Image forming apparatus

• US 10,627,741 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2019
• Issued: 04/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Original Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Yokoyama, Yoshiki
• Primary Examiner(s): Curran, Gregory H
• Application Number:
  US16/393,197
• Publication Number:
  US 20190332031A1
• Time in Patent Office: 363 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0856 Detection or control means for the developer level
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0865 Arrangements for supplying new developer
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0867 cylindrical developer cartridges, e.g. toner bottles for the developer replenishing opening
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1633 using doors or covers G03G21/1638 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1676 for the developer unit
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1684 using extractable subframes, e.g. on rails or hinges

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a body casing provided therein with a container mounting part in which a plurality of toner containers are juxtaposed and mounted in a predetermined direction and an opening and closing door for opening and closing a toner container attaching/detaching opening formed on a sidewall opposite to the container mounting part in the body casing. The opening and closing door includes a plurality of sliding doors configured to slidably move within a range of a width of the opening in the predetermined direction.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a body casing provided therein with a container mounting part in which a plurality of toner containers are juxtaposed and mounted in a predetermined direction; and

an opening and closing door for opening and closing a toner container attaching/detaching opening formed on a sidewall opposite to the container mounting part in the body casing, wherein

the opening and closing door includes;

a plurality of sliding doors configured to be slidably movable within a range of a width of the opening in the predetermined direction, the plurality of sliding doors being configured to be switchable between a state, in which the opening is fully closed, and a state, in which only one of the toner containers is exposed to an exterior from the opening, in cooperation with each other,

the plurality of toner containers store toners of different colors, and

the image forming apparatus further comprises;

a toner remaining amount detection unit that is able to detect that the toner of each of the toner containers is exhausted; and

a door position control unit that specifies a toner container with no toner based on information from the toner remaining amount detection unit, and controls positions of the plurality of sliding doors such that only the toner container is exposed to the exterior from the opening.

2. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein, when a plurality of toner containers detected to have no toner exist in the plurality of toner containers, the door position control unit is configured to control the positions of the plurality of sliding doors such that the plurality of toner containers detected to have no toner are sequentially exposed one by one to the exterior from the opening.

3. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a body casing provided therein with a container mounting part in which four toner containers are juxtaposed and mounted in a predetermined direction; and

an opening and closing door for opening and closing a toner container attaching/detaching opening formed on a sidewall opposite to the container mounting part in the body casing, wherein

the opening and closing door includes;

a plurality of sliding doors configured to be slidably movable within a range of a width of the opening in the predetermined direction, wherein

the plurality of sliding doors, in a fully closed state in which the entire opening is closed, include a first sliding door covering two of the four toner containers on a central side in the predetermined direction, a second sliding door covering one of the four toner containers on a first end side in the predetermined direction, and a third sliding door covering one of the four toner containers on a second end side in the predetermined direction, and

the plurality of sliding doors are switched from the fully closed state, any one of the four toner containers being configured to be exposable from the opening to an exterior by changing a position of one sliding door of the first to the third sliding doors.

4. The image forming apparatus of claim 3, wherein

the four toner containers store toners of different colors, and

the image forming apparatus further comprises:

a toner remaining amount detection unit that is able to detect that the toner of each of the toner containers is exhausted; and

a door position control unit that specifies a toner container with no toner based on information from the toner remaining amount detection unit, and controls positions of the first to third sliding doors such that only the toner container is exposed to the exterior from the opening.

5. The image forming apparatus of claim 4, wherein, when a plurality of toner containers detected to have no toner exist in the four toner containers, the door position control unit is configured to control the positions of the plurality of sliding doors such that the plurality of toner containers are sequentially exposed one by one to the exterior from the opening.