Damage amount determination device, image forming device, computer-readable recording medium storing damage amount determination program, and damage amount determination method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9568876-B2
Application number	US-201414587026-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 31, 2014
Priority date	Jan 7, 2014
Publication date	Feb 14, 2017
Grant date	Feb 14, 2017

Abstract

A damage amount determination device, which is used for an image forming device that forms an image on paper, includes an information acquisition unit that acquires information related to whiteness of the paper used for printing and a damage amount determination unit that determines an amount of damage, which is caused by the paper to a predetermined component of the image forming device when the paper passes through the predetermined component, based on the information related to the whiteness.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A damage amount determination device used for an image forming device that forms an image on paper, the damage amount determination device comprising:
an information acquisition unit that acquires information related to whiteness of the paper used for printing; and
a damage amount determination unit that determines an amount of damage, which is caused by the paper to a predetermined component of the image forming device when the paper passes through the predetermined component, based on the information related to the whiteness, wherein
the information related to the whiteness is the whiteness of the paper, and
the damage amount determination unit determines that when the whiteness of the paper is lower than a predetermined value, the amount of damage caused by the paper to the predetermined component is relatively small and, when the whiteness of the paper is higher than or equal to the predetermined value, the amount of damage caused by the paper to the predetermined component is relatively large.

2. The damage amount determination unit according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a lifetime determination unit that determines a lifetime of the predetermined component based on the amount of damage determined by the damage amount determination unit.

3. The damage amount determination unit according to claim 2 , wherein
the lifetime determination unit subtracts the amount of damage from an amount of life that is a total sum of the amounts of damage allowed by the predetermined component each time the paper is printed.

4. The damage amount determination unit according claim 1 , wherein
the information acquisition unit acquires the information related to the whiteness based on an input of a user.

5. The damage amount determination unit according claim 1 , wherein
the information related to the whiteness is a type of the paper,
the damage amount determination device further includes a storage unit that stores a relationship between the type of the paper and the amount of damage, and
the damage amount determination unit determines the amount of damage by using the relationship between the type of the paper and the amount of damage.

6. The damage amount determination unit according claim 1 , wherein
the information acquisition unit acquires the information related to the whiteness by an optical unit.

7. The damage amount determination unit according to claim 6 , wherein
the information acquisition unit is provided on an upstream side of a timing roller of the image forming device in a conveyance direction of the paper and acquires the information related to the whiteness of the paper stopped at the timing roller by the optical unit.

8. The damage amount determination unit according claim 4 , wherein
the information related to the whiteness is an ISO whiteness of the paper.

9. The damage amount determination unit according claim 1 , further comprising:
a paper powder amount detection unit that detects an amount of paper powder generated when the paper passes through a predetermined position in the image forming device,
wherein the damage amount determination unit determines the amount of damage, which is caused by the paper to the predetermined component, based on the information related to the whiteness and the amount of paper powder.

10. The damage amount determination unit according claim 1 , wherein
the damage amount determination unit determines the amount of damage for each of a plurality of paper feed cassettes of the image forming device.

11. The damage amount determination unit according claim 1 , wherein
the damage amount determination unit determines the amount of damage according to replenishment of a plurality of paper feed cassettes of the image forming device with the paper.

12. The damage amount determination unit according claim 1 , wherein
the predetermined component is an intermediate transfer belt, a fixing unit, or a photoreceptor, with which the paper comes into contact, of the image forming device.

13. An image forming device comprising:
the damage amount determination unit according to claim 1 .

14. A non-transitory recording medium storing a computer readable program which determines a damage amount and is executed in a damage amount determination device used for an image forming device that forms an image on paper, the program causing the damage amount determination device to execute:
a step of acquiring information related to whiteness of the paper used for printing; and
a step of determining an amount of damage, which is caused by the paper to a predetermined component of the image forming device when the paper passes through the predetermined component, based on the information related to the whiteness, wherein
the information related to the whiteness is the whiteness of the paper, and
the step of determining the amount of damage includes determining that when the whiteness of the paper is lower than a predetermined value, the amount of damage caused by the paper to the predetermined component is relatively small and, when the whiteness of the paper is higher than or equal to the predetermined value, the amount of damage caused by the paper to the predetermined component is relatively large.

15. The non-transitory recording medium according to claim 14 , wherein
the computer readable program further includes a lifetime determination step of determining a lifetime of the predetermined component based on the amount of damage determined in the step of determining the amount of damage.

16. The non-transitory recording medium according to claim 14 , wherein
the computer readable program further includes a paper powder amount detection step of detecting an amount of paper powder generated when the paper passes through a predetermined position in the image forming device, and
in the step of determining the amount of damage, the amount of damage caused by the paper to the predetermined component is determined based on the information related to the whiteness and the amount of paper powder.

17. A damage amount determination method performed in an image forming device that forms an image on paper, the damage amount determination method comprising:
a step of acquiring information related to whiteness of the paper used for printing; and
a step of determining an amount of damage, which is caused by the paper to a predetermined component of the image forming device when the paper passes through the predetermined component, based on the information related to the whiteness, wherein
the information related to the whiteness is the whiteness of the paper, and
the step of determining the amount of damage includes determining that when the whiteness of the paper is lower than a predetermined value, the amount of damage caused by the paper to the predetermined component is relatively small and, when the whiteness of the paper is higher than or equal to the predetermined value, the amount of damage caused by the paper to the predetermined component is relatively large.

18. The damage amount determination method according to claim 17 , further comprising:
a lifetime determination step of determining a lifetime of the predetermined component based on the amount of damage determined in the step of determining the amount of damage.

19. The damage amount determination method according to claim 17 , further comprising:
a paper powder amount detection step of detecting an amount of paper powder generated when the paper passes through a predetermined position in the image fo

Assignees

• Konica Minolta Inc

Inventors

• Ogawa Shinji
• Mukobayashi Yu
• Inada Yasuyuki
• Kimura Masato
• Mandai Yuusuke

Classifications

• G03G15/55 Primary

  Self-diagnostics; Malfunction or lifetime display · CPC title

• G03G15/5029

  by measuring the copy material characteristics, e.g. weight, thickness · CPC title