Image forming apparatus and control device therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9952544-B2
Application number	US-201615367632-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 2, 2016
Priority date	Dec 3, 2015
Publication date	Apr 24, 2018
Grant date	Apr 24, 2018

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion for forming an image, a human presence sensor for detecting presence of a human body adjacent the apparatus, and a controller capable of executing an adjustment process operation for the image forming portion when a first predetermined number of prints are produced. When the human presence sensor detects a human body in the neighborhood of the apparatus, the execution of the adjustment process operation is deferred to reduce the waiting time necessitated by the adjustment operation, but if a second predetermined number of prints are produced, the image forming operation of the image forming portion is interrupted, and the deferred adjustment process is executed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
an image forming portion configured to form images on recording materials;
a human presence sensor configured to detect presence of a human body in a predetermined area; and
a controller configured to control as to whether to execute an adjustment process operation for said image forming portion, depending on whether or not said human presence sensor detects the human body,
wherein
when a number of recording materials on which the images are formed by said image forming portion during execution of an image forming process operation is a first predetermined number, and said human presence sensor does not detect the human body, said controller interrupts the image forming process operation and executes the adjustment process operation, and
when the number of recording materials on which the images are formed by said image forming portion during the execution of the image forming process operation is the first predetermined number, and said human presence sensor detects the human body,
said controller defers the execution of the adjustment process operation and continues the image forming process operation, and said controller interrupts the continued image forming process operation and executes the adjustment process operation when a number of recording materials on which the images are formed by said image forming portion during the continued image forming process operation reaches a second predetermined number.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein when the number of recording materials on which the images are formed by said image forming portion during the execution of image forming process operation reaches the first predetermined number, and then a number of recording materials reaches the second predetermined number during the image forming process operation continued without execution of the adjustment process operation, said controller interrupts the image forming process operation and executes the adjustment process operation irrespective of whether or not said human presence sensor detects the human body.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein when the number of recording materials on which the images are formed by said image forming portion during the execution of image forming process operation reaches the first predetermined number, and then said human presence sensor becomes a state of not detecting the human body before the second predetermined number is reached, said controller interrupts the image forming process operation in response to said human presence sensor becoming the state of not detecting the human body.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein when the number of recording materials on which the images are formed by said image forming portion during the execution of image forming process operation reaches the first predetermined number, and then the image forming process operation is completed with the execution of the adjustment process operation being deferred before the second predetermined number is reached, said controller executes the adjustment process operation before executing stand-by mode in which said apparatus waits for a next image formation instruction in a condition capable of starting the image forming process operation.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said image forming portion includes a photosensitive member, a toner image forming portion configured to form a toner image on said photosensitive member, and wherein the adjustment process operation executed by said controller includes forming a pattern image for determining an image forming condition on said photosensitive member by said forming portion.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a receiving portion for receiving an image formation instruction, wherein said controller activates said receiving portion in response to detection of the human body by said human presence sensor in a state that electric power supply to said receiving portion is shut off.

7. An image forming apparatus comprising:
an image forming portion configured to form images on recording materials;
a fixing portion configured to fix the image formed by said image forming portion on the recording material;
a human presence sensor configured to detect presence of a human body in a predetermined area; and
a controller configured to control as to whether to execute an adjustment process operation for said fixing portion, depending on whether or not said human presence sensor detects the human body,
wherein
when a number of recording materials on which the images are formed by said image forming portion during execution of an image forming process operation is a first predetermined number, and said human presence sensor does not detect the human body, said controller interrupts the image forming process operation and executes the adjustment process operation, and
when the number of recording materials on which the images are formed by said image forming portion during the execution of the image forming process operation is the first predetermined number, and said human presence sensor detects the human body, said controller defers the execution of the adjustment process operation to continue the image forming process operation, and said controller interrupts the continued image forming process operation and executes the adjustment process operation when a number of recording materials on which the images are formed by said image forming portion during the continued image forming process operation reaches a second predetermined number.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein when the number of recording materials on which the images are formed by said image forming portion during the execution of image forming process operation reaches the first predetermined number, and then a number of recording materials reaches the second predetermined number during the image forming process operation continued without execution of the adjustment process operation, said controller interrupts the image forming process operation and executes the adjustment process operation irrespective of whether or not said human presence sensor detects the human body.

9. An apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein when the number of recording materials on which the images are formed by said image forming portion during the execution of image forming process operation reaches the first predetermined number, and then said human presence sensor becomes a state of not detecting the human body before the second predetermined number is reached, said controller interrupts the image forming process operation in response to said human presence sensor becoming the state of not detecting the human body.

10. An apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein when the number of recording materials on which the images are formed by said image forming portion during the execution of image forming process operation reaches the first predetermined number, and then the image forming process operation is completed with the execution of the adjustment process being deferred before the second predetermined number is reached, said controller executes the adjustment process before executing a stand-by mode in which said apparatus waits for a next image formation instruction in a condition capable of starting the image forming process.

11. An apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein when the number of recording materials on which the images are formed by said image forming portion during the execution of the image forming process operation reaches the first predetermined number, and said human presence sensor does not detect the human body, said controller interrupts the i

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Tanaka Masanobu
• Chiyoda Yasuharu
• Kitagawa Oki
• Fukamachi Asuna

Classifications

• G03G15/5016 Primary

  User-machine interface; Display panels; Control console · CPC title

• G03G2215/0129

  horizontal medium transport path at the secondary transfer · CPC title

• G03G15/5058

  using a test patch · CPC title

• H04N1/00037

  Detecting, i.e. determining the occurrence of a predetermined state (H04N1/00031 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04N1/00082

  Adjusting or controlling (interrupting an operation H04N1/00915; inhibiting an operation H04N1/00925) · CPC title