초록 ▼

A process cartridge and developer container assembly is constructed to include a main cartridge holding an electrophotographic photosensitive member, developing means, charging means, and cleaning means, a developer container holding developer and detachably secured to the main cartridge, and a coup

A process cartridge and developer container assembly is constructed to include a main cartridge holding an electrophotographic photosensitive member, developing means, charging means, and cleaning means, a developer container holding developer and detachably secured to the main cartridge, and a coupling member for enabling the developer container to be detachably coupled to the main cartridge. The main cartridge has a plurality of developer receiving openings, and a first sliding cover, which opens the developer receiving openings upon installation of the developer container in the main cartridge, or closes the developer receiving openings after removal of the developer container.

대표청구항 ▼

A process cartridge and developer container assembly is constructed to include a main cartridge holding an electrophotographic photosensitive member, developing means, charging means, and cleaning means, a developer container holding developer and detachably secured to the main cartridge, and a coup

A process cartridge and developer container assembly is constructed to include a main cartridge holding an electrophotographic photosensitive member, developing means, charging means, and cleaning means, a developer container holding developer and detachably secured to the main cartridge, and a coupling member for enabling the developer container to be detachably coupled to the main cartridge. The main cartridge has a plurality of developer receiving openings, and a first sliding cover, which opens the developer receiving openings upon installation of the developer container in the main cartridge, or closes the developer receiving openings after removal of the developer container. means for displaying the information outputted from said output means. 8. An image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said apparatus is connected to an electronic apparatus having a display, and the information outputted from said output means is indicated on the display. 9. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a memory for storing the developer amount detected by said developer amount detecting means, the number of pixels counted by said pixel number counter, and the number of sheets counted by said sheet number counter. 10. An image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said memory further stores the number of pixels at the time when a detected amount of said developer amount detecting means reaches a predetermined amount, and this number of pixels is information that is not updated. 11. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least said developer container is detachably mountable to said apparatus. 12. An image forming apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a memory for storing the developer amount detected by said developer amount detecting means, the number of pixels counted by said pixel number counter, and the number of sheets counted by said sheet number counter, wherein said memory forms a unit together with said developer container and said unit is detachably mountable to said apparatus. 13. An image forming apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said unit further comprises at least one of an electrophotosensitive member, charging means for charging said electrophotosensitive member, developing means for supplying the developer to said electrophotosensitive member, and cleaning means for cleaning said electrophotosensitive member. 14. A cartridge detachably mountable on an image forming apparatus, comprising: a developer container; and a memory for storing data representing a present amount of a developer, an aggregate number of sheets printed by using said cartridge, a first aggregate counted pixel number counted until a time when the amount of developer has reached a first amount, and a second aggregate counted pixel number counted in a period that the amount of developer changes from said first amount to a second amount lower than said first amount. 15. A cartridge according to claim 14, wherein said first and second amounts are information which are not updated. 16. A cartridge according to claim 14, further comprising at least one of an electrophotosensitive member, charging means for charging said electrophotosensitive member, developing means for supplying developer to said electrophotosensitive member, and cleaning means for cleaning said electrophotosensitive member. 17. An image forming apparatus comprising: a developer container for containing a developer; developer amount detecting means for detecting an amount of the developer contained in said developer container; a pixel number counter for counting a number of pixels required for forming an image; estimating means for estimating an amount of developer required per unit pixel on the basis of the amount of the developer detected by said developer amount detecting means and a pixel count number counted in each used period in which the developer is used by said pixel number counter; and control means for outputting a printable number of sheets from the present onward on the basis of the amount of developer required per unit pixel estimated by said estimating means. 18. An image forming apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising a sheet number counter for counting the number of sheets on which an image is formed, and wherein said control means outputs a number of pixels required for forming an image on one sheet on the basis of the amount of the developer detected by said developer amount detecting means, the number of sheets counted by said sheet number counter, and the number of pixels counted by said pixel number counter, and outputs the pr