Toner bottle having rib being sensed for being discriminated, method and apparatus for discriminating toner bottle types according to a sensed object on the toner bottle, stirring toner, and detecting the amount of remaining toner

Abstract

A method and apparatus for discriminating bottle types, for stirring the toner, and for detecting the amount of toner remaining in the toner bottle. A toner bottle is adapted to fit the apparatus for discriminating toner bottle types, and a toner bottle is adapted for the apparatus for stirring toner. The genuineness of the toner bottle product is checked by sensing a rib assumed to be formed with a predetermined length on the outer surface of the toner bottle. Toner is stirred by continuously rotating the toner bottle in forward and reverse directions. The toner bottle can be easily rotated in the forward and reverse directions by sensing the rib of the toner bottle by using the sensor. Since the load of rotation of the toner bottle changes in accordance with the amount of remaining toner, the rotational speed of the toner bottle is sensed by using the sensor to check whether toner is close to empty.

1. A method of discriminating toner bottle types, comprising:
 the object sensing step of rotating a toner bottle, sensing an object to be sensed formed on an outer surface of said toner bottle and, if said object is not sensed, outputting information indicating abnormality; and    the ratio discrimination step of checking, if said object is sensed, whether said object is formed at a predetermined ratio on the outer surface of said toner bottle, outputting information indicating abnormality if said object is not formed at the predetermined ratio, and outputting information indicating normality if said object is formed at the predetermined ratio.    
     
     
       2. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the object ratio discrimination step comprises the steps of:
 detecting a first time interval from the timing at which said sensor senses one end portion of said object of said toner bottle in rotation to the timing at which said sensor senses the other end portion;    detecting a second time interval from the timing at which said sensor senses the other end portion of said object to the timing at which said sensor senses the one end portion; and    checking whether said object is formed over a predetermined length on the outer surface of said toner bottle by using the first and second time intervals.    
     
     
       3. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the object ratio discrimination step is performed with reference to the timing at which a first end portion of said object of said toner bottle in rotation is sensed and the timing at which a second end portion of said object is sensed. 
     
     
       4. An apparatus for discriminating toner bottle types, comprising:
 a motor for rotating a toner bottle;    a motor driver for driving said motor;    a sensor for sensing an object to be sensed formed in a predetermined portion of said toner bottle and outputting a sensor signal; and    a CPU for controlling said motor driver and discriminating said toner bottle by using the sensor signal,    wherein said CPU rotates said toner bottle by controlling said motor driver, senses said object assumed to be formed on an outer surface of said toner bottle by using said sensor, outputs information indicating abnormality if said object is not sensed,    checks, if said object is sensed, whether said object is formed at a predetermined ratio on the outer surface of said toner bottle, outputs information indicating abnormality if said object is not formed at the predetermined ratio, and outputs information indicating normality if said object is formed at the predetermined ratio.    
     
     
       5. An apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein in order to check whether said object is formed at the predetermined ratio on the outer surface of said toner bottle,
 said CPU detects a first time interval from the timing at which said sensor senses one end portion of said object of said toner bottle in rotation to the timing at which said sensor senses the other end portion,    detects a second time interval from the timing at which said sensor senses the other end portion of said object to the timing at which said sensor senses the one end portion, and    checks whether said object is formed at the predetermined ratio on the outer surface of said toner bottle by using the first and second time intervals.    
     
     
       6. A toner bottle adapted to fit an apparatus for discriminating toner bottle types, wherein
 said toner bottle type discriminating apparatus comprises: 
 a motor for rotating a toner bottle;  
 a motor driver for driving said motor;  
 a sensor for sensing an object to be sensed formed in a predetermined portion of said toner bottle and outputting a sensor signal; and  
 a CPU for controlling said motor driver and discriminating said toner bottle by using the sensor signal, and  
 said CPU rotates said toner bottle by controlling said motor driver, senses said object assumed to be formed on an outer surface of said toner bottle by using said sensor, outputs information indicating abnormality if said object is not sensed,  
   checks, if said object is sensed, whether said object is formed at a predetermined ratio on the outer surface of said toner bottle, outputs information indicating abnormality if said object is not formed at the predetermined ratio, and outputs information indicating normality if said object is formed at the predetermined ratio.    
     
     
       7. A toner bottle according to  claim 6 , wherein in order to check whether said object is formed at the predetermined ratio on the outer surface of said toner bottle,
 said CPU detects a first time interval from the timing at which said sensor senses one end portion of said object of said toner bottle in rotation to the timing at which said sensor senses the other end portion,    detects a second time interval from the timing at which said sensor senses the other end portion of said object to the timing at which said sensor senses the one end portion, and    checks whether said object is formed at the predetermined ratio on the outer surface of said toner bottle by using the first and second time intervals.    
     
     
       8. A method of stirring toner and discriminating toner bottle types, comprising the steps of:
 rotating a toner bottle through a predetermined angle in a forward direction, sensing an object to be sensed assumed to be formed on an outer surface of said toner bottle and, if said object is not sensed, outputting information indicating abnormality; and    rotating said toner bottle through a predetermined angle in a reverse direction, sensing said object by using said sensor and, if said object is not sensed, outputting information indicating abnormality,    wherein toner is stirred by rotating said toner bottle through the predetermined angles in the forward and reverse directions.    
     
     
       9. An apparatus for stirring toner and discriminating toner bottle types, comprising:
 a motor for rotating a toner bottle;    a motor driver for driving said motor;    a sensor for sensing an object to be sensed formed in a predetermined portion of said toner bottle and outputting a sensor signal; and    a CPU for controlling said motor driver and receiving the sensor signal,    wherein said CPU controls said motor driver to rotate said toner bottle through a predetermined angle in a forward direction, senses said object assumed to be formed on an outer surface of said toner bottle by using said sensor, outputs information indicating abnormality if said object is not sensed,    rotates said toner bottle through a predetermined angle in a reverse direction, senses said object by using said sensor, and outputs information indicating abnormality if said object is not sensed.    
     
     
       10. A toner bottle adapted to fit an apparatus for stirring toner and discriminating toner bottle types, wherein
 said toner stirring and toner bottle type discriminating apparatus comprises: 
 a motor for rotating a toner bottle;  
 a motor driver for driving said motor;  
 a sensor for sensing an object to be sensed formed in a predetermined portion of said toner bottle and outputting a sensor signal; and  
 a CPU for controlling said motor driver and receiving the sensor signal, and  
 said CPU controls said motor driver to rotate said toner bottle through a predetermined angle in a forward direction, senses said object assumed to be formed on an outer surface of said toner bottle by using said sensor, outputs information indicating abnormality if said object is not sensed,  
   rotates said toner bottle through a predetermined angle in a reverse direction, senses said object by using said sensor, and outputs information indicating abnormality if said object is not sensed.    
     
     
       11. A method of detecting the amount of remaining toner, comprising the steps of:
 rotating a toner bottle and sensing the rotational speed by using a sensor; and    detecting the amount of remaining toner in said toner bottle on the basis of the sensed rotational speed,    wherein the step of sensing the rotational speed of said toner bottle comprises: 
 rotating said toner bottle, sensing one end portion of an object to be sensed of said toner bottle by using said sensor, and detecting a first time interval from the timing of sensing to the timing at which said sensor senses the other end portion;  
 detecting a second time interval from the timing at which said sensor senses the other end portion of said object to the timing at which said sensor senses the one end portion; and  
 calculating the rotational speed of said toner bottle by using the first and second time intervals.  
   
     
     
       12. An apparatus for detecting the amount of remaining toner, comprising:
 a motor for rotating a toner bottle;    a motor driver for driving said motor;    a sensor for sensing an object to be sensed formed in a predetermined portion of said toner bottle and outputting a sensor signal; and    a CPU for controlling said motor driver and detecting the amount of remaining toner by using the sensor signal,    wherein said CPU controls said motor driver to rotate said toner bottle by said motor and detects the amount of remaining toner in said toner bottle on the basis of the output sensor signal from said sensor.    
     
     
       13. An apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein said CPU controls said motor driver to rotate said toner bottle by said motor, senses one end portion of said object of said toner bottle by using said sensor, detects a first time interval from the timing of sensing to the timing at which said sensor senses the other end portion,
 detects a second time interval from the timing at which said sensor senses the other end portion of said object to the timing at which said sensor senses the one end portion,    calculates the rotational speed of said toner bottle by using the first and second time intervals, and detects the amount of remaining toner in said toner bottle on the basis of the calculated rotational speed.    
     
     
       14. An image forming apparatus in combination with a toner bottle, the toner bottle comprising:
   an elongated cylindrical body portion having an outer surface;        at least one groove extending around the outer surface of the cylindrical body portion;        a first end portion at a first end of the cylindrical body portion;        a second end portion at a second end of the cylindrical body portion opposite the first end portion in an axial direction along the cylindrical body portion, a diameter of the second end portion being greater than a diameter of the first end portion;        a toner discharge port positioned at the first end portion on an outer circumferential surface of the toner bottle; and        a rib formed extending circumferentially for a predetermined angle relative to the outer surface of the cylindrical body portion and aligned with the toner discharge port along an axial direction of the cylindrical body portion between the discharge port and the second end portion, the rib being configured for use to be sensed by the toner bottle sensor during the toner bottle rotation to discriminate toner bottle type based on an angle of the rib,        the image forming apparatus comprising:      a motor for rotating the toner bottle;        a motor driver for driving the motor;        a sensor for sensing the rib of the toner bottle and outputting a sensor signal; and        a CPU that controls the motor driver and discriminates the toner bottle using the sensor signal,        wherein the CPU rotates the toner bottle by controlling the motor driver, senses the rib using the sensor, outputs information indicating abnormality if the rib is not sensed by the sensor,        checks, if the rib is sensed, whether the rib has the predetermined ratio on the outer surface of the bottle body, outputs information indicating abnormality if the rib does not extend for the predetermined ratio, and outputs information indicating normality if the rib extends for the predetermined ratio.        
     
     
       15. The image forming apparatus in combination with the toner bottle according to  claim 14 ,
   wherein in order to check whether the rib extends for the predetermined ratio on the outer surface of the bottle body,        the CPU detects a first time interval that is based on when the sensor senses a first rib end portion of the rib during toner bottle rotation to when the sensor senses a second rib end portion,        detects a second time interval that is based on when the sensor senses the second rib end portion of the rib during toner bottle rotation to when the sensor senses the first rib end portion, and        checks whether the rib extends for the predetermined ratio on the outer surface of the bottle body based on the first and second time intervals.      
     
     
       16. The image forming apparatus in combination with the toner bottle according to  claim 14 , wherein the CPU controls the motor driver to stop rotation of the toner bottle when the sensor finishes sensing the rib.