US 12,468,237 B2
Image forming apparatus
Tatsuya Katagiri, Hino (JP)
Assigned to KONICA MINOLTA, INC., Tokyo (JP)
Filed by Konica Minolta, Inc., Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Apr. 8, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/629,112.
Claims priority of application No. 2023-063551 (JP), filed on Apr. 10, 2023.
Prior Publication US 2024/0337961 A1, Oct. 10, 2024
Int. Cl. G03G 15/01 (2006.01); G03G 15/00 (2006.01); G03G 15/08 (2006.01); G06K 15/00 (2006.01); G06K 15/02 (2006.01)
CPC G03G 15/0121 (2013.01) [G03G 15/0189 (2013.01); G03G 15/0865 (2013.01); G03G 15/0879 (2013.01); G03G 15/0891 (2013.01); G03G 15/556 (2013.01); G03G 15/6517 (2013.01); G06K 15/022 (2013.01); G06K 15/4075 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An image forming apparatus by which a toner image is formable on a continuous sheet, comprising:
a developing device that develops a latent image formed on an image bearing member to form a toner image; and
a toner container that contains a toner to be supplied to the developing device, and is attachable to and detachable from the image forming apparatus, wherein
a plurality of the toner containers containing toners of a same color are arranged,
and
the image forming apparatus further includes
a common toner hopper through which the plurality of the toner containers supply toners to the developing device, and
a switcher that switches supply of the toners that are supplied from the plurality of the toner containers to the common toner hopper,
wherein before the toner contained in one toner container is not supplied to the common toner hopper by a status that the toner remaining amount of one toner container reaches 0, the switcher starts supply of a toner from another toner container.