Image forming apparatus and toner sensor status sensing method thereof
AssigneeSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
InventorHan-sang OH
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An image forming apparatus which comprises a developing unit having a toner and a developer therein, the apparatus includes a toner sensor to receive a control voltage and to generate an output voltage corresponding to a remaining amount of the toner in the developing unit, a pulse width modulator to supply the control voltage to the toner sensor corresponding to a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal and a controller to control the pulse width modulator to supply the control voltage to the toner sensor to adjust a duty ratio of the PWM signal and make the output voltage reach a target value.
Claims15
An image forming apparatus that comprises a developing unit having a toner and a developer therein, the apparatus comprising:
- a toner sensor to receive a control voltage and to generate an output voltage corresponding to a remaining amount of the toner in the developing unit;
- a pulse width modulator to supply the control voltage to the toner sensor corresponding to a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal;
- and
- a controller to control the pulse width modulator to supply the control voltage to the toner sensor to adjust a duty ratio of the PWM signal and to make the output voltage reach a target value.
A toner sensor status sensing method of an image forming apparatus having a toner sensor to receive a control voltage and to generate an output voltage corresponding to a remaining amount of a toner in a developing unit, the method comprising:
- calculating a target value of the output voltage;
- adjusting a duty ratio of a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal according to the calculated target value;
- and
- supplying the control voltage to the toner sensor corresponding to the adjusted duty ratio.
An image forming apparatus, comprising:
- a toner sensor to sense a density ratio of toner and developer and to generate an output voltage corresponding to the sensed density ratio;
- and
- a controller to adjust a control voltage supplied to the toner sensor corresponding to the output voltage generated by the toner sensor.
An image forming apparatus, comprising:
- an agitator to agitate toner and developer through a rotational movement;
- a toner sensor to sense the rotational movement of the agitator and to generate an output voltage corresponding to the rotational movement of the agitator;
- and
- a controller to detect whether a maximum value of the output voltage of the toner sensor is generated and to determine whether the agitator is normal or abnormal based on whether the maximum value is detected.
A method of detecting a level of toner in an image forming apparatus, the method comprising:
- sensing a density ratio of the toner and developer;
- generating an output voltage corresponding to the sensed density ratio;
- and
- adjusting a control voltage supplied to the toner sensor corresponding to the output voltage generated by the toner sensor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.