Processing cartridge for image forming apparatus having a non-volatile memory

• US 6,549,732 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2001
• Issued: 04/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd. (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd. (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Takano, Yoshiaki, Nagatani, Kentaro, Yoshizaki, Yoshihiko, Hino, Hideki, Okunishi, Kazuo, Tohyama, Daisetsu
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Hoan
• Application Number:
  US09/906,083
• Publication Number:
  US 20020021906A1
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 399/9, 399/12, 399/13, 399/24, 399/25, 399/26, 399/111
• US Class Current: 399/12
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1889 for auto-setting of process parameters, lifetime, usage
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1823 Cartridges having electronically readable memory

Abstract

A process cartridge removably insertable in a body of an image-forming apparatus. The process cartridge has at least one constituent element executing an image formation process, and a non-volatile memory. In the non-volatile memory, data having an identical content are stored at a plurality of mutually spaced locations, the number of which depends on a kind of the data. With respect the locations for the data of an identical content, an address shift amount from one location to another is set according to the kind of the data.

Claims

1. A process cartridge removably insertable in a body of an image-forming apparatus, comprising:

a constituent element executing an image formation process; and

a non-volatile memory storing rewritable data having an identical content at a plurality of mutually spaced locations, and each of read-only data at locations equal in number to or fewer than the locations for a rewritable data which is assigned a fewest number of locations among all the rewritable data.

2. A process cartridge according to claim 1, wherein said rewritable data includes a counter data that represents a value counted when an image formation process is performed using the process cartridge.

3. A process cartridge according to claim 2, wherein said rewritable data further includes a detection-of insertion data indicating whether the process cartridge has been inserted in the body of the image-forming apparatus.

4. A process cartridge according to claim 3, wherein the number of locations in the non-volatile memory for the detection-of-insertion data are smaller than that for the counter data.

5. A process cartridge according to claim 2, wherein said rewritable data further includes a detection-of-new-product data indicating whether the process cartridge is new.

6. A process cartridge according to claim 5, wherein the number of locations in the non-volatile memory for the detection-of-new-product data is smaller than that for the counter data.

7. A process cartridge according to claim 1, wherein said read only data includes data indicating a kind of the process cartridge.

8. A process cartridge removably insertable in a body of an image-forming apparatus, comprising:

a constituent element executing an image formation process; and

a non-volatile memory storing data having an identical content at a plurality of mutually spaced locations in address shift amounts set according to a kind of the data.

9. A process cartridge according to claim 8, wherein the address shift amounts are different among a plurality of data that are assigned a different number of locations in the non-volatile memory, and the address shift amounts are the same among a plurality of data that are assigned the same number of locations in the non-volatile memory.

10. A process cartridge according to claim 8, wherein in the non-volatile memory, data assigned a single location is stored at an address prior to an address of a second one of the locations for the data having an identical content.

11. A process cartridge removably insertable in a body of an image-forming apparatus, comprising:

at least one constituent element executing an image formation process; and

a non-volatile memory sequentially storing, from a headmost address thereof, a detection-of-insertion data indicating whether the process cartridge has been inserted in the body of the image-forming apparatus, a destination data indicating a destination of the process cartridge, and a color code data indicating a color of an image which is formed by the process cartridge.

12. A process cartridge according to claim 11, wherein the destination data includes, in order of address, a shipment destination data indicating a destination classified by region and an OEM code data indicating an OEM for which the process cartridge has been manufactured.

13. A process cartridge according to claim 11, wherein the non-volatile memory contains a detection-of-new-product data indicating whether the process cartridge is new at an address subsequent to the address at which the color code data is stored.

14. A process cartridge according to claim 11, wherein said at least one constituent element includes a photosensitive unit including a photosensitive drum, a charging device, and a cleaner, and a developing unit including a developing device and a toner reservoir.