Toner remaining amount detection device and image forming apparatus

Abstract

To provide a toner remaining amount detection unit that can prevent a reduction in the accuracy of detecting the remaining amount of toner in a near-end period.SOLUTION: A toner remaining amount detection device comprises: a toner storage unit that accommodates a toner bottle (130) having a cylindrical bottle body (131) that stores toner, and a cap (132) that is attached to one end in an axial direction of the bottle body and discharges the toner stored in the bottle body; and a controller that detects the amount of toner remaining in the toner bottle accommodated in the toner storage unit. The toner storage unit has a first electrode pair (145, 146) that face each other across the bottle body, and a second electrode pair (147, 148) that face each other across the bottle body at positions closer to the cap than the first electrode pair. The controller detects the remaining amount of toner stored in the bottle body based on at least one of the capacitance value between the first electrode pair and the capacitance value between the second electrode pair.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a toner remaining amount detecting device and an image forming apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] As one of the image formation methods used by image forming devices, there has been known an electrophotographic method in which an image is developed on the surface of a photosensitive drum using toner stored in a toner bottle, and the image developed on the photosensitive drum is then transferred to a medium.

[0003] In an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, there is a technology in which a pair of electrodes are provided to sandwich a toner bottle, and the amount of toner remaining in the toner bottle is detected as a change in the electrostatic capacitance value between the electrodes, thereby detecting the amount of toner remaining in the bottle (for example, see Patent Documents 1 to 4). Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the pair of electrodes described in Patent Documents 1 to 4 face the entire axial area of ​​the toner bottle, which causes a problem that when the amount of toner remaining in the toner bottle is low (hereinafter referred to as "near-end"), the ratio of the capacitance value of the air layer becomes relatively large, which reduces the accuracy of detecting the amount of remaining toner.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and has an object to provide a toner remaining amount detection device that can suppress a decrease in the accuracy of detecting the remaining toner amount when the toner is near-end. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, one aspect of the present invention is a toner remaining amount detection device including a toner storage unit that stores a toner bottle having a cylindrical bottle body that stores toner and a cap that is attached to one axial end of the bottle body and discharges the toner stored in the bottle body, and a controller that detects the remaining amount of toner in the toner bottle stored in the toner storage unit, wherein the toner storage unit has a first electrode pair that faces each other across the bottle body, and a second electrode pair that faces each other across the bottle body at a position closer to the cap than the first electrode pair, The controller detects the remaining amount of toner based on a sum of a capacitance value between the first electrode pair and a capacitance value between the second electrode pair that is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value. It is characterized by: Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a remaining toner amount detecting device capable of suppressing a decrease in the accuracy of detecting the remaining toner amount when the toner amount is near the end. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an internal configuration of an image forming apparatus. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of an image forming apparatus. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a toner storage unit that stores a toner bottle. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the arrangement of a toner bottle and four electrodes. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the image forming apparatus. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the controller. [Figure 7] 4 is a flowchart of a toner remaining amount detection process. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a configuration of an electrode according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the internal configuration of an image forming apparatus 100. As shown in Fig. 1, the image forming apparatus 100 mainly includes a paper feed tray 101, a paper discharge tray 102, a conveying section 110, and an image forming section 120. The paper feed tray 101 holds a plurality of sheets of paper M in a stacked state before an image is formed on them. The paper discharge tray 102 holds sheets of paper M on which an image has been formed.

[0010] The paper M is an example of a medium that is transported by the transport unit 110 and on which an image is formed by the image forming unit 120. The paper M may be, for example, a cut sheet that has been cut to a predetermined size (e.g., A4, B5, etc.) in advance, or a continuous sheet of paper in a long strip shape. The paper M is not limited to paper, and may be an overhead projector sheet or the like. Inside the image forming apparatus 100, a transport path 105 is formed, which is a space through which the paper M is transported. The transport path 105 is a path that runs from the paper feed tray 101 through the image forming unit 120 to the paper output tray 102.

[0011] The conveying unit 110 conveys the paper M along the conveying path 105. Specifically, the conveying unit 110 conveys the paper M stored in the paper feed tray 101 along the conveying path 105 to the position of the image forming unit 120. In addition, the conveying unit 110 discharges the paper M, on whose front side an image has been formed by the image forming unit 120, along the conveying path 105 to the paper output tray 102.

[0012] The conveying section 110 includes a plurality of conveying rollers 111 and 112. The conveying rollers 111 and 112 are, for example, configured with a drive roller that rotates by the driving force of a motor being transmitted thereto, and a driven roller that comes into contact with the drive roller and is driven by the drive roller. The sheet M is conveyed along the conveying path 105 by the sheet M being pinched and rotated between the drive roller and the driven roller.

[0013] The transport roller 111 is disposed upstream in the transport direction from the image forming unit 120. The transport roller 112 is disposed downstream in the transport direction from the image forming unit 120. However, the installation positions of the transport rollers are not limited to the two positions shown in FIG.

[0014] The image forming unit 120 is disposed between the conveying rollers 111 and 112, facing the conveying path 105. The image forming unit 120 forms an image on the surface of the paper M conveyed by the conveying unit 110. The image forming unit 120 according to the embodiment forms an image on the paper M conveyed along the conveying path 105 by an electrophotographic method.

[0015] More specifically, the image forming unit 120 has a configuration in which photoconductor drums 121Y, 121M, 121C, and 121K of each color (hereinafter, these will be collectively referred to as "photoconductor drum 121") are arranged along a transfer belt 122, which is an endless moving means. That is, along the transfer belt 122 on which an intermediate transfer image to be transferred to a sheet M fed from a paper feed tray 101 is formed, a plurality of photoconductor drums 121Y, 121M, 121C, and 121K are arranged in order from the upstream side in the conveying direction of the transfer belt 122.

[0016] Toner contained in a toner bottle 130, which will be described later, is supplied to the photoconductor drum 121. Then, the images of each color developed with the toner on the surface of the photoconductor drum 121 of each color are superimposed and transferred onto the transfer belt 122 to form a full-color image. The full-color image formed on the transfer belt 122 is then transferred onto the paper M by a transfer roller 123 at a position closest to the conveying path 105.

[0017] Furthermore, the image forming unit 120 includes a fixing roller 124 arranged downstream of the transfer roller 123 in the transport direction. The fixing roller 124 includes a drive roller driven by a motor, and a driven roller that contacts the drive roller and drives it. In the process in which the drive roller and the driven roller pinch and rotate the paper M, the paper M is heated and pressed, so that the image transferred by the transfer roller 123 is fixed to the paper M.

[0018] Fig. 2 is an external perspective view of image forming apparatus 100. As shown in Fig. 2, an openable and closable cover 103 is attached to the front of image forming apparatus 100. When cover 103 is opened, toner storage section 140 that stores toner bottle 130 is exposed. Note that while only one toner storage section 140 is illustrated in Fig. 2, image forming apparatus 100 has four toner storage sections that store toner bottles 130 of each color (yellow, magenta, cyan, and black).

[0019] Next, the toner bottle 130 and the toner storage unit 140 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 3 and 4. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the toner storage unit 140 that stores the toner bottle 130. Figure 4 is a diagram showing the arrangement of the toner bottle 130 and the four electrodes 145, 146, 147, and 148.

[0020] 3, the toner bottle 130 mainly comprises a cylindrical (tubular) bottle body 131 that contains toner, a cap 132 attached to the tip (one end in the axial direction) of the bottle body 131, and a gear 133 fixed to the outer circumferential surface of the bottle body 131. The bottle body 131 is configured to be rotatable relative to the cap 132. The bottle body 131 is formed with a spiral projection 134 that protrudes inward from the inner circumferential surface and extends in a spiral shape. The cap 132 is further formed with an outlet for discharging the toner contained in the bottle body 131.

[0021] The toner storage section 140 mainly includes two guide sections 141 that support the toner bottle 130, a hopper 142 that is connected to the cap 132 and supplies the toner in the toner bottle 130 to the image forming section 120, a drive gear 143 that meshes with the gear 133, and a drive motor 144 that drives the drive gear 143.

[0022] When the toner bottle 130 is accommodated in the toner accommodation unit 140, the bottle body 131 is supported by the guide unit 141, the discharge port of the cap 132 is connected to the hopper 142, and the gear 133 and the drive gear 143 mesh with each other. Then, when the image forming unit 120 forms an image, the drive motor 144 is driven.

[0023] As a result, the rotational driving force of the drive motor 144 is transmitted to the bottle body 131 through the meshed drive gear 143 and gear 133, causing the bottle body 131 to rotate relative to the cap 132. As a result, the toner in the bottle body 131 moves toward the cap 132 along the spiral projection 134 and is supplied to the image forming unit 120 through the discharge port of the cap 132 and the hopper 142. That is, the toner in the bottle body 131 is gradually reduced by being consumed in the image forming unit 120.

[0024] As shown in Fig. 4, the toner storage unit 140 includes four electrodes 145, 146, 147, and 148. The four electrodes 145-148 are formed from a plate material of a conductor (for example, iron). The four electrodes 145-148 face the side surfaces of the bottle main body 131 at a predetermined interval. The four electrodes 145-148 extend along the axial direction of the bottle main body 131. Furthermore, the lengths of the four electrodes 145-148 in the axial direction of the bottle main body 131 are set to be the same.

[0025] The pair of electrodes 145, 146 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "first electrode pair 145, 146") face each other with the bottle body 131 in between. In this embodiment, the electrode 145 is disposed above the bottle body 131, and the electrode 146 is disposed below the bottle body 131. In addition, in the axial direction of the bottle body 131, the pair of electrodes 145, 146 are disposed at positions farther from the cap 132 than the pair of electrodes 147, 148.

[0026] The pair of electrodes 147, 148 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "second electrode pair 147, 148") face each other across the bottle body 131. In this embodiment, the electrode 147 is disposed above the bottle body 131, and the electrode 148 is disposed below the bottle body 131. In addition, in the axial direction of the bottle body 131, the pair of electrodes 147, 148 are disposed closer to the cap 132 than the pair of electrodes 145, 146.

[0027] 5 is a hardware configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus (MFP: Multifunction Peripheral / Product / Printer) 100. As shown in FIG. 5, the image forming apparatus 100 includes a controller 210, a short-range communication unit 220, an engine control unit 230, an operation panel 240, and a network I / F 250.

[0028] Of these, the controller 210 has a CPU 201 which is the main part of the computer, a system memory (MEM-P) 202, a north bridge (NB) 203, a south bridge (SB) 204, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) 206, a local memory (MEM-C) 207 which is a storage unit, an HDD controller 208, and a HD 209 which is also a storage unit, and is configured such that the NB 203 and the ASIC 206 are connected by an AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) bus 221.

[0029] Of these, the CPU 201 is a control unit that performs overall control of the image forming apparatus 100. The NB 203 is a bridge for connecting the CPU 201 with the MEM-P 202, the SB 204, and the AGP bus 221, and includes a memory controller that controls reading and writing to the MEM-P 202, a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) master, and an AGP target.

[0030] The MEM-P202 is composed of a ROM202a which is a memory for storing programs and data for implementing the various functions of the controller 210, and a RAM202b which is used for developing the programs and data, and as a drawing memory during memory printing, etc. The programs stored in the RAM202b may be provided by being recorded in a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, CD-R, or DVD in the form of an installable or executable file.

[0031] The SB204 is a bridge for connecting the NB203 to a PCI device and a peripheral device. The ASIC206 is an IC (Integrated Circuit) for image processing purposes having hardware elements for image processing, and serves as a bridge for connecting the AGP bus 221, the PCI bus 222, the HDD controller 208, and the MEM-C207. The ASIC206 includes a PCI target and an AGP master, an arbiter (ARB) that is the core of the ASIC206, a memory controller that controls the MEM-C207, a plurality of DMACs (Direct Memory Access Controllers) that rotate image data using hardware logic, and a PCI unit that transfers data between the engine control unit 230 and the ASIC206 via the PCI bus 222. A USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface or an IEEE1394 (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 1394) interface may be connected to the ASIC206.

[0032] The MEM-C 207 is a local memory used as an image buffer for copying and a code buffer. The HD 209 is a storage for storing image data, font data used during printing, and forms. The HD 209 controls the reading and writing of data from and to the HD 209 under the control of the CPU 201. The AGP bus 221 is a bus interface for a graphics accelerator card proposed to speed up graphic processing, and by directly accessing the MEM-P 202 at high throughput, the graphics accelerator card can be made faster.

[0033] The short-distance communication unit 220 is also provided with a short-distance communication circuit 220a. The short-distance communication circuit 220a is a communication circuit such as NFC, Bluetooth (registered trademark), etc. Furthermore, the engine control unit 230 is connected to the transport unit 110, the image forming unit 120, and the four electrodes 145 to 148.

[0034] The controller 210 controls the transport unit 110 and the image forming unit 120 via the engine control unit 230 to form an image on the paper M. The controller 210 also measures the capacitance value C1 between the first electrode pair 145, 146 and the capacitance value C2 between the second electrode pair 147, 148, and detects the amount of toner remaining in the toner bottle 130 based on at least one of the measured capacitance values ​​C1 and C2. The toner storage unit 140, the four electrodes 145 to 148, and the controller 210 constitute a toner remaining amount detection device.

[0035] The operation panel 240 is equipped with a panel display section 240a such as a touch panel that displays current setting values ​​and a selection screen, etc., and accepts input from the operator, and an operation panel 240b consisting of a numeric keypad that accepts setting values ​​for image formation conditions such as density setting conditions, and a start key that accepts a copy start instruction, etc.

[0036] The network I / F 250 is an interface for performing data communication using a communication network. The short-range communication unit 220 and the network I / F 250 are electrically connected to the ASIC 206 via a PCI bus 222. The controller 210 can transmit information to an external device and receive information from the external device via the network I / F 250.

[0037] Fig. 6 is a functional block diagram of the controller 210. As shown in Fig. 6, the controller 210 includes a capacitance measurement unit 261, a threshold comparison unit 262, a capacitance addition unit 263, and a remaining toner detection unit 264. Each of the functional blocks 261 to 264 shown in Fig. 6 is a functional unit that is realized by the CPU 201 in the controller 210 loading a program stored in the HD 209 into the RAM 202b and executing the program.

[0038] The capacitance measurement unit 261 measures the capacitance value C1 between the first electrode pair 145, 146 and the capacitance value C2 between the second electrode pair 147, 148. The capacitance value may be measured by a general method, but in this embodiment, it is measured by a charging method (applying a constant voltage and current between the electrodes and measuring the capacitance from the relationship between the time at the charging point and the voltage and current).

[0039] The threshold value comparison unit 262 compares the capacitance values ​​C1, C2 formed by the capacitance measurement unit 261 with predetermined threshold values ​​TH1, TH2. The threshold value TH1 is a capacitance value when no toner is contained in the area of ​​the bottle main body 131 sandwiched between the first electrode pair 145, 146 (i.e., only an air layer). The threshold value TH2 is a capacitance value when no toner is contained in the area of ​​the bottle main body 131 sandwiched between the second electrode pair 147, 148 (i.e., only an air layer). When the lengths of the first electrode pair 145, 146 and the second electrode pair 147, 148 are the same in the axial direction of the bottle main body 131, the threshold values ​​TH1 and TH2 are set to the same value.

[0040] The capacitance adding unit 263 adds only the capacitance values ​​equal to or greater than the corresponding thresholds TH1, TH2 among the capacitance values ​​C1, C2 measured by the capacitance measuring unit 261 to calculate a target capacitance value C. That is, the target capacitance value C may be equal to the capacitance value C1, equal to the capacitance value C2, or equal to the sum of the capacitance values ​​C1 and C2.

[0041] The remaining toner amount detection unit 264 detects the remaining amount of toner in the toner bottle 130 contained in the toner container 140 based on the target capacitance value C calculated by the capacitance addition unit 263. The capacitance values ​​C1 and C2 measured by the capacitance measurement unit 261 vary depending on the dielectric constant between the electrodes, and therefore the greater the amount of toner (which has a higher dielectric constant than air) in the toner bottle 130, the greater the value becomes. Therefore, the remaining toner amount detection unit 264 detects the remaining toner amount corresponding to the target capacitance value C as the current remaining toner amount based on the correspondence relationship between the capacitance value and the remaining toner amount previously stored in the HD 209 (memory), for example.

[0042] Then, remaining toner amount detection unit 264 causes panel display unit 240a to display the detected remaining toner amount. Displaying the remaining toner amount on panel display unit 240a is an example of outputting the remaining toner amount. However, a specific method for outputting the remaining toner amount is not limited to the above example, and may involve transmitting the remaining toner amount to an external device via network I / F 250, or outputting a warning sound from a speaker when the remaining toner amount is less than a predetermined amount.

[0043] Next, the toner remaining amount detection process will be described with reference to Fig. 4 and Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a flowchart of the toner remaining amount detection process. The controller 210 may execute the toner remaining amount detection process according to an instruction from an operator via the operation panel 240b, for example, or may execute the toner remaining amount detection process repeatedly at predetermined time intervals. The controller 210 also executes the toner remaining amount detection process for each toner bottle 130 of each color. However, since the process for each color is common, the process for one color will be described.

[0044] First, the controller 210 initializes a variable n (=1) and a target capacitance value C (=0) (S701). Next, in step S702 when n=1, the capacitance measurement unit 261 of the controller 210 measures the capacitance value C1 between the first electrode pair 145, 146 (S702).

[0045] Next, the threshold comparator 262 of the controller 210 compares the capacitance value C1 calculated in step S702 with the corresponding threshold TH1 (S703). If the capacitance value C1 is equal to or greater than the threshold TH1 (S703: Yes), the capacitance adder 263 of the controller 210 adds the capacitance value C1 to the target capacitance value C (S704). On the other hand, if the capacitance value C1 is less than the threshold TH1 (S703: No), the process of step S704 is omitted.

[0046] Next, the controller 210 determines whether or not the processes of steps S702 to S704 have been executed for all electrode pairs included in the toner storage unit 140 (S705). If the controller 210 determines that there is an electrode pair for which the processes of steps S702 to S704 have not been executed (S705: No), the controller 210 adds 1 to the variable n (S706) and executes the processes of steps S702 to S704. That is, the controller 210 executes the processes of steps S702 to S704 for all electrode pairs included in the toner storage unit 140.

[0047] As shown in Fig. 4(A), when toner is present in both the region sandwiched between the first electrode pair 145, 146 and the region sandwiched between the second electrode pair 147, 148 in the internal space of the bottle main body 131, the target capacitance value C is equal to the sum of the capacitance values ​​C1 and C2. On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 4(B), when no toner is present in the region sandwiched between the first electrode pair 145, 146 and toner is present in the region sandwiched between the second electrode pair 147, 148 (i.e., when the toner is near the end), the target capacitance value C is equal to the capacitance value C2. Note that in Fig. 4, toner is indicated by dot hatching.

[0048] That is, when the capacitance value C1 between the first electrode pair 145, 146 is less than the threshold value TH1, the controller 210 detects the remaining amount of toner based on the capacitance value C2 between the second electrode pair 147, 148. On the other hand, when the capacitance value C1 between the first electrode pair 145, 146 is equal to or greater than the threshold value TH1, the controller 210 detects the remaining amount of toner based on the sum of the capacitance value C1 between the first electrode pair 145, 146 and the capacitance value C2 between the second electrode pair 147, 148.

[0049] Next, when the processing of steps S702 to S704 for all electrode pairs included in the toner storage unit 140 is completed (S705: Yes), the toner remaining amount detection unit 264 of the controller 210 detects the amount of toner remaining in the toner bottle 130 based on the target capacitance value C (S707). Then, the controller 210 displays the amount of toner remaining detected in step S707 on the panel display unit 240a (S708).

[0050] According to the above embodiment, for example, the following advantageous effects are achieved.

[0051] According to the above embodiment, when the toner is near the end as shown in FIG. 4B, the remaining toner amount is detected based on the capacitance value C2 between the second electrode pair 147, 148. In this way, the S / N ratio is improved by detecting the remaining toner amount without using the capacitance value C1 between the first electrode pair 145, 146 that sandwiches only an air layer. As a result, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the detection accuracy of the remaining toner amount when the toner is near the end.

[0052] Furthermore, according to the above embodiment, by making the lengths of the electrodes 145-148 the same in the axial direction of the bottle body 131, components can be standardized, thereby reducing manufacturing costs. Also, the variation in density of the electric field lines is reduced. However, the lengths of the electrodes 145-148 may be different. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the configuration of the electrodes 145-148 according to a modified example.

[0053] 8(A), the length of the pair of electrodes 147, 148 constituting the second electrode pair may be longer than the length of the pair of electrodes 145, 146 constituting the first electrode pair in the axial direction of the bottle body 131. When the time to replace the toner bottle 130 is approaching, it is desirable to have high accuracy in detecting the remaining amount of toner. Therefore, when changing the lengths of the first electrode pair 145, 146 and the second electrode pair 147, 148, it is desirable to shorten the second electrode pair 147, 148. In this case, the threshold values ​​TH1 and TH2 are different values ​​(TH1>TH2).

[0054] It is known that when the remaining amount of toner is 50 g, the toner is distributed so that the toner portion angle θ=20°. Therefore, in the case of a typical toner bottle shape (e.g., length 40 cm / diameter 7 cm), the toner distribution when the toner bottle is near the end is within a range of 10 cm from the discharge port in the direction of the rotation axis of the toner bottle. Therefore, by setting the length of electrodes 145 and 146 to 30 cm and the length of electrodes 147 and 148 to 10 cm, the detection accuracy of the remaining amount of toner when the toner bottle is near the end can be improved.

[0055] 8B, one electrode 146 constituting the first electrode pair and one electrode 148 constituting the second electrode pair may be connected to each other (commonly connected). This can reduce the number of parts of the image forming apparatus 100. Note that, although the example of FIG. 8 has been described in which the lower electrodes 146 and 148 are connected to each other (commonly connected), the upper electrodes 145 and 147 may be connected to each other (commonly connected).

[0056] 4 and 8, the number of electrode pairs is two, but the number of electrode pairs provided in the toner storage unit 140 may be three or more. In addition, in the examples of Fig. 4 and Fig. 8, the pair of electrodes constituting the electrode pair is arranged to face each other in the vertical direction, but the arrangement of the pair of electrodes is not limited to the above example, and they may be arranged to face each other in the horizontal direction. Furthermore, in Fig. 8(B), the electrode 145 may be omitted.

[0057] Each function of the above-described embodiments can be realized by one or more processing circuits. Here, the term "processing circuit" in this specification includes a processor programmed to execute each function by software, such as a processor implemented by an electronic circuit, and a device such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a DSP (digital signal processor), an FPGA (field programmable gate array), or a conventional circuit module designed to execute each function described above.

[0058] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the technical gist of the present invention. The present invention covers all technical matters included in the technical ideas described in the claims. The above-described embodiment shows a preferred example, but a person skilled in the art can realize various modifications from the disclosed contents. Such modifications are also included in the technical scope described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 100: Image forming apparatus 101: Paper feed tray 102: Paper output tray 103: Cover 105: Transport path 110: Transport section 111, 112: Transport roller 120: Image forming unit 121C, 121K, 121M, 121Y: Photoconductor drum 122: Transfer belt 123: Transfer roller 124: Fuser roller 130: Toner bottle 131: Bottle body 132: Cap 133: Gear 134: Spiral projection 140: Toner storage section 141: Guide section 142: Hopper 143: Drive gear 144: Drive motor 145,146,147,148: Electrode 201: CPU 202a :ROM 202b: RAM 206: ASIC 208: HDD controller 209 :HD 210: Controller 220: Near field communication department 220a: Near field communication circuit 221: AGP bus 222: PCI bus 230: Engine control unit 240: Operation panel 240a: Panel display section 240b: Operation panel 250: Network I / F 261: Capacitance measurement unit 262: Threshold comparison unit 263: Capacitive adder 264: Toner remaining amount detection unit [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0060] [Patent Document 1] JP 2004-286792 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2016-71299 A [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 07-92802 [Patent Document 4] JP 2020-20888 A

Claims

1. a toner container for accommodating a toner bottle having a cylindrical bottle body for accommodating toner and a cap attached to one end of the bottle body in the axial direction for discharging the toner contained in the bottle body; a controller for detecting a remaining amount of toner in the toner bottle contained in the toner container, The toner storage unit includes: A first electrode pair facing each other across the bottle body; a second electrode pair that faces the bottle body at a position closer to the cap than the first electrode pair, The toner remaining amount detection device is characterized in that the controller detects the remaining amount of toner based on the sum of the capacitance value between the first electrode pair and the capacitance value of the second electrode pair, which are equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value.

2. a toner container for accommodating a toner bottle having a cylindrical bottle body for accommodating toner and a cap attached to one end of the bottle body in the axial direction for discharging the toner contained in the bottle body; a controller for detecting a remaining amount of toner in the toner bottle contained in the toner container, The toner storage unit includes: A first electrode pair facing each other across the bottle body; a second electrode pair that faces the bottle body at a position closer to the cap than the first electrode pair, the controller detects a remaining amount of toner contained in the bottle body based on at least one of a capacitance value between the first electrode pair and a capacitance value between the second electrode pair; a toner remaining amount detecting device, wherein one of the electrodes constituting the first electrode pair and one of the electrodes constituting the second electrode pair are connected to each other;

3. 3. The toner remaining amount detecting device according to claim 1, wherein a length of the first electrode pair and a length of the second electrode pair are the same in an axial direction of the bottle body.

4. a toner container for accommodating a toner bottle having a cylindrical bottle body for accommodating toner and a cap attached to one end of the bottle body in the axial direction for discharging the toner contained in the bottle body; a controller for detecting a remaining amount of toner in the toner bottle contained in the toner container, The toner storage unit includes: A first electrode pair facing each other across the bottle body; a second electrode pair that faces the bottle body at a position closer to the cap than the first electrode pair, the controller detects a remaining amount of toner contained in the bottle body based on at least one of a capacitance value between the first electrode pair and a capacitance value between the second electrode pair; a length of the second electrode pair in an axial direction of the bottle body being shorter than a length of the first electrode pair;

5. The toner remaining amount detecting device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, an image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming unit that forms an image on a medium using the toner in the toner bottle;

6. 2. The toner remaining amount detecting device according to claim 1, wherein one of the electrodes constituting the first electrode pair and one of the electrodes constituting the second electrode pair are connected to each other.

Images