US 2009/0263147 A1 · Waste toner collector, image forming apparatus, and waste toner collection container

Abstract

An image forming apparatus, including an image former forming a toner image on an image bearer; a transferer transferring the toner image onto a recoding medium; a cleaner collecting a waste toner remaining on an image bearer after transferred; a waste toner collection container accumulating the waste toner therein; a detector detecting whether the container is properly set in the image forming apparatus; and another detector detecting that the container is nearly full of the waste toner, wherein the image forming apparatus further comprises a determiner determining a quantity of the waste toner in the container; another determiner determining whether the container is properly exchanged with a vacant container; and a limiter limiting a printable quantity after the container is detected to be nearly full of the waste toner, based on the another determiner.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A waste toner collector, comprising:

a cleaner configured to collect a waste toner remaining on an image bearer after transferred, of an image forming apparatus forming a toner image on the image bearer and transferring the toner image onto a recoding medium;
a waste toner collection container configured to accumulate the waste toner therein;
a first detector configured to detect whether the waste toner collection container is properly set in the image forming apparatus;
and
a second detector configured to detect that the waste toner collection container is nearly full of the waste toner,
wherein the waste toner collector further comprises:
a first determiner configured to determine a quantity of the waste toner in the waste toner collection container;
and
a second determiner configured to determine whether the waste toner collection container is properly exchanged with a vacant waste toner collection container.

6 more elements

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

an image former configured to form a toner image on an image bearer;
a transferer configured to transfer the toner image onto a recoding medium;
a cleaner configured to collect a waste toner remaining on an image bearer after transferred;
a waste toner collection container configured to accumulate the waste toner therein;
a first detector configured to detect whether the waste toner collection container is properly set in the image forming apparatus;
and
a second detector configured to detect that the waste toner collection container is nearly full of the waste toner,
wherein the image forming apparatus further comprises:
a first determiner configured to determine a quantity of the waste toner in the waste toner collection container;
a second determiner configured to determine whether the waste toner collection container is properly exchanged with a vacant waste toner collection container;
and
a limiter configured to limit a printable quantity after the waste toner collection container is detected to be nearly full of the waste toner, based on the second determiner.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Waste toner collector, image forming apparatus, and waste toner collection container

Life of this patent

Waste toner collector, image forming apparatus, and waste toner collection container

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14