IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

• US 20100014876A1
• Filed: 09/25/2009
• Published: 01/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Shimizu, Akihiro
• Application Number:
  US12/567,032
• Publication Number:
  US 20100014876A1
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0877 Arrangements for metering and dispensing developer from a developer cartridge into the development unit
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/553 Monitoring or warning means for exhaustion or lifetime end of consumables, e.g. indication of insufficient copy sheet quantity for a job
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/556 for toner consumption, e.g. pixel counting, toner coverage detection or toner density measurement

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a developing device configured to develop an electrostatic image on an image carrier with developer, and a developer container detachably attachable to the image forming apparatus and configured to store developer to be supplied to the developing device. A developer supply unit is configured to supply the developer from the developer container to the developing device. The developer supply unit includes a developer detector configured to detect the amount of developer in the developer supply unit. The image forming apparatus controls the supply of developer transported via the developer supply unit and disables image formation on the basis of the detection result obtained from the developer detector. After the image formation is disabled, when the completion of the replacement of the developer container is detected, the image forming apparatus canceled the disabled image formation regardless of the detection result obtained from the developer detector.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a developing device configured to develop an electrostatic image on an image carrier with developer;

a developer container attachable to and detachable from the image forming apparatus and configured to store developer to be supplied to the developing device;

a developer supply unit configured to transport the developer from the developer container to the developing device;

a developer detector configured to detect an amount of developer in the developer supply unit;

a supply controller configured to control the developer supply unit based on a detection result obtained from the developer detector;

a disabling device configured to disable image formation based on the detection result obtained from the developer detector;

a container replacement detector configured to detect a replacement of the developer container; and

a canceling device configured to cancel, after the disabling device disables the image formation, the disabled image formation when the container replacement detector detects a completion of the replacement of the developer container, regardless of the detection result obtained from the developer detector.