Image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023168619-A1
Application number	US-202218056657-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 17, 2022
Priority date	Nov 29, 2021
Publication date	Jun 1, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a connector, a conveyance unit, and a controller. The conveyance unit includes first and second sensors, first and second light sources, and a capacitor. Based on the first and second sensors, the controller determines a position of a paper jam having occurred during an image formation job. The first light source is turned-on when the position of the paper jam corresponds to a position of the first sensor and the second light source is turned-on when the position of the paper jam corresponds to a position of the second sensor. When the conveyance unit is pulled out of the image forming apparatus, the connector shuts off the electrical connection between the conveyance unit and a power source, and a light source controlled to turn on by the controller glows based on electric power accumulated in the capacitor during the image formation job.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An image forming apparatus to form an image on a recording medium, the image forming apparatus comprising:
a connector configured to be connected to a power source; a conveyance unit configured to be pulled out from the image forming apparatus; and a controller, wherein the conveyance unit includes: a conveyance roller configured to convey the recording medium, a conveyance path configured to guide the recording medium conveyed by the conveyance roller, a first sensor provided at a first position in a conveyance direction in which the recording medium is conveyed, a first light source provided in correspondence with the first sensor, a second sensor provided at a second position in the conveyance direction, a second light source provided in correspondence with the second sensor, and a capacitor configured to reduce fluctuation of a voltage supplied from the power source via the connector to a motor configured to drive the conveyance roller, wherein the controller is configured to perform operations including: determining, based on the first sensor and the second sensor, a position of a paper jam having occurred during an image formation job of forming the image on the recording medium, and controlling the first light source to turn on in a case where the determined position of the paper jam corresponds to the first position of the first sensor, and controlling the second light source to turn on in a case where the determined position of the paper jam corresponds to the second position of the second sensor, wherein, in a case where the conveyance unit is pulled out from the image forming apparatus, electrical connection between the conveyance unit and the power source by the connector is shut off, and wherein, in a state where the conveyance unit is pulled out from the image forming apparatus, a light source controlled to turn on by the controller glows based on electric power accumulated in the capacitor during the image formation job.

2 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a door configured to be opened to access an inside of the image forming apparatus; and a detector configured to detect an open or closed state of the door, wherein the conveyance unit is exposed by the door being opened, and wherein, in response to a detection by the detector of the door being opened, the controller controls the light source corresponding to the determined position of the paper jam to turn on.

3 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the conveyance unit further includes:
a switching device provided between the capacitor and the first light source on a power path that connects the capacitor and the first light source, and a latch circuit configured to latch a state of the switching device, wherein the switching device is configured to switch between a first state where the capacitor and the first light source are connected to each other and a second state where the capacitor and the first light source are not connected to each other, wherein, in a case where the determined position of the paper jam corresponds to the first position of the first sensor with the conveyance unit installed in the image forming apparatus, the controller controls the switching device to switch from the second state to the first state to turn on the first light source, wherein, in the case where the conveyance unit is pulled out from the image forming apparatus, electrical connection between the conveyance unit and the controller also is shut off, and wherein, in the state where the conveyance unit is pulled out from the image forming apparatus, the first light source glows by the switching device being latched in the first state by the latch circuit.

4 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the conveyance unit further includes the motor.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Koizumi Kazuhisa
• Sobue Fumitaka
• Hata Yosuke

Classifications

• Y02D10/00

  Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management · CPC title

• B41J11/006 Primary

  Means for preventing paper jams or for facilitating their removal · CPC title

• G03G15/70 Primary

  Detecting malfunctions relating to paper handling, e.g. jams · CPC title

• B41J11/0095

  Detecting means for copy material, e.g. for detecting or sensing presence of copy material or its leading or trailing end · CPC title

• G03G21/1633

  using doors or covers (G03G21/1638 takes precedence) · CPC title