The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 04, 2019
Filed:
Oct. 26, 2018
Konica Minolta Inc., Tokyo, JP;
Yu Mukobayashi, Toyokawa, JP;
KONICA MINOLTA, INC., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes: photoconductors rotatable and having toner images to be formed on surfaces; a transfer belt on which the toner images formed on the photoconductors are sequentially transferred; and a hardware processor that estimates timing of arrival of end of life of one photoconductor of the photoconductors due to depletion of the surface of the one photoconductor, wherein the hardware processor calculates a depletion amount of the one photoconductor due to a toner, as a first depletion amount, based on a first parameter having a positive correlation with an amount of the toner used for the toner image formed on the surface of another photoconductor that transfers the toner image on the transfer belt before the one photoconductor, and compares the calculated first depletion amount with a predetermined life estimation threshold value to estimate the timing of arrival of end of life of the one photoconductor.