JP4363083B2 - Toner cartridge life management device and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a toner cartridge life management apparatus and method, and an image forming apparatus, which are configured to display the remaining amount of toner at a low cost and to be easily viewed by a user when managing the life of the toner cartridge.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In an image forming apparatus that forms an image using toner, it is necessary to check the toner consumption or remaining amount and manage the life of the toner cartridge for maintenance such as toner replenishment and maintenance of image quality. . The applicant of the present application has already disclosed a toner consumption detection method and apparatus that can accurately determine toner consumption with a simple configuration (see Patent Document 1).
[0003]
In this detection method and apparatus, in view of the fact that the relationship between the print dot value and the toner consumption amount is non-linear, and also changes depending on the state of the print dot adjacent to the print dot, the print dot row is divided into two isolated dots. It is divided into three patterns of dots and intermediate value dots, the number of formations is counted for each of these patterns, and the amount of toner consumption is obtained based on these counted values.
[0004]
In such an image forming apparatus, as the image formation is repeated, the toner filled in the toner cartridge is consumed and gradually decreases. When the amount of toner filled in the toner cartridge becomes lower than a certain level (predetermined value), a message such as “Replace the toner cartridge” is displayed on the display unit of the image forming apparatus to alert the user. Yes.
[0005]
From the viewpoint of effective use of resources, there is a demand for users to accurately grasp the remaining amount of toner and replace the toner cartridge at an appropriate time. In the invention described in Patent Document 1, the print dot row arrangement pattern is divided into three types, and the toner consumption during a job period that is a unit of one page is obtained based on the print dot row arrangement pattern. It is disclosed. However, there is no description about a configuration for determining how much toner is remaining in the toner cartridge and when the toner cartridge is replaced.
[0006]
On the other hand, Patent Document 2 discloses a technique for individually displaying the remaining amount of toner for each of a large capacity cartridge and a small capacity cartridge. That is, Patent Document 2 describes that a gauge 43 for displaying the remaining amount of toner corresponding to a large capacity cartridge and a gauge 44 for displaying the remaining amount of toner corresponding to a small capacity cartridge are described. In this example, the remaining amount of toner is displayed as an absolute value (analog value). For this reason, the user can visually determine the current value of the remaining amount of toner.
[0007]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2002-174929 A [Patent Document 2]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-83846
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
As described above, the technique described in Patent Document 2 is provided with a gauge that individually displays the remaining amount of toner in each of the large-capacity cartridge and the small-capacity cartridge. For this reason, there is a problem that the cost of the toner remaining amount display mechanism is increased. In addition, the small-capacity cartridge is displayed with the remaining amount of toner reduced compared to the large-capacity cartridge, and the color can be changed. Alternatively, there is a problem that it is difficult for the user to read because the display forms of the two change, such as a difference in gauge change.
[0009]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and a toner cartridge life management apparatus and method, and image formation, which are configured to display the remaining amount of toner at a low cost and to be easily viewed by the user when managing the life of the toner cartridge. The purpose is to provide a device.
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The toner cartridge life management apparatus according to the present invention obtains a rotary developing unit having a toner cartridge filled with toners corresponding to a plurality of colors, and an amount of toner of each color consumed by forming an image on a recording medium. Toner comprising: a toner counter; determination means for determining when to replace the toner cartridge when the toner remaining amount of each color filled in the toner cartridge reaches a predetermined value; and display means for displaying the toner remaining amount In the cartridge life management device,
A plurality of toner cartridges of the same color and different capacities can be exchanged and mounted on the rotary developing unit, and the remaining amount of toner of the plurality of toner cartridges of the different capacities is displayed on the display unit on the same scale. At the same time, the remaining amount of toner is displayed as a percentage of the initial value. As described above, since the remaining amounts of toner of a plurality of toner cartridges having different capacities are displayed on the same scale and in proportion to the initial value, the display of the remaining amount of toner can be made inexpensive and easy to see for the user. it can. Further, since the replacement timing of the toner cartridge is accurately determined based on whether or not the remaining amount of toner has reached a predetermined value, it is possible to manage the life of the toner cartridge appropriately.
[0011]
In addition, the image forming apparatus of the present invention obtains the amount of toner of each color consumed by forming an image on a recording medium and a rotary developing unit having a toner cartridge filled with toners corresponding to a plurality of colors. Toner cartridge comprising: a toner counter; a determination unit that determines when the toner cartridge is to be replaced when the remaining amount of developing roller driving time reaches a predetermined value; and a display unit that displays the remaining amount of developing roller driving time In the life management device,
A plurality of toner cartridges of the same color and different capacities can be exchanged and mounted on the rotary developing unit, and the remaining amount of developing roller driving time of the plurality of toner cartridges of different capacities is the same on the display means. In addition to displaying on a scale, the remaining amount of developing roller driving time is displayed as a percentage of the initial value. As described above, the remaining amount of developing roller driving time in a plurality of toner cartridges having different capacities is displayed on the same scale and in proportion to the initial value, so that the remaining amount of developing roller driving time can be displayed inexpensively. The configuration can be easily seen by the user. Further, since the replacement timing of the toner cartridge is accurately determined based on whether or not the remaining amount of the developing roller driving time has reached a predetermined value, it is possible to appropriately manage the life of the toner cartridge.
[0012]
According to the present invention, an initial value of a toner counter count value set corresponding to the amount of toner filled in the toner cartridge is stored in a storage unit in advance, and the toner counter count value is subtracted from the initial value. And calculating the remaining amount of toner. As described above, since the toner consumption is subtracted from the fixed initial value each time, the remaining amount of toner at the present time can be accurately grasped.
[0013]
Further, the present invention includes a storage unit that stores in advance an initial value of the remaining amount of the developing roller driving time and a calculating unit that obtains the remaining amount of the developing roller driving time, and the calculating unit accumulates the developing roller driving time. The remaining developing roller driving time is obtained by subtracting the cumulatively added developing roller driving time from the maximum value. In this way, since the developing roller driving time is accumulated and subtracted from the fixed initial value, the remaining amount of the developing roller driving time at the present time can be accurately grasped.
[0014]
Further, the present invention is characterized in that the storage means is provided in a toner cartridge. For this reason, even when the user forms an image on a recording medium using a large-capacity cartridge and then replaces the small-capacity cartridge to form an image, and replaces the large-capacity cartridge again, the remaining toner corresponding to the large-capacity cartridge remains. The amount will take on the value before the replacement of the small capacity cartridge. As described above, even when toner cartridges having different capacities are replaced halfway before reaching the end of their lifetime, the lifetime management can be performed with high accuracy.
[0015]
In the invention, it is preferable that the predetermined value is any one of a near-end value, an end value, and an end-end value set in descending order of the remaining amount of toner. As described above, the predetermined amount of remaining toner for determining the replacement timing of the toner cartridge is set in three stages according to the remaining amount of toner. For this reason, it is possible to finely determine and notify the replacement timing of the toner cartridge, so that convenience for the user is improved.
[0016]
Further, the predetermined value is characterized in that a black (black) near-end value is set to a value smaller than other colors. In image formation, when forming an image on a sheet (recording medium) with each color, black is more than other colors because of characteristics such as the size of the print area and the amount of toner adhering to the non-image area (offset). Since the toner consumption increases, the remaining amount of toner is not the same for each color. In this way, the black (black) near-end value is set to a value smaller than the near-end values of the other colors. Therefore, when an image is formed on a sheet, the black (black) is reached before reaching the near-end value according to the actual situation. ) Toner consumption can be increased.
[0017]
The predetermined value may be a value that varies depending on an image occupancy ratio of a ratio of images formed on a recording medium. The toner consumption amount is determined by the size (image occupancy rate) of the image forming area of the sheet. That is, although the toner consumption amount varies depending on the total image amount formed on the sheet, it is possible to manage the life of the toner cartridge corresponding to various image formations with different image occupancy rates.
[0018]
The toner cartridge is used by exchanging a plurality of toner cartridges, a large-capacity toner cartridge that forms an image on a large number of recording media and a small-capacity toner cartridge that forms an image on a small number of recording media. The predetermined value is set to a different value for the same color in a plurality of toner cartridges. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately manage the life of the toner cartridge regardless of whether a large capacity toner cartridge or a small capacity toner cartridge is used.
[0019]
In the toner cartridge life management method of the present invention, toner is consumed by forming an image on a recording medium by a rotary developing unit including a toner cartridge filled with toners corresponding to a plurality of colors, and the toner cartridge A toner cartridge life management method for determining when it is time to replace the toner cartridge and displaying the remaining amount of toner when the remaining amount of toner of each color filled in the toner reaches a predetermined value.
A step of acquiring a toner counter count value associated with toner consumption, a step of reading an initial value of toner filled in a toner cartridge previously stored in a storage means, and a cumulative toner consumption amount is subtracted from the initial value. When displaying a toner remaining amount and replacing a plurality of toner cartridges having the same color and different capacities to form an image, the display means displays the same amount of toner remaining in the plurality of toner cartridges having different capacities. And a stage of displaying at a ratio to the initial value. In this way, the display means displays the remaining amount of toner of a plurality of toner cartridges having different capacities on the same scale and in proportion to the initial value, so that the internal processing can be performed easily. In addition, the accumulated toner consumption is accurately calculated, and the toner cartridge life can be managed with high accuracy.
[0020]
In the toner cartridge life management method of the present invention, an image is formed on a recording medium by a rotary developing unit having toner cartridges filled with toners corresponding to a plurality of colors, a cumulative developing roller driving time is calculated, A toner cartridge life management method for determining when it is time to replace the toner cartridge when the remaining amount of developing roller driving time reaches a predetermined value, and displaying the remaining amount of developing roller driving time,
Acquiring a developing roller driving time; reading an initial value and a maximum value of a developing roller driving time stored in advance in a storage; adding an accumulated developing roller driving time to the initial value; The step of calculating the remaining amount by subtracting the cumulatively added developing roller driving time from the maximum value, and replacing the plurality of toner cartridges of the same color with different capacities to form an image when the display means is used. Comprises the step of displaying the remaining amount of the developing roller driving time of the plurality of toner cartridges of different capacities on the same scale and in proportion to the initial value. As described above, when the plurality of toner cartridges having different capacities are used on the display unit, the remaining amount of the developing roller driving time is displayed on the same scale and in proportion to the initial value, so that the internal processing is easy. It can be done. In addition, the accumulated developing roller driving time is accurately obtained, and the toner cartridge life can be managed with high accuracy.
[0021]
The predetermined value is a near-end value of the remaining amount of toner, and includes a step of notifying that when the toner consumption amount reaches the predetermined value. Therefore, the user can accurately grasp that the remaining amount of toner has reached the near end value.
[0022]
An image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes the toner cartridge life management device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, and an image carrier configured to carry an electrostatic latent image. The rotary developing unit carries the toner stored in the plurality of toner cartridges on the surface thereof, and sequentially conveys different color toners to a position facing the image carrier by rotating in a predetermined rotation direction. A developing bias is applied between the image carrier and the rotary developing unit, and the toner is moved from the rotary developing unit to the image carrier, whereby the electrostatic latent image is visualized to form a toner image. It is characterized by forming. For this reason, in an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording medium with a plurality of colors of toner using a rotary developing unit, the remaining amount of toner or the remaining amount of developing roller driving time can be displayed easily to the user. Further, it is possible to accurately manage the life of the toner cartridge in accordance with the actual state of image formation.
[0023]
The image forming apparatus of the present invention is characterized in that the toner image formed on the image carrier is transferred to an intermediate transfer member. For this reason, in the image forming apparatus using the intermediate transfer member, the remaining amount of toner or the remaining amount of developing roller driving time can be displayed in an easy-to-see manner for the user. In addition, the life management of the toner cartridge can be performed with high accuracy.
[0024]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 8 is a longitudinal side view showing an embodiment of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the image forming apparatus of FIG. This image forming apparatus forms a full color image by superposing four color toners of yellow (Y), cyan (C), magenta (M), and black (K), or uses only black (K) toner. A monochrome image is formed.
[0025]
In the image forming apparatus of the present invention, an image signal is given to the main controller 11 from an external device such as a host computer in response to an image formation request from a user. At this time, a command signal is transmitted from the main controller 11 to the engine controller 10. In response to this command signal, the engine controller 10 controls each part of the engine unit EG to form an image corresponding to the image signal on the sheet S (recording medium).
[0026]
In the engine unit EG, a photosensitive member 2 functioning as an “image carrier” is provided to be rotatable in an arrow direction D1 in FIG. Further, a charging unit 3, a rotary developing unit 4 and a cleaning unit 5 are arranged around the photosensitive member 2 along the rotation direction D1. The charging unit 3 is applied with a charging bias from the charging controller 103 and uniformly charges the outer peripheral surface of the photoreceptor 2 to a predetermined surface potential.
[0027]
Then, the light beam L is irradiated from the exposure unit 6 toward the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive member 2 charged by the charging unit 3. The exposure unit 6 exposes the light beam L onto the photosensitive member 2 in accordance with a control command given from the exposure control unit 102 to form an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image signal. The exposure unit 6 is provided with appropriate optical elements such as a lens and a mirror.
[0028]
When an image signal is given from an external device such as a host computer to the CPU 111 of the main controller 11 via the interface 112, the CPU 101 of the engine controller 10 sends a control signal corresponding to the image signal to the exposure control unit 102 at a predetermined timing. Output. In response to this control signal, the exposure unit 6 irradiates the photosensitive member 2 with the light beam L, and an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image signal is formed on the photosensitive member 2.
[0029]
Thus, the electrostatic latent image formed on the photoreceptor 2 is developed with toner by the rotary developing unit 4. That is, in this embodiment, the rotary developing unit 4 is provided with a support frame 40 that is rotatably provided at the center of the shaft, and a rotation drive unit that is not shown. The rotary developing unit 4 is provided with a developing device for each color, and a developing roller is attached to each developing device.
[0030]
Further, a yellow developing device 4Y, a cyan developing device 4C, a magenta developing device 4M, and a black developing device which are configured to be detachable from the support frame 40 and incorporate respective color toners. (In the present specification, the color developing devices 4Y, 4C, 4M, and 4K may be referred to as toner cartridges).
[0031]
The rotary developing unit 4 is controlled by a developing device controller 104 as shown in FIG. Based on the control command from the developing device control unit 104, the rotary developing unit 4 is rotationally driven. Further, these developing devices 4Y, 4C, 4M, and 4K are selectively positioned at a predetermined developing position facing the photoconductor 2 to apply toner of the selected color to the surface of the photoconductor 2. As a result, the electrostatic latent image on the photoreceptor 2 is visualized with the selected toner color.
[0032]
At this developing position, the developing roller 44 provided in the developing device positioned in the position (yellow developing device 4Y in the example of FIG. 8) is in contact with the photosensitive member 2 or opposed to each other with a predetermined gap. Has been. The developing roller 44 functions as a toner carrier that carries the frictionally charged toner on its surface. Then, as the developing roller 44 rotates, the toner is sequentially conveyed to a position facing the photoreceptor 2 on which an electrostatic latent image is formed.
[0033]
Here, a developing bias in which a DC voltage and an AC voltage are superimposed is applied from the developing device controller 104 to the developing roller 44. Due to such a developing bias, the toner carried on the developing roller 44 partially adheres to each part of the surface of the photoconductor 2 according to the surface potential, and thus the electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor 2 becomes the toner. It is visualized as a color toner image.
[0034]
The toner image developed by the developing unit 4 as described above is primarily transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 71 of the transfer unit 7 in the primary transfer region TR1. The transfer unit 7 includes an intermediate transfer belt 71 stretched over a plurality of rollers 72 to 75, and a drive unit (not shown) that rotates the intermediate transfer belt 71 in a predetermined rotation direction D2 by rotationally driving the roller 73. It has.
[0035]
Further, a secondary transfer roller 78 is provided at a position facing the roller 73 with the intermediate transfer belt 71 interposed therebetween, and is configured to be able to contact and separate from the surface of the belt 71 by an electromagnetic clutch (not shown). It has been. When the color image is transferred to the sheet S, the color image is formed by superimposing the toner images of the respective colors formed on the photoreceptor 2 on the intermediate transfer belt 71.
[0036]
Then, the color image is secondarily transferred onto the sheet S taken out from the cassette 8 and conveyed to the secondary transfer region TR2 between the intermediate transfer belt 71 and the secondary transfer roller 78. Further, the sheet S on which the color image is formed in this way is conveyed via the fixing unit 9 to a discharge tray portion provided on the upper surface portion of the apparatus main body.
[0037]
Note that the surface potential of the photoreceptor 2 after the toner image is primarily transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 71 is reset by a charge eliminating unit (not shown). Further, after the toner remaining on the surface of the photoreceptor 2 is removed by the cleaning unit 5, the charging unit 3 receives the next charge. The toner removed by the cleaning unit 5 is collected in a toner tank (not shown).
[0038]
Further, a cleaner 76, a density sensor 60, and a vertical synchronization sensor 77 are disposed in the vicinity of the roller 75. Among these, the cleaner 76 can be moved toward and away from the roller 75 by an electromagnetic clutch (not shown). Then, the blade of the cleaner 76 abuts on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 71 that is stretched over the roller 75 while moving to the roller 75 side, and the toner that remains on the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt 71 after the secondary transfer. Remove. The toner removed by the blade of the cleaner 76 is collected in the transfer waste toner tank.
[0039]
The vertical synchronization sensor 77 is a sensor for detecting the reference position of the intermediate transfer belt (intermediate transfer member) 71, and a synchronization signal output in association with the rotational drive of the intermediate transfer belt 71, that is, a vertical synchronization signal Vsync. Functions as a vertical synchronization sensor to obtain. In this apparatus, the operation of each part of the apparatus is controlled based on the vertical synchronization signal Vsync in order to align the operation timing of each part and accurately superimpose the toner images formed in the respective colors. Further, the density sensor 60 is provided to face the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 71, and measures the optical density of the patch image formed on the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt 71 in the density control process.
[0040]
As shown in FIG. 9, each developing device (toner cartridge) 4Y, 4C, 4M, 4K is a “storage element” that stores data relating to the manufacturing lot and usage history of the developing device, the remaining amount of built-in toner, and the like. Some memories 91 to 94 are provided. Further, connectors 49Y, 49C, 49M, and 49K are provided in the developing devices 4Y, 4C, 4M, and 4K, respectively.
[0041]
If necessary, these connectors 49Y, 49C, 49M, 49K are selectively connected to the connector 108 provided on the main body side. For this reason, data is transmitted and received between the CPU 101 of the engine controller 10 and each of the memories 91 to 94 via the interface 105, and various information such as consumable management for the developing device (toner cartridge) is managed. ing. In this embodiment, the main body side connector 108 and each developing device side connector 49K and the like are mechanically fitted to each other to exchange data, but for example, electromagnetic means such as wireless communication is used. Thus, data transmission / reception may be performed without contact.
[0042]
The memories 91 to 94 for storing data unique to each of the developing devices 4Y, 4C, 4M, and 4K are nonvolatile memories that can store the data even when the power is off or the developing device is removed from the main body. It is desirable. As such a nonvolatile memory, for example, a flash memory, a ferroelectric memory (FRAM), an EEPROM, or the like can be used.
[0043]
Although not shown in FIG. 8, the image forming apparatus is provided with a display unit 12 as shown in FIG. And a required message is alert | reported with respect to a user by displaying a predetermined | prescribed message according to the control command given from CPU111 as needed. For example, when an abnormality such as a device failure or a paper jam occurs, a message is displayed informing the user to that effect. In addition, when the remaining amount of toner in any of the developing devices is reduced to a predetermined value or less, for example, to a near-end value described later, a message prompting replacement of the developing device is displayed.
[0044]
As the display unit 12, for example, a display device such as a liquid crystal display can be used, but in addition to this, a warning lamp that is lit or blinks as necessary may be used. Further, in addition to visually informing the user by displaying a message, a voice alarm such as a pre-recorded voice message or a buzzer may be used, or a combination thereof may be used as appropriate.
[0045]
The roller 11 is provided with an image memory 113 for storing an image given from an external device such as a host computer via the interface 112. Reference numeral 106 denotes a ROM for storing a calculation program executed by the CPU 101, control data for controlling the engine unit EG, and the like, and reference numeral 107 denotes a RAM for temporarily storing calculation results in the CPU 101 and other data. The RAM 107 may be a non-volatile FRAM (Ferroelectric Random Access Memory).
[0046]
Next, in the image forming apparatus configured as described above, how to determine the remaining amount of toner for each of the developing devices (toner cartridges) 4Y, 4M, 4C, and 4K will be described. In this type of image forming apparatus, two different types of toner cartridges, a large-capacity toner cartridge with a large amount of toner and a small-capacity toner cartridge with a small amount of toner are combined in the same apparatus (rotary development unit). A model that can be replaced and installed has been developed. In such a case, the lifespan differs depending on the toner capacity of the large or small capacity toner cartridge.
[0047]
FIG. 4 is a characteristic diagram showing the basic principle of toner cartridge life management according to the present invention. In FIG. 4, a toner counter count value is set on the horizontal axis. On the vertical axis, the developing roller driving time (accumulated value sec) is set. As an example, the toner counter count value on the horizontal axis is set to an initial value (toner full amount), that is, a maximum value of 130 million for a large-capacity toner cartridge for image formation of 6000 sheets in terms of A4 paper.
[0048]
In addition, in the case of 2000 small-capacity toner cartridges for image formation in terms of A4 paper loaded in the same apparatus, the maximum value of the toner counter is set to 5 million. In the present invention, regardless of whether such a large-capacity toner cartridge or a small-capacity toner cartridge is used, it is possible to appropriately manage the life of the toner cartridge and display the remaining amount of toner in a configuration that is easy for the user to see. it can.
[0049]
For the developing roller driving time on the vertical axis, for the large-capacity toner cartridge, for example, the maximum value (initial value of the remaining amount) is set to 12000 sec. In the small-capacity toner cartridge, the developing roller driving time is set to a maximum value of 4000 sec, for example. The lifetime of the toner cartridge is determined by whether or not any parameter of the toner counter count value set on the horizontal axis and the developing roller driving time set on the vertical axis has reached a specified value. In other words, the life of the toner cartridge is determined by determining the logical sum of whether either the toner counter count value or the developing roller drive time has reached a predetermined value.
[0050]
In the present invention, when determining the life of such a toner cartridge, three levels of large and small are set according to the remaining amount of toner. That is, (1) near-end level, (2) end level, and (3) end-end level are set in the order of the remaining amount of toner. When the remaining amount of toner decreases from the initial value and (1) near-end level is reached, warnings such as “Toner level is low” and “Toner cartridge replacement time is approaching” are displayed. To display.
[0051]
In addition, when the remaining amount of toner further decreases from the (1) near end level and (2) reaches the end level, an operation call such as “Please replace the toner cartridge” is displayed on the display unit. . The opecall can be displayed every time an image is formed on a sheet, and a function for preventing continuous image formation can be given.
[0052]
When the remaining amount of toner further decreases and (3) the end-end level is reached, the message “Please replace the toner cartridge” is displayed on the display in the same manner as at the end. The Also, control is performed so that image formation on the sheet is not possible. As described above, in the example of FIG. 2 of the present invention, the replacement timing of the toner cartridge is set at three levels according to the remaining amount of toner. For this reason, since the user can recognize the replacement timing of the toner cartridge step by step, it is easy to use and the convenience of the user can be improved.
[0053]
In FIG. 4, the broken line R indicates the near-end level, the alternate long and short dash line S indicates the end level, and the solid line T indicates the end-end level. The toner counter count value on the horizontal axis is set to the maximum value A3, the near end A2, and the end A1. The developing roller driving time on the vertical axis is set to the maximum value B3, end B2, and near end B1.
[0054]
The toner counter count value is defined by the number of recording sheets (sheets) on which an image is formed and the size (image occupancy ratio) of the image forming area of the sheet. That is, the toner counter count value varies depending on the total image amount formed on the sheet. In FIG. 4, U indicates a characteristic with an image occupancy ratio of 1%, V indicates an image occupancy ratio of 5%, and W indicates an image occupancy ratio of 20%. It is assumed that the characteristic U forms four A4 sheets per job and the other V and W characteristics form one A4 sheet per job. From FIG. 4, it can be seen that the higher the image occupancy rate, the more the toner counter count value increases and the remaining amount of toner decreases.
In the example of FIG. 4, near end A2 reaches 6400 sheets (Ua) for the characteristic U with an image occupation ratio of 1%, 4800 sheets (Va) for the characteristic V with an image occupation ratio of 5%, and an image occupation ratio of 20%. The characteristic W is 1200 sheets (Wa). End A1 reaches 8000 sheets (Ub) for characteristic U with an image occupation ratio of 1%, 6000 sheets (Vb) for characteristic V with an image occupation ratio of 5%, and characteristics W with an image occupation ratio of 20%. The number of sheets is 1500 (Wb). Further, the end-end value is reached for 9090 sheets (Uc) in the characteristic U, 6800 sheets (Vc) in the characteristic V, and 1700 sheets (Wc) in the characteristic W.
[0056]
As described above, in the example of FIG. 4, in the characteristic U with an image occupancy ratio of 1%, there is a difference of 20% between the near end A2 and the end A1 between 6400 sheets (Ua) and 8000 sheets (Ub). Further, between the end A1 and the end-end, there is a difference of 1090 sheets between 8000 sheets (Ub) and 9090 sheets (Uc). Further, in the characteristic V with the image occupancy rate of 5%, there is a difference of 20% between the near end A2 and the end A1 between 4800 sheets (Va) and 6000 sheets (Vb). Further, there is a difference of 800 sheets between 6000 sheets (Vb) and 6800 sheets (Vc) between the end A1 and the end-end.
[0057]
The developing roller driving time on the vertical axis is set to a maximum value (end-end value) B3, end value B2, and near-end value B1 for each of the characteristics U, V, and W. For example, the end-to-end value B3 of the characteristic U is 12000 sec. Appropriate near-end values and end values are set for the respective characteristics U, V, and W corresponding to the end-end values. In the toner cartridge life determination based on the developing roller driving time, it can be seen that a sheet having a smaller image occupation ratio tends to have a shorter life.
[0058]
That is, the toner counter count value and the developing roller driving time have the characteristics that the life of the toner cartridge is contradictory at the same image occupation rate. This is because the toner filled in the toner cartridge is accelerated by the rotation of the developing roller even when the image occupancy is small. It shows that the lifespan progresses.
[0059]
As described above, the life of the toner cartridge can be determined based on the toner counter count value or whether the developing roller driving time has reached a predetermined level. In the present invention, when determining the life of a toner cartridge, whether the toner cartridge for large capacity is used or the toner cartridge for small capacity is used, the remaining amount of toner is displayed. The configuration is easy for the user to see. Hereinafter, the configuration of the display unit of the present invention will be described.
[0060]
FIG. 5 is a characteristic diagram showing the relationship between the toner counter count value and the remaining amount of toner. On the horizontal axis, the toner counter count value is set, and on the vertical axis, the remaining amount of toner (g) is set. Even in this case, the characteristics differ between the large-capacity toner cartridge and the small-capacity toner cartridge. FIG. 5 shows the characteristics of a large capacity toner cartridge, for example, and is intended for the case where an image is formed on an A4 size sheet with an image occupation ratio of 5%.
[0061]
In the example of FIG. 5, a standard value and a numerical value of ± 12.5% of the standard value are set as the remaining amount of toner. Characteristic Y is a standard value, characteristic X is a + 12.5% standard value, and characteristic Z is a -12.5% standard value. In FIG. 5, the initial value C4 of the toner amount is 225 g, for example. Further, the standard end value C2 of the remaining amount of toner is 54 g, the end value C3 of the characteristic X is 79 g, and the end value C1 of the characteristic Z is 30 g.
[0062]
On the horizontal axis, the same maximum value A3, near-end value A2, and end value A1 as in FIG. 4 are set. The near end value Ya of the standard characteristic Y is 83 g in this example. In this embodiment, how to set the toner counter count value for determining the near-end value of the remaining amount of toner for each color is set in accordance with the actual situation of image formation.
[0063]
FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a toner counter count value table for setting the near-end value of the remaining amount of toner. Such a table is stored, for example, in the memory (FRAM) 107 of FIG. In FIG. 6, the “type” column indicates the capacity of the toner cartridge. For example, Pa is a large capacity toner cartridge, and Pb is a small capacity toner cartridge. The “color” column sets the distinction between the yellow (Y), cyan (C), magenta (M), and black (K). In the “count value” column, a near-end value of the toner remaining amount of each color is set.
[0064]
In the example of FIG. 6, Y of the toner cartridge Pa, C, near-end value of M color toners remaining are set equal in a ₁ respectively, near-end value of the remaining amount of toner K is a _2. Further, Y in the toner cartridge Pb, C, near-end value of M color toners remaining are set equal to each other in a _3. The magnitude relationship between a ₁ and a ₂ is a ₁ > a ₂ . Incidentally, _{a 3} is set at a lower number than _{a 2.}
[0065]
In the present invention, when the image forming apparatus using the rotary developing unit 4 as shown in FIG. 8 forms an image on the same number of sheets (recording media) for each color, the toner residue is considered in consideration of the characteristics for each color. A near-end value of quantity is set. That is, this characteristic includes the size of the print area, the toner adhesion amount (offset) to the non-image area, and the like.
[0066]
Considering the characteristics as described above, the amount of toner consumption of black (K) increases when images are formed on the same number of sheets, so the remaining amount of toner is not the same for each color. For this reason, in the example of FIG. 6, the near-end value of the remaining amount of black (K) toner is set to a value smaller than that of the other colors, that is, the life count value is set to be larger than that of the other colors. It matches the actual quantity.
[0067]
Thus, in the present invention, the near end value of black (K) is set to a value different from the near end value of the other colors. For this reason, by forming an image on a sheet, when the toner consumption amount of each color increases, it is possible to perform highly accurate toner cartridge life management suitable for the actual situation.
[0068]
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the horizontal axis indicates the toner count value, and the vertical axis indicates the remaining toner amount display (%). FIG. 1A corresponds to a large capacity toner cartridge, and FIG. 1B corresponds to a small capacity toner cartridge. In FIG. 1A, D4 is the maximum value (initial value) of the toner count value, and the remaining toner amount display in this case is 100%.
[0069]
D3 is the near end value of the toner count value, D2 is the end value of the toner count value, and D1 is the end end value of the toner count value. In the example of FIG. 1A, the near-end value D3 is 20% in the toner remaining amount display. As described above, in the embodiment of the present invention, the toner remaining amount display associated with the toner consumption is displayed not as an absolute value (analog number) but as a ratio (%) to the initial value (100%).
[0070]
In the example of FIG. 1B, E4 is an initial value of the toner count value, E3 is a near end value of the toner count value, E2 is an end value of the toner count value, and E1 is an end end value of the toner count value. Also in the example of FIG. 1B, the near-end value E3 of the toner count value is 20% in the toner remaining amount display. That is, in the embodiment of the present invention, the remaining amount of toner is displayed on the same scale regardless of whether a large-capacity toner cartridge is used or a small-capacity toner cartridge is used. This simplifies the configuration of the remaining toner amount display mechanism in the image forming apparatus using toner cartridges having different toner capacities. In addition, since it is not necessary to perform a separate calculation for displaying the remaining amount of toner for each toner cartridge having a different toner capacity, the calculation process can be performed easily. Furthermore, when the user reads the remaining amount of toner in toner cartridges having different toner capacities, there is no possibility of misreading and the convenience is improved.
[0071]
FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing another embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 2, the horizontal axis indicates the developing roller driving time (sec), and the vertical axis indicates the remaining amount display (%) of the developing roller driving time. 2A corresponds to a large-capacity toner cartridge, and FIG. 2B corresponds to a small-capacity toner cartridge. In FIG. 2A, F4 is an initial value (maximum value) of the remaining amount of developing roller driving time, F3 is its near end value, F2 is an end value, and E1 is an end end value. In the example of FIG. 2A as well, the near-end value F3 has a toner remaining amount display of 20 (%). The calculation of the remaining developing roller driving time will be described later with reference to FIG.
[0072]
In other words, in this embodiment, the near-end value is displayed at the same ratio of 20% with respect to the remaining amount of toner or the remaining amount of developing roller driving time, regardless of whether the toner count value or the developing roller driving time parameter is used. Yes. For this reason, it is possible to avoid confusion due to a change in the ratio of the toner remaining amount display corresponding to the near-end value due to the difference in the parameters for the user.
[0073]
In FIG. 2B, G4 is the initial value (maximum value) of the remaining amount of developing roller drive time, G3 is the near end value, G2 is the end value, and G1 is the end end value. Also in the example of FIG. 2B, the near-end value G3 has a remaining toner amount display of 20 (%). Therefore, even when the remaining amount is displayed using the developing roller driving time as a parameter, the remaining amount of the developing roller driving time is displayed at the same scale and at a ratio to the initial value when using toner cartridges having different toner capacities. Is doing.
[0074]
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 20 denotes an external computer (host computer) that transmits image data to the main controller 11. A display unit 12 is connected to the main controller 11 to display various messages and the like, and as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the remaining amount of toner is displayed in% (ratio) with respect to the initial value.
[0075]
The engine controller 10 is provided with a CPU 101 and an FRAM 107. The toner cartridge 4 is provided with a memory. This memory stores the toner counter count value, the initial value of the developing roller driving time remaining amount, the current toner remaining amount and the developing roller driving time remaining amount for each of the large capacity cartridge and the small capacity cartridge for each color. Has been.
[0076]
In some cases, the user first forms an image on a recording medium using a large-capacity cartridge, then replaces the small-capacity cartridge to form an image, and replaces the large-capacity cartridge again to form an image. Even in such a case, the remaining amount of toner corresponding to the large capacity cartridge takes over the value before the replacement with the small capacity cartridge. Therefore, even when toner cartridges having different capacities are replaced before reaching the end of their service life, the remaining amount of toner can be accurately grasped. Therefore, it is possible to accurately manage the life of the toner cartridge.
[0077]
Note that the memory of the toner cartridge does not store 13 million as it is, for example, when the initial value of the toner counter count value of the large capacity toner cartridge is 13 million. Order to save memory resources, e.g., sets and numbers 150 with rounded result of dividing 13 million with 2 ¹⁶ appropriately as an initial value of the toner counter count value.
[0078]
As will be described later, the CPU 101 of the engine controller 10 calculates the toner consumption and subtracts it from the initial value to update the current toner remaining amount information. Alternatively, the developing roller driving time is cumulatively added and subtracted from the initial value to update the remaining information on the current developing roller driving time. Such updated toner remaining amount or developing roller driving time remaining amount information is stored in the FRAM 107 and also in the memory of the toner cartridge 4. This update process of the remaining amount information is performed for each color, and the latest toner remaining amount or the developing roller driving time remaining amount is always stored in the memory of the FRAM 107 and the toner cartridge 4.
[0079]
The main controller 11 is provided with the CPU 111 as described with reference to FIG. 9, and the CPU 111 is provided with a dot counter and an image processing unit. The toner counter that counts the toner consumption is configured by software or hardware in the CPU 101 of the engine controller 10 as described in FIG.
[0080]
When the image data given from the external computer 20 is input to the image processing unit of the main controller 11, the image processing unit constitutes an exposure signal and inputs it to the dot counter. Based on the exposure signal, the dot counter counts the number of pixels for each color and each page, and transmits the count value to the CPU 101. The CPU 101 of the engine controller 10 reads the initial value and coefficient of the toner amount filled in the toner cartridge for each color from the memory (FRAM) 107.
[0081]
The coefficient is a weighting coefficient at the time of image formation, and will be described in detail later. The CPU 101 obtains a calculation result obtained by adding a coefficient to the count value, that is, a toner consumption amount. As described above, the CPU 101 of the engine controller 10 determines the dot count value, that is, the toner counter count value based on the count value for each color and each page transmitted from the dot counter and the coefficient read from the memory (FRAM) 107. Calculate (toner consumption).
[0082]
Then, the new toner remaining amount is obtained by subtracting the toner consumption amount from the old toner remaining amount, and this result is stored in the memory (FRAM) 107. Information on the remaining amount of toner is also transmitted to the main controller 11. Although not shown, the CPU 101 of the engine controller 10 receives a timer signal for the driving time when the developing roller is operating. The driving time is accumulated for each job and stored in a memory (FRAM) 107.
[0083]
Accordingly, the developing roller driving time is sequentially accumulated from the initial value and stored in the memory (FRAM) 107. The memory 107 stores an initial value of the remaining amount of developing roller driving time, and the CPU 101 subtracts the current cumulative driving time from the initial value to obtain the remaining amount to determine the life of the toner cartridge. Do. When the driving time reaches the near-end value, a message indicating that it is almost time to replace the cartridge is displayed on the display unit.
[0084]
Next, a specific example of the remaining toner (remaining driving time) display in the embodiment of the present invention will be described. As described above, the CPU 101 of the engine controller 10 obtains the remaining toner amount or the remaining driving time from the toner counter count value or the developing roller driving time. Therefore, the CPU 101 holds information on the ratio of the remaining amount of toner (remaining driving time) from the end-end value (0%) to the initial value (100%). As described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the near end value is set to a ratio of 20%, for example.
[0085]
An end value H is set between the near end value and the end end value. Information on the remaining amount of toner (remaining driving time) is transmitted from the engine controller 10 to the main controller 11 as described above. Based on this information, the remaining amount of toner (remaining driving time) is displayed on the display unit 12. At this time, the display unit displays the remaining amount of toner (remaining driving time) as a ratio (%) to the initial value of 100%, but the end value corresponds to 0%.
[0086]
That is, in the information (v) of the remaining amount of toner (remaining driving time) in the engine controller 10, the end-end value is set to 0% with respect to the initial value. On the other hand, in the main controller 11, the end value is set to 0% in the information (u) of the remaining amount of toner (remaining driving time). When the remaining amount of toner (remaining drive time) reaches the end value, the message “Please replace the toner cartridge” is displayed on the display unit. It does not change even if the end-end value is reached. Note that in (u) and (v), only a display example of the remaining amount of toner is shown for simplicity.
[0087]
If the user is notified that the remaining amount of toner (remaining driving time) has reached the end value, it is understood that the toner cartridge must be replaced. For this reason, since it is not necessary to display the end-end value with the remaining amount of toner (remaining driving time) smaller than the end value, it can be said that the display is in accordance with the actual situation. Rather, if the image is displayed up to a place where the remaining amount of toner (remaining drive time) is smaller than the end value, the user may continue image formation. In such a case, there arises a problem that the quality is deteriorated due to, for example, the image formed on the recording medium being faint due to insufficient toner remaining amount (driving time remaining amount).
[0088]
When the new toner remaining amount (driving time remaining amount) is stored in the memory 107 as described above in FIG. 3, the CPU 101 compares the updated toner remaining amount (driving time remaining amount) with the near-end value, When the remaining amount of toner (remaining drive time) has reached the near-end value, a signal for informing that the life of the toner cartridge is approaching is output. That is, the CPU 101 functions as a determination unit that determines the replacement timing of the toner cartridge.
[0089]
FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of performing a toner cartridge life determination process based on the remaining amount of toner in the embodiment of the present invention. The life management is performed for each large and small capacity and each color of the toner cartridge. In FIG. 7, the power is turned on (step S1), and the state of the remaining amount of toner is determined (step S2). If the determination result in step S2 is end-end, state transition is made to end-end (step S3). Here, the state transition refers to a mode of transition from a certain state to a certain state.
[0090]
If the determination result in step S2 is near end, state transition is made to near end (step S4). If the determination result of step S2 is not near end, state transition is made to near end not reached (step S5). Even if a toner near-end (warning) signal is formed due to a malfunction in the near-end unachieved state, the signal formation of a message display such as “Toner cartridge replacement is imminent” is stopped. Also, the signal generation of the operation call notification for replacing the toner cartridge at the end of the toner is stopped.
[0091]
In the near end unachieved state, the toner consumption amount and the developing roller driving time are counted and stored in the FRAM. When the state transitions from the near end unachieved state to the near end, the near end operation is performed. In this case, a double arrow line is used to distinguish the state transition from when the power is turned on. In the near-end operation, a message such as “Toner cartridge replacement is imminent” is displayed, but the toner cartridge replacement operation is stopped.
[0092]
In the near-end state, the toner consumption amount and the developing roller driving time are counted and stored in the FRAM. When the state transitions from the near-end state to the end-end, the toner end-end operation is performed. In this case, the message signal formation based on the toner near end is stopped, and the toner cartridge replacement signal formation is performed. As described above, in FIG. 7, when the remaining amount of toner in the toner cartridge is in a near end state, a near end state, or an end end state, a flag indicating the state is set. Therefore, only the signal formation corresponding to the state in which the flag is set is valid. Instructions that are valid in other states are processed so as not to be accepted.
[0093]
Next, processing when the toner cartridge is replaced with a new one in each state of near end unachieved, near end, and end end will be described. In this case, the life expectancy value obtained by subtracting the remaining amount of toner from the initial value of the toner cartridge is reset, and necessary processing associated with replacement of the toner cartridge such as updating of the initial value is performed. Thereafter, the toner cartridge life is determined by turning on the power in step S1.
[0094]
Next, the configuration and operation of the toner counter will be described. FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the toner counter. In this apparatus, based on the program stored in the ROM 106 shown in FIG. 9, the CPU 101 obtains the toner consumption amount by performing a predetermined calculation. That is, all the configurations as the toner counter are realized on the software of the CPU 101, but may be configured by hardware.
[0095]
FIG. 10 shows a circuit configuration example in the case of the hardware. Here, the operation principle of the toner counter according to the present invention will be described using the toner counter 200 having the hardware configuration shown in FIG. 10 as a model. Even when the circuit of FIG. 10 is realized by software, the toner consumption can be obtained based on the same principle as that of hardware.
[0096]
In the toner counter 200, the same control signal as that given from the CPU 101 to the exposure control unit 102, that is, the signal developed into the gradation value for each toner color based on the image signal given from the external device is received. Entered. Based on the control signal, the comparison circuit 201 passes only a signal corresponding to a print dot having a gradation value equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value, and inputs the signal to the determination circuit 202. The discriminating circuit 202 has a function as “pattern discriminating means” that discriminates the arrangement state of the print dots based on the output signal of the comparison circuit 201.
[0097]
That is, the determination circuit 202 detects the number of dots constituting the print dot row and classifies them into three patterns of dots that are equal to or greater than a threshold value, four consecutive dots, and isolated dots, and any of the counters 203 to 205 according to the pattern. "1" is output. Here, an isolated dot is one in which pixels on both sides of a pixel that is greater than or equal to a certain threshold value are less than the threshold value. These counters 203, 204, and 205 are provided corresponding to patterns of dots that are equal to or greater than the threshold value, 4 consecutive dots, and isolated dots, respectively. Each of the counters 203 to 205 has a function as a “counting unit” that counts the number of formations of the print dot row of the pattern by counting signals output from the discrimination circuit 202 as needed.
[0098]
For example, when the control signal input to the comparison circuit 201 corresponds to an isolated dot, the determination circuit 202 determines that the print dot is an isolated dot based on the output signal from the comparison circuit 201. . Then, “1” is output to the counter 205, while “0” is output to the other counters 203 and 204. By such processing, only the count value of the counter 205 indicating the number of isolated dot formations is increased by one.
[0099]
However, the count values of the other counters 203 and 204 do not change at this time. Similarly, when the control signal input to the comparison circuit 201 corresponds to 4 consecutive dots, the count value of the corresponding counter 204 is incremented by one. In this way, the number of print dot formations for each pattern is counted individually.
[0100]
These count values C 1, C 2 and C 3 are input to the arithmetic circuit 206. In addition to the count values C1, C2, and C3, the arithmetic circuit 206 receives an offset value No given from the CPU 101 and an output from the coefficient table 207. The output from the arithmetic circuit 206 is input to the CPU 101 and the coefficient table 207. In this coefficient table 207, a plurality of sets of numerical values that are candidates for “weighting coefficients” Kx, K1, K2, and K3 (equation (1) below) are stored in advance, and depending on the output value of the arithmetic circuit 206, Is selected.
[0101]
The arithmetic circuit 206 multiplies the count values C1, C2, and C3 output from the counters 203 to 205 by the weighting coefficients K1, K2, and K3 selected from the coefficient table 207 and output them. Find the sum. Further, the offset value No given from the CPU 101 is added to the product of the sum and the coefficient Kx. By such calculation, the toner consumption defined in the equation (1) is obtained. (Toner consumption) = Kx · (K 1 · C 1 + K 2 · C 2 + K 3 · C 3) + No (1) However, Kx is a color dependency coefficient that differs depending on each color.
[0102]
The counter 210 counts the developing roller driving time counted by a timer or a program timer. The counted result is input from the counter 210 to the arithmetic circuit 206, and the cumulative developing roller driving time is calculated. The accumulated developing roller driving time calculated by the arithmetic circuit 206 is input to the CPU 101. The CPU 101 adds the accumulated developing roller driving time to the initial value read from the FRAM 107. Further, the current remaining amount is calculated by subtracting the developing roller driving time accumulated from the initial value of the remaining amount read from the FRAM 107. Thus, the CPU 101 functions as a means for calculating the remaining amount of developing roller driving time.
[0103]
In this embodiment, as described above, all functions corresponding to the “counting unit”, “coefficient setting unit”, and the like of the toner counter 200 are realized by software. With such a configuration, it is not necessary to add special hardware for calculating the toner consumption amount, and the apparatus can be configured simply, so that the cost of the apparatus can be reduced.
[0104]
As described above, according to the present invention, in an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording medium of the same amount with a plurality of colors using a rotary developing unit, a toner cartridge with high accuracy according to the actual state of image formation. Life management can be performed. Also in the image forming apparatus using the intermediate transfer member, it is possible to accurately manage the life of the toner cartridge.
[0105]
The above-described embodiment is directed to an image forming apparatus configured to be able to form a full color image using toners of four colors of yellow, cyan, magenta, and black. In the present invention, the toner color to be used and the number of colors thereof are not limited to this, and are arbitrary. For example, the present invention can be applied to an apparatus that forms a monochrome image using only black toner. It is. Further, the toner consumption amounts of a plurality of developing devices can be individually obtained by a single hardware configuration.
[0106]
Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the present invention is applied to a printer that executes an image forming operation based on an image signal from the outside of the apparatus. However, in response to a user's image formation request, for example, a copy button push, The present invention can also be applied to a copying machine that creates an image signal and executes an image forming operation based on the image signal, and a facsimile machine that executes an image forming operation based on an image signal given through a communication line. Needless to say.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a characteristic diagram illustrating an example of managing the life of a toner cartridge.
FIG. 5 is a characteristic diagram illustrating an example of managing the life of a toner cartridge.
FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a table for setting a count value.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a longitudinal side view illustrating an example of an image forming apparatus.
9 is a block diagram illustrating an electrical configuration of the image forming apparatus in FIG. 8;
FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing partly enlarged view of FIG. 9;
[Explanation of symbols]
2 ... photosensitive member (image carrier), 4C, 4K, 4M, 4Y ... developer (toner cartridge), 44 ... developing roller (toner carrier), 10 ... engine controller, 11 ... main controller, 101 ... engine controller CPU, 107 ... Memory (FRAM), 111 ... CPU of main controller, 120 ... Counter, 200 ... Toner counter, 202 ... Discrimination circuit (pattern discrimination means), 203-205 ... Counter (counting means), 206 ... Arithmetic circuit

Claims (5)

A rotary developing unit including a toner cartridge filled with toners corresponding to a plurality of colors;
A toner counter for determining the amount of toner of each color consumed by forming an image on a recording medium;
Determining means for determining when to replace the toner cartridge when the remaining amount of toner of each color filled in the toner cartridge reaches a predetermined value;
Display means for displaying the remaining amount of toner ;
In the toner cartridge life management device comprising
The rotary developing unit is attachable to replace the plurality of toner cartridges of different toner capacity in the same color,
The display means displays the remaining amount of toner of the plurality of toner cartridges having different toner capacities on the same scale, and the remaining amount of toner is expressed as a ratio to the toner full amount corresponding to the plurality of toner cartridges of different toner capacities. A toner cartridge life management apparatus characterized by displaying. A rotary developing unit including a toner cartridge filled with toners corresponding to a plurality of colors;
A toner counter for determining the amount of toner of each color consumed by forming an image on a recording medium;
Determining means for determining a replacement timing of the toner cartridge when the remaining amount of the developing roller driving time reaches a predetermined value;
Display means for displaying the remaining developing roller driving time ;
In the toner cartridge life management device comprising
The rotary developing unit is attachable to replace the plurality of toner cartridges of different toner capacity in the same color,
Wherein the display means, characterized in that and displays the remaining amount of the developing roller driving time of the plurality of toner cartridges of the different toner capacity in the same scale, it is a percentage of the maximum value of the developing roller driving time Mazan amount A toner cartridge life management device. As a toner counter count value set corresponding to the amount of toner filled in the toner cartridge, toner full amounts corresponding to the plurality of toner cartridges having different toner capacities are stored in the storage means in advance.
Subtracting the toner counter count value from the toner full amount to calculate the remaining toner amount ;
The toner cartridge life management apparatus according to claim 1. Storage means for previously storing a maximum value of the developing roller driving time Mazan amount,
Calculating means for obtaining the developing roller driving time Mazan amount,
Provided,
Said calculating means,
Accumulate and add development roller drive time,
Subtract the accumulated developing roller driving time from the maximum value of the remaining developing roller driving time,
Obtaining the remaining developing roller drive time ;
Toner cartridge life management apparatus according to 請 Motomeko 2 characterized. An image forming apparatus including a toner cartridge life management apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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