Image forming apparatus having means for detecting amount of...

Electrophotography – Diagnostics – Consumable

Reexamination Certificate

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Details

C399S027000, C399S035000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06253035

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer.
An electrophotographic image forming apparatus such as a printer or a copying machine is a widely used monochromatic image forming apparatus or a color image forming apparatus.
In an example of the color image forming apparatus, an image is formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive member in the form of a photosensitive drum through charging, laser exposure and development processes, and is transferred onto a transfer belt. These processes are repeated through a plurality of turns so that a color image is formed on the transfer belt. Then, the image is transferred onto a transfer sheet, thus providing a color print or copy.
A photosensitive drum unit of such a color image forming apparatus is provided with a removed toner container, a capacity of which is normally 2 times or 3 times the lifetime of the photosensitive drum. Therefore, it is not probable that any removed toner will overflow to scatter in the color image forming apparatus and contaminate the inside thereof. Some of the photosensitive drum units are provided with a check window permitting the user to check the toner level.
However, when the main assembly of the apparatus is designed to be small, the capacity of the removed toner container may be limited.
In such a case, some apparatuses are provided with a function of monitoring the toner amount in the removed toner container and notifying the user of the full state of the removed toner container when the full state is near or has been or is reached.
The sensor for monitoring the amount of the removed toner may optically detect the amount of the removed toner, may measure the weight of the removed toner, or the like. However, in any case, the sensor may not operate normally due to sensor trouble such as contamination of the sensor, disconnection of the cable, lifetime of the sensor or the like.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus wherein when an abnormality occurs in a sensor for detecting an amount of the removed toner, the occurrence is notified to the user.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus wherein an amount of the removed toner can be correctly detected.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon a consideration of the following description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4711561 (1987-12-01), Tsuruoka
patent: 5021828 (1991-06-01), Yamaguchi et al.
patent: 5500716 (1996-03-01), Morishita et al.
patent: 5572292 (1996-11-01), Chatani et al.
patent: 5822646 (1998-10-01), Kinoshita et al.
patent: 60-142360 (1985-07-01), None
patent: 7-253738 (1995-10-01), None

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