Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha

Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba

Toshiba America Business Solutions, Inc.

Toshiba American Business Solutions, Inc.

Nobuo Tohata

Hisanobu Ajima

Hiroshi Hashidume

Toru Homma

Takahiro Nakajima

Takumi Hatano

Yuichiro Takeda

According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes a developing device, a sensor, a control information obtaining unit, and a control unit. The developing device forms an image on an image carrier using a developer. The sensor generates a signal indicating a measurement value related to the developer. The control information obtaining unit obtains, as control information of the developing device, one or more pieces of the control information pre-associated with the measurement value, from a recording medium associated with the developer. The control unit selects the control information associated with the measurement value indicated by the signal, from the one or more pieces of control information obtained from the recording medium. The control unit controls an operation of the developing device based on the selected control information.

Image forming apparatus and developer container

An image forming apparatus includes a supply unit and a control unit. The supply unit supplies a recording agent to a storage unit from a recording agent cartridge. The control unit is configured to at least one of (i) estimate a discharged amount of the recording agent discharged from the recording agent cartridge to form an image based on (a) a running amount of the supply unit used to form the image and (b) an additive characteristic of the additive added to the recording agent or (ii) estimate a supply amount to be discharged from the recording agent cartridge by the supply unit to form the image based on (a) the running amount of the supply unit necessary to form the image and (b) the additive characteristic of the additive added to the recording agent, and cause the supply unit to run based on the supply amount.

Image forming apparatus and toner cartridge

A toner cartridge for use with an image forming apparatus includes a memory storing identification data of the toner cartridge and parameter information including image formation process parameters dependent on toner characteristic or ambient conditions. A transceiver unit communicates with the image forming apparatus to send the process parameter information stored in the memory to the image forming apparatus when the identification data is authentic.

Toner cartridge with memory for image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus mounted with a toner cartridge having a memory unit includes a toner cartridge which stores a plurality of control data depending on toner in the memory unit, an acquisition unit which selects one of the plurality of control data in the memory unit and acquires image formation-related information and a setting unit which sets image formation parameters on the basis of the image formation-related information.

Toner cartridge storing control data for an image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus comprising a fixing portion provided with a cleaning member having a resinous covering layer comprising a resin which is of the same series as a binder resin and has an MI which is not less than 1.3 times as high as that of the binder resin, or the cleaning member being provided with a heating mechanism for heating the cleaning member as a layer of dirt that has been deposited thereon is increased to a predetermined thickness or as the layer of dirt and the surface temperature of the cleaning member become higher than a predetermined level.

Image forming apparatus and method for forming image with fixing and cleaning capability

In an image forming apparatus having a toner recycle mechanism employing a two-components developing system, rotational torque of a stirring screw disposed within a developing device and capacity of a recycle toner within the developing device are detected. Where the rotational torque of stirring screw is elevated and the capacity of the recycle toner is increased, control operation for not changing a development bias voltage and lowering rotational speed of the stirring screw is executed. Where the rotational torque of the stirring screw is elevated and the capacity of the recycle toner is not increased, control operation for not changing rotational speed of the stirring screw is executed.

Image forming apparatus employing electro-photographic process and controlling method of the same

A developing material is obtained by performing melting and kneading steps, and then a milling step, for a particulate binder resin material having an average particle size of 250 to 600 &mgr;m and a magnetic powder having an apparent bulk density of 0.3 g/cm or more and a compacted bulk density of 2.5 g/cm or less.

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Sunto Shizuoka, Japan

Nobuo Tohata