Toner refilling device and developing device using the same for an image forming apparatus
In a developing device of the present invention for depositing toner on an image carrier to thereby develop a latent image formed thereon, a toner refilling device is configured to refill, when the toner is short, fresh toner at a position where the developing device is situated.
1. A method of controlling a toner refilling device for refilling a toner container storing specified toner with fresh toner, said method comprising the steps of: providing the toner container with a data storing medium storing specified toner data particular to the specified toner;
reading said specified toner data out of said data storing medium before refilling the toner container with fresh toner;
determining, based on said specified toner data, whether or not the fresh toner to be refilled in the toner container is the specified toner; and
controlling, if the fresh toner is not the specified toner, said toner refilling device so as not to refill the toner container with said fresh toner.
2. A control system for controlling a toner refilling device configured to refill fresh toner in a toner container comprising a data storing medium that stores specified toner data particular to specified toner stored in said toner container, said control system comprising: reading means for reading said specified toner data out of the data storing medium before causing the fresh toner to be refilled in the toner container;
comparing means for comparing said specified toner data read out by said reading means and fresh toner data particular to the fresh toner to be refilled;
decision means for determining, based on a result of comparison output from said comparing means, whether or not the fresh toner is the specified toner; and control means for controlling, if the fresh toner is not the specified toner, the toner refilling device so as not to refill the toner container with said fresh toner.
3. The control system as claimed in claim 2 , further comprising writing means for writing data in the data storing medium.