visual field. Further, the length of the scanning pitch for one scan in the paper 6 feed direction is obtained from the speed signal 7 in the paper 6 feed direction from the speed control unit 5 and the scanning cycle of the detection unit 1. By multiplying the width of the paper 6 per pixel in the width direction by the length of the scanning pitch for one scan of the paper 6, the paper 6 per pixel is
The unit area above can be determined.

Further, the image processing section 2 binarizes the image signal 8 from the detecting section 1 into 0 level and 1 level according to the slice level to judge the presence or absence of the paper 6 and the presence or absence of a defect on the paper 6. The connectivity of images in the width direction of the paper 6 is determined by counting the number of consecutive pixels of 0 level and 1 level for all the pixels of the detection unit 1.

Regarding the feeding direction of the paper 6, the connectivity of images in the feeding direction of the paper 6 is judged by counting the number of consecutive pixels of 0 level and 1 level with respect to the number of pixels of the detection unit 1 in one scanning. . By counting the number of pixels determined to be connected in the width direction and the feeding direction of the paper 6 and multiplying it by the unit area per pixel, the total area of the paper 6 and defects such as scratches, stains, and pinholes on the paper 6 can be determined. The area is calculated, and as a result, the area of defects such as scratches, stains, and pinholes on the OPC drum 9 is calculated. The white spot defect and the black spot defect thus detected are processed by the image processing unit 9 and processed into position data and area data on the surface of the OPC drum 9.

In the image processing section 2, the position data and area data of the white spot defect on the black solid print 17 on the first round of the OPC drum 9 and the black solid print 18 on the second round of the OPC drum 9 are printed. The position data and the area data of the white spot defect are compared, only the defect having the same position and the same area on the OPC drum 9 is specified as the white spot defect, and the defect of the different position and area on the OPC drum 9 is the defect of the paper 6. To remove. Similarly, the position data and area data of the black spot defect on the white solid print 19 on the third turn of the OPC drum 9 and the OPC drum 9
The position data and the area data of the black spot defect on the white solid print 20 on the fourth round are compared, and the same position on the OPC drum 9 and only the area are specified as the black spot defect, and the different position on the OPC drum 9, The area defect is removed as a defect of the sheet 6.

[0023]

As described above, according to the image link analysis apparatus of the present invention, the image processing section performs link analysis of the signal from the detection section and the paper speed signal from the speed control section.
Measurement of the area of the paper that is the work, scratches, stains on the paper,
The effect is that the area of defects such as pinholes can be measured.

Further, according to the OPC defect detection apparatus of the present invention, black solid printing and white solid printing for a plurality of rotations of the OPC drum are performed, and the detection unit detects white spot defects and black spot defects for a plurality of rotations of the OPC drum. By capturing, calculating the position on the surface of the OPC drum, and identifying only the defects that occurred at the same position on the OPC drum as the defects of the OPC drum, the defects of the paper are removed and the presence or absence of the defects of the OPC drum is determined. The effect is that you can.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an OPC defect detection apparatus according to an embodiment of the first invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 detector 2 Image processing unit 3 Lighting section 4 Paper drive 5 Speed control section 6 sheets 7 Paper speed signal 8 image signals 9 OPC drum 10 charging section 11 Exposure section 12 Development Department 13 Transfer part 14 Erase Club 15 Cleaner part 16 Fixing section 17 Solid black printing on the first OPC drum lap 18 Black solid printing on the second lap of OPC drum 19 White solid printing on the third lap of the OPC drum 20 White solid printing on the 4th lap of OPC drum

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A drive unit for driving a work, which is an object to be detected, a speed control unit for controlling the speed of the drive unit, and for detecting a light intensity on the work to capture a one-dimensional image. A detection unit, an image processing unit for processing a signal from the detection unit and a speed signal of the work from the speed control unit, and performing connection analysis of a one-dimensional image on the work, and the detection unit. And an illumination unit for irradiating light onto the work so that the luminous intensity on the work can be detected. 2. The image coupling / analysis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a charging unit for charging the organic photoconductor drum and a surface of the organic photoconductor drum are irradiated with light to form an electrostatic image. Exposure section, a developing section for forming a toner image on the surface of the organic photoconductor, a cleaner section for removing unnecessary toner on the organic photoconductor drum, and an unnecessary electrostatic charge on the surface of the organic photoconductor. A printing unit including an erasing unit for removing the toner image, a transfer unit for transferring the toner image on the surface of the organic photoconductor drum to a printing paper, and a fixing unit for fixing the toner image on the paper. And having the printing unit print the surface state of the organic photoconductor drum on the paper,
The detection unit of the image connection analysis apparatus detects the light intensity on the paper to capture a one-dimensional image, and the image processing unit of the image connection analysis apparatus receives the signal from the detection unit and the speed control unit of the image connection analysis apparatus. An organic photoconductor defect detection apparatus, characterized in that the speed signal of the sheet from the sheet is processed to determine the presence or absence of a defect.