Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a unit including image carriers for carrying electrostatic latent images, respectively, and developing devices for developing the electrostatic latent images with toners, respectively, and integrated with the image carriers, and toner feeding devices for feeding the toners to the developing devices, respectively, and provided separately from the unit, wherein the toner feeding devices and developing devices are detachably engaged with each other.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a plurality of imaging units each for forming an image on a recording medium, an image carrier provided in each of the plurality of imaging unit, a development unit for visualizing an electrostatic latent image on the image carrier by toner in each of the plurality of imaging units, and a supporting device configured to integrate at least two imaging units of the plurality of imaging units into a unit, wherein the supporting device has a plurality of pressing members configured to press upper portions of the at least two imaging units, respectively, and a plurality of supporting members configured to support lower portions of the at least two imagining units, respectively.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a unit including image carriers for carrying electrostatic latent images, respectively, and developing devices for developing the electrostatic latent images with toners, respectively, and integrated with the image carriers, and toner feeding devices for feeding the toners to the developing devices, respectively, and provided separately from the unit, wherein the toner feeding devices and developing devices are detachably engaged with each other.

Abstract: An integration density acquiring unit for a consumption information management apparatus acquires integration density from an image signal sent from an image processing section, and an information converting unit calculates a quantity of consumed toner (consumption information) by multiplying the integration density by a specified coefficient to send the quantity to a cumulative consumption information calculating unit. The cumulative consumption information calculating unit temporarily stores the information for the quantity of toner consumption in a memory, and reads out the information from the memory at predetermined timing. Accordingly, it is possible to determine only the cost for developer used by a user or calculate the quantity of developer remaining within an image formation apparatus based on the cumulative consumption information for the unadjusted developer stored in the memory.

Abstract: Engine units (imaging units) 2C, 2M, 2Y and 2K are constituted as an integrated unit by supporting the engine units 2C, 2M, 2Y and 2K comprising a photosensitizer, an electrification unit, a development unit, a cleaning unit and the like on a supporting member. Screws are inserted in screw holes which are provided in the supporting member, and the engine units (imaging units) 2C, 2M, 2Y and 2K are detachably fixed on an image forming apparatus together with the supporting member. Thus, the image forming apparatus in which a management at reusing long life imaging units can be easily carried out is provided.

Abstract: An integration density acquiring unit for a consumption information management apparatus acquires integration density from an image signal sent from an image processing section, and an information converting unit calculates a quantity of consumed toner (consumption information) by multiplying the integration density by a specified coefficient to send the quantity to a cumulative consumption information calculating unit. The cumulative consumption information calculating unit temporarily stores the information for the quantity of toner consumption in a memory, and reads out the information from the memory at predetermined timing. Accordingly, it is possible to determine only the cost for developer used by a user or calculate the quantity of developer remaining within an image formation apparatus based on the cumulative consumption information for the unadjusted developer stored in the memory.