Verfahren und Gerät zum Feststellen der Tonerrestmenge in einer Bilderzeugungsvorrichtung

摘要

In an image forming apparatus including a developing unit and a photoconductive dram, employing a toner sensor disposed at a toner mixing portion of the developing unit having a mixing member to be turned for mixing and frictionally charging the toner, a detection of the residual quantity or density of the toner according to an output voltage of the sensor is carried out. To detect the residual quantity or density of the toner, sampling of an output voltage of the toner sensor is executed by predetermined times during a predetermined period with the mixing member being turned at a specific constant speed, and averaging the sampled values. As a result, correct data for the residual quantity or density of the toner can be obtained.