Image forming apparatus and powder transport unit

摘要

An image forming apparatus includes a powder container containing powder used for image forming and including an inlet through which the powder is supplied, a powder supply unit including an outlet that is removably connected to the inlet and supplying the powder to the powder container with the outlet connected to the inlet of the powder container, a powder amount detector detecting whether a present powder level in the powder container is equal to or greater than a threshold, and a controller controlling an amount of powder supply from the powder supply unit and controlling the present powder level in the powder container after replenishment to remain in a range from the threshold and a position corresponding to an upper edge of the inlet. A powder transport unit includes a transport decelerating part to decelerate the speed of powder transport and a detection area in the image forming apparatus.

主权项

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a powder container to contain powder used for image forming and including an inlet through which the powder is supplied; a powder supply unit including an outlet that is removably connected to the inlet, the powder supply unit supplying the powder to the powder container with the outlet connected to the inlet of the powder container; a powder amount detector to detect whether a present powder level in the powder container is equal to or greater than a threshold; a controller to control an amount of powder supplied from the powder supply unit, the controller controlling the present powder level in the powder container after replenishment to maintain in a range from the threshold to a position corresponding to an upper edge of the inlet; and a powder consumption detector to detect an amount of powder consumption in the powder container, wherein the controller performs a first control in which the powder supply unit supplies an amount of powder less than the amount of powder consumption based on the amount of powder consumption detected by the powder consumption detector upon the powder amount detector detecting that the present powder level in the powder container is equal to or greater than the threshold, wherein the controller performs a second control in which the powder supply unit supplies a given amount of powder upon the powder amount detector detecting that the present powder level in the powder container is less than the threshold, wherein the given amount of powder in the second control is previously adjusted so that the present powder level in the powder container after replenishment is maintained in the range from the threshold to the position corresponding to the upper edge of the inlet.