IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,846,894
Granted Patent B2
US 11,846,894 · App. 17/894,216 · Granted Dec 19, 2023

Image forming apparatus and image forming system

Inventors: Masaaki Sato (Kanagawa, JP); Koji Wada (Kanagawa, JP); Tsuyoshi Ogawa (Tokyo, JP); Koji Fujinaka (Tokyo, JP); Takao Sameshima (Kanagawa, JP); Tomio Noguchi (Shizuoka, JP); Akitoshi Toyota (Kanagawa, JP); Susumu Nittani (Shizuoka, JP)
Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
G03G15/0862G03G15/0856G03G15/0872G03G15/0889G03G15/556
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,846,894
App. No.
17/894,216
Granted
Dec 19, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a developer container to accommodate developer containing toner, a developer bearing member to rotate while bearing the developer accommodated in the developer container and develop the electrostatic latent image borne on an image bearing member into a developer image, a detection portion to output remainder amount information corresponding to an amount of the developer accommodated in the developer container, and a notification portion capable of notifying a first state indicating that a remainder amount of the developer accommodated in the developer container is a first amount or more and a second state indicating that the remainder amount of the developer accommodated in the developer container is less than the first amount. The notification portion notifies one of a plurality of states including the first state and the second state on a basis of the remainder amount information output from the detection portion.

Claims (13)

1. An image forming apparatus, to which a replenishment container is detachably attached, the image forming apparatus comprising:

a photosensitive drum;

a developer container configured to accommodate developer, the developer container being provided with a replenishment port to which the replenishment container is detachably attached and through which the developer is supplied to the developer container from the replenishment container;

a developer roller configured to supply the developer to the photosensitive drum;

a detection portion configured to output remainder amount information corresponding to a developer amount of the developer accommodated in the developer container;

an indicator configured to indicate a plurality of developer remainder amount levels according to the remainder amount information output from the detection portion, the plurality of developer remainder amount levels including a first level which is a maximum developer remainder amount level of the plurality of developer remainder amount levels, and a second level which is one level below the first level;

wherein the maximum developer amount of the developer the developer container is capable of accommodating is larger than a developer amount obtained by adding a total amount of the developer accommodated in the replenishment container to a developer amount, which is accommodated in the developer container, corresponding to a boundary between the first level and the second level.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the indicator is an LED panel.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the indicator is a liquid crystal panel.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an opening/closing member configured to move between an open position in which the opening/closing member opens the replenishment port and a closed position in which the opening/closing member closes the replenishment port,

wherein the opening/closing member is immovable from the open position to the closed position in a case where the replenishment container is attached to the replenishment port.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of developer remainder amount levels further includes a third level which is one level below the second level,

wherein when the developer amount corresponding to the boundary between the first level and the second level is a first developer amount, and when a developer amount corresponding to a boundary between the second level and the third level is a second developer amount, a difference between the maximum developer amount and the first developer amount is larger than a difference between the first developer amount and the second developer amount.

Priority Claims (2)
JP 2019-049216 · Mar 15, 2019 · national
JP 2020-042023 · Mar 11, 2020 · national
Continuity (3)
Continuation 17471527 · Sep 10, 2021
Continuation PCTJP2020011085 · Mar 13, 2020
Related Publication 20220404735A1 · Dec 22, 2022