Back to results
US 2022/0019174 A1Published application
Image forming apparatus including controller capable of determining whether developing cartridge, drum cartridge and belt unit are reached their lifetimes
AssigneeBrother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorTadao Kyotani
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes a developing cartridge, a main memory and a controller. The controller is configured to perform determining whether the developing cartridge is reached a lifetime on a basis of: at least one of s developing maximum printable number of sheets which corresponds to developing identification information, a maximum developing roller rotation number which corresponds to the developing identification information, and a maximum dot count which corresponds to the developing identification information; and at least one of a developing cumulative number of printed sheets, a cumulative developing roller rotation number and a cumulative dot count.
Claims13
A developing cartridge comprising:
- a developing roller;
- and
- a developing memory having:
- a first developing storage area storing therein developing identification information which identifies a specific type of the developing cartridge from among a plurality of types of the developing cartridge;
- and
- a second developing storage area different from the first developing storage area, the second developing storage area storing therein at least one of a developing cumulative number of printed sheets printed by using the developing cartridge, a cumulative developing roller rotation number when the printing is performed by using the developing cartridge, and a cumulative dot count printed by using the developing cartridge,
- wherein whether the developing cartridge is reached a lifetime is determinable on a basis of:
- at least one of a developing maximum printable number of sheets which corresponds to the developing identification information, a maximum developing roller rotation number which corresponds to the developing identification information, and a maximum dot count which corresponds to the developing identification information, the developing maximum printable number of sheets indicating an upper limit number of printable sheets, the maximum developing rotation number indicating an upper limit number of rotations of the developing roller, the maximum dot count indicating an upper limit number of printable dots;
- and
- at least one of the developing cumulative number of printed sheets stored in the second developing storage area, the cumulative developing roller rotation number stored in the second developing storage area and the cumulative dot count stored in the second developing storage area.
7 more elements
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- a main body;
- a developing cartridge attachable to the main body, the developing cartridge comprising:
- a developing roller;
- and
- a developing memory having:
- a first developing storage area storing therein developing identification information which identifies a specific type of the developing cartridge from among a plurality of types of the developing cartridge;
- and
- a second developing storage area different from the first developing storage area;
- a main memory storing therein:
- a plurality of pieces of the developing identification information;
- and
- at least one of a developing maximum printable number of sheets indicating an upper limit number of printable sheets in correspondence with each of the plurality of pieces of developing identification information, a maximum developing rotation number indicating an upper limit number of rotations of the developing roller in correspondence with each of the plurality of pieces of developing identification information, and a maximum dot count indicating an upper limit number of printable dots in correspondence with each of the plurality of pieces of developing identification information;
- and
- a controller configured to perform:
- storing, in the second developing storage area, at least one of a developing cumulative number of printed sheets printed by using the developing cartridge, a cumulative developing roller rotation number when the printing is performed by using the developing cartridge, and a cumulative dot count printed by using the developing cartridge,
- reading the developing identification information stored in the first developing storage area, and
- determining whether the developing cartridge is reached a lifetime on a basis of:
- at least one of the developing maximum printable number of sheets which corresponds to the read developing identification information, the maximum developing roller rotation number which corresponds to the read developing identification information, and the maximum dot count which corresponds to the read developing identification information;
- and
- at least one of the developing cumulative number of printed sheets stored in the second developing storage area, the cumulative developing roller rotation number stored in the second developing storage area and the cumulative dot count stored in the second developing storage area.
17 more elements
A drum cartridge comprising:
- a photosensitive drum;
- and
- a drum memory having:
- a first drum storage area storing therein drum identification information which identifying a specific type of the drum cartridge from among a plurality of types of the drum cartridge;
- and
- a second drum storage area different from the first drum storage area, the second drum storage area storing therein at least one of a drum cumulative number of printed sheets printed by using the drum cartridge, and a cumulative drum rotation number when the printing is performed by using the drum cartridge,
- wherein whether the drum cartridge is reached a lifetime is determinable on a basis of:
- at least one of a drum maximum printable number of sheets which corresponds to the drum identification information, and a maximum drum rotation number which corresponds to the drum identification information, the drum maximum printable number of sheets indicating an upper limit number of printable sheets, the maximum drum rotation number indicating an upper limit number of rotations of the photosensitive drum;
- and
- at least one of the drum cumulative number of printed sheets stored in the second drum storage area and the cumulative drum rotation number stored in the second drum storage area.
7 more elements
A belt unit comprising:
- a belt;
- and
- a belt memory having:
- a first belt storage area storing therein belt identification information which identifying a specific type of the belt unit from among a plurality of types of the belt unit;
- and
- a second belt storage area different from the first belt storage area, the second belt storage area storing therein at least one of a belt cumulative number of printed sheets printed by using the belt unit, and a cumulative belt rotation number when the printing is performed by using the belt unit,
- wherein whether the belt unit is reached the lifetime is determinable on a basis of:
- at least one of a belt maximum printable number of sheets which corresponds to the belt identification information, and a maximum belt rotation number which corresponds to the belt identification information, the belt maximum printable number of sheets indicating an upper limit number of printable sheets, the maximum belt rotation number indicating an upper limit number of rotations of the belt;
- and
- at least one of the belt cumulative number of printed sheets stored in the second belt storage area and the cumulative belt rotation number stored in the second belt storage area.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.