Image forming apparatus using a process unit
First Claim
1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
- an image forming apparatus body;
a process unit detachably mounted on said body of the image forming apparatus and including a photosensitive member, a toner supplying section which supplies toner to the photosensitive member and to which a toner pack is detachably mounted, and a spent toner holding section for receiving spent toner from the photosensitive member, the photosensitive member, the toner supplying section, and the spent toner holding section being integral with the process unit so as to be removable together with the toner and the spent toner being sealed in the process unit when the process unit is detached from the body of the image forming apparatus;
first means for detecting whether or not said photosensitive member has reached its life limit;
second means for detecting whether or not said spent toner holding section has been filled with spent toner; and
means for informing a user of an operating status of said process unit when said first means detects that said photosensitive member has reached its life limit or when said second means detects that said spent toner holding section has been filled with spent toner.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In a recording apparatus for performing electro-static recording using toner, an image forming apparatus has a process unit including, as one unit, at least a photosensitive member and a spent toner holding section, a first counter for counting a total amount of use of the photosensitive member and a second counter for counting a total amount of toner that has been consumed. A determining section using the process unit determines the necessity for the process unit to be replaced with a new process unit by comparing a total amount of use of the photosensitive member counted by the first counter with a first predetermined reference value and the total amount of consumed toner with a second predetermined reference reference value according to whether the total amount of use of the photosensitive member exceeds the first reference value or the total amount of toner counted exceeds the second reference value.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
an image forming apparatus body; a process unit detachably mounted on said body of the image forming apparatus and including a photosensitive member, a toner supplying section which supplies toner to the photosensitive member and to which a toner pack is detachably mounted, and a spent toner holding section for receiving spent toner from the photosensitive member, the photosensitive member, the toner supplying section, and the spent toner holding section being integral with the process unit so as to be removable together with the toner and the spent toner being sealed in the process unit when the process unit is detached from the body of the image forming apparatus; first means for detecting whether or not said photosensitive member has reached its life limit; second means for detecting whether or not said spent toner holding section has been filled with spent toner; and means for informing a user of an operating status of said process unit when said first means detects that said photosensitive member has reached its life limit or when said second means detects that said spent toner holding section has been filled with spent toner. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
15. An image forming apparatus comprising:
-
a detachable process unit including an image bearing member, a toner supplying section which supplies toner to the image bearing member and to which a toner pack is detachably mounted, and a spent toner holding section for receiving spent toner from the image bearing member, the image bearing member, the toner supplying section, and the spent toner holding section being integral with said process unit so as to be removable together with the toner and the spent toner being sealed in the process unit when said process unit is detached from a body of the image forming apparatus; first means for detecting whether or not said image bearing member has reached its life limit; second means for detecting whether or not said spent toner holding section has been filled with spent toner; and means for determining the necessity for said process unit to be replaced with a new process unit when said first means detects that said image bearing member has reached its life limit or when said second means detects that said spent toner holding section has been filled with the spent toner. - View Dependent Claims (16)
-
-
17. A process unit including:
-
a photosensitive member integral with a body of the process unit; a spent toner holding section for receiving spent toner from said photosensitive member, the spent toner holding section being integral with the body of the process unit; first means for detecting whether or not said photosensitive member has reached its life limit; second means for detecting whether or not said spent toner holding section has been filled with spent toner; and means for informing a user of an operating status of said process unit when said first means detects that said photosensitive member has reached its life limit or when said second means detects that said spent toner holding section has been filled with spent toner. - View Dependent Claims (18)
-
-
19. An image forming apparatus comprising:
-
a process unit including a photosensitive member integral with said process unit and a spent toner holding section integral with said process unit; first means for detecting whether or not said photosensitive member has reached its life limit; second means for detecting whether or not said spent toner section has been filled with spent toner; and means for informing a user of an operating status of said process unit when said first means detects that said photosensitive member has reached its life limit or when said second means detects that said spent toner section has been filled with spent toner. - View Dependent Claims (20)
-
Specification