Toner level detection method and image forming apparatus employing such toner level detection method
AssigneeSharp Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsNobuhiko Nakano, Masato Asanuma
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Abstract
Forced supply of toner(s) from toner hopper(s) to developer storage container(s) is executed while interrupting and/or prohibiting image forming operation(s) so as to prevent consumption of toner(s), toner level(s) within toner hopper(s) being determined to be low and low toner level condition(s) being reported to user(s) when temporal change(s) in value(s) detected by toner sensor(s) is/are small.
Claims17
A method for detecting a toner level of a toner supply means in an image forming apparatus which provides a supply of toner from the toner supply means to a developer storage container, and which executes an operation in which toner is supplied from the toner supply means to the developer storage container when an amount of toner within the developer storage container detected by a toner detection means is less than or equal to a prescribed amount, the method comprising:
- executing the operation in which toner is supplied from the toner supply means to the developer storage container while an image forming operation is interrupted and/or prohibited, and
- during execution of the operation in which toner is supplied from the toner supply means to the developer storage container, detecting a low toner level condition indicating that the toner level of the toner supply means is low by way of an absolute value of an amount of change per unit time in the amount of the toner within the developer storage container being detected by the toner detection means as less than or equal to a prescribed low toner level sense value, and
- reporting the low toner level condition to a user.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.