US 12,346,040 B2
Image forming apparatus
Shinobu Yoshioku, Osaka (JP); Keiko Morita, Osaka (JP); Tetsuya Maeda, Osaka (JP); and Ryota Maeda, Osaka (JP)
Assigned to KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc., Osaka (JP)
Filed by KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc., Osaka (JP)
Filed on Apr. 5, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/628,276.
Claims priority of application No. 2023-066037 (JP), filed on Apr. 14, 2023.
Prior Publication US 2024/0345505 A1, Oct. 17, 2024
Int. Cl. G03G 15/08 (2006.01); G03G 15/00 (2006.01)
CPC G03G 15/0856 (2013.01) [G03G 15/0867 (2013.01); G03G 15/5016 (2013.01)] 5 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
a printing portion which forms an image on a sheet;
a plurality of attachment portions to each of which a plurality of developer storage units can be attached, the plurality of developer storage units storing developer of a same color that is to be supplied to the printing portion;
a remaining amount detection portion which detects a remaining amount of the developer in each of the plurality of developer storage units attached to the plurality of attachment portions;
a target selection portion which selects one target attachment portion out of the plurality of attachment portions, and selects, when a detection state of the remaining amount detection portion regarding a target storage unit attached to the target attachment portion out of the plurality of developer storage units changes from a developer-remaining state to a developer-empty state, a new target attachment portion as the target attachment portion;
a supplying mechanism which supplies the developer from the target storage unit to the printing portion;
a notification mode selection portion which selects one of a first notification mode and a second notification mode according to a selection operation; and
a notification processing portion which executes, when the first notification mode is selected, empty state notification processing for outputting information representing the developer-empty state to a preset notification destination every time the developer-empty state is detected by the remaining amount detection portion for each of the plurality of developer storage units, and executes, when the second notification mode is selected, the empty state notification processing when the developer-empty state of some of the plurality of developer storage units is detected by the remaining amount detection portion.