Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Yohei Suzuki

Seiji Hara

Masayoshi Fukatsu

Hiroharu Tsuji

Masafumi Monde

Jun Agata

Ken Murooka

Tomooku Koyama

Wataru Uchida

Daisuke Takamura

Hiroshi Hagiwara

Junya Azami

Daisuke Kaneko

Tatsuya Hotogi

Atsunobu Mori

Hirotaka Shiomichi

Yoshitaka Zaitsu

Hiromitsu Kumada

Genki Takahashi

Junichi Ochi

Kenji Watanabe

Motohiro Furusawa

Minoru Kawanishi

Miho Kaiga

Yasuhisa Matsumoto

Shunsuke Okazaki

Naoto Tsuchihashi

Kazuhide Okuno

Takashi Yano

Kenichi Fujii

Akira Yoshimura

Koji Kawamura

Masato Hisano

Ichiro Yasumaru

Kazuhisa Sato

Atsushi Kawarago

Toshifumi Kitamura

Masatoshi Yoshida

Shinkichi Yamamoto

Hajime Sugaya

Sachiyori Shiina

Hideki Kotsuka

Yasuhiro Kawasaki

Yuu Matsuda

An image forming apparatus includes a stack portion having recording materials, an image forming unit, a basis weight detection unit, an operating sound detection unit, and a mode selection unit. The basis weight detection unit detects a recording material basis weight based on an ultrasonic wave. The operating sound detection unit detect an abnormality of a generated operating sound. The mode selection unit selects, for each recording material fed to the image forming unit, between transmitting to the basis weight detection unit a first instruction for detecting the recording material basis weight and transmitting to the operating sound detection unit a second instruction for detecting the operating sound abnormality. In determining an interval at which each second instruction is transmitted, the mode selection unit determines the interval so that the interval and a cycle, in which properties of recording materials on the stack portion are repeated, do not continuously coincide.

Image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus includes a first detector detecting an operation sound based on a sound wave received by a receiver; a second detector detecting basis weight of recording material based on an ultrasonic wave transmitted from a transmitter and received by the receiver; a switching unit that switches destination of a reception signal from the receiver between a first path to the first detector and a second path to the second detector; and a controller that controls the switching unit such that the reception signal is output to the first path at a first timing and to the second path at a second timing. When a predetermined condition is satisfied, the controller controls the switching unit such that the reception signal is output to the second path at the first timing or to the first path at the second timing.

An image forming system includes an image forming apparatus and a management apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes a variable mechanism, a physical quantity detection unit that detects a change in physical quantity caused when a state of the variable mechanism changes, an abnormality detection unit that detects an abnormal condition, and a transmission unit that transmits detection results of the physical quantity detection unit and the abnormality detection unit to the management apparatus. The management apparatus includes a determination unit that determines a cause of the abnormal condition, and a notification unit that provides a notification that the abnormal condition is caused by a change in the state in accordance with a determination result. The determination unit determines that the abnormal condition is caused by a change in the state when the abnormal condition is detected after the change in physical quantity exceeds a threshold.

Image forming system detecting change in physical quantity (sound) from variable mechanism and determining and notifying an abnormal condition based on the change compared to a threshold

An image forming system includes an image forming unit, a plurality of drive units configured to drive the image forming unit, a sound detection unit configured to detect operation sounds of the plurality of drive units, and a control unit configured to implement a drive mode for operating at least one of the plurality of drive units and not operating other drive units, without forming an image on a recording material by the image forming unit, wherein the control unit implements the drive mode when the value of a counter reaches a threshold value, the counter being incremented with each image formation on a recording material by the image forming unit, and wherein the identification operation identifies a component causing the predetermined sound based on the operation sounds detected by the sound detection unit during a period in which the drive mode is being implemented.

Detection unit for operation sounds of image forming system

An image forming apparatus includes: a fixing portion for fixing an image formed on a recording material; and a guide member for guiding the recording material. The guide member is provided at an entrance to the fixing portion and at an end portion with respect to a direction perpendicular to a feeding direction of the recording material The guide member is moved when the guide member is pushed by the recording material.

A sound diagnosis system includes: a setting unit configured to set a threshold for each of a plurality of time sections, based on a sound wave level in each of the plurality of time sections of a plurality of first sound data classified in a first group; and a determination unit configured to determine whether or not an abnormal sound is generated by calculating a comparison value for each of the plurality of time sections based on a sound wave level in each of the plurality of time sections of one or more second sound data classified in the first group, and comparing the comparison value for each of the plurality of time sections with the threshold value of the corresponding time section of the first group, the threshold value being set by the setting unit.

Sound diagnosis system, information processing apparatus, and computer-readable storage medium

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit having a plurality of members, a control unit, and a sound collecting unit. The control unit controls operations of the plurality of members in a first operation mode in which the image forming unit forms an image on a recording material. The sound collecting unit collects a sound that arises in the image forming apparatus during the first operation mode execution to generate a sound signal. When it is determined, based on the generated sound signal, that an abnormal sound has arisen, the control unit determines a source of the abnormal sound by transitioning to a second operation mode after the first operation mode has ended and causing, in the second operation mode, one or more members, from the plurality of members, that are possible sources of the abnormal sound to operate separately from the remaining plurality of members.

Image forming apparatus, abnormality diagnosis method, and image forming system

An abnormal sound diagnosis system for specifying a cause of abnormal sound in an apparatus that includes a plurality of operating units that perform a predetermined operation and a plurality of driving units that drive the plurality of operating units: determines occurrence of abnormal sound in a plurality of time periods, based on sound wave levels of sound occurring in the apparatus measured in the plurality of time periods; obtains driving states of the plurality of driving units in the plurality of time periods; and specifies a driving unit corresponding to occurrence of abnormal sound based on a plurality of comparison results corresponding to different timings, that are obtained by comparing the driving states and the occurring states obtained at the different timings in the predetermined operation.

Abnormal sound diagnosis system provides a technique that can specify occurrence of abnormal sound in a plurality of time periods, image forming apparatus, abnormal sound diagnosis method, and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium

An image forming apparatus includes: a plurality of members for forming an image; a transmitting unit configured to transmit a sonic wave; a receiving unit configured to receive a first sonic wave that has been transmitted from the transmitting unit and has passed through a sheet and a second sonic wave that is generated from at least one of the plurality of members; a detection unit configured to detect information regarding a type or state of the sheet based on the first sonic wave; and a determination unit configured to determine a state of a member that has generated the second sonic wave based on the second sonic wave.

Image forming apparatus determining states of members, image forming method, and image forming system

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit to form an image on a sheet, a conveyance guide unit, and a conveyance unit. The conveyance guide unit conveys the sheet on which the image is to be formed by the image forming unit. The conveyance unit conveys the sheet toward a first conveyance guide unit. The conveyance guide unit includes an urging member, a rotary member to be urged by the urging member and to rotate while abutting the sheet, a holding unit holding the urging member and the rotary member, and the first conveyance guide unit that is detachably attached to the holding unit to guide the sheet. The first conveyance guide unit includes a pressed portion, and the pressed portion is to be pressed by the sheet conveyed by the conveyance unit and has strength less than strength of the holding unit.

There is provided an image forming system that includes an image forming apparatus including, a first variable mechanism that varies from a first state to a second state or from the second state to the first state when physically operated by a user, a first detection unit configured to detect the variation of a state of the first variable mechanism, and a sound collection unit. The image forming system further includes a generation unit configured to generate, when the variation is detected by the first detection unit, first statistical information regarding at least one sound wave obtained by the sound collection unit in a period based on a timing when the variation is detected.

Image forming system

An image forming apparatus includes a fixing portion for fixing an image formed on a recording material, and a guide member for guiding the recording material, wherein the guide member is provided at an entrance to the fixing portion and at an end portion with respect to a direction perpendicular to a feeding direction of the recording material. The fixing portion includes a cylindrical belt and a roller contacting an outer surface of the belt for forming a fixing nip through which the recording material is to be passed, wherein the roller has a shape such that a diameter thereof is increased with a distance thereof toward the end portion with respect to the direction perpendicular to the feeding direction, and the guide member is moved when the guide member is pushed by the recording material.

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Mishima, Japan

Yohei Suzuki