Abstract: A toner cartridge supporting apparatus includes a storage portion, an insertion port, an opening/closing cover, a detecting portion for detecting a toner remaining amount, a control portion for controlling toner supply, a judging portion to judge whether or not a toner in a toner cartridge is exhausted, a message generating portion for generating a replacement message, a display portion for displaying the message, a toner cartridge replacement icon, and a toner cartridge moving portion, wherein a toner cartridge replacement message display function and a toner cartridge movement instruction function are provided as the control portion.

Abstract: A toner cartridge supporting apparatus includes a storage portion, an insertion port, an opening/closing cover, a detecting portion for detecting a toner remaining amount, a control portion for controlling toner supply, a judging portion to judge whether or not a toner in a toner cartridge is exhausted, a message generating portion for generating a replacement message, a display portion for displaying the message, a toner cartridge replacement icon, and a toner cartridge moving portion, wherein a toner cartridge replacement message display function and a toner cartridge movement instruction function are provided as the control portion.

Abstract: A toner cartridge supporting apparatus includes a storage portion, an insertion port, an opening/closing cover, a detecting portion for detecting a toner remaining amount, a control portion for controlling toner supply, a judging portion to judge whether or not a toner in a toner cartridge is exhausted, a message generating portion for generating a replacement message, a display portion for displaying the message, a toner cartridge replacement icon, and a toner cartridge moving portion, wherein a toner cartridge replacement message display function and a toner cartridge movement instruction function are provided as the control portion.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus of the present invention includes an operation accepting means for accepting an instruction, and a display controlling means for controlling a display section. The display controlling means controls the display section to display at least environmental information, which has been obtained by the image forming apparatus, at predetermined timing at which no instruction corresponding to a job is accepted by the operation accepting means.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus of the present invention includes an operation accepting means for accepting an instruction, and a display controlling means for controlling a display section. The display controlling means controls the display section to display at least environmental information, which has been obtained by the image forming apparatus, at predetermined timing at which no instruction corresponding to a job is accepted by the operation accepting means.

Abstract: A toner cartridge supporting apparatus includes a storage portion, an insertion port, an opening/closing cover, a detecting portion for detecting a toner remaining amount, a control portion for controlling toner supply, a judging portion to judge whether or not a toner in a toner cartridge is exhausted, a message generating portion for generating a replacement message, a display portion for displaying the message, a toner cartridge replacement icon, and a toner cartridge moving portion, wherein a toner cartridge replacement message display function and a toner cartridge movement instruction function are provided as the control portion.

Abstract: A toner cartridge supporting apparatus includes a storage portion, an insertion port, an opening/closing cover, a detecting portion for detecting a toner remaining amount, a control portion for controlling the supply of toner, a judging portion to judge whether or not the toner in a toner cartridge is exhausted, a message generating portion for generating a replacement message, a display portion for displaying the message and a toner cartridge replacement icon, and a toner cartridge moving portion. A toner cartridge replacement message is displayed when toner in a toner cartridge has been exhausted. A toner cartridge movement instruction function is performed in response to a user instruction to replace a toner cartridge.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus to which a plurality of process cartridges has a safety switch for detecting opening and closing of a front cover, stroke switches for detecting positions of the process cartridges, a display portion and a speaker for notifying a state of the process cartridge, and a control portion. The control portion has a cartridge information notifying function for, when closing of the front cover is detected by the safety switch and the process cartridge is not detected by the stroke switch, notifying information of the process cartridge. Further, the control portion has a cartridge information notifying function for notifying first notification information for replacing the process cartridge, a cartridge moving function for moving the process cartridge by a moving portion, and a cartridge information notification cancelling function for cancelling notification of the first notification information.

Abstract: A communication system is provided. In a communication system, when consumables mounted on an image forming apparatus main body are determined as greenhouse gas emission right-granted consumables by a computation unit, an image forming apparatus acquires contribution content information regarding greenhouse gas reduction corresponding to emission right allowance information recorded in a recording unit of the consumables from a connection unit and displays the acquired contribution content information on a display unit.

Abstract: When a device desired to acquire emission right information is selected on a selection screen displayed on a display unit and a “SEND” icon is manipulated, a control unit causes the display unit to display consumables information of consumables granted with emission rights and consumables not granted with emission rights that is received from a server. When a user selects a consumable item that is desired to be ordered from among consumables indicated by the consumables information displayed on the display unit, and manipulates a “SEND ORDER SHEET” icon on the ordering screen, the control unit sends an order sheet to the server. The control unit causes the display unit to display, in the case of receiving order sheet receipt notification from the server in response to the sent order sheet, the received order sheet receipt notification.

Abstract: The consumable supply-ordering system for ordering consumable supplies that is used an image forming apparatus that has been purchased or leased, includes: an environmental information acquisition portion (communicator) for acquiring product information on consumable supplies used in the image forming apparatus and environmental performance information on the consumable supplies; a display portion having the function of displaying product information on the consumable supplies and environmental performance information on the consumable supplies simultaneously or separately in list representation or thumbnail representation; an information selector (display screen) for selecting information displayed on the display portion; and a selection result notifier (communicator) for notifying the source of supplies of the selection result selected by the information selector.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus to which a plurality of process cartridges has a safety switch for detecting opening and closing of a front cover, stroke switches for detecting positions of the process cartridges, a display portion and a speaker for notifying a state of the process cartridge, and a control portion. The control portion has a cartridge information notifying function for, when closing of the front cover is detected by the safety switch and the process cartridge is not detected by the stroke switch, notifying information of the process cartridge. Further, the control portion has a cartridge information notifying function for notifying first notification information for replacing the process cartridge, a cartridge moving function for moving the process cartridge by a moving portion, and a cartridge information notification cancelling function for cancelling notification of the first notification information.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus (1) includes a toner cartridge (71) between a front frame (78) or an front inside cover (79) and a front housing, and a cartridge attaching section (65) includes a shutter stopping section (65i) for opening a shutter (71c) by attachment of the toner cartridge (71) to the toner cartridge attaching section (65), and an IC chip fitting section (65c) to which an IC chip (75) is attached.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a fixing drive motor is positioned inside the image forming apparatus and closely to the front surface of the image forming apparatus so as to be laterally to toner cartridges and a waste toner box in a direction parallel to an outer surface of a front housing section.

Abstract: A charging roller has a conductive shaft, a charge emission member provided to the shaft, and a gap securing member provided to the shaft. The gap securing member (i) protrudes toward the photoreceptor drum so as to be closer to the photoreceptor drum than the charge emission member is to the photoreceptor drum and (ii) is in contact with the photoreceptor drum so as to secure a gap between the charge emission member and the photoreceptor drum. A conductive part of the gap securing member and the shaft are bonded to each other by electrically releasing adhesive, so that the gap securing member is provided to the shaft.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an operation panel has, as a configuration of the operation panel, a display portion including a function to display environmental label information of the image forming apparatus. The environmental label information includes information on a type of greenhouse effect gases (CO2) and a total emission amount of the greenhouse effect gases in a life cycle of the image forming apparatus. On the display portion, there is provided a selective display portion for displaying an environmental label as list display or thumbnail display, as well as selectively displaying detailed information of the environmental label according to the environmental label.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus of the present invention includes an image forming main device which has a control section. The control section (a) obtains, from an external device via a communication device, option information indicative of an at least one optional device and eco-information indicative of an amount of greenhouse-gas emitted due to the at least one optional device, (b) controls a display device to display the option information and the eco-information, and (c) sends, to the external device via the communication device, an order for an optional device selected by a user via the input device out of the at least one optional device indicated by the option information displayed on the display device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention is an image forming apparatus into which a memory device is insertable and which performs a printing process on an image of image data stored in the memory device. The image forming apparatus includes a memory reading section for detecting insertion of the memory device into the image forming apparatus, and a display processing section for performing a notification process of warning of accidental ingestion of the memory device, when the memory reading section detects the insertion of the memory device. This makes it more surely possible to cause a user to give attention to accidental ingestion by young children.

Abstract: A toner cartridge supporting apparatus includes a storage portion, an insertion port, an opening/closing cover, a detecting portion for detecting a toner remaining amount, a control portion for controlling toner supply, a judging portion to judge whether or not a toner in a toner cartridge is exhausted, a message generating portion for generating a replacement message, a display portion for displaying the message, a toner cartridge replacement icon, and a toner cartridge moving portion, wherein a toner cartridge replacement message display function and a toner cartridge movement instruction function are provided as the control portion.

Abstract: A printing control device of the present invention controls a printing device equipped with a consumable supply, and includes a display control section for causing a display section to display a printing setting screen via which printing conditions corresponding to functions of the printing device are set and entered into the printing device. The printing setting screen includes an ordering screen via which an order of the consumable supply equipped for the printing device is entered, and the ordering screen includes remaining-amount-of-consumable-supply information indicative of an index of a remaining amount of the consumable supply.