Image forming device

Abstract

To provide an image forming apparatus that can prevent unnecessary extension of a stirring time of a stirring member.SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus comprises: a stirring member for stirring toner inside a storage unit; a driving source that drives the stirring member; and a control unit that, based on the transition of a supply unit to a suppliable state with the drive of the driving source being permitted, drives the driving source so that the stirring member is driven. When initial control is executed, if it is determined that toner is increased based on an output value from a residual amount detection unit, the control unit executes first operations to drive the driving source so that the stirring member is driven for a first time, and if it is determined that toner is not increased based on the output value from the residual amount detection unit, executes second operations to drive the driving source so that the stirring member is driven for a second time shorter than the first time.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 14

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a sheet. [Background technology]

[0002] In general, electrophotographic image forming apparatuses form images by transferring a toner image formed on the surface of a photosensitive drum onto a sheet serving as a transfer material. Known methods of replenishing toner (developer) for forming a toner image include, for example, a process cartridge method and a toner replenishing method. In the process cartridge method, the photosensitive drum and a developing container are integrated into a process cartridge, and when the toner runs out, the process cartridge is replaced with a new one. In the toner replenishing method, when the toner in the developing container runs out, only the toner is replenished to the developing container without replacing the process cartridge itself.

[0003] Conventionally, a single-component developing device of a toner supply type has been proposed in which a toner supply box containing replenishment toner is connected to a toner transport path through which the toner is transported (see Patent Document 1). The replenishment toner contained in the toner supply box is transported toward the developing roll by a stirring transport member. [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 an image forming apparatus, if the stirring time of the stirring member is long, downtime increases and the life of the developing device is shortened.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that prevents the stirring time of the stirring member from becoming unnecessarily long. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus which forms a toner image formed on an image carrier on a sheet, the image forming apparatus comprising: a storage section which stores toner; a supply section to which a supply container containing toner can be detachably attached, the supply section being capable of transitioning between a supply enabled state in which toner can be supplied from the supply container to the storage section and a supply disabled state in which toner cannot be supplied from the supply container to the storage section; an agitating member for agitating the toner in the storage section; a drive source which drives the agitating member; a control section which drives the drive source so as to drive the agitating member based on the supply section transitioning to the supply enabled state in a state in which driving of the drive source is permitted; and a control section which drives the drive source so as to drive the agitating member based on the supply section transitioning to the supply enabled state in a state in which driving of the drive source is not permitted. the control unit performs a first operation of driving the drive source so as to drive the stirring member for a first time if it is determined based on the output value of the remaining amount detection unit that the toner has increased, and performs a second operation of driving the drive source so as to drive the stirring member for a second time that is shorter than the first time, when it is determined based on the output value of the remaining amount detection unit that the toner has not increased, when an initial control is performed so that the image forming apparatus is capable of forming an image, with the information stored in the memory unit. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the stirring time of the stirring member from becoming unnecessarily long. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1 is an overall schematic diagram showing an image forming apparatus. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2A is a perspective view showing an image forming apparatus in a state where a discharge tray is located at a closed position, and FIG. 2B is a perspective view showing an image forming apparatus in a state where a discharge tray is located at a open position. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] (a) is a perspective view showing the supply unit when the lever is in the operating position, (b) is a perspective view showing the supply unit when the lever is in the operating position, (c) is a side view showing the lever and the switch in the operating position, and (d) is a side view showing the lever and the switch in the supply position. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 4A is a perspective view showing the supply pack, and FIG. 4B is another perspective view showing the supply pack. [Figure 10] FIG. 4A is a perspective view showing an image forming apparatus in a state where a lever portion is located at an operating position, and FIG. 4B is a perspective view showing an image forming apparatus in a state where a lever portion is located at a supply position. [Figure 11] FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 4A is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a control unit, and FIG. 4B is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the control unit. [Figure 13] 11 is a flowchart showing a supplying operation and a method for recording opening information. [Figure 14] 4 is a flowchart showing an initial control. [Figure 15] 10 is a flowchart showing an initial control according to a second embodiment. [Figure 16] 13 is a flowchart showing a supplying operation and a method for recording open information according to a third embodiment. [Figure 17] 13 is a flowchart showing a supplying operation and a method for recording open information according to a fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

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

[0012] <First embodiment> Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an image forming apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the image forming apparatus 1. The image forming apparatus 1 is a monochrome printer that forms an image on a recording material based on image information input from an external device. The recording material includes various sheet materials of different materials, such as paper such as plain paper and thick paper, plastic films such as sheets for overhead projectors, sheets of special shapes such as envelopes and index paper, and cloth.

[0013] In the following description, the height direction (opposite to the vertical direction) of the image forming apparatus 1 when the image forming apparatus 1 is installed on a horizontal surface is referred to as the Z direction. The direction that intersects with the Z direction and is parallel to the rotation axis direction (main scanning direction) of the photosensitive drum 11 described later is referred to as the X direction. The direction that intersects with the X direction and the Z direction is referred to as the Y direction. The X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction preferably intersect perpendicularly with each other. For convenience, the positive side in the X direction is referred to as the right side and the negative side is referred to as the left side, the positive side in the Y direction is referred to as the front side or front side and the negative side is referred to as the rear side or back side, and the positive side in the Z direction is referred to as the upper side and the negative side is referred to as the lower side.

[0014] [Overall configuration] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the image forming apparatus 1 has an image forming section 20 that forms a toner image on a recording material, a feeding section 30 that feeds the recording material P, a fixing section 9 that fixes the toner image formed by the image forming section 20 to the recording material, and a pair of discharge rollers 10.

[0015] The image forming section 20 has a scanner unit 50, an electrophotographic process unit 40, and a transfer roller 7 that transfers a toner image formed on a photosensitive drum 11 of the process unit 40 to a recording material P. The process unit 40 has the photosensitive drum 11, a cleaning unit 13 arranged around the photosensitive drum 11, a charging roller 17, a developing roller 12, and a storage section 18 that stores toner. The process unit 40 may be fixed to a housing 72 of the image forming apparatus 1 with screws, and may be removed by a service person.

[0016] The photosensitive drum 11 as an image carrier is a cylindrically shaped photosensitive body. The photosensitive drum 11 of this embodiment has a photosensitive layer formed of a negatively charged organic photosensitive body on a drum-shaped base body formed of aluminum. The photosensitive drum 11 as an image carrier is rotated by a motor in a predetermined direction (direction R in the figure) at a predetermined process speed.

[0017] The charging roller 17 contacts the photosensitive drum 11 with a predetermined pressure to form a charging portion. A desired charging voltage is applied from a charging high-voltage power supply to uniformly charge the surface of the photosensitive drum 11 to a predetermined potential. In this embodiment, the photosensitive drum 11 is charged to a negative polarity by the charging roller 17.

[0018] The scanner unit 50 uses a polygon mirror to irradiate the photosensitive drum 11 with laser light corresponding to image information input from an external device, thereby scanning and exposing the surface of the photosensitive drum 11. This exposure forms an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image information on the surface of the photosensitive drum 11. Note that the scanner unit 50 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 11.

[0019] The developing roller 12 is rotatably supported by the storage section 18. The developing roller 12 is disposed at an opening of a developer container 230 (see FIG. 5) including the storage section 18 so as to face the photosensitive drum 11. The storage section 18 may be provided with a supply roller that applies toner contained in the storage section 18 as a developer onto the surface of the developing roller 12.

[0020] The process unit 40 of this embodiment uses a contact development method as a development method. That is, the toner layer carried by the development roller 12 comes into contact with the photosensitive drum 11 in a development section (development area) where the photosensitive drum 11 and the development roller 12 face each other. A development voltage is applied to the development roller 12 by a development high-voltage power supply. Under the development voltage, the toner carried by the development roller 12 is transferred from the development roller 12 to the drum surface according to the potential distribution on the surface of the photosensitive drum 11, and the electrostatic latent image is developed into a toner image.

[0021] 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 12 mainly by intermolecular forces and electrostatic forces (image forces). However, a one-component developer containing a magnetic component may also 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 also be used as the developer. When a magnetic developer is used, for example, a cylindrical developing sleeve with a magnet arranged inside is used as the developer carrier.

[0022] The fixing unit 9 is a thermal fixing type that fixes an image by heating and melting the toner on the recording material. The fixing unit 9 includes a heating roller 9a incorporating a fixing heater 9c, and a pressure roller 9b that is in pressure contact with the heating roller 9a.

[0023] The feeding section 30 has a cassette 4 on which the recording material P is loaded, a pickup roller 3 as a transport section, a feeding roller 5a, and a separation roller 5b. A front cover 70 is provided on a part of the end face on the front side of the image forming apparatus 1, and the front cover 70 covers the circuit board 100. The housing 72 has the front cover 70, a discharge tray 14, and an exterior cover 71 that constitutes the exterior of the image forming apparatus 1 other than the front cover 70 and the discharge tray 14. The housing 72 has a discharge port 15 through which a sheet to be discharged to the discharge tray 14 passes.

[0024] As shown in Fig. 2, the image forming apparatus 1 has a circuit board 100. The circuit board 100 is composed of a wiring board 101 made of an insulator, and electronic components 111, 121 soldered to the wiring board 101. Conductive wiring is provided on and inside the wiring board 101, so that the electronic components 111, 121 are electrically connected. The circuit board 100 has the function of converting AC current supplied from outside the image forming apparatus 1 into DC current, and converting the input voltage to obtain a predetermined voltage value required for the image formation process.

[0025] The circuit board 100 is oriented such that the surface of the wiring board 101 on which the electronic components 111 and 121 are mounted intersects with the ejection direction. Furthermore, the wiring board 101 is provided between the front cover 70 and the scanner unit 50 in the ejection direction. The electronic components 111 and 121 are provided on the surface of the wiring board 101 facing the scanner unit 50.

[0026] Next, the 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 20 based on image information input from an external computer connected to the image forming apparatus 1. The scanner unit 50 irradiates the photosensitive drum 11 with laser light based on the input image information. At this time, the photosensitive drum 11 is charged in advance by the charging roller 17, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photosensitive drum 11 by irradiating it with the laser light. Thereafter, the electrostatic latent image is developed by the developing roller 12, and a toner image is formed on the photosensitive drum 11.

[0027] In parallel with the above-mentioned image forming process, the pickup roller 3 of the feeding section 30 feeds out the recording material P supported by the cassette 4. The recording material P is separated into individual sheets by the feeding roller 5a and the separation roller 5b, and conveyed to the conveying roller pair 5c. The recording material P is then conveyed by the conveying roller pair 5c toward the transfer nip formed by the transfer roller 7 and the photosensitive drum 11.

[0028] A transfer voltage is applied to the transfer roller 7 from a high-voltage transfer power supply, and the toner image carried on the photosensitive drum 11 is transferred to the recording material P being conveyed by the conveying roller pair 5c. The recording material P with the transferred toner image is conveyed to the fixing unit 9, where the toner image is heated and pressurized as it passes through a nip between a heating roller 9a and a pressure roller 9b of the fixing unit 9. 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 unit 9 is discharged from a discharge port 15 by a discharge roller pair 10 to the outside of the image forming apparatus 1 (outside the machine), and is stacked on a discharge tray 14.

[0029] When forming images on both sides of the recording material P, the pair of discharge rollers 10 switches back the recording material P with the image formed on the first side, thereby guiding the recording material P to a double-sided conveying path 16. The recording material P guided to the double-sided conveying path 16 is conveyed again toward the transfer roller 7 by the pair of double-sided conveying rollers 5d. After an image is formed on the second side of the recording material P by the transfer roller 7, the recording material P is discharged outside the apparatus by the pair of discharge rollers 10. In addition, after the toner image is transferred to the recording material P, the toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 11 is cleaned by a cleaning unit 13.

[0030] [Supply Department] Next, the supply unit 200 will be described with reference to Figs. 3(a) to 7. The discharge tray 14 is supported so as to be openable and closable between a closed position where the recording material P can be stacked as shown in Fig. 3(a) and an open position where the discharge tray 14 is open as shown in Fig. 3(b). The discharge tray 14 covers the supply unit 200 in the closed position. When the discharge tray 14 is opened to the open position, a top surface portion 240 and the supply unit 200 disposed adjacent to the top surface portion 240 are exposed. A supply pack 210 described later is detachably attached to the supply unit 200, and the supply unit 200 is configured to be able to supply toner from the outside without removing the developing container 230 from the housing 72.

[0031] 4 and 5 are a side view and a plan view, respectively, showing the image forming apparatus 1 with the housing 72 removed. Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the developing container 230. Note that in Fig. 6, the lever portion 201 of the supply unit 200 and some of the members associated therewith are omitted.

[0032] 4 to 6, the developing container 230 is composed of the storage section 18 and a supply section 200. The supply section 200 has a lever section 201, a cylindrical toner receiving section 202, a supply path section 203 that connects the toner receiving section 202 and the storage section 18, and a main body shutter section 206 (see FIG. 7(a)).

[0033] A side opening 205 that connects to the supply path 203 is formed on the inner wall of the toner receiving portion 202. The supply pack 210 is attached to the lever portion 201, and the toner discharged from the supply pack 210 passes through the lever portion 201, the opening 207 of the main body shutter portion 206, the side opening 205 of the toner receiving portion 202, and the supply path 203, and is supplied to the storage portion 18.

[0034] The supply path portion 203 is connected to one end of the storage portion 18 in the longitudinal direction of the developing container 230, i.e., in the X direction. As shown in FIG. 4, an agitating member 60 that rotates around a rotation shaft 60a extending in the X direction is provided inside the storage portion 18. The agitating member 60 has a blade portion 60b fixed to the rotation shaft 60a, and is driven to rotate by a motor 311 (see FIG. 12) to agitate the toner in the storage portion 18 and transport the toner toward the developing roller 12. In the present embodiment, the agitating member 60 is composed of the rotation shaft 60a and the blade portion 60b, but a spiral-shaped agitating member may be used as a configuration for distributing the toner over the entire length of the storage portion 18.

[0035] The stirring member 60 also circulates the toner that has not been used for development and has been scraped off from the developing roller 12 within the container 18, and serves to homogenize the toner within the container 18. The stirring member 60 is not limited to a rotating type. For example, a stirring member that oscillates may be used. In addition to the stirring member 60, another stirring member may be provided.

[0036] Further, a remaining amount detection unit 312 for detecting the amount of toner in the container 18 is provided on the side surface of the container 18 opposite to the developing roller 12, i.e., the side surface 18a. The remaining amount detection unit 312 has a light emitting unit 312a and a light receiving unit 312b. The light emitting unit 312a and the light receiving unit 312b are arranged side by side in the X direction. Light emitted from the light emitting unit 312a passes through the inside of the container 18 and is received by the light receiving unit 312b. That is, the light emitting unit 312a and the light receiving unit 312b form an optical path Q1 inside the container 18. The optical path Q1 extends in the X direction. Note that the light emitting unit 312a and the light receiving unit 312b may be arranged such that the light emitting element and the light receiving element are respectively arranged inside the container 18, or may be arranged such that the light emitting element and the light receiving element are respectively arranged outside the container 18, and the light is guided to the inside and outside of the container 18 by the light guiding unit.

[0037] Furthermore, the light-emitting unit 312a and the light-receiving unit 312b are provided in the central portion of the storage unit 18 in the X direction. More specifically, the light-emitting unit 312a and the light-receiving unit 312b are arranged in a region corresponding to the laser passing space SP in the X direction. In this way, by providing the light-emitting unit 312a and the light-receiving unit 312b in the central portion of the storage unit 18, the remaining amount of toner in the storage unit 18 can be detected well. That is, although the developer (toner) may be unevenly distributed at the end portion of the storage unit 18 in the X direction, the developer is less unevenly distributed in the central portion of the storage unit 18, so that the actual remaining amount of toner can be detected.

[0038] In this embodiment, an LED is used for the light-emitting unit 312a, and a phototransistor that is turned on by light from the LED is used for the light-receiving unit 312b, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a halogen lamp or a fluorescent lamp may be used for the light-emitting unit 312a, and a photodiode or an avalanche photodiode may be used for the light-receiving unit 312b.

[0039] The light receiving unit 312b, which is a phototransistor, receives the light emitted from the light emitting unit 312a and outputs a signal (current) according to the amount of light received. This signal is converted into a voltage and input to the control unit 302 (see FIG. 12). That is, the light receiving unit 312b changes its output value based on the amount of toner (developer) contained in the container 18.

[0040] The control unit 302 determines whether the light receiving unit 312b has received light from the light emitting unit 312a based on the input voltage level. The control unit 302 calculates the amount of toner (amount of developer) in the container 18 based on the length of time that the light receiving unit 312b detects each light when the toner in the container 18 is stirred for a certain period of time by the stirring member 60. That is, the ROM 302a of the control unit 302 stores in advance a table that can output the remaining toner amount from the light receiving time when the toner is transported by the stirring member 60, and the control unit 302 predicts / calculates the remaining toner amount based on this table.

[0041] 4, the optical path Q1 of the remaining amount detection unit 312 is set to overlap with the rotation locus TC of the agitating member 60 when viewed in the axial direction of the rotation shaft of the agitating member 60. In other words, the light emitted from the light-emitting unit 312a of the remaining amount detection unit 312 passes through the inside of the storage unit 18 within the rotation locus TC of the agitating member 60 when viewed in the axial direction of the agitating member 60. The time during which the optical path Q1 is blocked by the toner carried by the agitating member 60 when the agitating member 60 rotates once, i.e., the time during which the light-receiving unit 312b does not detect the light from the light-emitting unit 312a, varies depending on the remaining amount of toner.

[0042] In other words, when the remaining toner amount is large, the light path Q1 is easily blocked by the toner, and the time during which the light receiving portion 312b receives light is shortened. On the other hand, when the remaining toner amount is small, the time during which the light receiving portion 312b receives light is lengthened. Therefore, the control portion 302 can determine the remaining toner level in the storage portion 18 based on the light receiving time of the light receiving portion 312b.

[0043] The method for detecting / estimating the remaining amount of toner is not limited to the above-mentioned method, and various well-known methods for detecting / estimating the remaining amount of toner can be used. For example, two or more metal plates or conductive resin sheets extending in the longitudinal direction of the developing roller may be disposed on the inner wall of the storage section 18, and the electrostatic capacitance between the two metal plates or conductive resin sheets may be measured to detect / estimate the remaining amount of toner. Alternatively, a load cell may be provided to support the developing container 230 from below, and the remaining amount of toner may be calculated based on the weight measured by the load cell.

[0044] Lever portion 201 is disposed on top surface portion 240, and forms replenishing port 204 which is an opening for replenishing toner. In the X direction, the width of replenishing port 204 is narrower than the width of containing portion 18. Lever portion 201 is also provided so as to surround replenishing port 204, and has ring portion 201a which is rotatably supported by top surface portion 240 or toner receiving portion 202, and grip portion 201b which is integrally provided with ring portion 201a.

[0045] 7(a), main body shutter 206 is a cylindrical member concentric with toner receiving portion 202, and is rotatably provided inside toner receiving portion 202. Main body shutter 206 has opening 207, and opening 207 is misaligned with side opening 205 of toner receiving portion 202 in the closed position shown in FIG. 7(a). Therefore, side opening 205 is blocked by main body shutter 206, and toner is not discharged into supply path 203.

[0046] 7(b), the opening 207 overlaps with the side opening 205 of the toner receiving section 202. Therefore, the toner supplied from the supply pack 210 (see FIG. 10(a)) attached to the supply section 200 can be discharged to the supply path section 203 through the side opening 205 and the opening 207.

[0047] Although details will be described later, the main body shutter 206 moves between a closed position and an open position by rotating the lever portion 201 with the supply pack 210 attached to the supply portion 200. That is, the main body shutter 206 moves from the closed position shown in Fig. 7(a) to the closed position shown in Fig. 7(b) by rotating the grip portion 201b of the lever portion 201 counterclockwise by 90 degrees by the user.

[0048] When forming an image on the recording material P, the toner is stirred in the container 18 by the stirring member 60 (see FIG. 4), and the side opening 205 needs to be blocked by the main body shutter 206 so that the toner does not leak out from the side opening 205. Therefore, when forming an image, the lever 201 is located in the operating position shown in FIG. 7(a) so that the main body shutter 206 is located in the closed position. On the other hand, when replenishing the toner from a replenishing pack 210 described later to the container 18, the side opening 205 needs to be opened. Therefore, when replenishing the toner, the lever 201 is located in the replenishing position shown in FIG. 7(b) so that the main body shutter 206 is located in the open position.

[0049] 7(c) and (d) are side views showing the lever portion 201 and the switch 208. As shown in FIG. 7(c), the lever portion 201 has a detection rib 201c formed integrally with the ring portion 201a. The switch 208 is disposed below the ring portion 201a as a sensor. When the lever portion 201 is in the operating position, the switch 208 is OFF without contacting the detection rib 201c. When the lever portion 201 is in the replenishing position, the switch 208 is in contact with the detection rib 201c and is ON.

[0050] In this way, by turning switch 208 OFF / ON, it is possible to detect whether lever portion 201 is in the operating position or the replenishing position. Also, as shown in Fig. 8, an alignment rib 218 is provided inside replenishing portion 200. Alignment rib 218 is formed so as to protrude from the inner surface of toner receiving portion 202, for example. Main body shutter portion 206 is formed with a notch that does not interfere with alignment rib 218 when main body shutter portion 206 moves between the closed position and the open position. The role of alignment rib 218 will be described later.

[0051] [Supply Pack] Next, the configuration of resupply pack 210 will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Resupply pack 210 as a resupply container has a pouch portion 211 containing the toner to be replenished, a cylindrical insertion portion 212 to be inserted into resupply port 204, and a pack shutter portion 214. An opening 213 is formed in insertion portion 212 through which toner in pouch portion 211 is discharged to the outside.

[0052] A truncated cone-shaped pack bottom 215 is provided at the tip of the insertion portion 212, and a pouch end 216 is formed at the end of the pouch portion 211 opposite the insertion portion 212. The pouch portion 211 has a flattened shape toward the pouch end 216, and the pouch end 216 extends in a radial direction perpendicular to the rotation axis direction of the pack shutter portion 214.

[0053] The pack shutter portion 214 is a cylindrical member concentric with the insertion portion 212, and is provided radially outward of the insertion portion 212. The pack shutter portion 214 has an opening (not shown), and can close or open the opening 213 of the insertion portion 212 by rotating with respect to the insertion portion 212. When the opening of the pack shutter portion 214 and the opening 213 of the insertion portion 212 overlap, toner can be replenished from the replenishing pack 210 to the replenishing portion 200.

[0054] 9(b), an alignment notch 217 is formed in part of the pack bottom 215. The role of the alignment notch 217 will be described later.

[0055] [Toner supply procedure] Next, a procedure for replenishing toner using the replenishing pack 210 will be described with reference to Figures 3, 10 and 11. First, as shown in Figures 3(a) and (b), the user removes the recording material P from the discharge tray 14↑ and opens the discharge tray 14 from the closed position to the open position. This exposes the replenishing unit 200. The replenishing unit 200 is provided on the upper front surface of the image forming apparatus 1, making it easy to replenishing toner.

[0056] Then, the user aligns alignment rib 218 (see FIG. 8) provided on resupply unit 200 with alignment notch 217 (see FIG. 9(b)) provided on resupply pack 210, and attaches resupply pack 210 to resupply unit 200. If the positions of alignment rib 218 and alignment notch 217 do not match, pack bottom 215 will interfere with alignment rib 218, making it impossible to insert resupply pack 210.

[0057] FIG. 10(a) is a perspective view showing a state in which the supply pack 210 is attached to the supply unit 200. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10(a), the supply pack 210 can be attached to the supply unit 200 when the direction of the arrow D, which is the extension direction of the pouch end 216, is parallel to the X direction. When the supply pack 210 is inserted deep into the supply unit 200, the pack shutter portion 214 of the supply pack 210 engages with the lever portion 201 by an engagement mechanism (not shown). In addition, the main body shutter portion 206 of the supply unit 200 (see FIG. 7(a)) engages with the pack shutter portion 214 of the supply pack 210 (see FIG. 9(a)) by an engagement mechanism (not shown).

[0058] That is, the rotation of the lever portion 201 is transmitted to the pack shutter portion 214, and the rotation of the pack shutter portion 214 is transmitted to the main body shutter portion 206. This interlocks the lever portion 201, the pack shutter portion 214, and the main body shutter portion 206. Note that when the supply pack 210 is not attached to the supply portion 200, the lever portion 201 and the main body shutter portion 206 do not interlock with each other.

[0059] 10(b), the user rotates the grip portion 201b of the lever portion 201 90 degrees counterclockwise. This rotates the lever portion 201 from the operating position to the replenishing position, and the pack shutter portion 214 and the main body shutter portion 206 rotate from the closed position to the open position. As a result, an opening (not shown) of the pack shutter portion 214, the opening 213 of the insertion portion 212 of the replenishing pack 210, the opening 207 of the main body shutter portion 206, and the side opening 205 of the toner receiving portion 202 are aligned. This causes the toner in the replenishing pack 210 to be discharged into the storage portion 18 through the replenishing path portion 203.

[0060] In other words, when lever portion 201 is located at the replenishing position as the first position, replenishing portion 200 is in a replenishing state in which toner can be replenished from replenishing pack 210 to containing portion 18. At this time, opening 213 as a first opening of replenishing pack 210 and side opening 205 as a second opening of toner receiving portion 202 communicate with each other.

[0061] 11 is a plan view showing the lever portion 201 in the replenishing position. A protrusion 241 that rises toward the positive (upward) side in the Z direction is formed at the end portion on the positive (front) side in the Y direction of the top surface portion 240 that is exposed by opening the discharge tray 14. A notch 242 is formed in a part of the protrusion 241, and the notch 242 is provided corresponding to the rotation trajectory of the grip portion 201b of the lever portion 201. That is, when the lever portion 201 rotates between the operating position and the replenishing position, the grip portion 201b of the lever portion 201 does not interfere with the protrusion 241 due to the notch 242. In addition, the user can insert his / her finger into the notch 242 to operate the grip portion 201b, thereby improving operability.

[0062] When the toner supply from the supply pack 210 to the storage unit 18 is completed, the user returns the lever unit 201 from the supply position to the operating position. That is, the user rotates the gripping portion 201b of the lever unit 201 by 90 degrees clockwise. This causes the pack shutter unit 214 and the main body shutter unit 206 to rotate from the open position to the closed position.

[0063] In other words, when lever portion 201 is in the operating position as the second position, supply portion 200 is in a non-supply state in which toner can be supplied from supply pack 210 to storage portion 18. At this time, opening 213 of supply pack 210 and side opening 205 of toner receiving portion 202 do not communicate with each other.

[0064] Then, the user removes the resupply pack 210 from the resupply unit 200. In this manner, when the resupply pack 210 is removed from the resupply unit 200, the pack shutter portion 214 is located in the closed position, so that leakage of toner from the opening 213 of the resupply pack 210 can be prevented.

[0065] [Hardware configuration of the control unit] 12A is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a control unit 302 provided in the image forming apparatus 1. The control unit 302 has a CPU 302a as a calculation device, a ROM 302b, and a RAM 302c. The CPU 302a reads various programs stored in the ROM 302b and executes processes. The RAM 302c is used as a work area for the CPU 302a.

[0066] The input side of the control unit 302 is connected to the switch 208, the temperature sensor 9d, and a remaining amount detection unit 312. The temperature sensor 9d detects the temperature of the fixing nip of the fixing unit 9. The output side of the control unit 302 is connected to a motor 311 as a drive source. In addition, the control unit 302 is connected to an I / O controller 313 as an input / output port connected to an external device.

[0067] The motor 311 drives the stirring member 60 and various rollers (including the photosensitive drum 11, the developing roller 12, and various transport rollers) in the image forming apparatus 1. In the present embodiment, all of the rollers in the image forming apparatus 1 and the stirring member 60 are driven by one motor 311, but this is not limiting. For example, the stirring member 60 and some of the rollers in the image forming apparatus 1 may be driven by the motor 311, and the other rollers may be driven by other motors.

[0068] [Functional configuration of the control unit] 12(b) is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a control unit 302 provided in the image forming apparatus 1. The control unit 302 has a temperature detection unit 303, a drive control unit 304, a transmission / reception unit 305, a remaining amount calculation unit 306, and a storage unit 315. The temperature detection unit 303 detects the current temperature of the fixing unit 9 based on a temperature detection signal 307 from the temperature sensor 9d. The drive control unit 304 controls the drive of a motor 311 as necessary based on the print operation, initial control, etc. of the image forming apparatus 1.

[0069] The drivability determination unit 314 determines whether or not the motor 311 may be driven depending on the state of the image forming apparatus 1. For example, the drivability determination unit 314 does not permit driving of the motor 311 in the case of a jammed state in which the recording material P is stuck in the image forming apparatus 1 or in a broken state. The drive control unit 304 drives the motor 311 based on the determination of the drivability determination unit 314.

[0070] The remaining amount calculation unit 306 calculates the amount of toner contained in the container 18 based on a remaining amount detection signal 309 output by a remaining amount detection unit 312 disposed in the container 18. The transmitting / receiving unit 305 transmits and receives information to and from an I / O controller 313 that receives image information from a host such as a PC (not shown), and in this embodiment, in particular transmits the remaining amount of toner contained in the container 18 as remaining amount information 308.

[0071] Here, the remaining amount of toner is transmitted in %, for example, with the amount of toner that the container 18 can contain being 100%. The remaining amount detection signal 309 depends on the configuration of the remaining amount detection unit 312, but may be, for example, an analog signal whose voltage changes based on the remaining amount of development, or a pulse signal in which a pulse is output at a constant period and the H / L pulse width changes according to the remaining amount of toner. The storage unit 315 stores open information 316 relating to whether the supply unit 200 is in an open state, that is, whether the main body shutter unit 206 is in the open position. The process of recording the open information 316 in the storage unit 315 will be described later with reference to FIG. 13. In this embodiment, the storage unit 315 corresponds to the RAM 302c.

[0072] [Record of supply operation and opening information] Next, the replenishing operation and the method of recording the open information 316 will be described with reference to Fig. 13. As shown in Fig. 13, the control unit 302 first determines whether the lever portion 201 is in the replenishing position or not based on the detection result of the switch 208 (step S101). In this embodiment, as described above, the replenishing pack 210 is attached to the replenishing unit 200, and the lever portion 201 is rotated from the operating position to the replenishing position, thereby replenishing toner from the replenishing pack 210 to the storage unit 18.

[0073] When it is determined that the lever portion 201 is in the supply position (step S101: Yes), the control portion 302 determines whether the motor 311 is in a drivable state or not by the drivability determination portion 314 (step S102). Here, the state in which the motor 311 is permitted to be driven (drivable state) refers to a state in which the motor 311 is permitted to be driven to drive the stirring member 60. Also, the state in which the motor 311 is not permitted to be driven (non-drivable state) refers to a state in which the motor 311 is not permitted to be driven to drive the stirring member 60. As described above, if the motor 311 is configured to drive all the rollers in the image forming apparatus 1 and the stirring member 60, for example, a state in which the printing operation can be performed smoothly even if the motor 311 is driven is the drivable state. Also, if a malfunction occurs in the image forming apparatus 1, it is determined to be in the non-drivable state.

[0074] If it is determined that the toner container 18 is in a drivable state (step S102: Yes), the control unit 302 drives the motor 311 to perform a supply operation (step S103). The supply operation is an operation in which the motor 311 is driven for a predetermined time to sufficiently agitate the toner in the container 18 and make the toner in the container 18 uniform.

[0075] That is, the toner supplied from the supply unit 200 to the storage unit 18 is discharged to one end in the longitudinal direction (X direction) of the storage unit 18, but in this state, the toner is unevenly distributed within the storage unit 18. In this state, the remaining amount detection unit 312 cannot correctly detect the remaining amount of toner within the storage unit 18. In addition, in this embodiment, the remaining amount detection unit 312 employs a method of measuring the light blocking time by the toner being stirred using the light-emitting unit 312a and the light-receiving unit 312b, and therefore cannot correctly detect the remaining amount of toner unless the stirring member 60 is in the middle of driving.

[0076] When the replenishing operation is completed in step S103, the control unit 302 judges whether the lever unit 201 is in the operating position based on the detection result of the switch 208 (step S104). That is, it judges whether the user has returned the lever unit 201 from the replenishing position to the operating position after the toner replenishing from the replenishing pack 210 to the container unit 18 is completed. If it is judged that the lever unit 201 is in the operating position (step S104: Yes), the control unit 302 records "not open" as the open information 316 in the storage unit 315 (step S105). In other words, if "open" is stored as the open information 316 in the storage unit 315, the control unit 302 deletes it. Then, the control unit 302 ends the process.

[0077] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S102 that the motor 311 is not in a driveable state (step S102: No), the control unit 302 records "open state present" as the open information 316 in the storage unit 315 (step S106). In other words, "open state present" is information that the supply unit 200 has transitioned to a supplyable state in a state in which driving of the motor 311 is not permitted. Then, the control unit 302 ends the process.

[0078] When the power supply of the image forming apparatus 1 is turned off, the position of the lever portion 201 cannot be confirmed by the switch 208, and there is a possibility that the lever portion 201 has been operated when the power supply of the image forming apparatus 1 is turned off. In other words, even if the user replenishes toner from the replenishing pack 210 to the container 18 when the power supply of the image forming apparatus 1 is turned off, the image forming apparatus 1 cannot recognize the toner replenishment. For this reason, when the power supply of the image forming apparatus 1 is switched from OFF to ON, that is, when the power supply is turned on, the initial value of the open information 316 is set to "open state present."

[0079] [Initial control] Next, the initial control will be described with reference to Fig. 14. The initial control is a control performed so that the image forming apparatus 1 is in a state in which it can form an image, and is executed, for example, when the image forming apparatus 1 is turned on, when it returns from sleep, and when a jam is cleared.

[0080] When the initial control is started, as shown in Fig. 14, the control unit 302 judges whether the open information 316 stored in the memory unit 315 indicates "open state" (step S201). If it is not "open state", that is, if it is determined that it is "not open state" (step S201: No), the control unit 302 judges whether a cleaning request is made (step S202). Note that, in the initial control at the time of jam recovery, since it is necessary to clean the photosensitive drum 11, etc., it is determined that a cleaning request is made. In this embodiment, the method of cleaning the process unit 40 is not described because any sequence is acceptable.

[0081] If it is determined that there is no cleaning request (step S202: No), the control unit 302 ends the initial control without driving the motor 311. In this case, since the motor 311 is not driven, the stirring member 60 is also not driven.

[0082] If it is determined that the "open state exists" (step S201: Yes) or if it is determined that a cleaning request has been made (step S202: Yes), the control unit 302 starts driving the motor 311 (step S204). As a result, the stirring member 60 is driven.

[0083] Next, the control unit 302 detects the remaining amount of toner in the container 18 by the remaining amount detection unit 312 (step S205). At this time, since the stirring member 60 is rotating, the correct remaining amount of toner can be detected by the remaining amount detection unit 312. Then, the control unit 302 determines whether the remaining amount of toner in the container 18 has increased since the motor 311 started to be driven in step S204, based on the remaining amount of toner detected by the remaining amount detection unit 312 (step S206).

[0084] The determination of whether the remaining toner amount has increased is performed as follows. That is, the remaining toner amount in container 18 before open information 316 becomes "open state" (hereinafter referred to as the first remaining toner amount) is stored in storage unit 315. Then, control unit 302 compares the remaining toner amount detected by remaining amount detection unit 312 in step S205 (hereinafter referred to as the second remaining toner amount) with the above-mentioned first remaining toner amount. If the second remaining toner amount is greater than the first remaining toner amount by a predetermined amount or more, it is determined that the remaining toner amount in container 18 has increased, and if the second remaining toner amount is not greater than the first remaining toner amount by the predetermined amount or more, it is determined that the remaining toner amount has not increased.

[0085] If it is determined that the remaining toner amount has increased (step S206: Yes), the control unit 302 sets the drive time of the motor 311 to time T1 as a first time, and agitates the toner in the container 18 with the agitator 60 (step S207). That is, in a state in which drive of the motor 311 is not permitted, such as when a jam occurs or the power is turned off, it is assumed that toner has been replenished from the refill pack 210 to the container 18, and the toner in the container 18 needs to be sufficiently agitated with the agitator 60. Step S207 constitutes a first operation and a first mode in which the motor 311 is driven so that the agitator 60 is driven for only time T1.

[0086] On the other hand, if it is determined that the remaining toner amount has not increased (step S206: No), the control unit 302 sets the drive time of the motor 311 to time T2 as a second time shorter than time T1 (step S208). That is, although the open information 316 was "open state", it is assumed that toner is not being replenished from the replenishing pack 210 to the containing unit 18 in a state in which the drive of the motor 311 is not permitted due to a jam or when the power is off, and the drive time of the motor 311 is shortened. Step S208 constitutes a second operation and a second mode in which the motor 311 is driven so that the agitating member 60 is driven for only time T2.

[0087] Note that times T1 and T2 are times from the start of driving of motor 311 in step S204, and time T2 is preferably the same as time T0 required to detect the remaining amount of toner in container 18 in step S205. T2=T0

[0088] The time T1 includes a time T11 for sufficiently stirring the toner in the container 18, in addition to the time T0 for detecting the remaining toner amount. T1=T0+T11

[0089] In this embodiment, the time T11 required for the supply operation is determined based on the increase in the remaining toner amount in step S206. That is, the greater the increase in the remaining toner amount, the longer the time T1. Also, the time T11 may be constant regardless of the increase in the remaining toner amount.

[0090] After the processes of steps S207 and S208, i.e., after driving the motor 311 for time T1 or time T2, the control unit 302 ends the process. In steps S204 to S207, the supply operation by driving the stirring member 60 and an operation other than the supply operation, such as a cleaning operation of the process unit 40, may be performed in parallel or successively in sequence.

[0091] As described above, in this embodiment, appropriate initial control can be executed using open information 316 recorded in storage unit 315 and the detection result of remaining amount detection unit 312. That is, "open state present" is stored in open information 316 based on the operation of lever unit 201 to the supply position or the power supply of image forming apparatus 1 being turned on in a state in which driving of motor 311 is not permitted. However, this alone does not allow for a determination as to whether toner has been supplied from supply pack 210 to storage unit 18. Therefore, in the initial control, an increase in the remaining amount of toner is confirmed based on the detection result of remaining amount detection unit 312.

[0092] When toner is replenished from the replenishing pack 210 to the storage unit 18 and it is necessary to sufficiently drive the stirring member 60, the drive time of the motor 311 is set to a relatively long time T1. This makes it possible to level the toner in the storage unit 18 in the X direction (the longitudinal direction of the developing container 230), and to suppress image defects caused by insufficient supply of toner to the developing roller 12.

[0093] Furthermore, when toner is not replenished from the replenishing pack 210 to the containing section 18 and there is no need to drive the stirring member 60 for a long period of time, the drive time of the motor 311 is set to a time T2 that is shorter than the time T1. This reduces the downtime during which the printing operation cannot be performed and extends the life of the image forming apparatus 1.

[0094] Further, the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is provided with only one motor 311, and this motor 311 drives the stirring member 60 and various rollers (including the photosensitive drum 11, the developing roller 12, and the conveying roller) in the image forming apparatus 1. Therefore, the image forming apparatus 1 can be miniaturized and cost-reduced.

[0095] <Second Embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The second embodiment is obtained by changing the initial control of the first embodiment. Therefore, for the same configurations as those in the first embodiment, the illustration is omitted or the same reference numerals are used in the drawings for explanation.

[0096] [Initial Control] The initial control according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 15. Since steps S201 to S208 in FIG. 15 are the same as those in FIG. 14, the description thereof will be omitted. In FIG. 15, step S203 is added to FIG. 14.

[0097] As shown in FIG. 15, when it is determined that there is no cleaning requirement (step S202: No), the control unit 302 sets the driving time of the motor 311 to the time T3 as the third time, and drives the motor 311 for the time T3 (step S203). The time T3 is set shorter than the time T1 (T3 < T1). Step S203 constitutes a third operation of driving the motor 311 so that the stirring member 60 is driven for the time T3.

[0098] Note that the time T3 may be longer or shorter than the time T2, but is preferably set to a time shorter than the time T2. Then, after the control unit 302 drives the motor 311 for the time T3 to drive the stirring member 60, the process ends.

[0099] As described above, in the present embodiment, even if the open information 316 is "not open" and there is no cleaning request in the initial control, the motor 311 is driven for the time T3 to drive the stirring member 60. As a result, even if the toner in the storage section 18 has hardened due to a long period of time when the power has been off, the toner can be loosened by the stirring member 60, and image defects can be suppressed.

[0100] Furthermore, since the drive time of the motor 311 at this time is set to time T3 which is shorter than time T1, the downtime during which the printing operation cannot be performed can be shortened and the life of the image forming apparatus 1 can be extended.

[0101] <Third embodiment> Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described, which is a modification of the first embodiment in terms of the supply operation and the method of recording the opening information 316. Therefore, configurations similar to those in the first embodiment will be described with the same reference numerals or will be omitted from the drawings.

[0102] [Method of recording supply operation and opening information] Fig. 16 is a flow chart of the supply operation and the method of recording the opening information 316 according to this embodiment. Steps S301, S302, and S305 in Fig. 16 are the same as steps S101, S102, and S106 in Fig. 13, and therefore will not be described. In this embodiment, the time T0 required to detect the remaining amount of toner in the container 18 is longer than the time required to stir the toner in the container 18, that is, the time T11 required for the supply operation. Then, if the remaining amount does not increase even after detecting the remaining amount of toner in the container 18 for a certain period of time, the supply operation is terminated.

[0103] 16, if it is determined in step S302 that the toner cartridge 310 is in a drivable state (step S302: Yes), the control unit 302 drives the motor 311 to start the supply operation (step S303). Next, the control unit 302 starts detecting the remaining amount of toner using the remaining amount detection unit 312 (step S304).

[0104] Then, based on the detection result of switch 208, control unit 302 determines whether lever unit 201 is in the operating position (step S306). That is, it determines whether toner supply from supply pack 210 to container 18 is completed and the user has returned lever unit 201 from the supply position to the operating position. If it is determined that lever unit 201 is in the operating position (step S306: Yes), control unit 302 stores information on the remaining amount of toner in container 18 detected by remaining amount detection unit 312 in storage unit 315 (step S307). There is a slight time lag between when lever unit 201 reaches the operating position and when correct information on the remaining amount of toner in container 18 can be detected.

[0105] Next, the control unit 302 compares the remaining amount information of the toner in the storage unit 18 detected by the remaining amount detection unit 312 after waiting for a predetermined time with the remaining amount information stored in the memory unit 315 in step S307, and determines whether there is a difference in the remaining amount (step S309).

[0106] If it is determined that there is a difference in the remaining toner amount (step S309: Yes), the process returns to step S307, and steps S307 to S309 are repeated. If it is determined that there is no difference in the remaining toner amount (step S309: No), this means that the supply operation, i.e., the stirring of the toner by the stirring member 60, is completed, and the control unit 302 records "not open state" as the open information 316 in the storage unit 315 (step S310). Then, the control unit 302 stops driving the motor 311 to end the supply operation, and ends the detection of the remaining toner amount by the remaining amount detection unit 312 (steps S311, S312). With the above, the control unit 302 ends the process. The initial control is the same as in the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0107] As described above, in the present embodiment, the completion of the supply operation is determined using the detection result of remaining amount detection unit 312, and an appropriate supply operation can be executed. In other words, it is possible to suppress image defects, shorten downtime, and extend the life of image forming apparatus 1.

[0108] <Fourth embodiment> Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described, which is a modification of the first embodiment in terms of the supply operation and the method of recording the opening information 316. Therefore, configurations similar to those in the first embodiment will be described with the same reference numerals or will be omitted from the drawings.

[0109] [Method of recording supply operation and opening information] Fig. 17 is a flowchart relating to the supply operation and the method of recording the open information 316 according to the present embodiment. Steps S401, S402, and S404 in Fig. 17 are the same as steps S101, S102, and S106 in Fig. 13, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0110] As shown in FIG. 17, if it is determined in step S402 that the motor 311 is in a drivable state (step S402: Yes), the control unit 302 drives the motor 311 to start the refilling operation (step S403). Next, the control unit 302 starts the marijuana to measure the execution time of the refilling operation (step S405). Then, the control unit 302 refers to the timer and determines whether or not the time T11 required for the refilling operation has elapsed (step S406). If the time T11 required for the refilling operation has elapsed (step S406: Yes), the control unit 302 records "not open" as the open information 316 in the memory unit 315 (step S408), and ends the process.

[0111] If the time T11 required for the replenishing operation has not elapsed in step S406 (step S406: No), control unit 302 determines whether lever unit 201 is in the operating position based on the detection result of switch 208 (step S407). That is, it determines whether toner replenishing from replenishing pack 210 to container 18 is completed and the user has returned lever unit 201 from the replenishing position to the operating position. If it is determined that lever unit 201 is not in the operating position (step S407: No), the process returns to step S406.

[0112] If it is determined that the lever section 201 is in the operating position (step S407: Yes), the control section 302 stops driving the motor 311 to end the supply operation, and stores the timer value T22 in the storage section 315 (steps S409, S410). Furthermore, the control section 302 calculates the remaining supply operation time T12 from the following formula, stores it in the storage section 315 (step S411), and ends the process. T12=T11-T22

[0113] The initial control is the same as that in the first embodiment, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted. In addition, when the remaining replenishment operation time T12 is stored in the storage unit 315, the initial control in the first embodiment may be changed. For example, when the time for driving the motor 311 in the initial control is set to time T, if this time T is equal to or less than the remaining replenishment operation time T12, the control unit 302 drives the motor 311 for the time T in the initial control. In addition, if the replenishment operation time T12 is longer than the time T, the control unit 302 extends the drive time of the motor 311, i.e., the replenishment time, by the time (T12-T) in the initial control. In addition, the motor 311 may be driven for the replenishment operation time T12 in a sequence other than the initial control.

[0114] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to store the remaining supply operation time T12 even if the supply operation is ended based on the user's operation of the lever portion 201. Therefore, the supply operation can be performed reliably, and image defects can be suppressed.

[0115] <Other embodiments> In any of the above-described embodiments, the supply unit 200 can transition between a replenishment enabled state and a replenishment disabled state by operating the lever unit 201 while the supply pack 210 is attached to the supply unit 200, but this is not limiting. For example, instead of operating the lever unit 201, the supply unit 200 may be configured to transition between a replenishment enabled state and a replenishment disabled state by rotating the supply pack 210. That is, the pack shutter unit 214 and the main body shutter unit 206 may be configured to rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the supply pack 210. Also, the pack shutter unit 214 and the main body shutter unit 206 may be either one of them.

[0116] The present invention can also be realized by a process in which a program for implementing one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in a computer of the system or device read and execute the program. The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that implements one or more of the functions. [Explanation of symbols]

[0117] 1: image forming apparatus / 3: transport section (pickup roller) / 11: image carrier (photosensitive drum) / 18: storage section / 60: stirring member / 200: supply section / 201: lever section / 205: second opening (side opening) / 208: sensor (switch) / 210: supply pack (supply container) / 213: first opening (opening) / 302: control section 302: driving source (motor) / 312: remaining amount detection section / 312a: light emitting section / 312b: light receiving section / 315: memory section / T1: first time (time) / T2: second time (time) / T3: third time (time)

Claims

1. In an image forming apparatus for forming a toner image formed on an image carrier onto a sheet, a container for containing toner; a supply unit to which a supply container containing toner can be detachably attached, the supply unit being capable of transitioning between a supply enabled state in which toner can be supplied from the supply container to the storage unit and a supply disabled state in which toner cannot be supplied from the supply container to the storage unit; a stirring member for stirring the toner in the container; A drive source that drives the stirring member; a control unit that drives the drive source so as to drive the stirring member based on the transition of the replenishing unit to the replenishing enabled state in a state in which driving of the drive source is permitted; and a storage unit that stores information regarding the transition of the supply unit to the supply enabled state in a state in which driving of the drive source is not permitted; a remaining amount detection unit that changes an output value based on the amount of toner in the container, When an initial control is executed so that the image forming apparatus is in a state in which image formation is possible with the information stored in the storage unit, the control unit executes a first operation of driving the drive source so as to drive the stirring member for a first time if it is determined based on the output value of the remaining amount detection unit that the amount of toner has increased, and executes a second operation of driving the drive source so as to drive the stirring member for a second time that is shorter than the first time if it is determined based on the output value of the remaining amount detection unit that the amount of toner has not increased.

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

2. A conveying unit that conveys the sheet is further provided, The drive source drives the conveying unit and the stirring member.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

3. the first time period is longer as the amount of toner in the storage unit detected by the remaining amount detection unit increases; 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and second electrodes are arranged in a first direction.

4. the first time period is constant regardless of an increase in the amount of toner in the storage unit detected by the remaining amount detection unit; 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and second electrodes are arranged in a first direction.

5. the control unit does not drive the drive source when the initial control is executed in a state where the information is not stored in the storage unit and cleaning of the image carrier is not requested.

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

6. the control unit, when the initial control is executed in a state in which the information is not stored in the storage unit and cleaning of the image carrier is not requested, executes a third operation of driving the drive source so as to drive the stirring member for a third time period that is shorter than the first time period.

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

7. The third time period is less than the second time period.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6,

8. the initial control is executed based on the power being turned on to the image forming apparatus; 8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and second electrodes are arranged in a first direction.

9. the storage unit stores the information when the image forming apparatus is powered on; 9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and second electrodes are arranged in a first direction.

10. the storage unit deletes the information based on the fact that the supply unit has transitioned from the supply possible state to the supply impossible state while the image forming apparatus is powered on.

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

11. the supply container has a first opening through which the developer is discharged, the supply unit has a second opening through which the developer discharged from the first opening to the container passes, and a lever portion that does not communicate between the first opening and the second opening when located at a first position and communicates between the first opening and the second opening when located at a second position, and is in the supply disabled state when the lever portion is located at the first position and in the supply enabled state when the lever portion is located at the second position; 11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

12. Further comprising a sensor that changes an output value based on the position of the lever portion.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11.

13. When a jam occurs in the image forming apparatus, the driving source is not permitted to be driven.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a multi-layered image forming apparatus.

14. The remaining amount detection unit has a light emitting unit that emits light and a light receiving unit that receives the light emitted from the light emitting unit.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

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