IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

• Main Authors: KAWAMURA TOMOFUMI, TANABE MASATO, KO YUSUKE
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: 31.10.2023
• Subjects: CINEMATOGRAPHY; ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY; PHOTOGRAPHY; PHYSICS

To provide an image forming apparatus that can easily solve clogging of a developer cartridge with developer.SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus comprises: an apparatus body having a developer container, an image forming section, a driving unit including a body driving section, a detection section, a control section, and a notification section; and a developer cartridge that is removably attached to the apparatus body. The control section executes first processing of rotating the body driving section in a third direction to rotate a conveying member in a second direction while driving a pump action section, and when the detection section detects information corresponding to load torque equal to or larger than a threshold during the execution of the first processing, executes second processing of rotating the body driving section in a fourth direction to increase volume of an internal space of the pump. After completion of the second processing, the notification section performs notification to encourage a user to separate the developer cartridge from the apparatus body and shake the developer cartridge.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8 【課題】現像剤カートリッジ内の現像剤の詰まりを解消し易くすることが可能な画像形成装置を提供する。【解決手段】画像形成装置は、現像容器と、画像形成部と、本体駆動部を含む駆動ユニットと、検知部と、制御部と、報知部と、を有する装置本体と、前記装置本体に着脱可能に装着される現像剤カートリッジと、を備える。前記制御部は、前記本体駆動部を第３方向に回転させることによってポンプ作用部を駆動しつつ搬送部材を第２方向に回転させる第１処理を実行し、前記第１処理の実行中に前記検知部が閾値以上の負荷トルクに対応する情報を検知した場合に、前記ポンプの内部空間の容積が拡がるように前記本体駆動部を第４方向に回転させる第２処理を実行する。前記報知部は、前記第２処理が完了した後に、前記現像剤カートリッジを前記装置本体から離脱させて、前記現像剤カートリッジを振ることを促す報知を行う。【選択図】図８