Image forming apparatus and developer remaining amount detecting method
First Claim
1. An image forming apparatus, which uses a developing device including:
- a developer carrying member developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive member with a developer;
a developer containing portion containing the developer;
an agitating member provided rotatably in the developer containing portion to agitate the developer; and
a developer remaining amount detecting member outputting a signal for detecting a remaining amount of the developer contained in the developer containing portion, the image forming apparatus comprising;
a main body controller to which the signal is input, and which detects the remaining amount by using a first detecting unit that sets a reference value serving as a reference for detecting the remaining amount by the signal, and thereafter calculates the remaining amount based on an amount of change in the signal from the reference value, and a second detecting unit that detects the remaining amount based on a band of fluctuation in the signal corresponding to a rotational period of the agitating member.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An image forming apparatus, which uses a developing device including: a developer carrying member; a developer containing portion; an agitating member agitating a developer; a developer amount detecting member outputting a signal for detecting the remaining amount of the developer contained in the developer containing portion, the image forming apparatus including a main body controller detecting the remaining amount using a first detecting unit that sets a reference value as a reference for detecting the remaining amount by the signal, and thereafter calculates the remaining amount based on an amount of change in the signal from the reference value, and a second detecting unit that detects the remaining amount based on a band of fluctuation in the signal corresponding to a rotational period of the agitating member.
14 Citations
38 Claims
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1. An image forming apparatus, which uses a developing device including:
- a developer carrying member developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive member with a developer;
a developer containing portion containing the developer;
an agitating member provided rotatably in the developer containing portion to agitate the developer; and
a developer remaining amount detecting member outputting a signal for detecting a remaining amount of the developer contained in the developer containing portion, the image forming apparatus comprising;a main body controller to which the signal is input, and which detects the remaining amount by using a first detecting unit that sets a reference value serving as a reference for detecting the remaining amount by the signal, and thereafter calculates the remaining amount based on an amount of change in the signal from the reference value, and a second detecting unit that detects the remaining amount based on a band of fluctuation in the signal corresponding to a rotational period of the agitating member. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
- a developer carrying member developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive member with a developer;
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8. An image forming apparatus, which uses a developing device including:
- a developer carrying member developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive member with a developer;
a developer containing portion containing the developer;
an agitating member provided rotatably in the developer containing portion to agitate the developer; and
a developer remaining amount detecting member outputting a signal for detecting a remaining amount of the developer contained in the developer containing portion, the image forming apparatus comprising;a main body controller to which the signal is input, and which detects the remaining amount of the developer;
the main body controller including;
a reference value setting unit that sets a reference value serving as a reference for detecting a remaining amount of the developer using the signal;
a remaining amount detecting unit that calculates a remaining amount of the developer based on an amount of change in the signal from the reference value;
a band of fluctuation detecting unit that detects a band of fluctuation in the signal corresponding to a rotational period of the agitating member; and
a reference value changing unit that changes the reference value to a new reference value derived from the band of fluctuation. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
- a developer carrying member developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive member with a developer;
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17. An image forming apparatus, which uses a developing device including:
- a developer carrying member developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive member with a developer;
a developer containing portion containing the developer;
an agitating member provided rotatably in the developer containing portion to agitate the developer; and
a developer remaining amount detecting member outputting a signal for detecting a remaining amount of the developer contained in the developer containing portion, the image forming apparatus comprising;a main body controller to which the signal is input, and which detects the remaining amount of the developer, the main body controller including;
a reference value setting unit that sets a reference value serving as a reference for detecting the remaining amount of the developer using the signal;
a remaining amount detecting unit that calculates a remaining amount of the developer based on an amount of change in the signal from the reference value;
a band of fluctuation detecting unit that detects a band of fluctuation in the signal corresponding to a rotational period of the agitating member; and
a correcting unit that corrects the remaining amount of the developer calculated by the remaining amount detecting unit based on a corrected value derived from the band of fluctuation. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
- a developer carrying member developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive member with a developer;
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26. A detecting method of detecting a remaining amount of a developer contained in a developer containing portion in an image forming apparatus, which uses a developing device including:
- a developer carrying member developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive member with a developer;
the developer containing portion containing the developer;
an agitating member provided rotatably in the developer containing portion to agitate the developer; and
a developer remaining amount detecting member outputting a signal for detecting the remaining amount of the developer contained in the developer containing portion, the detecting method comprising;a first step of setting a reference value serving as a reference for detecting the remaining amount by the signal, and thereafter calculating the remaining amount based on an amount of change in the signal from the reference value; and a second step of detecting the remaining amount based on a band of fluctuation in the signal corresponding to a rotational period of the agitating member. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28)
- a developer carrying member developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive member with a developer;
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29. A detecting method of detecting a remaining amount of a developer contained in a developer containing portion in an image forming apparatus, which uses a developing device including:
- a developer carrying member developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive member with the developer;
the developer containing portion containing the developer;
an agitating member provided rotatably in the developer containing portion to agitate the developer; and
a developer remaining amount detecting member outputting a signal for detecting a remaining amount of the developer contained in the developer containing portion, the detecting method comprising;a reference value setting step of setting a reference value to be a reference for detecting the remaining amount of the developer by the signal; a remaining amount detecting step of calculating the remaining amount of the developer based on an amount of change in the signal from the reference value; a band of fluctuation detecting step of detecting a band of fluctuation in the signal corresponding to a rotational period of the agitating member; and a reference value changing step of changing the reference value to a new reference value derived from the band of fluctuation. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33)
- a developer carrying member developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive member with the developer;
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34. A detecting method of detecting a remaining amount of a developer contained in a developer containing portion in an image forming apparatus, which uses a developing device including:
- a developer carrying member developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive member with the developer;
a developer containing portion containing the developer;
an agitating member provided rotatably in the developer containing portion to agitate the developer; and
a developer remaining amount detecting member outputting a signal for detecting the remaining amount of the developer contained in the developer containing portion, the detecting method comprising;a reference value setting step of setting a reference value to be a reference for detecting the remaining amount of the developer by the signal; a remaining amount detecting step of calculating the remaining amount of the developer based on an amount of change in the signal from the reference value; a band of fluctuation detecting step of detecting a band of fluctuation in the signal corresponding to a rotational period of the agitating member; and a correction step of correcting the remaining amount of the developer calculated by the remaining amount detecting step based on a corrected value derived from the band of fluctuation. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38)
- a developer carrying member developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive member with the developer;
Specification