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:
Dec. 15, 2020
Filed:
Mar. 10, 2020
Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Takao Izumi, Yokohama Kanagawa, JP;
TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes a developing device, a developer container, and a controller. The developing device contains developer including toner and a carrier and includes a stirrer for stirring the developer. The developer container contains the developer to be supplied to the developing device. The controller acquires a deterioration index indicating a degree of deterioration of the developer in the developing device based on stirring cumulative information which is information relating to a cumulative value of time for which the stirrer stirs the developer in the developing device and supply cumulative information indicating information relating to a cumulative value of the developer supplied from the developer container to the developing device, and determines a timing at which the developer needs to be replaced based on information on history of the deterioration index.