Image forming apparatus that detects deterioration of a component and determines life of the component

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9488948-B2
Application number	US-201514686624-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 14, 2015
Priority date	Apr 18, 2014
Publication date	Nov 8, 2016
Grant date	Nov 8, 2016

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit that fixes an image, an obtaining unit that obtains information regarding conveying time taken to convey a recording material, a detection unit that detects information regarding an environment, and a control unit configured to determine, based on the information regarding the conveying time and the information regarding the environment, a timing at which the fixing unit is replaced.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a conveying unit to convey a recording material;
a fixing unit configured to fix an image onto the recording material conveyed by the conveying unit;
an obtaining unit configured to obtain first information regarding conveying time taken to convey the recording material from a first position located upstream of a conveying direction of the recording material with respect to the fixing unit to a second position located downstream of the conveying direction of the recording material with respect to the fixing unit;
a detection unit configured to detect second information regarding humidity; and
a control unit configured to determine, based on the first information, whether a life of the fixing unit has ended or not,
wherein the control unit corrects the first information based on the second information.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein, if the humidity corresponding to the second information is greater than or equal to a threshold, the control unit corrects the first information.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein, until a certain period of time has elapsed since formation of the image on the recording material began, the control unit corrects the first information using a first coefficient and, after the certain period of time elapses, the control unit corrects the first information using a second coefficient, which is greater than the first coefficient.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first sensor configured to detect the conveyed recording material at the first position; and
a second sensor configured to detect the conveyed recording material at the second position,
wherein the control unit calculates the information regarding the conveying time based on results of the detection of the first sensor and the second sensor.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the fixing unit is replaceable, and
wherein, if the control unit determines that the life of the fixing unit has ended, the control unit outputs information for requesting replacement of the fixing unit.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control unit transmits information regarding a timing at which the life of the fixing unit has ended.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control unit calculates the first information by averaging conveying times of a plurality of sheets of the recording material at a time when the plurality of sheets of the recording material are conveyed.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the fixing unit includes a film provided with a heater and a pressure roller and fixes the image onto the recording material when the recording material is conveyed to a nip between the film and the pressure roller.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an image forming unit configured to form an image on an image bearing member,
wherein the image forming unit includes a transfer section that transfers the image formed on the image bearing member onto the recording material.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an external apparatus configured to communicate with the image forming apparatus,
wherein the control unit transmits, to the external apparatus, a result of the detection if the life of the fixing unit is determined to have ended.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Kitamura Toshifumi
• Taniguchi Satoru
• Uchida Wataru
• Yamazaki Hiroyuki

Classifications

• B65H7/20

  Controlling associated apparatus · CPC title

• G03G21/203

  Humidity · CPC title

• B65H7/02

  by feelers or detectors · CPC title

• G03G15/55 Primary

  Self-diagnostics; Malfunction or lifetime display · CPC title

• 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