Electrophotography – Diagnostics – Unit or part identification
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-29
2001-04-03
Pendegrass, Joan (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Diagnostics
Unit or part identification
C399S046000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06212338
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to image forming devices, such as a copying machine, a facsimile, and a printer, and in particular to toner cartridges and toner bottles capable of transmitting and receiving information on themselves to and from a device main body, as well as to image forming devices incorporating such toner cartridges and toner bottles.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventionally, a typical image forming device using an electrophotographic scheme, such as a copying machine, a facsimile, or a printer, has a plurality of developing devices disposed opposite to an image carrier to keep developing agents mixed with predetermined types of toner respectively. By means of the developing devices, the image forming device visualizes a latent image formed on the image carrier. A supplementary toner container, such as a toner cartridge or a toner bottle, is attached externally to a toner supply section of the developing device so as to supply supplementary toner, for example, during maintenance.
It is suggested that an erroneous attaching prevention mechanism should be included in such a supplementary toner container to prevent a supplementary toner container that is unsuitable to the image forming device from being erroneously attached to the device main body of the image forming device. For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 4-1682/1992 (Tokukaihei 4-1682: published on Jan. 7, 1992) discloses such an erroneous attaching prevention mechanism that a bar code reader or other information reading means provided to the toner supply section so as to read a bar code information shown on the toner cartridge activates a misinsertion prevention shutter based on the result of the reading.
Further, a popular, well-known suggestion is such an arrangement that the supplementary toner container is provided with an information storage medium, such as a non-volatie memory, so as to, when attached to a toner supply section, constitute an electric circuit with a developing device and transmit the information stored in the supplementary toner container to the developing device or the device main body by means of electric signals to form a basis on which a decision is made to prevent erroneous attaching.
However, to apply the erroneous attaching prevention mechanism disclosed for use with a toner cartridge in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 4-1682/1992 (Tokukaihei 4-1682) to an image forming device having a plurality of developing devices disposed opposite to an image carrier, each toner cartridge requires a bar code, and each toner supply section requires information reading means, such as a bar code reader; this arrangement inevitably leads to increases in costs.
Further, the bar code shown on the toner cartridge is susceptible to contamination as a result of direct exposure to developing agent and toner, as well as the bar code reader and other optical information reading means are susceptible to contamination by developing agent and toner; the arrangement therefore suffers from bar code reading errors.
The aforementioned method whereby an electric circuit is formed by the developing device and the supplementary toner container provided with an information storage medium, such as a non-volatile memory, to transmit the information stored in the supplementary toner container by means of electric signals, renders connection points susceptible to contamination as a result of exposure to toner and developing agent, resulting in malfunctioning connection, abrasion, and other undesirable phenomena.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A solution would be offered by such an arrangement that a unit, including a supplementary toner container, that is attachable to and detachable from an image forming device, can transmit data to and from the main body of an image forming device by means of electric waves. In the arrangement, the supplementary toner container exchanges information with the main body of the device without physical direct contact (contactlessly); therefore, the supplementary toner container is free from the foregoing problems in communication, allowing for more flexibility in design, improved durability, higher efficiency in attaching, smaller dimensions, and lower costs.
However, if the supplementary toner container to be attached has turned out unsuitable for the image forming device as a result of the above data transmission, it is still impossible to decide whether the container is simply manufactured by incompatible specifications or is a bogus product forged by specifications that are similar to those for the supplementary toner container. If the bogus product uses toner of inferior properties, it is likely that the image forming device, as well as the image forming process carried out by the image forming device, is affected negatively; such bogus products need to be singled out and excluded from further use.
In view of the foregoing problems, the present invention has an object to offer an image forming device capable of preventing erroneous attaching of a supplementary toner container to a device main body in a highly reliable manner and also capable of singling out bogus products.
An image forming device in accordance with the present invention includes a device main body to which a supplementary toner container for supplying supplementary toner is attached in a freely attachable and detachable manner, and so as to achieve the foregoing object, the image forming device is characterized in that
the supplementary toner container includes container end communication means, having a memory function to store information at least on the supplementary toner container, for contactlessly communicating with main body end communication means disposed in the device main body to transmit the information, and
at least a portion, of the supplementary toner container, including the container end communication means is movable from a first position where the supplementary toner container starts being attached to the device main body to a second position where the supplementary toner container is completely attached in readiness for toner refilling, and is able to carry out the communication at least somewhere between the first position and the second position,
the image forming device including control means for deciding from a result of the communication whether or not the information on the supplementary toner container matches the device main body, and for specifying an image forming condition that varies depending on the decision whether or not the supplementary toner container is suitable.
According to the arrangement, the container end communication means disposed in the supplementary toner container can communicate with the main body end communication means disposed in the device main body to transmit the information on the supplementary toner container when the portion, of the supplementary toner container, including the container end communication means is somewhere between the first position where the supplementary toner container starts being attached and the second position where the supplementary toner container is completely attached. “Information” here refers to, for example, a manufacturer code and serial number (product lot number) of the supplementary toner container, a name and type of compatible copying machines, printers, facsimiles, and other devices and a color and developing, transfer, and fixing conditions for the toner contained in the supplementary toner container.
Further, the main body end communication means receives the information on the supplementary toner container from the container end communication means through the foregoing communication. Based on a result of the communication, the control means decides whether or not the supplementary toner container is suitable for the device main body, and specifies an image forming condition that varies depending on whether or not the supplementary toner container is suitable. Therefore, if the supplementary toner container is suitable, a normal image forming process is executable
Hagihara Hideaki
Isner David
Nagata Ken'ichi
Nishiyama Haruo
Conlin David G.
Dike Bronstein, Roberts & Cushman LLP
Pendegrass Joan
Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
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