Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

Yusuke Nagano

Kazuya Iwabayashi

Kenichi Morimoto

Yoshifumi Maitani

Yoshio Nishimoto

Hiroshi Takatani

Shigeru Watase

Yoshinori Nakahira

A toner cartridge counts the number of times the toner cartridge has been shaken by a counting unit. A control unit of an image forming apparatus acquires the counting result of the counting unit, and controls each unit of the apparatus such that a display unit displays a message encouraging the worker to shake the toner cartridge since the shaking of the toner cartridge is insufficient if the acquired counting result is smaller than a predetermined value, and the toner contained in the toner cartridge is supplied to a developing unit of the image forming apparatus since the toner cartridge is sufficiently shaken and the toner in the toner cartridge is stirred and dissolved if the acquired counting result is greater than or equal to a predetermined value.

Toner cartridge and image forming apparatus

Recording of time information and function information of each image forming process for which processing has been completed in a recording portion(S), judgment (S) of whether or not a switching time that has been set is 0 for processing in which the elapsed time from completion to the present time is within a predetermined time for processing among the information in the recording portion (), calculation (S) of a time (T) in which the switching time is added to the completion time of each image forming process, comparison (S) of the time (T) and a time information (Tmax), and update (S) of the time information (Tmax) by the time (T) when the calculated time (T) is later than the time information (Tmax) are repeatedly executed, and the latest time is set to the time information (Tmax). Switching is made to a power-saving mode when a counter () has timed the time information (Tmax).

Image forming apparatus, an image forming method, and an image forming program

A sheet feeder includes: a sheet-length detection member for detecting a length of a sheet; a transfer-length detection member for detecting a transfer length of the sheet; a double-feed detection member for detecting double feed of the sheets when the sheets are transferred while being overlapped with one another; and a control member for controlling the sheet-length detection member, the transfer-length detection member and the double-feed detection member; wherein the control member determines that double feed of the sheets has occurred, when the transfer length of the sheet is greater than the length of the sheet and a length obtained by subtracting a difference between the transfer length of the sheet and the length of the sheet from the length of the sheet is substantially equal to a double-feed length detected by the double-feed detection member.

Sheet feeder and copying machine including the same

The invention relates to a power supply device and a communication system. The power supply device supplies power to a main device. The communication system is provided with the main device mounting the power supply device therein and an external device connected to the main device. A feature of the invention is to offer a power supply device and a communication system that are capable of being responsive to external signals for returning to a normal operation mode with minimum power consumption in a power-saving operation mode. In the power saving operation mode, a main power supply circuit () is turned off and only an auxiliary power supply circuit () is operated. In order to detect external signal, the auxiliary power supply circuit () supplies power not to an entire interface section (), but to a ring detection circuit (), a LAN signal detection circuit (), a 1284 signal detection circuit (), a USB signal detection circuit (), and a panel signal detection circuit () that are respectively provided with a minimum functions for detecting external signal.

Power supply device and communication system

A multi-function printer (MFP) has a main control circuit for setting the operation mode of the apparatus to either a normal operation mode or a power-saving operation mode. There are provided a main power supply circuit and an auxiliary power supply circuit for supplying power to the main control circuit in the normal operation mode and in the power-saving operation mode, respectively. The MFP also has a power detection circuit for detecting a state of power supply from the main power supply circuit to the main control circuit. If a power-save request is followed by a start-up request, when an amount of power detected by the power detection circuit is greater than a predetermined value, the main control circuit stops an operation relating to the power-save request and initiates an operation according to a start-up request.

Growing community of inventors

Yamatokoriyama, Japan

Yusuke Nagano