Instrument mounting part, residual life inspection system and use decision system

[Technical field to which the invention belongs] The present invention<u style="single">, Machine</u>Instrument mounting parts<u style="single">For</u>Decision system<u style="single">To</u>Related.

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To investigate the remaining life of equipment-mounted parts collected from abandoned equipment, and if the remaining life is sufficiently long, it is considered to return it to a production line and reuse it. For that purpose, it is a prerequisite that the remaining life of the equipment mounted parts can be inspected. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-66885 stores the cumulative value of the number of key inputs on the operation panel and the cumulative display time of the display, and displays that fact when it is determined from the cumulative value that the life is near. It is stated that it should be done.

[0003] [Problems to be Solved by the Invention] In the operation panel described in JP-A-7-66885, a means for counting the number of key inputs, a means for storing the cumulative number of key inputs, a means for measuring the display time, and a means for measuring the display time. There is a problem that a storage means for storing the cumulative display time is required. Further, since each of the above means is generally provided on a control board separate from the operation panel, it is necessary to inspect the remaining life of the waste equipment before disassembling it and collecting the operation panel. .. Therefore, there is a problem that the recycling work procedure is restricted and the work efficiency is impaired. Further, since the waste equipment cannot be disassembled until the inspection of the remaining life of the operation panel is completed, there is a problem that a large storage space is required at the recycling base.

[0004] The present invention enables inspection of the remaining life of equipment-mounted parts without providing special counting means, timing means, and storage means.<u style="single">Shi</u>, To be able to inspect the remaining life of equipment mounted parts even after disassembling the discarded equipment<u style="single">Shi</u>The purpose is to eliminate restrictions on work procedures, improve the efficiency of recycling work, and eliminate the need to provide a large storage space at recycling bases.

[0005] [Means for Solving Problems]<u style="single">The present invention has the following configurations [1] to [4].</u><u style="single">[1] Configuration 1:</u><u style="single">It is used only in the power supply state, and the performance deteriorates due to the use, and the performance deterioration characteristic with respect to the cumulative usage time shows the predetermined characteristics. To the detection element for cumulative usage time detection, the target member and the detection element, the performance deterioration characteristic with respect to the cumulative usage time shows the same characteristics as the performance deterioration characteristic of the target member. Regarding the equipment-mounted parts that integrate the synchronization means that synchronizes the power supply of</u><u style="single">A component life storage means for storing the component life of the equipment-mounted component, a deterioration characteristic storage means for storing the deterioration characteristic of the performance of the detection element, and a performance measuring means for measuring the performance of the detection element. The factory performance storage means for storing the factory performance of the detection element measured by the performance measuring means at the time of shipment of the device mounted component for each device mounted component corresponding to the device mounted component, and the device mounted component. The performance at the time of inspection of the detection element measured by the performance measuring means at the time of the remaining life inspection of the component, and the factory performance stored in the factory performance storage means corresponding to the component mounted on the device and stored in the deterioration characteristic storage means. Remaining life calculation to obtain the cumulative usage time of the equipment-mounted parts based on the deterioration characteristics, and to obtain the remaining life of the equipment-mounted parts from the cumulative usage time and the component life stored in the component life storage means. It is an application determination system that determines the use of the equipment-mounted parts based on the remaining life of the equipment-mounted parts obtained by using the means and the remaining life inspection system.</u><u style="single">A device life storage means that stores the device life of a plurality of types of devices planned as mounting destinations of the device mounting components for each type of device, and a device life storage means.</u><u style="single">Comparing the remaining life of the device-mounted parts obtained by the remaining life inspection system with the device life of each device stored in the device life storage means, the device life is the mounting destination of the device-mounted component. Sorting means to select equipment that has a shorter remaining life of parts,</u><u style="single">An application determination system characterized by having.</u><u style="single">[2] Configuration 2:</u><u style="single">In configuration 1,</u><u style="single">The sorting means compares the remaining life of the device-mounted parts obtained by the remaining life inspection system with the device life of each device stored in the device life storage means, and serves as a mounting destination of the device-mounted parts. Select a device whose life is shorter than the remaining life of the device-mounted component, and if the device life is longer than the remaining life of the device-mounted component, select the device-mounted component as a replacement part for the device.</u><u style="single">An application determination system characterized by this.</u><u style="single">[3] Configuration 3:</u><u style="single">It is used only in the power supply state, and the performance deteriorates due to the use, and the performance deterioration characteristic with respect to the cumulative usage time shows the predetermined characteristics. To the detection element for cumulative usage time detection, the target member and the detection element, the performance deterioration characteristic with respect to the cumulative usage time shows the same characteristics as the performance deterioration characteristic of the target member. Regarding the equipment-mounted parts that integrate the synchronization means that synchronizes the power supply of</u><u style="single">A network storage device that stores the component life of the device-mounted component and the deterioration characteristics of the performance of the detection element on the network, and the factory performance, which is the performance of the detection element at the time of shipment of the device-mounted component, are measured. The factory performance measuring device provided at the shipping base and the measuring capacity provided at the inspection base to measure the performance at the time of inspection, which is the performance of the detection element at the time of the remaining life inspection of the equipment mounted parts, are described above. It has an inspection performance measuring device adjusted to be equivalent to the shipping performance measuring device, and the computer at the shipping base measures the shipping performance of the detection element of the equipment-mounted component measured by the shipping performance measuring device. Each device-mounted component is stored in the network storage device in correspondence with the device-mounted component, and the computer at the inspection base measures the inspection performance of the detection element of the device-mounted component measured by the inspection performance measuring device and the device-mounted component. The cumulative usage time of the parts mounted on the device is calculated based on the factory performance stored in the network storage device and the deterioration characteristics stored in the network storage device.</u><u style="single">The device is mounted based on the remaining life of the device-mounted component obtained by using the remaining life inspection system for obtaining the remaining life of the device-mounted component from the calculated cumulative usage time and the component life stored in the network storage device. It is an application determination system that determines the application of parts.</u><u style="single">The network storage device stores the device life of a plurality of types of devices planned as mounting destinations of the device mounting components for each type of device.</u><u style="single">Comparing the remaining life of the device-mounted parts obtained by the remaining life inspection system with the device life of each device stored in the network storage device, the device life is the mounting destination of the device-mounted component. Select equipment that has a shorter remaining life than</u><u style="single">An application determination system characterized by this.</u><u style="single">[4] Configuration 4:</u><u style="single">In configuration 3,</u><u style="single">Comparing the remaining life of the device-mounted parts obtained by the remaining life inspection system with the device life of each device stored in the network storage device, the device life is the mounting destination of the device-mounted component. Select a device that is shorter than the remaining life of the device, and if the device life is longer than the remaining life of the component mounted on the device, select the component mounted on the device as a replacement part for the device.</u><u style="single">An application determination system characterized by this.</u><u style="single">The above configuration will be described.</u> The target member is a member that functions as a device-mounted component. For example, if the device mounting component is a brushless motor, the target member is a brushless motor. The case where the deterioration characteristic of the performance of the detection element is the same as the deterioration characteristic of the performance of the target member means, for example, the case where the deterioration characteristic of the detection element and the target member both show the proportional characteristic or the logarithmic characteristic. The synchronization means, for example, draws a signal line from the power supply line of the target member and connects it to the drive signal input terminal of the detection element, and draws a power line from the power supply line of the target member and connects it to the power input terminal of the detection element. It can be realized by doing. Examples of the device to which the device mounting component is mounted include, but are not limited to, a copier, a printer, a facsimile, and a multifunction device in which two or more of these functions are combined. Other than these, general equipment such as OA equipment, OA home appliances, office machines, etc. that are completed by assembling parts is applicable.

【0006】<u style="single"> Department</u>The product life is a predetermined value related to the cumulative usage time of the equipment-mounted parts, and is predetermined for each type of equipment-mounted parts. In other words, the component life does not include the unused time, even if it is the time elapsed since the component was mounted on the device. As the deterioration characteristics of the detection element, the deterioration characteristics of the same detection element can be measured and stored in advance. The power supply supplied to the detection element shall be adjusted so that the performance of the detection element deteriorates according to the stored deterioration characteristics. The performance measuring means is determined according to the type of the detection element. For example, if the detection element is an LED, the performance measuring means is a light quantity measuring device.

【0007】<u style="single"> Ne</u>The network includes, for example, LAN, but is not limited to LAN. It can be WAN or the Internet. The shipping base is, for example, a factory having a final assembly line for equipment, but is not limited to such a factory. It may be a factory before the final assembly, or it may be a warehouse or the like that temporarily stores the equipment. The inspection base is, for example, a warehouse where waste equipment is accumulated, a disassembly factory, a recycling factory, or the like. It may also be a production factory for new equipment. Further, the inspection base and the shipping base may be the same or different. The network storage device may be configured by setting the auxiliary storage device (hard disk, etc.) of the network computer at the shipping base to be shared, or may be configured by being independently connected to the network. To store the factory performance corresponding to the equipment-mounted parts means to store the factory performance of the detection element of the equipment-mounted parts by corresponding to the data that can identify the equipment-mounted parts such as the part number and ID of the equipment-mounted parts. Say that. At the inspection base, look at the part number of the equipment-mounted part to be inspected and enter it into the network computer of the inspection base, or read the barcode label affixed to the equipment-mounted part to be inspected and enter it into the network computer. It will be. This makes it possible to read the factory performance stored in association with the equipment-mounted component from the network storage device.

【0008】<u style="single"> Machine</u>The device life is a predetermined value regarding the cumulative usage time of the device, and is predetermined for each type of device. In other words, the life of the device does not include the time of non-use, even the time elapsed after the device was installed.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a network diagram showing the configuration of the system of the embodiment, and FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram (a) showing the configuration of the brushless motor unit (equipment mounted component) to be inspected for the remaining life by the system of the embodiment. The circuit diagram (b) and Fig. 3 are characteristic diagrams showing the rate of change in the amount of light (performance deterioration characteristics) of the LED (Light Emitting Diode) in Fig. 2 with respect to the cumulative usage time, and Fig. 4 is the network of the shipping base. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure by a computer (left column) and the procedure by a network computer of an inspection base (right column).

[0010] The device-mounted component whose remaining life is inspected by the system of the embodiment is a brushless motor unit mounted on a copier, a printer, a facsimile, or the like. As shown in FIG. 2A, the brushless motor unit is integrally provided with a brushless motor M, an LED, a driver D, and a connector C. The brushless motor unit can receive power supply (24V) from the mounting device by connecting the connector C to the corresponding connector of the mounting device (copier, printer, facsimile, etc.). At the same time, it becomes possible to input a remote signal from the mounting destination device.

That is, as shown in FIG. 2B, when a remote signal from the mounted device is input to the driver D of the brushless motor M, 24V power is supplied to the driver D of the brushless motor M to supply the brushless motor. M is driven. Further, the above remote signal is also supplied to the base of the transistor TR1 at the same time, and the transistor TR1 turns on. As a result, a current is supplied to the base of the transistor TR2, and the transistor TR2 is turned on. Therefore, a current flows from the 24V power supply to the LED to emit light. That is, in the circuit shown in FIG. 2B, whenever power is supplied to the brushless motor (claimed member) M, power is also supplied to the LED (claimed detection element).

[0012] In the brushless motor M, a ball bearing is used as a bearing. This ball bearing deteriorates in direct proportion to the cumulative value of the rotation time (use time) of the brushless motor M. Due to this deterioration, the performance of the brushless motor M also deteriorates in direct proportion to the cumulative value of the usage time.

[0013] On the other hand, the amount of light emitted from the LED decreases as the cumulative value of the lighting time becomes longer, and the deterioration rate changes (the amount of light at each time point when the initial amount of light is 100; the deterioration characteristic of the performance according to the claim). Shows a substantially linear characteristic, except for the initial change, as outlined in FIG. That is, the characteristics are substantially the same as the deterioration characteristics of the performance of the brushless motor M. In other words, the cumulative usage time of the LED is obtained from the deterioration rate of the amount of emitted light of the LED, and the cumulative usage time of the brushless motor M can be estimated substantially accurately from the cumulative usage time. Utilizing this fact, in the system of the embodiment, the remaining life of the brushless motor M is obtained from the deterioration rate of the amount of emitted light of the LED. More accurate results can be obtained by making adjustments such as setting the current flowing through the LED to a higher value in order to obtain a more linear characteristic as the characteristic of the deterioration rate of the amount of emitted light.

Next, the procedure of obtaining the remaining life of the brushless motor unit from the deterioration rate (decrease rate) of the amount of emitted light of the LED by the system of FIG. 1 and classifying the application (which model to mount on) from the remaining life. Will be explained.

[0015] In the network computer at the shipping base, as shown in the left column of FIG. 4, a process (S01) of acquiring data read from a barcode attached to the brushless motor unit is mounted on the brushless motor unit. Processing to acquire the data obtained by measuring the amount of emitted light (factory performance of the claim) of the LED with the light amount measuring device (S03), and linking these data to each other in the network storage device in Fig. 1 The process of storing as shown (S05) is performed for each brushless motor unit in the order of (S07). It is assumed that the barcode is printed with information (lot number, ID number, etc.) that identifies the brushless motor unit to which the barcode is affixed.

[0016] In the network computer of the inspection base, as shown in the right column of FIG. 4, the process of acquiring the data read from the bar code attached to the brushless motor unit (S11), and the network storage device using the acquired bar code as a key. Process (S13) to acquire the amount of light emitted from the brushless motor unit at the time of shipment (performance at the time of shipment according to the claim), and the amount of light emitted from the LED mounted on the brushless motor unit (performance at the time of inspection according to the claim). A process of acquiring data obtained by measuring with a measuring device (S15), a process of calculating the deterioration rate of the light amount from the amount of light emitted at the time of shipment of the LED and the amount of light emitted at the time of inspection (S17), and the calculated deterioration rate. And the process of obtaining the cumulative usage time of the LED from the deterioration rate characteristic diagram (see Fig. 3; deterioration characteristics of the claim) read from the network storage device (S19), the cumulative usage time and the brushless motor read from the network storage device. Processing to obtain the remaining life of the brushless motor unit from the unit life (5000 hours in the example of FIG. 3) (S21), and the remaining life and various devices (copying machine, printer, facsimile, etc.) read from the network storage device. The process of selecting the device to which the brushless motor unit is mounted from the device life (S23) and the process of outputting (displaying, printing, etc.) the above processing results (S25) are performed for each brushless motor unit in the order of (S27). Will be done.

[0017] In the above, the calculation of the remaining life (S21) is performed by subtracting the cumulative usage time of the LED from the component life (5000 hours in the example of FIG. 3). For example, in the case of the No. 1 sample (brushless motor unit) in FIG. 3, the cumulative usage time is about 800 hours, so the remaining life is about 4000 hours or more. Similarly, in the case of the No. 2 sample, the cumulative usage time is about 1800 hours, so the remaining life is about 3000 hours or more. Similarly, in the case of the No. 3 sample, the cumulative usage time is about 2700 hours, so the remaining life is about 2000 hours or more.

[0018] Further, in the above, the selection of the mounting destination model (S23) is performed by comparing the obtained remaining life with the device life of each model. For example, the device life of model A (60 sheets machine; a model with a printing function of 60 sheets per minute) is 3000 hours, the device life of model B (30 sheets machine) is 1500 hours, and the device life of model C (15 sheets machine). Assuming that the device life is 800 hours, the remaining life of the No. 1 sample is 4000 hours or more, so that it can be installed in all models. Similarly, since the remaining life of the No. 2 sample is 3000 hours or more, it can be mounted on all models. On the other hand, since the remaining life of the No. 3 sample is 2000 hours or more, it can be mounted on model B and model C, but it cannot be mounted on model A because the device life of model A is insufficient. In such a case, it will be mounted on model B or C, but in addition, for example, it may be stored as a replacement part for model A. That is, if the brushless motor of model A fails and needs to be replaced, and the remaining life of model A is less than 2000 hours, the sample of No. 3 is used for replacement. Can be done.

[0019] Although the case of the brushless motor and the LED has been described above as an example, the present invention is not limited to the above example. For example, the same effect can be achieved by combining a fluorescent lamp unit (a component used for document exposure in an image reader) and an electrolytic capacitor. The reason for combining the fluorescent lamp unit and the electrolytic capacitor is that the deterioration characteristics of both performances are logarithmic characteristics. In addition, the idea of the present invention can be realized by an appropriate combination according to the deterioration characteristics of the performance.

[Effect of the Invention]<u style="single">According to the invention of configuration 1,</u>Deterioration characteristics with respect to cumulative usage time show predetermined characteristics<u style="single">Remaining life inspection target</u>The target member and the deterioration characteristics with respect to the cumulative usage time show the characteristics that can be associated with the deterioration characteristics of the performance of the target member.<u style="single">For detecting cumulative usage time</u>The detection element and the synchronization means for synchronizing the power supply to the target member and the detection element are integrated.<u style="single">Based on the remaining life obtained by using the remaining life inspection system for the parts to be mounted on the equipment, the equipment to be mounted for the production application can be selected. that time,</u>Estimate the cumulative usage time of the target member from the cumulative usage time of the detection element<u style="single">Ki,</u>It is possible to determine the remaining life of the target member (that is, equipment mounting parts) without providing special counting means, timing means, or storage means.<u style="single">so</u>By inspecting the remaining life of the parts mounted on the equipment even after disassembling the waste equipment<u style="single">Ki,</u>There are no restrictions on the work procedure, and it is possible to achieve efficient recycling work.<u style="single">Ki,</u>There is no need for a large storage space at the recycling base.<u style="single">According to the invention of the configuration 2, in addition to the effect of the configuration 1, there is an effect that the device to be mounted for replacement can be selected.</u><u style="single">In configurations 3 and 4, the effects of configurations 1 and 2 can be obtained on the network.</u>BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [Fig. 1] FIG. 1 is a network diagram showing a configuration of a system according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram (a) and a circuit diagram (b) showing a configuration of a brushless motor unit (equipment mounted component) whose remaining life is inspected by the system of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a characteristic diagram showing the rate of change in the amount of light (performance deterioration characteristic) of the LED (Light Emitting Diode) in FIG. 2 with respect to the cumulative usage time.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a procedure on a network computer at a shipping base (left column) and a procedure on a network computer at an inspection base (right column).

[Code description] M brushless motor D driver C connector