초록 ▼

An electronic locking system to secure consumable items in an image forming device and a method therefore. In one embodiment of the invention, an electronic locking system to secure media sheets includes a media tray to hold media sheets, a tray receiving member for receiving the media tray, and a c

An electronic locking system to secure consumable items in an image forming device and a method therefore. In one embodiment of the invention, an electronic locking system to secure media sheets includes a media tray to hold media sheets, a tray receiving member for receiving the media tray, and a controller. The tray receiving member includes a drive device and a plunger. The plunger is moved by the drive device between a locked and an unlocked position. The controller is configured to control the drive device to move the plunger to engage a portion of the media tray in the locked position and to move the plunger to disengage from the portion of the media tray in the unlocked position. The electronic locking system, incorporating the controller, provides an effective and efficient way to lock/unlock the media tray and eliminates the use of mechanical keys.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An electronic locking system to secure a consumable item in an image forming device comprising: a first member to hold the consumable item and movable between an open position and a closed position, the first member being in the open position provides access to the consumable item;a receiving mem

1. An electronic locking system to secure a consumable item in an image forming device comprising: a first member to hold the consumable item and movable between an open position and a closed position, the first member being in the open position provides access to the consumable item;a receiving member configured to receive the first member, the receiving member including a locking member; anda controller for controlling the locking member to lock the first member to the receiving member when the first member is in the closed position, and to unlock the first member from the receiving member so that the first member is movable to the open position,wherein the locking member includes a drive device coupled to the controller and a plunger, the plunger is moved by the drive device between a locked and an unlocked position, and the controller controls the drive device to move the plunger to the unlocked position only when the image forming device is not printing such that movement of the plunger to the unlocked position is delayed until an ongoing print operation is complete. 2. The electronic locking system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control the drive device to move the plunger to engage a portion of the first member in the locked position, and to move the plunger to disengage from the portion of the first member in the unlocked position. 3. The electronic locking system of claim 2, wherein the image forming device includes an interface for receiving codes, and wherein when a correct code is received the controller controls the drive device to move the plunger to the unlocked position. 4. The electronic locking system of claim 3, wherein the interface receives the code from at least one of a user and a device on which the code is stored. 5. The electronic locking system of claim 3, wherein the controller records the time the correct code is entered into the image forming device and stores in memory the recorded time along with the corresponding correct code for use in subsequently tracing a user of the image forming device who provided thereto the correct code to move the plunger to the unlocked position. 6. The electronic locking system of claim 1, wherein the first member comprises a media tray, the consumable item comprises one or more sheets of media, and the receiving member comprises a tray receiving member. 7. The electronic locking system of claim 6, wherein the tray receiving member includes a sensing member which detects the media tray being positioned inside the tray receiving member, and in response to a detection by the sensing member the controller controls the drive device to move the plunger to the locked position. 8. The electronic locking system of claim 7, following the controller controlling the drive device to move the plunger to the unlocked position, the controller controls the drive device to move the plunger to the locked position upon completion of a predetermined time period during which the media tray remains positioned inside the tray receiving member as sensed by the sensing member. 9. The electronic locking system of claim 6, wherein the controller controls the drive device to automatically move the plunger to the unlocked position if the media tray is empty. 10. A method for locking and unlocking a media tray in an image forming device comprising: detecting, by the image forming device, the media tray being in a closed position relative to the image forming device and locking, by the image forming device, the media tray in the closed position in response to the detection;receiving, by the image forming device, a code from a user of the image forming device;determining, by the image forming device, if the code is a predetermined code; andunlocking, by the image forming device, the media tray based upon the determination,wherein unlocking the media tray is delayed relative to the determination until an ongoing print job is complete. 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising: following unlocking the media tray, locking the media tray upon completion of a predetermined time period during which the media tray remains in the closed position. 12. The method of claim 10, further comprising automatically unlocking the media tray upon determining the media tray to be empty. 13. An electronic locking system to secure a consumable item in an image forming device, comprising: a first member to hold the consumable item within the image forming device and movable between an open position and a closed position, the first member being in the open position provides access to the consumable item and in the closed position during a printing operation;a receiving member configured to receive the first member, the receiving member including a locking member; anda controller for controlling the locking member to lock the first member to the receiving member when the first member is in the closed position, and to unlock the first member from the receiving member so that the first member is movable to the open position,wherein the locking member includes a drive device and a plunger, the plunger being moved by the drive device between a locked and an unlocked position, and the controller controlling the drive device to automatically move the plunger to the unlocked position if the consumable item has been depleted. 14. The electronic locking system of claim 13, wherein the first member comprises a media tray, the consumable item comprises one or more sheets of media, the receiving member comprises a tray receiving member, and the controller controlling the drive device to automatically move the plunger to the unlocked position if the media tray is empty. 15. The electronic locking system of claim 13, wherein the first member comprises a door of the image forming device, the receiving member includes a button manipulatable by a user of the image forming device to open the door and a latching assembly to latch the door in the closed position, and the plunger engages the button when in the locked position to prevent user-applied movement of the button and to lock the door to the receiving member and disengages with the button when in the unlocked position to allow for user-applied movement thereof. 16. The electronic locking system of claim 13, further comprising a sensing element for sensing the consumable item being positioned within the image forming device, wherein the controller returns the plunger to the locked position a predetermined period of time immediately following the plunger being moved to the unlocked position and during the predetermined period of time the sensing element detects that the consumable item remained within the image forming device. 17. The electronic locking system of claim 13, wherein the controller does not move the plunger to the unlocked position during the printing operation, and automatically moves the plunger to the locked position from the unlocked position upon the consumable item being inserted within the image forming device.