TONER AMOUNT DETECTING DEVICE

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a toner amount detecting device capable of detecting the amount of toner of the entire toner amount area and correcting it against an intermediate transfer belt flaw and window dirt of a sensor changing with time.

SOLUTION: The toner amount detecting device adjusts the quantity of light of a light source of a toner amount detecting optical sensor by using a reflecting body whose reflection factor is fixed, calculates a correction coefficient by comparing the output of the sensor when an image carrier is measured after the light source light quantity of the sensor is adjusted in an initial state wherein neither the image carrier nor the sensor window of the sensor has time changes with the output of the sensor when the image carrier is measured after the light source light quantity of the sensor is adjusted while the image carrier and the sensor window have time changes, and corrects the relation between the toner amount and the output of the sensor in the state that the image carrier and sensor window have the time changes into the relation in the initial state.

COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO