IMAGE FORMING DEVICE, REPLACEMENT PART AND IC CHIP TO BE USED IN THE SAME DEVICE AND METHOD FOR USING AND MANAGING REPLACEMENT PART

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To perform proper management of replacement parts by a simple method even when kinds of maintenance forms of replacement parts such as process cartridge are plentiful. SOLUTION: A maintenance ID expressing the classification of the maintenance form of a process cartridge which is usable in this device is stored in a memory (nonvolatile memory)incorporated in the main body 5 of a printer and when a cartridge is mounted to the device, the device compares the stored ID with the maintenance ID stored in the memory (nonvolatile memory) 18 of a cartridge 2 and judges the coincidence of the maintenance ID. When they are coincident, the device makes it possible to perform the forming of image by using the mounted cartridge. When they are not coincident, the device reports the erroneous mounting of the replacement part. The reading of the maintenance ID from the memory is performed in the first place in advance of the reading of other management information. The maintenance ID is made to be the classification of a lease set in the cartridge.