Image forming apparatus and image forming system

Abstract

To provide one form of an image forming apparatus and an image forming system.SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus comprises: an image carrier; a developer container that has a supply port through which a developer can be supplied; a developer carrier; detection means that outputs remaining amount information according to the amount of developer stored in the developer container; notification means that can give notifications about a first state indicating that the remaining amount of developer stored in the developer container is equal to or more than a first amount, and a second state indicating that the remaining amount of developer stored in the developer container is less than the first amount; and control means that causes the notification means to give a notification about any one of a plurality of states including the first state and the second state. The maximum amount of developer that can be stored in the developer container is larger than a value obtained by adding the amount of developer stored in a supply container filled with a developer for supply to the first amount, and the notification in the second state corresponds to a notification when a larger amount of developer remains in the developer container rather than a notification when the least amount of developer remains in the developer container.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and an image forming system for forming an image on a recording material. [Background technology]

[0002] In general, electrophotographic image forming apparatuses form images by transferring a toner image formed on the surface of a photosensitive drum to a transfer material as a transfer medium. Known methods of supplying developer include a process cartridge method and a toner supply method. In the process cartridge method, the photosensitive drum and a developer container are integrated as a process cartridge, and when the developer runs out, the process cartridge is replaced with a new one.

[0003] On the other hand, the toner supply method is a method in which new toner is supplied to the developing container when the toner runs out. Conventionally, a single-component developing device of the toner supply method has been proposed in which a toner supply box capable of supplying toner is connected to a toner transport path through which the toner is transported (see Patent Document 1). The toner stored in the toner supply box is transported to the toner transport path by a transport screw. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 08-30084 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In recent years, users have come to demand various ways of using image forming apparatuses, such as the above-mentioned process cartridge system and toner supply system.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus and an image forming system according to one embodiment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention provides an image forming apparatus to which a supply container can be attached, the image forming apparatus comprising: a rotatable image carrier that carries an electrostatic latent image; a developing container that contains a developer including a toner, the developing container being provided with a supply port for supplying the developer to the developing container and having a mounting portion to which the supply container can be attached; a developer carrier that rotates while carrying the developer contained in the developing container and develops the electrostatic latent image carried on the image carrier into a developer image; and a developer amount that corresponds to the amount of developer contained in the developing container. signal a first remaining amount indication indicating that the remaining amount of the developer contained in the developing container is equal to or greater than a first amount and is the maximum remaining amount indication among the plurality of developer remaining amount indications; and is greater than or equal to a second amount that is less than the first amount, a second remaining amount display indicating a remaining amount display one level lower than the first remaining amount display; a third remaining amount indication indicating that the remaining amount of the developer contained in the developing container is less than the second amount and is lower than the second remaining amount indication; A display means capable of displaying A notification means; The output from the output means signal and a control unit that causes the display unit to display one of the plurality of developer remaining amount indications based on the the notification means performs a notification to encourage a supply of developer using the supply container when the display means displays the third remaining amount indication, The maximum amount of developer that can be contained in the developing container is greater than the first amount plus the total amount of developer contained in the supply container.

[0008] The present invention also provides an image forming system, comprising: a supply container filled with a supply developer; a rotatable image carrier carrying an electrostatic latent image; a developing container storing a developer including a toner, the developing container being provided with a supply port for supplying the developer to the developing container and having a mounting portion to which the supply container can be mounted; a developer carrier that rotates while carrying the developer stored in the developing container and develops the electrostatic latent image carried on the image carrier into a developer image; and a developer supplying unit that supplies developer to the developing container in response to an amount of developer stored in the developing container. signala first remaining amount indication indicating that the remaining amount of the developer contained in the developing container is equal to or greater than a first amount and is the maximum remaining amount indication among the plurality of developer remaining amount indications; and is greater than or equal to a second amount that is less than the first amount, a second remaining amount display indicating a remaining amount display one level lower than the first remaining amount display; a third remaining amount indication indicating that the remaining amount of the developer contained in the developing container is less than the second amount and is lower than the second remaining amount indication; A display means capable of displaying A notification means; The output from the output means signal and a control unit that causes the display unit to display one of the plurality of developer remaining amount indications based on the the notification means performs a notification to encourage a supply of developer using the supply container when the display means displays the third remaining amount indication, The maximum amount of developer that can be contained in the developing container is greater than the first amount plus the total amount of developer contained in the supply container. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, one embodiment of an image forming apparatus and an image forming system can be provided. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view showing an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment, and FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view showing an image forming apparatus, and FIG. 2B is a perspective view showing the image forming apparatus with a top cover open. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the image forming apparatus with the process cartridge removed. [Figure 4] (a) is an oblique view showing an image forming apparatus with the pressure plate of the reading device closed, (b) is an oblique view showing an image forming apparatus with the pressure plate open, and (c) is an oblique view showing an image forming apparatus with the reading device open. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4A is a perspective view showing a developing container and a toner pack, and FIG. [Figure 6]5(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6A-6A in FIG. 5(b), and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6B-6B in FIG. 5(b). [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 4A is a front view showing a toner pack, FIG. 4B is a front view showing a first modified example of the toner pack, and FIG. 4C is a front view showing a second modified example of the toner pack. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the first and second remaining toner sensors. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram showing the first and second remaining toner sensors. [Figure 11] FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view showing a developing container when the amount of remaining toner is small, and FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view showing a developing container when the amount of remaining toner is large. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control system of the image forming apparatus. [Figure 13] 4 is a flowchart showing a toner supply process. [Figure 14] 6 is a flowchart showing a toner remaining amount detection process. [Figure 15] FIG. [Figure 16] (a) is a cross-sectional view showing the state when the toner pack is attached to the supply port, (b) is a cross-sectional view showing the state when toner has started to leak from the toner pack, and (c) is a cross-sectional view showing the state when all the toner in the toner pack has been replenished to the developing container. [Figure 17] 1A is a perspective view showing the toner remaining panel when the toner remaining amount is at a low level, FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing the toner remaining panel when the toner remaining amount is at a mid level, and FIG. 1C is a perspective view showing the toner remaining panel when the toner remaining amount is at a full level. [Figure 18] (a) is a graph showing the relationship between the volume of the developing container and the toner remaining level, (b) is a graph showing the amount of toner remaining when toner is replenished from a small-capacity toner pack, and (c) is a graph showing the amount of toner remaining when toner is replenished from a large-capacity toner pack. [Figure 19] FIG. 1A is a perspective view showing a first modified example of an image forming apparatus, FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing a second modified example of an image forming apparatus, and FIG. [Figure 20] FIG. 13A is a perspective view showing a fourth modified example of an image forming apparatus, and FIG. 13B is a perspective view showing a fifth modified example of an image forming apparatus. [Figure 21] FIG. 6A is a perspective view showing an image forming apparatus according to a second embodiment, and FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view showing the image forming apparatus. [Figure 22] 13A is a perspective view showing a modified example of the image forming apparatus according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 13B is a cross-sectional view showing the modified example of the image forming apparatus according to the second embodiment. [Diagram 23] 10A is a cross-sectional view showing an image forming apparatus according to a third embodiment, and FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view showing the image forming apparatus in a state in which a process cartridge is pulled out. [Figure 24] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the toner pack is attached to the process cartridge in the pulled-out state. [Diagram 25] FIG. 4A is a perspective view showing an image forming apparatus with a process cartridge pulled out, and FIG. 4B is a perspective view showing a toner pack attached to the process cartridge in the pulled out state. [Figure 26] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an agitating member according to the first embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] <First embodiment> 1(a) is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an image forming apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment. The image forming apparatus 1 is a monochrome printer that forms an image on a recording material based on image information input from an external device. The recording material includes various sheet materials of different materials, such as paper such as plain paper and thick paper, plastic films such as sheets for overhead projectors, sheets of special shapes such as envelopes and index paper, and cloth.

[0013] [Overall configuration] 1(a) and 1(b), the image forming apparatus 1 has a printer main body 100 as the apparatus main body, a reading device 200 supported by the printer main body 100 so as to be openable and closable, and an operation unit 300 attached to the exterior surface of the printer main body 100. The printer main body 100 has an image forming unit 10 that forms a toner image on a recording material, a feeding unit 60 that feeds the recording material to the image forming unit 10, a fixing unit 70 that fixes the toner image formed by the image forming unit 10 to the recording material, and a pair of discharge rollers 80.

[0014] The image forming section 10 has a scanner unit 11, an electrophotographic process cartridge 20, and a transfer roller 12 that transfers a toner image, as a developer image, formed on a photosensitive drum 21 of the process cartridge 20 to a recording material. As shown in Figures 6(a) and 6(b), the process cartridge 20 has the photosensitive drum 21, and a developing device 30 including a charging roller 22, a pre-exposure device 23, and a developing roller 31 arranged around the photosensitive drum 21.

[0015] The photosensitive drum 21 is a cylindrically shaped photosensitive member. The photosensitive drum 21 of this embodiment has a photosensitive layer formed of a negatively charged organic photosensitive member on a drum-shaped base body formed of aluminum. The photosensitive drum 21 as an image carrier is rotated by a motor in a predetermined direction (clockwise direction in the figure) at a predetermined process speed.

[0016] The charging roller 22 comes into contact with the photosensitive drum 21 with a predetermined pressure to form a charging portion. A desired charging voltage is applied by a charging high-voltage power supply to uniformly charge the surface of the photosensitive drum 21 to a predetermined potential. In this embodiment, the photosensitive drum 21 is negatively charged by the charging roller 22. The pre-exposure device 23 neutralizes the surface potential of the photosensitive drum 21 before it enters the charging portion in order to generate a stable discharge in the charging portion.

[0017] The scanner unit 11 as an exposure means scans and exposes the surface of the photosensitive drum 21 by irradiating the photosensitive drum 21 with laser light corresponding to image information input from an external device or the reading device 200 using a polygon mirror. This exposure forms an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image information on the surface of the photosensitive drum 21. Note that the scanner unit 11 is not limited to a laser scanner device, and may be, for example, an LED exposure device having an LED array in which a plurality of LEDs are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the photosensitive drum 21.

[0018] The developing device 30 includes a developing roller 31 as a developer carrier that carries a developer, a developing container 32 that serves as a frame of the developing device 30, and a supply roller 33 that can supply the developer to the developing roller 31. The developing roller 31 and the supply roller 33 are rotatably supported by the developing container 32. The developing roller 31 is disposed at an opening of the developing container 32 so as to face the photosensitive drum 21. The supply roller 33 rotatably contacts the developing roller 31, and the toner contained in the developing container 32 as the developer is applied to the surface of the developing roller 31 by the supply roller 33. Note that the supply roller 33 is not necessarily required as long as the developing roller 31 is configured to be sufficiently supplied with toner.

[0019] The developing device 30 of this embodiment uses a contact development method as a development method. That is, the toner layer carried by the developing roller 31 comes into contact with the photosensitive drum 21 in a development section (development area) where the photosensitive drum 21 and the developing roller 31 face each other. A development voltage is applied to the developing roller 31 by a development high-voltage power supply. Under the development voltage, the toner carried by the developing roller 31 is transferred from the developing roller 31 to the drum surface according to the potential distribution on the surface of the photosensitive drum 21, so that the electrostatic latent image is developed into a toner image. Note that this embodiment employs a reversal development method. That is, the toner image is formed by adhering to the surface area of ​​the photosensitive drum 21, which is charged in the charging process and then exposed in the exposure process, where the charge amount is attenuated.

[0020] In this embodiment, a toner having a particle size of 6 μm and a normal charging polarity of negative polarity is used. As an example of the toner in this embodiment, a polymerized toner produced by a polymerization method is used. The toner in this embodiment does not contain a magnetic component, and is a so-called non-magnetic one-component developer in which the toner is carried on the developing roller 31 mainly by intermolecular forces and electrostatic forces (image forces). However, a one-component developer containing a magnetic component may be used. In addition to toner particles, the one-component developer may contain additives (e.g., wax or silica particles) for adjusting the fluidity and charging performance of the toner. A two-component developer composed of a non-magnetic toner and a magnetic carrier may be used as the developer. When a magnetic developer is used, a cylindrical developing sleeve with a magnet arranged inside is used as the developer carrier.

[0021] Inside the developing container 32, an agitating member 34 is provided as an agitating means. The agitating member 34 is driven to rotate by a motor M1 (see FIG. 12), thereby agitating the toner in the developing container 32 and feeding (transporting) the toner toward the developing roller 31 and the supply roller 33. The agitating member 34 also circulates the toner that has not been used for development and has been peeled off from the developing roller 31 in the developing container, thereby making the toner in the developing container uniform. The agitating member 34 is not limited to a rotating type. For example, a oscillating type agitating member may be adopted. In addition to the agitating member 34, another agitating member may be provided.

[0022] In addition, a developing blade 35 that regulates the amount of toner carried by the developing roller 31 is disposed at the opening of the developing container 32 in which the developing roller 31 is disposed. The toner supplied to the surface of the developing roller 31 passes through the portion facing the developing blade 35 as the developing roller 31 rotates, whereby the toner is uniformly formed into a thin layer and is negatively charged by frictional charging.

[0023] 1(a) and 1(b), the feeding section 60 has a front door 61 supported by the printer body 100 so as to be openable and closable, a tray section 62, a middle plate 63, a tray spring 64, and a pickup roller 65. The tray section 62 constitutes the bottom surface of a recording material storage space that appears when the front door 61 is opened, and the middle plate 63 is supported by the tray section 62 so as to be movable up and down. The tray spring 64 biases the middle plate 63 upward, and presses the recording material P loaded on the middle plate 63 against the pickup roller 65. The front door 61 closes the recording material storage space when closed relative to the printer body 100, and supports the recording material P together with the tray section 62 and the middle plate 63 when opened relative to the printer body 100.

[0024] The fixing unit 70 is a thermal fixing type that fixes an image by heating and melting the toner on the recording material. The fixing unit 70 includes a fixing film 71, a fixing heater such as a ceramic heater that heats the fixing film 71, a thermistor that measures the temperature of the fixing heater, and a pressure roller 72 that is in pressure contact with the fixing film 71.

[0025] Next, an image forming operation of the image forming apparatus 1 will be described. When an image formation command is input to the image forming apparatus 1, an image forming process is started by the image forming section 10 based on image information input from an external computer or a reading device 200 connected to the image forming apparatus 1. The scanner unit 11 irradiates a laser beam toward the photosensitive drum 21 based on the input image information. At this time, the photosensitive drum 21 is charged in advance by the charging roller 22, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photosensitive drum 21 by irradiating it with the laser beam. Thereafter, the electrostatic latent image is developed by the developing roller 31, and a toner image is formed on the photosensitive drum 21.

[0026] In parallel with the above-mentioned image forming process, the pickup roller 65 of the feeding section 60 feeds out the recording material P supported by the front door 61, the tray section 62, and the middle plate 63. The recording material P is fed by the pickup roller 65 to the pair of registration rollers 15, and the skew of the recording material P is corrected by hitting the nip of the pair of registration rollers 15. The pair of registration rollers 15 is then driven in accordance with the transfer timing of the toner image, and conveys the recording material P toward the transfer nip formed by the transfer roller 12 and the photosensitive drum 21.

[0027] A transfer voltage is applied to the transfer roller 12 as a transfer means from a transfer high voltage power supply, and the toner image carried on the photosensitive drum 21 is transferred to the recording material P being transported by a pair of registration rollers 15. The recording material P with the transferred toner image is transported to a fixing section 70, where the toner image is heated and pressurized as it passes through a nip between a fixing film 71 and a pressure roller 72 of the fixing section 70. This causes the toner particles to melt and then adhere, thereby fixing the toner image to the recording material P. The recording material P that has passed through the fixing section 70 is discharged to the outside of the image forming apparatus 1 (outside the machine) by a pair of discharge rollers 80 as a discharge means, and is loaded onto a discharge tray 81 as a loading section formed on the upper part of the printer main body 100.

[0028] The discharge tray 81 is inclined upward toward the downstream in the discharge direction of the recording material, and the recording material discharged to the discharge tray 81 slides down the discharge tray 81 so that the trailing edge of the recording material is aligned by a regulating surface 84 .

[0029] 4(a) and 4(b), the reading device 200 has a reading unit 201 with a built-in reading section (not shown), and a pressure plate 202 supported so as to be openable and closable by the reading unit 201. On the upper surface of the reading unit 201, there is provided a document table glass 203 that transmits light emitted from the reading section and on which a document is placed.

[0030] When a user wants to read an image of an original document by the reading device 200, the user places the original document on the glass platen 203 with the pressure platen 202 open. Then, the user closes the pressure platen 202 to prevent the original document on the glass platen 203 from being displaced, and outputs a reading command to the image forming device 1 by operating the operation unit 300, for example. When the reading operation is started, the reading unit in the reading unit 201 moves back and forth in the sub-scanning direction, that is, in the left and right directions with the operation unit 300 of the image forming device 1 facing the front. The reading unit emits light to the original document from the light-emitting unit, receives the light reflected by the original document with the light-receiving unit, and reads the image of the original document by photoelectric conversion. In the following, the front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction are defined based on the state in which the operation unit 300 faces the front.

[0031] As shown in Fig. 2(b) and Fig. 3, a first opening 101 that opens upward is formed in the upper part of the printer body 100, and the first opening 101 is covered by a top cover 82. The top cover 82 as a loading tray is supported so as to be openable and closable with respect to the printer body 100 around a rotation shaft 82c extending in the left-right direction, and a discharge tray 81 as a loading surface is formed on the upper surface. The top cover 82 is opened from the front side to the back side when the reading device 200 is in an open state with respect to the printer body 100. The reading device 200 and the top cover 82 may be configured to be held in an open state and a closed state by a holding mechanism such as a hinge mechanism.

[0032] For example, if the recording material is jammed due to a paper jam or the like in the conveying path CP through which the recording material fed by the pickup roller 65 passes, the user opens the top cover 82 together with the reading device 200. Then, the user accesses the process cartridge 20 from a first opening 101 exposed when the top cover 82 is opened, and pulls out the process cartridge 20 along a cartridge guide 102. The cartridge guide 102 guides the process cartridge 20 by sliding on a protruding portion 21a (see FIG. 5(a)) provided at an end portion in the axial direction of the photosensitive drum 21 of the process cartridge 20.

[0033] Then, by pulling the process cartridge 20 outward from the first opening 101, a space is created where the user can reach into the conveying path CP. The user can reach into the inside of the printer body 100 from the first opening 101 and access the jammed recording material on the conveying path CP, thereby disposing of the jammed recording material.

[0034] In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1(b) and FIG. 4(c), an opening / closing member 83 is provided on the top cover 82 so as to be openable / closable. A second opening 82a is formed in the discharge tray 81 of the top cover 82 as an opening that opens upward. The opening / closing member 83 is configured to be movable between a closed position in which the supply port 32a is covered so that the toner pack 40 cannot be attached to the developing container 32, and an open position in which the supply port 32a is exposed so that the toner pack 40 can be attached to the developing container 32. In the closed position, the opening / closing member 83 functions as a part of the discharge tray 81. The opening / closing member 83 and the second opening 82a are formed on the left side of the discharge tray 81. The opening / closing member 83 is supported on the top cover 82 so as to be openable / closable around a rotation shaft 83a extending in the front-rear direction, and is opened to the left by hooking a finger on a groove portion 82b provided in the top cover 82. The opening / closing member 83 is formed in a substantially L-shape along the shape of the top cover 82.

[0035] The second opening 82a of the discharge tray 81 is opened so that the supply port 32a for supplying toner formed at the top of the developing container 32 is exposed, and the user can access the supply port 32a without opening the top cover 82 by opening the opening / closing member 83. In this embodiment, a method (direct supply method) is adopted in which the user supplies toner from the toner pack 40 (see FIGS. 1(a) and (b)) filled with toner for supply to the developing device 30 while the developing device 30 is still attached to the image forming device 1. Therefore, when the remaining amount of toner in the process cartridge 20 becomes low, it is not necessary to remove the process cartridge 20 from the printer body 100 and replace it with a new process cartridge, so usability can be improved. In addition, toner can be supplied to the developing container 32 at a lower cost than replacing the entire process cartridge 20. In addition, the direct supply method does not require replacing various rollers, gears, etc., compared to replacing only the developing device 30 of the process cartridge 20, so costs can be reduced. In addition, the image forming device 1 and the toner pack 40 constitute an image forming system.

[0036] [Recovery of residual toner after transfer] In this embodiment, a cleaner-less configuration is adopted in which the transfer residual toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 21 without being transferred to the recording material P is collected in the developing device 30 and reused. The transfer residual toner is removed in the following process. The transfer residual toner is a mixture of toner that is positively charged and toner that is negatively charged but does not have a sufficient charge. The photosensitive drum 21 after transfer is discharged by the pre-exposure device 23, and the transfer residual toner is charged negatively again by causing uniform discharge by the charging roller 22. The transfer residual toner that has been charged negatively again in the charging section reaches the developing section as the photosensitive drum 21 rotates. Then, the surface area of ​​the photosensitive drum 21 that has passed the charging section is exposed by the scanner unit 11 with the transfer residual toner still attached to the surface, and an electrostatic latent image is written thereon.

[0037] Here, the behavior of the transfer residual toner that has reached the development section will be described separately for the exposed and non-exposed sections of the photosensitive drum 21. The transfer residual toner adhering to the non-exposed section of the photosensitive drum 21 is transferred to the development roller 31 in the development section due to the potential difference between the potential (dark section potential) of the non-exposed section of the photosensitive drum 21 and the development voltage, and is then collected in the development container 32. This is because the normal charging polarity of the toner is negative, and the development voltage applied to the development roller 31 is positive relative to the potential of the non-exposed section. The toner collected in the development container 32 is agitated and dispersed with the toner in the development container by the agitation member 34, and is carried by the development roller 31 for reuse in the development process.

[0038] On the other hand, the transfer residual toner adhering to the exposed portion of the photosensitive drum 21 remains on the drum surface without being transferred from the photosensitive drum 21 to the developing roller 31 in the developing portion. This is because the normal charging polarity of the toner is negative, and the developing voltage applied to the developing roller 31 has a potential that is more negative than the potential of the exposed portion (light portion potential). The transfer residual toner remaining on the drum surface is carried by the photosensitive drum 21 together with other toner transferred from the developing roller 31 to the exposed portion, and moves to the transfer portion, where it is transferred to the recording material P.

[0039] In this manner, the present embodiment has a cleanerless configuration in which the transfer residual toner is collected in the developing device 30 and reused, but a conventionally known configuration may be used in which the transfer residual toner is collected using a cleaning blade that contacts the photosensitive drum 21. In that case, the transfer residual toner collected by the cleaning blade is collected in a collection container that is installed separately from the developing device 30. However, by adopting a cleanerless configuration, no installation space is required for a collection container that collects the transfer residual toner, etc., making it possible to further reduce the size of the image forming apparatus 1, and also reducing printing costs by reusing the transfer residual toner.

[0040] [Developer container and toner pack configuration] Next, the configurations of the developing container 32 and the toner pack 40 will be described. Fig. 5(a) is a perspective view showing the developing container 32 and the toner pack 40, and Fig. 5(b) is a front view showing the developing container 32 and the toner pack 40. Fig. 6(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6A-6A in Fig. 5(b), and Fig. 6(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6B-6B in Fig. 5(b).

[0041] As shown in FIG. 5(a) to FIG. 6(b), the developing container 32 has a transport chamber 36 that houses the agitating member 34, and the transport chamber 36 as a container that houses the toner extends over the entire length of the developing container 32 in the longitudinal direction (left-right direction). The transport chamber 36 is integral with a frame that rotatably supports the developing roller 31 and the supply roller 33, and houses the developer to be carried by the developing roller 31. The developing container 32 has a first protruding portion 37 that protrudes upward from one end in the longitudinal direction of the transport chamber 36 and communicates with the transport chamber 36, and a second protruding portion 38 that protrudes upward from the other end in the longitudinal direction of the transport chamber 36. That is, the first protruding portion 37 is provided at one end of the developing container 32 in the rotation axis direction of the developing roller 31, and protrudes toward the discharge tray 81 in a direction intersecting the rotation axis direction beyond the center of the developing container 32. The second protruding portion 38 is provided at the other end of the developer container 32 in the direction of the rotation axis of the developer roller 31, and protrudes toward the discharge tray 81 in the intersecting direction beyond the center of the developer container 32. In the present embodiment, the first protruding portion 37 is formed on the left side of the developer container 32, and the second protruding portion 38 is formed on the right side of the developer container 32. An attachment portion 57 to which the toner pack 40 can be attached is provided at the upper end (tip) of the first protruding portion 37, and a supply port 32a is formed in the attachment portion 57 for supplying developer from the toner pack 40 to the transport chamber 36. The toner pack 40 can be attached to the attachment portion 57 in a state where it is exposed to the outside of the device.

[0042] The developing container 32 is configured so that the toner supplied from the supply port 32a reaches the stirring member 34 by its own weight alone. Here, "by its own weight alone" means that the developing container 32 is configured so that the toner reaches the stirring member 34 by its own weight, without including a stirring member (conveying member) that rotates or swings to transport the toner between the supply port 32a of the developing container 32 and the stirring member 34. In addition, in the developing container 32, the stirring member 34 is the rotating body closest to the supply port 32a, and is disposed so that the toner in the transport chamber 36 reaches the developing roller 31 or the supply roller 33 by rotating.

[0043] The first protruding portion 37 and the second protruding portion 38 extend obliquely from the transport chamber 36 toward the front and upward of the device. That is, the first protruding portion 37 and the second protruding portion 38 protrude toward the downstream and upward in the discharge direction of the discharge roller pair 80. Therefore, the supply port 32a formed in the first protruding portion 37 is disposed on the front side of the image forming apparatus 1, and the operation of supplying toner to the developing container 32 can be easily performed.

[0044] In particular, in this embodiment, the reading device 200 that can be opened and closed centering on the rear side of the device is disposed above the opening / closing member 83, so that disposing the supply port 32a at the front of the device can effectively utilize the space between the supply port 32a and the reading device 200. Therefore, the workability when replenishing toner through the supply port 32a can be improved.

[0045] An upper portion of the first protruding portion 37 and an upper portion of the second protruding portion 38 are connected by a grip portion 39 serving as a connecting portion. Between the grip portion 39 and the transport chamber 36, a laser passing space SP is formed as a gap through which a laser L (see FIG. 1(a)) emitted from the scanner unit 11 (see FIG. 1(a)) toward the photosensitive drum 21 can pass.

[0046] The grip portion 39 has a knob portion 39a that a user can grip by hooking his / her fingers, and the knob portion 39a is formed to protrude upward from the top surface of the grip portion 39. The first protrusion 37 is hollow inside, and a supply port 32a is formed on the top surface. The supply port 32a is configured to be connectable to the toner pack 40.

[0047] By providing the first protruding portion 37, the tip of which is formed with the supply port 32a, on one side in the longitudinal direction of the developing container 32, it is possible to ensure a laser passing space SP through which the laser L emitted from the scanner unit 11 can pass, and the image forming apparatus 1 can be made compact. In addition, the second protruding portion 38 is provided on the other side in the longitudinal direction of the developing container 32, and a grip portion 39 is formed to connect the first protruding portion 37 and the second protruding portion 38, so that usability can be improved when removing the process cartridge 20 from the printer body 100. Note that the second protruding portion 38 may be formed in a hollow shape like the first protruding portion 37, or may be in a solid shape.

[0048] The toner pack 40 is configured to be detachably attached to the mounting portion 57 of the first protruding portion 37. The toner pack 40 has a shutter member 41 provided at the opening and capable of opening and closing, and a plurality of (three in this embodiment) protrusions 42 formed corresponding to a plurality of (three in this embodiment) grooves 32b formed in the mounting portion 57. When replenishing toner to the developing container 32, the user aligns the toner pack 40 so that the protrusions 42 pass through the grooves 32b of the mounting portion 57, and connects the toner pack 40 to the mounting portion 57. Then, when the toner pack 40 is rotated 180 degrees in this state, the shutter member 41 of the toner pack 40 abuts against an abutment portion (not shown) of the mounting portion 57, rotating the toner pack 40 relative to the main body of the toner pack 40, and the shutter member 41 is opened. As a result, the toner contained in the toner pack 40 leaks out of the toner pack 40, and the leaked toner enters the hollow first protruding portion 37 through the replenishing port 32a. The shutter member 41 may be provided on the supply port 32a side.

[0049] The first protrusion 37 has a slope 37a at a position facing the opening of the supply port 32a, and the slope 37a is inclined downward toward the transport chamber 36. Therefore, the toner supplied from the supply port 32a is guided to the transport chamber 36 by the slope 37a. FIG. 26 is a perspective view showing the agitator 34. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 26, the agitator 34 has an agitator shaft 34a extending in the longitudinal direction and a blade portion 34b fixed to the agitator shaft 34a and extending radially outward from the agitator shaft 34a. The blade portion 34b is a flexible sheet. The agitator 34 rotates around a shaft portion 34c of the agitator shaft 34a.

[0050] The toner supplied from the supply port 32a arranged on the upstream side in the conveying direction of the stirring member 34 is sent toward the developing roller 31 and the supply roller 33 as the stirring member 34 rotates. The conveying direction of the stirring member 34 is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the developing container 32. The supply port 32a and the first protrusion 37 are arranged at one end of the developing container 32 in the longitudinal direction, and the toner spreads over the entire length of the developing container 32 by repeatedly rotating the stirring member 34. In this embodiment, the stirring member 34 is composed of the stirring shaft 34a and the blade portion 34b, but a spiral-shaped stirring shaft may be used as a configuration for spreading the toner over the entire length of the developing container 32.

[0051] In this embodiment, the toner pack 40 is made of a plastic bag that is easily deformed as shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8(a), but is not limited thereto. For example, the toner pack may be made of a bottle container 40B having a substantially conical shape as shown in FIG. 8(b), or may be made of a paper container 40C made of paper as shown in FIG. 8(c). In any case, the toner pack may be made of any material and any shape. In addition, the method of discharging the toner from the toner pack is preferably a method in which the user squeezes the toner pack 40 or the paper container 40C with his / her fingers, and in the case of the bottle container 40B, it is preferable that the user shakes the container by tapping it to cause the toner to leak out. In addition, a discharge mechanism may be provided in the bottle container 40B to discharge the toner from the bottle container 40B. Furthermore, the discharge mechanism may be configured to engage with the printer main body 100 and receive a driving force from the printer main body 100.

[0052] Also, in any of the toner packs, the shutter member 41 may be omitted, or a sliding type shutter member may be applied instead of the rotating type shutter member 41. Also, the shutter member 41 may be configured to be destroyed when the toner pack is attached to the supply port 32a or when the toner pack is rotated in the attached state, or may have a removable lid structure such as a seal.

[0053] [How to detect remaining toner] 9 to 11, a method for detecting the amount of toner remaining in the developing container 32 will be described. The developing device 30 of this embodiment is provided with a first toner remaining sensor 51 and a second toner remaining sensor 52 for detecting a state according to the amount of toner remaining in the developing container 32.

[0054] The first toner remaining amount sensor 51 has a light emitting portion 51a and a light receiving portion 51b, and the second toner remaining amount sensor 52 has a light emitting portion 52a and a light receiving portion 52b. Fig. 10 is a circuit diagram showing an example of the circuit configuration of the toner remaining amount sensors 51 and 52. In the following description, the circuit configuration of the first toner remaining amount sensor 51 will be described, and the description of the circuit configuration of the second toner remaining amount sensor 52 will be omitted.

[0055] In FIG. 10, an LED is used for the light-emitting section 51a, and a phototransistor that is turned on by the light from the LED is used for the light-receiving section 51b, but this is not limited thereto. For example, a halogen lamp or a fluorescent lamp may be applied to the light-emitting section 51a, and a photodiode or an avalanche photodiode may be applied to the light-receiving section 51b. A switch (not shown) is provided between the light-emitting section 51a and the power supply voltage Vcc, and by turning on the switch, a voltage from the power supply voltage Vcc is applied to the light-emitting section 51a, and the light-emitting section 51a is brought into a conductive state. On the other hand, a switch (not shown) is also provided between the light-receiving section 51b and the power supply voltage Vcc, and by turning on the switch, the light-receiving section 51b is brought into a conductive state by a current corresponding to the detected amount of light.

[0056] A power supply voltage Vcc and a current limiting resistor R1 are connected to the light-emitting unit 51a, and the light-emitting unit 51a emits light with a current determined by the current limiting resistor R1. The light emitted from the light-emitting unit 51a passes through an optical path Q1 as shown in FIG. 9 and is received by the light-receiving unit 51b. A power supply voltage Vcc is connected to the collector terminal of the light-receiving unit 51b, and a detection resistor R2 is connected to the emitter terminal. The light-receiving unit 51b, which is a phototransistor, receives the light emitted from the light-emitting unit 51a and outputs a signal (current) according to the amount of light received. This signal is converted to a voltage V1 by the detection resistor R2 and input to an A / D conversion unit 95 of the control unit 90 (see FIG. 12). In addition, the light receiving element 52b of the second toner remaining sensor 52 receives light emitted from the light emitting element 52a and passing through the optical path Q2, and outputs a voltage V2 according to the amount of light received, which is input to the A / D conversion unit 95 of the control unit 90.

[0057] The control unit 90 (CPU 91) judges whether the light receiving units 51b, 52b have received light from the light emitting units 51a, 51b based on the input voltage level. The control unit 90 (CPU 91) calculates the amount of toner in the developing container 32 based on the length of time that the light receiving units 51b, 52b detected each light and the intensity of the received light when the toner in the developing container 32 was stirred for a certain time by the stirring member 34. That is, the ROM 93 stores in advance a table that can output the remaining toner amount from the light receiving time and light intensity when the toner is transported by the stirring member 34, and the control unit 90 predicts / calculates the remaining toner amount based on the input to the A / D conversion unit 95 and the table.

[0058] More specifically, the optical path Q1 of the first toner remaining amount sensor 51 is set to intersect with the rotation locus T of the agitating member 34. The time during which the optical path Q1 is blocked by the toner splashed up by the agitating member 34 when the agitating member 34 rotates once, i.e., the time during which the light receiving unit 51b does not detect the light from the light emitting unit 51a, varies depending on the amount of remaining toner. The intensity of the received light at the light receiving unit 51b also varies depending on the amount of remaining toner.

[0059] That is, when the remaining amount of toner is large, the light path Q1 is easily blocked by the toner, so the time during which the light receiving portion 51b receives light is short, and the light receiving intensity of the light received by the light receiving portion 51b is low. On the other hand, when the remaining amount of toner is small, the time during which the light receiving portion 51b receives light is long, and the light receiving intensity of the light received by the light receiving portion 51b is strong. Therefore, the control portion 90 can determine whether the remaining amount of toner is at a low level or a mid level, as described below, based on the light receiving time and light receiving intensity of the light receiving portion 51b. For example, as shown in FIG. 11(a), when there is a small amount of toner in the conveying chamber 36 of the developing container 32, it is determined that the remaining amount of toner is at a low level. Note that the state in which the remaining amount of toner is at a low level refers to a state in which there is enough remaining toner to print several tens to several hundreds of sheets at a predetermined printing rate (for example, a printing rate of 5%). Here, the printing rate is a number indicating the percentage of pixels corresponding to pixels to which toner adheres out of the number of pixels corresponding to the printable area on the sheet surface. Here, a pixel is a unit element constituting an electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 21 by laser irradiation (light irradiation). In the above description, the second toner remaining sensor 52 is disposed so as not to intersect with the rotation locus T of the stirring member 34, but similar to the above-mentioned first toner remaining sensor 51, it may be disposed so as to intersect with the rotation locus T of the stirring member 34.

[0060] Further, the optical path Q2 of the second toner remaining amount sensor 52 is set above the rotation locus T of the stirring member 34 so as not to intersect with the rotation locus T. The light receiving portion 52b of the second toner remaining amount sensor 52 does not detect light from the light emitting portion 52a when the optical path Q2 is blocked by the toner, and detects light from the light emitting portion 52a when the optical path Q2 is not blocked by the toner. Therefore, the control portion 90 judges whether the remaining amount of toner is at the Full level as described later based on whether the light receiving portion 52b receives light, regardless of the rotation operation of the stirring member 34. For example, as shown in FIG. 11(b), when there is a large amount of toner in the conveying chamber 36 of the developing container 32, it is judged that the remaining amount of toner is at the Full level. In the above description, the second toner remaining amount sensor 52 is arranged so as not to intersect with the rotation locus T of the stirring member 34, but it may be set so as to intersect with the rotation locus T of the stirring member 34, similar to the first toner remaining amount sensor 51 described above.

[0061] The method for detecting / estimating the remaining toner amount is not limited to the optical toner remaining amount detection method described in FIG. 9, and various well-known methods for detecting / estimating the remaining toner amount can be adopted. For example, two or more metal plates or conductive resin sheets extending in the longitudinal direction of the developing roller may be arranged on the inner wall of the developing container 32, which is a frame, and the electrostatic capacitance between the two metal plates or conductive resin sheets may be measured to detect / estimate the remaining toner amount. Alternatively, a load cell may be provided to support the developing device 30 from below, and the CPU 91 may calculate the remaining toner amount by subtracting the weight of the developing device 30 when the toner is empty from the weight measured by the load cell. Also, the first toner remaining amount sensor 51 may be omitted, and the control unit 90 (CPU 91) may calculate the remaining toner amount from the detection result of the second toner remaining amount sensor 52 and the emission state of the laser light.

[0062] [Image forming device control system] 12 is a block diagram showing a control system of the image forming apparatus 1. A control unit 90 as a control means of the image forming apparatus 1 has a CPU 91 as a calculation device, a RAM 92 used as a work area for the CPU 91, and a ROM 93 for storing various programs. The control unit 90 also has an I / O interface 94 as an input / output port connected to an external device, and an A / D conversion unit 95 for converting an analog signal into a digital signal.

[0063] The input side of the control unit 90 is connected to the first toner remaining amount sensor 51, the second toner remaining amount sensor 52, the mounting sensor 53, and the opening / closing sensor 54, and the mounting sensor 53 detects that the toner pack 40 is mounted in the supply port 32a of the developing container 32. For example, the mounting sensor 53 is provided in the supply port 32a and is composed of a pressure-sensitive switch that outputs a detection signal when pressed by the protrusion 42 of the toner pack 40. The opening / closing sensor 54 detects whether the opening / closing member 83 is opened relative to the top cover 82. The opening / closing sensor 54 is composed of, for example, a pressure-sensitive switch or a magnetic sensor.

[0064] The control unit 90 is also connected to an operation unit 300, the image forming unit 10, and a toner remaining amount panel 400 as a notification means capable of notifying information regarding the remaining amount of toner. The operation unit 300 has a display unit 301 capable of displaying various setting screens, physical keys, etc. The display unit 301 is, for example, a liquid crystal panel. The image forming unit 10 has a motor M1 as a drive source for driving the photosensitive drum 21, the developing roller 31, the supply roller 33, the stirring member 34, etc. The photosensitive drum 21, the developing roller 31, the supply roller 33, and the stirring member 34 may be configured to be driven by separate motors, respectively.

[0065] 1(b) and 17, the toner remaining amount panel 400 is provided on the right side of the front surface of the housing of the printer main body 100, i.e., on the opposite side to the operation unit 300 provided on the left side, and displays information related to the amount of toner remaining in the developing container 32. In this embodiment, the toner remaining amount panel 400 is a panel member consisting of multiple scales (three in this embodiment) arranged vertically, and each scale corresponds to the above-mentioned Low level, Mid level, and Full level.

[0066] That is, as shown in FIG. 17(a), when only the lower scale is lit, the toner remaining amount in the developing container 32 indicates a Low level as the third state. As shown in FIG. 17(b), when the lower and center scales are lit and the upper scale is off, the toner remaining amount in the developing container 32 indicates a Mid level as the second state. As shown in FIG. 17(c), when all three scales are lit, the toner remaining amount in the developing container 32 indicates a Full level as the first state. The Mid level notification (display) corresponds to a notification (display) when more developer remains in the developing container 32 than a notification (Low level display or toner empty display) when the amount of developer remaining in the developing container 32 is the smallest. Also, the display (notification) shown in FIG. 17(c) corresponds to a display (notification) when the toner remaining amount (toner storage amount) is the largest among the display forms (notification forms) that the toner remaining amount panel 400 can display. The display shown in FIG. 17(c) can inform the user that no more toner replenishment is required, and can prevent the user from unnecessary replenishment of toner. The maximum amount of toner (Z[g]) that can be accommodated in the developing container 32 is greater than the sum of the first amount (corresponding to Y[g] described later) and the amount of toner (A[g]) accommodated in the toner pack 40. Therefore, even if the user replenishes toner by A[g] despite the display corresponding to the maximum amount of toner as shown in FIG. 17(c), it is possible to prevent or suppress the replenished toner from overflowing from the developing container 32. Even if the user replenishes toner by using a large-sized toner pack 40 that accommodates toner B[g] (>A), the same can be said as in the case of the toner replenishment of A[g] described above, and it is possible to prevent or suppress the toner from overflowing from the developing container 32. The toner remaining amount panel 400 is not limited to a liquid crystal panel, and may be composed of a light source such as an LED or an incandescent lamp and a diffusion lens. In the example shown in Fig. 17, the toner remaining amount is indicated by the notification means, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the display in Fig. 17(a) may indicate that toner replenishment is necessary, the display in Fig. 17(b) may indicate that toner replenishment is unnecessary, and the display in Fig. 17(c) may indicate that toner replenishment has been performed sufficiently.

[0067] [Toner supply process] Next, a toner supply process for supplying the toner in the toner pack 40 to the developing container 32 will be described. As shown in Fig. 13, when the toner supply process starts, the control unit 90 judges whether or not there has been an instruction to start the supply operation (step S1). In this embodiment, the instruction to start the supply operation is a user operation via the operation unit 300, as shown in Fig. 15. Specifically, the user operates the operation unit 300 to press button 1 in a state in which a message prompting the user to operate button 1 is displayed on the display unit 301, and the instruction to start the supply operation is output.

[0068] At this time, the toner pack 40 is attached to the supply port 32a of the developing container 32, so the opening / closing member 83 is in an open state. Since the operation unit 300 and the supply port 32a are both located on the left side of the device, toner supply work using the toner pack 40 can be easily performed while operating the operation unit 300. Furthermore, when the opening / closing sensor 54 detects that the opening / closing member 83 has been opened, the control unit 90 prohibits and stops the image forming operation by the image forming apparatus 1. Therefore, when the opening / closing member 83 is in an open state, the transport rollers, the photosensitive drum 21, the scanner unit 11, and the like of the image forming apparatus 1 are stopped.

[0069] The instruction to start the replenishing operation is not limited to the pressing of the button 1, but may be output by a touch operation on the display unit 301 or in response to the mounting sensor 53 detecting the mounting of the toner pack 40 in the replenishing port 32a. A sensor may be provided to detect that the shutter member 41 of the toner pack 40 is opened, and the instruction to start the replenishing operation may be output based on the detection result of this sensor. The instruction to start the replenishing operation may be output based on the open / close sensor 54 detecting the opening operation of the open / close member 83. When the open / close member 83 is opened, the high voltage power applied to the process cartridge 20 may be turned off, and only the motor M1 that drives the agitator 34 may be driven.

[0070] If it is determined that a replenishment operation start command has been issued (step S1: Yes), the control unit 90 initializes parameters of timers T1 and T2 (described later) to initial values ​​(e.g., zero) and starts the timers T1 and T2 (step S2). Then, the control unit 90 drives the motor M1 (step S3), and the stirring member 34 rotates.

[0071] Next, the control unit 90 executes a toner remaining amount detection process (step S4). When the toner remaining amount detection process is executed, as shown in Fig. 14, the control unit 90 causes the light emitting units 51a, 52a of the first toner remaining amount sensor 51 and the second toner remaining amount sensor 52 to emit light (step S41). Then, the control unit 90 converts the voltages V1, V2 output by the light receiving units 51b, 52b of the first toner remaining amount sensor 51 and the second toner remaining amount sensor 52, respectively, into digital signals (hereinafter, referred to as A / D conversion values) by the A / D conversion unit 95 (step S42).

[0072] Next, the control unit 90 judges whether or not the A / D converted value of the voltage V2 indicates that the optical path Q2 is blocked (step S43). If it indicates that the optical path Q2 is blocked (step S43: Yes), the control unit 90 causes the toner remaining amount panel 400 to display that the toner remaining amount is at the Full level (step S44). That is, as shown in FIG. 17(c), all three scales of the toner remaining amount panel 400 are lit up.

[0073] If the A / D conversion value of the voltage V2 does not indicate that the optical path Q2 is blocked (step S43: No), the control unit 90 calculates the remaining amount information of the toner in the developing container 32 based on the A / D conversion value of the voltage V1 (step S45). Then, the control unit 90 displays that the remaining amount of toner is at a low level or a mid level on the toner remaining amount panel 400 based on the calculated remaining amount information of the toner (step S46). When step S44 or step S46 is completed, the toner remaining amount detection process ends. That is, the first toner remaining amount sensor 51 and the second toner remaining amount sensor 52 as the detection means output remaining amount information according to the amount of developer contained in the developing container 32 while the stirring member 34 is operating.

[0074] Next, as shown in FIG. 13, the control unit 90 judges whether the timer T2 is equal to or greater than the threshold value β (step S5). The threshold value β is a preset value, and corresponds to the interval at which the toner remaining amount detection process is repeatedly executed. Note that α>β. If the timer T2 is equal to or greater than the threshold value β (step S5: Yes), the control unit 90 initializes and restarts the timer T2 (step S6), and returns to step S4. That is, the toner remaining amount detection process (step S4) is repeated every time the timer T2 reaches the threshold value β. For example, if the threshold value β is set to 1 second, the toner remaining amount detection process is repeated every second in steps S4, S5, and S6.

[0075] Furthermore, if the timer T2 is less than the threshold value β (step S5: No), the control unit 90 judges whether the timer T1 is equal to or greater than the threshold value α (step S7). The threshold value α is a preset value, and corresponds to the driving time of the motor M1 and the stirring member 34 in the toner supply process. If the timer T1 is less than the threshold value α (step S7: No), the process returns to step S5. If the timer T1 is equal to or greater than the threshold value α (step S7: Yes), the control unit 90 stops driving the motor M1 (step S8) and ends the toner supply process. For example, if the threshold value α is set to 10 seconds, the time from when the motor M1 starts to drive in step S3 to when the motor M1 is stopped in step S8 is 10 seconds.

[0076] In the above-described toner supply process, when toner drops from the toner pack 40 into the developing container 32 as shown in Fig. 16(a), the toner passes through the first protruding portion 37 and enters the transport chamber 36. Since the supply port 32a and the first protruding portion 37 are disposed at one end in the longitudinal direction of the developing container 32, the toner is supplied to the transport chamber 36 all at once on the one end side.

[0077] Here, consider a case where the agitator 34 is not rotating when the toner is supplied to the transport chamber 36. When the toner is dropped from the toner pack 40 into the developing container 32, if the agitator 34 is not rotated in the transport chamber 36 that contains the toner, it takes time for the dropped toner to spread over the entire longitudinal area of ​​the photosensitive drum 21. If this time is long, it takes time for the user performing the toner supply operation to confirm that the toner has been supplied into the transport chamber 36, reducing usability.

[0078] Therefore, in this embodiment, the stirring member 34 is driven for a predetermined time (threshold value α) from the start of toner supply in the toner supply process. As a result, as shown in Figs. 16(b) and 16(c), the toner supplied from the toner pack 40 to one end of the developing container 32 is quickly leveled over the entire length of the conveying chamber 36 of the developing container 32 in the longitudinal direction by the stirring member 34. This shortens the time it takes for the user to confirm that toner supply has been completed, improving usability. In addition, since the toner contained in the developing container 32 is leveled, the accuracy of detection of remaining toner information by the first remaining toner sensor 51 and the second remaining toner sensor 52 can be improved.

[0079] During the toner replenishment process, the first toner remaining amount sensor 51 and the second toner remaining amount sensor 52 detect information on the remaining amount of toner in the developing container 32 at predetermined time intervals (threshold value β). For example, as shown in Fig. 17(a), when the toner remaining amount panel 400 indicates that the remaining amount of toner is at a low level, the user replenishes toner from the toner pack 40 to the developing container 32.

[0080] Then, the toner remaining amount panel 400 displays that the toner remaining amount is at the Mid level as shown in Fig. 17(b), and then displays that the toner remaining amount is at the Full level as shown in Fig. 17(c). This allows the user to reliably recognize that toner has been replenished from the toner pack 40 to the developing container 32, thereby improving usability.

[0081] Here, the cross-sectional views of Figures 16(a) to (c) show the cross-section taken along line 16A-16A of Figure 6. Figures 16(a) and (b) show that the light-emitting unit 52a is disposed at the right end of the photosensitive drum 21 in the longitudinal direction. The light-emitting unit 51a and the light-receiving units 51b and 52b are also disposed at the same / substantially same longitudinal positions of the photosensitive drum 21. Due to restrictions on sensor placement within the device body, the sensors may be placed as shown in Figures 16(a) and (b). Even in such a case, the rotation of the stirring member 34 during toner replenishment can improve usability as described above.

[0082] In some cases, the sensor may be disposed immediately below the supply port 32a. In such a case, as shown in FIG. 16(b), the supplied toner may be biased to the left side, and it may take time for the toner surface to be leveled over the entire longitudinal area of ​​the photosensitive drum 21. In order to accurately detect the toner supply state, the toner surface needs to be leveled over the entire longitudinal area of ​​the photosensitive drum 21. However, even in such a case, in this embodiment, the rotation of the stirring member 34 during toner supply allows the toner surface to be leveled over the entire longitudinal area of ​​the photosensitive drum 21 in a short time, improving usability.

[0083] [Relationship between the amount of toner in the toner pack and the volume of the developer container] Next, a description will be given of the relationship between the amount of toner filled in the toner pack 40 and the volume of the developing container 32. As shown in Fig. 18(a), the developing container 32 can accommodate Z [g] of toner. Note that, although the amount is expressed in grams (g) in Fig. 18(a) to (c), it may be converted to a unit indicating volume such as milliliters (ml).

[0084] When the toner contained in the developing container 32 is between 0[g] and X[g], the toner remaining amount panel 400 displays a low level based on the detection results of the first toner remaining amount sensor 51 and the second toner remaining amount sensor 52. X[g] corresponds to the second amount, and a toner amount between 0[g] and X[g] corresponds to a toner amount less than the second amount.

[0085] When the toner contained in the developing container 32 is between X[g] and Y[g], the toner remaining amount panel 400 displays the Mid level based on the detection results of the first toner remaining amount sensor 51 and the second toner remaining amount sensor 52. Y[g] corresponds to the first amount, and the toner amount between X[g] and Y[g] corresponds to a toner amount less than the first amount.

[0086] When the toner contained in the developing container 32 is Y [g] or more, the toner remaining amount panel 400 displays the Full level based on the detection results of the first toner remaining amount sensor 51 and the second toner remaining amount sensor 52. A toner amount of Y [g] or more corresponds to a toner amount equal to or greater than the first amount.

[0087] Fig. 18(b) is a graph showing the amount of toner when toner is replenished to the developing container 32 by a toner pack 40 filled with A [g] of toner. Fig. 18(c) is a graph showing the amount of toner when toner is replenished to the developing container 32 by a toner pack 40 filled with B [g] (>A) of toner. The product lineup of toner packs 40 may include either or both of a small-capacity toner pack filled with A [g] of toner and a large-capacity toner pack filled with B [g] of toner. The product lineup of toner packs 40 is not limited to two types, and may include three or more types.

[0088] In this embodiment, the amounts (A, B) of toner filled in the toner pack 40 serving as a supply container satisfy the following formulas (1) and (2). Y≦A <Z-Y ···(1) Y≦B <Z-Y ···(2)

[0089] 18(b), when the toner remaining in the developing container 32 is R[g] between 0[g] and X[g], if A[g] of toner is replenished to the developing container 32 by the toner pack 40, (R+A)[g] of toner will be contained in the developing container 32. Since Y<(R+A) according to the above formula (1), the toner remaining amount panel 400 after toner replenishment displays the Full level. In other words, Y[g], which is the threshold value of the Full level, is less than the replenishment amount A[g] replenished from the toner pack 40.

[0090] 18(c), when the toner remaining in the developing container 32 is R[g], if B[g] of toner is replenished to the developing container 32 by the toner pack 40, (R+B)[g] of toner will be contained in the developing container 32. Since Y<(R+B) according to the above formula (2), the toner remaining panel 400 after toner replenishment will display the full level.

[0091] In this way, the capacity of the developing container 32 is set so that the toner remaining panel 400 always or basically reaches the full level by replenishing toner when the toner remaining panel 400 is displaying the mid level or low level. Note that the capacity of the developing container 32 does not necessarily need to be set so that the full level is reached by a single toner pack 40, and the full level may be reached by replenishing multiple toner packs 40, each containing a small amount of toner, for example.

[0092] Further, the volume of the developing container 32 is set so that the entire amount of toner filled in the toner pack 40 can move to the developing container 32 when the toner remaining amount panel 400 displays the Mid level or the Low level according to the above formulas (1) and (2). That is, the maximum amount of developer Z[g] that can be contained in the developing container 32 is greater than the sum of the amount of developer (A[g] or B[g]) contained in the toner pack 40 and Y[g], which is the boundary between the Full level and the Mid level. In other words, the amount of toner filled in the toner pack 40 is less than the difference between the maximum amount of toner (Z[g]) that can be contained in the developing container 32 and the remaining amount of toner (Y[g]) at the boundary between the Mid level and the Full level.

[0093] This prevents the developer container 32 from becoming full of toner while the toner pack 40 is being used to replenish the developer container 32 with toner, and reduces leakage of toner from the replenishing port 32a during toner replenishment.

[0094] As described above, in the present embodiment, the second opening 82a is formed in the discharge tray 81 of the top cover 82, and further, the opening / closing member 83 is provided which is supported on the top cover 82 so as to be openable and closable. The opening / closing member 83 covers the second opening 82a in the closed state, and exposes the supply port 32a of the developing container 32 in the open state. Therefore, the user can access the supply port 32a simply by opening the opening / closing member 83.

[0095] In this embodiment, a method (direct supply method) is adopted in which toner is directly supplied to the developing container 32 by the toner pack 40 from the supply port 32a, so that there is no need to remove the process cartridge 20 when supplying toner to the developing container 32. In addition, the supply port 32a of the developing container 32 is formed on the upper surface of the first protruding portion 37 that protrudes upward from one end in the longitudinal direction of the conveying chamber 36, and is therefore disposed close to the second opening 82a. Therefore, the user can easily perform the toner supply operation to the developing container 32 through the supply port 32a. In addition, since there is no need to replace parts such as the developing roller 31 and the supply roller 33 when supplying toner to the developing container 32, costs can be reduced.

[0096] Furthermore, since a laser passing space SP is formed so as to be surrounded by the first protrusion 37, the second protrusion 38, the handle portion 39 and the transport chamber 36, the developing container 32 and the scanner unit 11 can be arranged in close proximity to each other, thereby making it possible to miniaturize the image forming apparatus 1.

[0097] Furthermore, when the toner pack 40 is attached to the supply port 32a and toner is supplied, the stirring member 34 is driven, so that the packing phenomenon can be reduced even if the supply port 32a is disposed on one end side in the longitudinal direction of the developing container 32. This reduces image defects and improves the detection accuracy of the remaining toner amount information.

[0098] Furthermore, the maximum amount Z [g] of developer that can be accommodated in the developing container 32 is set to be greater than the value obtained by adding the amount of developer (A [g] or B [g]) accommodated in the toner pack 40 to Y [g], which is the boundary between the Full level and the Mid level. Therefore, the developing container 32 does not become full of toner while toner is being replenished to the developing container 32 using the toner pack 40, and toner leakage from the replenishing port 32a during toner replenishment can be reduced. By configuring the image forming device 1 in this way, it is possible to provide one form of an image forming device that meets the needs of users.

[0099] In the present embodiment, in the toner supply process, the stirring member 34 is driven for a predetermined time (threshold value α) based on the operation of the button 1 of the operation unit 300 by the user, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the driving of the stirring member 34 may be started by pressing the button 1 once, and the driving of the stirring member 34 may be stopped by pressing the button 1 again. Also, the stirring member 34 may be driven only while the button 1 is being pressed.

[0100] When the remaining amount of toner in the developing container 32 becomes low, a replenishment notice to prompt the user to replenish toner may be displayed on the display unit 301. When the toner runs out, a replenishment notice to prompt the user to replenish toner may be displayed on the display unit 301.

[0101] The remaining toner amount in the developing container 32 is notified to the user by the toner remaining amount panel 400, but it does not have to be composed of three scales as in this embodiment. For example, the toner remaining amount panel 400 may be composed of one, two, or four or more scales. Also, it may be configured to continuously display the remaining toner amount by a percentage display or a gauge display. The remaining toner amount may also be notified to the user by voice using a speaker.

[0102] <First Modification> FIG. 19(a) shows a first modified example of the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 19(a), in the image forming apparatus 1B, the supply port 132a of the developing container is disposed on the right side of the apparatus, and the opening / closing member 83B is also disposed on the right side of the apparatus. The opening / closing member 83B exposes the supply port 132a in the open state, and covers the supply port 132a in the closed state. In this way, by disposing the supply port 132a on the right side of the apparatus, the supply port 132a is adjacent to the toner remaining amount panel 400. Therefore, when replenishing toner to the developing container using the toner pack 40, the toner remaining amount panel 400 can be easily checked.

[0103] <Second Modification> Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the form shown in FIG. 19(a), but may be applied to an image forming apparatus 1C configured such that an opening / closing member 83C opens toward the front as shown in FIG. 19(b).

[0104] <Third Modification> Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 19(c), the present invention may be applied to an image forming apparatus 1D in which an opening / closing member 83D is configured to open toward the rear.

[0105] <Fourth Modification> 20(a), the operation unit 300E may be disposed on the reading device 200 instead of the printer body 100, and may be disposed on the right side of the device together with the toner remaining amount panel 400. Of course, both the operation unit 300E and the toner remaining amount panel 400 may be disposed on the right side of the device.

[0106] <Fifth Modification> Also, as shown in FIG. 20(b), the remaining toner amount panel 400F may be disposed on the left side of the apparatus, and the operation unit 300F may be disposed on the right side of the apparatus.

[0107] <Second embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described, which is a modification of the configuration of the supply port 32a in the first embodiment. Therefore, the same configuration as in the first embodiment will be described by omitting illustrations or by assigning the same reference numerals in the drawings.

[0108] 21(a), in the image forming apparatus 1G, an opening / closing member 83G is supported by a top cover 82 so as to be openable and closable, and the opening / closing member 83G is configured to open toward the rear side of the apparatus. By opening the opening / closing member 83G, a supply port 232a of the developing container 32G is exposed. The supply port 232a opens toward the downstream and upward in the discharge direction of the discharge roller pair 80 so as to be inclined with respect to the vertical direction. In other words, the supply port 232a opens toward the diagonally forward and upward.

[0109] By configuring the supply port 232a in this manner, the toner pack 40 is tilted forward when attached to the supply port 232a. This makes it possible to effectively utilize the space between the supply port 232a and the reading device 200, and also makes it possible to attach a large-capacity toner pack to the supply port 232a.

[0110] 22(a) and (b), the opening / closing member 83H and the reading device 200 may be configured to be held at an angle shallower than that shown in FIG. 21(a) and (b). By configuring in this way, the installation space of the image forming apparatus 1 can be saved.

[0111] <Third embodiment> Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described, which is obtained by modifying the configuration of the cartridge guide 102 of the first embodiment. Therefore, configurations similar to those of the first embodiment will be described by omitting illustrations or by assigning the same reference numerals in the drawings.

[0112] 23(a) and 23(b), the image forming apparatus 1J has a printer main body 100J and a reading device 200, and the printer main body 100J has a cartridge guide 102J. The cartridge guide 102J slides on a protruding portion 21a (see FIG. 5(a)) provided at the end of the photosensitive drum 21 in the axial direction, thereby guiding the process cartridge 20 when the process cartridge 20 is pulled out.

[0113] A stopper 102Ja is formed at the downstream end of the cartridge guide 102J in the pulling-out direction. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 23(b), when the user pulls out the process cartridge 20, the protrusion 21a of the process cartridge 20 abuts against the stopper 102Ja, and the process cartridge 20 is not removed from the printer body 100J. A rotation stopper (not shown) is provided near the stopper 102Ja, and the process cartridge 20 is held without rotating by the rotation stopper when it abuts against the stopper 102Ja.

[0114] In this manner, when the process cartridge 20 is pulled out along the cartridge guide 102J, the supply port 32a is located at the front side of the image forming apparatus 1J, as shown in Fig. 24 and Fig. 25(a) and (b). Therefore, the toner supply operation of supplying toner to the developing container 32 from the supply port 32a using the toner pack 40 can be easily performed. In addition, since a large space exists directly above the supply port 32a, a large-capacity toner pack can be attached to the supply port 32a. Any of the above-described embodiments and modified examples may be appropriately combined.

[0115] In any of the above-described embodiments, the reading device 200 is provided above the printer body, but this is not limiting. That is, the image forming apparatus may be a printer that does not have a reading device. Also, the reading device may be a reading device equipped with an ADF (Auto Document Feeder) that feeds documents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0116] 1: image forming apparatus / 21: image carrier (photosensitive drum) / 31: developer carrier (developing roller) / 32: developer container / 32a: supply port / 34: stirring member / 40: supply container (toner pack) / 51, 52: detection means (first toner remaining amount sensor, second toner remaining amount sensor) / 90: control means (control unit) / 400: notification means (toner remaining amount panel)

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus to which a refill container can be attached, a rotatable image carrier carrying an electrostatic latent image; a developing container that contains a developer including a toner, the developing container being provided with a supply port for supplying the developer to the developing container and having a mounting portion to which the supply container can be mounted; a developer carrier that carries the developer contained in the developer container and rotates to develop the electrostatic latent image carried on the image carrier into a developer image; an output unit that outputs a signal corresponding to the amount of developer contained in the developer container; a display means capable of displaying a plurality of developer remaining amount indications, the display means being capable of displaying a first remaining amount indication indicating that the remaining amount of the developer contained in the developing container is equal to or greater than a first amount and is the maximum remaining amount indication among the plurality of developer remaining amount indications, a second remaining amount indication indicating that the remaining amount of the developer contained in the developing container is less than the first amount and is equal to or greater than a second amount less than the first amount and is one remaining amount indication lower than the first remaining amount indication, and a third remaining amount indication indicating that the remaining amount of the developer contained in the developing container is less than the second amount and is a remaining amount indication lower than the second remaining amount indication; A notification means; a control unit that causes the display unit to display one of the plurality of remaining developer amount indications based on the signal output from the output unit, the notification means performs a notification to prompt a user to replenish the developer using the replenishment container when the display means displays the third remaining amount indication, a maximum amount of developer that can be contained in the developing container is greater than the first amount plus a total amount of developer contained in the supply container; 1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

2. When the remaining amount of developer contained in the developing container is zero and the entire amount of developer contained in the supply container is replenished, the display means displays the first remaining amount indication.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

3. The first amount is at least three times the second amount.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and second electrodes are arranged in a first direction.

4. the maximum amount of developer that can be contained in the developing container is greater than the difference between the first amount and the second amount; 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and second electrodes are arranged in a first direction.

5. a stirring member for conveying a developer is provided in the developing container, the output means outputs a signal corresponding to an amount of developer contained in the developing container while the stirring member is operating.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus further comprises a first fixing unit.

6. The display means is an LED panel.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and second electrodes are arranged in a first direction.

7. The display means is a liquid crystal panel.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and second electrodes are arranged in a first direction.

8. the mounting portion is configured so that the supply container can be mounted in a state where a part of the supply container is exposed to the outside of the image forming apparatus, and the developer can be replenished to the developing container.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and second electrodes are arranged in a first direction.

9. an opening / closing member that moves between an open position that opens the mounting portion and a closed position that closes the mounting portion; The refill container is configured to prevent the opening / closing member from moving from the open position to the closed position when the refill container is attached to the attachment portion.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and second electrodes are arranged in a first direction.

10. a supply container filled with a supply developer; a rotatable image carrier carrying an electrostatic latent image; a developing container that contains a developer including a toner, the developing container being provided with a supply port for supplying the developer to the developing container and having a mounting portion to which the supply container can be mounted; a developer carrier that carries the developer contained in the developer container and rotates to develop the electrostatic latent image carried on the image carrier into a developer image; an output unit that outputs a signal corresponding to the amount of developer contained in the developer container; a display means capable of displaying a plurality of developer remaining amount indications, the display means being capable of displaying a first remaining amount indication indicating that the remaining amount of the developer contained in the developing container is equal to or greater than a first amount and is the maximum remaining amount indication among the plurality of developer remaining amount indications, a second remaining amount indication indicating that the remaining amount of the developer contained in the developing container is less than the first amount and is equal to or greater than a second amount less than the first amount and is one remaining amount indication lower than the first remaining amount indication, and a third remaining amount indication indicating that the remaining amount of the developer contained in the developing container is less than the second amount and is a remaining amount indication lower than the second remaining amount indication; A notification means; a control unit that causes the display unit to display one of the plurality of remaining developer amount indications based on the signal output from the output unit, the notification means performs a notification to prompt a user to replenish the developer using the replenishment container when the display means displays the third remaining amount indication, a maximum amount of developer that can be contained in the developing container is greater than the first amount plus a total amount of developer contained in the supply container; 1. An image forming system comprising:

11. When the remaining amount of developer contained in the developing container is zero and the entire amount of developer contained in the supply container is replenished, the display means displays the first remaining amount indication.

11. The image forming system according to claim 10.

12. The first amount is at least three times the second amount.

12. The image forming system according to claim 10, wherein the image forming apparatus is a computer.

13. the maximum amount of developer that can be contained in the developing container is greater than the difference between the first amount and the second amount; 13. The image forming system according to claim 10, wherein the image forming apparatus is a printer.

14. The supply container has a deformable bag for containing a developer.

14. The image forming system according to claim 10, wherein the image forming apparatus is a printer.

15. the supply container has an opening through which the developer supplied from the supply container to the developing container passes, and a shutter member capable of opening and closing the opening.

15. The image forming system according to claim 10, wherein the image forming apparatus is a printer.

Images