| 摘要 |
<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To promote the recycle of image forming units by easily estimating the evaluation of the remaining lives of the image forming units in an image forming module, whose lives are shortened by exposure to substances that cause deterioration of the units. <P>SOLUTION: The image forming device has a detection means 17 which detects an amount that the image forming units 13 and 14 in the image forming module 6 are exposed to substances that cause deterioration of them. When the image forming module 6 is recovered, the remaining lives of the image forming units 13 and 14 in the image forming module 6 can be estimated from the result of the detection by the detection means 17. Based upon the evaluation of the remaining lives, it can easily be determined whether the image forming units 13 and 14 can be recycled or not. Thus, the recyclability of the image forming units 13 and 14 can be improved. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO |
