Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including: a photoconductor; a developing device; a developer storage; a supplier configured to supply developer; an optical sensor; and a controller configured to execute: a developing process of developing an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor; a usage-amount obtaining process of obtaining a usage amount of the developer; a supplying process of supplying the developer to the developing device every time when the obtained usage amount becomes equal to or greater than a first threshold; and a detecting process of detecting, by the optical sensor, an amount of the developer in the developing device every time when the obtained usage amount becomes equal to or greater than a second threshold larger than the first threshold, and wherein the controller is configured to execute the detecting process in a period different from a period in which the developing process is being executed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including: a photoconductor; an exposing device configured to expose the photoconductor and form an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor; a developing device including a developing roller configured to form a developer image on the photoconductor; a developer storage storing developer; a supplier configured to supply the developer from the developer storage to the developing device; and a controller configured to execute: a rotating process of rotating the developing roller; a developing process of developing, by the developing device, the electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor; a supplying process of supplying, by the supplier, the developer to the developing device; and a stopping process of stopping rotation of the developing roller after the supplying process has been suspended in a case where the supplying process is being executed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including: a housing; a photoconductor; a developing unit configured to form a developer image on the photoconductor; a developer cartridge storing developer, the cartridge being removably mountable on the housing, a supplier configured to supply the developer from the developer cartridge to the developing unit; and a controller configured to execute a first printing process of forming a developer image by use of the developer supplied from the developer cartridge, when the developer cartridge is being mounted on the housing, and a second printing process of forming a developer image by use of the developer remaining in the developing unit, when a usage amount of the developing unit is not less than a predetermined value and the developer cartridge is not being mounted on the housing, wherein the controller does not execute the second printing process when the usage amount is less than the predetermined value.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including: a photoconductor; an exposing device configured to expose the photoconductor and form an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor; a developing device including a developing roller configured to form a developer image on the photoconductor; a developer storage storing developer; a supplier configured to supply the developer from the developer storage to the developing device; and a controller configured to execute: a rotating process of rotating the developing roller; a developing process of developing, by the developing device, the electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor; a supplying process of supplying, by the supplier, the developer to the developing device; and a stopping process of stopping rotation of the developing roller after the supplying process has been suspended in a case where the supplying process is being executed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including: a photoconductor; an exposing device configured to expose the photoconductor and form an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor; a developing device including a developing roller configured to form a developer image on the photoconductor; a transfer device configured to transfer the developer image to a sheet; a developer storage storing developer; a supplier configured to supply the developer from the developer storage to the developing device; a sheet feeder configured to convey the sheet toward the transfer device; a sheet sensor configured to detect the sheet conveyed toward the transfer device; and a controller, wherein the controller is configured to start a supplying process of supplying, by the supplier, the developer to the developing device before formation of the electrostatic latent image corresponding to the sheet is started, based on a signal indicating that the sheet sensor has detected the sheet.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including: a photoconductor; a developing device; a developer storage; a supplier configured to supply developer; an optical sensor; and a controller configured to execute: a developing process of developing an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor; a usage-amount obtaining process of obtaining a usage amount of the developer; a supplying process of supplying the developer to the developing device every time when the obtained usage amount becomes equal to or greater than a first threshold; and a detecting process of detecting, by the optical sensor, an amount of the developer in the developing device every time when the obtained usage amount becomes equal to or greater than a second threshold larger than the first threshold, and wherein the controller is configured to execute the detecting process in a period different from a period in which the developing process is being executed.

Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus including: a forming section having an image holding member and an developing portion, and configured to apply a developing bias voltage to the developing portion to develop an electrostatic latent image on the image holding member; a sensor configured to detect a mark formed by the forming section; a storage; and a controller configured to perform: forming first and second marks, obtaining the densities of the first and second marks, obtaining a slope, and determining a target bias voltage value, and storing the target bias voltage value in the storage.

Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus including: a forming section having an image holding member and an developing portion, and configured to apply a developing bias voltage to the developing portion to develop an electrostatic latent image on the image holding member; a sensor configured to detect a mark formed by the forming section; a storage; and a controller configured to perform: forming first and second marks, obtaining the densities of the first and second marks, obtaining a slope, and determining a target bias voltage value, and storing the target bias voltage value in the storage.

Abstract: A printing apparatus is provided. The printing apparatus includes a printing unit, a sheet feeder, a discharge unit, a sheet path including a feeding path, a discharge path, and a reversing path, a manual sheet inlet and a manual sheet path for a manually-inserted recording sheet, a detecting unit to detect the manually-inserted recording sheet fed through the manual sheet inlet whilst a double-face printing operation is conducted with a preceding recording sheet, a judging unit to judge as to whether the detecting unit detected the manually-inserted recording sheet, and a conveyer controller unit to convey the preceding recording sheet in the double-face printing operation to the discharge unit without reversing when the judging unit judges that the detecting unit detected the manually-inserted recording sheet.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus comprises: a first driving section causing an image carrying body carrying a developer image to perform regular rotation or reverse rotation; a fixing section fixing the developer image and conveying a sheet; a second driving section rotating the fixing section; and a control section. The control section controls the first driving section to cause the image carrying body to perform regular rotation such as to convey the sheet and transfer onto the sheet the developer image formed on the image carrying body, and controls the second driving section to cause the fixing section to fix the developer image on the sheet. Further, in a state that the fixing section nips but does not convey the sheet, the control section controls the first driving section to cause the image carrying body to perform reverse rotation so that the image carrying body is cleaned using the sheet.

Abstract: A printing apparatus is provided. The printing apparatus includes a printing unit, a sheet feeder, a discharge unit, a sheet path including a feeding path, a discharge path, and a reversing path, a manual sheet inlet and a manual sheet path for a manually-inserted recording sheet, a detecting unit to detect the manually-inserted recording sheet fed through the manual sheet inlet whilst a double-face printing operation is conducted with a preceding recording sheet, a judging unit to judge as to whether the detecting unit detected the manually-inserted recording sheet, and a conveyer controller unit to convey the preceding recording sheet in the double-face printing operation to the discharge unit without reversing when the judging unit judges that the detecting unit detected the manually-inserted recording sheet.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus comprises: a first driving section causing an image carrying body carrying a developer image to perform regular rotation or reverse rotation; a fixing section fixing the developer image and conveying a sheet; a second driving section rotating the fixing section; and a control section. The control section controls the first driving section to cause the image carrying body to perform regular rotation such as to convey the sheet and transfer onto the sheet the developer image formed on the image carrying body, and controls the second driving section to cause the fixing section to fix the developer image on the sheet. Further, in a state that the fixing section nips but does not convey the sheet, the control section controls the first driving section to cause the image carrying body to perform reverse rotation so that the image carrying body is cleaned using the sheet.

Abstract: When a new developer cartridge is initially mounted in an image-forming device, a toothed part of a sensor gear disposed in the cartridge is brought into meshing engagement with an agitator drive gear disposed in the image-forming device. The sensor gear is driven while its toothed part is in meshing engagement with the agitator drive gear and driving of the sensor gear is stopped when its toothless part opposes the agitator drive gear. One or more contact protrusions are formed on the sensor gear to be movable therewith. An information-detecting mechanism detects how many contact protrusions are formed on the sensor gear during driving of the sensor gear. Based on the detection results, whether the mounted developer cartridge is a new product or not is determined, and information on the maximum sheets to be printed with the mounted developer cartridge is acquired.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus used with a replaceable process cartridge mounted therein, including: a new article detecting unit which detects whether or not the mounted process cartridge is a new process cartridge; a detection storage unit which stores a number of times of detection that the new article detecting unit has detected that the mounted process cartridge is a new process cartridge; and a type determining unit which determines a type of the mounted process cartridge, based on the number of times of detection stored in the detection storage unit, when the new article detecting unit has detected that the mounted process cartridge is a new process cartridge.

Abstract: When a new developer cartridge is initially mounted in an image-forming device, a toothed part of a sensor gear disposed in the cartridge is brought into meshing engagement with an agitator drive gear disposed in the image-forming device. The sensor gear is driven while its toothed part is in meshing engagement with the agitator drive gear and driving of the sensor gear is stopped when its toothless part opposes the agitator drive gear. One or more contact protrusions are formed on the sensor gear to be movable therewith. An information-detecting mechanism detects how many contact protrusions are formed on the sensor gear during driving of the sensor gear. Based on the detection results, whether the mounted developer cartridge is a new product or not is determined, and information on the maximum sheets to be printed with the mounted developer cartridge is acquired.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus used with a replaceable process cartridge mounted therein, including: a new article detecting unit which detects whether or not the mounted process cartridge is a new process cartridge; a detection storage unit which stores a number of times of detection that the new article detecting unit has detected that the mounted process cartridge is a new process cartridge; and a type determining unit which determines a type of the mounted process cartridge, based on the number of times of detection stored in the detection storage unit, when the new article detecting unit has detected that the mounted process cartridge is a new process cartridge.