| 摘要 |
<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a toner supply device capable of keeping damage to a minimum without the output of image degradation caused by trouble in supply, and to provide an image forming apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: The toner supply device includes: a changeable toner bottle 11 in which toner is stored; a conveying pump which conveys the toner stored in the toner bottle 11 to a sub hopper 13 for conveying the toner; a sensor 15 which detects existence of the toner temporarily stored in the sub hopper 13; a screw 14 which supplies the toner in the sub hopper 13 to a developing device 4; and a monitoring means which monitors toner supply conditions from the toner bottle 11 to the developing device 4, being the monitoring means which estimates residual amount of toner in the toner bottle 11, and monitors trouble in toner supply according to the estimated residual amount of toner, a detection signal of the sensor 15, and whether to supply the toner from the sub hopper 13 to the developing device 4. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT |
