Image-forming device and developer cartridge for use therein

• US 20060193646A1
• Filed: 02/28/2006
• Published: 08/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Takagi, Takeyuki, Suzuki, Tsutomu, Kajikawa, Yoshifumi
• Granted Patent: US 7,512,347 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/12
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0855 the concentration being measured by optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0865 Arrangements for supplying new developer
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0875 cartridges having a box like shape
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1896 mechanical or optical identification means, e.g. protrusions, bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/066 Toner cartridge or other attachable and detachable container for supplying developer material to replace the used material
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/163 for the developer unit
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1892 Presence detection

Abstract

When a new developer cartridge is initially mounted in an image-forming device, a toothed part of a sensor gear disposed in the cartridge is brought into meshing engagement with an agitator drive gear disposed in the image-forming device. The sensor gear is driven while its toothed part is in meshing engagement with the agitator drive gear and driving of the sensor gear is stopped when its toothless part opposes the agitator drive gear. One or more contact protrusions are formed on the sensor gear to be movable therewith. An information-detecting mechanism detects how many contact protrusions are formed on the sensor gear during driving of the sensor gear. Based on the detection results, whether the mounted developer cartridge is a new product or not is determined, and information on the maximum sheets to be printed with the mounted developer cartridge is acquired.

Claims

1. An image-forming device comprising:

a body;

a developer cartridge accommodating developer therein and detachable from the body;

a motor generating a driving force;

a driving member disposed in the developer cartridge and capable of being driven by the motor a prescribed distance from a starting position to an ending position when the developer cartridge is mounted in the body;

a moving member provided in association with the driving member so as to be movable together with the driving member;

an information detecting section that detects the moving member as the moving member moves together with the driving member and outputs detection results; and

a controller that acquires information on the developer cartridge based on the detection results output from the information detecting section.

2. The image-forming device according to claim 1, wherein the information detecting section comprises a contact member contactable with the moving member, wherein the moving member moves while pushing the contact member.

3. The image-forming device according to claim 2, wherein the contact member contacts the moving member when the developer cartridge is mounted in the body.

4. The image-forming device according to claim 1, wherein the moving member comprises a toothless gear having a toothed part for transferring the driving force from the motor, and a toothless part for not transferring the driving force from the motor.

5. The image-forming device according to claim 4, wherein the developer cartridge comprises a transfer gear that transfers the driving force from the motor when the developer cartridge is mounted in the body, and the toothless gear is meshingly engaged with the transfer gear.

6. The image-forming device according to claim 5, wherein the developer cartridge further comprises an urging member that urges the toothless gear toward the transfer gear in order to engage therewith.

7. The image-forming device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of moving members is provided in association with the driving member.

8. The image-forming device according to claim 1, wherein one or more moving members is provided in association with the driving member, the number of the moving members being indicative of information on the developer cartridge, and the controller decodes the information on the developer cartridge based on the number of the moving members detected by the information detecting section.

9. The image-forming device according to claim 1, wherein a width of the moving member along the moving direction thereof corresponds to information on the developer cartridge, and the controller decodes the information on the developer cartridge based on a detection time during which the information detecting section detects the moving member.

10. The image-forming device according to claim 1, wherein the information on the developer cartridge is information indicating whether the developer cartridge is a new product.

11. The image-forming device according to claim 1, wherein the information on the developer cartridge is information on a maximum number of a recording medium on which images can be formed with the developer accommodated in the developer cartridge.

12. An image-forming-device comprising:

a body;

a developer cartridge accommodating developer therein and detachable from the body;

a motor generating a driving force;

a driving member disposed in the developer cartridge and capable of being driven by the motor a prescribed distance from a starting position to an ending position when the developer cartridge is mounted in the body;

a moving member provided in association with the driving member so as to be movable together with the driving member;

an information detecting section that detects the moving member as the moving member moves together with the driving member and outputs detection results; and

a controller that acquires information on the developer cartridge based on the detection results output from the information detecting section,

wherein a first number of moving members are provided when an amount of developer accommodated in the developer cartridge is a first amount, and a second number larger than the first number of moving members are provided when an amount of developer accommodated in the developer cartridge is a second amount smaller than the first amount; and

the controller determines that the amount of developer accommodated in the developer cartridge is the first amount when a detection number of the moving members detected by the information detecting section corresponds to the first number and determines that the amount of developer accommodated in the developer cartridge is the second amount when a detection number of the moving members corresponds to the second number.

13. The image-forming device according to claim 12, further comprising a memory that stores a table that associates the first amount and the second amount with the detection number corresponding to the first number and the detection number corresponding to the second number, respectively, wherein the controller references the memory and determines that the amount of developer accommodated in the developer cartridge is the first amount when the detection number is outside the detection numbers listed in the table.

14. The image-forming device according to claim 12, wherein the motor reduces a speed for moving the moving member from a speed used in image formation during an operation for detecting the moving member with the information detecting section.

15. A developer cartridge that is detachably mountable in an image-forming device, the developer cartridge comprising:

a driving member capable of being driven from an original position to an ending position when the developer cartridge is mounted in the image-forming device; and

a moving member provided in association with the driving member so as to be movable together with the driving member, wherein while the driving member is driven from the original position to the ending position when the developer cartridge is mounted in the image forming device, the moving member passes through a position where the moving member is detected by the image forming device.

16. The developer cartridge according to claim 15, wherein the driving member comprises a toothless gear having a toothed part for receiving a driving force from a motor in the image forming device, and a toothless part for not receiving the driving force from the motor.

17. A developer cartridge that is detachably mountable in an image-forming device, the developer cartridge comprising:

a toothless gear capable of being driven from an original position to an ending position when the developer cartridge is mounted in the image-forming device, the toothless gear being formed with a toothed part for receiving a driving force from a motor, and a toothless part for not receiving the driving force from the motor; and

a moving member movable together with the toothless gear, the moving member being disposed within a fanned-shape including an arcuate portion having the toothed part.

18. The developer cartridge according to claim 17, further comprising a transfer gear engaged with the toothless gear.

19. The developer cartridge according to claim 17, further comprising an urging member that urges the toothless gear toward the transfer gear.

20. The developer cartridge according to claim 19, wherein an end of the toothed part engages the transfer gear when the urging member urges the toothless gear toward the transfer gear.

21. The developer cartridge according to claim 17, wherein a plurality of moving members is provided in association with the toothless gear, the plurality of moving members having end portions arranged on a predetermined circle.

22. A developer cartridge comprising:

a casing;

a developer roller having a developer roller shaft rotatably supported in the casing;

a developer roller gear fixed to the developer roller shaft, the developer roller gear being rotatable with the developer roller shaft;

an associated gear rotatably provided in the casing, the associated gear being rotatable about an axis in accordance with rotation of the developer roller drive gear; and

a plurality of protrusions formed on the associated gear,

wherein each of the plurality of the protrusions extends from a part, which is different from where the axis is, of a surface of the associated gear in a direction parallel to the axis.

23. The developer cartridge according to claim 22, wherein the surface of the associated gear faces outwardly.

24. The developer cartridge according to claim 22, wherein the associated gear comprises a toothless gear having a circumferential part formed with a toothed part where gear tooth are formed and a toothless part where gear tooth are not formed.

25. A developer cartridge comprising:

a casing having confronting side walls, the casing accommodating a developer;

a developer roller having a developer roller shaft rotatably supported between the confronting side walls;

a developer roller gear fixed to the developer roller shaft, the developer roller gear being rotatable with the developer roller shaft;

a supply roller that is configured to supply the developer roller with the developer, the supply roller having a supply roller shaft rotatably supported between the confronting side walls;

a supply roller gear fixed to the supply roller shaft, the supply roller gear being rotatable with the supply roller shaft;

an agitator that is configured to stir the developer in the casing, the agitator having an agitator shaft rotatably supported between the confronting side walls;

an agitator gear fixed to the agitator shaft, the agitator gear being rotatable with the agitator shaft;

a gear mechanism including an input gear, the gear mechanism transferring a driving force from the input gear to each of the developer roller gear, the supply roller gear, and the agitator drive gear; and

an associated gear rotatably provided in one of the confronting side walls;

wherein the associated gear includes;

a circumferential part in which a toothed part is formed; and

a protrusion extending from the associated gear,

wherein the rotation of the agitator gear is configured to be transferred to the associated gear.

26. The developer cartridge according to claim 25, wherein the gear mechanism, the agitator gear and the associated gear define a transmitting communication to transmit the driving force from the input gear to the associated gear via the agitator gear, the associated gear being disposed in a downstream end of the transmitting communication.

27. The developer cartridge according to claim 25, wherein the associated gear is engaged only with the agitator gear.

28. The developer cartridge according to claim 27, wherein an end of the toothed part engages the agitator gear when urging member urges the toothless gear toward the agitator gear.

29. The developer cartridge according to claim 27, wherein the associated gear comprises a toothless gear formed with a toothed part and a toothless part in the circumferential part, the toothless gear being driven a prescribed amount from an original position to an ending position, the toothless part opposing the agitator gear at the ending position so that the toothless gear is disengaged from the agitator gear at the ending position.

30. The developer cartridge according to claim 25, wherein the associated gear rotates in a direction opposite of a direction in which the input gear rotates.

31. The developer cartridge according to claim 30, wherein the associated gear rotates in a direction same as a direction in which the developer roller gear rotates.

32. The developer cartridge according to claim 31, wherein the associated gear rotates in a direction same as a direction in which the supply roller gear rotates.

33. The developer cartridge according to claim 25, wherein the associated gear has a plurality of protrusions formed on the associated gear, each of the plurality of the protrusions extending from a part, which is different from where the shaft is provided, of a surface of the associated gear in a direction parallel to the shaft, the surface of the associated gear facing outwardly.

34. The developer cartridge according to claim 25, wherein the supply roller gear is directly engaged with the input gear.

35. The developer cartridge according to claim 25, wherein the developer roller gear is directly engaged with the input gear.