Brother Kogyo Kabushiki-kaisha

Tadao Kyotani

Nao Itabashi

Takashi Suzuki

Chieko Mimura

Tomoyasu Yabuki

Keigo Nakajima

Toshiyuki Sano

Shingo Fujiwara

Masaaki Furukawa

Sota Hirano

Takahito Yamaji

Yoshihiro Itogawa

Keigo Goto

Keita Suzuki

Yosuke Imanishi

An image forming apparatus includes a developing cartridge, a main memory and a controller. The controller is configured to perform determining whether the developing cartridge is reached a lifetime on a basis of: at least one of s developing maximum printable number of sheets which corresponds to developing identification information, a maximum developing roller rotation number which corresponds to the developing identification information, and a maximum dot count which corresponds to the developing identification information; and at least one of a developing cumulative number of printed sheets, a cumulative developing roller rotation number and a cumulative dot count.

Image forming apparatus including controller capable of determining whether developing cartridge, drum cartridge and belt unit are reached their lifetimes

An image forming apparatus includes a device main body, a consumable, and a controller. The consumable is attachable to the device main body. The consumable includes a consumable memory for storing therein recycling history information indicating a recycling history of the consumable. The consumable memory includes a first storage area to which a usage amount of the consumable can be written and a second storage area to which the usage amount of the consumable can be written. The controller is configured to perform a determining process to determine, based on the recycling history information, one of the first storage area and the second storage area as a storage area to which the usage amount is to be written.

Image forming apparatus including device main body and consumable attachable thereto and including consumable memory for storing recycling history information

A printing device, including: a cartridge storing developer; a memory provided in the cartridge; and a controller configured to execute a printing process of operating the cartridge form a developer image on a sheet by use of the developer in the cartridge, a first access process of performing access to the memory when the printing process is not being executed, and a second access process of performing access to the memory in a period in which the printing process is being executed, in response to a predetermined operation of the printing device, wherein, when an access failure occurs in the first access process, the controller notifies an error, and wherein, when an access failure occurs in the second access process, the controller continues the printing process and executes the second access process again in response to a next timing of the predetermined operation of the printing device.

Printing device and control method of the same

In an image forming apparatus a toner cartridge includes a toner memory storing toner identification information. The toner cartridge is detachably attachable to a drum cartridge. The drum cartridge includes a drum memory storing drum identification information. The drum cartridge is detachably attached to the main-body casing. A controller performs a request process to request execution of a density correction process to correct a density of developer, in a case where a toner identification information determination process determines that the toner identification information stored in the toner memory does not match the toner identification information which is stored in the main-body memory in a toner identification information storing process or a drum identification information determination process determines that the drum identification information stored in the drum memory does not match the drum identification information which is stored in the main-body memory in the drum identification information storing process.

Image forming apparatus requesting execution of density correction process

An image forming apparatus is configured to perform image forming processing. The image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive drum, a main motor configured to generate a driving force, a drum clutch having a transmission state in which the driving force is transmitted to the photosensitive drum and a disconnected state in which the driving force is not transmitted to the photosensitive drum, a sheet sensor configured to detect a rear edge of a sheet upstream of the photosensitive drum in a sheet conveying direction, and a controller. In a case where a start command for subsequent image forming processing is not received after the sheet sensor detects a rear edge of a last sheet in image forming processing performed based on received print data, the controller executes drum clutch disconnection processing, and then executes main motor rotation stop processing.

Image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body, a toner cartridge, a replaceable part, an apparatus body memory, and a controller. The replaceable part includes a replaceable part memory storing therein extended-use allowance-and-restriction information. The extended-use allowance-and-restriction information indicates one of allowance information and restriction information. The extended use is defined as use of the replaceable part even after the replaceable part exceeds the remaining life indicated by the life information stored in the apparatus body memory. The apparatus body memory stores life information indicating remaining life of the replaceable part. In a case where the controller determines that the extended-use allowance-and-restriction information indicates the restriction information, the controller is configured to restrict the extended use of the replaceable part. In a case where the controller determines that the extended-use allowance-and-restriction information indicates the allowance information, the controller is configured to allow the extended use of the replaceable part.

Image forming apparatus capable of controlling extension of use of drum cartridge

In an image-forming device, a drum cartridge and a developing cartridge are detachably attached to a frame. A controller is configured to perform: a drum replacement necessity determination process; and a mode switch process. The drum replacement necessity determination process determines, based on life information for the drum cartridge, whether replacement of the drum cartridge is necessary. The mode switch process switches a mode of a printing process between a normal printing mode and an extended printing mode. The normal printing mode allows the image-forming device to perform the printing process when the replacement of the drum cartridge is determined to be unnecessary. The extended printing mode allows the image-forming device to perform the printing process on a condition that the developing cartridge attached to the frame is not replaced with another developing cartridge in a state where the replacement of the developing cartridge is necessary.

Image-forming device performing printing process according to mode switched between normal printing mode and extended printing mode

An image forming apparatus includes: a main frame; a developing cartridge including a casing, a storage medium having an electrical contact surface, and developing roller; a photosensitive drum contactable with the developing roller; an electrical connector contactable with the electrical contact surface; a separation mechanism; and a controller configured to communicate with the storage medium via the electrical connector. The separation mechanism is configured to move the casing relative to the main frame in a separating direction in which the developing roller separates from the photosensitive drum. The controller is configured to perform: moving, by controlling the separation mechanism, the casing relative to the main frame in the separating direction; determining, in response to performing the moving, whether communication with the storage medium is established; and outputting, when determining in the determining that the communication with the storage medium is not established, an error.

Image forming apparatus capable of determining whether communication between controller and storage medium of developing cartridge is established

An image forming apparatus is configured to execute image forming processing of forming an image on a sheet. The apparatus includes a photosensitive drum, a fixing device including a heater and a roller, a main motor configured to generate a driving force, a driving mechanism having a connected state in which the driving force is transmittable to both the roller and the photosensitive drum, and a disconnected state in which the driving force is transmittable to the roller but is not transmitted to the photosensitive drum, a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the fixing device, and a controller. In a case where the image forming processing is started, the controller sets the driving mechanism into the disconnected state, rotates the main motor at a preheating speed, and executes preheating processing in which the fixing device is heated by the heater.

An image forming apparatus includes: a main casing; a drum cartridge; a toner cartridge; a display; and a controller. The drum cartridge is attachable to and detachable from the main casing. The drum cartridge includes a photosensitive drum and a drum memory. The toner cartridge is attachable to and detachable from the drum cartridge. The toner cartridge includes a toner memory. The controller is configured to: determine whether an error occurs in the drum cartridge through a communication with the drum memory; determine whether an error occurs in the toner cartridge through a communication with the toner memory; and when determining that an error occurs in the drum cartridge and determining that an error occurs in the toner cartridge, display on the display an error relating to the drum cartridge in preference to displaying on the display an error relating to the toner cartridge.

Image forming apparatus capable of displaying on display error relating to drum cartridge in preference to error relating to toner cartridge

In an image forming device, a photosensitive drum forms an image on a sheet based on the image formation data. The roller conveys the sheet. A motor provides the roller with driving force to rotate the roller. A controller acquires an advance command which is received from the external terminal prior to reception of the image formation data. The advance command includes option information. The controller determines a rotational speed of the roller based on the option information. The rotational speed is determined to be changeable depending on the optional information. The controller performs a preliminary process before the photosensitive drum forms an image on the sheet based on the image formation data. The preliminary process is to control the motor so that the roller rotates at the rotational speed determined in the determining.

Image forming device performing preliminary process to rotate roller at determined rotational speed

A drum cartridge includes a frame on which a toner cartridge is attachable, a photosensitive drum, and a drum memory. The drum cartridge relays information stored in the toner memory to the image forming apparatus when the toner cartridge is attached to the frame.

Drum cartridge and image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus includes a drum cartridge and a controller. The drum cartridge includes a photosensitive drum, a charger and a drum cartridge memory storing a life count value and discharge history information. The controller includes a voltage applying circuit, and an abnormal discharge detection circuit. In a case where the abnormal discharge detection circuit detects an abnormal discharge, the controller does not permit printing in a case where the life count value is equal to or more than a first reference value and a number of abnormal discharges which is included in the discharge history information read from the drum cartridge memory is equal to or more than a particular threshold value, or permits printing in a case where the life count value is equal to or more than the first reference value and the number of abnormal discharges is less than the particular threshold value.

Drum cartridge for use with a toner cartridge in an image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body, a toner cartridge, a replaceable part, a controller and an apparatus body memory. An operating mode of the controller is set to one of a subscription mode and a normal mode. The controller is configured to perform processes in accordance with the set operating mode. The apparatus body memory is configured to store life information indicating a remaining life of the replaceable part attached to the apparatus body. The controller is configured to switch a control between: a control for allowing an extended use of the replaceable part; and a control for restricting the extended use of the replaceable part, according to the set operating mode. The extended use is defined as use of the replaceable part even after the replaceable part exceeds the remaining life indicated by the life information stored in the apparatus body memory.

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Nagoya, Japan

Tadao Kyotani