Image forming apparatus

Abstract

To improve convenience. [Solution] The image forming apparatus 1 is an image forming apparatus 1 in which a toner cartridge 9 can be attached and detached, and includes an image forming unit 6 having an image forming section 8 and a toner cartridge 9 that supplies toner to the image forming section 8, a toner sensor 30 that detects the amount of toner in the image forming section 8, and a main control unit 4 that can read and write information stored in the toner cartridge 9 and controls the operation of the image forming unit 6. If a non-genuine flag indicating the set state that the toner cartridge 9 is a non-genuine product is stored in the toner cartridge 9, the main control unit 4 calculates the remaining amount of toner in the non-genuine toner cartridge 9 based on the amount of toner consumed from the start of toner supply from the toner cartridge 9 to the image forming section 8 until the toner sensor 30 detects that the amount of toner in the image forming section 8 has fallen below the toner Low level threshold, and notifies the user of the calculation result.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and is suitable for application to an image forming apparatus that determines whether a toner cartridge is a genuine product or a non-genuine product, for example.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as an image forming apparatus (also called a printer), based on an image supplied from a computer apparatus or the like, a developer image (also called a toner image) is formed by an image forming unit using a developer (also called toner), transferred to a medium such as paper, and heat and pressure are applied thereto for fixing, thereby performing a printing process, and such an apparatus has been widely spread.

[0003] In such an image forming apparatus, there is one in which a toner cartridge containing toner is provided detachably with respect to the image forming apparatus. Further, in some toner cartridges, a tag IC memory storing identification information including information such as a serial number and a manufacturing date is attached. In such a case, the image forming apparatus can determine whether the toner cartridge is attached to the image forming apparatus and whether the toner cartridge is a genuine product or a non-genuine product by reading the tag IC memory of the toner cartridge.

[0004] On the other hand, an image forming apparatus has been proposed that displays an operation mode and the number of printed sheets and usage amount with non-genuine products without displaying the remaining amount of toner in the toner cartridge when a non-genuine toner cartridge is attached (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, in such image forming machines, the remaining toner level in the toner cartridge is not displayed when a non-genuine toner cartridge is installed, which is inconvenient for the user.

[0007] This invention was made with the above points in mind, and aims to propose an image forming apparatus that can improve convenience. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve these problems, the present invention provides an image forming apparatus in which the developer container is detachable, comprising: an image forming unit having an image forming unit and a developer container that supplies developer to the image forming unit; a developer quantity detection unit that detects the amount of developer in the image forming unit; and a control unit that can read and write information stored in the developer container and controls the operation of the image forming unit. If non-genuine product information indicating that the developer container is a non-genuine product is stored in the developer container, the control unit calculates the remaining amount of developer in the non-genuine developer container based on the amount of developer consumed from the start of supplying developer from the developer container to the image forming unit until the developer quantity detection unit detects that the amount of developer in the image forming unit has fallen below a predetermined amount, and notifies the user of the calculation result.

[0009] This invention improves the accuracy of calculating the remaining amount of developer in the developer storage compartment of non-genuine products, and enables accurate notification of the remaining amount of developer in the developer storage compartment of non-genuine products. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, the accuracy of calculating the remaining amount of developer in the developer storage compartment of a non-genuine product is improved, and the remaining amount of developer in the developer storage compartment of a non-genuine product can be accurately notified. Thus, the present invention can realize an image forming apparatus that can enhance convenience. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a left side view showing the overall configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the first and second embodiments. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing the control configuration of an image forming apparatus according to the first and second embodiments. [Figure 3] This flowchart shows the non-genuine toner cartridge detection procedure (1) according to the first and second forms. [Figure 4] This flowchart shows the procedure (2) for determining whether a toner cartridge is genuine according to the first form. [Figure 5] This flowchart shows the procedure (3) for determining whether a toner cartridge is genuine according to the first form. [Figure 6] This flowchart shows the procedure (2) for determining whether a toner cartridge is genuine according to the second method. [Figure 7] This flowchart shows the procedure (3) for determining whether a toner cartridge is genuine according to the second method. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] The embodiments for carrying out the invention (hereinafter referred to as embodiments) will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0013] [1. First Embodiment] [1-1. Overall configuration of the image forming apparatus] As shown in Figure 1, the image forming apparatus 1 is, for example, a printer using an electrophotographic method, and forms a color image on a medium P such as paper or film by performing a printing operation using a developer such as toner. Various components of this image forming apparatus 1 are arranged inside a housing 2 that is formed in a roughly box shape. The housing 2 has an opening on its top side that connects the internal space enclosed by the housing 2 to the outside, and a cover 3 that can open and close this opening is provided on the top side of the opening. When the image forming apparatus 1 is in printing operation, the cover 3 is closed to protect the inside of the housing 2. On the other hand, when maintenance work such as replacing the toner cartridge 9 is performed, the cover 3 is opened, making it easy to work on the inside of the housing 2. In the following, the rightmost part in Figure 1 is defined as the front of the image forming apparatus 1, and the vertical, horizontal, and front-to-back directions are defined and explained when viewed from this front.

[0014] The image forming apparatus 1 is centrally controlled by a main control unit 4. This main control unit 4 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), etc., and performs various processes by reading and executing predetermined programs.

[0015] Inside the enclosure 2, four image forming units 6K, 6C, 6M, and 6Y are arranged in order from front to back on the upper side. Although the image forming units 6K, 6C, 6M, and 6Y correspond to the respective colors of black (K), cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y), they are all configured similarly, differing only in color. Hereafter, the image forming units 6K, 6C, 6M, and 6Y will be collectively referred to as image forming unit 6.

[0016] The image forming unit 6 is broadly composed of an image forming section 8 and a toner cartridge 9. The image forming section 8 includes a charging roller 10, an image exposure section 11, a developing roller 12, a supply roller 13, a photoreceptor drum 14, and a toner bar detection bar 15.

[0017] The charging roller 10 charges the surface of the photoreceptor drum 14. The image exposure unit 11 has an LED (Light Emitting Diode) head 16, and selectively exposes the charged surface of the photoreceptor drum 14 to form an electrostatic latent image. The developing roller 12 forms a toner image by electrostatically attaching the thinned toner to the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photoreceptor drum 14. The supply roller 13 supplies toner to the surface of the developing roller 12 and rubs the toner against the developing roller 12 to cause frictional charging while supplying the toner. The photoreceptor drum 14 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow to transfer the toner image formed on its surface to the intermediate transfer belt 21 (also called primary transfer). The rotating bodies of the image forming unit 8 rotate when power is transmitted from the photoreceptor drum motor 71 (Fig. 2) via gears and the like.

[0018] The toner roll detection bar 15 is a rod-shaped member provided in the toner storage space that stores the toner supplied from the toner cartridge 9 in the image forming unit 8, and stirs the toner inside the toner storage space by rotating while contacting the toner. The resistance received from the toner by the toner roll detection bar 15 changes according to the amount of toner stored in the image forming unit 8 (i.e., the remaining amount of toner in the image forming unit 8), and thus the time required for one rotation changes. Specifically, the toner roll detection bar 15 has a smaller resistance received from the toner and a shorter rotation time as the amount of toner stored in the image forming unit 8 decreases, while it has a larger resistance received from the toner and a longer rotation time as the amount of toner stored in the image forming unit 8 increases.

[0019] The toner sensor 30 (Fig. 2) detects the time required for the toner low detection bar 15 to make one rotation, and supplies the detection result to the main control unit 4. Based on the detection result obtained from the toner sensor 30, the main control unit 4 determines the remaining toner amount of the image forming unit 8. At this time, when the remaining toner amount of the image forming unit 8 is equal to or greater than a predetermined toner Full level threshold, the main control unit 4 determines that the image forming unit 8 is in the toner Full state where the toner is filled. On the other hand, when the remaining toner amount of the image forming unit 8 is equal to or less than a predetermined toner Low level threshold, the main control unit 4 determines that the image forming unit 8 is in the toner Low state where the toner is empty.

[0020] The toner cartridge 9 houses toner as a developer inside, and is configured to be detachable from the image forming unit 8. When, for example, the toner housed in the toner cartridge 9 becomes empty, the cover 3 of the housing 2 is opened and the toner cartridge 9 is removed from the image forming unit 8 by an operator and replaced with a new toner cartridge 9. A toner supply bar 17 is provided at the lower end inside the toner cartridge 9. The toner supply bar 17 rotates when the toner supply clutch 74 (Fig. 2), which is an electromagnetic clutch, is turned on by the control of the conveyance control unit 60 (Fig. 2) based on the control of the main control unit 4, and the power from the photoreceptor drum motor 71 is transmitted, and conveys toner to the image forming unit 8. When the toner cartridge 9 is replaced and newly installed in the image forming unit 8, the image forming apparatus 1 starts the rotation of the toner supply bar 17 under the control of the main control unit 4, starts the toner supply operation to the image forming unit 8, and rotates the toner supply bar 17 for a supply time set value t. When the supply time set value t elapses, the image forming apparatus 停止 1 stops the rotation of the toner supply bar 17 and stops the conveyance of toner from the toner cartridge 9 to the image forming unit 8.

[0021] It should be noted that there is an incorrect Chinese character "停止" in the English translation of the last sentence of . It should be "stops" instead. The corrected translation is as follows: When the supply time set value t elapses, the image forming apparatus 1 stops the rotation of the toner supply bar 17 and stops the conveyance of toner from the toner cartridge 9 to the image forming unit 8.The toner cartridge 9 is also equipped with a tag IC memory 18. This tag IC memory 18 is an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag and stores consumable identification information. The consumable identification information includes a unique ID, which is a unique identifier for each toner cartridge 9 that uniquely identifies the cartridge. The consumable identification information also allows the empty flag to be set to either set or cleared. In the case of a new, genuine toner cartridge 9 that is filled with toner, the toner cartridge 9 is shipped with the empty flag cleared. On the other hand, when the toner in the toner cartridge 9 becomes empty and the toner cartridge 9 has reached the end of its lifespan, the empty flag is set by the main control unit 4. Once the toner in the toner cartridge 9 is empty and the empty flag is set, the empty flag will not be cleared and will remain set even if the cartridge is subsequently circulated in the market and, for example, refilled with toner and becomes usable again.

[0022] Furthermore, the consumable identification information includes a non-genuine flag that can be set to either set or clear. In the case of a non-genuine toner cartridge 9, the non-genuine flag is set by the main control unit 4. Once the non-genuine flag is set on the toner cartridge 9, it remains set and is not cleared even when the toner cartridge 9 is subsequently distributed to the market. Here, a genuine toner cartridge 9 is a toner cartridge 9 manufactured and sold by the manufacturer (our company) that manufactures the image forming apparatus 1. A non-genuine toner cartridge 9 is a toner cartridge 9 that has been used, collected by a company other than the manufacturer of the image forming apparatus 1, reused or repaired, and refilled with toner to make it usable again. For example, it is called a recycled toner cartridge. When a toner cartridge 9 is collected, the image forming apparatus 1 reads the non-genuine flag, making it easy to distinguish whether the toner cartridge 9 is genuine or non-genuine, which can be used to evaluate the durability and performance of recycled toner cartridges during remanufacturing.

[0023] Furthermore, the consumable identification information also records the genuine toner fill amount, which indicates the amount of toner in the genuine toner cartridge 9 when it is full.

[0024] Furthermore, the consumable identification information may also record the non-genuine toner fill amount, which indicates the amount of toner in the non-genuine toner cartridge 9 when it is filled with toner. The average corrected toner fill amount (described later) is written as the non-genuine toner fill amount to the tag IC memory 18 of the genuine toner cartridge 9 during the manufacturing process. Subsequently, after distribution, if non-genuine toner is loaded into the toner cartridge 9, the toner cartridge 9 becomes a non-genuine toner cartridge 9. In such cases, the non-genuine toner fill amount is recorded in the tag IC memory 18 of this non-genuine toner cartridge 9.

[0025] Furthermore, the consumable identification information also stores the drum initial drive counter ctS and the drum cumulative drive counter ctE, which indicate the rotation speed of the photoconductor drum 14. The drum initial drive counter ctS indicates the rotation speed of the photoconductor drum 14 before a new toner cartridge 9 is installed and printing begins, and this value does not change for each toner cartridge 9. The drum cumulative drive counter ctE is updated each time printing is performed, with the latest rotation speed of the photoconductor drum 14 being recorded.

[0026] The image forming apparatus 1 is provided with a tag IC reader / writer 19 near the tag IC memory 18 in the toner cartridge 9 when it is mounted in the image forming unit 8. The tag IC reader / writer 19 is capable of reading and writing information to the tag IC memory 18 in response to control by the main control unit 4.

[0027] An intermediate transfer section 20 is located below each image forming unit 6 within the housing 2. The intermediate transfer section 20 is equipped with an intermediate transfer belt 21, a drive roller 22, a driven roller 23, a backup roller 24, four primary transfer rollers 25, and a secondary transfer roller 26.

[0028] The intermediate transfer belt 21 is constructed as an endless belt using a high-resistance semiconductive plastic film, and is stretched to circle around the drive roller 22, the driven roller 23, and the backup roller 24, and travels rotating in the direction of arrow A.

[0029] The drive roller 22 rotates in the direction of the arrow when power is supplied from the intermediate transfer belt motor 72 (Figure 2). The driven roller 23 rotates in the direction of the arrow, following the intermediate transfer belt 21. The backup roller 24 is positioned in front of and below the drive roller 22 and behind and below the driven roller 23.

[0030] The four primary transfer rollers 25 are positioned below the portion of the intermediate transfer belt 21 stretched between the drive roller 22 and the driven roller 23, that is, directly below each of the four image forming units 6, and are positioned opposite each photoreceptor drum 14 across the intermediate transfer belt 21. A predetermined voltage is applied to these primary transfer rollers 25 based on the control of the main control unit 4. Each primary transfer roller 25 is biased toward the photoreceptor drum 14, forming a primary transfer nip between it and the photoreceptor drum 14.

[0031] The secondary transfer roller 26 is located directly below the backup roller 24 and is biased toward the backup roller 24, forming a secondary transfer nip between it and the backup roller 24. Hereinafter, the secondary transfer roller 26 and the backup roller 24 will be collectively referred to as the secondary transfer section 28. The intermediate transfer section 20 has an intermediate transfer belt 21 sandwiched between the secondary transfer roller 26 and the backup roller 24. The secondary transfer roller 26 is also subjected to a predetermined voltage based on the control of the main control unit 4.

[0032] A cleaning blade 31 is also provided near the intermediate transfer belt 21. The tip of the cleaning blade 31 is in contact with the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 21, and the intermediate transfer belt 21 is cleaned by scraping off toner, including waste toner, that has adhered to the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 21 and dropping it into the waste toner box 32 for collection.

[0033] The intermediate transfer unit 20 rotates the drive roller 22 in the direction of the arrow using the driving force supplied from the intermediate transfer belt motor 72 (Figure 2), thereby causing the intermediate transfer belt 21 to travel in the direction of arrow A. Each primary transfer roller 25 rotates clockwise while a predetermined bias voltage is applied. As a result, each image forming unit 6 transfers the toner image that had reached near the lower end on the peripheral surface of the photoreceptor drum 14 to the intermediate transfer belt 21, and sequentially superimposes the toner images of each color. At this time, the toner images of each color are superimposed on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 21 in order from the upstream black (K). By moving the intermediate transfer belt 21, the intermediate transfer unit 20 brings the toner images transferred from each image forming unit 6 to the vicinity of the backup roller 24.

[0034] Incidentally, a transport path W is formed inside the housing 2, which is a path for transporting the medium P. This transport path W extends horizontally from the front end of the housing 2 toward the rear, proceeds backward under the intermediate transfer section 20, and reaches the rear end of the housing 2.

[0035] The transport roller pair 35 is positioned towards the front of the transport path W and is driven by the transport motor 70 (Figure 2). By gripping and rotating the medium P fed from an external paper feeding unit (not shown) of the housing 2, the medium P is advanced backward along the transport path W.

[0036] A fixing unit 37 is located behind the secondary transfer unit 28. The fixing unit 37 consists of a fixing roller 38 and a pressure roller 39, which are arranged opposite each other across the transport path W. The fixing roller 38 has a fixing heater 40, such as a halogen lamp that generates heat, located inside a hollow cylindrical core, and is driven by a fixing motor 73 (Figure 2). The pressure roller 39 is cylindrical with its central axis aligned in the left-right direction, and its upper surface presses against the lower surface of the fixing roller 38, forming a fixing nip. A temperature sensor 41 is also located above the fixing roller 38 to detect its surface temperature. The temperature sensor 41 is, for example, a thermistor, and supplies the temperature detection result to the main control unit 4. The main control unit 4 determines the surface temperature of the fixing roller 38 based on the detection result obtained from the temperature sensor 41.

[0037] Based on the control of the main control unit 4, the fixing unit 37 heats the fixing heater 40 of the fixing roller 38 to a predetermined temperature and rotates it as appropriate, and also rotates the pressure roller 39. Then, when the fixing unit 37 receives the medium P onto which the toner image has been transferred by the secondary transfer unit 28, it grips (i.e., nips) it with the fixing roller 38 and the pressure roller 39, applies heat and pressure to fix the toner image to the medium P, and then sends it to the rear. The medium P is transported along the transport path W to the rear end of the housing 2 and discharged to the outside of the housing 2.

[0038] In this configuration, the image forming apparatus 1 feeds the medium P from a paper feeding unit (not shown) between a pair of transport rollers 35 and transports it along the transport path W, from front to back. Next, the image forming apparatus 1 transfers the toner images formed on the photoreceptor drums 14 of each image forming unit 6 to the intermediate transfer belt 21 at the primary transfer nip section (i.e., primary transfer), and sequentially overlaps the toner images of each color. Subsequently, the image forming apparatus 1 moves the intermediate transfer belt 21, transports the toner images transferred to the surface to the secondary transfer nip section and transfers them to the medium P (i.e., secondary transfer), transports the medium P to the fixing section 37, fixes the toner image to the medium P at the fixing nip section, and discharges the medium P to the outside of the housing 2.

[0039] [1-2. Control Configuration of Image Forming Apparatus] As shown in Figure 2, the image forming apparatus 1 is centrally controlled by the main control unit 4. This main control unit 4 has a CPU, ROM, RAM, input / output ports, timers, etc., and performs various processes by reading and executing a predetermined program. The main control unit 4 is also connected to a higher-level device 50, such as a computer, by wireless or wired connection. When it receives a print instruction 51, which is a print command consisting of control data, print data, and control signals, from the higher-level device 50 via the data receiving unit 52, it interprets the print instruction 51 and performs the printing operation by programmatically controlling the entire sequence of the image forming apparatus 1.

[0040] The main control unit 4 is connected to a memory circuit unit 54, an operation panel unit 56, a detection circuit unit 58, a transport control unit 60, a fixing unit 37, an image exposure unit 11, an image forming unit 8, and a transfer control unit 62.

[0041] The memory circuit unit 54 includes a non-volatile memory for storing various setting information of the image forming apparatus 1, and a buffer memory for loading print data transmitted from the host device 50 into a temporary storage area for temporary storage.

[0042] The non-volatile memory pre-stores the maximum toner capacity of the genuine toner cartridges, which is a specified value indicating the maximum toner capacity among the various types of genuine toner cartridges 9. The non-volatile memory also stores the toner consumption amount, which is the cumulative amount of toner consumed by printing operations since a new toner cartridge 9 was installed and printing began, once it is written to the non-volatile memory by the main control unit 4. Specifically, toner consumption refers to the cumulative amount of toner consumed by printing operations since the toner cartridge 9 was replaced, managed in dot count units. For example, in the case of print data with a 5% print duty cycle on a single A4 sheet of paper, toner consumption is handled in dot count units, such as 792 dots.

[0043] Furthermore, the non-volatile memory stores the unique ID stored in the tag IC memory 18 of the toner cartridge 9 currently installed in each image forming unit 8 when the main control unit 4 writes this unique ID to the non-volatile memory. In addition, the non-volatile memory stores the non-genuine toner filling amount when the corrected average value of the toner filling amount (described later) is written to the non-genuine toner filling amount by the main control unit 4.

[0044] The control panel 56 includes operation keys 56a for accepting various operations, a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel 56b for displaying the operation status, and an LED lamp 56c for displaying the power on / off status, etc., allowing the user to set the operating mode information, etc., during the printing process of the image forming apparatus 1.

[0045] The detection circuit unit 58 includes a tag IC reader / writer 19, a toner sensor 30, and a temperature sensor 41. The transport control unit 60 controls the operation of the transport motor 70, the photoreceptor drum motor 71, the intermediate transfer belt motor 72, the fuser motor 73, and the toner supply clutch 74. The fuser unit 37 includes a fuser heater 40, and by controlling the fuser heater 40, the fuser roller 38 (Figure 1) is heated to a predetermined temperature.

[0046] The image exposure unit 11 controls the operation of the LED head 16 that forms an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photoreceptor drum 14 in each of the four image forming units 6. The image forming unit 8 controls the voltage applied to the charging roller 10, the supply roller 13, and the developing roller 12 in each of the four image forming units 6. The transfer control unit 62 controls the voltage applied to the primary transfer roller 25 and the voltage applied to the secondary transfer roller 26 in each of the four image forming units 6.

[0047] Thus, the image forming apparatus 1 includes an intermediate transfer belt 21 that carries a toner image, an image forming unit 6 that forms a toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 21 based on image data (i.e., performs primary transfer), a secondary transfer roller 26 that transfers the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 21 to a medium P (i.e., performs secondary transfer), a cleaning blade 31 that removes and cleans any remaining toner image that was not transferred to the medium P from the intermediate transfer belt 21, and a fixing unit 37 that fixes the toner image to the medium P. The apparatus also includes a main control unit 4 and a detection circuit unit 58 that control the operation of the intermediate transfer belt 21, the image forming unit 6, the secondary transfer roller 26, and the fixing unit 37.

[0048] [1-3. Regarding the supply time setting value] One of the purposes of the non-genuine toner cartridge detection process, which will be described later, is to determine whether the toner cartridge 9 installed in the image forming unit 8 is a genuine or non-genuine product.

[0049] If the tag IC memory 18 of the toner cartridge 9 installed in the image forming unit 8 is set to empty, then normally the toner cartridge 9 is empty and at the end of its lifespan. Even if toner is supplied from the toner cartridge 9 to the image forming unit 8, the toner level in the image forming unit 8 will not increase or change, and therefore the image forming unit 8 should not reach a "toner full" state. This occurs, for example, when the toner cartridge 9 installed in the image forming unit 8 becomes empty and is replaced, and then an empty genuine toner cartridge 9 with the empty flag set is mistakenly installed in the image forming unit 8. When the toner cartridge 9 is replaced, the toner supply bar 17 needs to rotate to transport toner from the toner cartridge 9 into the image forming unit 8. However, if the replaced toner cartridge 9 is empty, toner will not be transported from the toner cartridge 9 into the image forming unit 8 even if the toner supply bar 17 rotates.

[0050] In such cases, the image forming apparatus 1 sets the supply time setting value t to the minimum time (e.g., 20 seconds), which is the first time, and after the first time has elapsed since the toner supply operation started, it notifies the user that printing cannot be performed because the image forming unit 8 is not in the toner full state and is in the toner empty state. In this way, the image forming apparatus 1 notifies the user as quickly as possible after the toner supply operation started that the replaced toner cartridge 9 is empty and cannot supply toner to the image forming unit 8, and therefore the image forming unit 8 cannot perform printing, thereby reducing unnecessary waiting time for the user and improving convenience. For this reason, the image forming apparatus 1 sets the supply time setting value t to the minimum time (e.g., 20 seconds), which is the first time, for toner cartridges 9 in which the empty flag is set in the tag IC memory 18.

[0051] On the other hand, in the case of a non-genuine toner cartridge 9, although the tag IC memory 18 of the installed toner cartridge 9 is set to empty, the toner cartridge 9 is filled with toner. Therefore, when the toner supply operation starts, the non-genuine toner is transported from the toner cartridge 9 to the image forming unit 8, and after a predetermined time has elapsed, the image forming unit 8 enters a toner full state.

[0052] On the other hand, if the empty flag in the tag IC memory 18 of the toner cartridge 9 installed in the image forming unit 8 is cleared, then this toner cartridge 9 is a genuine product, is not empty but sufficiently filled with toner, and has not reached the end of its lifespan. In such a case, the image forming apparatus 1 sets the supply time setting value t to the maximum time (for example, 90 seconds), which is the second time, and continues the toner supply operation until the second time has elapsed since the start of the toner supply operation. Normally, the image forming unit 8 will reach the toner full state within the second time elapsed since the start of the toner supply operation.

[0053] [1-4. Non-genuine toner cartridge detection process] The specific processing procedure for determining whether an image forming apparatus 1 is a non-genuine toner cartridge will be explained using the flowcharts in Figures 3, 4, and 5. When the power to the image forming apparatus 1 is turned on or the cover 3 is opened or closed, the main control unit 4 starts the non-genuine toner cartridge determination processing procedure RT1 and moves to step SP1. In step SP1, the main control unit 4 reads the unique ID from the consumable identification information of the tag IC memory 18 of all toner cartridges 9 and determines whether this unique ID differs from the unique ID of each toner cartridge 9 already stored in the memory circuit unit 54. If a positive result is obtained here, it indicates that the toner cartridge 9 has been replaced, and at this time the main control unit 4 clears the toner consumption amount stored in the memory circuit unit 54 to 0 and moves to step SP2.

[0054] On the other hand, if a negative result is obtained in step SP1, this indicates that all toner cartridges 9 have not been replaced because the unique IDs in the tag IC memory 18 of all toner cartridges 9 match the unique IDs already stored in the memory circuit unit 54. In this case, the main control unit 4 skips steps SP2 to SP15 and moves to step SP16 (Figure 4).

[0055] In step SP2, the main control unit 4 stores the unique ID read from the tag IC memory 18 of the replaced toner cartridge 9 in the storage circuit unit 54, thereby enabling detection of the replacement of the toner cartridge 9 if it is replaced at any point thereafter. At the same time, it reads the empty flag from the consumable identification information in the tag IC memory 18 of the replaced toner cartridge 9 and stores it in the storage circuit unit 54, then proceeds to step SP3.

[0056] In step SP3, the main control unit 4 determines whether the empty flag stored in the memory circuit unit 54 is set. If a positive result is obtained, this means that if the toner cartridge 9 is a genuine product, the toner is empty and has reached the end of its lifespan, or if it is a non-genuine product, the empty flag is set but it may be filled with non-genuine toner. At this point, the main control unit 4 moves on to step SP4. In step SP4, the main control unit 4 sets the supply time setting value t to the minimum time (for example, 20 seconds), which is the first time, and moves on to step SP6.

[0057] On the other hand, if a negative result is obtained in step SP3, this indicates that the toner cartridge 9 has not reached the end of its lifespan because the toner is not empty, and that it is sufficiently filled with toner. At this point, the main control unit 4 moves to step SP5. In step SP5, the main control unit 4 sets the supply time setting value t to the maximum time (for example, 90 seconds), which is the second time, and moves to step SP6.

[0058] In step SP6, the main control unit 4 turns on the toner supply clutch 74 to transmit power from the photoreceptor drum motor 71 to the toner supply bar 17, thereby starting the toner supply operation from the toner cartridge 9 to the image forming unit 8. At the same time, it starts measuring the supply elapsed time, which is the time that has elapsed since the start of the toner supply operation, and then proceeds to step SP7.

[0059] In step SP7, the main control unit 4 determines, based on the detection result from the toner sensor 30, whether the toner level in the image forming unit 8 has reached the toner full level and the image forming unit 8 is in the toner full state. If a negative result is obtained here, it means that the toner level has not reached the toner full level and the image forming unit 8 is not in the toner full state, so the toner supply operation will continue until the supply elapsed time reaches the supply time set value t, and at this point the main control unit 4 moves to step SP8.

[0060] In step SP8, the main control unit 4 determines whether the toner level in the image forming unit 8 has increased compared to a predetermined time prior. In this case, if it is the first step SP8 after the toner supply operation has started, the main control unit 4 determines whether the current toner level in the image forming unit 8 has increased compared to when the toner supply operation started. If a positive result is obtained here, it means that the replaced toner cartridge 9 is not empty and toner is being supplied from the toner cartridge 9 to the image forming unit 8. At this point, the main control unit 4 returns to step SP7 and repeats the above process until the image forming unit 8 reaches a toner full state or until the elapsed supply time reaches the supply time set value t.

[0061] On the other hand, if a negative result is obtained in step SP8, this indicates that the toner cartridge 9 after replacement is empty, for example, and that there is not enough toner in the toner cartridge 9 to cause the image forming unit 8 to reach a toner full state. In this case, the main control unit 4 proceeds to step SP9.

[0062] In step SP9, the main control unit 4 determines whether the elapsed supply time has reached the supply time set value t, that is, whether time has elapsed equal to the supply time set value t since the start of the toner supply operation. If a negative result is obtained, the main control unit 4 returns to step SP7 and repeats the above process until the image forming unit 8 reaches the toner full state or the elapsed supply time reaches the supply time set value t.

[0063] On the other hand, if a positive result is obtained in step SP9, this indicates that even after a set time t minutes has elapsed since the toner supply operation started, the image forming unit 8 has not reached a toner full state, and therefore it can be determined that the replaced toner cartridge 9 is either not sufficiently filled with toner or is empty. At this point, the main control unit 4 moves to step SP10. In step SP10, the main control unit 4 displays a toner empty error screen on the liquid crystal panel 56b of the operation panel 56, indicating that the toner in the image forming unit 8 is empty and therefore unable to print, thereby notifying the user that the image forming unit 8 is in a toner empty state and cannot print, and then moves to step SP11. In step SP11, the main control unit 4 stops the subsequent printing operation and moves to step SP36, ending the non-genuine toner cartridge detection processing procedure RT1.

[0064] On the other hand, if a positive result is obtained in step SP7, this indicates that the toner level has reached the toner full level and the image forming unit 8 is in the toner full state and ready to print. At this point, the main control unit 4 moves to step SP12. In step SP12, the main control unit 4 notifies the user that printing is possible by displaying an online status screen on the liquid crystal panel 56b of the operation panel unit 56, and then moves to step SP13.

[0065] In step SP13, the main control unit 4 determines whether or not the empty flag stored in the memory circuit unit 54 is set. If a positive result is obtained, this indicates that the replaced toner cartridge 9 is a non-genuine product, and the main control unit 4 then proceeds to step SP14. In step SP14, the main control unit 4 sets the non-genuine flag in the consumable identification information of the tag IC memory 18 and proceeds to step SP16 (Figure 4).

[0066] On the other hand, if a negative result is obtained in step SP13, this indicates that the replaced toner cartridge 9 is a genuine product, and at this point the main control unit 4 moves to step SP15. In step SP15, the main control unit 4 records the current drive counter of the photoreceptor drum 14 in the drum initial drive counter ctS within the consumable identification information of the tag IC memory 18 of the replaced toner cartridge 9, and then moves to step SP16 (Figure 4).

[0067] In step SP16, the main control unit 4 reads the non-genuine flag from the consumable identification information of the tag IC memory 18 of all toner cartridges 9 and stores it in the memory circuit unit 54, and determines whether each of the non-genuine flags stored in the memory circuit unit 54 is set or not. If a negative result is obtained here, it means that the toner cartridge 9 after replacement is a genuine product, and at this point the main control unit 4 moves on to step SP17.

[0068] In step SP17, the main control unit 4 reads the genuine product toner amount from the tag IC memory 18 of the toner cartridge 9, which it has determined to be a genuine product, sets it as the toner amount for this toner cartridge 9, and proceeds to step SP23. Here, the toner amount refers to the amount of toner in the toner cartridge 9 when it is filled with toner.

[0069] The toner capacity is measured in units of 792 dots, which is the dot count of print data with a 5% print duty cycle on one A4-sized sheet of paper. For a genuine toner cartridge 9 with a toner capacity sufficient for 3000 pages, 792 dots × 3000 pages = 2,376,000 dots is recorded as the genuine toner capacity in the tag IC memory 18. In addition, there are multiple types of genuine toner cartridges 9 with various toner capacity levels. For example, for a genuine toner cartridge 9 with a toner capacity sufficient for 6000 pages, 792 dots × 6000 pages = 4,752,000 dots is recorded as the genuine toner capacity in the tag IC memory 18. Similarly, for a genuine toner cartridge 9 with a toner capacity sufficient for 12000 pages, 792 dots × 12000 pages = 9,504,000 dots is recorded as the genuine toner capacity in the tag IC memory 18. This 9,504,000 dots represents the maximum toner capacity (also known as the maximum toner capacity for genuine products) among the various types of genuine toner cartridges available.

[0070] On the other hand, if a positive result is obtained in step SP16, this indicates that the replaced toner cartridge 9 is a non-genuine product, and at this point the main control unit 4 moves to step SP18. In step SP18, the main control unit 4 determines whether or not the amount of non-genuine product filled is recorded in the memory circuit unit 54. If a positive result is obtained here, this indicates that the image forming apparatus 1 has a history of using a predetermined number of non-genuine toner cartridges 9 in the past, and the average corrected toner filling amount (described later) calculated from this history is recorded in the memory circuit unit 54 as the amount of non-genuine product filled, and at this point the main control unit 4 moves to step SP19.

[0071] In step SP19, the main control unit 4 reads the non-genuine toner fill amount from the memory circuit unit 54 and sets it as the toner fill amount for this toner cartridge 9, then proceeds to step SP23. This non-genuine toner fill amount is the average value of the corrected toner fill amount (described later) recorded as the non-genuine toner fill amount in step SP34 (Figure 5), which will be described later.

[0072] On the other hand, if a negative result is obtained in step SP18, this indicates that the image forming apparatus 1 has no history of using a predetermined number of non-genuine toner cartridges 9 in the past, and therefore the average value of the corrected toner filling amount (described later) is not recorded in the memory circuit unit 54 as the non-genuine filling amount. At this point, the main control unit 4 moves to step SP20. In step SP20, the main control unit 4 determines whether or not the non-genuine filling amount is recorded in the tag IC memory 18. If a positive result is obtained here, the main control unit 4 moves to step SP21.

[0073] In step SP21, the main control unit 4 reads the non-genuine toner fill amount from the tag IC memory 18 of the toner cartridge 9 that it has determined to be a non-genuine product, sets it as the toner fill amount for this toner cartridge 9, and proceeds to step SP23. The corrected average toner fill amount (described later) calculated in step SP34 (Figure 5) is written as the non-genuine toner fill amount to the tag IC memory 18 of the genuine toner cartridge 9 during the manufacturing process. Subsequently, after distribution, if non-genuine toner is loaded into the toner cartridge 9, the toner cartridge 9 becomes a non-genuine toner cartridge 9. The non-genuine toner fill amount read in step SP21 is such data.

[0074] On the other hand, if a negative result is obtained in step SP20, this indicates that the toner amount of the toner cartridge 9, which has been determined to be a non-genuine product, is completely unknown, and at this point the main control unit 4 moves to step SP22. In step SP22, the main control unit 4 sets the toner amount of this toner cartridge 9 to the pre-set specified value, the maximum toner amount for genuine products, and moves to step SP23.

[0075] In step SP23, if the main control unit 4 has received a print job, it executes printing and proceeds to step SP24. In step SP24, the main control unit 4 reads the non-genuine flag from the consumable identification information in the tag IC memory 18 of all toner cartridges 9 and stores it in the memory circuit unit 54, and determines whether or not the non-genuine flag stored in the memory circuit unit 54 is set. If a negative result is obtained here, this indicates that the toner cartridge 9 after replacement is a genuine product, and at this point the main control unit 4 proceeds to step SP25. In step SP25, the main control unit 4 updates the drum cumulative drive counter ctE in the consumable identification information of the tag IC memory 18, where the non-genuine flag has been cleared, by recording the drive counter of the current photoreceptor drum 14, and proceeds to step SP26.

[0076] On the other hand, if a positive result is obtained in step SP24, this indicates that the replaced toner cartridge 9 is a non-genuine product, and in this case the main control unit 4 skips step SP25 and moves to step SP26.

[0077] In step SP26, the main control unit 4 updates the toner consumption stored in the memory circuit unit 54 by adding the toner consumption generated by the current printing operation to the total toner consumption up to that point, and then proceeds to step SP27. Here, the toner consumption can be calculated at any time, such as per print job or per page within a print job.

[0078] In step SP27, the main control unit 4 calculates the amount of toner currently stored in the toner cartridge 9 (i.e., the remaining toner in the toner cartridge 9) based on the toner consumption. Specifically, the main control unit 4 calculates the remaining toner in the toner cartridge 9 using the following formula and proceeds to step SP28. Toner level [%] for toner cartridge 9 = 100 - {(Toner consumption / Toner refill amount) × 100} For example, if the toner filling amount is 9,504,000 dots and the toner consumption is 4,740,000 dots, the remaining toner [%] of toner cartridge 9 is calculated as follows: 50.1[%] = 100 - {(4,740,000 / 9,504,000) × 100} After replacing toner cartridge 9, the toner level will decrease from 100% to 0% as printing continues.

[0079] In step SP28, the main control unit 4 notifies the user of the remaining toner amount for each toner cartridge 9 by displaying it on the liquid crystal panel 56b of the operation panel 56, and then proceeds to step SP29 (Figure 5).

[0080] In step SP29, the main control unit 4 determines, based on the detection result from the toner sensor 30, whether the toner level in the image forming unit 8 has reached the toner Low level and the image forming unit 8 is in a toner Low state. If a negative result is obtained, this indicates that the toner level in the image forming unit 8 has not reached the toner Low level and the image forming unit 8 is not in a toner Low state, and therefore printing can continue. In this case, the main control unit 4 skips steps SP30 to SP35 and returns to step SP23 (Figure 4), and if a print job has been received, it executes printing.

[0081] On the other hand, if a positive result is obtained in step SP29, this indicates that the toner level in the image forming unit 8 has reached the toner Low level and the image forming unit 8 is in a toner Low state, making it impossible to continue printing. At this point, the main control unit 4 moves to step SP30.

[0082] In step SP30, the main control unit 4 reads the non-genuine flag from the consumable identification information in the tag IC memory 18 of all toner cartridges 9 and stores it in the memory circuit unit 54, and determines whether the non-genuine flag stored in the memory circuit unit 54 is set or not. If a negative result is obtained here, this indicates that the toner cartridge 9 after replacement is a genuine product, and at this time the main control unit 4 skips steps SP31 to SP35 and moves to step SP37 to display the toner cartridge replacement request screen (described later), returns to step SP23 (Figure 4), and executes printing if a print job has been received. Also, if the toner in the image forming unit 8 is empty, the main control unit 4 moves to step SP10 (Figure 3), displays the toner empty error screen on the liquid crystal panel 56b of the operation panel unit 56, and stops subsequent printing operations.

[0083] Here, if the toner cartridge 9 is a genuine product, the toner filling amount set in step SP17 (Figure 4) matches the actual remaining toner amount of a new toner cartridge 9 that has been filled with toner. In addition, the image forming apparatus 1 is configured so that the image forming unit 8 enters a toner Low state when the remaining toner in the image forming unit 8 is around 10%. When the image forming unit 8 enters a toner Low state, the toner remaining in the toner cartridge 9 is empty. Specifically, if the toner remaining in the image forming unit 8 at the time the toner Low state of the image forming unit 8 is detected is configured to be enough for 1200 pages, the number of dots that can be printed before the toner in the image forming unit 8 runs out is 792 dots × 1200 pages = 950,400 dots. Thus, if the toner cartridge 9 is a genuine product, the remaining toner amount of the toner cartridge 9 is clear, so the image forming apparatus 1 does not perform the toner filling amount correction described later.

[0084] On the other hand, if the toner cartridge 9 is a non-genuine product, the toner filling amount set in step SP19 or SP21 (Figure 4) may not match the actual remaining toner amount of a new toner cartridge 9 that has been filled with toner. Thus, in the case of a non-genuine toner cartridge 9, even if the toner cartridge 9 is new and filled with toner, the remaining toner amount of the toner cartridge 9 is not always clear. For this reason, if the toner cartridge 9 is a non-genuine product, the image forming apparatus 1 corrects the toner filling amount in the processing from step SP31 onwards, based on the toner consumption at the time the toner Low state is detected.

[0085] In step SP31, the main control unit 4 calculates the corrected toner amount by performing a correction calculation for the toner filling amount of the non-genuine toner cartridge 9, and then proceeds to step SP32. Specifically, the main control unit 4 calculates the corrected toner filling amount using the following formula. Corrected toner filling amount = Current toner consumption + Toner remaining amount in image forming unit 8 at the time of toner low state detection For example, if the current toner consumption is 3,801,600 dots, the remaining toner in the image forming unit 8 at the time of toner low detection is the specified value of 950,400 dots. Therefore, the actual amount of toner filled in the non-genuine toner cartridge 9 is calculated as follows. 4,752,000 dots = 3,801,600 dots + 950,400 dots Therefore, the corrected toner capacity of the non-genuine toner cartridge 9 is calculated to be 4,752,000 dots, which is enough to print 6,000 pages.

[0086] In step SP32, the main control unit 4 repeats the above process by having the image forming apparatus 1 print using a predetermined number (for example, 5) non-genuine toner cartridges 9, and records the calculation results of up to 5 corrected toner amounts in the storage circuit unit 54, then moves to step SP33. Here, the main control unit 4 records five corrected toner amounts in the storage circuit unit 54: corrected toner amount 1 (the first corrected toner amount), corrected toner amount 2 (the second corrected toner amount), corrected toner amount 3 (the third corrected toner amount), corrected toner amount 4 (the fourth corrected toner amount), and corrected toner amount 5 (the fifth corrected toner amount). Furthermore, for the sake of clarity in the explanation, the corrected toner amount will be described in terms of pages rather than dot counts from here on, but when it is actually recorded in the storage circuit unit 54, it is recorded in units of dot counts. The corrected toner loads for each are as follows: Corrected toner load 1 = 6000 pages, Corrected toner load 2 = 5900 pages, Corrected toner load 3 = 6400 pages, Corrected toner load 4 = 5800 pages, and Corrected toner load 5 = 6200 pages.

[0087] In step SP33, the main control unit 4 excludes the maximum corrected toner filling amount, corrected toner filling amount 3 (6400 sheets), and the minimum corrected toner filling amount, corrected toner filling amount 4 (5800 sheets), from the five recorded corrected toner filling amounts, and proceeds to step SP34. As a result, the corrected toner filling amounts subject to averaging are corrected toner filling amount 1 (6000 sheets), corrected toner filling amount 2 (5900 sheets), and corrected toner filling amount 5 (6200 sheets).

[0088] In step SP34, the main control unit 4 averages the corrected toner filling amounts (corrected toner filling amount 1, corrected toner filling amount 2, and corrected toner filling amount 5) that are subject to averaging, calculates the average corrected toner filling amount, and then proceeds to step SP35. Specifically, the main control unit 4 calculates the average corrected toner filling amount = (corrected toner filling amount 1 + corrected toner filling amount 2 + corrected toner filling amount 5) / 3 times, resulting in 6033 sheets = (6000 sheets + 5900 sheets + 6200 sheets) / 3 times, and calculates 6033 sheets as the average corrected toner filling amount.

[0089] In step SP35, the main control unit 4 records the calculated average value of the corrected toner filling amount (6033 sheets) in the memory circuit unit 54 as the non-genuine toner filling amount, and proceeds to step SP37. In step SP37, the main control unit 4 notifies the user that the toner cartridge 9 should be replaced by displaying a toner cartridge replacement request screen on the liquid crystal panel 56b of the operation panel unit 56, indicating that the toner cartridge 9 should be replaced, and returns to step SP23 (Figure 4). As a result, from this point onward, when the main control unit 4 reads the non-genuine toner filling amount from the memory circuit unit 54 in step SP19, it will read this non-genuine toner filling amount. Furthermore, from this point onward, the main control unit 4 repeats the correction calculation described above each time the image forming apparatus 1 prints using a non-genuine toner cartridge 9, thereby increasing the accuracy of the non-genuine toner filling amount.

[0090] [1-5. Effects, etc.] In the above configuration, if the image forming apparatus 1 recognizes that the installed toner cartridge 9 is a non-genuine product, it sets the toner fill amount to either the non-genuine product fill amount, which is the amount of toner in the non-genuine toner cartridge 9 recorded in the memory circuit unit 54 or the tag IC memory 18 of the toner cartridge 9, or the genuine product maximum fill amount, which is a preset value and is the maximum amount of toner in a genuine toner cartridge 9, as the toner fill amount when the toner cartridge 9 is full of toner, and then performs a printing operation and updates the toner consumption amount.

[0091] Next, the image forming apparatus 1 corrects the toner filling amount based on the toner consumption from the start of use of the non-genuine toner cartridge 9 until the image forming unit 8 reaches a toner low state, calculates the corrected toner filling amount as the developer filling amount when not in use, and records the corrected toner filling amount in the memory circuit unit 54.

[0092] Furthermore, each time the toner cartridge 9 is replaced with a new non-genuine toner cartridge 9, the image forming apparatus 1 calculates the corrected toner filling amount and records it in the memory circuit unit 54. It also calculates the average corrected toner filling amount, which is the average of a predetermined number of corrected toner filling amounts, and records this average corrected toner filling amount in the memory circuit unit 54 as the non-genuine toner filling amount.

[0093] Therefore, if a different non-genuine toner cartridge 9 is installed after this point, the image forming apparatus 1 will set the non-genuine toner filling amount, which was the average corrected toner filling amount recorded in the memory circuit unit 54, as the new toner filling amount and perform the printing operation.

[0094] Furthermore, each time the toner cartridge 9 is replaced with a new non-genuine toner cartridge, the image forming apparatus 1 calculates the corrected toner filling amount and the average corrected toner filling amount, and records this average corrected toner filling amount in the memory circuit unit 54 as the non-genuine toner filling amount.

[0095] Therefore, the image forming apparatus 1 can accurately calculate the remaining toner in the toner cartridge 9 based on the toner filling amount, which is the average value of the corrected toner filling amount, and the amount of toner consumed since the start of use of the non-genuine toner cartridge 9, and display it on the liquid crystal panel 56b. This reduces the possibility that the remaining toner of the non-genuine toner cartridge 9 displayed on the liquid crystal panel 56b may suddenly decrease or remain constant at 10%, etc. Thus, by checking the remaining toner of the toner cartridge 9 displayed on the liquid crystal panel 56b, the user can accurately recognize the remaining toner, even if it is a non-genuine toner cartridge 9. In this way, the image forming apparatus 1 can alleviate the user's anxiety about using a non-genuine toner cartridge 9, improve user convenience, and maintain stable print quality.

[0096] Furthermore, the image forming apparatus 1 records the average value of multiple corrected toner filling amounts as the toner filling amount. As a result, the image forming apparatus 1 reduces the variability of the average value of the corrected toner filling amount as the accumulated corrected toner filling amount increases, bringing the average value of the corrected toner filling amount closer to the actual toner filling amount of the non-genuine toner cartridge 9, and further improving the accuracy of calculating the remaining toner amount of the toner cartridge 9.

[0097] Furthermore, by displaying the remaining toner level of the non-genuine toner cartridge 9, the image forming apparatus 1 can encourage users to reuse the toner cartridge 9 with confidence, thereby promoting the sustainable use of consumables. Therefore, the image forming apparatus 1 not only improves user convenience but also contributes to environmental protection.

[0098] Furthermore, the manufacturer (our company) of the image forming apparatus 1 reads the non-genuine toner fill amount from the memory circuit section 54 of the image forming apparatus 1, writes it to the tag IC memory 18 of the toner cartridge 9 as the non-genuine toner fill amount, and then, after distribution, if non-genuine toner is loaded into the toner cartridge 9, the toner cartridge 9 becomes a non-genuine toner cartridge 9. In such a case, the tag IC memory 18 of the non-genuine toner cartridge 9 has the non-genuine toner fill amount recorded. In this case, the image forming apparatus 1 can read the non-genuine toner fill amount from the tag IC memory 18 in step SP20 of the non-genuine toner cartridge determination processing procedure RT1 (Figure 4).

[0099] Furthermore, by recording information regarding the collection of toner cartridges 9 and fluctuations in the filling amount in the consumable identification information, the manufacturer can use this information for quality control during recycling and performance evaluation when reusing the cartridges. In this way, the image forming apparatus 1 can predict the replacement time of toner cartridges 9 and improve the accuracy of toner levels, thereby streamlining the user's printing operations and reducing the environmental impact.

[0100] According to the above configuration, the image forming apparatus 1 is an image forming apparatus 1 in which a toner cartridge 9 can be attached and detached, and includes an image forming unit 6 having an image forming unit 8 and a toner cartridge 9 as a developer storage unit that supplies toner as a developer to the image forming unit 8, a toner sensor 30 that detects the amount of toner as developer in the image forming unit 8, and a main control unit 4 that can read and write information stored in the toner cartridge 9 and controls the operation of the image forming unit 6. If a non-genuine flag indicating the set status as non-genuine product information, which indicates that the toner cartridge 9 is a non-genuine product, is stored in the toner cartridge 9, the main control unit 4 calculates the remaining amount of toner as developer in the non-genuine toner cartridge 9 based on the amount of toner consumed from the start of toner supply from the toner cartridge 9 to the image forming unit 8 until the toner sensor 30 detects that the amount of toner in the image forming unit 8 has fallen below a predetermined amount, and notifies the user of the calculation result.

[0101] This improves the accuracy of the image forming apparatus 1 in calculating the remaining toner in the non-genuine toner cartridge 9, and enables it to accurately notify the remaining toner in the non-genuine toner cartridge 9.

[0102] [2. Second Embodiment] [2-1. Overall configuration and control configuration of the image forming apparatus] The image forming apparatus 101 according to the second embodiment (Figures 1 and 2) differs from the image forming apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment in that it has a main control unit 104 instead of the main control unit 4 and a toner cartridge 109 instead of the toner cartridge 9, but is otherwise configured similarly. The main control unit 104 according to the second embodiment performs a non-genuine toner cartridge detection process different from that of the main control unit 4 according to the first embodiment.

[0103] The toner cartridge 109 according to the second embodiment differs from the toner cartridge 9 according to the first embodiment in that it has a tag IC memory 118 instead of the tag IC memory 18, but is otherwise configured similarly. The consumable identification information of the tag IC memory 118 according to the second embodiment contains the same information as the consumable identification information of the tag IC memory 18, and the measurement status flag can be set to either the not-measured state, the measuring state, or the skipped state. The measurement status flag is used to indicate the measurement status of toner consumption in the toner cartridge 109. The toner cartridge 109 is shipped by the manufacturer (our company) that manufactures the image forming apparatus 101 in a state that is set to the not-measured state (i.e., cleared) during manufacturing. When the toner consumption of the toner cartridge 109 is being measured, the measurement status flag is set to the measuring state. When the measurement of toner consumption in the toner cartridge 109 is completed, the measurement status flag is set from the measuring state to the not-measured state (i.e., cleared). On the other hand, if the toner consumption in the toner cartridge 109 at the time of detecting the toner Low state is not suitable for calculating the corrected toner refill amount, the measurement state flag is set to skip state. In the image forming apparatus 101, the measurement state flag is set to 0 for the unmeasured state, 1 for the measuring state, and 2 for the skip state, but in the following explanation, the measurement state flag will be set to either the unmeasured state, the measuring state, or the skip state.

[0104] [2-2. Non-genuine toner cartridge detection process] The specific processing procedure for determining non-genuine toner cartridges by the image forming apparatus 101 will be explained using flowcharts in Figure 3 and Figures 6 and 7, which use the same reference numerals for steps corresponding to Figures 4 and 5. When the power to the image forming apparatus 101 is turned on or the cover 3 is opened or closed, the main control unit 104 starts the non-genuine toner cartridge determination processing procedure RT101 (Figure 3) and moves to step SP1. The non-genuine toner cartridge determination processing procedure RT101 differs from the non-genuine toner cartridge determination processing procedure RT1 in that steps SP41 to SP43 (Figure 6) and steps SP51 and SP52 (Figure 7) are added, but otherwise it is configured similarly.

[0105] In steps SP1 to SP15 (Figure 3), the main control unit 104 performs the same processing as the non-genuine toner cartridge detection procedure RT1 according to the first embodiment, and then proceeds to step SP16 (Figure 6).

[0106] In step SP16, the main control unit 104 reads the non-genuine flag from the consumable identification information of the tag IC memory 118 of all toner cartridges 109, similar to the non-genuine toner cartridge determination processing procedure RT1 (Figure 4) according to the first embodiment, stores it in the storage circuit unit 54, and determines whether each of the non-genuine flags stored in the storage circuit unit 54 is set or not. If a negative result is obtained here, this indicates that the toner cartridge 109 after replacement is a genuine product, and at this point the main control unit 104 moves to step SP17.

[0107] In step SP17, the main control unit 104 reads the genuine toner fill amount from the tag IC memory 118 of the toner cartridge 109 that has been determined to be genuine, similar to the non-genuine toner cartridge determination processing procedure RT1 (Figure 4) according to the first embodiment, sets it as the toner fill amount for this toner cartridge 109, and proceeds to step SP23.

[0108] On the other hand, if a positive result is obtained in step SP16, this indicates that the replaced toner cartridge 109 is a non-genuine product, and at this point the main control unit 104 moves to step SP41. In step SP41, the main control unit 104 reads the measurement status flag from the consumable identification information of the tag IC memory 118 of the toner cartridge 109 which has been determined to be a non-genuine product, and makes a determination on this measurement status flag.

[0109] If the measurement status flag is set to the "not measured" state, this indicates that the toner cartridge 109 is not currently measuring toner consumption, and that the measurement of toner consumption will now begin, requiring the measurement status flag of the tag IC memory 118 to be changed from the "not measured" state to the "measuring" state. At this point, the main control unit 104 moves to step SP42. In step SP42, the main control unit 104 sets the measurement status flag of the tag IC memory 118 to the "measuring" state and moves to step SP18.

[0110] On the other hand, if the measurement status flag is set to the "measuring" state, this indicates that the toner cartridge 109 was removed from another image forming apparatus while the toner consumption was being measured in that apparatus before it was installed in the image forming apparatus 101, and the measurement status flag remained in the "measuring" state. Therefore, the toner cartridge 109 is not filled with toner and the toner has already been partially consumed. At this point, the main control unit 104 moves from step SP41 to step SP43. In step SP43, the main control unit 104 sets the measurement status flag of the tag IC memory 118 to the skip state and moves to step SP18.

[0111] On the other hand, if the measurement status flag is set to skip state, this indicates that the toner cartridge 109 was removed from another image forming apparatus while it was installed in that apparatus before being installed in the image forming apparatus 101, with the measurement status flag still set from the measuring state to the skip state. Therefore, the toner cartridge 109 is not filled with toner and the toner has already been partially consumed. In this case, the main control unit 104 moves from step SP41 to step SP18.

[0112] In steps SP18 to SP30 (Figure 7), the main control unit 104 performs the same processing as the non-genuine toner cartridge detection processing procedure RT1 (Figures 3 and 4) according to the first embodiment, and then proceeds to step SP51 (Figure 7).

[0113] In step SP51, the main control unit 104 reads the measurement status flag from the consumable identification information of the tag IC memory 118 of the toner cartridge 109, which has been determined to be a non-genuine product, and determines whether or not this measurement status flag is set to the "measuring" state. If a positive result is obtained here, it means that the measurement status flag of this toner cartridge 109 has been changed from the "not measuring" state to the "measuring" state in this image forming apparatus 101, and since the toner consumption is measured from the state where the toner is full, the toner consumption of this toner cartridge 109 at the time the "low toner" state is detected should be used to calculate the corrected toner filling amount, and at this point the main control unit 104 moves on to step SP31.

[0114] In steps SP31 to SP35, the main control unit 104 performs the same processing as the non-genuine toner cartridge detection procedure RT1 (Figure 4) according to the first embodiment, and then proceeds to step SP52.

[0115] On the other hand, if a negative result is obtained in step SP51, this indicates that the toner cartridge 109 was removed from another image forming apparatus while it was installed in that apparatus, with the measurement status flag still in the measuring or skipped state, before being installed in the image forming apparatus 101. Since the toner consumption is measured from a state where the toner has already been partially consumed, the toner consumption in the toner cartridge 109 at the time of detecting the toner Low state should not be used to calculate the corrected toner filling amount. In this case, the main control unit 104 skips steps SP31 to SP35 and moves to step SP52.

[0116] In step SP52, the main control unit 104 sets the measurement status flag of the tag IC memory 118 in the toner cartridge 109, which has entered a toner low state in the image forming unit 8, to an unmeasured state (i.e., clears it), thereby ending the measurement of toner consumption in this toner cartridge 109. The unit then moves to step SP37 to display the toner cartridge replacement request screen, returns to step SP23 (Figure 6), and executes printing if a print job has been received.

[0117] [2-3. Effects, etc.] Incidentally, the image forming apparatus 101 may be fitted with non-genuine toner cartridges 109, including those that are already filled with toner, as well as those that have already been installed and used in another image forming apparatus and whose toner has been partially consumed (hereinafter referred to as non-genuine toner cartridges in use).

[0118] In the image forming apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, when a non-genuine toner cartridge in use is installed, the corrected toner filling amount for the non-genuine toner cartridge in use is calculated based on the toner consumption in the toner low state, similar to a non-genuine toner cartridge 9 that is installed with toner full. An average corrected toner filling amount is calculated based on multiple such corrected toner filling amounts, and this average corrected toner filling amount is recorded in the memory circuit unit 54 as the non-genuine toner filling amount.

[0119] In such cases, for non-genuine toner cartridges in use, toner consumption measurement begins when the toner level is lower than when the cartridge is full. Therefore, compared to cases where toner consumption measurement begins normally from a full state, the toner consumption measured from the start of use of toner cartridge 9 until the image forming unit 8 reaches a toner low state will be lower. Consequently, in the case of image forming apparatus 1, the corrected toner filling amount becomes inaccurate, and the accuracy of the non-genuine toner filling amount, which is the average corrected toner filling amount based on this corrected toner filling amount, may decrease. In that case, image forming apparatus 1 will not be able to accurately calculate the remaining toner amount of the non-genuine toner cartridge 9, reducing user convenience when using the non-genuine toner cartridge 9.

[0120] In contrast, the image forming apparatus 101 according to the second embodiment is provided with a measurement status flag in the tag IC memory 118 of the toner cartridge 109, which can be set to either an unmeasured state, a measurement in progress state, or a skipped state.

[0121] If the image forming apparatus 101 then recognizes that the installed toner cartridge 109 is a non-genuine product, it reads a measurement status flag from the toner cartridge 109 and makes a determination.

[0122] If the measurement status flag is set to the "not measured" state, the image forming apparatus 101 recognizes that the toner cartridge 109 is not currently measuring toner consumption, changes the measurement status flag of the toner cartridge 109 from "not measured" to "measuring," starts measuring toner consumption, and performs printing.

[0123] On the other hand, if the measurement status flag is set to the "measuring" state, the image forming apparatus 101 recognizes that the toner cartridge 109 has already partially consumed toner because, before being installed in the image forming apparatus 101, it was installed in another image forming apparatus and was being removed from that other image forming apparatus while the measurement status flag remained in the "measuring" state. The image forming apparatus 101 then changes the measurement status flag of the toner cartridge 109 from the "measuring" state to the "skip" state, starts measuring toner consumption, and performs a print operation.

[0124] On the other hand, if the measurement status flag is set to skip, the image forming apparatus 101 recognizes that the toner cartridge 109 has already partially consumed toner because, before being installed in the image forming apparatus 101, it was installed in another image forming apparatus and removed from that other image forming apparatus with the measurement status flag changed from measuring to skip. Therefore, the image forming apparatus 101 keeps the measurement status flag of the toner cartridge 109 in skip and starts measuring toner consumption to perform the printing operation.

[0125] In this way, the image forming apparatus 101 has a measurement status flag set in the tag IC memory 118 of the toner cartridge 109. Therefore, the image forming apparatus 101 can determine whether or not the installed non-genuine toner cartridge 109 was installed in another image forming apparatus and partially used before being removed, before being installed in this image forming apparatus 101.

[0126] Subsequently, when the image forming unit 8, which is equipped with a non-genuine toner cartridge 109, enters a toner low state, the image forming apparatus 101 reads a measurement status flag from the toner cartridge 109 and determines whether or not this measurement status flag is set to the measurement state.

[0127] If the measurement status flag is set to the "measuring" state, the image forming apparatus 101 determines that the measurement status flag for this toner cartridge 109 has been changed from the "not measuring" state to the "measuring" state, and since the toner consumption is measured from the state where the toner is full, the toner consumption in this toner cartridge 109 at the time of detecting the "low toner" state should be used to calculate the corrected toner filling amount, and corrects the toner filling amount using this toner consumption (i.e., without excluding it).

[0128] On the other hand, if the measurement status flag is set to skip, the image forming apparatus 101 determines that the toner cartridge 109 was removed from another image forming apparatus while it was installed in that apparatus before being installed in the image forming apparatus 101, with the measurement status flag still in the measuring or skip state, and that the toner consumption was measured from a state where the toner had already been partially consumed. Therefore, the image forming apparatus 101 determines that the toner consumption in the toner cartridge 109 at the time of detecting the toner low state should not be used to calculate the corrected toner filling amount. The image forming apparatus 101 excludes the toner consumption from the information used to correct the toner filling amount and does not use the toner consumption to correct the toner filling amount.

[0129] Therefore, when a toner cartridge 109 (a non-genuine toner cartridge in use) that has already been installed and used in another image forming apparatus is installed in the image forming apparatus 101, the amount of toner consumed in the toner cartridge 109 is not included when correcting the toner filling amount.

[0130] In other words, if a non-genuine toner cartridge 109 is installed in the image forming unit 8 in an unused state, the image forming apparatus 101 corrects the toner filling amount using the toner consumption amount of the toner cartridge 109 at the time of detecting the toner Low state. Here, "unused state" means that the non-genuine toner cartridge 109 has been filled with toner and has not been used in any other image forming apparatus (i.e., the toner has not decreased), and has been installed in the image forming unit 8 of the image forming apparatus 101.

[0131] On the other hand, if a non-genuine toner cartridge 109 is installed in the image forming unit 8 while in use, the image forming apparatus 101 does not correct the toner filling amount using the toner consumption amount in the toner cartridge 109 at the time of detecting the toner Low state. Here, "in use" means that the non-genuine toner cartridge 109 has been filled with toner, used in another image forming apparatus (i.e., the toner has decreased), and then installed in the image forming unit 8 of the image forming apparatus 101.

[0132] This prevents the image forming apparatus 101 from having an inaccurate corrected toner filling amount, and prevents the accuracy of the non-genuine toner filling amount, which is the average corrected toner filling amount based on this corrected toner filling amount, from becoming low. Thus, the image forming apparatus 101 can maintain the accuracy of calculating the remaining toner amount of the non-genuine toner cartridge 109 and maintain user convenience when using the non-genuine toner cartridge 109.

[0133] Furthermore, the image forming apparatus 101, in the case of a non-genuine toner cartridge 109 in the image forming unit 8 when the toner is in a low state, either corrects the toner filling amount based on the toner consumption of the image forming unit 8, or skips the correction of the toner filling amount by excluding the toner consumption of the image forming unit 8 from the information subject to correction of the toner filling amount, and then sets the measurement status flag of the toner cartridge 109 to an unmeasured state.

[0134] Therefore, the image forming apparatus 101 can measure the toner consumption of the toner cartridge 109 when, in the future, after it has gone through distribution, a non-genuine toner cartridge 109 has been reloaded into it, and then installed in another image forming apparatus without being used partway through, it is installed in the image forming apparatus 101.

[0135] Here, when the measurement status flag is set to the "not measured" state, it is also said that a first state information indicating that the non-genuine toner cartridge 109 is unused is stored in the non-genuine toner cartridge 109. Setting the measurement status flag to the "not measured" state is also said to be rewriting the measurement status flag as state information to the first state information. Furthermore, when the measurement status flag is set to the "measuring" state, it is also said that a second state information indicating that toner supply from the non-genuine toner cartridge 109 to the image forming unit 8 has started and measurement of toner consumption has started is stored in the non-genuine toner cartridge 109. Furthermore, setting the measurement status flag to the "measuring" state is also said to be rewriting the measurement status flag as state information to the second state information.

[0136] With the above configuration, the image forming apparatus 101 determines whether or not to calculate the corrected toner filling amount based on a measurement status flag, which is stored in the non-genuine toner cartridge and represents status information indicating the usage status of the non-genuine toner cartridge.

[0137] In other words, if the measurement status flag is set to the unmeasured state (i.e., the first status information indicating that the non-genuine toner cartridge is unused is stored in the non-genuine toner cartridge), the image forming apparatus 101 corrects the toner filling amount using the toner consumption amount in the non-genuine toner cartridge at the time the toner Low state is detected.

[0138] On the other hand, the image forming apparatus 101 does not use the toner consumption amount measured in the non-genuine toner cartridge at the time of detection of the toner Low state when the measurement status flag is set to the measurement in progress state (i.e., a second status information indicating that toner supply from the non-genuine toner cartridge to the image forming unit 8 has started and measurement of toner consumption has started is stored in the non-genuine toner cartridge) or when the measurement status flag is set to the skip state.

[0139] Therefore, the image forming apparatus 101 can avoid including the toner consumption of a non-genuine toner cartridge that is already installed in another image forming apparatus and is in use, and whose toner has been partially consumed, when correcting the toner filling amount. In this way, the image forming apparatus 101 can prevent the corrected toner filling amount from becoming inaccurate, and can prevent the accuracy of the non-genuine toner filling amount, which is the average corrected toner filling amount based on this corrected toner filling amount, from becoming low.

[0140] In other respects as well, the image forming apparatus 101 according to the second embodiment can achieve the same effects as the image forming apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0141] [3. Other Embodiments] Furthermore, the present invention may also be applied to an image forming apparatus capable of accommodating multiple types of toner cartridges 9 with different capacities. In such an image forming apparatus, the image forming section 8 in each of the image forming units 6K, 6C, 6M, and 6Y is configured to be detachably equipped with toner cartridges 9KA, 9CA, 9MA, and 9YA (hereinafter also referred to as toner cartridge 9A) and toner cartridges 9KB, 9CB, 9MB, and 9YB (hereinafter also referred to as toner cartridge 9B). Although toner cartridges 9A and 9B have different toner capacities, they are otherwise similarly configured. Hereinafter, toner cartridges 9A and 9B will be collectively referred to as toner cartridge 9, toner cartridge 9A will be designated as toner cartridge 9 of type A, and toner cartridge 9B will be designated as toner cartridge 9 of type B.

[0142] This image forming apparatus requires at least one toner cartridge 9 corresponding to each of the black (K), cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y) colors to be installed. Therefore, it is not possible to install toner cartridges 9 of the same color but with different capacities, such as toner cartridge 9KA and toner cartridge 9KB, simultaneously. On the other hand, image forming apparatus 1 is configured to allow simultaneous installation of combinations of colors with different capacities, such as toner cartridges 9KA, 9CA, 9YB, and 9MB. The consumable identification information in the tag IC memory 18 of each toner cartridge 9 includes type information indicating the capacity type of the toner cartridge 9 (i.e., whether it is A-series or B-series).

[0143] In this configuration, the image forming apparatus, in the non-genuine toner cartridge detection processing procedure RT1, reads the non-genuine toner filling amounts separately set for system A and system B, which are capacity types of the toner cartridge 9, based on the capacity type indicated by the type information obtained from the installed toner cartridge 9, sets them as toner filling amounts, calculates and displays the remaining toner amount based on the toner filling amounts for system A and system B respectively, calculates the average corrected toner filling amount for system A and system B separately and records it as the non-genuine toner filling amount in the memory circuit unit 54.

[0144] Therefore, the image forming apparatus can accurately display the remaining toner levels of multiple types of non-genuine toner cartridges with different capacities, according to the different capacities. Although the description above has focused on the case of toner cartridge 9 having two types of capacities, A and B, the present invention may also be applied to toner cartridge 9 with any number of capacities, three or more. The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0145] Furthermore, in the second embodiment described above, the case in which the image forming apparatus 101 sets (i.e., rewrites) the measurement status flag to either the unmeasured state, the measuring state, or the skip state was described. The present invention is not limited to this, and the image forming apparatus 101 may rewrite the latest measurement status flag, but may also include in the measurement status flag information indicating the change history of the unmeasured state, the measuring state, or the skip state that the measurement status flag has been set to up to the present.

[0146] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, the image forming apparatus 1 calculates the average value of the corrected toner filling amount based on the calculation results of five corrected toner filling amounts, which is a predetermined number. The present invention is not limited to this, and the image forming apparatus 1 may also calculate the average value of the corrected toner filling amount based on the calculation results of any number of corrected toner filling amounts, whether less than five or more than five, which is a predetermined number. The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0147] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, the image forming apparatus 1 records the average value of the corrected toner filling amounts, which is the average value of multiple corrected toner filling amounts, as the non-genuine product filling amount in non-volatile memory. The present invention is not limited to this, and the image forming apparatus 1 may, for example, record the corrected toner filling amount as the non-genuine product filling amount in non-volatile memory when it has calculated one corrected toner filling amount. The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0148] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, the image forming apparatus 1 notifies the user of the remaining toner amount of the toner cartridge 9 by displaying it on the liquid crystal panel 56b of the operation panel 56. The present invention is not limited to this, and the image forming apparatus 1 may also notify the user of the remaining toner amount of the toner cartridge 9 by various other methods, such as displaying it on the display unit of the host device 50 or outputting sound. The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0149] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, the image forming apparatus 1 was configured such that the toner cartridge 9 could be attached to and detached from the image forming unit 8. The present invention is not limited to this, and the image forming apparatus 1 may also be configured such that the toner cartridge 9 and the image forming unit 8 are integrally formed in the image forming unit 6, and the image forming unit 6 can be attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus 1. The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0150] Furthermore, the first embodiment described above describes the application of the present invention to an image forming apparatus 1 that uses an intermediate transfer method in which the toner image, which has been primary transferred from the image forming unit 6 to the intermediate transfer belt 21, is secondary transferred to the medium P. The present invention is not limited to this, and may also be applied to an image forming apparatus that uses a direct transfer method in which the toner image is directly transferred from the image forming unit 6 to the medium P. The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0151] Furthermore, the first embodiment described above described the application of the present invention to a tandem-type image forming apparatus 1 having image forming units 6 of each color arranged in series along the front-to-back direction. The present invention is not limited to this, and may be applied to various other types of image forming apparatuses, such as a 4-cycle type. The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0152] Furthermore, the first embodiment described above described the case in which the present invention is applied to an image forming apparatus 1 having four image forming units 6 and forming a color image using four toners. The present invention is not limited to this, and may also be applied to an image forming apparatus having two, three, or five or more image forming units 6 and forming an image using a predetermined number of toners. The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0153] Furthermore, the first embodiment described above described the case in which the present invention is applied to an image forming apparatus 1 which is a single-function printer. The present invention is not limited to this, and may also be applied to image forming apparatuses with various other functions, such as an MFP (Multi-Function Peripheral) that has the functions of a copier or a facsimile machine. The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0154] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and other embodiments. That is, the scope of application of the present invention extends to embodiments that arbitrarily combine some or all of the embodiments described above and other embodiments, or embodiments that extract some of them. The scope of application of the present invention also extends when a part of the configuration described in any embodiment among the embodiments described above and other embodiments is extracted and replaced or adapted with a part of the configuration of any embodiment among the embodiments described above and other embodiments, or when the extracted part of the configuration is added to any embodiment.

[0155] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, we have described a case in which an image forming apparatus 1 or 101 is configured with an image forming unit 6 as an image forming unit, a toner sensor 30 as a developer amount detection unit, and a main control unit 4 or 104 as a control unit. The present invention is not limited to this, and an image forming apparatus may be configured with an image forming unit, a developer amount detection unit, and a control unit having various other configurations. [Industrial applicability]

[0156] The present invention can be used in an image forming apparatus that determines whether a toner cartridge is a genuine or non-genuine product. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0157] 1, 101...Image forming apparatus, 2...Housing, 3...Cover, 4, 104...Main control unit, 6...Image forming unit, 8...Image forming section, 9, 109...Toner cartridge, 10...Charging roller, 11...Image exposure section, 12...Developing roller, 13...Supply roller, 14...Photoreceptor drum, 15...Toner low detection bar, 16...LED head, 17...Toner supply bar, 18, 118...Tag IC memory, 19...Tag IC reader / writer, 20...Intermediate transfer section, 21...Intermediate transfer belt, 22...Drive roller, 23...Driven roller, 24...Backup roller, 25...Primary transfer roller, 26...Secondary transfer roller, 28...Secondary transfer section, 30...Toner sensor, 31... ...Cleaning blade, 32...Waste toner box, W...Transport path, 35...Transport roller pair, 37...Fusing unit, 38...Fusing roller, 39...Pressure roller, 40...Fusing heater, 41...Temperature sensor, 50...Host unit, 51...Print instruction, 52...Data receiving unit, 54...Memory circuit unit, 56...Operation panel unit, 56a...Operation keys, 56b...LCD panel, 56c...LED lamp, 58...Detection circuit unit, 60...Transport control unit, 62...Transfer control unit, 70...Transport motor, 71...Photoconductor drum motor, 72...Intermediate transfer belt motor, 73...Fusing motor, 74...Toner supply clutch, ctS...Drum initial drive counter, ctE...Drum cumulative drive counter.

Claims

1. In an image forming apparatus in which the developer container is detachable, An image forming unit having an image forming section and a developer storage section that supplies a developer to the image forming section, A developer amount detection unit for detecting the amount of developer in the image forming unit, A control unit that can read and write information stored in the developer container and controls the operation of the image forming unit. It has, The control unit, If non-genuine product information indicating that the developer container is a non-genuine product is stored in the developer container, the remaining amount of developer in the non-genuine developer container is calculated based on the amount of developer consumed from the start of supplying the developer from the developer container to the image forming unit until the developer quantity detection unit detects that the amount of developer in the image forming unit has fallen below a predetermined amount, and the calculation result is notified. Image forming apparatus.

2. The control unit, If the non-genuine product information is stored in the developer storage unit, the amount of developer to be filled in the developer storage unit of the non-genuine product is calculated based on the amount of developer consumed from the start of supplying the developer from the developer storage unit to the image forming unit until the developer quantity detection unit detects that the amount of developer in the image forming unit has fallen below a predetermined amount, and the amount of developer remaining in the image forming unit at the time the amount of developer in the image forming unit falls below a predetermined amount. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The control unit, Based on the amount of developer filled and the amount of developer consumed since the start of supplying the developer from the non-genuine developer container to the image forming unit, the remaining amount of developer in the non-genuine developer container is calculated, and the calculation result is notified. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2.

4. The control unit, The amount of developer filled is recorded each time the non-genuine developer container is replaced, and a new amount of developer filled is calculated based on the multiple amounts of developer filled. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2.

5. The control unit, The amount of developer filled is recorded each time the non-genuine developer container is replaced, the average value of multiple amounts of developer filled is calculated, and the result is used as the new amount of developer filled. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4.

6. The control unit, Based on the information stored in the developer storage unit, the capacity of the developer storage unit is determined, and the amount of developer filled is recorded in relation to that capacity. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2.

7. The control unit, The amount of developer to be filled is recorded in the storage unit of the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2.

8. The control unit, If the non-genuine product information is stored in the installed developer container, a determination is made as to whether or not to calculate the developer filling amount based on the status information indicating the usage status of the non-genuine developer container stored in the non-genuine product's developer container. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 7.

9. The control unit, If the first state information indicating that the developer container of the non-genuine product is unused is stored in the developer container of the non-genuine product, the amount of developer to be filled is calculated. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8.

10. The control unit, If the first state information is stored in the non-genuine developer container, the amount of developer to be filled in the non-genuine developer container is calculated based on the amount of developer consumed from the time the supply of the developer from the non-genuine developer container to the image forming unit begins until the developer quantity detection unit detects that the amount of developer in the image forming unit has fallen below a predetermined amount, and the amount of developer remaining in the image forming unit at the time the amount of developer in the image forming unit falls below a predetermined amount. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9.

11. The control unit, If the first state information is stored in the developer container of the non-genuine product, the first state information is rewritten to a second state information indicating that the developer has been supplied from the developer container of the non-genuine product. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9.

12. The control unit, When the developer quantity detection unit detects that the amount of developer in the image forming unit has fallen below a predetermined amount, the state information stored in the non-genuine developer storage unit is rewritten with the first state information. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9.

13. The control unit, When the non-genuine developer container is installed, and the developer is supplied from the non-genuine developer container to the image forming unit, and the developer quantity detection unit detects that the remaining amount of developer in the image forming unit exceeds a predetermined amount, the status information is read from the non-genuine developer container. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8.

Images