Image forming system

Abstract

To provide an image forming apparatus.SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus includes: a developing container; a developer carrier that carries a developer stored in the developing container and rotates, and develops an electrostatic latent image carried by an image carrier into a developer image; a mounting portion that mounts a replenishment container in which the developer is stored; detection means that detects an amount of developer stored in the developing container and outputs remaining amount information corresponding to the detected amount of developer; and control means that controls a display portion to display a message related to replenishment during the replenishment of the developer to the developing container using the replenishment container. When the replenishment is instructed, the control means performs a first control during the replenishment in a case where the detection means outputs remaining amount information indicating a first remaining amount. When the replenishment is instructed, the control means performs a second control different from the first control during the replenishment in a case where the detection means outputs remaining amount information indicating a second remaining amount greater than the first remaining amount.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 15

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material. Image forming system including: More specifically, toner Regarding supply technology. [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 EMBODIMENTS In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus according to one embodiment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, an image forming system includes an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material. , written The toner cartridge has a paper feed tray for stacking recording materials, a toner storage unit, and a mounting unit having an inlet communicating with the toner storage unit. Painting an image forming apparatus; and a toner container which stores toner and is mountable to the mounting section, the toner container having an outlet for discharging the toner to the main body toner storage section via the receiving port, the toner container having a shutter which is movable between an open position where the outlet is open and a closed position where the outlet is closed, the toner container having an exposed portion which is exposed to the outside of the image forming apparatus when the toner container is mounted to the mounting section, the toner container being rotatable about a rotation axis with respect to the mounting section between a first position where the shutter is in the closed position and a second position where the shutter is in the open position, Inscribed The person who replenishes recording materials Painting When the toner container is in the first position, a first region on the front side of the exposed portion of the toner container is , No. 1 Instruction Marked In the toner container at the second position, a second region on the front side of the exposed portion is , No. 2 Instructions Marked , the first instructions include instructions for rotating the toner container from the first position to the second position, and the second instructions include instructions for discharging toner from the toner container toward the main body toner storage unit. It is characterized by: Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, one embodiment of an image forming apparatus can be provided. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view showing an image forming apparatus according to an 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] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the image forming apparatus in a state where the opening / closing member is 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] 6 is a flowchart showing a toner low notification process. [Figure 14] 13 is a flowchart showing a supply notification process. [Figure 15] Flowchart showing supply notification processing [Figure 16] 13 is a flowchart showing a supply notification process. [Figure 17] 13 is a flowchart showing a supply notification process. [Figure 18] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a message provided on the toner pack. [Figure 19] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a message displayed on a display unit. [Figure 20] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a state in which a guidance display is displayed in a higher level of the menu. [Figure 21]1A is a perspective view showing the LED for indicating the remaining amount of toner when the remaining amount of toner is at a low level, FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing the LED for indicating the remaining amount of toner when the remaining amount of toner is at a mid level, and FIG. 1C is a perspective view showing the LED for indicating the remaining amount of toner when the remaining amount of toner is at a full level. [Figure 22A] 4 is a flowchart of a motor control sequence. [Figure 22B] 4 is a flowchart of a motor control sequence. [Figure 22C] 4 is a flowchart of a motor control sequence. [Figure 23] (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 24] (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. [Diagram 25] 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 26] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control system of the image forming apparatus. [Figure 27] 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating the positional relationship between the mounting sensor and the process cartridge. [Figure 28] 13 is a flowchart showing a supply notification process. [Figure 29] 13A and 13B are a cross-sectional view and a perspective view of an image forming apparatus according to a fifth embodiment. [Diagram 30] 13A and 13B are a cross-sectional view and a perspective view of an image forming apparatus according to a fifth embodiment. [Diagram 31] 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating toner supply using a toner pack according to a fifth embodiment. [Diagram 32] 13A is a perspective view of a toner pack according to a fifth embodiment, and FIG. [Diagram 33]13A is a perspective view, FIG. 13B is a top view, and FIG. 13C is an enlarged view of a supply container attachment part according to a fifth embodiment. [Diagram 34] 13A, 13B, and 13C are diagrams illustrating the operation of a supply container attachment part according to a fifth embodiment. [Diagram 35] 13(a,b) are diagrams showing the position of a locking member according to a fifth embodiment. [Diagram 36] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a toner pack according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 37] 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating a pressing mechanism for a locking member according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 38] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control system of the image forming apparatus. [Figure 39] 13 is a flowchart showing a supply notification process according to the fifth embodiment. [Diagram 40] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a message displayed on a display unit. [Diagram 41] 13 is a flowchart showing a supply notification process according to the sixth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] <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.

[0012] [Overall configuration] 1(a) and 1(b), the image forming apparatus 1 has a printer main body 100 as the device main body, 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.

[0013] 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 formed on a photosensitive drum 21 of the process cartridge 20 to a recording material. As shown in Figures 6(a) and (b), the process cartridge 20 has the photosensitive drum 21, a charging roller 22 arranged around the photosensitive drum 21, and a developing device 30 including a pre-exposure device 23 and a developing roller 31.

[0014] 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.

[0015] 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.

[0016] The scanner unit 11 as an exposure means uses a polygon mirror to irradiate the photosensitive drum 21 with laser light corresponding to image information input from an external device or an image reading device (not shown), thereby scanning and exposing the surface of the photosensitive drum 21. 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.

[0017] 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.

[0018] 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 (developer 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.

[0019] 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.

[0020] An agitating member 34 is provided inside the developing container 32. 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 sending the toner toward the developing roller 31 and the supply roller 33. The agitating member 34 also circulates, within the developing container, the toner that has not been used in development and has been scraped off from the developing roller 31, 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 used.

[0021] 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.

[0022] 1A and 1B, 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.

[0023] 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.

[0024] 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 connected to the image forming apparatus 1 or an image reading device (not shown). 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.

[0025] 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.

[0026] 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.

[0027] 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 .

[0028] 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 on the printer body 100 so as to be openable and closable 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 toward the back side. 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.

[0029] 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. Then, the user accesses the process cartridge 20 from a first opening 101 exposed by opening the top cover 82, 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.

[0030] 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.

[0031] In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1(b) and FIG. 4, 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 that covers the supply port 32a so that the toner pack 40 as a toner storage container cannot be attached to the developing container 32, and an open position that exposes the supply port 32a 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.

[0032] The second opening 82a of the discharge tray 81 is opened so as to expose the supply port 32a for toner supply formed at the top of the developing container 32, 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 a 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 apparatus 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 can reduce costs because it is not necessary to replace various rollers, gears, etc., even when only the developing device 30 of the process cartridge 20 is replaced. The image forming apparatus 1 and the toner pack 40 constitute an image forming system.

[0033] [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.

[0034] 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.

[0035] 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 S.

[0036] 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.

[0037] [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).

[0038] 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 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.

[0039] 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.

[0040] 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.

[0041] 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.

[0042] 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.

[0043] The toner pack (supply container) 40 is configured to be detachably attached to the mounting portion 57 of the first protrusion 37. The toner pack 40 has a main body, a shutter member 41 that is provided at the opening and can be opened and closed, and a connecting portion that is connected to the mounting portion 57 of the image forming device. The connecting portion has a plurality of protrusions 42 (three in this embodiment) formed corresponding to a plurality of grooves 32b (three in this embodiment) formed in the mounting portion 57 of the image forming device. When replenishing toner to the developing container 32, the user aligns the protrusions 42 of the toner pack 40 so that they pass through the grooves 32b of the mounting portion 57, and connects the toner pack 40 to the mounting portion 57. In this state, the shutter member 41 is in a closed state. In the closed state, the movement of toner to the developing container 32 is prevented. When the main body of the toner pack 40 is rotated 180 degrees, a protrusion (not shown) of the shutter member 41 abuts against an abutting portion (not shown) of the mounting portion 57, causing the main body of the toner pack 40 to rotate relative to the shutter member 41. This rotation causes the shutter member 41 to open, i.e., the shutter member 41 no longer blocks the discharge port of the toner pack 40, and the toner pack 40 and the developing container 32 communicate with each other via the discharge port. This causes the toner contained in the toner pack 40 to leak out of the toner pack 40, and the leaked toner enters the hollow first protrusion 37 via the supply port 32a. The shutter member 41 may be provided on the supply port 32a side.

[0044] 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 by the slope 37a to the transport chamber 36. The agitator 34 has an agitator shaft 34a extending in the longitudinal direction, and a blade portion 34b extending radially outward from the agitator shaft 34a.

[0045] 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 is distributed 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 distributing the toner over the entire length of the developing container 32.

[0046] 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 their fingers, and in the case of the bottle container 40B, it is preferable that the user shakes the container by tapping it, etc., 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. The material of the body part that contains the toner of the toner pack 40 may be, for example, a polyethylene resin. The thickness of the body part may be 2.0 mm or less. Preferably, the thickness of the body is 1.5 to 1.0 mm, which is easier for the user to understand, and 1.0 to 0.05 mm is even more preferable.

[0047] 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.

[0048] [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.

[0049] 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.

[0050] 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.

[0051] 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.

[0052] 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 non-volatile memory 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.

[0053] 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.

[0054] That is, when the remaining toner amount 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 toner amount 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 toner amount is low or mid level, as described later, 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 toner amount is low. In the above description, the second toner remaining amount sensor 52 is disposed so as not to intersect with the rotation locus T of the stirring member 34, but it may be disposed so as to intersect with the rotation locus T of the stirring member 34, like the first toner remaining amount sensor 51 described above.

[0055] 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 toner remaining amount 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, the light to the light receiving portion 52b is blocked by the toner, and therefore it is judged that the toner remaining amount is at the full level. In the above description, the second toner remaining amount sensor 52 is disposed so as not to intersect with the rotation locus T of the stirring member 34, but similar to the above-described first toner remaining amount sensor 51, the second toner remaining amount sensor 52 may be disposed so as to intersect with the rotation locus T of the stirring member 34. Then, the toner remaining amount information indicating the remaining toner amount predicted / calculated by the control unit 90 is stored in the non-volatile memory 93 by the control unit 90.

[0056] 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 51 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.

[0057] [Image forming device control system] 12 is a block diagram showing a control system of the image forming apparatus 1. A control unit 90 of the image forming apparatus 1 has a CPU 91 as a calculation device, a RAM 92 used as a working area for the CPU 91, and a non-volatile memory 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.

[0058] The first remaining toner amount sensor 51 and the second remaining toner amount sensor 52 are connected to the input side of the control unit 90, and the control unit 90 appropriately reads remaining amount information.

[0059] Also connected to the control unit 90 are an operation unit 300, the image forming unit 10, a remaining amount display LED 400, a replenishment start button 500, a replenishment start button LED 501, and a replenishment port LED 600. The operation unit 300 has a display unit 301 capable of displaying various setting screens, physical keys, etc. The display unit 301 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal panel.

[0060] The remaining amount display LED 400 functions as a notification unit that displays information regarding the remaining amount of toner in the developing container 32. The refill start button 500 (see FIGS. 1(b) and 2(b)) is pressed after the user mounts the toner pack 40 in the refill port 32a when refilling the developing container 32 with toner. The refill start button LED 501 (see FIGS. 1(b) and 2(b)) is for notifying the user of the position of the refill start button 500. The refill port LED 600 (see FIGS. 1(b) and 2(b)) is for notifying the user of the position of the opening / closing member 83, that is, for notifying the user of the position of the mounting portion 57. The image forming unit 10 has a motor M1 as a drive source that drives the photosensitive drum 21, the developing roller 31, the supply roller 33, the stirring member 34, and the like. 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.

[0061] Next, the sleep mode of this embodiment will be described in detail. In this embodiment, the image forming apparatus transitions to the sleep mode when no operation has been performed for a predetermined elapsed time. The elapsed time preset for transitioning to the sleep mode can be changed as appropriate, and the elapsed time can also be set from the host computer or the operation unit 300. The sleep mode can also be transitioned to from the host computer via the I / O interface 94, rather than after a predetermined elapsed time. The hatched functional blocks in FIG. 12 indicate functional blocks to which power supply is stopped during the sleep mode, or to which power is supplied but the operation is stopped.

[0062] Next, the process of returning from the sleep mode will be described. When the image forming apparatus is in the sleep mode, an interrupt request is generated for the CPU 91, whose operation is stopped. This interrupt request is generated by either a return signal from the operation unit 300 shown in FIG. 12 or a return signal from the replenishment start button 500. This interrupt signal is input to the CPU 91 via the I / O interface 94.

[0063] When an interrupt request based on the interrupt signal occurs, the CPU 91 starts oscillating. After the oscillation operation of the CPU 91 stabilizes, the interrupt cause is checked via the I / O interface 94. Note that in this embodiment, the operation of the CPU 91 is stopped in the sleep mode. However, instead of stopping the operation of the CPU 91, the operating frequency of the CPU 91 may be lowered.

[0064] 1(b) and 21, the remaining amount display LED 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 regarding the remaining amount of toner in the developing container 32. In this embodiment, the remaining amount display LED 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.

[0065] That is, as shown in FIG. 21(a), when only the lower scale is lit, the toner remaining amount in the developing container 32 indicates a low level. As shown in FIG. 21(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 shown in FIG. 21(c), when all three scales are lit, the toner remaining amount in the developing container 32 indicates a full level. Note that instead of the remaining amount display LED 400, a liquid crystal panel or the like may be used to notify the toner remaining amount. Note that, in the example shown in FIG. 21, the toner remaining amount is described as a notification means for indicating the toner remaining amount, but this is not limited thereto. For example, the display in FIG. 21(a) may be used to indicate that toner replenishment is necessary, the display in FIG. 21(b) may be used to indicate that toner replenishment is unnecessary, and the display in FIG. 21(c) may be used to indicate that toner replenishment has been performed sufficiently.

[0066] In addition, the remaining amount display LED 400 may display the Mid level as one toner pack 40 having been refilled and one more toner pack 40 can be refilled, and the Full level as two toner packs 40 having been refilled and no more toner can be refilled into the toner pack 40.

[0067] [Toner supply process] Next, a toner replenishment process for replenishing the toner in the toner pack 40 to the developing container 32 will be described. First, a process for notifying the user when toner replenishment is necessary will be described with reference to FIG. 13. As shown in FIG. 13, the control unit 90 determines whether the remaining toner is at a low level based on the detection result of the first toner remaining sensor 51 (S101). If the remaining toner is at a low level (S101; Yes), the control unit 90 displays a message on the display unit 301 to prompt the user to replenish toner (S102). An example of the message display is shown in FIG. 19(a).

[0068] Next, the control unit 90 causes the display unit 301 to display a button 1 (supply start button) guide display at a higher level of the menu than normal (S103). An example of the display is shown in FIG. 20. Note that normal corresponds to a case where a low level of remaining toner is not detected, and normally, a similar guide screen is displayed at a lower level than when a low level of remaining toner is detected. Note that a change to a display message at a lower level is performed by a user operation on the button 302 shown in FIG. 20. Also, the top level is most suitable as the upper level of the menu. Also, the control unit 90 causes the LED 501 for the supply start button, the LED of the button 1 (supply start button) on the operation unit 300, and the supply port LED 600 to blink (S104). After that, the control unit 90 executes the supply guide process shown in FIG. 14. The process of FIG. 14 will be described below.

[0069] First, the control unit 90 determines whether a toner replenishment instruction has been received (S111). A replenishment instruction is received when button 1 on the operation unit 300 is pressed, or when the replenishment start button 500 is pressed. Note that the replenishment process may be started only by button 1 on the operation unit 300, without providing the replenishment start button 500. In this case, there is no need to provide an LED 501 for the replenishment start button. Conversely, the replenishment process may be started only by the replenishment start button 500.

[0070] If there is no replenishment instruction (S111; No), the control unit 90 judges whether the sleep mode transition condition is satisfied (S112). If the sleep mode transition condition is not satisfied (S112; No), the control unit 90 judges whether there is a replenishment instruction (return to S111). If the sleep mode transition condition is satisfied (S112; Yes), the control unit 90 transitions to the sleep mode (S113). After transitioning to the sleep mode, the control unit 90 judges whether a signal for a return operation is input (S114). Here, the return operation is, for example, pressing button 1 (replenishment start button) on the operation unit 300. When a signal for a return operation is input, the control unit 90 returns from the sleep mode (S115), and then judges whether there is a replenishment instruction (return to S111).

[0071] On the other hand, if a replenishment command is issued by pressing button 1 or replenishment start button 500 on operation unit 300 (S111; Yes), control unit 90 starts motor M1, detects the remaining amount of toner using first toner remaining sensor 51 and second toner remaining sensor 52, and then stops motor M1 (S116). This process of S116 may be omitted, in which case control unit 90 refers to the latest remaining toner amount information stored in non-volatile memory 93. Control unit 90 classifies the detected remaining toner amount information into three levels: Low, Mid, and Full (S117).

[0072] If the remaining toner information is Mid (S117; Mid), the control unit 90 executes the "Refill notification process for remaining amount Mid" process (S300) described later. If the remaining amount information is Full (S117; Full), the control unit 90 executes the "Refill notification process for remaining amount Full" process (S400) described later. If the remaining amount information is Low (S117; Low), the control unit 90 executes the "Refill notification process for remaining amount Low" process (S200) described later.

[0073] [Refill notification processing for low remaining amount] Next, the guide display control for toner replenishment when the remaining amount is Low, as shown in FIG. 15, will be described. First, the control unit 90 starts the timer Ta (S201). Next, the control unit 90 displays a message on the display unit 301 to prompt the user to perform an action to promote the movement of the toner to the developing container 32 (S202). An example of the message is shown in FIG. 19(b). After that, the control unit 90 executes a motor control sequence 1 (S221) to be described later in parallel with the process of FIG. 15 to be described below. First, the description of the process of FIG. 15 will be continued. Based on the detection result of the first toner remaining amount sensor 51, the control unit 90 determines whether the remaining amount has changed to the Mid level (S203). That is, when the user normally attaches the toner pack 40 to the mounting portion 57 and rotates it 180 degrees to open the shutter member 41, the toner contained in the toner pack 40 falls downward by its own weight, and the remaining amount increases to the Mid level.

[0074] If the remaining amount has changed to the Mid level (S203; Yes), the control unit 90 updates the display mode of the remaining amount display LED 400 to Mid, and displays the message shown in Fig. 19(c) on the display unit 301 as the replenishment progress status (S204). The message shown in Fig. 19(c) is a message notifying that replenishment is proceeding normally (smoothly).

[0075] On the other hand, if the remaining amount does not change from the Low level to the Mid level (S203; No), the control unit 90 judges whether the timer Ta is greater than the threshold value t0 (S205). The threshold value t0 is a preset value, and as will be described later with reference to FIG. 24, it is set to a relatively short time since it is set as a time sufficient for the remaining amount of toner to change from the Low level to the Mid level.

[0076] If the timer Ta is greater than the threshold value t0 (S205; Yes), the control unit 90 displays a message shown in Fig. 19(f) as a supply end confirmation message on the display unit 301 (S210). The supply end confirmation message is a message for prompting the user to input whether or not to end the supply process. If the control unit 90 determines Yes in S205, the control unit 90 may display a message such as that shown in Fig. 19(g) on ​​the display unit 301 for a predetermined period of time to prompt the user to attach a toner supply container, and then proceed to step S210.

[0077] On the other hand, if the timer Ta has not exceeded the threshold value t0 (S205; No), the control unit 90 again determines whether the remaining amount has changed to the Mid level based on the detection result of the first remaining toner amount sensor 51 (S203).

[0078] After S204, the control unit 90 judges whether the remaining amount has reached the Full level based on the detection result of the second toner remaining amount sensor 52 (S206). If the remaining amount has changed to the Full level (S206; Yes), the control unit 90 updates the display of the remaining amount display LED 400 to Full, and displays the message shown in FIG. 19(d) on the display unit 301 as a replenishment completion message (S207). The replenishment completion message is a message for notifying that the remaining amount has reached Full, that is, that replenishment has been completed. Thereafter, the control unit 90 starts the timer Tb, and judges whether the timer Tb is greater than the threshold value t2 (S209). The threshold value t2 is a preset value, and is set to a sufficient time from when the remaining amount of toner has changed to the Full level until the toner pack 40 becomes empty. If the timer Tb is greater than the threshold value t2, the control unit 90 displays the message shown in FIG. 19(e) on the display unit 301 as a removal prompting message (S212). The removal prompting message is a message that prompts the user to remove the nerve pack 40 attached to the attachment portion 57. Then, the control unit 90 lights up the replenishing port LED 600 for a predetermined period of time (S214).

[0079] On the other hand, if the remaining amount of toner has not changed to the Full level (S206; No), the control unit 90 judges whether the timer Ta has exceeded the threshold value t1 (S208). The threshold value t1 is set to a time equal to or longer than the time required to replenish the entire amount of toner (amount of developer) contained in the toner pack 40. In addition, when the user mounts the toner pack 40 containing a smaller amount of toner than usual in the mounting unit 57, the control unit 90 may judge No in S206. If the timer Ta has not exceeded the threshold value t1 (S208; No), the control unit 90 judges again whether the remaining amount has changed to the Full level based on the detection result of the second toner remaining amount sensor 52 (S206). On the other hand, if the timer Ta has exceeded the threshold value t1 (S208; Yes), the control unit 90 displays the message shown in FIG. 19(f) on the display unit 301 as a replenishment end confirmation message (S210).

[0080] 19(f), the control unit 90 judges whether the user has responded by pressing button 1, i.e., inputting an end command, or by pressing button 2, i.e., inputting a command to continue the supply process (S211). If the user has pressed button 1 and input the command (S211; Yes), the control unit 90 displays the message shown in FIG. 19(e) on the display unit 301 as a removal prompting message (S212). Note that if the user has not pressed any button for a predetermined period of time, the control unit 90 may be configured to judge Yes in S211. Then, the supply port LED 600 is turned on for a predetermined period of time to prompt the user to remove the toner pack 40 (S214).

[0081] On the other hand, when the user presses button 2 and the signal is input (S211; No), the control unit 90 displays the message shown in FIG. 19(g) on ​​the display unit 301 as a message to confirm whether the toner pack 40 has been reattached (S213). The reattachment confirmation message is a message that prompts the user to confirm that the toner pack 40 is attached to the mounting unit 57. Thereafter, the process returns to S116 in FIG. 14 to perform the toner supply process again.

[0082] [Resupply notification processing for remaining amount Mid] Next, the toner replenishment notification control when the remaining amount is Mid, as shown in Fig. 16, will be described. First, the control unit 90 starts the timer Ta (S301), and similarly to S202, displays the message shown in Fig. 19(b) (S302). Then, the control unit 90 executes the motor control sequence 2 described below (S351). In parallel with this motor control sequence 2, the control unit 90 executes the process described below. First, the control unit 90 determines whether the amount of toner has changed to the Full level based on the detection result of the second toner remaining amount sensor 52 (S303).

[0083] If the remaining amount has changed to the Full level (S303; Yes), the control unit 90 updates the display of the remaining amount display LED 400 to Full, and displays the message shown in FIG. 19(d) on the display unit 301 as a replenishment completion message (S304). After that, the control unit 90 starts the timer Tb, and judges whether the timer Tb has exceeded a threshold value t3 (S308). The threshold value t3 is a preset value, and is set to a sufficient time from when the remaining amount of toner has changed to the Full level until the toner pack 40 becomes empty. If the timer Tb is greater than the threshold value t3, the control unit 90 displays the message shown in FIG. 19(e) on the display unit 301 as a removal prompt message (S309). After that, the control unit 90 lights up the replenishment port LED 600 for a predetermined time (S311).

[0084] Here, the threshold value t3 is set to a time longer than the threshold value t2. This is because, in the process of Fig. 16, the amount of toner remaining in the developing container 32 when the toner pack 40 is attached is at the Mid level, and therefore the amount of toner remaining in the toner pack 40 when the remaining amount becomes Full is greater than the amount of toner remaining in the toner pack 40 when the remaining amount becomes Full in the process of Fig. 15. By setting the threshold value t3 to a time longer than the threshold value t2, it is possible to flexibly deal with such a situation.

[0085] On the other hand, if the remaining amount has not changed to the Full level (S303; No), the control unit 90 judges whether the timer Ta has exceeded the threshold value t4 (S305). The threshold value t4 is a preset value, and sets the time it takes for the remaining amount to change from the Mid level to the Full level. Therefore, the threshold value t4 is set to a value shorter than the threshold value t1. This makes it possible to output an appropriate message without making the user wait unnecessarily. Also, as in the case of S205, if the control unit 90 judges Yes in step S305, the control unit 90 may display a message on the display unit 301 for a predetermined time to prompt the user to install a toner supply container, and then proceed to step S210.

[0086] If the timer Ta is not greater than the threshold value t4 (S305; No), the control unit 90 executes the determination of S303 again. If the timer Ta is greater than the threshold value t4 (S305; Yes), the control unit 90 executes the same processes as S210 to S214 in FIG. 15 in S306, S307, and S309 to S311.

[0087] [Resupply notification processing for full remaining amount] Next, the toner supply guidance display control when the remaining toner amount is Full will be described with reference to Fig. 17. First, the control unit 90 starts the timer Ta (S401). Next, the control unit 90 displays the message shown in Fig. 19(b) in the same manner as in S202 (S402).

[0088] Then, the control unit 90 executes the motor control sequence 3 (S451). In parallel with this motor control sequence 3, the control unit 90 judges whether the timer Ta is greater than the threshold value t5 (S403). The threshold value t5 is a preset value, and is set based on the capacity of the process cartridge 20. The concept of setting the threshold value t5 will be described later. If the timer Ta is greater than the threshold value t5 (S405; Yes), the control unit 90 executes the same processes in S404 and S405 as those in S212 and S214 in the flowchart of FIG. 15.

[0089] As described above with reference to Figures 14 to 17, when a replenishment instruction is confirmed, appropriate guidance control is performed according to the remaining amount of toner at that time, thereby improving usability regarding toner replenishment.

[0090] More specifically, when a low level is detected in step S117, the toner supply level should be immediately changed to the MID level, but this is not the case, so that the user can be notified of the improper supply operation at an early stage. Also, in step S204, the user can be notified of the detailed progress of toner supply.

[0091] On the other hand, if the Mid level is detected in S117, the message display timing in step S306 in FIG. 16 is changed from that in FIG. 15, so that the user can be notified of an improper supply operation at an appropriate timing.

[0092] [Motor control sequence 1] Details of the motor control sequence 1 in S221 of Fig. 15 will be described with reference to Fig. 22A. In the motor control sequence 1, the control unit 90 first starts the motor M1 that rotates the stirring member 34 (S252).

[0093] The control unit 90 judges whether the timer Ta is greater than the threshold value t1 (S253). The threshold value t1 is as described in the above flow chart. If the timer Ta is greater than the threshold value t1 (S253; Yes), the control unit 90 stops the motor M1 (S257) and ends the process. On the other hand, if the timer Ta is not greater than the threshold value t1 (S253; No), the control unit 90 judges whether the remaining amount of toner has changed to the Full level based on the detection result of the second toner remaining amount sensor 52 (S254). If the remaining amount has not changed to the Full level (S254; No), the control unit 90 executes S253 again. On the other hand, if the remaining amount has changed to the Full level (S254; Yes), the control unit 90 starts the timer Tb (S255) and judges whether the timer Tb is greater than the threshold value t2 (first remaining mixing time) (S256). If the timer Tb is greater than the threshold value t2 (S256: Yes), the control unit 90 stops the motor M1 (S257) and ends the process.

[0094] In summary, in motor control sequence 1, the control unit 90 starts the motor M1 to drive the stirring member 34. If the remaining amount is not full, the stirring member 34 is driven for a time corresponding to the threshold value t1. On the other hand, if the remaining amount becomes full, the stirring member 34 is driven until a time corresponding to the threshold value t2 has elapsed since the remaining amount became full.

[0095] [Motor control sequence 2] The details of the motor control sequence 2 in S351 in FIG. 16 will be described with reference to FIG. 22B. The difference from the motor control sequence 1 is that the thresholds used in S353 and S356 are different. The threshold t3 (second remaining stirring time) is longer than the threshold t2 (first remaining stirring time). The threshold t6 is longer than the threshold t1. Compared to the case of FIG. 22A, the total toner volume after replenishment is larger, so the threshold t6 is set longer than the threshold t1. However, if the stirring function of the stirring member 34 is sufficient, the threshold in S353 may be the same as the threshold t1. In FIG. 16, if the remaining amount does not become Full even after the threshold t4 has passed, a replenishment end confirmation message is displayed in S306, and the user is prompted to input whether or not to end the replenishment process. In the sequence of FIG. 22B, if the remaining amount does not become Full even after the threshold t4 has passed, the motor M1 can be stopped in S357.

[0096] [Motor control sequence 3] The motor control sequence 3 of S451 in FIG. 17 will be described with reference to FIG. 22C. The control unit 90 first starts the motor M1 that rotates the stirring member 34 (S452). The control unit 90 waits until the timer Ta becomes greater than the threshold value t5 (S453). The threshold value t5 is as described in the above flow chart. When the timer Ta becomes greater than the threshold value t5 (S454; Yes), the control unit 90 stops the motor M1 (S454) and ends the process. In summary, in the motor control sequence 3, the control unit 90 starts the motor M1 and drives the stirring member 34 for a time period corresponding to the threshold value t5.

[0097] [Toner stirring] In the above-described toner supply process, when the toner drops from the toner pack 40 into the developing container 32 as shown in Fig. 23(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 toward the one end side. In other words, the toner is supplied unevenly inside the developing container 32.

[0098] 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.

[0099] Therefore, in this embodiment, the agitator 34 is driven from the start of toner supply in the toner supply process. The drive time is as described with reference to Figs. 22A to 22C. As a result, as shown in Figs. 23(b) and 23(c), the toner supplied from the toner pack 40 to one end of the developing container 32 is quickly leveled by the agitator 34 over the entire length of the conveying chamber 36 of the developing container 32 in the longitudinal direction. 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.

[0100] The cross-sectional views of Figures 23(a) to (c) show the cross section taken along line 16A-16A of Figure 6. Figures 23(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-receiving unit 51b, the light-emitting unit 52a, and the light-receiving unit 52b are also disposed at the same / substantially the same longitudinal position of the photosensitive drum 21. Due to restrictions on sensor placement within the device body, the sensors may be placed as shown in Figures 23(a) and (b). Even in such a case, the rotation of the stirring member 34 during toner replenishment can improve usability as described above.

[0101] [Regarding thresholds t0, t1, t4, and t5] As described above, threshold value t0 is intended to warn when the remaining toner amount does not change from the Low level to the Mid level. Moreover, threshold value t4 is intended to warn when the remaining toner amount does not change from the Mid level to the Full level. Moreover, threshold value t1 is set to a time that is longer than the time required to replenish the entire amount of toner (amount of developer) contained in toner pack 40. Moreover, threshold value t1 corresponds to the driving time of stirring member 34 when the remaining amount does not become Full, as described in FIG. 22A and FIG. 22B.

[0102] As described in FIG. 24(a), when the remaining toner amount is between X[g] and Y[g], the remaining toner amount is displayed at the Mid level. However, since the user can replenish toner at any timing, when the remaining toner amount is less than Y(g) and toner replenishment is performed from near Y(g), the remaining toner amount changes from the Mid level to the Full level immediately. On the other hand, when the remaining toner amount is equal to or greater than X[g] and toner replenishment is started from near X[g], it takes longer to change from the Mid level to the Full level than the former. This is the reason why t4 is set longer than t0. The threshold value t1 is set to a value larger than the threshold value t4 because it is longer than the time required to replenish the entire amount of toner (amount of developer) contained in the toner pack 40.

[0103] Next, the concept of setting the threshold value t5 will be described. The threshold value t5 is used when the remaining amount of toner is Full in S117 of FIG. 14, and as described in FIG. 22C, the toner supply process is performed for a time corresponding to the threshold value t5. For example, when the free capacity of the developing container 32 is small when the remaining amount is detected as Full, the threshold value t5 is set small to prevent the toner from overflowing from the developing container 32. On the other hand, when the free capacity of the developing container 32 is large when the remaining amount is detected as Full, the threshold value t5 is set large to suppress the uneven distribution of the toner in the developing container 32. In this way, the threshold value t5 is set based on the free capacity of the developing container 32 when the remaining amount is detected as Full.

[0104] [Relationship between the amount of toner filled in the toner pack 40 and the volume of the developing container 32] 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. 24(a), the developing container 32 can accommodate Z [g] of toner. Note that, although the amount is expressed in grams (g) in Fig. 24(a) to (c), it may be converted to a unit indicating volume such as milliliters (ml).

[0105] When the toner contained in the developing container 32 is between 0 [g] and less than X [g], the remaining amount display LED 400 displays a low level based on the detection results of the first remaining toner amount sensor 51 and the second remaining toner amount sensor 52. X [g] corresponds to the second amount, and a toner amount between 0 [g] and less than X [g] corresponds to a toner amount less than the second amount.

[0106] When the toner contained in the developing container 32 is between X[g] and less than Y[g], the remaining amount display LED 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 a toner amount between X[g] and less than Y[g] corresponds to a toner amount less than the first amount.

[0107] When the toner contained in the developing container 32 is Y [g] or more, the remaining amount display LED 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.

[0108] Fig. 24(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. 24(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.

[0109] 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)

[0110] 24(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 remaining amount indicator LED 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.

[0111] 24(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 remaining toner amount indicator LED 400 displays the Full level after the toner is replenished.

[0112] In this way, the capacity of the developing container 32 is set so that the remaining amount display LED 400 always becomes the full level by replenishing toner when the remaining amount display LED 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 for example, the full level may be reached by replenishing multiple toner packs 40 containing small amounts of toner.

[0113] 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 remaining amount display LED 400 displays the Mid level or the Low level, according to the above formulas (1) and (2). That is, the maximum amount of developer that can be accommodated in the developing container 32 is greater than the sum of Y[g], which is the boundary between the Full level and the Mid level, and the amount of developer (A[g] or B[g]) contained in the toner pack 40. 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 accommodated in the developing container 32 and the remaining amount of toner (Y[g]) at the boundary between the Mid level and the Full level.

[0114] 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.

[0115] As described above, in this embodiment, the control unit 90 controls the display of messages related to replenishment during replenishment differently depending on whether remaining amount information indicating a low remaining amount is output when replenishment is instructed or whether remaining amount information indicating a mid remaining amount is output. Specifically, the control unit 90 executes the first display control when replenishment is started with a low remaining amount, and executes the second display control when replenishment is started with a mid remaining amount. This makes it possible to display a message to the user according to the remaining amount at the start of replenishment. For example, in the first display control, the message shown in FIG. 19(c) is displayed to the user when the remaining amount becomes mid. This allows the user to recognize that replenishment is proceeding smoothly.

[0116] In the first and second display controls, if the first predetermined period has elapsed without the remaining amount becoming Full, the control unit 90 displays a message shown in FIG. 19(f) to the user and prompts the user to input whether or not to end the replenishment. Here, the control unit 90 makes the first predetermined period different between the first and second display controls. Specifically, in the first display control, the first predetermined period is a period corresponding to the threshold value t1, and in the second display control, the first predetermined period is a period corresponding to the threshold value t4. As described above, in the first and second display controls, if the remaining amount does not become Full, the control unit 90 drives the stirring member 34 for only the second predetermined period. In the first display control, the second predetermined period is a period corresponding to the threshold value t1. In addition, in the second display control, the second predetermined period is a period corresponding to the threshold value t6 that is longer than the threshold value t1. That is, in the second display control, the control unit 90 makes the driving time of the stirring member 34 longer than that in the first display control, thereby making the distribution of the toner in the developing container 32 more uniform. This improves the accuracy of detecting the remaining amount.

[0117] In the first and second display controls, when the third predetermined period has elapsed after the remaining amount becomes Full, the control unit 90 displays the message shown in FIG. 19(e) to the user to urge the user to remove the toner pack 40. Here, the control unit 90 makes the third predetermined period different between the first and second display controls. Specifically, in the first display control, the third predetermined period is set to a period corresponding to the threshold value t2, and in the second display control, the third predetermined period is set to a period corresponding to the threshold value t3. As described above, the threshold value t3 is longer than the threshold value t2. As a result, replenishment is performed according to the amount of toner in the toner pack 40 when the remaining amount becomes Full.

[0118] In the present embodiment, a second opening 82a is formed in the discharge tray 81 of the top cover 82, and an opening / closing member 83 is further 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.

[0119] 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.

[0120] 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, and the image forming apparatus 1 can be made compact.

[0121] 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.

[0122] Furthermore, the maximum amount 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 it is possible to reduce the leakage of toner from the replenishing port 32a during toner replenishment. 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.

[0123] 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.

[0124] The remaining amount of toner in the developing container 32 is notified to the user by the remaining amount display LED 400, but it does not have to be composed of three scales as in this embodiment. For example, the remaining amount display LED 400 may be composed of one, two, or four or more scales. Also, it may be configured to continuously display the remaining amount of toner by percentage display or gauge display. Also, the remaining amount of toner may be notified to the user by voice using a speaker.

[0125] <First Modification> FIG. 25(a) shows a first modified example of the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 25(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 remaining amount display LED 400. Therefore, when replenishing toner to the developing container using the toner pack 40, the remaining amount display LED 400 can be easily confirmed.

[0126] <Second Modification> Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment shown in FIG. 25(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. 25(b).

[0127] <Third Modification> Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 25(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.

[0128] <Second embodiment> In the first embodiment, a description has been given of the replenishment notification process when there is no mounting sensor 53. The following describes a process when there is a mounting sensor 53, with reference to Figs.

[0129] FIG. 26 shows a control block diagram in the second embodiment. The following describes the differences from FIG. 12, and the common parts are omitted in detail. In the control block diagram of FIG. 26, an attachment sensor 53 and an opening / closing sensor 54 are added to the control block diagram of FIG. 12, and these are connected to the input side of the control unit 90. The attachment sensor 53 detects that the toner pack 40 is attached to the supply port 32a of the developing container 32. For example, when the toner pack 40 is attached to the attachment portion 57, the attachment sensor 53 is provided on a surface facing the bottom of the toner pack 40, and is pressed against the bottom of the toner pack 40, thereby changing the electrical conduction state. In addition, 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. When the attachment sensor 53 and the opening / closing sensor 54 detect a predetermined operation, an interrupt request is generated to the CPU 91, whose operation is stopped, when the image forming apparatus is in the sleep mode.

[0130] Fig. 27 shows the positional relationship between the mounting sensor 53 and the process cartridge 20. Fig. 27 shows a cross-sectional view of the process cartridge. The process cartridge has a mounting sensor cable space 2702. When the mounting sensor 53 is pressed by the bottom of the toner pack 40 and the electrical continuity state changes, a signal is output to the control unit 90 via this mounting sensor cable. The mounting sensor cable is connected to the control unit 90 from the mounting sensor 53 through the mounting sensor cable space 2702. The mounting sensor cable space 2702 is configured to be surrounded so as not to come into contact with the toner.

[0131] FIG. 28 is a flowchart showing the supply notification process of this embodiment. In the following, only the differences from FIG. 14 will be described, and the description of the common parts will be omitted. When a supply instruction is given (S111: Yes), the control unit 90 judges whether or not the toner pack 40 is mounted based on the output signal of the mounting sensor 53 (S2801). When it is judged that the toner pack 40 is not mounted (S2801: No), the control unit 90 causes the display unit 301 to display a message indicating that the toner container is not mounted (S2802). An example of the message is shown in FIG. 19(h). On the other hand, when it is judged that the toner pack 40 is mounted (S2801: Yes), the same process as that of FIG. 14 is executed.

[0132] In this way, by the control unit 90 judging the detection signal of the installation sensor 53, it is possible to effectively prevent a situation in which toner supply operation is attempted without the toner pack 40 being installed, resulting in toner supply never being performed, thereby improving operability.

[0133] <Third embodiment> Next, the toner pack 40, which is a supply container of developer according to the present invention, will be described with reference to FIG. 18. FIG. 18(b) shows a state in which a first region of the main body of the toner pack 40 is on the near side of the figure, and FIG. 18(c) shows a state in which a second region different from the first region of the main body of the toner pack 40 is on the near side of the figure. As shown in FIGS. 18(c) and (b), different messages regarding supply are provided in the first region and the second region. Note that the messages are not limited to characters but also include pictures and photographic images. The messages also indicate the operation method of toner supply by the user. Also, FIG. 18(a) shows a state in which the toner pack 40 shown in FIGS. 18(b) and (c) is attached to an image forming apparatus.

[0134] As described with reference to FIG. 5, the projection 42 provided on the connecting portion of the toner pack 40 restricts the orientation of the first region when the toner pack 40 is attached to the attachment portion 57 to a predetermined orientation. In other words, the projection 42 is a direction restricting member that restricts the attachment orientation of the toner pack 40. In this embodiment, the first region faces the front door 61 when the toner pack 40 is attached to the attachment portion 57. Hereinafter, the orientation of the first region when the toner pack 40 is attached to the attachment portion 57 is referred to as the first orientation. The first orientation is an orientation relative to a predetermined reference direction of the image forming apparatus. For example, if the reference direction is the right direction in FIG. 1(a) (the direction from the back of the image forming apparatus to the front door 61), the first orientation is an orientation of 0 degrees with respect to the reference direction.

[0135] As described with reference to FIG. 5, after the toner pack 40 is mounted in the mounting portion 57, the main body of the toner pack 40 is rotated a predetermined amount in a predetermined direction to open the shutter member 41, and the toner is supplied to the developing container 32. In this embodiment, the predetermined amount of rotation is 180 degrees. However, the predetermined amount of rotation is not limited to 180 degrees. In this embodiment, when the supply container is mounted, the first region is in the first direction, and when the main body is rotated a predetermined amount (rotation angle) in a predetermined direction to open the shutter member 41, the second region is in the first direction. That is, it is in front of the user. In this way, the positional relationship between the first region and the second region depends on the amount and direction of rotation of the main body to change the shutter member from the open state to the closed state.

[0136] In the first area, a message indicating the first orientation is provided. As explained above, the message is not limited to text but also includes pictures and photographic images. The message also indicates a method for the user to replenish toner. In FIG. 18(b), this message corresponds to message number 1. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the user will be standing by the front door 61 while working, and the "front" in the message number 1 means the front of the user, that is, the first area faces the direction of the front door 61.

[0137] 18(b), the first region includes a message regarding the direction and amount of rotation of the main body for changing the shutter member 41 from the closed state to the open state. In FIG. 18(b), this message corresponds to the message number 2.

[0138] In addition, the second region includes a message regarding a user action to promote the movement of the developer from the main body to the image forming apparatus. In Fig. 18(c), this message corresponds to the message numbered 3. The message numbered 3 indicates a message encouraging the user to massage the main body.

[0139] Furthermore, the second area includes a message regarding the direction and amount of rotation of the main body for returning the direction of the first area to the first orientation after replenishment is completed, thereby closing the shutter member 41. In FIG. 18(c), this message corresponds to the message numbered 4.

[0140] Furthermore, the first area displays a message urging the user to remove the toner pack 40 after replenishment is completed. In Fig. 18(b), this message corresponds to the message numbered 5. The message numbered 5 indicates a subsequent operation method of replenishment indicated by the message displayed in the second area. That is, the first area can be further divided into a first area A and a first area B, and the message numbered 5 is displayed in the first area B.

[0141] The numbers given to the messages in FIGS. 18(b) and (c) correspond to the order of the user's actions regarding replenishment.

[0142] In this embodiment, it is assumed that the user mounts the toner pack 40 facing the front door 61. Therefore, when mounting, the first area is in front of the user, and when the shutter member 41 is rotated to open, the second area is in front of the user. Therefore, a message regarding the next user action is displayed in an easily visible manner in front of the user, and the user can easily perform the user action related to replenishment.

[0143] <Fourth embodiment> In the first to third embodiments, various messages are displayed on the display unit 301. Also, the remaining amount display LED 400, the supply start button LED 501, and the supply port LED 600 provided on the image forming apparatus 1 main body are turned on. However, the display provided to the user is not limited to these. For example, the various message displays and LED displays in Figs. 13, 15, 16, 17, and 28 may be transmitted as display information by the CPU 91 to an external device via the I / O interface 94. The external device that receives the display information can display the same display as described above on the display unit of the external device or connected to the external device.

[0144] The external device may be a computer, a mobile terminal such as a smartphone, or the like. The display information may take various forms as long as it is information that allows software on the external device to display various messages or still or moving images showing LED displays. The I / O interface 94 may perform wireless or wired communication. Output of the display information to the outside via the I / O interface 94 corresponds to control for displaying a message related to replenishment on the display unit.

[0145] <Fifth embodiment> [Image forming device] Fig. 29(a) is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an image forming apparatus 1 according to a fifth embodiment. Below, differences from the configuration in Fig. 1 will be mainly described, and detailed description of common members will be omitted.

[0146] (Overall composition) As shown in Figures 29(a) and (b), the image forming apparatus 1 is equipped with a reading device 200 that is supported in an openable and closable manner on the printer main body 100. The structure of the process cartridge 20 in this embodiment differs from that of the previously described embodiment, and will be described in detail later. The rest of the structure is the same as in the previously described embodiment, and so a detailed description will be omitted. (Openable and closable parts of the image forming apparatus)

[0147] As shown in FIG. 30(b), a first opening 101 that opens upward is provided at the top of the printer body 100. The first opening 101 is covered by a top cover 82 when in use, and the process cartridge 20 is exposed by opening the top cover 82 upward (FIG. 30(b)). The top cover 82 is supported on the printer body 100 so as to be openable and closable around a pivot shaft extending in the left-right direction, and an ejection tray 81 is provided on the upper surface. The top cover 82 opens from the front side to the back side when the reading device 200 is opened relative 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.

[0148] For example, if the recording material jams 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 through a first opening 101 that is exposed when the top cover 82 is opened, and pulls out the process cartridge 20 along a cartridge guide 102.

[0149] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 30(a), an opening / closing member 83 is provided on the top cover 82 so as to be openable and closable. An opening 82a that opens upward is provided on the upper surface of the top cover 82 on which the discharge tray 81 is provided, and the opening 82a is covered by closing the opening / closing member 83. The opening / closing member 83 and the opening 82a are provided on the right side of the top cover 82. The opening / closing member 83 is supported on the top cover 82 so as to be openable and closable around a rotation shaft 83a extending in the front-rear direction, and is opened to the right by hooking a finger on a groove portion 82b provided on the top cover 82. The opening / closing member 83 is formed in a substantially L-shape along the shape of the top cover 82. Note that the opening / closing member 83 is not limited to the above-mentioned opening / closing mechanism. For example, the opening / closing member 83 may be configured to be arranged on the top cover 82 so as to cover the supply container mounting portion 701, and to be configured to open and close the opening 82a by rotating the opening 82 around a rotation shaft that perpendicularly intersects with the top cover 82 so as to slide on the upper surface of the top cover 82. Here, sliding on the upper surface of the top cover 82 means that the movement of the opening / closing member 83 in the direction of the rotation axis is restricted.

[0150] The opening 82a is open so as to expose a supply container mounting portion 701 for supplying toner provided on the upper portion of the process cartridge 20. By opening the opening / closing member 83, the user can access the supply container mounting portion 701 (see FIG. 33) without opening the top cover 82. The user can supply toner to the process cartridge 20 by mounting the toner pack 40 in the supply container mounting portion 701.

[0151] In the following, the front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction (direction of gravity) of the image forming apparatus 1 are defined based on the state in which the operation unit 300 is viewed from the front. The positional relationship of the process cartridge 20 and other members that are detachable from the printer body 100 will be explained based on the state in which they are attached to the printer body 100. Also, the "longitudinal direction" of the process cartridge 20 refers to the axial direction of the photosensitive drum 21.

[0152] (Process Cartridge Configuration) Next, the configuration of the process cartridge 20 will be described. Fig. 31(a) is a cross-sectional view of the process cartridge 20 at the longitudinal center. Fig. 31(b) is a cross-sectional view of the supply container mounting portion 701 of the process cartridge 20. Fig. 31(c) is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6C-6C of Figs. 31(a) and (b). As shown in Fig. 31, the process cartridge 20 is composed of a toner receiving unit 801, a developing unit 802, and a cleaning unit 803. The toner receiving unit 801, the cleaning unit 803, and the developing unit 802 are arranged in this order from top to bottom in the direction of gravity. Each unit will be described below in order.

[0153] The toner receiving unit 801 is disposed at the top of the process cartridge 20. A toner storage section 8011 constituted by a frame for storing toner is provided inside the toner receiving unit 801, and a supply container mounting section 701 for connecting to the toner pack 40 is provided at one end in the longitudinal direction. The frame constituting the toner storage section 8011 may be constituted by one member or a combination of multiple members. The supply container mounting section 701 has a supply port 8012 for receiving toner discharged from the toner pack 40. A detailed configuration of the supply container mounting section 701 and mounting of the toner pack 40 to the supply container mounting section 701 will be described later.

[0154] Further, inside the toner receiving unit 801, a first conveying member 8013, a second conveying member 8014, and a third conveying member 8015 are provided. The first conveying member 8013 conveys the toner that has fallen to an end of the toner storage section 8011 in the longitudinal direction through the supply port 8012 toward the center of the toner storage section 8011 in the direction of arrow H (FIG. 31(c)). The second conveying member 8014 conveys the toner conveyed by the first conveying member 8013 toward the direction of arrow J (FIG. 31(c)) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, to above the developing unit 802, that is, to the discharge port 8016. The third conveying member 8015 receives the toner from the second conveying member 8014 mainly at the center in the longitudinal direction, and conveys it to one side and the other side in the longitudinal direction (the direction of arrow K and the direction of arrow K').

[0155] When toner flows into toner receiving unit 801 from toner pack 40 serving as a supply container, air also flows in at the same time. Toner receiving unit 801 has an air filter (not shown) for allowing air to flow in the direction of arrow H when toner is replenished so that toner can be easily replenished. This air filter prevents toner from being sprayed out of replenishing port 8012 when the internal pressure of toner receiving unit 801 increases during toner replenishment, causing some of the air to flow in the direction opposite to the direction of arrow H.

[0156] At both longitudinal ends of the toner receiving unit 801, there are provided discharge ports 8016 (FIG. 31(b)) for discharging the toner from the toner storage section 8011 to the developing container 32 of the developing unit 802. The toner that reaches the discharge ports 8016 by the third transport member 8015 falls into the developing container 32 by gravity. Note that a further transport member may be provided midway along the path of the discharge port 8016 to keep the toner moving by gravity.

[0157] The developing unit 802 located at the bottom of the process cartridge 20 has an opening 8021 that receives the toner discharged from the discharge port 8016 (FIG. 31(b)). A seal member (not shown) is provided between the discharge port 8016 and the opening 8021 to seal the gap between the discharge port 8016 and the opening 8021 so that the toner does not leak out.

[0158] The toner that has dropped from the toner pack 40 into the toner receiving unit 801 through the supply port 8012 is transported inside the toner receiving unit 801 by a first transport member 8013, a second transport member 8014, and a third transport member 8015. Then, the toner is transferred from the toner receiving unit 801 to the developing unit 802 through a discharge port 8016 and an opening 8021 at both ends in the longitudinal direction. In this manner, the toner that is replenished through the supply port 8012, which is located at the end of the process cartridge 20 in the longitudinal direction and is horizontally spaced apart from the developing container 32 as viewed in the longitudinal direction, is transported inside the cartridge and reaches the developing container 32.

[0159] In this way, the toner storage section 8011 of the toner receiving unit 801 and the developing container 32 of the developing unit 802 communicate with each other to form a storage container that forms a space for storing toner in the process cartridge 20. Therefore, in this embodiment, a supply port 8012 for replenishing toner from the outside is provided as a part of the storage container of the process cartridge 20. However, a supply port directly connected to the supply container may be provided in the printer body, and the process cartridge may receive toner through this supply port. In this case, the part of the process cartridge 20 excluding the supply port becomes detachable from the image forming apparatus 1 as shown in FIG. 3.

[0160] The toner supplied to the developing unit 802 through the opening 8021 is accommodated in the transport chamber 36 formed inside the developing container 32 formed by the frame of the developing unit 802 (FIGS. 31(a) and 31(b)). The frame forming the developing container 32 may be formed of one member or a combination of multiple members. Here, the transport chamber 36 is provided with the stirring member 34. The stirring member 34 has a shaft member 34a provided near the rotation center of the stirring member 34 and a blade portion 34b extending radially from the shaft member 34a. In the cross section, the toner within the rotation trajectory of the tip of the blade portion 34b is pushed and moved according to the movement of the blade portion 34b. The toner supplied through the opening 8021 is transported toward the developing roller 31, the supply roller 33, and the developing blade 35 while being stirred by the stirring member 34.

[0161] The cleaning unit 803 includes a waste toner chamber 8033 that is composed of a fourth transport member 8031, a fifth transport member 8032, and a frame (FIGS. 31(a) and (b)). The frame that composes the waste toner chamber 8033 may be composed of one member, or may be composed of a combination of multiple members. The waste toner chamber 8033 is a space that contains collected material (so-called waste toner) such as transfer residual toner collected from the photosensitive drum 21 by the cleaning blade 24, and is independent of the internal space of the toner receiving unit 801 and the developing unit 802. The waste toner collected by the cleaning blade 24 is transported in the direction of the arrow M by the fourth transport member 8031 ​​and the fifth transport member 8032, and gradually accumulates from the back 8033a of the waste toner chamber to the front.

[0162] (Toner pack composition) The configuration of the toner pack 40 in the fifth embodiment will be described. Fig. 32(a) is a perspective view showing the toner pack 40 with the shutter member 41 in a closed state, and Fig. 32(b) is a bottom view thereof. Fig. 33(a) is a perspective view showing the shutter member 41 in an open state, and Fig. 33(b) is a top view thereof.

[0163] As shown in Figs. 32 and 33, the toner pack 40, which is an example of a replenishing container, includes a bag member 43 filled with toner, a resin discharge portion 42 attached to the bag member 43, and a shutter member 41 capable of opening and closing the opening of the discharge portion 42. A memory unit 45 is attached to the discharge portion 42 as a storage means for storing information about the toner pack 40. The memory unit 45 has a plurality of metal plates (metal terminals) exposed to the outside of the toner pack 40 as contact portions 45a that contact contact portions 70133 (see Fig. 34) of the replenishing container mounting portion 701 described later. The bag member 43 can be made of a material such as PP resin (polypropylene), PET resin (polyethylene terephthalate resin), cardboard, or paper. The thickness can be 0.01 mm to 1.2 mm. From the viewpoints of ease of unravelling by the user and durability, a thickness of 0.05 mm to 1.0 mm is more preferable.

[0164] As shown in Fig. 32(b), Fig. 33(b) and Fig. 36, the shutter member 41 has a shape in which a part of a disk that can rotate relatively to the discharge portion 42 is cut out. The side surface that forms the thickness of the shutter member 41 at the cut out portion functions as an engagement surface 41s. Meanwhile, the discharge portion 42 also has a shape in which a cut out portion is provided. The discharge portion 42 has an engagement surface 42s that is parallel to the engagement surface 41s at the cut out portion. The discharge port 42a is provided at a position approximately 180 degrees away from the engagement surface 42s in the circumferential direction of the discharge port 42a. The engagement surface 41s and the engagement surface 42s are shown in detail in Fig. 36.

[0165] As shown in FIG. 32(b) and FIG. 36, when the positions of the notches of the shutter member 41 and the discharge portion 42 are aligned when viewed from the top or bottom, the discharge port 42a is covered by the shutter member 41 (closed state). As shown in FIG. 34(b), when the shutter member 41 rotates 180 degrees with respect to the discharge portion 42, the discharge port 42a is exposed through the notch of the shutter member 41, and the internal space of the bag member 43 communicates with the external space of the toner pack 40. As shown in FIG. 36, it is preferable that the shutter member 41 has a structure in which a seal layer 41b made of an elastic material such as sponge is bonded to a main body portion 41a having rigidity. In this case, in the closed state, the seal layer 41b is in close contact with a seal layer 42c covering the periphery of the discharge port 42a, thereby preventing toner leakage. The seal layer 42c is shown in FIG. 36, and this seal layer 42c is also made of an elastic material such as sponge, like the seal layer 41b.

[0166] As described later, when replenishing toner from the toner pack 40 to the image forming apparatus 1, the discharge portion 42 is aligned to a predetermined position, and the toner pack 40 is inserted and coupled to the replenishing container mounting portion 701. Then, by rotating the discharge portion 42 by 180 degrees, the discharge portion 42 rotates relative to the shutter member 41, the discharge port 42a opens, and the toner in the bag member 43 flows down into the toner receiving unit 801 by gravity. At this time, the shutter member does not move relative to the replenishing container mounting portion 701.

[0167] Although a rotating shutter member 41 is exemplified here, the shutter member may be omitted, or a sliding shutter member may be applied instead of the rotating shutter member 41. The shutter member 41 may be configured to be destroyed by rotating the toner pack 40 in the mounted state in which it is mounted in the replenishing port 8012, or may have a removable lid structure such as a seal.

[0168] It is also preferable to attach a protective cap to the discharge portion 42 of an unused toner pack 40 to prevent toner from leaking out during transportation, etc. The protective cap is configured to engage with the notched portions of the shutter member 41 and the discharge portion 42 when attached to the discharge portion 42, for example, and to regulate the relative rotation between the shutter member 41 and the discharge portion 42. By removing the protective cap, the user can attach the toner pack 40 to the replenishing container attachment portion 701.

[0169] (Configuration of supply container mounting section) The shutter opening / closing mechanism for the toner pack 40 and the toner receiving unit 801, and the locking mechanism for the shutter member 41 will be described. Fig. 33(a) is a perspective view of the supply container mounting part 701, and Fig. 33(b) is a top view thereof. The supply container mounting part 701 has a supply port 8012, a supply port shutter 7013, a locking member 7014, and a rotation detection part 7015.

[0170] The supply port 8012 is an opening that communicates with the toner storage portion 8011 (see FIG. 31) of the toner receiving unit 801, and is fixed to the frame 8010 of the toner receiving unit 801. The supply port shutter 7013 has a lid portion 70131 that covers the supply port 8012, a cylindrical portion 70132 that receives the discharge portion 42 of the toner pack 40, and a contact portion 70133 that is connected to a contact portion 45a (see FIG. 33(b)) of the memory unit 45 of the toner pack 40. In the figure, the part of the cylindrical portion 70132 that covers the contact portion 70133 is indicated as a cylindrical portion 70132a. The supply port shutter 7013 is a member in which the lid portion 70131, the cylindrical portion 70132, and the contact portion 70133 are integrated, and is rotatably attached to the frame 8010 of the toner receiving unit 801. Each conductor exposed at the contact portion 70133 is electrically connected to the control unit of the image forming device 1 mounted in the printer main body 100 via wiring provided in the process cartridge 20 and the contact between the process cartridge 20 and the printer main body 100.

[0171] The rotation detection unit 7015 as a rotation detection sensor is a mechanism for detecting the rotation of the supply port shutter 7013. The rotation detection unit 7015 of this embodiment is composed of two conductive leaf springs 70151 and 70152. The leaf spring 70152 is spring-biased in the clockwise direction, and when pressed by a protrusion 70135a provided on the outer periphery of the supply port shutter 7013, the tip 701521 comes into contact with the other leaf spring 70151. In other words, the rotation detection unit 7015 is an electric circuit configured to switch between a conductive state and a disconnected state according to the rotation angle (rotation position) of the supply port shutter 7013. As will be described later, the control unit 90 (FIG. 38) of the image forming apparatus recognizes whether the discharge port 42a of the toner pack 40 and the supply port 8012 of the supply container mounting unit 701 are in communication with each other based on whether the rotation detection unit 7015 is in a conductive state or not. In other words, the control unit 90 can determine that the replenishing operation to the toner pack 40 by the user has been performed normally at least up to the point where the discharge port 42a and the replenishing port 8012 are in communication with each other.

[0172] As shown in Fig. 33(a) to Fig. 34(c), a plurality of protrusions 70135a, 70135b are provided on the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 70132 of the supply port shutter 7013. The frame body 8010 also has a shutter support portion 7011, which rotatably supports the cylindrical portion 70132 of the supply port shutter 7013. A plurality of protrusions 70125a, 70125b are also provided on the cylindrical portion 7011a of the shutter support portion 7011. The plurality of protrusions 70125a, 70125b are located lower in the direction of gravity than the protrusion 70135a (on the right side in Fig. 34(a)). The protrusion 70125b allows the protrusion 70135a (on the right side in Fig. 34(a)) to pass by rotating. On the other hand, the protrusion 70135a (left side in FIG. 34(a)) is at the same height as the protrusion 70135a (right side in FIG. 34(a)) and extends downward to a height that overlaps with the protrusions 70125a and 70125b. Therefore, the protrusion 70125b comes into contact with the protrusion 70135a (left side in FIG. 34(a)) depending on the rotation angle (rotation position) of the supply port shutter 7013, and restricts the rotational movement of the protrusion 70135a (left side in FIG. 34(a)).

[0173] Furthermore, before the supply port shutter 7013 rotates in the R1 direction, the protrusion 70125a abuts against the protrusion 70135a (left side), restricting the rotational movement of the protrusion 70135a in the R2 direction. Furthermore, the protrusion 70135a (right side in FIG. 34(a)) abuts against the locking member 7014, restricting the rotational movement of the locking member 7014 in the R1 direction. On the other hand, after the supply port shutter 7013 rotates in the R1 direction, the protrusion 70135b abuts against the locking member 7014 after it has moved to the locked position, restricting the rotational movement of the locking member 7014 in the R2 direction. Furthermore, the protrusion 70135a (right side in FIG. 34(a)) abuts against the protrusion 70125b, restricting further rotational movement of the protrusion 70135a in the R1 direction. The rotation direction of the supply port shutter 7013 is the R1 direction when the toner pack 40 is attached, and the R2 direction when the toner pack 40 is removed.

[0174] The locking member 7014 is a member that restricts the rotation of the supply port shutter 7013. FIG. 35(a) shows a state in which the locking member 7014 is in the locking position, and FIG. 35(b) shows a state in which the locking member 7014 is in the unlocking position. The locking member 7014 can transition between a locked position (restricted position) and an unlocking position (permitted position) by moving up and down. As shown in FIG. 34(b) and FIG. 35(a), when the locking member 7014 abuts against the protrusion 70135a of the supply port shutter 7013 in the locked position, the rotation of the supply port shutter 7013 is restricted. When the locking member 7014 moves to the unlocking position as shown in FIG. 35(b), the locking member 7014 retreats from the movement trajectory of the protrusion 70135a when the supply port shutter 7013 rotates, thereby allowing the rotation of the supply port shutter 7013.

[0175] (Pressing mechanism for locking member) 37 shows a pressing mechanism 6000 that moves the locking member 7014 between a locked position and an unlocked position. The pressing mechanism 6000 is composed of a motor 601, an input gear 602, a cam gear 603, and an advance / retract pin 604. The input gear 602 is a screw gear attached to the output shaft of the motor 601. The cam gear 603 includes a gear portion 6032 made of a helical gear that meshes with the input gear 602, and a cam portion 6031 for reciprocating the advance / retract pin 604.

[0176] The advance / retract pin 604 is supported by a holding member so as to be capable of linear motion in the direction of gravity and the opposite direction (vertical direction). When the motor 601 rotates, the cam gear 603 rotates via the input gear 602, and the advance / retract pin 604 reciprocates up and down as it is pressed by the cam portion 6031, and accordingly the lock member 7014 also moves up and down between the locked position and the unlocked position. Figure 37 shows the locked state.

[0177] Although the drive transmission configuration in the pressing mechanism 6000 of this embodiment is a combination of a helical gear and a screw gear, it is not limited to this as long as it is a configuration that can convert the rotation of the motor into linear motion. For example, a bevel gear may be used, or the input gear 602 may be eliminated and the cam gear 603 may be directly driven by the motor 601. Also, instead of the motor 601, an actuator that outputs linear motion, such as a solenoid, may be used as the drive source.

[0178] Each member constituting the pressing mechanism 6000 shown in FIG. 37 is supported by a frame 609 of the printer body, and the advance / retract pin 604 is supported by a guide portion 604a provided on the housing of the printer body 100 so as to be capable of reciprocating up and down. On the other hand, the rotation shaft 7014a of the locking member 7014 is held by a holding portion provided on the frame 8010 of the toner receiving unit 801 so as to be rotatable and slidable in the vertical direction. Therefore, when replacing the process cartridge 20, the locking member 7014 is also replaced at the same time, and the pressing mechanism 6000 remains in the printer body. The rotation shaft 7014a and the advance / retract pin 604 are made of separate members. When the locking member 7014 is in the unlocked position, the advance / retract pin 604 is separated from the locking member, and the process cartridge 20 is removed from the body with the advance / retract pin 604 remaining in the body. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and for example, the rotation shaft 7014a of the lock member 7014 can be supported by the printer body.

[0179] (Flow of replenishment operation using toner pack) Based on the above-described configurations of the toner pack 40, the supply container mounting part 701, and the pressing mechanism 6000, a series of operations for mounting the toner pack 40 to the supply container mounting part 701, replenishing toner, and then removing the toner pack 40 will be described. Fig. 34(a) is a top view of the supply container mounting part 701 with the supply port 8012 in a closed state, and Fig. 34(b) is a top view of the supply container mounting part 701 with the supply port 8012 in an open state. Fig. 34(c) is a perspective view of the supply container mounting part 701 with the supply port 8012 in an open state.

[0180] 34(a), the supply port shutter 7013 in the closed state is fixed so as not to rotate with respect to the supply port 8012 by the protrusion 70135a abutting against the locking member 7014 in the locked position in the rotational direction. At this time, the cover portion 70131 of the supply port shutter 7013 completely blocks the supply port 8012. Also, the leaf springs 70151 and 70152 of the rotation detection portion 7015 are separated, and the rotation detection portion 7015 is in a disconnected state.

[0181] When inserting the toner pack 40 into the supply container attachment portion 701, the user aligns the discharge portion 42 of the toner pack 40 and the cutout portion of the shutter member 41 (FIG. 36) with the supply port 8012 and the lid portion 70131 of the supply port shutter 7013, and inserts the toner pack 40. Then, the engagement surface 42s of the discharge portion 42 engages with the engagement surface 7013s (see FIG. 33), which is the side surface of the lid portion 70131, and the engagement surface 41s of the shutter member 41 engages with the engagement surface 8012s (see FIG. 933) provided on the outer periphery of the supply port 8012. At this time, the discharge portion 42 engaged with the lid portion 70131 of the supply port shutter 7013 cannot rotate until the locking member 7014 later releases the locking of the supply port shutter 7013, and becomes rotatable together with the supply port shutter 7013 when the locking is released. Meanwhile, the shutter member 41 of the toner pack 40 is rendered non-rotatable by engaging with a supply port 8012 fixed to a frame 8010 of the toner receiving unit 801. As another engagement configuration for the lid portion 70131 and the discharge portion 42, a convex portion protruding upward from the upper surface of the lid portion 70131 may be provided, and a concave portion that engages with this protrusion may be provided on the lower surface 42b of the discharge portion 42 (see FIG. 36).

[0182] Furthermore, by inserting the toner pack 40, the contact portion 45a (FIG. 32) of the memory unit 45 comes into contact with the contact portion 70133 of the replenishing container mounting portion 701, and the information recorded in the memory unit 45 is read by the control portion 90 of the image forming apparatus. The memory unit 45 records information (new product flag) indicating whether or not the toner pack 40 contains toner (whether or not it is a used toner pack). When the control portion 90 reads the new product flag and determines that the currently mounted toner pack 40 contains toner (is unused), it controls the pressing mechanism 6000 to push up the locking member 7014. This causes the locking member 7014 to move from the locked position to the unlocked position (FIG. 35(b)).

[0183] When the locking member 7014 is in the unlocked position, the locking member 7014 is separated from the protruding portion 70135a of the supply port shutter 7013, and the supply port shutter 7013 is allowed to rotate in the R1 direction in FIGS. 34(a) and (b) (FIG. 35(b)). In contrast, the protruding portion 70125a provided on the frame 8010 of the toner receiving unit 801 interferes with the protruding portion 70135a (FIG. 34(a)), so that the rotation of the supply port shutter 7013 in the R2 direction is restricted. That is, in FIG. 34(a), 70125a and 70125b are positioned lower in the direction of gravity than 70135a and 70135b so that 70135a and 70135b can move and pass in the rotation direction.

[0184] When the user grips the toner pack 40 and rotates the discharge portion 42 or the bag member 43 in the vicinity thereof 180 degrees in the R1 direction, the state shown in Figures 34(b) and (c) is reached. When the supply port shutter 7013 rotates 180 degrees together with the discharge portion 42 of the toner pack 40, the lid portion 70131 moves from the position covering the supply port 8012 to expose the supply port 8012. The side surface of the lid portion 70131 is pressed by the engagement surface 42s, which is a part of the rotating discharge portion 42, and the lid portion 70131 rotates together with the engagement surface 42s. When the discharge portion 42 rotates 180 degrees with the shutter member 41 fixed, the discharge port 42a of the toner pack 40 is exposed (Figure 32(b)) and faces the supply port 8012. As a result, the internal space of the toner pack 40 and the internal space of the toner receiving unit 801 communicate with each other via the discharge port 42 a and the supply port 8012 , and the toner filled in the bag member 43 flows down into the toner storage portion 8011 .

[0185] As described above, the toner that has dropped into the toner storage section 8011 is transported inside the toner receiving unit 801 to reach the developing container 32 and becomes available for the developing process. Note that the developing unit 802 may be configured to be able to execute the developing process even before newly replenished toner reaches the developing container 32, as long as a necessary amount of toner for maintaining image quality remains in the developing container 32. In other words, the developing unit 802 may be configured to be able to replenish toner from a replenishment container outside the image forming apparatus to the developing container, regardless of whether an image forming operation is being performed in the image forming section 10 (FIG. 1(a)).

[0186] Also, the protrusion 70125b is arranged so as to come into contact with the protrusion 70135a of the supply port shutter when the supply port shutter 7013 rotates 180 degrees in the R1 direction from the state of FIG. 10(a) (FIGS. 10(b) and (c)). That is, like 70125a, the protrusion 70125b is also located lower in the direction of gravity than 70135a and 70135b. This restricts the supply port shutter 7013 from rotating in the R1 direction beyond 180 degrees. At the same time, the protrusion 70135a of the supply port shutter 7013 presses the leaf spring 70152 of the rotation detection section 7015, causing the tip 701521 to come into contact with the leaf spring 70151. When the rotation detection unit 7015 becomes conductive, the control unit 90 recognizes that the supply port shutter 7013 is in the open state, and operates the pressing mechanism 6000 to move the locking member 7014 to the locked position again. Then, the locking member 7014 engages with the protruding portion 70135b of the supply port shutter 7013 to restrict rotation in the R2 direction, so that the supply port shutter 7013 and the toner pack 40 cannot rotate in either direction.

[0187] 34(b) and (c) in which the discharge portion 42 of the toner pack 40 and the supply port shutter 7013 are rotated 180 degrees, the lid portion 70131 of the supply port shutter 7013 covers the upper side of the shutter member 41 of the toner pack 40. Therefore, even if an attempt is made to lift the toner pack 40 upward from the supply container mounting portion 701, the shutter member 41 interferes with the lid portion 70131, restricting the movement of the toner pack 40. Therefore, the toner pack 40 is prevented from falling off the supply container mounting portion 701 unless the user performs a removal operation of the toner pack 40 in accordance with a predetermined procedure described below.

[0188] When the condition for determining whether toner has been discharged completely from the toner pack 40 is satisfied after the toner has started to be discharged from the toner pack 40, the control unit 90 operates the pressing mechanism 6000 to move the locking member 7014 to the unlocked position. In this embodiment, whether toner has been discharged completely is determined based on the elapsed time from the point in time when the rotation detection unit 7015 becomes conductive.

[0189] After the lock member 7014 moves to the unlocked position, the user can remove the toner pack 40 by following the procedure reverse to that for attaching the toner pack 40. That is, the user grips the discharge portion 42 of the toner pack 40 or the bag member 43 in the vicinity thereof, and rotates it 180 degrees in the R2 direction, which is the opposite to that for attaching the toner pack 40. Then, the supply port shutter 7013 rotates 180 degrees together with the discharge portion 42, and the supply port 8012 is covered by the lid portion 70131 of the supply port shutter 7013, as shown in FIG. 34(a). In addition, the protrusion 70135a (left side in FIG. 34(a)) of the supply port shutter 7013 abuts against the protrusion 70125a, thereby restricting the supply port shutter 7013 from rotating in the R2 direction beyond 180 degrees.

[0190] When the discharge portion 42 of the toner pack 40 is rotated 180 degrees in the R2 direction, the position of the notch of the discharge portion 42 is aligned with the position of the notch of the shutter member 41 (FIG. 36). Therefore, even if the toner pack 40 moves upward, the shutter member 41 does not interfere with the lid portion 70131 of the replenishing port shutter 7013, and the user can remove the toner pack 40 from the replenishing container attachment portion 701 by grasping and lifting it.

[0191] In addition, in the process of the supply port shutter 7013 rotating 180 degrees in the R2 direction, the protrusion 70135a separates from the leaf spring 70152, and the rotation detection unit 7015 returns to the disconnected state. Then, the control unit 90 recognizes that the supply port shutter 7013 has been closed, and operates the pressing mechanism 6000 to move the locking member 7014 to the locked position. As a result, the supply container mounting unit 701 returns to the initial state before the toner supply operation. For example, the control unit 90 may determine that a predetermined condition for moving the locking member 7014 to the unlocked state is satisfied when a predetermined time has elapsed since the rotation detection unit 7015 became conductive. In addition, the trigger for moving the locking member 7014 to the locked position may be, for example, the loss of conductivity between the contact portion 70133 (see FIG. 33(b)) and the contact portion 45a (see FIG. 32(a)) by pulling out the toner pack 40 from the supply container mounting unit 701.

[0192] In this embodiment, the discharge outlet 42a of the toner pack 40 and the supply port 8012 are positioned to communicate with each other by rotating 180 degrees, but the rotation angle required for communication can be changed as long as the toner pack 40 can be attached and detached by the same operation as in this embodiment.

[0193] [Image forming device control system] Fig. 38 is a block diagram showing a control system of the image forming apparatus 1, which is a modification of Fig. 12. Description of similar configurations will be omitted.

[0194] The control unit 90 is connected to a T memory 57 which is a non-volatile memory mounted in the toner container, and a P memory 58 which is a non-volatile memory mounted in the process cartridge 20. The T memory 57 is mounted in the toner pack 40 described above and includes a memory unit 45. Furthermore, a rotation lock mechanism 59 and the image forming unit 10 are connected to the control unit 90. The rotation lock mechanism 59 refers to the lock mechanism described in Figures 33 to 37.

[0195] The mounting sensor 531 causes the control unit 90 to detect that the toner pack 40 is mounted in the replenishing container mounting portion 701 (and thus the replenishing port 8012). For example, the contact portion 45a (FIG. 32) of the memory unit 45 comes into contact with the contact portion 70133 of the replenishing container mounting portion 701, and the control unit 90 communicates with the memory unit 45. This enables the control unit 90 to detect that the toner pack 40 is mounted.

[0196] The rotation detection sensor 55 includes the rotation detection portion 7015 of the toner pack 40 described above (see FIG. 33, for example). More specifically, when the leaf spring 70152 is pressed by a protrusion 70135a provided on the outer periphery of the replenishing port shutter 7013, the tip portion 701521 comes into contact with the other leaf spring 70151. This brings the leaf springs 70152 and 70151 into conduction, and rotation detection is performed by the control unit 90. The first toner remaining amount sensor 51, the second toner remaining amount sensor 52, the mounting sensor 531, the opening / closing sensor 54, and the rotation detection sensor 55 are connected to the input side of the control unit 90, and the control unit 90 appropriately reads remaining amount information.

[0197] Similar to FIG. 12, the shaded functional blocks indicate functional blocks to which power is stopped during the sleep mode, or to which power is still supplied but the operation is stopped.

[0198] (Remaining amount sensor activation timing) In order to prevent toner from overflowing from the supply port 8012 during toner replenishment, it is important to accurately determine the timing to stop the toner replenishment. In order to accurately determine the timing to stop the toner replenishment, it is necessary to determine whether the remaining amount of toner is at the full level when toner is replenished. In other words, the second toner remaining amount sensor 52 needs to be operated. On the other hand, since the remaining amount of toner cannot change to the full level except when toner is replenished, it is sufficient that the second toner remaining amount sensor 52 operates only when toner is replenished. In other words, at this time, there is no need to energize the first toner remaining amount sensor 51. FIG. 39 is a flowchart related to the operation during toner replenishment.

[0199] First, when the toner pack 40 is attached to the supply container attachment section 701, the control section 90 detects that the toner pack 40 is attached to the supply container attachment section 701 (and therefore the supply port 8012) by a signal from the attachment sensor 53 (S501). When the toner pack is connected to the supply port 8012, the user can supply toner to the developing container 32 by squeezing the toner pack 40 with his / her fingers. The control section 90 starts the operation of the second toner remaining amount sensor 52 at the same time as detecting the connection of the toner pack 40 (S502). As a result, when the user supplies toner to the developing container 32 and the remaining amount of toner in the developing container 32 increases, the second toner remaining amount sensor 52 always operates. The first toner remaining amount sensor 51 maintains a non-energized state (sleep state). When the second toner remaining amount sensor 52 starts operating, the light emitted from the light emitting section 51a passes through the optical path Q1 shown in FIG. 9 and is received by the light receiving section 51b. By monitoring the voltage V2, which corresponds to the amount of light received by the light receiving portion 51b, it is possible to determine whether the toner is at the full level.

[0200] When the control unit 90 starts the operation of the second toner remaining amount sensor, it starts a timer Tc (S503) and judges whether the timer Tc is smaller than a threshold value t7 (S504). The threshold value t7 is a preset value, and is set to a sufficient time from the start of toner replenishment until the remaining amount reaches the FULL level. If the timer Tc is smaller than the threshold value t7, the control unit 90 judges whether the remaining amount of toner is at the FULL level (S505).

[0201] When the control unit 90 detects that the remaining toner is at the FULL level due to an increase in the remaining toner amount caused by the user replenishing toner in the developing container 32, the control unit 90 displays a message indicating that the toner is at the FULL level on the display unit 301 (S506). For example, a message requesting the user to remove the toner pack 40 as shown in FIG. 40(a) is displayed to prompt the user to remove the toner pack 40. By notifying the user, the user can accurately determine when to stop replenishing toner. As a result, it is possible to prevent toner leakage caused by replenishing too much toner in the toner replenishing port 8012.

[0202] Next, the control unit 90 starts the timer Td and determines whether the timer Td is smaller than the threshold value t8 (S507). The threshold value t8 is set to a time sufficient for the time from when the user recognizes that the toner is at the full level to when the user removes the toner pack 40 from the replenishing port 8012.

[0203] If the timer Td is smaller than the threshold value t8, the control unit 90 determines whether the toner pack 40 has been removed from the toner refill port 8012 (S508). This determination is made by the control unit 90 detecting a signal from the mounting sensor 531. If the control unit 90 determines that the toner pack 40 has been removed, it stops the operation of the second remaining toner sensor 52 (S509).

[0204] On the other hand, if the second toner remaining amount sensor 52 does not change to the FULL level within the predetermined time t7 (S504, S505), the control unit 90 displays on the display unit 301 a message urging the user to remove the toner pack 40 (S510).

[0205] Furthermore, if the mounting sensor 531 still indicates the mounted state even after a predetermined time t8 has elapsed, the control unit 90 displays on the display unit 301 a message urging the user to remove the toner pack 40 (S510). For example, the control unit 90 urges the user to remove the toner pack 40 by displaying a message requesting the user to remove the supply pack as shown in FIG. 40(b) or FIG. 40(c). After displaying on the display unit 301 a message urging the user to remove the toner pack 40, the control unit 90 judges whether the toner pack 40 has been removed (S511). When the toner pack 40 is removed and the mounting sensor 531 no longer detects the mounted state, the control unit 90 judges that the toner pack 40 has been removed and stops the operation of the second toner remaining sensor 52 (S509). This causes the second toner remaining sensor 52 to become non-conductive. When the control unit 90 cannot detect that the toner pack 40 has been removed through the mounting sensor 531, it continues to display the message urging the user to remove the toner pack 40 (510).

[0206] As described above, the control unit 90 detects a user operation related to the supply of developer. In this embodiment, the user operation related to the supply of developer is a user operation of connecting the toner pack 40 to the supply port 8012. Then, when the control unit 90 detects a user operation related to the supply of developer, it starts to energize the second toner remaining amount sensor 52 to operate the second toner remaining amount sensor 52. By operating the second toner remaining amount sensor 52 only when the toner pack 40 is connected to the supply port 8012, it is possible to suppress an increase in power consumption.

[0207] In particular, the toner remaining amount sensor 52 in the present configuration cannot detect the toner remaining amount unless the light from the light emitting portion 51a is strong because the distance of the optical path Q2 is long. Therefore, the power consumed by the second toner remaining amount sensor 52 is large, and when used in sleep mode, it has a large impact on energy saving. Therefore, operating the second toner remaining amount sensor 52 only during replenishment contributes greatly to reducing the impact on energy saving. In addition, since the light from the light emitting portion 51a is set to be strong, the life of the second toner remaining amount sensor 52 is likely to be shortened. Therefore, by configuring the second toner remaining amount sensor 52 not to operate in standby mode or during printing as in this embodiment, it is possible to extend the life of the second toner remaining amount detection sensor 52. In addition, during replenishment, it is possible to configure the first remaining amount detection sensor 51 to be energized to operate the first remaining amount detection sensor 51. In this case, for example, it is possible to control as described in the first embodiment and the second embodiment. On the other hand, during replenishment, it is also possible to stop energizing the first remaining amount detection sensor 51 and operate only the second remaining amount detection sensor 52.

[0208] Sixth embodiment This embodiment differs from the fifth embodiment in that it does not include the mounting sensor 531 of the fifth embodiment, but instead uses a supply port open / close sensor 54. The open / close sensor 54 is as described in FIG.

[0209] Fig. 41 is a flow chart of the operation during toner supply in this embodiment. First, the control unit 90 detects that the opening / closing member 83 has been opened based on a signal output from the opening / closing sensor 54 (S601). The subsequent processing is different from that in Fig. 39 in that step S510 in Fig. 39 is replaced by step S610, and steps S508 and S511 in Fig. 30 are replaced by steps S608 and S611. In step S610, a message is displayed urging the opening / closing member 83 to be closed. In addition, in steps S608 and S611, the control unit 90 judges whether the opening / closing member 83 has been closed.

[0210] As described above, in the present embodiment, the user operation related to the supply of developer is the user operation of opening the opening / closing member 83. That is, the operation of moving the member covering the supply port 8012 to expose the supply port 8012 is the user operation related to the supply of developer in the present embodiment. Therefore, with a simpler configuration than the fifth embodiment, it is possible to operate the second remaining toner sensor 52 only when toner is supplied from the toner pack 40. Note that the user operation related to the supply of developer is not limited to the content in the fifth embodiment (attaching the toner pack 40) or the sixth embodiment (opening the opening / closing member). [Explanation of symbols]

[0211] 21: photosensitive drum, 31: developing roller, 32: developing container, 32a: supply port, 51: first remaining toner amount sensor, 52: second remaining toner amount sensor, 90: control unit

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, the image forming apparatus having a paper feed tray for stacking the recording material, a main body toner storage section, and a mounting section provided with an inlet communicating with the main body toner storage section; a toner container which stores toner and is mountable to the mounting portion, the toner container having a discharge port for discharging the toner to the main body toner storage portion via the receiving port, the toner container having a shutter which is movable between an open position where the discharge port is open and a closed position where the discharge port is closed; Equipped with the toner container has an exposed portion that is exposed to the outside of the image forming apparatus when the toner container is attached to the attachment portion, and is rotatable about a rotation axis with respect to the attachment portion between a first position where the shutter is in the closed position and a second position where the shutter is in the open position; When the side where the recording material is replenished in the paper feed tray is the front side of the image forming apparatus, a first region on the front side of the exposed portion of the toner container in the first position is marked with first instructions, and a second region on the front side of the exposed portion of the toner container in the second position is marked with second instructions; the first instructions include instructions for rotating the toner container from the first position to the second position; the second instructions include instructions for an operation of discharging toner from the toner container toward the main body toner storage unit; 1. An image forming system comprising:

2. the toner container has a nozzle provided with the discharge port, and a bag for storing toner, the bag being in communication with the discharge port, the second instructions include instructions for unscrewing the bag; 2. The image forming system according to claim 1,

3. the second instructions include instructions for rotating the toner container from the second position to the first position.

3. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a printer.

4. the first instructions include instructions for an operation of removing the toner container from the mounting portion; 4. The image forming system according to claim 3.

5. A rotation angle of the toner container from the first position to the second position is 180 degrees.

2. The image forming system according to claim 1,

6. The image forming apparatus has an opening / closing member configured to be movable between a closed position for closing the mounting portion and an open position for opening the mounting portion and allowing the toner container to be mounted in the mounting portion, The opening / closing member is configured to be prevented from moving from the open position to the closed position by the toner container attached to the attachment portion.

2. The image forming system according to claim 1,

7. The mounting direction of the toner container with respect to the mounting portion is the direction of gravity.

2. The image forming system according to claim 1,

Images