Image forming apparatus having photoconductor and method of controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10268151-B2
Application number	US-201815918447-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2018
Priority date	Mar 13, 2017
Publication date	Apr 23, 2019
Grant date	Apr 23, 2019

Abstract

An image forming apparatus, including: a photoconductor configured to be rotatable; a charger configured to charge the photoconductor; an overcurrent detector configured to output an overcurrent detection signal in response to detection of an overcurrent in the charger; and a controller, wherein the controller is configured to execute: an obtaining process of obtaining the overcurrent detection signal output from the overcurrent detector; a first counting process of counting a first number of detections based on the overcurrent detection signal obtained in the obtaining process, the first number of detections being the number of the overcurrent detection signals synchronized with a first cycle corresponding to one rotation of the photoconductor; and a first determining process of determining whether the first number of detections is not smaller than a first threshold which is not smaller than 2.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
a photoconductor configured to be rotatable;
a charger configured to charge the photoconductor;
an overcurrent detector configured to output an overcurrent detection signal in response to detection of an overcurrent in the charger; and
a controller, wherein the controller is configured to execute:
an obtaining process of obtaining, in each of a plurality of obtaining periods, the overcurrent detection signal output from the overcurrent detector for each of a plurality of positions assigned in a circumferential direction of the photoconductor, each of the plurality of obtaining periods being a period of time in which a corresponding one of the plurality of positions is opposed to the charger;
a first counting process of counting a first number of detections based on the overcurrent detection signal obtained in the obtaining process, the first number of detections being the number of the overcurrent detection signals synchronized with a first cycle corresponding to one rotation of the photoconductor, each of the overcurrent detection signals being obtained in each of a plurality of specific obtaining periods, each of the plurality of specific obtaining periods being a period of time in which a specific position of the plurality of positions is opposed to the charger; and
a first determining process of determining whether the first number of detections is not smaller than a first threshold which is not smaller than 2.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to execute:
a second counting process of counting a second number of detections based on the overcurrent detection signal obtained in the obtaining process, the second number of detections being the number of the overcurrent detection signals in a period shorter than the first cycle; and
a second determining process of determining whether the second number of detections counted in the second counting process is not smaller than a second threshold which is not smaller than 2.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
count the first number of detections as the number of times that the overcurrent detection signal is successively counted every first cycle in the first counting process; and
determine in the first determining process whether the first number of detections is not smaller than the first threshold.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, where the maximum number of rotations of the photoconductor in a period from a start timing of the first count process to an end timing of the first count process is represented as M, and the first threshold is represented as N 1 , the following expression is satisfied:
M>N 1> M/ 2.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller is configured to execute an end determining process of determining whether the number of times of non-counting of the overcurrent detection signal synchronized with the first cycle is not smaller than a third threshold, and
wherein the controller is configured to reset the first number of detections when it is determined in the end determining process that the number of times of non-counting of the overcurrent detection signal synchronized with the first cycle is not smaller than the third threshold.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to provide information indicating abnormality when it is determined in the first determining process that the first number of detections is not smaller than the first threshold.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the charger includes a wire configured to cause a corona discharge, and
wherein the controller is configured to provide an instruction for instructing cleaning of the wire when it is determined in the first determining process that the first number of detections is not smaller than the first threshold.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to provide an instruction for instructing replacement of the photoconductor when it is determined in the first determining process that the first number of detections is not smaller than the first threshold.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to cancel a printing control when it is determined in the first determining process that the first number of detections is not smaller than the first threshold.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to decrease a voltage applied to the charger when it is determined in the first determining process that the first number of detections is not smaller than the first threshold.

11. A method of controlling an image forming apparatus including: a photoconductor configured to be rotatable; a charger configured to charge the photoconductor; and a detector configured to detect a current in the charger, comprising:
an obtaining step of obtaining, in each of a plurality of obtaining periods, an overcurrent detection signal, for each of a plurality of positions assigned in a circumferential direction of the photoconductor, each of the plurality of obtaining periods being a period of time in which a corresponding one of the plurality of positions is opposed to the charger, in response to a signal output from the detector;
a first counting step of counting a first number of detections based on the overcurrent detection signal obtained in the obtaining step, the first number of detections being the number of the overcurrent detection signals synchronized with a first cycle corresponding to one rotation of the photoconductor, each of the overcurrent detection signals being obtained in each of a plurality of specific obtaining periods, each of the plurality of specific obtaining periods being a period of time in which a specific position of the plurality of positions is opposed to the charger; and
a first determining step of determining whether the first number of detections is not smaller than a first threshold which is not smaller than 2.

12. The method of controlling the image forming apparatus according to claim 11 , further comprising:
a second counting step of counting a second number of detections based on the overcurrent detection signal obtained in the obtaining step, the second number of detections being the number of the overcurrent detection signals in a period shorter than the first cycle; and
a second determining step of determining whether the second number of detections counted in the second counting step is not smaller than a second threshold which is not smaller than 2.

13. The method of controlling the image forming apparatus according to claim 11 ,
wherein, in the first counting step, the first number of detections as the number of times that the overcurrent detection signal is successively counted every first cycle, and
wherein, in the first determining step, it is determined whether the first number of detections is not smaller than the first threshold.

14. The method of controlling the image forming apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein, where the maximum number of rotations of the photoconductor in a period from a start timing of the first counting step to an end timing of the first counting step is represented as M, and the first threshold is represented as NI, the following expression is satisfied:
M>N 1> M/ 2.

15. The method of controlling the image forming apparatus according to c

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Takahashi Masamitsu
• Hamaya Masahito
• Katoh Hiroki
• Minami Yudai
• Inukai Katsumi

Classifications

• G03G15/553 Primary

  Monitoring or warning means for exhaustion or lifetime end of consumables, e.g. indication of insufficient copy sheet quantity for a job · CPC title

• G03G15/55

  Self-diagnostics; Malfunction or lifetime display · CPC title

• G03G2215/027

  using wires · CPC title

• G03G15/0266

  Arrangements for controlling the amount of charge · CPC title

• G03G15/0291

  corona discharge devices, e.g. wires, pointed electrodes, means for cleaning the corona discharge device · CPC title