阅读说明：本技术 成像设备 (Image forming apparatus ) 是由 熊谷谦造 于 2019-06-21 设计创作，主要内容包括：本公开涉及一种成像设备,其包括：显影剂容纳容器；用于相应的容器的安装部分；切换部分；和手动地可操作的盖。在提示更换显影剂容纳容器之后的待机状态中,切换部分伴随盖的打开将容器的状态从不可接近状态切换到可接近状态。在提示更换安装在安装部分中的显影剂容纳容器之后卡纸发生信号是ON的情况中,在打开盖时,切换部分维持不可接近状态而不从不可接近状态切换到可接近状态。(The present disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus, including: a developer accommodating container; a mounting portion for a respective container; a switching section; and a manually operable lid. In a standby state after prompting replacement of the developer accommodating container, the switching portion switches the state of the container from the inaccessible state to the accessible state with opening of the lid. In a case where a jam occurrence signal is ON after prompting replacement of the developer accommodating container mounted in the mounting portion, the switching portion maintains the inaccessible state without switching from the inaccessible state to the accessible state when the cover is opened.)

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of developer accommodating containers including a color developer accommodating container and a black developer accommodating container;

a plurality of mounting portions configured to mount the developer accommodating containers, respectively;

an image forming portion configured to form an image on a recording material;

a switching portion configured to switch a state between a first state in which the developer accommodating container mounted in the mounting portion is detachable and a second state in which the developer accommodating container is not detachable;

a cover that can be manually opened and closed, the cover being provided on an exterior of the image forming apparatus;

wherein the plurality of mounting portions become accessible by opening the cover, and

i) in a standby state in which the apparatus waits for input of an image forming signal after prompting replacement of the developer accommodating container mounted in the mounting portion, the switching portion switches the state from the second state to the first state in conjunction with an opening operation of the cover, and

ii) in a case where a jam occurrence signal is ON after prompting replacement of the developer accommodating container mounted in the mounting portion, the switching portion maintains the second state without switching from the second state to the first state accompanied by opening of the cover.

2. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising accommodating portion covers provided for the respective attachment portions and configured to open and close respective entrance openings through which said developer accommodating containers can pass, wherein said switching portion opens said accommodating portion cover in the first state and closes said accommodating portion cover in the second state.

3. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image forming portion allows an image forming operation for monochrome black image formation even when replacement of said color developer accommodating container mounted in said mounting portion is prompted.

4. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display portion for displaying information prompting replacement of said developer accommodating container.

5. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an input portion configured to perform a switching operation from the second state to the first state when said developer accommodating container mounted in said mounting portion is replaced.

6. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in a case where a jam occurrence signal is ON after prompting to replace said developer accommodating container mounted in said mounting portion, switching from the second state to the first state is effected by operating said input portion.

7. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in a state in which said switching portion maintains the second state without switching from the second state to the first state, said switching portion switches the state from the second state to the first state with opening of said cover in a standby state after the jam occurrence signal becomes OFF.

8. An image forming apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a locking mechanism configured to lock said mounting portion cover, wherein in the second state, said locking mechanism locks said mounting portion cover to prevent opening of said mounting portion cover.

9. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when replacement of said developer accommodating container mounted in said mounting portion is prompted, whether to switch the state from the second state to the first state is selectable.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic recording method, an electrostatic recording method, or the like, and in particular, to an image forming apparatus in which a developing container is removably mountable.

Background

Electrophotographic image forming apparatuses have been widely used as copiers, printers, plotters, facsimile machines, multifunction machines having two or more functions of the foregoing machines, and the like. In the field of these image forming apparatuses, particles of toner are used as one component of a developer for image formation. Further, in the field of image forming apparatuses using toner, there has been widely used an image forming apparatus configured such that a developer storage container (which may be hereinafter simply referred to as a toner container) filled with toner is removably mountable in a main assembly of the image forming apparatus.

One type of image forming apparatus of the above type is provided with a toner hopper. The toner hopper temporarily stores toner supplied from a toner container mounted in the main assembly of the image forming apparatus, and is capable of supplying the toner stored therein to the developing apparatus. The toner hopper is provided with a sensor (residual amount detection sensor) for detecting the amount of toner remaining in the hopper. When a control portion (to which the image forming apparatus is provided) detects a residual amount of toner in the toner hopper by using the residual amount detection sensor, the control portion supplies toner from the toner container to the toner hopper. If the amount of toner of the toner container remaining therein is reduced, and therefore the toner reservoir becomes unable to be supplied with a preset amount of toner from the toner container, the control portion displays a message (which may be referred to as a replacement message hereinafter, and which prompts the user to replace the toner container in the main assembly of the image forming apparatus) on the monitor of the image forming apparatus so as to inform the user that it is time to replace the toner container in the main assembly.

There has been proposed an image forming apparatus capable of preventing occurrence of accidental replacement of a toner container in a main assembly of the image forming apparatus which has not reached a point of time at which the toner container must be replaced (U.S. patent No. 6560416). The image forming apparatus is provided with a cover which covers an inlet of a main assembly of the image forming apparatus through which a toner container is to be mounted into the main assembly. It is configured such that a lid corresponding to a toner container which has run out of toner and is therefore to be replaced is automatically opened. However, the image forming apparatus has the following problems in particular: since the apparatus is configured such that its lid is automatically opened when the toner container runs out of toner, it is possible that the lid will remain open. Therefore, another type of image forming apparatus has been proposed which is provided with an internal cover for exposing or covering an inlet for the toner container compartment in addition to the above-described external cover (e.g., front cover) (japanese patent laid-open application No. 2011-. The image forming apparatus is configured such that an inner cap corresponding to a toner container to be replaced is automatically opened when the front cap is opened by a user. That is, the inner cover cannot be opened unless the front cover is opened, and thus, one or more of the holding open of the inner cover does not occur. Therefore, the toner container that runs out of toner can be appropriately replaced.

However, the image forming apparatus disclosed in japanese patent laid-open application No. 2011-. That is, when the front cover of the image forming apparatus is opened, the inner cover of the image forming apparatus corresponding to the toner container to be replaced is automatically opened. Therefore, the image forming apparatus may have the following problems. For example, it is possible that an image forming apparatus such as that disclosed in japanese patent laid-open application No.2011-59296 will be configured such that the front cover doubles as another component as well, for example, a cover for the transfer unit. In this case, it is possible that, when the user opens the front cover to deal with a paper jam, for example, the inner cover of the compartment for any toner container without toner will likely be opened at an unexpected timing, making it necessary to close the inner cover. That is, when the user opens the front cover to cope with a jam, the user may have to close the inner cover which is unexpectedly opened. In other words, it is possible that japanese patent laid-open application No. 2011-.

Disclosure of Invention

Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus which does not require an operation for closing one or more internal covers that are automatically opened when a front cover of the apparatus is opened during any operation other than an operation for replacing a developer storage container, and is therefore simpler in operation than any conventional image forming apparatus.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus including: a plurality of developer accommodating containers including a color developer accommodating container and a black developer accommodating container; a plurality of mounting portions configured to mount the developer accommodating containers, respectively; an image forming portion configured to form an image on a recording material; a switching portion configured to switch a state between a first state in which the developer accommodating container mounted in the mounting portion is detachable and a second state in which the developer accommodating container is not detachable; a cover that can be manually opened and closed, the cover being provided on an exterior of the image forming apparatus; wherein the plurality of mounting portions become accessible by opening the cover, and i) in a standby state in which the apparatus waits for input of an image forming signal after prompting replacement of the developer accommodating container mounted in the mounting portions, the switching portion switches the state from the second state to the first state in association with an opening operation of the cover, and ii) in a case where a jam occurrence signal is ON after prompting replacement of the developer accommodating container mounted in the mounting portions, the switching portion maintains the second state without switching from the second state to the first state in association with opening of the cover.

Further features of the invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus in a first embodiment of the present invention, which shows the overall structure of the apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a schematic sectional view of the image forming apparatus in the first embodiment, which also shows the general structure of the image forming apparatus.

Fig. 3 is a block diagram of a control system of the image forming apparatus in the first embodiment.

Fig. 4 is a schematic side view of one of the inner covers of the image forming apparatus in the first embodiment when the front cover of the image forming apparatus is kept closed.

Fig. 5 is a schematic side view of one of the inner covers of the image forming apparatus in the first embodiment when the front cover thereof is opened.

Fig. 6 is a flowchart of an operation sequence of the image forming apparatus that occurs when the front cover of the image forming apparatus in the first embodiment is opened.

Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of an image to be displayed on the monitor of the image forming apparatus in the second embodiment when the front cover is opened so as to allow the user to set the sequence of operations to be performed.

Fig. 8 is a flowchart of an operation sequence of the image forming apparatus to be performed when the front cover of the image forming apparatus in the second embodiment is opened.

Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of an image to be displayed on a monitor of the image forming apparatus when a front cover of the image forming apparatus in the second embodiment is opened.

Detailed Description