Image forming apparatus and control method for image forming apparatus

Abstract

An image forming apparatus according to the invention comprises: a cartridge loading portion removably loaded with a first cartridge containing therein a consumable but carrying no memory storing information on the consumable, or with a second cartridge containing therein the consumable and carrying a memory storing information on the consumable; a controller; and a first memory storing the information on the consumable contained in the first cartridge, and is characterized in that the controller includes: a first consumption calculating/storing portion operating when the first cartridge is loaded in the cartridge loading portion, calculating a consumption of the consumable in the first cartridge and storing the calculation result in the first memory; and a second consumption calculating/storing portion for calculating a consumable consumption of the second cartridge and for storing the calculation result in the memory installed in the second cartridge.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram explanatory of an image forming apparatus according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a relation between four first imaging cartridges carrying no memory, and a first memory and a controller which are provided in an apparatus body of the image forming apparatus according to the above embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a relation between four second imaging cartridges carrying memories, and the first memory and the controller which are provided in the apparatus body of the image forming apparatus according to the above embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the steps of a main operation preceding image formation performed by the image forming apparatus according to the above embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing the steps of a subroutine for detecting an imaging cartridge and determining the type of the imaging cartridge, the subroutine executed in the image forming apparatus according to the above embodiment; and

FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing the steps of a subroutine for performing an image forming operation and updating/re-storing toner information, the subroutine executed in the image forming apparatus according to the above embodiment.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising: a cartridge loading portion removably loaded with a first cartridge containing therein a consumable but carrying no memory storing information on the consumable, or with a second cartridge containing therein the consumable and carrying a memory storing information on the consumable;a controller; anda first memory for storing the information on the consumable contained in the first cartridge, wherein the controller includes:a determination portion for determining whether a cartridge loaded in the cartridge loading portion is the first cartridge or the second cartridge;a first consumption calculating/storing portion operating when the first cartridge is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion, calculating a consumption of the consumable in the first cartridge and storing the calculation result in the first memory;a life-end storing portion for detecting the life end of the first cartridge based on the consumable consumption of the first cartridge calculated by the first consumption calculating/storing portion, and for storing the life-end information on the first cartridge in the first memory; anda second consumption calculating/storing portion for calculating a consumption of the consumable in the second cartridge and storing the calculation result in the memory installed in the second cartridge.

2. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller further includes an alerting portion for issuing an alert urging to replace the first cartridge, the life end of which is detected by the life-end storing portion, with the second cartridge.

3. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller operates to switch the apparatus between a first management mode to manage the consumable consumption by means of the first consumption calculating/storing portion and a second management mode to manage the consumable consumption by means of the second consumption calculating/storing portion, and switches the apparatus from the first management mode to the second management mode when the life end of the first cartridge is detected by the life-end storing portion.

4. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller further includes an image formation restricting portion for restricting image formation by means of the first cartridge when the apparatus is switched from the first management mode to the second management mode.

5. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, which performs image formation based on image formation information stored in the first memory in a case where the first cartridge is loaded in the cartridge loading portion, and which performs the image formation based on image formation information stored in the memory installed in the second cartridge in a case where the second cartridge is loaded in the cartridge loading portion.

6. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, which performs an image stabilization operation based on image formation information stored in the first memory in a case where the first cartridge is loaded in the cartridge loading portion, and which performs the image stabilization operation based on image formation information stored in the memory installed in the second cartridge in a case where the second cartridge is loaded in the cartridge loading portion.

7. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of cartridge loading portions, wherein the first memory stores information corresponding to a cartridge loaded in each of the cartridge loading portions.

8. An image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the plural cartridge loading portions are loaded with cartridges individually containing therein toners having mutually different colors, as the consumables.

9. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination portion differentiates the first cartridge from the second cartridge based on whether the cartridge loaded in the cartridge loading portion has the memory or not, the memory storing the information on the consumable.

10. A control method for an image forming apparatus removably loaded with a cartridge containing therein a consumable, comprising: a step of determining whether the loaded cartridge is a first cartridge containing therein a consumable but not carrying a memory storing information on the consumable or a second cartridge containing therein the consumable and carrying a memory storing information on the consumable;a step of calculating a consumption of the consumable in the first cartridge and storing the calculation result in a first memory provided in the image forming apparatus in a case where the loaded cartridge is the first cartridge;a step of storing life-end information on the first cartridge in the first memory when the first cartridge is determined to reach its life end based on the consumable consumption of the first cartridge in the case where the loaded cartridge is the first cartridge; anda step of calculating a consumption of the consumable in the second cartridge and storing the calculation result in the memory installed in the second cartridge in a case where the loaded cartridge is the second cartridge.

11. A control method according to claim 10, further comprising a step of alerting a user to replace the first cartridge with the second cartridge when the first cartridge is determined to reach its life end.

12. A control method according to claim 10, further comprising: a step of checking the first memory to determine whether the life-end information on the first cartridge is stored in the first memory or not;a step of determining whether the loaded cartridge is the first cartridge or the second cartridge; anda step of restricting image formation in a case where the life-end information on the first cartridge is stored in the first memory and the first cartridge is loaded.

13. A control method according to claim 12, wherein the image formation is restricted in the case where the life-end information on the first cartridge is stored in the first memory and the first cartridge is loaded.

14. A control method according to claim 10, wherein image formation is performed based on image formation information stored in the first memory in a case where the first cartridge is loaded, and wherein the image formation is performed based on image formation information stored in the memory installed in the second cartridge in a case where the second cartridge is loaded.

15. A control method according to claim 10, wherein an image stabilization operation is performed based on image formation information stored in the first memory in a case where the first cartridge is loaded, and wherein the image stabilization operation is performed based on image formation information stored in the memory installed in the second cartridge in a case where the second cartridge is loaded.

16. A control method according to claim 10, wherein whether the cartridge loaded in a cartridge loading portion is the first cartridge or the second cartridge is determined based on whether or not the loaded cartridge carries the memory storing the information on the consumable.