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US 6,137,970 AGranted
Cartridge detachably detachable to a main body of an image forming apparatus and an image forming apparatus detecting whether a seal member of the cartridge is removed therefrom
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorYoshikazu Sasago
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cartridge detachably attachable to a main body of an image forming apparatus which includes a developing device, and the developing device includes a developer containing container, a developing container having a developer bearing member, a removable seal member for covering the opening portion, and a detecting portion for detecting an amount of the developer within the developing container, and the main body of the image forming apparatus detecting whether the seal member is removed or not by detecting the detecting portion by the main body of the image forming apparatus.
Claims30
A cartridge detachably attachable to main body of an image forming apparatus, comprising:
- a developing device for developing an electrostatic image formed on an image bearing member with developer, said developing device including:
- a developer containing container for containing the developer;
- a developing container having a developer bearing member for bearing and conveying the developer to a developing position where the electrostatic image is developed, the developer being supplied from said developer containing container to said developing container through an opening portion;
- a removable seal member for covering said opening portion, wherein said seal member has a conductive portion;
- and
- a detecting portion for detecting an amount of the developer within said developing container, wherein the main body of said image forming apparatus detects whether said seal member is removed or not in dependence upon the presence or absence of said conductive portion when said detecting portion is detected by the main body of said image forming apparatus.
3 more elements
A cartridge detachably attachable to a main body of an image forming apparatus, comprising:
- a developing device for developing an electrostatic image formed on an image bearing member with developer,
- said developing device including:
- a developer containing container for containing the developer;
- a developing container having a developer bearing member for bearing and conveying the developer to a developing position where the electrostatic image is developed, the developer being supplied from said developer containing container to said developing container through an opening portion;
- and
- a removable seal member for covering said opening portion, said seal member having a light reflecting portion, and the main body of said image forming apparatus detecting whether said seal member is removed or not by detecting the presence or absence of said light reflecting portion by the main body of said image forming apparatus.
3 more elements
A cartridge detachably attachable to a main body of an image forming apparatus, comprising:
- a developing device for developing an electrostatic image formed on an image bearing member with developer,
- said developing device including:
- a developer containing container for containing the developer;
- a developing container having a developer bearing member for bearing and conveying the developer to a developing position where the electrostatic image is developed, the developer being supplied from said developer containing container to said developing container through an opening portion;
- and
- a removable seal member for covering said opening portion;
- wherein said cartridge has a grip portion removable from said developing device to remove said seal member, and the main body of said image forming apparatus detects whether said seal member is removed or not by detecting whether said grip portion is removed or not by the main body of said image forming apparatus.
4 more elements
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- mounting means for detachably mounting a cartridge to main body of said image forming apparatus detachably attachable;
- wherein said cartridge has a developing device for developing an electrostatic image formed on an image bearing member with developer, said developing device including:
- a developer containing container for containing the developer;
- a developing container having a developer bearing member for bearing and conveying the developer to a developing position where the electrostatic image is developed, the developer being supplied from said developer containing container to said developing container through an opening portion;
- a removable seal member for covering said opening portion, wherein said seal member has a conductive portion;
- and
- a detecting portion for detecting an amount of the developer within said developing container, and wherein said image forming apparatus further comprises detecting means for detecting whether said seal member is removed or not in dependence upon the presence or absence of said conductive portion by using said detecting portion.
4 more elements
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- a mounting means for detachably mounting a cartridge to a body of said image forming apparatus,
- wherein said cartridge has a developing device for developing an electrostatic image formed on an image bearing member with developer,
- said developing device including:
- a developer containing container for containing the developer;
- a developing container having a developer bearing member for bearing and conveying the developer to a developing position where the electrostatic image is developed, the developer being supplied from said developer containing container to said developing container through an opening portion;
- and
- a removable seal member for covering said opening portion and having a light reflecting portion;
- and wherein said image forming apparatus further comprises a detecting means for detecting whether said seal member is removed or not by detecting the presence or absence of said light reflecting portion.
5 more elements
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- a mounting means for detachably mounting a cartridge to a body of said image forming apparatus,
- wherein said cartridge has
- (a) a developing device for developing an electrostatic image formed on an image bearing member with developer, said developing device including:
- a developer containing container for containing the developer,
- a developing container having a developer bearing member for bearing and conveying the developer to a developing position where an electrostatic latent image is developed, the developer being supplied from said developer containing container to said developing container through an opening portion, and
- a removable seal member for covering said opening portion;
- and
- (b) a grip portion removable from said developing device to remove said seal member,
- and wherein said image forming apparatus further comprises a detecting means for detecting whether said seal member is removed or not by detecting whether said grip portion is removed or not.
6 more elements
An image forming apparatus according to claim 29, further comprising control means for controlling said apparatus to inhibit an image forming operation of said image forming apparatus when said detecting means detects the fact that said seal member is not removed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.