JPH0462074B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a recording device that applies electrophotography or magnetic recording, and a unit that is detachable from the apparatus. Hereinafter, a copying machine to which electrophotography is applied will be described as an example of an image forming apparatus. Conventionally, in electrophotographic copying machines, photoreceptors are replaced at appropriate times as they deteriorate or become damaged. and,
If a copy is made using a photoconductor that has been replaced and loaded into the main body, an image may be obtained with a tone different from that of the photoconductor before replacement. This is because the sensitivity, charging characteristics, or residual potential characteristics of the photoconductor may be slightly different.The reason for this is that the photoconductor currently in use and the photoconductor to be replaced may have been manufactured at different times. Therefore, changes in the mixing ratio of materials for forming the photoconductive layer, changes in physical and chemical processing conditions during the molding process, etc. are considered. Therefore, even if the amount of corona discharge and the exposure amount of the original image are set to the conditions most suitable for the photoreceptor currently in use, it will not be possible to obtain the best image if the photoreceptor is replaced. In such a case, conventionally, each time the photoreceptor is replaced, image forming conditions such as the amount of charge and the amount of exposure must be adjusted to suit the newly loaded photoreceptor. Furthermore, it is difficult to adjust these image forming conditions unless a person has specialized knowledge, and it is almost impossible for ordinary individuals to set the conditions. Even if the photoreceptor is made into a unit so that it can be easily attached to and removed from the main unit, and replacement is facilitated, the problem of condition adjustment as described above remains. On the other hand, as a development of units that can be attached to and detached from the main body, it is conceivable to use common parts of the main body to use the main body for multiple purposes. However, there is a limit to the multipurpose effect if only the unit is replaced and the type of developing device in the unit is different. Furthermore, if process changes or other adjustments are required after the unit is loaded into the main unit, the effects of unitization cannot be fully demonstrated. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve problems that occur when loading means for image formation into a main body device. Another purpose is to provide a device that allows even people without specialized knowledge of image forming apparatuses to replace consumables and parts within the apparatus, and to automatically set image forming conditions according to the replaced consumables, etc. Our goal is to provide the following. Another object of the present invention is to make it possible to always form stable images without relying on a person with specialized knowledge. To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a unit that can be mounted on the main body of an image forming apparatus, including a photoreceptor, a process means that acts on the photoreceptor, and a support means that integrally supports the photoreceptor and the process means. , information regarding the characteristics of the photoreceptor, information regarding the mode of image formation by the process means,
This unit is characterized by having a transmission means for transmitting the information to the main body of the image forming apparatus. Still another aspect of the present invention provides an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording medium, including a photoreceptor, a process means that acts on the photoreceptor, and a support means that integrally supports the photoreceptor and the process means. A mounting means capable of mounting a unit having a transmission means for transmitting information regarding the characteristics of the photoreceptor and information regarding the mode of image formation by the process means to the main body of the image forming apparatus; and mounting means for mounting the unit. According to the engaging means that engages with the transmission means provided in the unit, and the information transmitted by the transmission means, the processing means on the unit side and the means on the image forming apparatus main body side are connected. a control means for controlling the image forming conditions of the two means in accordance with an image forming mode selected from a plurality of image forming modes possible by the two means and according to the characteristics of the photoreceptor; An image forming apparatus is characterized in that it has the following. The present invention will be explained below by taking a copying machine to which an electrophotographic method is applied as an example. In the embodiment described below, the minimum unit of the unit includes a section for setting image forming conditions on the main unit side according to the characteristics of the image carrier and the purpose of use. Therefore, a unit may include a portion for setting image forming conditions, an image carrier, and a part or plurality of image forming means disposed around the image carrier. The main unit into which the above unit is loaded includes:
This unit receives the condition transmission means, and as a result,
Image formation is performed on the image carrier under conditions according to the condition transmission means. That is, the condition transmitting means has a configuration corresponding to the characteristics of the image carrier in the same unit and the purpose of use of this unit itself.
Therefore, for example, if the units have photoreceptors exhibiting the same characteristics and are used for the same purpose, the configurations of the condition transmitting means of these units will be the same. With the above configuration, by simply replacing the unit in the main unit, image forming conditions suitable for this unit can be automatically set without relying on experts. As described above, the embodiment described below is characterized in that the unit that is detachably attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus has a section that sets the image forming conditions on the apparatus main body side according to the operating mode of this unit. This is a unit of an image forming apparatus. Further, the image forming apparatus has a control section in which image forming conditions are automatically set by an image forming condition setting section of a unit that is detachably attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus. First, a method for preventing changes in images due to differences in characteristics of photoreceptors, which is a partial embodiment of the present invention, will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an electrophotographic copying machine. The main body of this copying machine can be divided into an upper main body 14 and a lower main body at one end, and the figure shows a cross-sectional view of the upper main body opened to the lower main body. . 1 is a cylindrical photosensitive drum made of aluminum or the like and having a photoconductive layer of Se or the like on its surface, and rotates in the direction of the arrow. When assembling a copying machine, the main body is lowered and fixed. Then, the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 is uniformly charged by a corona charger having a grid 3. On the other hand, an original 5a placed on a transparent glass original platen 5 and held by an original cover is illuminated by a light source 4, and the illumination lamp 4 illuminates the original image. A slit-shaped image is formed on the downstream side of the corona charger, and an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the original image is formed on the photosensitive drum 1. The electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 1 is developed by a developing device 8 . The developing device 8 is fixed to the lower main body, and the developing roller 8a has fibrous flocks 8b formed on its surface. Toner 8c is supplied from toner supply cartridge 7 to developing roller 8a. In this toner replenishment, a fixed amount of toner is dropped from the opening of the cartridge 7 in conjunction with the rotation of the photosensitive drum. The electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 1 is developed by a developing roller 8a rotating at the same circumferential speed as the drum 1, and a toner image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1. The toner image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 is transferred by the transfer corona discharger 9 onto the transfer paper P that has been conveyed to the surface of the drum 1. The transfer paper P is sent out from the cassette C by a feeding roller R1, and reaches the surface of the drum 1 by transfer paper guides G1, G2 and a conveyance/timing roller R2, where the toner is transferred.
Thereafter, the transfer paper P is neutralized by the neutralization roller R3 and separated from the surface of the drum 1. The toner image is then delivered to the fixing roller R5 by the conveyance belt R4, and after the toner image is fixed onto the transfer paper P by this fixing roller, it is discharged onto the paper discharge tray T. On the other hand, the toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 1 after the transfer process is rubbed and scraped off by a cleaning blade 10 fixed to the upper main body. The written down toner is transported into the toner collection container 11 by the toner transport body 10a and collected. In this embodiment, a toner cartridge 7 containing replenishment toner and a toner recovery container 11 are integrally held with the photosensitive drum 1 by an arm 12 to form a unit 13. This unit 13 is removably fixed at a predetermined position on the lower body side by a structure to be described later. Next, a case will be described in which the unit 13 is taken out from the main unit and a new unit 13a is loaded. First, when the retaining members 14a and 14b that hold the lower body part and the upper body part are disengaged, the upper body 14 is lifted up by the push-up means 14c containing a spring, and the apparatus body is released, resulting in the state shown in the figure. . Then, by lifting the arm 12 by hand in the direction of arrow A, the unit 13 that integrates the photosensitive drum 1, toner cartridge 7, and toner recovery container 11 can be removed from the predetermined loading position of the main body of the apparatus. Note that the dashed dotted line in the figure indicates the unit 13 in the process of being taken out from the main unit. Next, a case where another unit 13a is attached to the main body of the apparatus in place of the above unit 13 will be explained. FIG. 2 shows a unit 13a having another photosensitive drum 1a, in which the toner cartridge 7a, collection container 11a, and photosensitive drum 1a are integrally held by an arm 12a.
1b is a support shaft of the drum 1, and this drum shaft 1b rotates together with the drum 1a and is freely rotatable with respect to the arm 12a. In this embodiment, a part of the arm 12a is provided with a condition transmitting means for performing image formation suitable for the photosensitive drum 1a, taking into account various conditions such as the sensitivity, charging characteristics, and residual potential characteristics of the photosensitive drum 1a. have
This transmission means consists of a rod-like member 15a for driving a member 16 (FIG. 3) that rotates the volume of the image forming adjustment circuit on the main body side. This rod-shaped member 15a is adjusted to protrude from the arm 12a at a predetermined angle or a predetermined length from the arm 12a depending on the sensitivity and charging characteristics of the photosensitive drum at the time of shipment from the factory. You can fix it with . With this configuration, as will be described in detail later, it is possible to rotate the volume in accordance with the angle and length of the rod-like member and set the amount of charge and image exposure that match the characteristics of the photosensitive drum. When loading the new unit 13a into the main unit, in this embodiment, both ends of the drum shaft 1b are slidably fitted into the bearings 14d provided on the lower main body, and this shaft 1b is attached to the main body side. The drum 1a is rotatably loaded in a predetermined position by connecting with a drive source (not shown). At the same time, the arm 12a of the unit 13a is attached to a receiving member 14 which is also provided on the lower body part.
e and 14f to position and hold. As a result, the cartridge 7a and the recovery container 11a are loaded in the predetermined positions, and the aforementioned rod-shaped member 15 is also fixed to the main unit at a predetermined angle or protrusion length. Next, rotate the upper body side opposite to the direction of arrow A, that is, counterclockwise to align it with the lower body part, and hold the fastening member 1.
4a and 14b are engaged to fix the upper and lower bodies. Then, the tip of the rod-shaped member 15a comes into contact with the volume rotating member 16, which is rotatable about a shaft 16a provided on the upper body portion 14. As the upper body descends, the rod-shaped member 15
rotates the volume rotating member 16 clockwise by an angle θ corresponding to the installation angle and protrusion length of the rod-shaped member 15. FIG. 3 shows a detailed mechanism for setting the volume as the upper body portion 14 descends. In the figure, 14g is a fixed side plate of the upper body portion 14. The volume rotating member 16 rotates freely around the shaft 16a and the upper body portion 16as integrally with the shaft 16a.
It is attached to the fixed side plate 14g of No.4. Further, 16b is a compression coil spring, one end of which is attached to the volume rotating member 16, and the other end of which is attached to the fixed side plate 14g.
The volume rotating member 16
is pressed against the stopper 17 and locked. Therefore, when the upper body 14 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction of arrow B and the volume rotating member 16 is closed and fixed so that it is combined with the lower body, the volume rotating member 16 is pushed by the positioning member 15a provided on the arm 12a, and the spring 1
It stops at the position rotated against the spring force of 6b (in this example, the position rotated by an angle θ). Therefore, when the upper body 14 is opened in the direction of the arrow G, that is, when the volume rotating member 16 is disengaged from the bar member 15, the stopper 17 is moved by the spring force of the spring 16b. Return to the initial position regulated by. Although the rod-shaped member 15 is fixed to the unit separately from the unit, the convex portion may be formed by partially deforming the unit. Next, a method of setting latent image forming conditions according to the characteristics of the photoreceptor in the unit using the above-mentioned volume will be explained with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. In the case of FIG. 4, by changing the amount of exposure to the photosensitive drum 1 by applying the voltage to the lamp 4 (FIG. 1),
This system automatically adjusts the fluctuations in the latent image due to unit replacement, and FIG. 5 shows an example in which the voltage applied to the corona charger 2 is changed to automatically adjust the fluctuations. 4 and 5 show the volume rotating member 16
An example of a circuit is shown in which the voltage generated is adjusted by the movement of a sliding member 19 that slides on a sliding resistor 18 in conjunction with the rotation of the sliding member 19 . In both examples, the sliding member 19 is coaxially and integrally attached to the shaft 16a of the volume rotating member 16. Therefore, in conjunction with the amount of rotation of the volume rotation member 16, the sliding member 19 rotates on the sliding resistance.
Note that this circuit is fixedly installed inside the stationary side plate 14g, that is, on the opposite side where the volume rotating member 16 is provided. Therefore, the volume rotating member 16
However, when the rod member 15 is rotated by an angle corresponding to the characteristics of each photosensitive drum fixed to the loaded unit 13, the sliding member 19 is also rotated on the sliding resistance 18 in conjunction with the rod member 15. Furthermore, sliding resistance 1
A predetermined constant voltage V ₀ is applied to both ends of 8. Further, the sliding member 19 rotates in accordance with the shape of the rod-shaped member 15 in the directions of arrows C and D from the initial position 0 where the volume rotating member 16 is in contact with the stopper 17. FIG. 4 shows a circuit that automatically adjusts the voltage applied to the exposure lamp 4 to a voltage value that corresponds to the standard amount of light for the photoreceptor 1a. Note that 20 is a potentiometer with which the operator adjusts the exposure amount on the main unit side according to the original density when actually copying. With the above configuration, the sliding member 19 rotates on the sliding resistance 18 by an angle θ (FIG. 3) corresponding to the rod-shaped member 15a of the unit 13, and the lamp 4
It is possible to automatically adjust the voltage of the photoreceptor 1a and irradiate the photoreceptor 1a with an appropriate amount of light. Further, FIG. 5 shows a circuit for adjusting the voltage applied to the corona wire or grit 3 of the charger 2 to a value corresponding to the shape of the rod-shaped member 15 of the unit 13. In the figure, 21 is a transformer and 22 is a rectifier. The input voltage Vi is changed depending on the position of the sliding member 19, and a voltage set by the rod-shaped member 15a is applied from the output terminal 23 to the corona wire or grit 3 of the charger 2. As a result, in this example,
A voltage automatically adjusted depending on the characteristics of the photosensitive drum of unit 13a can be applied to the corona wire or grit. FIG. 6 shows a four-dimensional chart for each step showing the gradation reproduction characteristics of a photosensitive drum copy. The first quadrant shows the relationship between the toner density on the photosensitive drum corresponding to the image density of the original, the second quadrant shows the relationship between the photosensitive drum surface potential and the toner density on the photosensitive drum, that is, the phenomenon characteristics, and the third quadrant shows the relationship between the toner density on the photosensitive drum and the image density of the original. The characteristics of the photoreceptor loaded in the photoreceptor are shown by the relationship between the image exposure amount and the surface potential of the photoreceptor, and the fourth quadrant shows the relationship between the image density of the original and the amount of exposure to the photoreceptor drum. . An example will be described in which the difference in image formation results due to differences in the characteristics of the photosensitive drums is stabilized by changing the exposure amount or the charge amount using the above graph. Here, the characteristic curve of the most standard photoconductor is curve a, and when an original is exposed to this photoconductor at an exposure amount b and toner is developed with a developing device with development characteristic c, the curve d is on the photoconductor. A toner image was obtained. Here, the unit having the photosensitive drum having the above characteristics is removed from the main unit, and another unit is loaded into the main unit. At this time, if another unit uses a photosensitive drum having the characteristics shown by curve e, if an image is formed under the same exposure conditions as above, the halftone will be too strong and the contrast will be too strong, as shown by curve f. Obtain a toner image. Therefore, by the method explained in FIG. 4 above, the maximum exposure amount is moved from point I to point so that the exposure amount becomes as shown by line g simply by loading the unit into the main body. This exposure amount is changed by setting a rod-shaped member fixed to the unit. As a result, it is possible to reproduce a thinner image having characteristics that substantially match the curve d obtained with the standard photoreceptor. Next, when a unit using a photosensitive drum having the characteristics shown by curve h was loaded into the main unit and an image was formed using line b, which is the standard light intensity, and without changing the amount of corona charge, the result was as shown in curve i. To obtain a toner image that is pale and has low contrast. Here, without changing the exposure amount, the amount of corona charge was increased using the rod-shaped member of the unit so that the maximum surface potential of the photosensitive drum substantially changed from point to point. I was able to get the image. With the above configuration, it is possible to form stable images at all times using the rod-shaped member provided in the unit for setting process conditions. Next, another embodiment will be shown using FIG. 7. In contrast to the above embodiment in which the photosensitive drum held by the arm 12 and the peripheral means are integrated into a unit, in this embodiment the photosensitive drum and means for transmitting image forming conditions are integrated into a unit. In this embodiment, a drum bearing 24 is provided in the lower body. Further, the photosensitive drum 25 is rotatably attached to its shaft 25a via a pairing 25b. Further, at the end of this drum shaft 25a, the rod-shaped member 15 shown in FIG.
A protrusion member 25c, which is a separate member from the arcuate shaft 25a corresponding to a, is fitted and fixed.
The size of the protruding portion of the protruding member 25c is determined depending on the sensitivity and other characteristics of the photosensitive drum 25. Furthermore, a notch is provided in the portion of the drum shaft 25a that fits into the bearing 24.
It is adapted to be fitted into the bearing 24 in a constant direction at all times. Therefore, when any photosensitive drum 25 is loaded into the main device, the projection member 25c fixed to the shaft 25 is fixed in a fixed direction with respect to the main device. Further, the drum 25 is connected to a drive source (not shown) on the main body side while being fitted with the bearing 24, and can rotate freely about the shaft 25a. Therefore, as explained in FIG. 1, when the upper body 14 is rotated downward as shown by the arrow E and the upper and lower bodies are closed together with the lower body, the protruding member 25
c comes into contact with the volume rotating member 16 described in FIG. 3, and rotates the rotating member 16 clockwise in accordance with the size of the projection member 25c. Therefore, by rotating the sliding member 19 (Figs. 4 and 5) that is linked to the rotation of the rotating member 16 as in the above example, the preferable latent image forming conditions according to the characteristics of the drum can be automatically set. You can get it. Still another embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. This embodiment shows an example in which the present invention can be applied to a copying machine that is not vertically divisible like the machine shown in FIG. Further, while the above embodiments set the conditions by mechanical connections such as cams, this embodiment shows an example in which a predetermined electrical circuit is formed by coupling connectors. The copying apparatus main body 26 shown in FIG. 8 has almost the same structure as the copying apparatus shown in FIG. 1, except that the main body is not divided into parts. However, the photosensitive drum 27, the developing device 28, the cleaning device 29, the toner collection container 30, and the charger 31 are held together in a unit 32, and this unit is detachable from the main body 26 of the apparatus. That is, the main body 26
The unit 32 is attached to the guide 33 provided on the side.
The unit 32 is slid along this guide 33 by engaging and sliding a rail 34 provided on a part of the guide 33.
Insert it into the main unit and load it. Furthermore, in order to set the positions of the main unit and the unit, the pin 35 on the main body is inserted into the opening 36 on the unit side. Therefore, in this embodiment, the unit 32 is
When loading the unit into
is inserted into a jack 38 on the back side of the main unit that is fixed opposite this pin 37, and an electric circuit is configured so that the necessary conditions for the unit 27 are automatically set on the main unit side. . That is, in this embodiment, the ninth
As shown in the figure, a volume resistor 39 is attached to the unit 32 side, and the resistor 39 is set so that image forming conditions suitable for the photosensitive drum 27 are set according to the characteristics of the photosensitive drum 27. A slider 42 that determines the resistance value is set on the sliding resistor 41, and this slider 42 is fixed with adhesive or the like. Such immobilization of the slider may be performed before the photoreceptor is formed into a drum and the photoreceptor drum is shipped from the factory. With the above configuration, when the pin 37 used for electrical connection on the unit 32 side is inserted into the jack 38, the exposure lamp 43 can be connected to any arbitrary position according to the set value of the volume resistor 39 of the unit 32 loaded in the main unit. It becomes possible to apply the optimum voltage to the lamp 43 for the unit as well. Therefore, by simply loading another unit into the main body of the copying machine in order to replace the unit, the operator can automatically set the optimal exposure amount or pre-exposure amount for the loaded unit. As described above, the lamp to be adjusted may be, for example, an image exposure source (4 in FIG. 1), or a pre-exposure lamp that exposes the photosensitive drum 27 before it is charged by the charger 2. . In the embodiments described above, even if the characteristics of the photoreceptor in the unit are not constant, the image quality does not change depending on the unit used and a stable image is always obtained. The image forming conditions for the unit are automatically determined according to the characteristics of the photoreceptor being used, so just by loading the unit into the main unit, the image forming conditions can be adjusted without the operator making adjustments. It becomes possible to set image forming conditions according to the characteristics of the body. In each of the above embodiments, only the case where a single condition is automatically set by a rod-like member or pin on the unit side serving as a means for transmitting image forming conditions is shown. By using a rod-shaped member or a plurality of pairs of connectors, it is also possible to automatically adjust a plurality of image forming conditions such as the amount of charge and the amount of exposure at the same time. Further, the condition transmitting means provided in the unit for setting the image forming conditions may be a mechanical means such as the above-mentioned cam, or an electrical means such as an electrical connector.
It is also possible to read an information signal mark, which is a command signal for the characteristics or adjustment of the photoreceptor, written on the surface of the unit in the form of bright and dark image signals using an optical reading means of known technology, or by reading a magnetic signal mark. The image forming conditions on the main body side may be adjusted by reading the information signal written on the kit by the digital reading means. In this case, the condition transmission means provided on the unit side is an information mark or magnetic storage means such as a magnetic plate. FIG. 10 shows another example of the condition transmitting means, and corresponds to FIG. 3 above. In the figure, reference numeral 44 denotes a side plate fixed to the upper body, and push button switches 45a, 45 such as micro switches are mounted on this side plate at equal intervals.
b, 45c are fixed. On the other hand, reference numeral 46 denotes an arm constituting the unit, and a projection member 47 is fixed to this arm with adhesive or the like in correspondence with the position of the switch 45. The position of the convex member of the protrusion member 47 is fixed at a predetermined position depending on the characteristics of the photosensitive drum in the unit. With the above configuration, when the upper body is pushed down in the direction of arrow F, the side plate 44 is also lowered, and as a result, one of the buttons 45 is pressed and a predetermined latent image forming condition is selected. FIG. 11 shows a control circuit for changing the developing bias voltage by selecting the push button. As shown in the figure, when the unit 48 is loaded into the predetermined position of the lower main body of the main unit and the upper main body 49 is lowered to the predetermined position relative to the lower main body side, the switch 45b is turned on.
do. One of the output ends of the DC power supply 50 is connected to the back electrode of the photosensitive drum and is grounded. The other output terminal for this terminal has three terminals indicating different DC voltages and is connected to one terminal of the switch 45. The other terminal of the switch 45 is a high frequency power supply 51 (2000Vpp, 1500Hz)
Further, the other output terminal of this high frequency power source 51 is connected to a developing roller 52 of a developing device. Therefore, an alternating voltage waveform on which a desired DC voltage is superimposed is applied between the developing roller and the back electrode of the photosensitive drum by the switch pressed by the convex part of the protrusion member 47, and the latent image on the photosensitive drum is Developed. Depending on the position of the convex portion of the protruding member 47, an appropriate developing bias voltage is applied between the developing roller and the back electrode of the photosensitive drum to always compensate for the photoconductors having different characteristics in each unit 48. As a result, stable images can be obtained even if the photoreceptor characteristics of the unit vary from those of the previously used unit.

[Table] The above Table 1 is a table showing the numerical values of the above examples, in which a drum using an organic photo-semiconductor was used as the photosensitive drum. Here, photosensitive drums A, B, of different types with bright area potentials for a fixed reference exposure amount
Three units 48 with C were used. The three output terminals of the DC power supply 50, excluding the ground terminal, are set in advance to -250V, -200V, and -150V, and these terminals are respectively set to switch 4 as shown in FIG.
Connected to the terminal on one side of 5. A projection member 47 is attached to each photosensitive drum A, B, and C having different characteristics.
The microswitches 45c, 45b, and 45a were pressed and connected according to the positions of the protrusions, respectively, and an appropriate developing bias voltage could be applied to the developing roller. This proves that stable image formation is always possible even on photosensitive drums with different characteristics. Of course, it can also be applied to a device in which the unit is pushed into the main body and loaded as described in FIG. You can also do that. In this way, depending on the number of combinations of push buttons and protrusions, it is possible to simultaneously correct a plurality of conditions such as charging and exposure amount, and it is also possible to set delicate latent image formation conditions. Of course, this method can be used not only for changing the exposure amount but also for setting other conditions such as charging and developing bias. By the way, the image forming conditions for correcting different photoreceptor characteristics and forming a stable image are the charging conditions of a charger such as the grid voltage value or corona applied voltage, or the transfer conditions for transferring the image. The voltage may be the voltage of a discharger for use in discharging electricity, the voltage of a discharger for static elimination in the latent image forming means, or the current value applied to these corona dischargers. Further, when changing the light amount of the lamp, it may be the pre-exposure amount or the image exposure amount. Furthermore, as long as the effects of the above embodiments are obtained, the rotation time conditions of the photosensitive drum before the start of image formation, the exposure amount during this pre-rotation, and the pre-charging conditions may be used. Furthermore, it may be the development bias voltage condition, the rotation time condition of the photosensitive drum after transfer of the developed image, or the exposure static elimination condition during the subsequent rotation, and furthermore, the temperature of the photosensitive drum to maintain the characteristics of the photosensitive drum constant. It may be a control condition. Incidentally, in the above embodiment, the characteristics of the photoreceptor differ from unit to unit due to the image forming condition transmitting means, and this difference prevents the characteristics from changing from one completed image unit to another. Next, a method of switching image forming conditions according to the mode of image formation, which is a partial embodiment of the present invention, will be described with reference to the drawings. Hereinafter, the former color electrophotographic copying machine will be explained as an example in which the entire sequence of process conditions is set according to the unit. A device 53 in FIG. 12 is a color and black-and-white copying machine using an electrophotographic method, in which a photosensitive drum 54 having a photoconductive layer provided on a conductive drum base is rotatably supported in the direction of the arrow. There is. This drum 54
A corona discharger 55, a short focus optical element array 56, and a developing device 5 are arranged around the drum according to the rotational direction of the drum.
7. Transfer corona discharger 58, cleaning device 59
is installed. In this device, the photosensitive drum, the discharger 55, the developing device 57, and the cleaning device 59 are integrally supported by a unit 60 that is detachable from the main device. This unit 60 is guided and supported by guide rails 61 and 62 fixed to the main body, and is attached to and removed from the main body. Further, the transfer corona discharger 58 is located in a transfer drum 63 provided on the main body side and covered with an insulating net, and this transfer drum has a transfer material 63.
A gripper 65 is provided to hold the tip of 4. A corona discharger 66 is provided near the outer periphery of the transfer drum 63 to charge the drum and attract the transfer material 64. In the copying machine described above, the surface of the photosensitive drum 54 is uniformly charged with a predetermined polarity by the corona discharger 55,
Next, a lamp 68 illuminates the document on a document table 67 that moves back and forth at the top of the main unit, and in the case of color copying, the reflected light passes through a color separation filter 69 and is exposed onto the drum 54 through an element array 56 to form a latent image. do. The formed latent image is developed by a developing device 57, and the developed image is transferred to a transfer material by a transfer corona discharger 58. The transfer material is supplied from a transfer material supply tray 70 by a feed roller 71 and conveyed to a transfer drum 63 via a timing roller 72. The gripper 65 is released and the transfer material that has been transferred is separated by the separation means 73.
The fixing unit 75 is separated by a moving path 74.
The paper is sent to the printer, where it is fixed, and then sent out onto a paper ejection tray 77 via an ejection roller 76. Incidentally, the copying machine 53 can be loaded with a color development unit 78 shown in FIG. 13, which has the same size as the unit 60, instead of the monochrome development unit 60. This unit 7
Reference numeral 8 includes a color developer 79 in place of the monochrome developer 57 of the unit shown in FIG. The developing device 79 includes a yellow developing device 79a, a magenta developing device 79b, and a cyan developing device 79c arranged in this order in the rotational direction of the photosensitive drum 54. In the apparatus 53 of this embodiment, the monochrome copying unit 60 and the color copying unit 78 are compatible with this main body, as described above. And, as explained in Fig. 8, this unit exchange is done as follows.
This is done by moving this unit along the guide rails 62 and 63 in the direction of the rotation axis of the photosensitive drum 54. When the units are replaced in this manner, the processes for forming the copied images are different between the two units. That is, in the case of black-and-white copying, a copy is obtained through a single process of forming a latent image, developing, transferring, and fixing. However, in the case of color copying, after latent image formation, development, and transfer of each color, a fixing process is completed to obtain a copy. The present invention makes it possible to load units with different processes into the main unit and operate the main unit depending on the purpose of use of the unit, which will be described in detail below. Figure 14 shows a black and white copying unit 60 in the main unit.
FIG. 15 shows a plan view when a color copying unit 78 is loaded. As shown in the figure, the unit has a protrusion 80 at a predetermined position.
a, 78a are provided. Each convex portion is connected to a switch 8 provided on the main unit side for this convex portion.
1a and 81b, one of the specific switches 81a or 81b is pressed to select the process that matches the purpose of use of the loaded unit. FIG. 16 shows a specific example of changing the process by selecting the switch 81. In this embodiment, the control circuit itself is selected by the switch. 82 in the diagram
1 is a control unit for operating or driving each part of the main unit, and this control unit includes a power supply circuit 83, a black and white circuit 84 for driving the device 53 to obtain a black and white copy, and a control unit for driving the device 53 to obtain a color copy. A color circuit 85 is provided independently. The advantage of having independent circuits for different processes in this way is that because they are dedicated circuits, advanced control is possible.
Moreover, even if one circuit becomes unusable, the main unit can be operated by another circuit. When the unit 60 is loaded into the main unit, the first circuit 84 is selected and a control signal for black and white copying is generated at the output terminal 86. As shown in FIG. 17, the control at this time is that the transfer material gripper 65 only grips the transfer material while transferring the toner image on the photosensitive drum 54, that is, while the transfer drum 63 rotates once. . On the other hand, when the collar unit 78 is loaded, the convex portion 78a of the unit 78 is exposed as shown in FIG.
selects the switch 81b, and the circuit 85 in FIG.
is selected. In this case, as shown in FIG.
9b and 79c are driven. That is, to obtain a single color copy, a document image is formed with a blue filter, developed with yellow toner, transferred to a transfer material, then formed with a green filter, and developed with magenta toner.
and toner transfer to the same transfer material, and finally latent image formation with a red filter, development with cyan toner, and toner transfer to the same transfer material. After completing the above steps, gripper 65
When the transfer material is released, the transfer material reaches the fixing device 75. By means of the image forming condition transmitting means provided in the unit as described above, it becomes possible to automatically set not only the exposure amount and the charge amount, which are part of the image forming conditions, but also the entire process, that is, the sequence. Particularly when a plurality of independent control circuits are provided, it is also easy to select a sequence after performing the above correction. Next, an example in which the unit selects a positive phenomenon and a negative phenomenon will be described as an example in which units having the same shape are loaded with different functions. Specifically, the unit 60 in FIG. 12 is used for negative images, and the same unit (not shown) is used for positive images. When a negative unit containing toner of the same polarity as the latent image is loaded into the main body, the bias to the phenol is determined by selecting the specific circuit described in FIG. 14 and the like. On the other hand, when a positive unit containing positive toner with toner of opposite polarity to the latent image is loaded into the main body, a bias is applied to the developing unit to prevent toner from adhering to the non-latent image area by selecting another circuit. applied. As a specific control circuit, a circuit such as that described in FIG. 11 can be used, and it is sufficient to obtain a bias output that promotes one side of the development by pressing the switch. In this way, when a plurality of circuits are selected by the unit's image forming condition transmitting means, by increasing the number of circuit combinations, it is possible to not only select the sequence but also change the characteristics of the image carrier as described above. It is also possible to correct variations. Further, embodiments to which the present invention is applied will be described. That is, according to the embodiments to which the present invention is applied, the above-mentioned condition transmitting means is made to correspond to the purpose of use of the unit, and it is also possible to automatically set a sequence that is the entire process that is suitable for this unit. For example, with the above-described configuration, a unit dedicated to black-and-white copying and a unit dedicated to color copying are prepared for a common main unit, and depending on the unit loaded into this main unit, the operation for black-and-white or color copying can be performed. By increasing the number of settings and circuit combinations so that the main unit performs this, it is possible to automatically set the sequence and at the same time compensate for changes in the characteristics of the photosensitive drum. According to the embodiment to which the present invention is applied,
Depending on the information transmitted by the information transmission means,
Acting on the process means on the unit side and the means on the main body of the image forming apparatus, in response to an image forming mode selected from a plurality of image forming modes possible by the two means and on the characteristics of the photoreceptor. The image forming conditions of both means are controlled accordingly. Therefore, according to an embodiment to which the present invention is applied, even if the unit is replaced with an arbitrary unit, the optimal image forming conditions and processes for the loaded unit can be automatically obtained, and the unit always operates stably in conjunction with the main body. Now I can do it. Furthermore, for example, it is possible to switch from black image formation to image formation of other colors, or from image formation using two-component developer to one-component development, by simply replacing the unit without requiring complicated adjustments on the main unit side. It is possible to switch to image formation using an agent, and the functions of the main body device can be improved. In each of the above-mentioned embodiments, an example was shown in which an image is formed by an electrostatic latent image using a photoreceptor, but the present invention is not limited thereto. It is also applicable to a well-known image forming method such as that disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 106253/1983. As described in detail above, according to the present invention, when the unit is installed in the main body of the image forming apparatus, the optimum image forming conditions corresponding to the image forming mode and the characteristics of the photoreceptor can be automatically set. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to always form an image of stable quality without causing a change in image quality from unit to unit.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an electrophotographic copying machine to which a partial embodiment of the present invention is applied, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a unit holding a drum, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the vicinity of the positioning member attachment, and FIG. 4 is an electric circuit diagram showing an example of automatically adjusting the voltage of the exposure source, Fig. 5 is an electric circuit diagram showing an example of automatically adjusting the voltage of the charger, and Fig. 6 is the gradation reproduction characteristic of photosensitive drum copying. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a condition transmitting means showing another embodiment in which automatic adjustment is performed by drum loading, and FIG. 8 is a copying machine to which another embodiment is applied. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an electric circuit showing still another example of automatic adjustment;
The figure is a perspective view of another embodiment of the condition transmission means, No. 11.
10 is a control circuit diagram of the mechanism shown in FIG. 12. FIG. 12 is a sectional view of a color copying machine to which another embodiment of a part of the present invention is applied. FIG. 13 is a unit that can be loaded into the device shown in FIG. 12. 14 and 15 are plan views showing the relationship between the unit and the switch on the main body side, FIG. 16 is an electric circuit diagram showing an example of selecting a circuit by means of condition transmission, and FIGS. 17 and 18 are A timing chart showing differences in processes depending on the unit is shown. 1, 1a, 25, 40, 54...photosensitive drum serving as an image carrier, 15, 15a, 25c, 37, 4
5a, 45b, 45c, 60a, 78a...Protrusions, pins, etc. that are image forming condition transmission means, 13, 13
a, 32, 60, 78...unit.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A unit that can be attached to an image forming apparatus main body, comprising: a photoreceptor; a process means that acts on the photoreceptor; a support means that integrally supports the photoreceptor and the process means; A unit characterized by comprising a transmission means for transmitting information regarding the characteristics of the photoreceptor and information regarding the mode of image formation by the processing means to the main body of the image forming apparatus. 2. The unit according to claim 1, wherein the mode of image formation is formation of a black and white image. 3. The unit according to claim 1, wherein the mode of image formation is the formation of a color image. 4. The unit according to claim 1, wherein the mode of image formation is formation of a positive image. 5. The unit according to claim 1, wherein the mode of image formation is formation of a negative image. 6. The unit according to claim 1, wherein the mode of image formation is image formation using a one-component developer. 7. The unit according to claim 1, wherein the mode of image formation is image formation using a two-component developer. 8. The unit is one in which a charging device, a developing device, a cleaning means, and an electrophotographic photoreceptor are integrated into a unit, and the unit is removably attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus. Units listed in section. 9. An image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording medium, comprising: a photoconductor; a process unit that acts on the photoconductor; a support unit that integrally supports the photoconductor and the process unit; and characteristics of the photoconductor. and a transmission means for transmitting information regarding the mode of image formation by the process means to the main body of the image forming apparatus. an engagement means that engages with a transmission means provided in the unit, and acts on the process means on the unit side and the means on the image forming apparatus main body side in accordance with the information transmitted by the transmission means, and and a control means for controlling the image forming conditions of the two means in accordance with an image forming mode selected from a plurality of image forming modes possible by the two means and in accordance with the characteristics of the photoreceptor. An image forming apparatus characterized by: 10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the control means controls the voltage applied to a transfer means for transferring a developed image formed on a photoreceptor of the unit onto a recording medium. 11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the control means controls the voltage applied to a developing means for developing a latent image formed on a photoreceptor of the unit. 12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the control means controls an amount of exposure for exposing a photoreceptor included in the unit.