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:
May. 24, 2011
Filed:
Jul. 15, 2008
Hideo Mae, Nagoya, JP;
Kazuo Okunishi, Okazaki, JP;
Masaharu Hashizume, Okazaki, JP;
Tatsutoshi Yamada, Toyokawa, JP;
Masayuki Inoue, Toyokawa, JP;
Hideo Mae, Nagoya, JP;
Kazuo Okunishi, Okazaki, JP;
Masaharu Hashizume, Okazaki, JP;
Tatsutoshi Yamada, Toyokawa, JP;
Masayuki Inoue, Toyokawa, JP;
Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc., Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
When an image forming apparatus is disabled due to a cause rather than the detection of the toner empty condition, it is determined whether a recovery operation is a first recovery operation or a second recovery operation. The first recovery operation is associated with a mounting/dismounting of the toner cartridge performed from when the image forming apparatus is disabled until when the recovery operation begins. The second recovery operation is not associated with the mounting/dismounting. A toner supply control controls the toner supply operation when the recovery operation is performed on condition that the empty memory memorizes that the toner empty detector detects the empty condition. When the recovery operation is the first recovery operation, the toner supply control allows the toner to be supplied into the developer housing. While, when the recovery operation is the second recovery operation, the toner supply control prohibits the toner from being supplied into developer housing.