Image forming apparatus comprising a plurality of rotatable sheet members to determine amount of developer by capacitive means

摘要

An image forming apparatus includes a storage chamber configured to store developer, a plurality of sheet members disposed between a first electrode and a second electrode and disposed in the storage chamber, and a detecting portion configured to detect an output value relating to the capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode. The amount of the developer is detected on the basis of the degree of deterioration of any one of the plurality of sheet members and the output value.

主权项

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a storage chamber configured to store developer; a plurality of sheet members disposed between a first electrode and a second electrode and rotatably disposed in the storage chamber; a detecting portion configured to detect a periodically fluctuated output value relating to capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode; and a controller configured to determine an amount of the developer based on a phase time difference between a highest local maximum value of the periodically fluctuated output value and an another local maximum value that comes next to the highest local maximum value in one period, occurring due to respective ones of the plurality of sheet members.