Image formation device and image formation system

Abstract

To effectively facilitate recycling of a cartridge.SOLUTION: A control unit 40 determines, at a predetermined timing, whether an ink cartridge 2 is recyclable or not. When it is determined that the ink cartridge 2 is recyclable, the control unit 40 causes a touch panel display 30 to display a recycling guidance message having contents for guiding a recycling process of the ink cartridge 2. On the other hand, when it is determined that the ink cartridge 2 is not recyclable, the control unit 40 causes the touch panel display 30 to display a recycling guidance message having contents for guiding thermal recycling of the ink cartridge 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and an image forming system in which a cartridge that stores a colorant for image formation is detachably mounted. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in an image forming apparatus in which a cartridge containing a coloring agent is detachably attached, a used cartridge may be regenerated, that is, refilled with coloring agent and reused. Patent Document 1 relates to an example of an image forming apparatus in which cartridge regeneration is envisaged. In Patent Document 1, when a cartridge is attached to the apparatus, it is determined whether or not the cartridge can be regenerated. Then, if it is determined that the cartridge can be regenerated, a message to that effect is displayed on the display of the apparatus. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2000-94715 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In recent years, it has become increasingly important to increase the recycling rate of cartridges, and therefore there is a demand for more effective ways to promote the recycling of cartridges.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus and an image forming system that can effectively promote the recycling of cartridges. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The image forming apparatus of the present invention is an image forming apparatus into which a cartridge that stores colorant for image formation is attached and detached, and is equipped with an image forming unit that forms an image on a medium using the colorant in the cartridge, an alarm unit that notifies information, and a control unit, and the control unit executes a recyclability determination process that determines at a predetermined timing whether the cartridge is recyclable or not, and a recyclability guidance notification process that, if it is determined in the recyclability determination process that the cartridge is recyclable, causes the alarm unit to notify a message having content that guides the user to undergo a recyclability process for the cartridge.

[0007] An image forming system according to another aspect of the present invention is an image forming system comprising an image forming device to which a cartridge storing colorant for image formation is attached and detached, and a terminal device capable of communicating with the image forming device, wherein the image forming device comprises an image forming unit that forms an image on a medium using the colorant in the cartridge, and a control unit, wherein the control unit executes a recyclability determination process that determines at a predetermined timing whether the cartridge is recyclable or not, and a transmission process that, if it is determined in the recyclability determination process that the cartridge is recyclable, transmits this information to the terminal device, and when the terminal device receives from the image forming device that the cartridge is recyclable, it notifies a message having content that guides the user to undergo a recycling process for the cartridge. Effect of the Invention

[0008] At a predetermined timing, a determination is made as to whether the cartridge can be recycled, and if it is determined that the cartridge can be recycled, a message having contents guiding the user to the recycling process is notified. In other words, a proactive approach is taken to the user by notifying the user to the recycling process in a manner that effectively encourages the user to recycle the cartridge. Therefore, compared to the conventional technology that simply displays that the cartridge can be recycled, it is possible to effectively encourage the user to recycle the cartridge. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 2 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing executed by a control unit shown in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a printer according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] [First embodiment] A printer 1 according to a first embodiment, which is a preferred embodiment of the present invention, will be described below with reference to Figs. 1 and 2. The printer 1 is an apparatus (corresponding to the "image forming apparatus" of the present invention) that forms an image on a printing paper by applying ink (corresponding to the "colorant" of the present invention) to the printing paper. The printer 1 is fitted with an ink cartridge 2 (corresponding to the "cartridge" of the present invention) that supplies the printer 1 with ink used in image formation. The ink cartridges 2 include ink cartridges 2Bk, 2C, 2M, and 2Y according to the color of ink contained therein. The ink cartridge 2Bk contains black ink, the ink cartridge 2C contains cyan ink, the ink cartridge 2M contains magenta ink, and the ink cartridge 2Y contains yellow ink.

[0011] In this embodiment, there are at least two types of ink. The first type of ink is ink equivalent to a genuine product whose ingredients, composition, etc. have been adjusted by the manufacturer of the printer 1. This ink is used in an ink cartridge 2 (hereinafter referred to as a "bundled cartridge") that is included with a new printer 1, or in a replacement ink cartridge 2 provided by the manufacturer of the printer 1. The second type of ink is ink provided by a party other than the manufacturer of the printer 1, and is a non-genuine ink whose ingredients, composition, etc., are different from those of the first type of ink. This ink is used, for example, in a replacement ink cartridge 2 provided by a party other than the manufacturer of the printer 1.

[0012] 1, each ink cartridge 2 has an ink storage section 61 for storing ink, and a memory section 62 made up of an IC chip. The ink in the ink storage section 61 is supplied to the printer 1 in which the ink cartridge 2 is installed.

[0013] The memory unit 62 (corresponding to the "cartridge memory unit" of the present invention) stores data indicating the manufacturing date, the number of times it has been recycled, the ink characteristics, and the cartridge characteristics. The manufacturing date (corresponding to the "predetermined reference time" of the present invention) indicates the date on which the ink cartridge 2 was manufactured. The number of times it has been recycled indicates the number of times the ink cartridge 2 has been recycled (hereinafter referred to as the number of times it has been recycled), as described below.

[0014] The ink characteristics (corresponding to "information corresponding to the properties of a colorant" of the present invention) correspond to the properties of the ink stored in the ink storage section 61. For example, the ink characteristics directly indicate the properties of the ink by indicating the ingredients and type of the ink stored in the ink storage section 61. Also, for example, the ink characteristics indicate whether the ink cartridge 2 is a genuine product. As described above, the ink used in genuine products and the ink used in non-genuine products have different properties such as ingredients and blends. Therefore, by indicating whether the ink characteristics are genuine or not, the properties of the ink contained in the ink cartridge 2 are indirectly indicated.

[0015] The cartridge characteristics (corresponding to "information indicating the nature of the cartridge" of the present invention) indicate that it is a bundle cartridge (i.e., the cartridge that is first installed in the printer 1). The cartridge characteristics are written to the memory unit 62 when the ink cartridge 2 is manufactured as a bundle cartridge.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 1 includes an image forming unit 10, a cartridge mounting unit 20, a display 30, and a control unit 40.

[0017] The image forming unit 10 contains printing paper. Under the control of the control unit 40, the image forming unit 10 uses ink supplied from the ink cartridge 2 and deposits the ink on the printing paper to perform image formation, which forms an image indicated by image data on the printing paper.

[0018] The cartridge mounting section 20 is a portion where the ink cartridge 2 is mounted. The cartridge mounting section 20 has individual mounting sections 20Bk, 20C, 20M, and 20Y to which the ink cartridges 2Bk, 2C, 2M, and 2Y are individually detachably mounted, respectively. The cartridge mounting section 20 has an ink flow path that supplies ink from the mounted ink cartridge 2 to the image forming section 10. The cartridge mounting section 20 also has electrodes and wiring that electrically connect the storage section 62 of the mounted ink cartridge 2 to the control section 40.

[0019] The cartridge mounting section 20 is provided with an attachment / detachment sensor 21 and a remaining amount sensor 22. The attachment / detachment sensor 21 (corresponding to the "attachment / detachment detection section" of the present invention) can detect when the ink cartridge 2 is attached to the cartridge mounting section 20 and when the ink cartridge 2 is removed from the cartridge mounting section 20. The remaining amount sensor 22 (corresponding to the "remaining amount detection section" of the present invention) can detect the remaining amount of ink contained in the ink cartridge 2. Both the attachment / detachment sensor 21 and the remaining amount sensor 22 perform the above-mentioned detection for each of the ink cartridges 2Bk, 2C, 2M, and 2Y. These sensors perform the above-mentioned detection by, for example, detecting a detectable member that blocks light emitted from the sensor. The detection results of the attachment / detachment sensor 21 and the remaining amount sensor 22 are transmitted to the control section 40.

[0020] Touch panel display 30 (corresponding to the "notification unit" of the present invention) displays characters, images, etc. on a screen. Furthermore, when a finger or the like touches the screen, touch panel display 30 detects the contact position and outputs the detection result to control unit 40. This allows touch panel display 30 to receive various user inputs.

[0021] The control unit 40 includes hardware such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), and a current time holding circuit. The ROM stores program data and the like executed by the CPU and ASIC. The ROM also stores data for a collection prompt message, which will be described later. The RAM stores image data acquired from the outside and data used when the CPU executes a program.

[0022] In the control unit 40, the CPU and ASIC, which are hardware, execute various processes according to the program data and other data, which are software stored in the ROM and RAM. As a result, the control unit 40 causes the image forming unit 10 to form an image based on image data acquired from an external PC or the like. The control unit 40 also has a storage unit 41 (corresponding to the "main body storage unit" of the present invention) made of memory or the like. When the ink cartridge 2 is mounted in the cartridge mounting unit 20, the control unit 40 reads information indicated by the stored contents of the storage unit 62 and stores the read information (hereinafter, referred to as "cartridge information" as shown in FIG. 1) in the storage unit 41. As a result, even if the ink cartridge 2 is removed from the cartridge mounting unit 20, the control unit 40 can refer to the stored contents of the storage unit 62 of the ink cartridge 2 removed from the cartridge mounting unit 20 based on the cartridge information.

[0023] The ink cartridge 2 continues to be used until the ink remaining in the ink storage unit 61 runs out. When the ink remaining in the ink storage unit 61 runs out, the ink cartridge 2 is removed from the printer 1 and replaced with a new ink cartridge 2. The used ink cartridge 2 removed from the printer 1 may be sent to a recycling factory. At the recycling factory, the ink cartridge 2 is appropriately recycled, and the contents stored in the memory unit 62, such as the number of times it has been recycled and the cartridge characteristics, are updated. Specifically, the collected ink cartridge 2 is refilled with ink, and the number of times it has been recycled in the memory unit 62 is incremented by 1. If the ink cartridge 2 to be recycled corresponds to a bundled cartridge, the cartridge characteristics recorded in the memory unit 62 are erased. The ink cartridge 2 recycled by the recycling process is reloaded into the printer 1 and reused.

[0024] In recent years, from the viewpoint of environmental sustainability, there is an increasing demand for effectively promoting the recycling of cartridges. Therefore, in this embodiment, the following configuration is adopted to guide the user to recycle the ink cartridge 2 at an appropriate time.

[0025] The control unit 40 executes a remanufacturing feasibility determination process to determine whether the ink cartridge 2 is remanufacturable. There are four conditions for the remanufacturing feasibility determination according to this embodiment: conditions a, b, c, and d. Conditions a to d are determined for each of the ink cartridges 2Bk, 2C, 2M, and 2Y.

[0026] Condition a is that the time that has passed since the date of manufacture does not exceed a predetermined length. As the time that has passed since the date of manufacture increases, the deterioration of the ink in the ink cartridge 2 progresses. If an ink cartridge 2 with deteriorated ink is recycled, the deteriorated ink remaining in the ink cartridge 2 will mix with the refilled ink, and there is a risk that the quality of the recycled ink cartridge 2 cannot be ensured. In this regard, the control unit 40 obtains the time that has passed since the date of manufacture indicated by the memory contents of the memory unit 62 of the ink cartridge 2 based on the current time held by the current time holding circuit. The control unit 40 then determines whether this condition is met by determining whether the elapsed time exceeds a predetermined length.

[0027] Condition b is that the number of times regenerated does not exceed a predetermined value. If regeneration is repeated many times, the parts that make up the operating section of the ink cartridge 2 may wear out or deform, which may cause the ink cartridge 2 to break down. In this regard, the control unit 40 determines whether the number of times regenerated indicated by the contents stored in the storage unit 62 exceeds a predetermined value. This allows the control unit 40 to determine whether condition b is met.

[0028] Condition c is a condition related to the properties of the ink stored in the ink storage unit 61. This is because some properties of the ink stored in the ink cartridge 2 are not suitable for recycling. This is because, for example, when the ink cartridge 2 is replaced, inks with different properties are used before and after replacement, causing the inks with different properties to mix together and affecting the recycling process.

[0029] For condition c, the control unit 40 acquires the ink characteristics indicated by the memory contents of the memory unit 62. Then, if the ink characteristics correspond to a specific ink characteristic (corresponding to the "first characteristic" of the present invention), it is determined that condition c is not satisfied, and if the ink characteristics correspond to another specific ink characteristic (corresponding to the "second characteristic" of the present invention), it is determined that condition c is satisfied. For example, if the ink characteristics indicate a genuine product, it is determined that condition c is satisfied, and if the ink characteristics indicate a non-genuine product, it is determined that condition c is not satisfied. When the control unit 40 determines that condition c is not satisfied, it stores mounting history information, which is information indicating the determination result, in the memory unit 41 (corresponding to the "storage process" of the present invention). The memory unit 41 stores the mounting history information in association with information indicating the non-recyclable mounting unit, which is the individual mounting unit in which the ink cartridge 2 to be determined was mounted, among the individual mounting units 20Bk, 20C, 20M, and 20Y.

[0030] Condition d is a condition related to whether or not it has been determined in the past that condition c is not satisfied. In the flow path of a non-recyclable mounting part in which an ink cartridge 2 containing ink of a specific property has been once mounted, the ink of the specific property remains. The remaining ink may flow back into another ink cartridge 2 mounted in the non-recyclable mounting part thereafter, and may remain in the ink storage part 61 even when the ink cartridge 2 is collected. In this case, when the ink cartridge 2 is recycled, the ink refilled in the ink storage part 61 may be contaminated by mixing with the ink of the specific property. In this case, the control unit 40 acquires the non-recyclable mounting part based on the memory contents of the memory unit 41. Then, the control unit 40 determines that condition d is not satisfied for the ink cartridge 2 mounted in the non-recyclable mounting part.

[0031] The control unit 40 determines that, among the ink cartridges 2Bk, 2C, 2M, and 2Y, an ink cartridge 2 that satisfies all of these four conditions is remanufacturable. On the other hand, the control unit 40 determines that, among the ink cartridges 2Bk, 2C, 2M, and 2Y, an ink cartridge 2 that does not satisfy at least one of these four conditions is not remanufacturable.

[0032] The process of determining that an ink cartridge 2 cannot be remanufactured because condition c is not satisfied corresponds to the "first determination process" of the present invention. Also, the process of determining that an ink cartridge 2 mounted in an individual mounting portion other than a non-remanufacturable mounting portion can be remanufactured because the above four conditions including condition d are satisfied corresponds to the "second determination process" of the present invention.

[0033] When the recyclability determination process is performed, the control unit 40 displays a message (hereinafter, referred to as a "recycling prompting message") having content guiding the user to recycle the ink cartridges 2 that have been determined to be recyclable on the touch panel display 30. The recycling prompting message has content indicating a method for collecting the cartridges, as an example. Specifically, the recycling prompting message indicates that the ink cartridge 2 will be placed in a collection bag included in the package of the ink cartridge 2 and mailed, and indicates the mailing address, the name and location of the store that accepts collection, contact information, etc.

[0034] As another example, the recycling prompting message is a message for confirming whether or not it is OK to arrange for the recycling of the ink cartridge 2, for example, a message inquiring of the user as to whether or not it is OK to start arranging for the recycling of the ink cartridge 2. In addition to displaying this message, the control unit 40 accepts a user input from the user via the touch panel display 30 as to whether or not to permit the arrangement for recycling. When the user inputs an input indicating permission, the control unit 40 transmits an instruction to the user to arrange for the recycling of the ink cartridge 2 to an external server, for example, via the Internet. In response to this, the external server executes processing such as informing the user of the recycling of the ink cartridge 2 and arranging for the delivery of a collection bag.

[0035] The content of the recycling prompting message may differ depending on the nature of the ink cartridge 2. For example, a collection bag is not included in the package of a bundled cartridge, and a collection bag is included in the package of a replacement cartridge that is not a bundled cartridge. In this case, for an ink cartridge 2 that is determined to be a bundled cartridge based on the cartridge characteristics in the memory unit 62 of the ink cartridge 2, a recycling prompting message indicating a mailing address, the name and location of a store that accepts recycling, contact information, etc. may be used. On the other hand, for an ink cartridge 2 that is determined not to be a bundled cartridge (a replacement cartridge) because no cartridge characteristics are written in the memory unit 62, a recycling prompting message indicating that the ink cartridge 2 will be mailed using the collection bag included in the cartridge package may be used.

[0036] The flow of a series of processes performed by the control unit 40 will be described below with reference to FIG. 2. The process of FIG. 2 is periodically executed for each of the ink cartridges 2Bk, 2C, 2M, and 2Y. First, the control unit 40 acquires information for making various determinations (S1). The information acquired in S1 includes the detection results of the attachment / detachment sensor 21 and the remaining amount sensor 22, and the memory contents of the memory unit 62 of the ink cartridge 2.

[0037] Next, the control unit 40 judges whether or not it is the timing to perform the regeneration guidance of the ink cartridge 2 (S2). This judgment is made based on the detection results of the attachment / detachment sensor 21 and the remaining amount sensor 22 from the information acquired in S1. In this embodiment, the timing to perform the regeneration guidance is the timing when the ink cartridge 2 is removed from the cartridge mounting unit 20 and the timing when the remaining amount of ink in the ink cartridge 2 falls below a predetermined value. Note that the predetermined value may be a value corresponding to a state where the remaining amount of ink is almost gone, or a value corresponding to a state where there is remaining ink but the amount is considerably small. Whether or not the ink cartridge 2 has been removed from the cartridge mounting unit 20 is judged based on the detection result of the attachment / detachment sensor 21. The remaining amount of ink is grasped based on the detection result of the remaining amount sensor 22.

[0038] If it is determined that it is not the time to provide the regeneration guidance (S2, No), the control unit 40 ends the series of processes. If it is determined that it is the time to provide the regeneration guidance (S2, Yes), the control unit 40 determines whether or not the ink cartridge 2 can be regenerated based on the information acquired in S1 (S3). In this determination, as described above, if all of the conditions a to d are satisfied, the ink cartridge is deemed regenerative. In contrast, if any one of the conditions a to d is not satisfied, the ink cartridge is deemed not regenerative.

[0039] When it is determined that playback is possible (S3, Yes), the control unit 40 performs playback guidance notification (corresponding to the "playback guidance notification process" of the present invention) (S4). The playback guidance notification is performed by displaying a playback guidance message on the touch panel display 30 as described above. Then, the control unit 40 ends the series of processes.

[0040] If it is determined that recyclability is not possible (S3, No), the control unit 40 performs a recycling notification (corresponding to the "non-recycling guidance notification process" of the present invention) (S5). In the recycling notification, the touch panel display 30 displays a message (hereinafter referred to as the "recycling guidance message") having content that guides the user to thermal recycling of the ink cartridge 2, rather than recycling. The recycling guidance message indicates, as an example, information necessary for thermal recycling of the ink cartridge 2. Specifically, such information is information for arranging collection bags for recycling (such as URL information of a website for arrangements), the name, location, and contact information of the store that accepts collection, etc. Then, the control unit 40 ends the series of processes.

[0041] According to the present embodiment described above, a determination is made at a predetermined timing as to whether the ink cartridge 2 can be recycled, and if it is determined that the ink cartridge 2 can be recycled, a recycling prompting message is displayed on the touch panel display 30 to notify the user. In other words, the user is proactively encouraged to start a recycling process by providing a notification that effectively encourages the user to recycle the ink cartridge 2. Therefore, recycling of the ink cartridge 2 can be more effectively promoted than in the prior art, which simply displays that the ink cartridge 2 can be recycled.

[0042] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the predetermined timing for determining whether or not regeneration is possible is set to the timing when the attachment / detachment sensor 21 detects the removal of the ink cartridge 2, or when the remaining amount of ink is detected by the remaining amount sensor 22 below a predetermined amount. These timings are timings when the possibility of cartridge replacement is high. For this reason, the regeneration prompting message is notified at an appropriate timing that is likely to lead to regeneration.

[0043] [Second embodiment] A second embodiment according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. 3. The printer system 200 according to the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that a mobile terminal 204 is used and a printer 201 is used instead of the printer 1. The mobile terminal 204 and the printer 201 can communicate with each other through various types of short-distance wireless communication. The mobile terminal 204 includes hardware including a CPU, ROM, RAM, a display 234, etc., and software including program data stored in the ROM and RAM. The functions of the mobile terminal 204 are realized by the cooperation of the hardware and software.

[0044] Printer 201 differs from printer 1 in that a control unit 240 is used instead of control unit 40. In addition to the functions of control unit 40 described above, control unit 240 executes a process of transmitting a reproduction prompting message and a recycle prompting message to mobile terminal 204. Mobile terminal 204 displays the reproduction prompting message and the recycle prompting message transmitted from printer 201 on display 234. As a result, these messages are displayed not only on touch panel display 30 of printer 201 but also on display 234 of mobile terminal 204. Note that these messages may not be displayed on touch panel display 30, and may be displayed only on display 234.

[0045] <Modification> Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above based on the drawings, the specific configuration should not be considered to be limited to these embodiments. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims rather than the description of the above embodiments, and further includes all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0046] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the user is notified of the recycling prompting message or the recycle prompting message by being displayed on the touch panel display 30 or the display 234. Alternatively or in addition to this, the user may be notified of these messages by voice from a speaker, or may be notified of the messages by being printed on a printing sheet.

[0047] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the determination as to whether the ink cartridge 2 is a bundle cartridge is made based on the stored contents of the storage unit 62. Alternatively, the bundle cartridge and the replacement cartridge may have different shapes, and such difference in shape may be detected by an optical sensor installed in the cartridge mounting unit 20.

[0048] In the above embodiment, the reason for using condition b to determine whether or not regeneration is possible is failure due to wear or deformation of parts of the ink cartridge 2. Another reason is that there is a risk that the quality of the ink after refilling cannot be ensured because the refilled ink and the remaining ink are repeatedly mixed each time the ink cartridge 2 is regenerated.

[0049] Additionally, in the above-described embodiments, the present invention is applied to the printer 1 or 201, but is not limited thereto. The present invention may be applied to other inkjet type image forming devices that eject ink from a head, such as multifunction machines and copy machines, or systems that have these image forming devices. The present invention may also be applied to laser type image forming devices that perform image recording processing by adhering toner (corresponding to the "colorant" of the present invention) to printing paper, instead of adhering ink to printing paper in the inkjet method. In this case, a toner cartridge that contains toner is removably mounted in the image forming device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 1. Printer 2, 2Bk, 2C, 2M, 2Y ink cartridges 10 Image forming section 20 Cartridge mounting section 20, 20Bk, 20C, 20M, 20Y Individual mounting section 21 Attachment / detachment sensor 22 Remaining sensor 30 Touch Panel Display 234 Display 40, 240 Control section 61 Ink storage unit 62 Storage section 200 Printer System 204 Mobile Devices

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus in which a cartridge for storing a coloring agent for image formation is detachably mounted, an image forming section that forms an image on a medium using the colorant in the cartridge; A notification unit that notifies information; A control unit, The control unit is a remanufacturability determination process for determining at a predetermined timing whether the cartridge is remanufacturable; an image forming apparatus which, if it is determined in the recyclability determination process that the cartridge is recyclable, executes a recyclability notification process in which the notification unit notifies the user of a message having content which guides the user to undergo a recyclability process for the cartridge.

2. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the content of the guidance to the recycling process of the cartridge is at least one of a method for recovering the cartridge and a confirmation as to whether or not to arrange for the recovery of the cartridge.

3. the cartridge has a cartridge storage section for storing the number of times playback has been performed; 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit, in the recyclability determination process, determines whether the cartridge is recyclable or not based at least on the number of times indicated by the stored contents of the cartridge storage unit.

4. the cartridge has a cartridge memory portion that stores a predetermined reference time, The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, in the recyclability determination process, the control unit determines whether the cartridge is recyclable based at least on the elapsed time from the specified reference time indicated by the memory contents of the cartridge memory unit.

5. the cartridge has a cartridge memory portion that stores information corresponding to the properties of the colorant; 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit, in the remanufacturability determination process, determines whether the cartridge is remanufacturable or not based at least on the information indicated by the stored contents of the cartridge storage unit.

6. A plurality of mounting portions in which the cartridges are mounted; a main body storage unit that stores the determination result of the replayability determination process, The colorant has a first property and a second property, The reproduction possibility determination process includes: a first determination process for determining that the cartridge cannot be regenerated if the information indicated by the stored contents of the cartridge storage unit corresponds to the first property out of the first property and the second property; a storage process for storing a determination result of the first determination process in the main body storage unit in association with each of the plurality of attachment units; and a second judgment process for judging that a cartridge mounted in a non-recyclable mounting portion, which is the mounting portion associated with a judgment result of the first judgment process that reproduction is not possible in the memory contents of the main body memory portion, is not recyclable, and for a cartridge mounted in an mounting portion other than the non-recyclable mounting portion, judging that reproduction is possible at least if the information indicated by the memory contents of the cartridge memory portion corresponds to the second property among the first property and the second property.

7. The control unit is The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, if it is determined in the recyclability determination process that the cartridge is not recyclable, a non-recycling guidance notification process is executed in which the notification unit is caused to notify a message having content that guides the user to a process other than recycling the cartridge.

8. The ink cartridge further includes a remaining amount detection unit that detects a remaining amount of the colorant in the cartridge, 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined timing is based on the remaining amount of the colorant detected by the remaining amount detection unit.

9. 9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the predetermined timing is a timing when the remaining amount of the colorant detected by the remaining amount detection unit becomes equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value.

10. The cartridge further includes an attachment / detachment detection unit that detects that the cartridge has been detached, 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined timing is a timing at which the attachment / detachment detection unit detects that the cartridge has been removed.

11. the cartridge has a cartridge storage unit that stores information indicating a property of the cartridge; 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the content of the message that the control unit causes the notification unit to notify in the regeneration prompting notification process varies depending on the information indicated by the stored content of the cartridge memory unit.

12. 12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the information indicating the nature of the cartridge is information indicating whether or not the cartridge is the one that is initially mounted in the image forming apparatus.

13. An image forming system including an image forming apparatus to which a cartridge for storing a colorant for image formation is detachably attached, and a terminal device capable of communicating with the image forming apparatus, The image forming apparatus includes: an image forming section that forms an image on a medium using the colorant in the cartridge; A control unit, The control unit is a remanufacturability determination process for determining at a predetermined timing whether the cartridge is remanufacturable; a transmission process for transmitting a message to said terminal device when it is determined that said content can be reproduced in said reproduction possibility determination process; The terminal device an image forming system, when receiving from said image forming apparatus a notice that said cartridge can be recycled, notifying said image forming apparatus of a message having contents instructing said cartridge to be recycled;

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