Patent ID: 8543017

Claim:
A load abnormality detection apparatus that detects a load abnormality in at least one of a first rotational member and a second rotational member provided in an apparatus including: the first rotational member and the second rotational member that contact each other directly or via a recording medium interposed therebetween; a first motor that drives said first rotational member and is controlled based on a first control element; and a second motor that drives said second rotational member and is controlled based on a second control element, said load abnormality detection apparatus comprising: an element acquisition part configured to acquire said first control element and said second control element; a first comparison part configured to compare said first control element with a first threshold value and also compare said first control element with a second threshold value larger than said first threshold value; a second comparison part configured to compare said second control element with a third threshold value and also compare said second control element with a fourth threshold value larger than said third threshold value; and an abnormality detection part configured to detect a load abnormality in a load applied to at least one of said first rotational member and said second rotational member based on results of comparison by said first comparison part and said second comparison part and identify a cause of the detected load abnormality, wherein, when said first control element is smaller than said first threshold value and said second control element is smaller than said fourth threshold value, said abnormality detection part identifies the cause of said load abnormality as a first cause peculiar to said first rotational member.