Image forming apparatus with an amount of use control feature and cartridge removably mounted on the apparatus
US6229970A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 24, 1996 |
| Grant date | May 8, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 24, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG03G2221/1823
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, a charging device for charging the photosensitive member, an exposing device for exposing a light including image information to the photosensitive member, and a developing device for supplying a toner to an electrostatic latent image formed on said photosensitive member. The developing means is held by a cartridge removably mountable on a main body of the image forming apparatus. The cartridge includes a memory for memorizing an amount of use of the cartridge, wherein a charging amount of the toner caused by friction in the cartridge when the amount of use of the cartridge is in an initial state is smaller than that when the amount of use of said cartridge is not in an initial state. A judging device compares the amount of use of the cartridge with a predetermined value showing a condition that the amount of use of the cartridge is in the initial state. A control device controls operating parameters relating to at least one of the charging device, the exposing device, and the developing device, in accordance with a compared result of the judging device, so as to prevent thinning of an image line width until the amount of…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.