US-20260126735-A1 - IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

US20260126735A1US 20260126735 A1US20260126735 A1US 20260126735A1US-20260126735-A1

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes plural image forming units corresponding to plural toner colors, and a controller. The controller is configured to read and write data to respective non-volatile unit memories in the plural image forming units. Further, a common address is assigned to the non-volatile unit memories of the plural image forming units Furthermore, the controller comprises a switching unit configured to switch an image forming unit to which the data should be read or written among the plural image forming units.

Inventors

Minoru SHINBA
Shunsuke Sasaki

Assignees

KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20251104
Priority Date: 20241107

Claims (4)

1 . An image forming apparatus, comprising: plural image forming units corresponding to plural toner colors; and a controller configured to read and write data to respective non-volatile unit memories in the plural image forming units; wherein a common address is assigned to the non-volatile unit memories of the plural image forming units; and the controller comprises a switching unit configured to switch an image forming unit to which the data should be read or written among the plural image forming units.
2 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising plural individual signal lines configured to connect the plural image forming units to the switching unit.
3 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plural image forming units are any of: plural drum units that comprise respective photoconductor drums, plural development units configured to adhere toner to electrostatic latent images on the photoconductor drums and thereby form respective toner images, and plural transfer units configured to transfer the toner images.
4 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plural image forming units comprise plural drum units that comprise respective photoconductor drums, and plural development units that comprise respective development devices; a common first address is assigned to the unit memories of the plural drum units; a common second address is assigned to the unit memories of the plural development units; and the second address is different from the first address.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application relates to and claims priority rights from Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-194860, filed on Nov. 7, 2024, the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein. BACKGROUND 1. Field of the Present Disclosure The present disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus. 2. Description of the Related Art An image forming apparatus includes a control-program transmitting device, plural operation units, and a communication line to which the control-program transmitting device and the plural operation units are connected, and the control-program transmitting device individually stores respective control programs to the plural operation units through the communication line. In the aforementioned image forming apparatus, since the communication line of a bus type is used, unique addresses are assigned to plural operation units, respectively. Therefore, it is required to individually set in advance to the plural operation units, and an operation in manufacture of the apparatus is complicated. SUMMARY An image forming apparatus according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes plural image forming units corresponding to plural toner colors, and a controller. The controller is configured to read and write data to respective non-volatile unit memories in the plural image forming units. Further, a common address is assigned to the non-volatile unit memories of the plural image forming units. Furthermore, the controller includes a switching unit configured to switch an image forming unit to which the data should be read or written among the plural image forming units. These and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent upon reading of the following detailed description along with the accompanied drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows a block diagram that indicates a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and FIG. 2 shows a diagram that indicates a relationship between addresses of drum units 21Y, 21M, 21C, 21K and development units 22Y, 22M, 22C, 22K and values of a switch control signal. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Hereinafter, an embodiment according to an aspect of the present disclosure will be explained with reference to drawings. FIG. 1 shows a block diagram that indicates a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The image processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1 is, for example, an image forming apparatus such as a multi function peripheral. The image processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1 includes a printing device 1 and a controller 2. The printing device 1 transports a print sheet from a sheet feeding cassette and prints on the print sheet an image based on image data in an electrographic manner. Specifically, the printing device 1 includes photoconductor drums, exposure devices that expose the photoconductor drums and thereby form electrostatic latent images, development devices that attach toner to the electrostatic latent images on the photoconductor drums and thereby form toner images, a fuser that fixes the toner images transferred onto the print sheet, and the like. In case of a color image forming apparatus of Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black (CMYK), this image forming apparatus includes image forming parts 11Y, 11M, 11C and 11K for the four toner colors. Each of the image forming parts 11Y, 11M, 11C and 11K includes plural image forming units for each of plural toner colors. The image forming part 11Y for Yellow includes a drum unit 21Y that includes as the image forming units a photoconductor drum, and a development unit 22Y that includes a development device. A toner cartridge of Yellow toner is mounted to the development unit 22Y. The image forming part 11M for Magenta includes a drum unit 21M that includes as the image forming units a photoconductor drum, and a development unit 22M that includes a development device. A toner cartridge of Magenta toner is mounted to the development unit 22M. The image forming part 11C for Cyan includes a drum unit 21C that includes as the image forming units a photoconductor drum, and a development unit 22C that includes a development device. A toner cartridge of Cyan toner is mounted to the development unit 22C. The image forming part 11K for Black includes a drum unit 21K that includes as the image forming units a photoconductor drum, and a development unit 22K that includes a development device. A toner cartridge of Black toner is mounted to the development unit 22K. Each of the drum units 21Y, 21M, 21C and 21K includes a circuit board 31 on which a non-volatile unit memory 31a has been installed. Same circuit boards may be used as the circuit boards 31 in the drum units. Further, each of the development units 22Y, 22M, 22C and 22K includes a circuit board 32 on which a non-volatile unit memory 32a has bee