Patent ID: 7917044

Claim:
A consumable component sorting system including (a) an image forming apparatus having a consumable component exchangeably mounted therein, (b) an information managing apparatus, and (c) a component managing apparatus, which are communicably connected to each other, wherein the image forming apparatus comprises an information collecting unit configured to collect information at least on an operational environment of the image forming apparatus, wherein the information managing apparatus comprises an estimating unit configured to estimate a change in characteristics of the consumable component based at least on the information on the operational environment of the image forming apparatus collected by said information collecting unit, wherein the component managing apparatus comprises a sorting unit configured to select a new consumable component from a plurality of consumable components of a same type for the image forming apparatus, each of the plurality of consumable components exhibiting different characteristics suitable for different operational environments, and the sorting unit configured to select the new consumable component at least by determining that the new consumable component has characteristics better suited to the operational environment of the image forming apparatus as compared to the other consumable components of the same type for the image forming apparatus, based on a result of the estimation of said estimating unit, and wherein the information on the operational environment of the image forming apparatus includes information on temperature, humidity, or both temperature and humidity.