Image forming apparatus

Abstract

An image forming apparatus of the present invention intends to reduce a difference of usage frequency among a plurality of sheet feeding section and comprises: a plurality of sheet feeding section capable of feeding different types of sheets; a printer main body for forming an image on a sheet fed by the sheet feeding section; an accumulation counter for counting the accumulation quantity of fed sheets of each of the plural sheet feeding section; and a controller for determining bias of usage frequency of each sheet feeding section based on a counting result of the accumulation counter and changing the allocation of the sheets of each sheet feeding section to reduce the bias of the usage frequency of each sheet feeding section.

1 . An image forming apparatus comprising: 
 a plurality of sheet feeding sections capable of feeding different types of sheets;    an image forming portion which forms an image on a sheet fed by the sheet feeding sections;    an accumulation feeding quantity counting means capable of counting the accumulation quantity of fed sheets of each of the plural sheet feeding sections; and    a control means which determines the bias of usage frequency of each sheet feeding sections based on a counting result of the accumulation feeding quantity counting means and changes the allocation of the sheets of each sheet feeding sections so as to reduce the bias of the usage frequency of each sheet feeding sections.    
   
   
       2 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the control means, when a difference between accumulation quantity of fed sheets of any two sheet feeding sections of the plural sheet feeding sections is larger than a predetermined value, changes the allocation of the sheet based on a count result of the accumulation feeding quantity counting means and when the difference of the accumulation quantity of the fed sheets is smaller than the predetermined value, does not change the allocation of the sheet.  
   
   
       3 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein an alarm signal is outputted when the allocation of the sheets by the control means is necessary.  
   
   
       4 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1  further comprising: 
 a usage frequency calculating means for calculating the usage frequency of each of the plural sheet feeding sections in a predetermined period up to currently, wherein    when a difference between accumulated quantities of fed sheets of any two sheet feeding sections of the plural sheet feeding sections is over a predetermined value and the usage frequency of a sheet feeding section, whose accumulation quantity of fed sheets is smaller of the two sheet feeding section, is lower than the usage frequency of the other sheet feeding section, whose accumulation quantity of fed sheets is larger of the two sheet feeding sections, based on a counting result of the accumulation feeding quantity counting means and a calculation result of the usage frequency calculating means, the control means changes the allocation of the sheets.    
   
   
       5 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein an alarm signal is outputted when the allocation of sheets by the control means is necessary.  
   
   
       6 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a notifying means for notifying the allocation of sheets changed by the control means.  
   
   
       7 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the notifying means is capable of transmitting a result of sheet allocation to an external device through communication means.  
   
   
       8 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein when the types of sheets set in the sheet feeding sections are equal in two or more sheet feeding sections, sheets are allocated to use the sheet feeding sections whose accumulation quantity of fed sheets is smaller with preference.  
   
   
       9 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein determination of bias of the usage frequency of each sheet feeding sections by the control means is started in each predetermined period.  
   
   
       10 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the determination of bias of the usage frequency of each sheet feeding sections by the control means is started in each predetermined period after the power of the apparatus main body is turned on.  
   
   
       11 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the determination of bias of the usage frequency of each sheet feeding sections by the estimation means is started each time when the accumulation quantity of fed sheets to the apparatus main body reaches a predetermined one.  
   
   
       12 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the determination of bias of the usage frequency of each sheet feeding sections by the estimating means is started according to an instruction from outside through a receiving means.