US 6,988,727 B2 · Sheet conveyance apparatus, image forming apparatus, and method for estimating duration of a rotary member

Abstract

The present invention relates to a sheet conveyance apparatus comprising a rotary member for conveying a sheet; a controller for detecting lowered conveyance performance due to wear of the rotary member, for measuring operation time of the rotary member, for memorizing in advance a limit wearing degree immediately before the rotary member becomes unable to make conveyance due to wear, and for estimating a time at which the rotary member becomes unable to make conveyance due to wear. The duration estimating means uses the wearing degree of the rotary member, the operation time of the rotary member, and the limit wearing degree, to calculate according to an estimation function the time ending the duration at which the rotary member becomes unable to make conveyance due to wear.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A sheet conveyance apparatus comprising:

a rotary member for conveying a sheet;
wearing degree detecting means for detecting lowered conveyance performance due to wear of the rotary member;
time managing means for measuring operation time of the rotary member;
limit wearing degree memorizing means for memorizing in advance a limit wearing degree immediately before the rotary member becomes unable to make conveyance due to wear;
and
duration estimating means for estimating a time at which the rotary member becomes unable to make conveyance due to wear;
wherein the duration estimating means uses the wearing degree of the rotary member detected by the wearing degree detecting means, the operation time of the rotary member measured by the time managing means, and the limit wearing degree memorized by the limit wearing degree memorizing means, to calculate according to an estimation function the time ending the duration at which the rotary member becomes unable to make conveyance due to wear.

4 more elements

An estimating method of a duration of a rotary member for estimating a duration period at which the rotary member for conveying a sheet is unable to make conveyance due to wear, the method comprising the steps of:

memorizing in advance in a limit wearing degree memorizing means a limit wearing degree immediately before the rotary member become unable to make conveyance due to wear;
detecting, by a wearing degree detecting means, lowered conveyance performance due to wear on the rotary member;
measuring operation time of the rotary member with a time managing means;
and
calculating with an estimation function a duration period at which the rotary member becomes unable to make conveyance due to wear in utilizing the wearing degree of the rotary member detected by the wearing degree detecting means, the operation time of the rotary member measured by the time managing means, and the limit wearing degree memorized at the limit wearing degree memorizing means.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Sheet conveyance apparatus, image forming apparatus, and method for estimating duration of a rotary member

Life of this patent

Sheet conveyance apparatus, image forming apparatus, and method for estimating duration of a rotary member

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims15