# US 10,308,452 B2 · Image forming apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,308,452 B2 - Document ID: US10308452B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/904,936 - Filed: 2018-02-26 - Published: 2018-08-30 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2017-02-28 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Michio Sugano - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10308452B2 ## CPC - B65H 1/266: {Support fully or partially removable from the handling machine, e.g. cassette, drawer (B65H1/027 takes precedence)} - B65H 7/06: responsive to presence of faulty articles or incorrect separation or feed (B65H7/14 takes precedence) - B65H 7/20: Controlling associated apparatus - G03G 15/6561: {for sheet registration} - G03G 15/70: {Detecting malfunctions relating to paper handling, e.g. jams} - B65H 2405/112: Rear, i.e. portion opposite to the feeding / delivering side - B65H 2511/414: of mode of operation - B65H 2511/528: Jam - B65H 2511/529: number thereof, frequency of occurrence - B65H 2513/52: Age; Duration; Life time or chronology of event - B65H 2551/20: Display means; Information output means - B65H 2601/11: Clearing faulty handling, e.g. jams - B65H 2601/255: Jam - B65H 2601/271: Over stacking - G03G 2215/00548: Jam, error detection, e.g. double feeding - B65H: HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY ## Abstract An image forming apparatus includes a stacking unit, an access detecting unit, a malfunction detecting unit, a counting unit, and a process deciding unit. The stacking unit receives, as stacked, a recording material. The access detecting unit detects an access to the stacking unit by an operator. The malfunction detecting unit detects that a conveyance malfunction of the recording material has occurred on a conveying path guiding the recording material supplied from the stacking unit. The counting unit counts, after the access detecting unit detects an access to the stacking unit by the operator in a state that the malfunction detecting unit does not detect that the conveyance malfunction has occurred, the number of the conveyance malfunction detected by the malfunction detecting unit. The process deciding unit decides a process to address the conveyance malfunction based on the number of the conveyance malfunction counted by the counting unit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image forming apparatus comprising: a stacking unit on which a recording material is to be stacked, wherein the stacking unit is configured to be removably inserted to a main body of the image forming apparatus; an access detecting unit configured to detect insertion of the stacking unit to the main body or removal of the stacking unit from the main body; a malfunction detecting unit configured to detect that a conveyance malfunction of the recording material has occurred on a conveying path guiding the recording material supplied from the stacking unit; a counting unit configured to count, after the access detecting unit detects the removal of the stacking unit and subsequently detects the insertion of the stacking unit in a state that the malfunction detecting unit does not detect that the conveyance malfunction has occurred, the number of the conveyance malfunction detected by the malfunction detecting unit; and a process deciding unit configured to decide a process to solve the conveyance malfunction based on the number of the conveyance malfunction counted by the counting unit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit configured to display information, wherein, in a case where the number of conveyance malfunction is not higher than a first threshold value, the process deciding unit causes the display unit to display information regarding a procedure for solving the conveyance malfunction. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, in a case where the number of conveyance malfunction is higher than the first threshold value, the process deciding unit causes the display unit to display information regarding a predetermined position for setting the recording material within the stacking unit. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a communication unit configured to communicate with an information processing apparatus through a communication medium, wherein, in a case where the number of conveyance malfunction is higher than a second threshold value, the process deciding unit transmits information requesting a serviceman dispatch to the information processing apparatus through the communication unit, and wherein the second threshold value is higher than the first threshold value. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the second threshold value is a value set to be increased as a usage period of the image forming apparatus increases. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first threshold value is a value set to be increased as a usage period of the image forming apparatus increases. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the counting unit counts the number of conveyance malfunction in a case where the conveyance malfunction occurs with a first conveyed recording material after the access detecting unit detects the removal of the stacking unit and subsequently detects the insertion of the stacking unit in a state that the malfunction detecting unit does not detect that the conveyance malfunction has occurred. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the counting unit counts the number of conveyance malfunction during a first detection period and a second detection period subsequent to the first detection period and, in a case where the number of conveyance malfunction counted by the counting unit during the second detection period is higher than the number of conveyance malfunction counted by the counting unit during the first detection period, the process deciding unit decides the process to solve the conveyance malfunction based on the number of conveyance malfunction counted by the counting unit, and wherein each of the first and second detection periods is a detection period from a time when the access detecting unit detects the removal of the stacking unit and subsequently detects the insertion of the stacking unit in a state that the malfunction detecting unit does not detect that the conveyance malfunction has occurred to a time when the access detecting unit detects the removal of the stacking unit and subsequently detects the insertion of the stacking unit next in a state that the malfunction detecting unit does not detect that the conveyance malfunction has occurred. ### Claim 9 An image forming apparatus comprising: a stacking unit on which a recording material is to be stacked, wherein the stacking unit is configured to be removably inserted to a main body of the image forming apparatus; an access detecting unit configured to detect insertion of the stacking unit to the main body or removal of the stacking unit from the main body; a malfunction detecting unit configured to detect that a conveyance malfunction of the recording material has occurred on a conveying path guiding the recording material supplied from the stacking unit; a counting unit configured to count, after the access detecting unit detects the removal of the stacking unit and subsequently detects the insertion of the stacking unit in a state that the malfunction detecting unit does not detect that the conveyance malfunction has occurred, the number of the conveyance malfunction detected by the malfunction detecting unit; and a display unit configured to display information, wherein a display content to be displayed on the display unit is changed based on the number of the conveyance malfunction counted by the counting unit. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein, in a case where the number of conveyance malfunction is not higher than a threshold value, the display content is information regarding a procedure for solving the conveyance malfunction. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein, in a case where the number of conveyance malfunction is higher than the threshold value, the display content is information regarding a predetermined position for setting the recording material within the stacking unit. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the threshold value is a value set to be increased as a usage period of the image forming apparatus increases. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the counting unit counts the number of conveyance malfunction in a case where the conveyance malfunction occurs with a first conveyed recording material after the access detecting unit detects the removal of the stacking unit and subsequently detects the insertion of the stacking unit in a state that the malfunction detecting unit does not detect that the conveyance malfunction has occurred. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the counting unit counts the number of conveyance malfunction during a first detection period and a second detection period subsequent to the first detection period and, in a case where the number of conveyance malfunction counted by the counting unit during the second detection period is higher than the number of conveyance malfunction counted by the counting unit during the first detection period, the display content is changed based on the number of conveyance malfunction counted by the counting unit, and wherein each of the first and second detection periods is a detection period from a time when the access detecting unit detects the removal of the stacking unit and subsequently detects the insertion of the stacking unit in a state that the malfunction detecting unit does not detect that the conveyance malfunction has occurred to a time when the access detecting unit detects the removal of the stacking unit and subsequently detects the insertion of the stacking unit next in a state that the malfunction detecting unit does not detect that the conveyance malfunction has occurred.