An assembly for an image forming device includes an access door movable between an open position permitting replacement of a replaceable unit and a closed position. An electrical connector in the image forming device is movable between a retracted position and an extended position. In the retracted position the electrical connector is disengaged from a corresponding electrical connector of the replaceable unit when the replaceable unit is installed in the image forming device. In the extended position the electrical connector is engaged with the corresponding electrical connector of the replaceable unit. The electrical connector is operatively connected to the access door such that movement of the access door from the closed to the open position moves the electrical connector from the extended to the retracted position and movement of the access door from the open to the closed position moves the electrical connector from the retracted to the extended position.

An image forming apparatus includes a first moving member moving between a first position which is a position not in contact with a recording material and a second position which is a position in contact with the recording material, and a second moving member positioned in a third position in a state where an attachable/detachable unit is not attached to an apparatus main body and in a fourth position in a state where the attachable/detachable unit is attached to the apparatus main body. An optical sensor includes a light-emitting portion and a light-receiving portion, and a flag member moves between a transmission position and a light-shielding position and moves in conjunction with movement of the first moving member from the first position to the second position and with a movement of the second moving member from the third position to the fourth position.

An image forming apparatus and method for determining whether a toner refill apparatus is available are provided. The image forming apparatus includes a print engine to carry out a print job using a toner from a toner cartridge, a communication apparatus to communicate with a memory chip attached to a toner refill apparatus for refilling a toner in the toner cartridge, and a processor to identify whether the toner refill apparatus is available based on information stored in the memory chip of the toner refill apparatus.

A method of authenticating a consumable or detachable element of a continuous inkjet printer comprising: the controller of the printer generating a 1.sup.st item of random information that is dispatched to an authentication circuit of the element; encrypting the 1.sup.st item of information by the authentication circuit using a 1.sup.st encryption algorithm and a 1.sup.st secret key to form a 1.sup.st item of encrypted random information; dispatching the 1.sup.st item of information to the controller; encrypting the 1.sup.st item of information by the controller using a 2.sup.nd encryption algorithm and a 2.sup.nd secret key to form a 2.sup.nd item of encrypted random information; comparing the 1.sup.st item of encrypted random information with the 2.sup.nd encrypted item of random information to authenticate the consumable element; and if the consumable element is authenticated, dispatching at least one part of a 3.sup.rd key, termed the shared key, by the element to the printer.

A logic circuitry package for a replaceable print apparatus component includes a logic circuit and an interface to communicate with a print apparatus logic circuit. The logic circuit is configured to include a plurality of personalities, each personality of the plurality of personalities including an ID and a cryptographic key. The logic circuit is further configured to start a cryptographic session with the print apparatus logic circuit using a selected personality of the plurality of personalities, and transmit a consumable level value to the print apparatus logic circuit in response to a request from the print apparatus logic circuit independent of which personality of the plurality of personalities is the selected personality.

An image forming apparatus has a main body housing, a network interface for connecting to a network, a cartridge mountable to the main body housing and having a material or a component to be used for image formation in the image forming apparatus and a memory that stores contract information for permitting use of the cartridge in the image forming apparatus set to a contract mode, a communication unit for performing communication with using a mobile network different from the network, and a controller. The controller acquires the contract information from the memory, in a state where the cartridge is mounted to the main body housing, permits printing in the image forming apparatus using the cartridge based on the contract information, and transmits information about the image forming apparatus or the cartridge regarding the contract mode to a communication apparatus via the communication unit.

An image forming apparatus includes a motor, a container detection sensor, and a controller. When a toner container is attached, the motor generates a driving force for rotating a toner conveying member in the toner container. The container detection sensor is arranged at a position where the container detection sensor comes into contact with an outer periphery of a cam connected to the toner conveying member when the toner container is attached. The controller distinguishes between at least three attachment states of the toner container based on a sensor signal of the container detection sensor.

A transform wrapper is stored on a memory device and the memory device may be included in a printer cartridge. The transform wrapper may dynamically build a transform map for a printer based on metadata stored at the memory device. The metadata may indicate at least one of a type of depositing material, transform map, print media and printer.

Movement and/or urging of a developer carrying member is carried out with high precision. A cartridge that is mountable to an apparatus main assembly of an image forming apparatus, the cartridge includes a developing roller; a frame supporting the developing roller; a movable part movably supported by the frame and movable to a first position and to a second position relative to the frame; and an elastic part provided between the frame and the movable part to urge the movable part. The movable part includes a first force receiving part that receives force from the apparatus main assembly, in a direction of moving from the first position to the second position, and a second force receiving part that receives force from the apparatus main assembly, in a direction of moving from the second position to the first position. When the movable part receives force from the apparatus main assembly at the first force receiving part and is at the second position, the movable part receives urging force from the elastic part in a direction of moving the movable part from the second position to the first position.

A cartridge includes: a housing; a storage medium; and a holder. The storage medium has an electrical contact surface. The holder is movable relative to the housing. The holder includes: a first holder member; and a second holder member. The first holder member has a pawl portion and is configured to hold the electrical contact surface. The second holder member includes a corner portion. The pawl portion is engageable with the corner portion. The second holder member has a through-hole. An engagement part of the pawl portion engaging with the corner portion is accessible from outside the second holder member through the through-hole in a state where the pawl portion engages with the corner portion.