| US 7,454,148 B2 | ||
| Image forming apparatus | ||
| Akihito Kameda, Saitama (Japan) | ||
| Assigned to Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo (Japan) | ||
| Filed on Apr. 08, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/101,582. | ||
| Claims priority of application No. 2004-119503 (JP), filed on Apr. 14, 2004; and application No. 2005-042277 (JP), filed on Feb. 18, 2005. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2005/0238370 A1, Oct. 27, 2005 | ||
| Int. Cl. G03G 21/12 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 399—35 | 15 Claims |
| 1. An image-forming apparatus having transmitting and receiving means for transmitting and receiving system information to
and from a host computer by way of a data communication line, comprising:
detection means for detecting an amount of toner fed to a photoreceptor in a developing unit of the image-forming apparatus;
determining means for determining an actual amount of toner to be used for a single image by the developing unit prior to
image printing;
calculating means for calculating an amount of waste toner to be produced by subtracting the actual amount of toner to be
used from the amount of toner fed;
counting means for counting a number of the images to be printed prior to the image printing; and
near-full detection means for detecting a near-full state of a waste toner tank by using the detection means, the determining
means, the calculating means, and the counting means.
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