| 摘要 |
<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus having a developer supply device, wherein the amount of developer remaining in a developer container or the presence or absence of the developer can be correctly estimated and detected even in the case where the amount of developer supplied by the developer supply device greatly varies due to difference between the characteristics of the image forming apparatuses or difference in use environment or conditions between them. <P>SOLUTION: The image forming apparatus has a control means that judges whether or not a cumulative amount of operation of the developer supply device, which is cumulatively stored in a storage means, reaches an estimated value at which the developer container has become empty. It is constituted so that the control means stores in the storage means the cumulative amount of operation of the developer supply device when the developer container is replaced, and uses the average of the stored cumulative amounts of operation as the estimated value . <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI |
