US 12,411,446 B2
Image forming apparatus having a toner replenishment operation
Kensuke Umeda, Kanagawa (JP); Shinsuke Kobayashi, Kanagawa (JP); Kazuhiro Funatani, Kanagawa (JP); Takanori Watanabe, Kanagawa (JP); and Ai Suzuki, Tokyo (JP)
Assigned to CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Nov. 10, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/388,558.
Application 18/388,558 is a continuation of application No. 17/586,857, filed on Jan. 28, 2022, granted, now 11,886,141.
Application 17/586,857 is a continuation of application No. 17/034,387, filed on Sep. 28, 2020, granted, now 11,262,683, issued on Mar. 1, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 2019-182216 (JP), filed on Oct. 2, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2024/0077823 A1, Mar. 7, 2024
Int. Cl. G03G 15/08 (2006.01); G03G 15/00 (2006.01)
CPC G03G 15/556 (2013.01) [G03G 15/0856 (2013.01); G03G 15/5016 (2013.01); G03G 15/0867 (2013.01)] 24 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An image forming apparatus to and from which a replenishment container accommodating toner is attachable and detachable and which is configured to form an image on a recording material, the image forming apparatus comprising:
an image bearing member;
a developer container configured to accommodate toner;
a developing roller configured to develop an electrostatic image formed on the image bearing member into a toner image by using the toner accommodated in the developer container;
a replenishment port configured to allow replenishment of toner from the replenishment container, which is arranged outside of the image forming apparatus, to the developer container therethrough in a state where the replenishment container is attached to the replenishment port;
an opening/closing portion configured to open the replenishment port in an open position and close the replenishment port in a closed position, the opening/closing portion moving from the closed position to the open position in a case where the replenishment container attached to the replenishment port is rotated;
a locking member configured to move between a restricting position in which the locking member restricts movement of the opening/closing portion from the closed position to the open position, and an allowing position in which the movement of the opening/closing portion from the closed position to the open position is allowed;
a first display configured to display information related to the toner accommodated in the developer container;
a second display configured to switch between a first state and a second state different from the first state, the developer container being capable of accepting more toner for replenishment in a case where the second display is in the second state than in a case where the second display is in the first state; and
a controller configured to control the locking member, the first display and the second display,
wherein the first display provides more information related to the toner accommodated in the developer container than the second display, and
wherein the controller,
(1) moves the locking member from the restricting position to the allowing position in a case where the second display is in the second state before a replenishment operation, in which toner is supplied from the replenishment container to the replenishment port, is performed, and
(2) in a case where the replenishment operation is performed, performs a display processing of displaying, on the first display, the information related to the toner accommodated in the developer container after the replenishment operation.