IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD

• US 20120002987A1
• Filed: 06/23/2011
• Published: 01/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: ODANI, Makoto
• Granted Patent: US 8,781,346 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/44
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0848 Arrangements for testing or measuring developer properties or quality, e.g. charge, size, flowability
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0855 the concentration being measured by optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0863 provided with identifying means or means for storing process- or use parameters, e.g. an electronic memory
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0865 Arrangements for supplying new developer
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/50 Machine control of apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern, e.g. regulating differents parts of the machine, multimode copiers, microprocessor control sequencing control G03G21/14
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1889 for auto-setting of process parameters, lifetime, usage
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/20 Humidity or temperature control also ozone evacuation; Internal apparatus environment control
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00772 of temperature influencing copy sheet handling

Abstract

Certain embodiments provide an image forming apparatus including: an image carrier; a latent image forming unit; a developing unit; a fixing unit; a toner cartridge; a battery in the toner cartridge; a temperature sensor in the toner cartridge driven by the battery; a first controller which causes the temperature sensor to measure an ambient temperature periodically in the toner cartridge and be supplied with power from the battery; a recording medium which is provided in the toner cartridge and records a result of measurement by the temperature sensor in timing controlled by the first controller; and a second controller which reads out information recorded in the recording medium, and changes an operating condition of the latent image forming unit, the developing unit and the fixing unit according to a state of preservation of the supply of toner, based on the information.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image carrier in a body;

a latent image forming unit configured to form an electrostatic latent image on the image carrier;

a developing unit configured to develop the electrostatic latent image with a two-component developer containing toner particles and carrier particles;

a fixing unit configured to fix, on a sheet, a toner image visualized on the image carrier by the developing unit;

a toner cartridge configured to accommodate a supply of toner for the developing unit;

a battery provided in the toner cartridge;

a temperature sensor provided in the toner cartridge driven by the battery;

a first controller configured to cause the temperature sensor to measure an ambient temperature periodically in the toner cartridge and be supplied with power from the battery;

a recording medium provided in the toner cartridge and configured to record a result of measurement by the temperature sensor in timing controlled by the first controller; and

a second controller configured to control execution of an image forming process in the body, read out information recorded in the recording medium, and change an operating condition of the latent image forming unit, the developing unit and the fixing unit according to a state of preservation of the supply of toner, based on the information.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the recording medium holds plural temperature zones and counter values of respective counters by the temperature zone in association with each other, the counter value indicating a number of times a temperature measured by the temperature sensor falls in each temperature zone and

the second controller reads out the counter value of the counter by the temperature zone from the recording medium and changes an image forming parameter indicating the operating condition according to the counter value.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the second controller changes expiry date information of the supply of toner.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the operating condition changed by the second controller includes one or more of an intensity of a laser beam from a laser exposure unit which forms the electrostatic latent image, a irradiating time of the laser beam, a charging bias applied to the charger, a developing bias applied to the developing unit, and a fixing temperature and a fixing time of the fixing unit.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a transfer target member configured to transfer thereon the toner image visualized on the image carrier by the developing unit, wherein the second controls changes a transfer bias.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the developing unit comprises a mixer which stirs the two-component developer, and the second controller changes a stirring time of the two-component developer by the mixer.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first controller continues causing the temperature sensor to measure the ambient temperature even after the toner cartridge is loaded in the body.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the second controller properly uses, as required, the operating condition before the toner cartridge is loaded in the body and the operating condition after the toner cartridge is loaded in the body.

9. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the second controller causes an operation panel to display the expiry date information.

10. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising an oscillator configured to output a frequency signal,

wherein the first controller measures a read cycle based on an output from the oscillator and a processor timer, and wakes up when the read cycle is reached, thus causing the temperature sensor to operate.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a real-time clock output element configured to output real-time information,

wherein the first controller records temperature information measured by the temperature sensor and time information from the real-time clock output element, in association with each other, into the recording medium, and

the second controller changes the operating condition based on the temperature information and the time information.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a storage unit configured to hold plural parameter value groups, each parameter value group containing at least an intensity of a laser beam from a laser exposure unit which forms the electrostatic latent image, a irradiating time of the laser beam, a charging bias applied to the charger, a developing bias applied to the developing unit, and a fixing temperature and a fixing time of the fixing unit,

wherein the second controller changes the operating condition based on one of the plural parameter value groups.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the recording medium has authentication data stored therein, and when the second controller authenticates the toner cartridge with the authentication data and the authentication is successful, the second controller reads the information recorded in the recording medium.

14. A toner cartridge comprising:

a container including a discharge port connected to an image forming apparatus, and a chamber for a supply of toner communicating to the discharge port;

an auger configured to provided in the chamber and carry the supply of toner to the discharge port;

a battery in the container;

a temperature sensor driven by the battery and provided in the toner cartridge;

a first controller configured to cause the temperature sensor to measure an ambient temperature of the toner cartridge periodically in the container and be supplied with power from the battery;

a recording medium provided in the container and configured to record a result of measurement by the temperature sensor in timing controlled by the first controller; and

a circuit board including a power supply terminal which supplies power from the battery to the first controller, and an output terminal which outputs recording information for changing an image forming condition according to a state of preservation of the supply of toner, to the image forming apparatus from the recording medium.

15. The toner cartridge of claim 14, wherein the recording medium holds plural temperature zones and counter values of respective counters by the temperature zone in association with each other, the counter value indicating a number of times a temperature measured by the temperature sensor falls in each temperature zone and

the first controller outputs the counter value of the counter by the temperature zone to the output terminal.

16. The toner cartridge of claim 14, wherein the first controller continues causing the temperature sensor to measure the ambient temperature even after the toner cartridge is loaded in the image forming apparatus.

17. An image forming method comprising:

providing a supply of toner to be supplied to an image forming apparatus, a battery, a temperature sensor, a recording medium, and a first controller which causes the temperature sensor to measure an ambient temperature, in a toner cartridge which accommodates the supply of toner for the image forming apparatus;

the first controller starting to record a result of periodic measurement by the temperature sensor into the recording medium;

a second controller of the image forming apparatus reading out information recorded in the recording medium after the toner cartridge is loaded in the image forming apparatus;

the second controller changing an operating condition for image formation according to a state of preservation of the supply of toner based on the information; and

executing an image forming process according to the operating condition after the change.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein in the periodic measurement by the temperature sensor,

recording plural temperature zones and counter values of respective counters by the temperature zone in association with each other, the counter value indicating a number of times a temperature measured by the temperature sensor falls in each temperature zone in the recording medium.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein in the periodic measurement by the temperature sensor,

measuring a read cycle based on a frequency signal outputted from an oscillator and a processor timer, and

measuring the ambient temperature at occurrence waking-up on coming of the read cycle.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein in the periodic measurement by the temperature sensor,

recording temperature information measured by the temperature sensor and time information from a real-time clock output element in association with each other in the recording medium.