Image forming apparatus having a function of identifying a toner

Photocopying – Contact printing – Light boxes

Patent

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Details

355260, 34082534, 380 23, G03G 1500, G03G 1506

Patent

active

054868998

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, such as a copying apparatus, having a developing-agent replenishing device used as an exchangeable device, such as a toner cartridge, for replenishing a toner (developing agent) to a developing device that visualizes, for example, an electrostatic latent image with the toner.


BACKGROUND ART

In recent years, a copying apparatus in which a toner cartridge is mounted on a developing device and a toner is replenished from the toner cartridge has been put to practical use.
A copying apparatus of this type has a removable toner cartridge. The cartridge is exchanged when the toner in the cartridge runs out.
Generally, in the copying apparatus of this type, it is preferable to use a toner cartridge the manufacturer guarantees in accordance with the structure and standards of the machine frame.
In most conventional copying apparatuses, however, the toner density in the developing device is checked, and toner replenishment from the cartridge is controlled. When the toner density does not reach a predetermined value even after toner replenishment has been performed for a predetermined period of time, it is instructed that the user exchange the cartridge.
Since it is the user who exchanges the toner cartridge, a standard cartridge guaranteed by the manufacturer is not always used.
Even when a non-guaranteed toner cartridge (other than the standard product) is used, a certain degree of copying performance is ensured. In this case, however, the performance of the copying apparatus is not fully attained, and a trouble may be caused.
In the field of the copying apparatus, a technique of detecting whether or not a developing device has been installed in the full-color copying machine has already been proposed, as is disclosed in, for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2-93480.
Also, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 63-193156, for example, discloses an image forming apparatus, in which a specific binary pattern identification number marked at one end of a unit integrally comprising a photosensitive drum and a developing device is read when the unit is mounted in the main body, so that a mounting error of the unit can be recognized.
However, the arrangement for identifying the developing devices according to these proposals can be easily imitated. A strong demand has arisen for an appropriate countermeasure for a toner cartridge that can be imitated more easily than the developing device.


DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus which can suppress degradation in performance and occurrence of troubles caused when a replenishing device is not a standard product guaranteed by the manufacturer.
To achieve the above object, according to the invention there is provided an image forming apparatus having a developing device designed to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on an image carrier, by supplying a developing agent onto the electrostatic latent image. The image forming apparatus comprises a developing-agent replenishing device detachably connected to the developing device. The replenishing device comprises: a storage section for storing a developing agent; a supply section for supplying the developing agent from the storage section to the developing device; first input means for receiving a first data signal; memory means storing a plurality of processing rules based on which the first data signal input through the first input means is to be processed; processing means for performing a processing on the first data signal input from the first input means, based on the processing rules stored in the memory means, thereby to generate a second data signal; and first output means for outputting the second data signal generated by the processing means. The image forming apparatus further comprises: generating means for generating data for selecting a specific one of the plurality of processing rules stored in the memory means; second output

REFERENCES:
patent: 5075724 (1991-12-01), Wada et al.
patent: 5132729 (1992-07-01), Matsushita et al.

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