Image forming apparatus and controlling method of image forming apparatus

• US 20030123888A1
• Filed: 12/09/2002
• Published: 07/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Naito, Norihito, Matsumoto, Hideki, Hibi, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 6,785,479 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/27
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0856 Detection or control means for the developer level
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/086 the level being measured by electro-magnetic means

Abstract

The image forming apparatus of the present invention having a developer containing section and a developer remaining amount detecting member, and capable of forming an image at any of a plurality of printing speeds has a configuration in which the averaging method of the developer remaining amount by the developer remaining amount detecting member is changed in response to the printing speed. The invention thus provides an image forming apparatus having a plurality of printing speeds, which permits successive detection of the remaining amount of developer at a high accuracy in response to the printing speed.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus capable of forming an image at any of a plurality of printing speeds, comprising:

a developer container containing a developer;

a developer amount detecting member which detects a developer remaining amount in said developer container and outputs the detection value; and

a control section which detects a developer remaining amount by subjecting a plurality of detection values from said developer amount detecting member to an arithmetic processing to detect the remaining amount of developer;

wherein;

said control section changes said arithmetic processing in response to said printing speed.

2. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a paper feed section for feeding a recording medium for forming an image;

wherein;

said control section changes said printing speed by changing the driving timing of said paper feed section.

3. An image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the driving timing of said paper feed section is changed in response to the kind of said recording medium.

4. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said arithmetic processing is an averaging processing of said plurality of detection values.

5. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said developer remaining amount detecting member has a pair of opposite electrodes, and can successively output detection values in response to a developer amount in said developer container impression of a bias onto one of said opposite electrodes.

6. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, having a plurality of said remaining amount detecting means.

7. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least said developer container and said developer remaining amount detecting member are integrally formed into a cartridge which is attachable to and detachable from the main body of said image forming apparatus.

8. An image forming apparatus capable of forming an image at any of a plurality of printing speeds, comprising:

a developer container containing a developer;

a developer amount detecting member which detects a developer remaining amount in said developer container and outputs the detection value;

a conveying section for conveying a recording medium for forming an image; and

a control section which detects a remaining amount of developer by arithmetically processing a detection value output from said developer amount detecting member for each run of conveyance of the recording medium to said conveying section;

wherein;

said control section changes the detecting period of the detection value from said developer amount detecting member for each run of conveyance of the recording medium to said conveying section, in response to said printing speed.

9. An image forming apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising:

a driving section for driving said conveying section;

wherein;

said control means changes the printing speed by changing the driving speed of said driving section.

10. An image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said printing speed is changed in response to the image forming mode of the image forming apparatus.

11. An image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said developer remaining amount detecting member has a pair of opposite electrodes, and can successively output detection values in response to a developer amount in said developer container upon impression of a bias onto one of said opposite electrodes.

12. An image forming apparatus according to claim 8, having a plurality of said remaining amount detecting means.

13. An image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein at least said developer container and said developer remaining amount detecting member are integrally formed into a cartridge which is attachable to and detachable from the main body of said image forming apparatus.

14. A controlling method of an image forming apparatus capable of forming an image at any of a plurality of printing speeds, comprising a developer container containing a developer;

a developer amount detecting member which detects a developer remaining amount in said developer container and outputs the detection value; and

a control section which detects a developer remaining amount by subjecting a plurality of detection values from said developer amount detecting member to an arithmetic processing to detect the remaining amount of developer;

said controlling method comprising;

a first step of detecting the kind of a recording medium for forming an image;

a second step of determining a printing speed in response to the kind of the recording medium detected in said first step; and

a third step of detecting the remaining amount of developer by changing said arithmetic processing in response to the printing speed determined in said second step.

15. A controlling method of an image forming apparatus capable of forming an image at any of a plurality of printing speeds, comprising a developer container containing a developer;

a developer amount detecting member which detects a developer remaining amount in said developer container and outputs the detection value;

a conveying section for conveying a recording medium for forming an image; and

a control section which detects a remaining amount of developer by arithmetically processing a detection value output from said developer amount detecting member for each run of conveyance of a recording medium to said conveying section;

said controlling method comprising;

a first step of determining a printing speed in response to the image forming mode of said image forming apparatus;

a second step of changing the detection period of a detection value from said developer amount detecting member in every run of conveyance of a recording medium to said conveyance section in response to the image forming mode determined in said first step; and

a third step of detecting a remaining amount of developer by use of a detection value detected in said second step.