BACKGROUND

[0001] An image forming apparatus is an apparatus which prints printing data generated in a terminal apparatus, like a computer, on printing paper. Examples of such an image forming apparatus include copying machines, printers, facsimiles, scanners, or multi-function peripherals (MFPs) which multiply implement the functions of the aforementioned apparatuses through one apparatus, etc.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0002] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a structure of an image forming apparatus according to an example of the disclosure;

[0003] FIG. 2 is a 3D diagram illustrating a structure of an image forming apparatus according to an example of the disclosure;

[0004] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a pin map and a circuit of a BLDC motor according to an example of the disclosure;

[0005] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a process of calculating a spent time according to an example of the disclosure;

[0006] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a difference in a spent time according to a size of a motor load, according to an example;

[0007] FIG. 6 is a graph illustrating a change of a spent time according to a motor load for each target speed of a motor, according to an example;

[0008] FIG. 7 is a graph distinguishing a motor load state according to a spent time, according to an example;

[0009] FIG. 8 is a table illustrating a changed amount of a spent time according to the number of times of driving a motor according to an example of the disclosure;

[0010] FIG. 9 illustrates a spent time according to the number of times of driving a motor according to an example of the disclosure as a graph;

[0011] FIG. 10 illustrates a changed amount of a spent time according to the number of times of driving a motor according to an example of the disclosure as a graph; and

[0012] FIG. 11 and FIG. 12 are flow charts for illustrating a method of controlling an operation of an image forming apparatus according to an example of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] The examples described below are exemplary ones for promoting understanding of the disclosure, and it should be noted that the disclosure may be implemented while being modified in various forms, unlike the examples described herein. Meanwhile, in explaining the disclosure below, in case it is determined that detailed explanation of related known functions or components may unnecessarily confuse the gist of the disclosure, the detailed explanation and detailed illustration will be omitted.

[0014] Also, as terms used in this specification and the claims, general terms were selected in consideration of the functions described in the disclosure. However, the terms may vary depending on the intention of those skilled in the art, legal or technical interpretation, or emergence of new technologies, etc.

[0015] In addition, in some cases, there are terms that were arbitrarily designated by the applicant, and the meaning of such terms may be interpreted as defined in this specification, and if there is no specific definition of the terms, the terms may be interpreted based on the overall content of this specification and general technical knowledge in the art.

[0016] Further, in this specification, elements necessary for description of each example of the disclosure were explained, and thus elements are not necessarily limited thereto. Accordingly, some elements may be modified or omitted, or other elements may be added. In addition, elements may be arranged while being dispersed to devices independent from one another.

[0017] Meanwhile, the description in this specification that one element is “connected to” another element should be interpreted to include both the case where one element is ‘directly connected to’ another element, and the case where one element is 'connected to another element through still another element.’ Also, the description in this specification that one element “includes” another element can be interpreted to mean that other elements may additionally be included, but not that other elements are excluded, unless there is any specific description meaning the contrary.

[0018] Also, while the examples of the disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the following accompanying drawings and the content described in the accompanying drawings, it is not intended that the disclosure is restricted or limited by the examples.

[0019] Hereinafter, the disclosure will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0020] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a structure of an image forming apparatus according to an example of the disclosure.

[0021] Referring to FIG. 1 , an image forming apparatus 100 according to an example of the disclosure includes an image forming part 110, a motor 140, a memory 150, a user interface 170, and a processor 160.

[0022] The image forming apparatus 100 is an apparatus that can perform various kinds of image forming jobs. As examples of such an image forming apparatus, there may be copying machines, printers, facsimiles, or multi-function peripherals (MFPs) which multiply implement the functions of the aforementioned apparatuses through one apparatus, etc., but the image forming apparatus 100 is not limited thereto.

[0023] An image forming job may mean various kinds of jobs related to images such as formation of an image or generation/storing/transmission of an image file, etc. (e.g.: printing, scanning, or faxing), and a job may mean an image forming job, and it may also include all of a series of processes necessary for performing an image forming job. [0024] The image forming part 110 is a component performing image forming jobs such as printing, scanning, copying, or faxing, etc.

[0025] The image forming part 110 may include both of a printing part and a scanning part, or include only some components among them, or further include other components depending on needs.

[0026] The printing part may form an image on a recording medium by various printing methods such as an electronic photograph method, an inkjet method, a heat transfer method, or a thermal method, etc. The scanning part may irradiate a light on a document, and receive a reflected light and read the image recorded on the document.

[0027] The motor 140 is a component that converts electronic energy into mechanical kinetic energy, and the motor 140 is used while being arranged in various locations inside the image forming apparatus. For example, a motor for rotating a paper feeding roller for feeding paper, a motor for rotating a paper discharging roller for discharging paper, a motor driving an agitator that mixes a developing agent for preventing coagulation of the developing agent, a motor driving various kinds of members for transferring a used developing agent to the side of the accommodating part or preventing the used developing agent from being accumulated on one side, etc. may be used. FIG. 1 shows the motor 140 as a separate component from the image forming part 110, but some motors may be included inside of the image forming part 110.

[0028] Each motor may be implemented in various forms according to the arrangement locations or the uses.

[0029] In this example, the motor 140 is a motor driving the transfer member for transmitting the used developing agent. As an example, the motor 140 may be implemented as a (brushless DC electric (BLDC) motor or a servo motor.

[0030] A BLDC motor may include a speed controlling device. In case the motor 140 is implemented as a BLDC motor, when the processor 160 inputs a start signal to initiate driving into the motor 140, the motor 140 is driven, and the motor 140 outputs a ready signal when the target speed is reached. In the servo motor, a speed controlling device is not included. In case the motor 140 is implemented as a servo motor, the motor 140 is driven by a start signal of the processor 160, and then outputs a speed value.

[0031] The target speed is a driving speed necessary for the motor 140 to perform a normal operation. As an example, the target speed may be set as the driving speed of the motor 140 necessary for the transfer member to normally perform an operation of transferring the used developing agent to the accommodating part. The target speed may be set differently for each motor, or according to the type of an image forming job, and stored in the memory 150 and other storage.

[0032] The memory 150 may be implemented as a storage medium inside the image forming apparatus 100, e.g., an HDD, an SDD, etc., and an external storage medium, e.g., a removable disk including a USB memory, a web server through a network, etc. The memory 150 may store at least one data or instruction necessary for the various examples of the disclosure.

[0033] The memory 150 may store various kinds of information such as the target speed of the motor, the reference time for the spent time that is spent for the driving speed of the motor to reach the target speed, etc. The processor 160 may accumulate and store the spent time in the memory 150 according to the number of times of an image forming job.

[0034] The processor 160 may control the overall operations of the image forming job 100 according to the various examples of the disclosure, and it may be implemented as a central processing unit (CPU), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a System on Chip (SoC), etc., but is not limited thereto.

[0035] Also, the processor 160 may perform various operations based on the data or the instructions stored in the memory 150. For example, the processor 160 may execute a program stored in the memory 150, read a file stored in the memory 150, or store a new file in the memory 150.

[0036] The user interface 170 is a part for receiving inputs of various kinds of selection commands from a user. The user interface 170 may include a display panel or at least one button. In this case, the display panel may be implemented as a touch screen. [0037] The user interface 170 may provide various kinds of Ul screens, and a user may input various selection commands by directly touching a Ul screen, or manipulating buttons provided on the user interface 170. A selection command may be a command for setting various functions provided by the image forming apparatus 100, or setting change of a mode, and stopping or resuming of an operation, etc.

[0038] Also, in case an error occurs in each unit of the image forming apparatus, an error message may be output through the user interface 170.

[0039] Meanwhile, in a process of performing an image forming job at the image forming part 110, a used developing agent is generated. The processor 160 collects the developing agents that remain on a photosensitive body, etc. by using a cleaning blade (not shown) provided inside the image forming part 110, and stores them separately. In this specification, the developing agents are referred to as used developing agents, and a component for collecting the used developing agents is referred to as an accommodating part.

[0040] FIG. 2 is a 3D diagram illustrating an internal structure of an image forming apparatus according to an example of the disclosure.

[0041] Referring to FIG. 2, the image forming apparatus 100 according to an example of the disclosure includes accommodating parts 210, 240 to accommodate a used developing agent, transfer members 220, 250 for transferring the used developing agent to the accommodating part, and nozzles 230, 260 for discharging the used developing agent to the inside of the accommodating part.

[0042] The used developing agent includes a used toner and a used carrier. Accordingly, the accommodating part is divided into a used toner accommodating part 240 and a used carrier accommodating part 210 respectively accommodating the used toner and the used carrier, and the nozzle is divided into a used toner nozzle 260 and a used carrier nozzle 230, and the transfer member also includes a used toner transfer member 250 and a used carrier transfer member 220.

[0043] In FIG. 2, the used developing agent was illustrated by dividing the used toner and the used carrier, but the disclosure is not limited thereto, and the used carrier and the used toner may be accommodated together depending on cases.

[0044] The motor 140 may drive the used carrier transfer member 220 and the used toner transfer member 250, and the transfer members respectively transfer the used carrier and the used toner generated during an image forming job to the used carrier accommodating part 210 and the used toner accommodating part 240.

[0045] In a general case, the used toner is filled earlier than the used carrier, and thus a used toner detection sensor is arranged on the upper end of the used toner accommodating part, and the sensor may detect whether the used toner accommodating part is filled. In case the used toner accommodating part 240 is filled, the used carrier accommodating part 210 may also be replaced together with the used toner accommodating part 240.

[0046] In a general case, the heights at which the used carrier transfer member 220 and the used toner transfer member 250 are arranged are different, and accordingly, the arranged heights of the used carrier nozzle 230 and the used toner nozzle 260 are also different.

[0047] In this case, when the used carrier and the used toner are collected in one accommodating part, the capacity of the accommodating part is reduced according to the height of the nozzle arranged in a low location. Accordingly, in case the used carrier accommodating part 210 and the used toner accommodating part 240 are formed while being divided by a partition wall, the total accommodation amount can be increased.

[0048] Meanwhile, when the used developing agent is accumulated in the accommodating part, the used developing agent may flow backward to the transfer member and solidified, and in this case, a load applied on the motor may increase.

[0049] Alternatively, a load applied on the motor may increase due to breakage of the transfer member or the gear of the motor, etc. Other than this, a load applied on the motor may increase due to various external factors. In the various examples of the disclosure, change of the speed of the motor or the difference in time due to the change of the speed, etc. may be considered, and a response may be made by determining whether a state is an abnormal state. [0050] For example, when an image forming job is input into the image forming apparatus 100, the processor 160 inputs a start signal to initiate driving of the motor 140 into the motor 140.

[0051] The motor 140 is in a stopped state until it receives a start signal, and it starts driving when it receives a start signal, and the driving speed increases until the set target speed.

[0052] According to the type of the motor 140, in case the driving speed of the motor 140 reaches the set target speed, the motor 140 may output a ready signal to the processor 160. Alternatively, the motor 140 may output the driving speed value itself to the processor 160.

[0053] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a pin map and a circuit of a BLDG motor according to an example of the disclosure.

[0054] In the case of a BLDG motor according to an example, when a start signal to initiate driving of the motor is input into a No. 7 pin 410 from the processor 160, in case the driving speed of the motor reaches the set target speed, the BLDG motor may output a ready signal to the processor 160 through a No. 8 pin 430.

[0055] In the case of a servo motor not including a speed controlling device according to an example, when a start signal to initiate driving of the motor is input from the processor 160, the speed of the servo motor may be output to the processor 160 through a speed detection means such as a speed detector.

[0056] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a process of calculating a spent time according to an example of the disclosure.

[0057] The processor 160 may measure a spent time that is an amount of time spent for the driving speed of the motor 140 to reach the target speed from an output signal of the motor 140.

[0058] From the moment that the processor 160 inputs a start signal into the motor 140, the driving speed of the motor 140 increases, and when the target speed is reached, the motor 140 maintains a constant driving speed.

[0059] Here, the time from the time point when the start signal was input to the time point when the target speed was reached may be assumed as the spent time.

[0060] In the case of a BLDC motor according to an example, the time from the time point when the processor 160 input a start signal to initiate driving of the motor to the time point when a ready signal was output from the BLDC motor may be measured as the spent time.

[0061] In the case of a servo motor according to an example, when the processor 160 inputs a start signal to initiate driving of the motor into the servo motor, and receives an input of the driving speed output by the servo motor, and the driving speed of the motor is identified as a constant speed corresponding to the target speed, the time from the time point when the start signal was input to the time point when the constant speed was reached may be measured as the spent time.

[0062] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a difference in a spent time according to a size of a motor load.

[0063] When the sizes of currents applied to the motor 140 are constant, the spent time in case the size of a load applied on the motor 140 is big becomes longer.

[0064] Based on the measured spent time, when the spent time exceeds a predetermined reference time, the processor 160 may determine that the motor 140 is in an overload state.

[0065] Information on the reference time may be stored in the memory 150, and the reference time may be set according to the specification of the image forming apparatus or the type of an image forming job, and the reference time may also be separately set by a user.

[0066] When the spent time exceeds the reference time, the processor 160 may control the user interface 170 to output an error message.

[0067] The error message may indicate that the motor is in an overload state, and it may include various messages such as exceeding of the accommodating capacity of the toner, breakage of the motor or breakage of the transfer member, etc., but the message is not limited thereto.

[0068] Also, the error message may additionally include various messages such as a message for replacing the toner accommodating part, a message for replacing the motor, or the phone number of the repair shop of the image forming apparatus, etc.

[0069] Meanwhile, the processor 160 may perform various measures for resolving problems, regardless of output of an error message.

[0070] As an example, in case the spent time exceeds the reference time, the processor 160 may increase currents applied to the motor. Accordingly, the torque of the motor 140 increases, and an image forming job can be processed without a difficulty.

[0071] As another example, the processor 160 may reduce the driving speed of the motor. As the speed of the motor 140 is slower, an available torque becomes bigger. Accordingly, in case the processor 160 reduces the target speed of the motor 140, the motor 140 may additionally secure a load margin, and complete a previously input image forming job.

[0072] FIG. 6 is a graph illustrating a change of a spent time according to a motor load for each target speed of a motor.

[0073] As the size of a load applied on the motor 140 becomes bigger, the spent time increases exponentially, and as the target speed of the motor 140 becomes faster, the increased amount of the spent time according to a load is expressed to be bigger.

[0074] FIG. 7 is a graph distinguishing a motor load state according to a spent time.

[0075] In FIG. 7, according to an example, loads are divided into a low load when the spent time is smaller than or equal to 300ms, a middle load when the spent time exceeds 300ms and is smaller than or equal to 900ms, and a high load when the spent time exceeds 900ms. However, the disclosure is not limited thereto, and the reference time may be set in various ways according to the image forming apparatus or a user.

[0076] According to an example in FIG. 7, 300ms may be set as a first reference time, and 900ms may be set as a second reference time. When the spent time exceeds the first reference time, the processor 160 may control the user interface 170 to output a first error message, and when the spent time exceeds the second reference time, the processor 160 may control the user interface 170 to output a second error message.

[0077] The first error message may indicate that the accommodating part is in an impending state of being full, and the second error message may indicate that the accommodating part is in a full state. However, the disclosure is not limited thereto, and the first error message may indicate a state wherein checking is necessary, and the second error message may indicate that replacement is necessary.

[0078] The full state of the accommodating part may mean a state wherein the used developing agent fills the used developing agent accommodating part as much as a predetermined amount, and the predetermined amount may be set according to the location of the nozzle.

[0079] FIG. 8 is a table illustrating a changed amount of a spent time according to the number of times of driving a motor according to an example of the disclosure.

[0080] According to an example, in a normal state, the spent time of the motor 140 maintains a level of smaller than or equal to 95ms, but in case a load applied on the motor 140 increased as the used developing agent accumulated in the accommodating part or due to other external factors as the image forming apparatus was driven several times, the spent time increased to 101ms, and in case the used developing agent overflowed in the accommodating part and flew backward to the transfer member, the spent time further increased to 124ms.

[0081] According to an example, in case the reference time is set as 110ms, when the spent time is measured as 124ms, the processor 160 may control the user interface 170 to output an error message.

[0082] For determining whether the motor 140 is overloaded, the processor 160 may determine by setting a reference time as in the aforementioned content, but as in FIG. 8, the processor 160 may determine whether the motor 140 is overloaded based on the change rate of the spent time of the current job compared to the spent time of the previous job.

[0083] In this case, the memory 150 may accumulate and store the spent time that is spent for the driving speed of the motor 140 to reach the target speed.

[0084] According to an example, when the spent time increases by greater than or equal to the reference ratio, or lasts for a specific number of times or more by greater than or equal to the reference ratio, the processor 160 may determine that the motor is in an overload state.

[0085] For example, in case the spent time of the current job increased by greater than or equal to 15% (the reference ratio) compared to the spent time of the previous job, the processor 160 may determine that the motor 140 is in an overload state. Alternatively, when the increase rate of the spent time lasts for two times (the specific number of times) or more by greater than or equal to 10% (the reference ratio), the processor 160 may determine that the motor 140 is in an overload state.

[0086] FIG. 9 illustrates a spent time according to the number of times of driving a motor according to an example of the disclosure as a graph, and FIG.

10 illustrates a change rate of a spent time according to the number of times of driving a motor according to an example of the disclosure as a graph.

[0087] According to an example, in case the spent time exceeds 110ms, or the spent time increased by greater than or equal to 15%, the processor 160 may determine that the motor 140 is in an overload state, and lock the motor 140.

[0088] In this case, it may be set such that locking of the motor 140 is released after replacing the used developing agent accommodating part, or replacing a unit that increases the load.

[0089] The processor 160 may receive an input of a command for an image forming job, and input a start signal to drive the motor 140 into the motor 140, and in case the processor 160 determined that the motor 140 is in an overload state as the measured spent time exceeded the reference time, the processor 160 may increase currents applied on the motor 140 to complete the previously input image forming job.

[0090] In case the processor 160 increases currents applied on the motor 140, the rotating force of the motor 140 increases and a load that can be accommodated increases, and thus the previously input image forming job can be completed.

[0091] The processor 160 may receive an input of a command for an image forming job, and input a start signal to drive the motor 140 into the motor 140, and in case the processor 160 determined that the motor 140 is in an overload state as the measured spent time exceeded the reference time as described above, the processor 160 may reduce the target speed of the motor 140 to complete the previously input image forming job.

[0092] FIG. 11 is a flow chart for illustrating a method of controlling an operation of an image forming apparatus according to an example of the disclosure.

[0093] An image forming apparatus may include an accommodating part to accommodate a used developing agent discharged during an image forming job, and a transfer member for transferring the used developing agent to the accommodating part.

[0094] The image forming apparatus may drive a motor connected to the transfer member, and transfer the used developing agent to the accommodating part in operation S1110.

[0095] The image forming apparatus may acquire a spent time that was spent for the driving speed of the motor to reach a target speed from the time point when the driving of the motor was initiated in operation S1120.

[0096] In case the acquired spent time exceeds a reference time in operation S1130, the image forming apparatus may output an error message in operation S1140, and as a content related to an error message was described above, overlapping explanation will be omitted.

[0097] The reference time may be set before an image forming job, and stored in the image forming apparatus.

[0098] In case the acquired spent time is smaller than or equal to the reference time, the image forming apparatus operates the motor normally in operation S1150.

[0099] In case the motor driven is a BLDC motor according to an example, the image forming apparatus may assume the time from the time point when a start signal to initiate the driving of the motor was input into the motor to the time point when a ready signal is output from the motor as the spent time in operation S1120.

[00100] Alternatively, in case the motor driven is a servo motor according to an example, the image forming apparatus may assume the time from the time point when a start signal to initiate the driving of the motor was input into the motor to the time point when a speed value output from the motor is identified as a constant speed corresponding to the target speed as the spent time in operation S1120.

[00101] As a content related to a BLDG motor and a servo motor was described above, overlapping explanation will be omitted.

[00102] According to an example, in case the acquired spent time exceeds the reference time in operation S1130, the image forming apparatus may increase currents applied on the motor.

[00103] Alternatively, in case the acquired spent time exceeds the reference time in operation S1130 according to an example, the image forming apparatus may reduce the driving speed of the motor.

[00104] As a content related to increasing currents applied on the motor, or reducing the driving speed of the motor was described above, overlapping explanation will be omitted.

[00105] According to an example, when the spent time that is spent for the driving speed of the motor to reach the target speed increases by greater than or equal to a reference value compared to the spent time of the previous job, an error message may be output.

[00106] As the content related to comparing the spent time of the current image forming job and the spent time of the previous image forming job is as described above, overlapping explanation will be omitted.

[00107] FIG. 12 is a flow chart for illustrating a method of controlling an operation of an image forming apparatus according to an example of the disclosure.

[00108] The image forming apparatus may distinguish the reference time into a first reference time and a second reference time bigger than the first reference time, and store them. [00109] In case the image forming apparatus drives the motor connected to the transfer member and transfers the used developing agent to the accommodating part in operation S1210, the image forming apparatus may acquire the time that is spent for the driving speed of the motor to reach the target speed in operation S1220, and compare the spent time with the first reference time or the second reference time in operations S1230 and S1240. [00110] In case the spent time exceeds the first reference time, but is smaller than or equal to the second reference time, the image forming apparatus may output a first error message in operation S1250, and in case the spent time exceeds the first reference time, and also exceeds the second reference time, the image forming apparatus may output a second error message in operation S1260.

[00111] In case the spent time is smaller than or equal to the first reference time, the image forming apparatus may operate the motor normally in operation S1270.

[00112] As a content related to the first error message and the second error message was described above, overlapping explanation will be omitted.

[00113] Meanwhile, the aforementioned examples may be implemented in a form of a recording medium that can be read by a computer, which stores commands or data executable by a computer.

[00114] Also, at least one of such commands or data may be stored in a form of a program code, and when executed by a processor, it may generate a specific program module, and perform a specific operation.

[00115] Such a computer-readable recording medium may store a readonly memory (ROM), a random-access memory (RAM), a flash memory, CD- ROMs, CD-Rs, CD+Rs, CD-RWs, CD+RWs, DVD-ROMs, DVD-Rs, DVD+Rs, DVD-RWs, DVD+RWs, DVD-RAMs, BD-ROMs, BD-Rs, BD-R LTHs, BD-REs, a magnetic tape, a floppy disk, a magneto-optical data storage apparatus, an optical data storage apparatus, a hard disk, a solid-state disk (SSD), and commands or software, related data, data files, and data structures. Also, the computer-readable recording medium may be any apparatus that can provide commands or software, related data, data files, and data structures to a processor or a computer, so that the processor or the computer can execute the commands.

[00116] Also, while preferred examples of the disclosure have been shown and described, the disclosure is not limited to the aforementioned specific examples, and it is apparent that various modifications can be made by those having ordinary skill in the art to which the disclosure belongs, without departing from the gist of the disclosure as claimed by the appended claims, and such modifications are within the scope of the descriptions of the claims.