JPH0675446A - Copier - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] Effectively corrects the sensitivity of the photoconductor drum so that copying can always be performed with stable image quality. [Configuration] When the copy lamp voltage reaches the limit value,
A maintenance call for the copy lamp 25 is transmitted to the host computer 5.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a copying machine for transmitting a maintenance time of a copy lamp to a host computer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a copying machine, as the number of copies increases, the photosensitive layer of a photosensitive member causes film thinning due to the polishing effect of a cleaning blade and the like, and the film thickness decreases, so that the surface potential tends to gradually decrease. . Due to the reduction of the film thickness, the dirt of the mirror used to irradiate the image of the original on the photoconductor, the deterioration of the copy lamp, etc., the sensitivity of the photoconductor drum is lowered, and the copy image becomes dark.

In a conventional copying machine, in order to correct this change, the number of copies or the amount of the photosensitive drum used is detected, and the voltage of the copy lamp is increased based on the detected value.

[0004]

In the copying machine, a limit value is set for the copy lamp voltage due to its structure, and the copy lamp voltage cannot be set higher than the limit value. Therefore, when the copy lamp voltage reaches the limit value, the sensitivity cannot be corrected thereafter.

However, the conventional copying machine is not provided with means for detecting that the copy lamp voltage has reached the limit value, and the life of the copy lamp cannot be recognized until the copy image becomes bad. There was a problem. Therefore, it will be late to request maintenance,
I had to use the poor copy image for a long time.

An object of the present invention is to detect the life of a copy lamp and send it to a host computer,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a copier that can always make stable image quality without requiring the user to request maintenance.

[0007]

A copying machine according to the present invention comprises a detecting means for detecting a copy lamp voltage after sensitivity correction, and a judging means for judging whether or not the detected copy lamp voltage is a limit value. And a transmission means for transmitting a maintenance call to the host computer when the copy lamp voltage is at the limit value.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that the sensitivity of the photosensitive drum is corrected every fixed number of copies.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that the sensitivity correction of the photosensitive drum is carried out for every fixed amount of the photosensitive drum used.

[0010]

In the copying machine of the present invention, the sensitivity of the photosensitive drum is corrected by increasing the copy lamp voltage based on the number of copies or the usage amount of the photosensitive drum.

In a copying machine that performs sensitivity correction based on the number of copies, the number of copies is counted, and after the sensitivity correction is performed, the copy lamp voltage is detected. It is determined whether or not the detected copy lamp voltage is the limit value, and at the same time, whether or not the number of copies counted at this time exceeds a specific value. When it is determined that the copy lamp voltage is the limit value and the number of copies exceeds a specific value, a maintenance call is sent to the host computer.

Further, in a copying machine which performs sensitivity correction based on the usage amount of the photosensitive drum, the usage amount of the photosensitive drum is detected from the rotation time or the number of rotations of the photosensitive drum,
After the sensitivity correction is performed, the copy lamp voltage is detected. The detected copy lamp voltage is determined whether it is a limit value, and at the same time, it is determined whether the usage amount of the photoconductor drum detected at this time exceeds a specific value.
When it is determined that the copy lamp voltage is at the limit value and the usage amount of the photosensitive drum exceeds a specific value, a maintenance call is sent to the host computer.

[0013]

1 is a diagram showing the construction of a copying machine and a maintenance communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The copying apparatus 1 provided on the plurality of users has a copying machine main body 2 and a communication system 3. The copying machine main body 2 and the communication system 3 are connected by an RS232C line, and communication data of the copying machine main body 2, communication condition data and the like are transmitted and received. On the other hand, on the service station side,
A modem 4 and a host computer 5 are provided, and the modem 4 and the host computer 5 are RS232C.
Connected by line. The communication system 3 and the modem 4 are connected via a telephone line, and data is transmitted and received between the copying machine body 2 and the host computer 5. Also,
To the host computer 5, terminals 6 provided in a plurality of stores are connected, and the host computer 5 is
The data received from the copying apparatus 1 is transmitted to the store that sold the copying machine body 2.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control unit in the copying machine main body 2. The control unit of this copying machine is composed of a master / slave system, and the master CP
A RAM 22, a ROM 23 and a slave CPU (SCPU) 31 for controlling a photoconductor are connected to the U (MCPU) 21. The MCPU 21 sends commands to the CPU 31 and the like, receives status from each SCPU, and controls various solenoids, main motors, and the like in accordance with a program previously written in the ROM 23.
The data input / output at this time is temporarily stored in a predetermined memory area of the RAM 22. Further, the RAM 22 is provided with a memory M1 for counting the number of copies for controlling the copy lamp voltage and a memory M2 for counting the total number of copies.

A copy lamp lighting circuit 24 having a copy lamp 25 and a charging unit 26 having a charger 27 are connected to the MCPU 21. MCPU21
The copy lamp 2 via the copy lamp lighting circuit 24.
Control the supply and stop of the voltage to 5 and
It adjusts the effective voltage level applied to the copy lamp 25 and controls the charging unit 26 that supplies a high voltage to the charger 27. An RS232C line is connected to the MCPU 21.

The SCPU 31 receives the command sent from the MCPU 21 and controls each connected device.
A RAM for a buffer is built in the CPU 31, and a ROM 32, a motor driver 33, and a rotary encoder 34 are connected to the CPU 31. A motor 35 for rotating the photosensitive drum (not shown) is connected to the motor driver 33. The SCPU 31 receives a signal from the rotary encoder 34 according to a program written in the ROM 32 in advance, and drives the motor driver 33.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control unit in the communication system 3. ROM 42 and RAM
The CPU 41 provided with 43 is connected to the MCPU 21 of the copying machine main body 2 via the RS232C line. CP
The U 41 centrally controls each input / output device according to a program written in advance in the ROM 42, and the data input / output at this time is temporarily stored in a predetermined memory area of the RAM 43. A modem 45 is connected to the CPU 41. The modem 45 modulates the data output by the CPU 41, demodulates the data input from the line, and automatically executes dialing. The MCPU 21 and CPU
41, the copying machine main body 2 via the RS232C line
And data is transmitted and received between the communication systems 3. The data transmitted from the copying machine body 2 is stored in the RAM 43 and transmitted to the service station via the telephone line.

4 and 5 are flow charts showing the processing procedure in the control unit. M of the copying machine body 2
The CPU 21 counts the number of copies each time copying is performed (n
1, n2) and the memories M1 and M2 of the RAM 22 (n3). The count value stored in the memory M1 is
When the specific number of the photosensitive drums to be corrected is reached (n4), the MCPU 21 increases the copy lamp voltage to correct the photosensitive drums (n5). After that, the MCPU 21 resets the count value stored in the memory M1 (n6), and determines whether the copy lamp voltage is the limit value (n7). If the copy lamp voltage is the limit value, the MCPU 21
It is determined whether the count value stored in the memory M2 is a specific number indicating the life of the photoconductor drum (n8).
If the count value has not reached the specific number in n8, the MCPU 21 transmits a maintenance call for the copy lamp 25 to the communication system 3 (n9). Also, n8
If the count value exceeds the specified number in
The PU 21 sends a copy lamp maintenance call to the communication system 3 and also sends a photoconductor drum maintenance call (n10).

When the CPU 41 of the communication system 3 receives a maintenance call from the copying machine body 2 (n11),
It is transmitted to the host computer 5 of the service station (n12).

As described above, according to this embodiment, the sensitivity correction of the photosensitive drum is executed based on the number of copies, and when the copy lamp voltage reaches the limit value, the copy lamp maintenance call is transmitted to the host computer. At the same time, when the total number of copies exceeds a specific value, a maintenance call for the photosensitive drum is also sent.

In the above embodiment, the sensitivity correction of the photosensitive drum and the life detection of the photosensitive drum are performed based on the number of copies. However, the rotation time or the rotation number of the photosensitive drum is counted and the photosensitive member is detected. You may perform based on the amount of drums used.

[0022]

According to the present invention, when the copy lamp voltage reaches the limit value, a copy lamp maintenance call is sent to the host computer, and the host computer is notified to the copying machine dealer. There is no need to make a request. In addition, a maintenance call is sent when the copy lamp voltage reaches the limit value, so maintenance can be performed while the sensitivity of the photoconductor drum is being corrected correctly, so that you can always make copies with stable image quality. it can.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a copying machine and a maintenance communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a control unit in the copying machine main body.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a control unit in the communication system.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure in a control unit of the copying machine main body.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure in a control unit of the communication system.

[Explanation of Codes] 2-Copier main body 3-Communication system 5-Host computer 21-Master CPU 25-Copy lamp M1-Number of copies memory M2-Total number of copies memory 41-Communication system CPU

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification number Reference number within the agency FI Technical display location H04N 1/00 107 A 7046-5C (72) Inventor Motoyuki Itoyama 22 No. 22 Nagaikecho, Abeno-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka No.22 Sharp Co., Ltd.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A copying machine for correcting the sensitivity of a photosensitive drum by increasing the copy lamp voltage, the detecting means detecting the copy lamp voltage after the sensitivity correction,
It is characterized in that a determination means for determining whether or not the detected copy lamp voltage is a limit value and a transmission means for transmitting a maintenance call to the host computer when the copy lamp voltage is the limit value are provided. Copier. 2. A copying machine according to claim 1, wherein the sensitivity of the photosensitive drum is corrected every fixed number of copies. 3. The copying machine according to claim 1, wherein the sensitivity correction of the photoconductor drum is performed for each constant photoconductor drum usage amount.