A Method and Apparatus to Detect Loads Associated with One of a Plurality of Components Driven by a Shared Motor in an Image Forming Apparatus

摘要

An image forming apparatus includes a waste toner system that collects waste toner in a waste toner container. An amount of waste toner collected in the container is increased by using a driven toner distributing member that distributes accumulated toner within the container. The toner distributing member may be driven by a shared speed-controlled motor that further drives an image forming process member. The waste toner system may detect the accumulation of waste toner by monitoring a drive control circuit while the toner distributing member is being driven. For example, a logic circuit may detect the accumulation of waste toner based on monitoring a predetermined frequency of interest of a frequency domain transform of a motor control signal, the frequency of interest associated with the shared motor driving the toner distributing member.