| 摘要 |
PURPOSE:To exchange a cartridge when the life of each cartridge expires by discriminating the color of developer in the cartridge and resetting a counter corresponding to the color in the case of exchanging the cartridge. CONSTITUTION:After the cartridge 3 is exchanged, a signal in accordance with the color of the cartridge 3 is inputted in a control circuit together with a signal from a signal light receiving element 5 and the counter 10 corresponding to the cartridge 3 of the decided color is reset. At the same time, a signal light emitting element 4 is ruptured by a signal light emitting element rupturing means 16, so that, thereafter, the element 4 does not emit light and the counter is prevented from erroneously being reset. Therefore, by discriminating the color of the developer in the cartridge 3, the counter 10 corresponding to the color is reset. Even when the cartridge 3 of the original color is loaded again after the cartridge is exchanged to the cartridge 3 of different color, the counter 10 is not reset and the number of copied sheets is added continuously to a previous value. Thus, the counters 10 corresponding to the respective colors respectively perform counting, and the cartridge is exchanged when the life of each cartridge expires. |
