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JP-2026074611-A - Image forming apparatus and program

JP2026074611AJP 2026074611 AJP2026074611 AJP 2026074611AJP-2026074611-A

Abstract

[Problem] To make it easy to understand the costs involved in the restoration work. [Solution] The image forming apparatus 1 comprises a unit and an image forming apparatus body on which the unit is mounted, and includes a first determination unit (control unit 11) that determines which unit among the units mounted on the image forming apparatus body needs to be replaced, a calculation unit (control unit 11) that calculates the replacement cost required to replace the unit determined by the first determination unit, and an output unit (control unit 11) that outputs the replacement cost calculated by the calculation unit. [Selection Diagram] Figure 2

Inventors

  • 大羽 伸
  • 松浦 積

Assignees

  • コニカミノルタ株式会社

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20241021

Claims (19)

  1. An image forming apparatus comprising a unit and an image forming apparatus body on which the unit is attached, A first determination unit that determines which of the units mounted on the main body of the image forming apparatus needs to be replaced, A calculation unit calculates the cost of replacing the unit that needs to be replaced, as determined by the first determination unit, An output unit that outputs the replacement cost calculated by the calculation unit, An image forming apparatus equipped with the following features.
  2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first determination unit determines which unit needs to be replaced when it is determined that the main body of the image forming apparatus is reusable.
  3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second determination unit that determines whether the image forming apparatus body is reusable based on the cumulative number of printed pages or usage time since the start of use of the image forming apparatus body.
  4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first determination unit determines whether or not the unit needs to be replaced based on the unit's travel distance or travel time.
  5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a third determination unit that determines which units among those mounted on the image forming apparatus body are reusable when the image forming apparatus body is determined to be unreusable.
  6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the calculation unit calculates the replacement cost based on the fixed and variable costs related to the replacement of the unit.
  7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a storage unit for storing the aforementioned fixed costs.
  8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising an acquisition unit for acquiring the aforementioned variable costs from an external storage medium.
  9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a control unit that controls the image forming apparatus based on a control program stored in the external storage medium.
  10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising an acquisition unit for acquiring the aforementioned variable costs from an external device connected to the network for communication.
  11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the variable cost includes the transportation cost of the unit requiring replacement.
  12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the variable costs include inventory management costs related to the units that need to be replaced.
  13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the variable cost includes labor costs based on the time required for replacing the unit that needs to be replaced.
  14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the variable cost includes labor costs based on the attribute information or capability information of the worker performing the replacement work of the unit that needs to be replaced.
  15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the calculation unit calculates the variable cost based on the combination of units that need to be replaced.
  16. The calculation unit calculates the total of the replacement costs calculated for each unit that needs to be replaced, The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output unit outputs the total replacement cost.
  17. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second determination unit that determines whether the image forming apparatus body is reusable based on the total replacement costs.
  18. The image forming apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising a third determination unit that determines which units among those mounted on the image forming apparatus body are reusable when the image forming apparatus body is determined to be unusable.
  19. The unit and The main body of the image forming apparatus to which the aforementioned unit is attached, A computer for an image forming apparatus equipped with, A first determination unit determines which of the units mounted on the main body of the image forming apparatus needs to be replaced. A calculation unit calculates the cost of replacing the unit that needs to be replaced, as determined by the first determination unit. An output unit that outputs the replacement cost calculated by the calculation unit, A program that makes it function as such.

Description

This invention relates to an image forming apparatus and a program. Generally, an image forming apparatus consists of a main body with multiple units attached. Each unit is a consumable item and is replaced at the appropriate time. In recent years, there has been a growing desire to eliminate unnecessary waste in order to realize a circular economy. Therefore, a regeneration process is carried out in which reusable units with remaining lifespan are removed from discarded image forming machines and attached to the main body of another image forming machine, which serves as a regeneration device. In this regard, Patent Document 1 describes a technique for diagnosing whether or not used electronic equipment is reusable. Japanese Patent Publication No. 2014-10393 This is a schematic diagram of the image forming apparatus according to this embodiment.This is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of an image forming apparatus.This figure shows an example of unit costs.This is a flowchart showing the process for starting the playback operation.This is a flowchart showing the process for lifespan diagnosis.This figure shows a display screen showing the replacement cost.This flowchart shows the process for calculating replacement costs.This figure shows an example of the calculation results for replacement costs.This is a flowchart showing the process for obtaining transportation costs.This figure shows an example of unit inventory information.This figure shows an example of inventory transportation cost information.This figure shows an example of information regarding the cost of replacing a unit.This figure shows an example of a labor cost adjustment value. The embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the scope of the invention is not limited to the illustrated examples. <1. Configuration of the image forming apparatus> Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the image forming apparatus 1 in this embodiment. Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the image forming apparatus 1. Image forming apparatus 1 is an MFP (Multi-Function Peripheral) that has image forming functions as well as copying, scanning, and facsimile functions. In the refurbishment process for image forming apparatus 1, a manufacturer's worker removes reusable used units from the main body of an image forming apparatus 1 that is to be discarded (a discarded apparatus). Next, the worker installs the used units removed from the discarded apparatus into the main body of another reusable image forming apparatus 1. The manufacturer then sells or rents the other image forming apparatus 1 with the used units installed as a refurbished apparatus. The image forming apparatus 1 comprises a control unit 11, an operation unit 12, a display unit 13, a communication unit 14, a storage unit 15, a document reading unit 16, an image forming unit 17, a transport unit 18, a waste toner collection unit 19, and an I/F unit 20. The control unit 11 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), and the like. The CPU of the control unit 11 reads a program stored in the ROM or memory unit 15, loads it into the RAM, and controls each part of the image forming apparatus 1 according to the loaded program. For example, the control unit 11 processes the image data of a job based on the job settings submitted from the outside via the communication unit 14. Next, the control unit 11 has the transport unit 18 feed paper, and the image forming unit 17 forms and fixes an image on the paper. The operation unit 12 includes operation keys 12A, a touch panel integrated with the display unit 13, and outputs operation signals corresponding to these operations to the control unit 11. The display unit 13 is equipped with an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) panel 13A, etc., and displays information such as an operation screen according to instructions from the control unit 11. The communication unit 14 is equipped with a network card and connected to a communication network, and performs information transmission and reception with external devices on the communication network. The memory unit 15 includes a storage device such as a non-volatile semiconductor memory or a hard disk. The memory unit 15 stores programs, files, etc., that can be read by the control unit 11. The memory unit 15 stores unit status information indicating the state of each detachable unit of the image forming apparatus 1. The unit status information is, for example, the unit's counter information. The unit's counter information is initialized and becomes "0" again when, for example, a new unit is installed. The unit status information may also be a value detected by a sensor indicating deterioration of the unit's main components. The storage unit 15 stores main unit status information indicating the state of the housing, which is the main body of the image forming apparatus 1. Th