Patent classifications
G03G15/0856
TONER CARTRIDGE
The present disclosure provides a toner cartridge. The toner cartridge includes a toner hopper containing toner, a waste toner bin containing waste toner, and a developing part disposed in the toner hopper. The toner hopper and the waste toner bin are movably connected; and the toner hopper is capable of moving from a first position to a second position relative to the waste toner bin. When the toner hopper is at the first position, the developing part is electrically connected to a printer and capable of receiving a developing voltage signal sent by the printer; and when the toner hopper is at the second position, the developing unit is electrically disconnected from the printer and not capable of receiving the developing voltage signal sent by the printer or not capable of sending an electrical signal to the printer.
IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS HAVING TONER REPLENISHMENT CONTAINER CONTROL
An image forming apparatus to and from which a replenishment container accommodating toner is detachable and which forms an image on a recording material includes an apparatus body, and a cartridge including an image bearing member, a developer container to accommodate toner, and a developing portion to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on the image bearing member into a toner image by using the toner. A replenishment port allows replenishment of toner from the replenishment container, which is arranged outside of the image forming apparatus, to the developer container therethrough in a state where the replenishment container is attached to the replenishment port, and a controller notifies a user of information related to a toner amount if it is determined that a lifetime of the cartridge will expire before a sum of toner accommodated in the developer container and toner accommodated in the replenishment container is consumed.
WASTE DEVELOPER CONTAINER AND IMAGE FORMING DEVICE INCLUDING THE SAME
Provided is a waste developer container to be fixed to an image forming device including a developing device and a waste developer amount detection unit for obtaining information on an amount of accumulated waste developer discharged from the developing device, wherein the developing device uses toner image carrier holding a toner image and two-component developer to form a toner image, the waste developer amount detection unit obtains the information on the accumulated amount by emission and reception of light, and the waste developer container includes: a container space for containing waste developer discharged; a detection window for passing light that is emitted from the waste developer amount detection unit, passes the container space, and is incident again to the waste developer amount detection unit; and a magnet provided to a position where a magnetic force is applied to the detection window and light passing the detection window is not shut.
Image forming apparatus having a toner replenishment operation
An image forming apparatus includes a first display portion to display a ratio of an amount of toner accommodated in the developer container to a maximum amount of toner that the developer container is capable of accommodating, and a controller to, in a case where a replenishment operation, in which toner is supplied from the replenishment container to the replenishment port, is performed when a second display portion is in a second state, switch the second display portion from the second state to a first state and perform a display processing of displaying, on the first display portion, the ratio corresponding to an amount of toner accommodated in the developer container after the replenishment operation.
Image forming apparatus having toner replenishment container control
An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body, a cartridge attachable to and detachable from the apparatus body, a replenishment restriction portion configured to switch between a restricting state in which toner replenishment through a replenishment port is restricted and an allowing state in which toner replenishment through the replenishment port is allowed, a toner remainder amount detection portion, and a controller. The controller is configured to, when the replenishment container is attached to the replenishment port, maintain the replenishment restriction portion in the restricting state in a case where a second printable sheet number is larger than a first printable sheet number, with the first printable sheet number being obtained from a lifetime of the cartridge, and the second printable sheet number being obtained from a sum of the amount of toner accommodated in the developer container and an amount of toner accommodated in the replenishment container.
LOGIC CIRCUITRY
A logic circuitry package for a replaceable print apparatus component comprises an interface to communicate with a print apparatus logic circuit, and at least one logic circuit. The logic circuit may be configured to identify, from a command stream received from the print apparatus, parameters including a class parameter, and/or identify, from the command stream, a read request, and output, via the interface, a count value in response to a read request, the count value based on identified received parameters.
IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS THAT REDUCES REMAINING AMOUNT OF DEVELOPER DURING EXCHANGE OF DEVELOPER HOUSING PORTION AND METHOD OF RELEASING REGULATION ON ATTACHMENT/REMOVAL OF DEVELOPER HOUSING PORTION
An image forming apparatus includes a mounting portion, a lock mechanism, an image forming unit, a first detection processing unit, a second detection processing unit, a first release processing unit, and a second release processing unit. The first detection processing unit detects a first state where a remaining amount of the developer is less than a predetermined first reference amount. The second detection processing unit detects a second state where the remaining amount of the developer is equal to or more than the first reference amount and less than a predetermined second reference amount. The second reference amount is larger than the first reference amount. The first release processing unit releases the regulation on the attachment/removal of the developer housing portion when the first state is detected. The second release processing unit releases the regulation when unit the second state is detected and a predetermined release condition is met.
IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS FOR FORMING IMAGE USING DEVELOPER, METHOD FOR RELEASING REGULATION ON ATTACHMENT/DETACHMENT OF DEVELOPER STORAGE PORTIONS
An image forming apparatus includes lock mechanisms, a second detection processing portion, and a second release processing portion. The lock mechanisms regulate attachment and detachment of the developer storage portions attached to the attachment portions. The second detection processing portion detects whether or not any of the image forming units has an abnormality. The second release processing portion can release a regulation on attachment and detachment of two or more developer storage portions corresponding to two or more image forming units that include at least an image forming unit adjacent to the image forming unit detected to have the abnormality.
IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD
An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer, a toner image forming device, a plurality of image density detectors, and a controller. The plurality of image density detectors are disposed at predetermined intervals opposite the image bearer in a width direction of the image bearer. The controller causes the toner image forming device to form toner image patterns having an identical density at the plurality of positions on the image bearer and the plurality of image density detectors detects a density of the toner image patterns. Based on the detected density of the toner image patterns, the controller identifies multiple cyclic fluctuations of the density of the toner image patterns and adjusts an image forming condition based on the multiple cyclic fluctuations of the density of the toner image patterns to decrease an amplitude caused by the multiple cyclic fluctuations of the density of the toner image patterns.
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus has a photosensitive drum configured to bear a developer image, a developing apparatus having a developing roller that bears developer and a developing blade that regulates the amount of the developer on the developing roller, and a detection portion that detects information on the amount of the developer stored in the developing apparatus. The image forming apparatus performs a discharging operation for discharging a coating agent, applied to a developing roller in an unused state, from the developing apparatus to the photosensitive drum, while varying an operational condition for the discharging operation varied based on the information.