Wireless communication system and image forming device

Details Wireless communication system and image forming device Wireless communication system and image forming device

2002-08-26

2004-10-19

Braun, Fred L (Department: 2852)

Electrophotography

Diagnostics

Unit or part identification

C399S013000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06807380

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wireless communication system for use in various devices in which a plurality of cartridge accessories are detachably mounted at a device main body, and relates to an image forming device for a copier, facsimile machine, printer or the like in which a plurality of cartridge accessories are detachably mounted at a main body of the device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to facilitate maintenance in image forming devices such as copiers that use electrophotography processes, laser printers and the like, containers that accommodate toner are structured as toner cartridges. A toner cartridge is a cartridge accessory which is detachably mounted at a device main body. In such image forming devices, when all of the toner has been discharged from inside the toner cartridge, a user resupplies toner by replacing the toner cartridge with a new toner cartridge. At this time, the used toner cartridge which has been removed from the image forming device is often returned from the user to a maker of the image forming device. The maker carries out a recycling process of inspection, cleaning, replacement of consumable components, refilling with toner and the like, and then ships the cartridge back to users. If the aforementioned image forming device is a device for forming color images, a plurality of toner cartridges are mounted at the device main body (for example, four toner cartridges, corresponding to black, cyan, magenta and yellow), and these cartridges supply toners of mutually different colors to a device main body side.
As process accessories relating to an image-making process in an image forming device as described above, there may be provided: a developer unit which causes toner to adhere to an electrophotography light-sensitive body (hereinafter referred to simply as “light-sensitive body”); a cleaning unit which, after a toner image has been transferred from the light-sensitive body, retrieves remaining toner; a charging unit for charging an image-bearing surface of the light-sensitive body to a predetermined potential; and the like. At least one of these process accessories is provided with a cartridge accessory that is integrally supported together with the light-sensitive body, known as a “process cartridge”. When an endurance lifetime of any of various components that constitute the process cartridge has passed, the process cartridge is replaced with a new process cartridge. Such process cartridges are also often returned from the user to the maker. The maker performs a recycling process on the process cartridge, including inspection, cleaning, replacement of components that have exceeded their lifetimes, and the like. The maker then ships the process cartridge back to users for use in image forming devices.
In recent years, tags (wireless communication tags) that include electromagnetic communication functions and information storage functions have been attached at each of cartridge accessories in such image forming devices, that is, at toner cartridges, process cartridges and the like. A wireless communication device is disposed at a device main body side for performing input and output of information to and from such wireless communication tags. In this kind of image forming device, when the cartridge accessory is mounted at the device main body, a main body control section provided at the device main body can read information stored at the tag of the cartridge and/or write information to the cartridge tag by electromagnetic communication between the wireless communication device and the cartridge tag. Thus, for example, the main body control section can read information corresponding to the type of the cartridge accessory from the cartridge tag. Thus, if a cartridge accessory of a type different from a type of cartridge accessory that should be mounted is erroneously mounted at a mounting section at the device main body, this erroneous mounting of the cartridge accessory can be detected and control for necessary error processing and the like can be performed. Further, the main body control section may write a usage history of the cartridge accessory to the wireless communication tag, based on the number of images formed and the like. Subsequently, information relating to the usage history may be read, by the maker or the like, from the wireless communication tag of a cartridge that has been returned from a user. Hence, inspection work, component replacement work and the like of the recycling process can be performed more efficiently and accurately.
When a wireless communication tag attached to a cartridge accessory as described above is performing wireless communication, information processing or the like, the tag consumes electric power. The electric power may be supplied from the wireless communication device at the device main body side by electromagnetic induction. Thus, there is no need to include batteries or the like as a power source, and this is preferable in view of size reduction and cost control. In this kind of wireless communication tag, a non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM or the like may be used as an information storage element, and thus information can be constantly retained without consumption of electricity.
An example of such an image forming device equipped with a wireless communication tag to which electricity is supplied by electromagnetic induction is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2001-22230. In this image forming device a wireless communication tag is attached at each of a process cartridge and a developer cartridge, which is a cartridge accessory for a developing unit, and a wireless communication device is provided at a device main body side. A transceiver antenna is provided at each of the wireless communication tags and the wireless communication device. Each transceiver antenna is formed with a metallic film wound into a coil shape. The transceiver antennas of the wireless communication tags are respectively provided at outer side end surface portions along attachment/detachment directions of the process cartridge and the developer cartridge. The transceiver antenna of the wireless communication device is disposed at an inside surface of a device front face door, so as to oppose the end surface portions of the process cartridge and the developer cartridge with small gaps therebetween when the door is closed. Viewed from an axial direction of the cartridges, the transceiver antenna of the wireless communication device covers the end surface portions of the process cartridge and the developer cartridge, and has a large area in directions orthogonal to the axial direction. Therefore, electromagnetic induction to the two transceiver antennas of the cartridges by the single antenna transceiver of the wireless communication device is possible. Here, the electricity supplied to the wireless communication tags by electromagnetic induction is weak. However, because the transceiver antennas of the wireless communication tags and the device main body side transceiver antenna are sufficiently close to each other, electromagnetic communication between the wireless communication tags and the wireless communication device of the device main body can be adequately performed.
However, in a cartridge accessory for mounting at such an image forming device, a number of structures and components may have to be disposed at the end surface portion along the direction of attachment/detachment to the device main body. In some cases, so as to avoid impeding these structures and components, a wireless communication tag in which a transceiver antenna is included so as to cover the end surface portion of the cartridge accessory can not be attached to the cartridge accessory. Further, it may be necessary to provide a number of structures and components at a portion of the device main body side that opposes the end surface portion of the cartridge accessory, in correspondence to the structure of the cartridge accessory. In order to avoid

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Wireless communication system and image forming device does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Wireless communication system and image forming device, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Wireless communication system and image forming device will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3303407