Patent ID: 9229423
Filing Date: 2016-01-05
CPC Classification: G03G

Claim Text:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: a development unit configured to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on a photosensitive member using toner; a mounting portion configured to which a container is mountable, the container containing toner; a drive unit configured to rotate the container mounted to the mounting portion for replenishing the toner in the container to the development unit; an output unit configured to detect a predetermined portion of the container in a rotation direction of the container that is rotated by the drive unit, to output a first signal while the predetermined portion is detected, and to output a second signal while the predetermined portion is not detected; a decision unit configured to decide a toner replenishing amount that should be replenished to the development unit, and to decide a count of changes of the output of the output unit from the second signal to the first signal while the drive unit rotates the mounted container based on the decided replenishing amount; a controller configured to control the drive unit based on the count decided by the decision unit; a determination unit configured to determine whether the container mounted to the mounting portion should be exchanged with a new container; and a detection unit configured to detect that the container mounted to the mounting portion is dismounted in a case where the output of the output unit changes from the first signal to the second signal in a period during which the mounted container is not rotating, wherein the controller is configured to control the drive unit to stop the rotation of the container in a case where the count of changes of the output of the output unit from the second signal to the first signal reaches the count decided by the decision unit, wherein the controller controls, in a case where the determination unit determines that the mounted container should be exchanged with a new container, the drive unit so that the output unit outputs the first signal when the output unit outputs the second signal at the time of stopping the rotation of the container by the drive unit, and wherein the controller does not control, in a case where the determination unit does not determine that the mounted container should be exchanged with a new container, the drive unit so that the output unit outputs the first signal even when the output unit outputs the second signal at the time of stopping the rotation of the container by the drive unit.