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US 5,053,814 AGranted
Image forming apparatus
AssigneeMinolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsYoshiaki Takano, Masazumi Ito, Keiji Kusumoto, Takashi Noda, Masaaki Oyabu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes various image forming units and a detachable paper cassette with data on its outer surface as to thickness, talc content, quality and the type of copy paper; the image forming units being controlled in accordance with the data when the cassette is changed. The apparatus also includes a device for marking a mark corresponding to the number of sheets of the copy paper used so as to detect the number of sheets remaining in the cassette.
Claims27
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- means for forming an image on copy paper,
- a paper cassette containing the copy paper and removably attached to the main body of the apparatus,
- marking means provided in the main body providing a mark on the outer surface of the cassette according to the number of sheets of the copy paper used, said mark being visually discernible when the cassette is attached to and detached from the main body of the apparatus.
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- means for forming an image on copy paper,
- a paper cassette containing the copy paper and removably attached to the main body of the apparatus,
- marking means provided in the main body providing a mark on the outer surface of the cassette according to the number of sheets of the copy paper used, and
- mark reading means provided in the main body for reading the mark, wherein the marking means provides a paper absence mark on the outer surface of the cassette when the copy paper in the cassette has been entirely used.
1 more element
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- means for forming an image on copy paper,
- a paper cassette containing the copy paper and removably attached to the main body of the apparatus,
- marking means provided in the main body providing a mark on the outer surface of the cassette according to the number of sheets of the copy paper used,
- mark reading means provided in the main body for reading the mark, wherein said marking means provides a paper absence mark on the outer surface of the cassette when the copy paper in the cassette has been entirely used, and
- means for prohibiting the operation of the image forming means upon the mark reading means reading the paper absence mark.
2 more elements
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- means for forming an image on copy paper;
- a paper cassette containing the copy paper and removably attached to the main body of the apparatus;
- data representing portion provided on the outer surface of the cassette and representing data as to the copy paper contained in the cassette;
- data reading means provided in the main body for reading the data;
- judging means for determining whether the operation of the image forming means is to be prohibited based on the data obtained by the data reading means;
- and
- control means for controlling the image forming means based on the data obtained by the reading means when said judging means determines that the operation of the image forming means is not prohibited.
4 more elements
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- a paper cassette containing copy paper and removably attached to the main body of the apparatus;
- means for forming an image on the copy paper, said image forming means including a rotatably photosensitive member, means for forming a toner image on the photosensitive member, means for transferring a toner image from the photosensitive member onto the copy paper, means for feeding the copy paper from the interior of the cassette towards the transfer means and means for fixing the toner image to the copy paper;
- data representing portion provided on the outer surface of the cassette and representing data as to the copy paper contained in the cassette;
- data reading means fixedly provided in the main body for reading the data during the attaching movement of the cassette, transmission of data being terminated subsequent to movement of the cassette;
- and
- control means for controlling at least two means of said image forming means in complemental relation to each other based on the data obtained by the reading means.
3 more elements
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- means for forming an image on copy paper;
- a paper cassette containing the copy paper and removably attached to the main body of the apparatus;
- data representing portion provided on the outer surface of the cassette and extending lengthwise in a predetermined direction, said data representing portion representing data as to the copy paper contained in the cassette;
- data reading means fixedly provided in the main body for reading the data during the attaching movement of the cassette in said predetermined direction, transmission of data being terminated subsequent to movement of the cassette;
- and
- control means for controlling the image forming means based on the data obtained by the reading means.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.