Electrophotography – Diagnostics – Unit or part identification
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-18
2001-09-11
Braun, Fred L (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Diagnostics
Unit or part identification
C399S027000, C399S262000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06289182
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for discriminating toner bottle types, stirring toner, and detecting the amount of remaining toner, a toner bottle adapted to fit the apparatus for discriminating toner bottle types, and a toner bottle adapted for the apparatus for stirring toner.
A copying machine using a laser beam performs a copying process in which the surface of a photosensitive drum is negatively charged and exposed to a laser beam on the basis of an image signal, negatively charged toner is attracted to the exposed portion to form a visual image, and this visual image is transferred onto a transfer sheet and fixed on it.
To replenish the copying machine with toner, a toner bottle containing toner and a driving unit for rotating this toner bottle are used.
However, conventional copying machines have the following several problems about a toner bottle.
First, it is impossible to reliably eliminate the use of toner bottles other than genuine products by a simple method.
Second, it is necessary to stir toner in order to prevent inclination and gathering of toner in a toner bottle and thereby stabilize the replenishment. However, stirring of toner cannot be performed by a simple method.
Third, the amount of remaining toner in a toner bottle cannot be detected in real time. Conventionally, the amount of remaining toner is detected by, e.g., the following method. When a developing unit containing toner and a carrier for charging the toner detects a deficiency of the toner amount, it outputs a signal for requesting replenishment of toner from a toner bottle. If the deficiency of the toner amount does not improve although the signal is output three times, empty indication is performed to indicate that the toner bottle is empty.
However, this method cannot detect a toner deficiency in a toner bottle in real time. Hence, in some cases a toner deficiency is suddenly indicated and copying is interrupted during copying a large quantity of sheets. If this is the case, the operation is kept interrupted while the user who has started this large-quantity copying is away from the copying machine.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, the first object of the present invention to reliably eliminate the use of toner bottles other than genuine products by a simple method.
It is the second object of the present invention to stir toner in a toner bottle by a simple method.
It is the third object of the present invention to detect a toner deficiency in a toner bottle in real time to inform it before toner empty indication is performed, thereby improving the efficiency of copying.
According to the present invention, there is provided a method of discriminating toner bottle types, comprising the object sensing step of rotating a toner bottle, sensing an object to be sensed formed on an outer surface of the toner bottle and, if the object is not sensed, outputting information indicating abnormality, and the ratio discrimination step of checking, if the object is sensed, whether the object is formed at a predetermined ratio on the outer surface of the toner bottle, outputting information indicating abnormality if the object is not formed at the predetermined ratio, and outputting information indicating normality if the object is formed at the predetermined ratio.
In this method, the object ratio discrimination step can comprise the steps of detecting a first time interval from the timing at which the sensor senses one end portion of the object of the toner bottle in rotation to the timing at which the sensor senses the other end portion, detecting a second time interval from the timing at which the sensor senses the other end portion of the object to the timing at which the sensor senses the one end portion, and checking whether the object is formed over a predetermined length on the outer surface of the toner bottle by using the first and second time intervals.
In this method, the object ratio discrimination step may be performed with reference to the timing at which a first end portion of the object of the toner bottle in rotation is sensed and the timing at which a second end portion of the object is sensed.
An apparatus for discriminating toner bottle types according to the present invention comprises a motor for rotating a toner bottle, a motor driver for driving the motor, a sensor for sensing an object to be sensed formed in a predetermined portion of the toner bottle and outputting a sensor signal, and a CPU for controlling the motor driver and discriminating the toner bottle by using the sensor signal, wherein the CPU rotates the toner bottle by controlling the motor driver, senses the object assumed to be formed on an outer surface of the toner bottle by using the sensor, outputs information indicating abnormality if the object is not sensed, checks, if the object is sensed, whether the object is formed at a predetermined ratio on the outer surface of the toner bottle, outputs information indicating abnormality if the object is not formed at the predetermined ratio, and outputs information indicating normality if the object is formed at the predetermined ratio.
In order to check whether the object is formed at the predetermined ratio on the outer surface of the toner bottle, the CPU can detect a first time interval from the timing at which the sensor senses one end portion of the object of the toner bottle in rotation to the timing at which the sensor senses the other end portion, detect a second time interval from the timing at which the sensor senses the other end portion of the object to the timing at which the sensor senses the one end portion, and check whether the object is formed at the predetermined ratio on the outer surface of the toner bottle by using the first and second time intervals.
A toner bottle according to the present invention is so formed as to be adapted to fit the toner bottle type discriminating apparatus described above.
A method of stirring toner according to the present invention comprises the steps of rotating a toner bottle through a predetermined angle in a forward direction, and rotating the toner bottle through a predetermined angle in a reverse direction.
A method of stirring toner and discriminating toner bottle types according to the present invention comprises the steps of rotating a toner bottle through a predetermined angle in a forward direction, sensing an object to be sensed assumed to be formed on an outer surface of the toner bottle and, if the object is not sensed, outputting information indicating abnormality, and rotating the toner bottle through a predetermined angle in a reverse direction, sensing the object by using the sensor and, if the object is not sensed, outputting information indicating abnormality, wherein toner is stirred by rotating the toner bottle through the predetermined angles in the forward and reverse directions.
An apparatus for stirring toner and discriminating toner bottle types according to the present invention comprises a motor for rotating a toner bottle, a motor driver for driving the motor, a sensor for sensing an object to be sensed formed in a predetermined portion of the toner bottle and outputting a sensor signal, and a CPU for controlling the motor driver and receiving the sensor signal, wherein the CPU controls the motor driver to rotate the toner bottle through a predetermined angle in a forward direction, senses the object assumed to be formed on an outer surface of the toner bottle by using the sensor, outputs information indicating abnormality if the object is not sensed, rotates the toner bottle through a predetermined angle in a reverse direction, senses the object by using the sensor, and outputs information indicating abnormality if the object is not sensed.
A toner bottle according to the present invention is so formed as to be adapted to fit the toner stirring apparatus described above.
A method of detecting the amount of remaining toner according to the present invention comprises the steps of rotating a toner bottle and sensing the rotational
Nishi Takayuki
Umezawa Noriyuki
Braun Fred L
Foley & Lardner
Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
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