# US 8,543,017 B2 · Load abnormality detection apparatus performing accurate judgment of cause of abnormality > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,543,017 B2 - Document ID: US8543017B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/049,983 - Filed: 2011-03-17 - Published: 2011-09-22 - Granted: 2013-09-24 - Earliest claimed: 2010-03-18 - Assignees: Ricoh Company, Ltd. - Applicants: Yuusuke Ishizaki - Inventors: Yuusuke Ishizaki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8543017B2 ## CPC - H02P 29/024: Detecting a fault condition, e.g. short circuit, locked rotor, open circuit or loss of load - G03G 15/0131: {for transferring a pattern to a second base} - G03G 15/1615: {relating to the driving mechanism for the intermediate support, e.g. gears, couplings, belt tensioning} - G03G 15/5054: {by measuring the characteristics of an intermediate image carrying member or the characteristics of an image on an intermediate image carrying member, e.g. intermediate transfer belt or drum, conveyor belt} - G03G 15/55: {Self-diagnostics; Malfunction or lifetime display} - G03G 15/70: {Detecting malfunctions relating to paper handling, e.g. jams} - H02P 5/46: for speed regulation of two or more dynamo-electric motors in relation to one another - H02P 29/0241: {the fault being an overvoltage} - G03G 2215/0129: horizontal medium transport path at the secondary transfer - G03G 2221/1642: for the transfer unit - H02P: CONTROL OR REGULATION OF ELECTRIC MOTORS, ELECTRIC GENERATORS OR DYNAMO-ELECTRIC CONVERTERS; CONTROLLING TRANSFORMERS, REACTORS OR CHOKE COILS - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY ## Abstract A load abnormality detection apparatus detects a load abnormality in at least one of a first rotational member and a second rotational member. An element acquisition part acquires a first control element and a second control element. A first comparison part compares the first control element with a first threshold value and also compares the first control element with a second threshold value larger than the first threshold value. A second comparison part compares the second control element with a third threshold value and also compares the second control element with a fourth threshold value larger than the third threshold value. An abnormality detection part detects a load abnormality in a load applied to at least one of the first and second rotational members based on results of comparison by the first comparison part and the second comparison part and identifies a cause of the detected load abnormality. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A load abnormality detection apparatus that detects a load abnormality in at least one of a first rotational member and a second rotational member provided in an apparatus including: the first rotational member and the second rotational member that contact each other directly or via a recording medium interposed therebetween; a first motor that drives said first rotational member and is controlled based on a first control element; and a second motor that drives said second rotational member and is controlled based on a second control element, said load abnormality detection apparatus comprising: an element acquisition part configured to acquire said first control element and said second control element; a first comparison part configured to compare said first control element with a first threshold value and also compare said first control element with a second threshold value larger than said first threshold value; a second comparison part configured to compare said second control element with a third threshold value and also compare said second control element with a fourth threshold value larger than said third threshold value; and an abnormality detection part configured to detect a load abnormality in a load applied to at least one of said first rotational member and said second rotational member based on results of comparison by said first comparison part and said second comparison part and identify a cause of the detected load abnormality, wherein, when said first control element is smaller than said first threshold value and said second control element is smaller than said fourth threshold value, said abnormality detection part identifies the cause of said load abnormality as a first cause peculiar to said first rotational member. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The load abnormality detection apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein, when said first control element is smaller than said first threshold value and said second control element is larger than said fourth threshold value, said abnormality detection part identifies the cause of said load abnormality as a rotational movement of said first rotational member together with said second rotational member. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The load abnormality detection apparatus as claimed in claim 2, further comprising an adjustment part configured to adjust a speed of said rotational member to a reference speed when said abnormality detection part identifies said rotational movement of said first rotational member together with said second rotational member, wherein the reference speed is set as a speed of said rotational member when said rotational movement of said first rotational member together with said second rotational member is not generated. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The load abnormality detection apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein, when said first control element is larger than said second threshold value and said second control element is larger than said third threshold value, said abnormality detection part identifies the cause of said load abnormality as a second cause peculiar to said first rotational member. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The load abnormality detection apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein, when said first control element is larger than said second threshold value and said second control element is smaller than said third threshold value, said abnormality detection part identifies the cause of said load abnormality as a rotational movement of said first rotational member together with said second rotational member. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The load abnormality detection apparatus as claimed in claim 4, further comprising an adjustment part configured to adjust a speed of said rotational member to a reference speed when said abnormality detection part identifies said rotational movement of said first rotational member together with said second rotational member, wherein the reference speed is set as a speed of said rotational member when said rotational movement of said first rotational member together with said second rotational member is not generated. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The load abnormality detection apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first control element is a drive current for driving said first motor, and said second control element is a drive current for driving said second motor. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The load abnormality detection apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first control element is a torque command value for driving said first motor, and said second control element is a torque command value for driving said second motor. ### Claim 9 An image forming apparatus comprising: load abnormality detection apparatus that detects a load abnormality in at least one of a first rotational member and a second rotational member provided in an apparatus including: the first rotational member and the second rotational member that contact each other directly or via a recording medium interposed therebetween; a first motor that drives said first rotational member and is controlled based on a first control element; and a second motor that drives said second rotational member and is controlled based on a second control element, said load abnormality detection apparatus comprising: an element acquisition part configured to acquire said first control element and said second control element; a first comparison part configured to compare said first control element with a first threshold value and also compare said first control element with a second threshold value larger than said first threshold value; a second comparison part configured to compare said second control element with a third threshold value and also compare said second control element with a fourth threshold value larger than said third threshold value; and an abnormality detection part configured to detect a load abnormality in a load applied to at least one of said first rotational member and said second rotational member based on results of comparison by said first comparison part and said second comparison part and identify a cause of the detected load abnormality, wherein, when said first control element is smaller than said first threshold value and said second control element is smaller than said fourth threshold value, said abnormality detection part identifies the cause of said load abnormality as a first cause peculiar to said first rotational member; wherein the image forming apparatus further comprises a primary transfer belt serving as said first rotational member; a secondary transfer roller serving as said second rotational member; the first motor that drives said primary transfer belt and is controlled based on the first control element; and the second motor that drives said secondary transfer belt and is controlled based on the second control element. ### Claim 10 A load abnormality detection method of detecting a load abnormality in a load applied to at least one of a first rotational member and a second rotational member provided in an apparatus, which includes: the first rotational member and the second rotational member that contact each other directly or via a recording medium interposed therebetween; a first motor that drives said first rotational member and is controlled based on a first control element; and a second motor that drives said second rotational member and is controlled based on a second control element, said load abnormality detection method comprising: acquiring said first control element and said second control element; comparing said first control element with a first threshold value and also comparing said first control element with a second threshold value larger than said first threshold value; comparing said second control element with a third threshold value and also comparing said second control element with a fourth threshold value larger than said third threshold value; and detecting a load abnormality in a load applied to at least one of said first rotational member and said second rotational member based on results of the comparisons relating to said first control element and said second control element and also identifying a cause of the detected load abnormality, wherein, when said first control element is smaller than said first threshold value and said second control element is smaller than said fourth threshold value, said detecting the load abnormality step identifies the cause of said load abnormality as a first cause peculiar to said first rotational member. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) A computer readable recording medium storing a program to cause a computer to perform the load abnormality detection method as claimed in claim 10.