Patent Publication Number: US-2011076034-A1

Title: Identifying machine, image forming apparatus, and roller identifying method

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior the U.S. Patent Application No. 61/246,482, filed on Sep. 28, 2009, and the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     Embodiments described herein relate generally to a roller identifying machine, an image forming apparatus, and a roller identifying method. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Machine products provided to the market include rollers. Since these rollers are worn because of abrasion, the rollers are periodically replaced. 
     In these days, illegally-copied pirated products often appear on the market. These pirated products are often poor in quality. 
     Therefore, when pirated rollers are used in machine products instead of genuine product rollers, these machine products cannot keep expected quality during manufacturing. In the worst case, breakage of the machine products occurs. According to such a background, there is a demand for an apparatus that identifies whether rollers are authentic or not. 
     In regard to this point, a technique for causing an IC chip to store a code for identifying authenticity and sticking the IC chip to a roller is proposed. 
     However, the IC chip is expensive and leads to an increase in a price of the roller. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a diagram of the configuration of an image forming apparatus; 
         FIG. 2  is an external perspective view of a sensor; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic side view of the configuration of the sensor; 
         FIG. 4  is a front view of a pickup mechanism in which the sensor is in a home position; 
         FIG. 5  is a front view of the pickup mechanism in which the sensor is in a roller detection position; 
         FIG. 6  is a diagram of the configuration of a sensor driving section; 
         FIG. 7  is a diagram for explaining the operation of the sensor driving section; 
         FIG. 8  is a sectional view of the pickup mechanism taken along line A-A shown in  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a sectional view of the pickup mechanism taken along line B-B shown in  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the sensor in the detection position; 
         FIG. 11  is a diagram of another shape of an irregular section; 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view of a roller identifying machine configured to identify a roller when the roller is a photoconductive drum; 
         FIG. 13  is a top view of the photoconductive drum and the sensor; 
         FIG. 14  is a diagram of the photoconductive drum viewed from the direction of an arrow A in the figure; 
         FIG. 15  is a schematic diagram of the configuration of an image forming apparatus; 
         FIG. 16  is a diagram of irregularities of an indicator detected by the sensor; 
         FIG. 17  is a diagram of another example of the irregularities of the indicator detected by the sensor; and 
         FIG. 18  is a diagram of still another example of the irregularities of the indicator detected by the sensor. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Throughout this specification, the embodiments and examples shown should be considered as exemplars, rather than limitations on the apparatus and methods of the present embodiments. 
     An embodiment of a roller identifying machine, an image forming apparatus, and a roller identifying method is explained in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The image forming apparatus is a copying machine, an MFP (Multifunction Peripheral), or a printer. 
     An image forming apparatus  1  according to this embodiment includes an indicator having plural steps in a direction and configured to rotate together with a roller, an actuator configured to come into contact with the indicator, a sensor configured to detect displacement of the actuator in a direction, a storage configured to store a code, and a controller configured to identify the roller according to comparison of a displacement pattern of the actuator and the code. 
       FIG. 1  is a diagram of the configuration of the image forming apparatus  1  according to this embodiment. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the image forming apparatus  1  includes an automatic document feeder  11 , an image reading section  12 , an image forming section  13 , a transfer section  14 , a recording medium conveying mechanism  19 , and a paper feeding unit  15 . 
     The image forming apparatus  1  includes, in an upper part of a main body, the automatic document feeder  11  provided to be openable and closable. The automatic document feeder  11  includes a document conveying mechanism configured to extract original documents from a paper feeding tray one by one and convey the original document to a paper discharge tray. 
     The automatic document feeder  11  conveys, with the document conveying mechanism, the original documents to a document reading section of the image reading section  12  one by one. It is also possible to open the automatic document feeder  11  and place an original document on a document table of the image reading section  12 . 
     The image reading section  12  includes a carriage including an exposure lamp configured to expose an original document to light and a first reflection mirror, plural second reflection mirrors locked to a main body frame of the image forming apparatus  1 , a lens block, and a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) of an image reading sensor. 
     The carriage stands still in the document reading section or reciprocatingly moves under the document table to reflect the light of the exposure lamp, which is reflected by the original document, to the first reflection mirror. The plural second reflection mirrors reflect the reflected light of the first reflection mirror to the lens block. The lens block outputs this reflected light to the CCD. The CCD converts incident light into an electric signal and outputs the electric signal to the image forming section  13  as an image signal. 
     The image forming section  13  includes, for each of yellow Y, magenta M, cyan C, and black K, a laser irradiating unit, a photoconductive drum as an electrostatic latent image bearing member, and a developer supplying unit. 
     The laser irradiating unit irradiates a laser beam on the photoconductive drum on the basis of the image signal and forms an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductive drum. The developer supplying unit supplies a developer to the photoconductive drum and forms a developer image from the electrostatic latent image. 
     The recording medium conveying mechanism  19  includes, most upstream on the paper feeding unit  15  side, a pickup mechanism  21  configured to extract recording media one by one. 
     The pickup mechanism  21  extracts the recording media from the paper feeding unit  15  one by one and passes the recording medium to the recording medium conveying mechanism  19 . The recording medium conveying mechanism  19  conveys the recording medium to the transfer section  14 . 
     The transfer section  14  includes a transfer belt  14 B, a transfer roller, and a fuser  14 A. The transfer belt  14 B as an image bearing member receives the transfer of the developer image on the photoconductive drum and bears the developer image. The transfer roller applies voltage to the developer image on the transfer belt  14 B and transfers the developer image onto the recording medium conveyed to the transfer roller. The fuser  14 A heats and presses the developer image and fixes the developer image on the recording medium. 
     The image forming apparatus  1  includes, along a recording medium conveying path of the recording medium conveying mechanism  19 , a sensor  20  configured to detect the thickness of the recording medium. The sensor  20  is provided in the pickup mechanism  21 . 
     A recording medium P discharged from a paper discharge port is stacked on a paper discharge tray  16 , which is a carrying section configured to carry a recording medium. 
       FIG. 2  is an external perspective view of the sensor  20 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the sensor  20  includes a roller section  20 A, a sensor main body section  20 B, and an actuator  20 C. 
     The roller section  20 A includes a roller  20 A 1  at one end. The sensor  20  includes the roller section  20 A such that the other end of the roller section  20 A can pivot in an arrow X 1  direction with respect to the sensor main body section  20 B via the actuator  20 C. 
     The sensor  20  detects the thickness of a recording medium with, for example, a magnetic sensor. The sensor  20  has, at the base of the roller section  20 A, a permanent magnet that is displaced according to the pivoting of the roller section  20 A. The magnetic sensor of the sensor main body section  20 B detects a change in magnetic force. 
     Electric resistance of the magnetic sensor changes according to the magnetic force. The image forming apparatus  1  detects the change in the electric resistance to thereby detect the thickness of the recording medium. 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic side view of the configuration of the sensor  20 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the actuator  20 C has the roller section  20 A at the distal end thereof and has a magnet  20 D at the other end. The sensor  20  includes the actuator  20 C such that the base of the actuator  20 C can pivot around a pin O with respect to a frame of the sensor  20 . The sensor  20  includes a magnetic sensor  20 E on the frame. 
     When the roller section  20 A pivots in a direction of an arrow X 2 , the magnet  20 D pivots in a direction of an arrow X 3  around the pin O. The magnetic sensor  20 E detects a change in a magnetic field of the magnet  20 D. 
       FIG. 4  is a front view of the pickup mechanism  21  in which the sensor  20  is in a home position. As shown in  FIG. 4 , the pickup mechanism  21  includes a sensor driving section  30  configured to displace the position of the sensor  20 . 
     When the sensor  20  is in the home position, the sensor  20  detects the thickness of a recording medium conveyed to the sensor  20 . 
       FIG. 5  is a front view of the pickup mechanism  21  in which the sensor  20  is in a roller detection position. As shown in  FIG. 5 , the sensor driving section  30  displaces the sensor  20  in a direction of an arrow X 4  and pivots the sensor  20  in a roller axis direction. 
       FIG. 6  is a diagram of the configuration of the sensor driving section  30 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , the sensor driving section  30  includes a motor  30 A connected to the frame of the sensor  20  and configured to pivot the sensor  20  and a solenoid  30 B configured to displace the motor  30 A in the horizontal direction together with the sensor  20 . 
       FIG. 7  is a diagram for explaining the operation of the sensor driving section  30 . As shown in  FIG. 7 , the solenoid  30 B displaces the motor  30 A in the arrow X 4  direction, which is the horizontal direction, together with the sensor  20 . The motor  30 A pivots the sensor  20 . 
     The sensor driving section  30  returns the displaced sensor  20  to the home position using the motor  30 A and the solenoid  30 B. 
       FIG. 8  is a sectional view of the pickup mechanism  21  taken along line A-A shown in  FIG. 4 . As shown in  FIG. 8 , the pickup mechanism  21  includes a roller  21 B. The roller  21 B includes a cylindrical indicator  21 C that shares a rotation axis with the roller  21 B. 
     When the sensor  20  is in the home position, the sensor  20  brings the roller section  20 A into contact with a guide  21 A. The sensor  20  detects the thickness of a recording medium conveyed between the guide  21 A and the roller section  20 A. 
     The image forming section  13  changes an image forming method according to the thickness of the recording medium detected by the sensor  20 . For example, if the thickness of the recording medium detected by the sensor  20  is larger than a standard, the image forming section  13  forms an image to have density higher than standard density. For example, if the thickness of the recording medium detected by the sensor  20  is larger than the standard, the image forming section  13  fixes a toner image at temperature higher than standard fixing temperature. For example, if the thickness of the recording medium detected by the sensor  20  is larger than the standard, the image forming section  13  transfers the toner image onto the recording medium at voltage higher than standard transfer voltage. For example, if the thickness of the recording medium detected by the sensor  20  is larger than the standard, the image forming section  13  conveys the recording medium at speed lower than standard conveying speed. 
       FIG. 9  is a sectional view of the pickup mechanism  21  taken along line B-B shown in  FIG. 5 . As shown in  FIG. 9 , after being displaced in the horizontal direction by the solenoid  30 B of the sensor driving section  30 , the sensor  20  is pivoted by the motor  30 A such that the roller section  20 A comes into contact with the indicator  21 C. 
     The guide  21 A has a cutout in a position corresponding to the indicator  21 C. The roller section  20 A of the sensor  20  comes into contact with the indicator  21 C through the cutout. 
       FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the sensor  20  in the detection position. As shown in  FIG. 10 , the roller  21 B includes the cylindrical indicator  21 C that shares the rotation axis with the roller  21 B. The indicator  21 C has plural steps in a direction and rotates together with the roller  21 B. In other words, the indicator  21 C has the rotation axis same as that of the roller  21 B and has an irregular section  21 D parallel to the rotation axis of the roller  21 B as the plural steps. The indicator  21 C rotates around the rotation axis of the roller  21 B. 
     The indicator  21 C includes the irregular section  21 D on the side thereof. The irregular section  21 D may be formed by cutting the indicator  21 C, may be formed by sticking a seal, or may be formed by injection molding. 
     The indicator  21 C includes the irregular section  21 D parallel to the rotation axis. The roller section  20 A comes into contact with the irregular section  21 D. The sensor  20  detects irregularities of the irregular section  21 D. 
     The sensor  20  detects the thickness of the irregular section  21 D according to displacement of the actuator  20 C in the thickness direction of the irregular section  21 D. The sensor  20  includes the roller section  20 A such that a pivoting direction of the roller section  20 A coincides with the height direction of the thickness of the irregular section  21 D with which the roller section  20 A is in contact. A rotation axis of the roller section  20 A is parallel to the rotation axis of the indicator  21 C. Therefore, the sensor  20  can detect the irregularities of the irregular section  21 D when the indicator  21 C rotates. 
       FIG. 11  is a diagram of another shape of the irregular section  21 D. As shown in  FIG. 11 , the indicator  21 C can also include the irregular section  21 D including a large number of irregularities. 
       FIG. 12  is a perspective view of a roller identifying machine configured to identify a roller when the roller is a photoconductive drum  40 . As shown in  FIG. 12 , a process unit cartridge  50  houses the photoconductive drum  40 . The photoconductive drum  40  includes an indicator  40 A on an end face thereof. 
     The process unit cartridge  50  includes the sensor  20  such that the roller section  20 A comes in contact with the indicator  40 A. 
       FIG. 13  is a top view of the photoconductive drum and the sensor  20 .  FIG. 14  is a diagram of the photoconductive drum  40  viewed from a direction of an arrow A shown in  FIG. 13 . As shown in  FIGS. 13 and 14 , the photoconductive drum  40  as the roller includes the indicator  40 A on the end face of the photoconductive drum  40 . 
     The indicator  40 A includes an irregular section  40 B. The irregular section  40 B may be formed by cutting the indicator  40 A, may be formed by sticking a seal, or may be formed by injection molding. The roller section  20 A comes into contact with the irregular section  40 B. The sensor  20  detects irregularities of the irregular section  40 B. 
     The indicator  40 A includes the irregular section  40 B radially with respect to the rotation axis thereof. The indicator  40 A has plural steps in a direction and rotates together with the photoconductive drum  40 . The sensor  20  detects the thickness of the irregular section  40 B according to displacement of the actuator  20 C in the thickness direction of the irregular section  40 B. The sensor  20  includes the roller section  20 A such that a pivoting direction of the roller section  20 A coincides with the height direction of the thickness of the irregular section  40 B with which the roller section  20 A is in contact. The rotation axis of the roller section  20 A is perpendicular to the rotation axis of the indicator  40 A. The indicator  40 A rotates around a rotation axis of the photoconductive drum  40 . Therefore, the sensor  20  can detect the irregularities of the irregular section  40 B when the indicator  40 A rotates. 
       FIG. 15  is a schematic diagram of the configuration of the image forming apparatus  1 . As shown in  FIG. 15 , the image forming apparatus  1  includes a main CPU  101  as a controller configured to collectively control the entire image forming apparatus  1 , a control panel  103  as a display device connected to the main CPU  101 , a ROM and RAM  102  as a storage, and an image processing section  104  configured to perform image processing. 
     The main CPU  101  is connected to a print CPU  105  configured to control sections of an image forming system, a scan CPU  108  configured to control sections of an image reading system, and a driving controller  111  configured to control a driving section. 
     The print CPU  105  controls a print engine  106  configured to form an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductive drum  40  and a process unit  107  configured to form a developer image. The print CPU  105  determines the thickness of a recording medium according to an output from the sensor  20  and controls the print engine  106  and the process unit  107  on the basis of the thickness of the recording medium. 
     The scan CPU  108  controls a CCD driving circuit  109  configured to drive a CCD  110 . A signal from the CCD  110  is output to the image forming section. 
     The main CPU  101  is connected to the sensor  20 , the sensor driving section  30 , and a hard disk drive  112  as a storage configured to store an identification code. 
       FIG. 16  is a diagram of irregularities of the indicators  21 C and  40 A detected by the sensor  20 . A graph  201  indicates a state of irregularities in a rotating direction Y 1 . 
     The controller displaces the sensor  20  to the detection position and rotates a roller that should be identified. Subsequently, the controller replaces irregularities of the indicators  21 C and  40 A with numerical values according to an output of the sensor  20 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 16 , the controller replaces the irregularities of the indicators  21 C and  40 A with a numerical value “1” when the irregularities are HIGH and replaces the irregularities with a numerical value “0” when the irregularities are LOW. In the case of  FIG. 16 , the controller identifies “10110100101”. 
     Since the roller rotates, it is necessary to identify a start position of a code. Therefore, first 4 bits are set as a start code. When the controller identifies a start code “1011”, the controller reads out a data code “0100101” following the start code “1011”. 
     Subsequently, the controller reads out the identification code stored in advance from the hard disk drive  112 . 
     The controller compares a data code, which is a displacement pattern of the actuator  20 C, and the identification code. If the data code and the identification code coincide with each other, the controller determines that the roller is a genuine component and shifts to a normal operation. If the data code and the identification code do not coincide with each other, the controller determines that the roller is a pirated component, stops the operation of the image forming apparatus  1 , and displays, on the control panel  103 , indication urging a user to use the genuine component. 
       FIG. 17  is a diagram of another example of the irregularities of the indicators  21 C and  40 A detected by the sensor  20 . A graph  202  indicates a state of the irregularities in the rotating direction Y 1 . 
     In the example shown in  FIG. 16 , the numerical values are binary numbers. However, the numerical values may be ternary numbers. As shown in  FIG. 17 , the controller replaces the irregularities of the indicators  21 C and  40 A with a numerical value “0” when the height of the irregularities is T 0 , replaces the irregularities with a numerical value “1” when the height is T 1 , and replaces the irregularities with a numerical value “2” when the height is T 2 . 
     When a start code is “1021”, the controller reads out a data code “0121010”. 
     Subsequently, the controller reads out the identification code stored in advance from the hard disk drive  112 . 
     The controller compares the data code with the identification code. If the data code and the identification code coincide with each other, the controller determines that the roller is a genuine component and shifts to the normal operation. If the data code and the identification code do not coincide with each other, the controller determines that the roller is a pirated component, stops the operation of the image forming apparatus  1 , and displays, on the control panel  103 , indication urging the user to use the genuine component. 
       FIG. 18  is a diagram of still another example of the irregularities of the indicators  21 C and  40 A detected by the sensor  20 . A graph  203  indicates a state of the irregularities in the rotating direction Y 1 . 
     In the examples shown in  FIGS. 16 and 17 , the irregularities are converted into numerical values. As shown in  FIG. 18 , the irregularities of the indicators  21 C and  40 A may smoothly change and indicate a fixed frequency. 
     The controller displaces the sensor  20  to the detection position and rotates the roller that should be identified. The controller calculates a frequency of the irregularities of the indicators  21 C and  40 A from an output of the sensor  20 . 
     Subsequently, the controller reads out the identification code stored in advance from the hard disk drive  112 . 
     The controller compares the calculated frequency, which is a displacement pattern of the actuator  20 C, and the identification code. If the frequency and the identification code coincide with each other, the controller determines that the roller is a genuine component and shifts to the normal operation. If the frequency and the identification code do not coincide with each other, the controller determines that the roller is a pirated component, stops the operation of the image forming apparatus  1 , and displays, on the control panel  103 , indication urging the user to use the genuine component. 
     As explained above, the image forming apparatus  1  according to this embodiment includes the roller that should be identified, the indicators  21 C and  40 A configured to rotate together with the roller, the sensor  20  configured to come into contact with the indicators  21 C and  40 A and read irregularities of the indicators  21 C and  40 A, the storage configured to store the identification code, and the controller configured to compare the identification code read out from the storage and an output of the sensor  20 . 
     Therefore, there is an effect that it is possible to inexpensively manufacture the roller that should be identified and it is possible to highly accurately identify authenticity of the roller. 
     While certain embodiments have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventions. Indeed, the novel methods and apparatuses described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms; furthermore, various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form of the methods and systems described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the inventions. The accompanying claims and their equivalents are indeed to cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the scope and spirit of the inventions.