Image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12411452-B2
Application number	US-202318505432-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 9, 2023
Priority date	Nov 28, 2022
Publication date	Sep 9, 2025
Grant date	Sep 9, 2025

Abstract

An image forming apparatus that includes an actuator to drive a stirring member, an indicating unit to execute a remaining toner amount indication based on an output value from a first detection unit, and a control unit control the actuator, the first detection unit, and the indicating unit. A control unit executes (i) a first control of controlling the actuator to start driving of the stirring member based on a detection, by a second detection unit, of movement of an opening and closing member from the open position to the closed position, (ii) a second control of controlling the first detection unit to output the output value, and (iii) a third control of controlling the indicating unit to execute the remaining toner amount indication.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus on which a toner container storing toner is mountable, the image forming apparatus comprising:
an apparatus body provided with an opening;
a mounting portion on which the toner container is mountable;
a moving unit including a developing unit, and configured to move through the opening between an internal position where an image formation is executable using the developing unit and an external position that is different from the internal position and where at least a part of the moving unit is exposed to an outside of the apparatus body, the developing unit including:
a toner storage portion configured to store the toner and configured to be replenished with the toner from the toner container mounted on the mounting portion;
a developing roller configured to bear the toner in the toner storage portion; and
a stirring member configured to stir the toner in the toner storage portion;

an opening and closing member configured to move between a closed position where the opening of the apparatus body is closed and an open position where the opening is opened;
an actuator configured to drive the stirring member;
a first detection unit configured to output an output value based on an amount of the toner stored in the toner storage portion;
an indicating unit configured to execute a remaining toner amount indication based on the output value output from the first detection unit;
a second detection unit configured to detect a movement of the opening and closing member; and
a control unit configured to control the actuator, the first detection unit, and the indicating unit,
wherein the moving unit is configured to replenish the toner from the toner container mounted on the image forming apparatus to the toner storage portion in a state in which the moving unit is at the external position and supported by the apparatus body, and is configured not to be movable from the external position to the internal position in a state in which the toner container is mounted on the image forming apparatus, and
the control unit executes
(i) a first control of controlling the actuator to start driving of the stirring member based on a detection, by the second detection unit, of a movement of the opening and closing member from the open position to the closed position,
(ii) a second control of controlling the first detection unit to output the output value, and
(iii) a third control of controlling the indicating unit to perform execute the remaining toner amount indication.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the mounting portion includes an operation portion configured to be operated to move between a regulation position for regulating toner replenishment from the toner container mounted on the mounting portion to the toner storage portion and an allowing position for allowing the toner replenishment from the toner container to the toner storage portion,
the image forming apparatus further comprises a third detection unit configured to detect a movement of the operation portion, and
the control unit executes, in a case where movement of the opening and closing member from the open position to the closed position has been detected by the second detection unit,
(i) the first control such that a time for which the stirring member is driven becomes longer in a case where a movement of the operation portion between the regulation position and the allowing position has been detected by the third detection unit in a period in which the opening and closing member is positioned at the open position immediately before the movement of the opening and closing member from the open position to the closed position is detected by the second detection unit than in a case where the movement of the operation portion between the regulation position and the allowing position has not been detected by the third detection unit in the period, and
(ii) the third control to execute the remaining toner amount indication based on the output value in the second control based on the detection, by the second detection unit, of the movement of the opening and closing member from the open position to the closed position.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit does not execute the second control in a case where the movement of the opening and closing member from the open position to the closed position has been detected by the second detection unit, and the movement of the operation portion between the regulation position and the allowing position has not been detected by the third detection unit in the period.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the apparatus body includes a storage unit configured to store the output value, and
the control unit executes the third control to perform execute the remaining toner amount indication based on the output value stored in the storage unit immediately before the period.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein in a case where the movement of the opening and closing member from the open position to the closed position has been detected by the second detection unit, and where the movement of the operation portion between the regulation position and the allowing position has been detected by the third detection unit in the period, the control unit executes the first control such that the time for which the stirring member is driven becomes longer in a case where a remaining toner amount in the toner storage portion has increased in the period than in a case where the remaining toner amount in the toner storage portion has not increased in the period.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein whether or not the remaining toner amount in the toner storage portion has increased in the period is determined according to the output value in a case where the second control is executed based on the detection, by the second detection unit, of the movement of the opening and closing member from the open position to the closed position, and the output value stored in the storage unit immediately before the period.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein in a case where the movement of the opening and closing member from the open position to the closed position has been detected by the second detection unit, the control unit executes the first control such that a time for which the stirring member is driven becomes longer in a case where a remaining toner amount in the toner storage portion has increased in a period in which the opening and closing member is at the open position immediately before the movement of the opening and closing member from the open position to the closed position is detected by the second detection unit than in a case where the remaining toner amount has not increased in the period.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit executes the third control after the stirring member is stopped.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls the actuator to stop the stirring member based on a detection, by the second detection unit, of a movement of the opening and closing member from the closed position to the open position.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit executes the first control, the second control, and the third control in a case where the developing unit is replenishable with an entire amount of the toner in the toner container which is new, and does not execute the second control and the third control in a case where the developing unit is not replenishable with the entire amount of th

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Okawa Yuichiro
• Yamaguchi Noritomo
• Hosohara Kazuhiro
• Kawanami Takeo
• Nishida Shinichi
• Munetsugu Hiroyuki
• Suetsugu Masahiro
• Ozaki Goshi
• Sugimoto Sohta
• Sato Mitsuhiro

Classifications

• G03G15/0121 Primary

  for developing · CPC title

• G03G21/1676

  for the developer unit · CPC title

• G03G15/0126

  using a solid developer · CPC title

• G03G21/1647 Primary

  Mechanical connection means · CPC title