Patent ID: 9645527
Date: 2017-05-09
CPC Classifications: G03G

Claim:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: an image bearing member for bearing an electrostatic latent image; a developing device for developing the electrostatic latent image, borne on said image bearing member, into a toner image with a toner; a driving device for driving said developing device; and a controller for controlling said image forming apparatus, wherein said developing device comprises, a developing container including a first chamber and a second chamber which are capable of accommodating a developer containing a non-magnetic toner and a magnetic carrier, a partition wall for partitioning said first chamber and said second chamber, a first opening, provided upstream of said second chamber with respect to a developer feeding direction, for establishing communication between said first chamber and said second chamber, and a second opening, provided downstream of said second chamber with respect to the developer feeding direction, for establishing communication between said first chamber and said second chamber, a first feeding member for feeding the developer in said first chamber, a second feeding member for feeding the developer in said second chamber in a direction opposite to a direction in said first chamber, a developer carrying member for carrying the developer while rotating and for developing the electrostatic latent image into the toner image with the toner, a content sensor, provided in said second chamber, for detecting a toner content in said developing container on the basis of permeability of the developer, and a sealing member for unsealably sealing the first opening and said second opening in a state in which the developer is accommodated in the second chamber, wherein when said controller executes an initializing operation for removing said sealing member from the first opening and the second opening while driving said first feeding member and said second feeding member, said controller provides notification of abnormality when said controller discriminates that an amount of the developer in said second chamber is larger than a predetermined amount at predetermined timing on the basis of an output of said content sensor.