The invention provides a portable communication apparatus capable of minimizing the ink tank incorporated therein and easily and simply printing the data stored therein even while it is carried. For this purpose there is disclosed a configuration incorporating a printing mechanism and adapted to execute ink filling and waste ink collection for the printing mechanism at the battery charging operation of the portable communication apparatus.

Portable electronic device with printing mechanism

An automatic supply ordering system for electronically ordering a consumable component or replaceable part in a marking machine. The system provides electronic identification of a condition of a replaceable component and automatically electronically sends an offer to purchase a replacement part upon identification of a threshold condition.

Supply ordering apparatus

A room-temperature curable organopolysiloxane composition is provided, which includes (A) an organopolysiloxane with the terminals blocked with a hydroxyl group, a hydrolysable group, or both these types of groups, and (B) an organosilicon compound containing a hydrolysable group, a partial hydrolysis-condensation product thereof, or a mixture of the two, and (C) a polysiloxane containing an oxyalkylene group bonded to a silicon atom via, for example, a C—C—Si linkage. Application of this composition to an underwater structure is able to generate an antifouling coating that is effective in preventing the adhesion and growth of aquatic organisms on the surface of the underwater structure, and displays superior long term endurance of this antifouling effect.

Room temperature curable organopolysiloxane composition

An image forming apparatus includes a main body, and a developer cartridge configured to be attachable to and detachable from the main body. The developer cartridge includes a rotational body provided to be rotatable in one direction, and a movable member provided to the rotational body at a position distanced from a rotational axis of the rotational body and configured to move in response to rotation of the rotational body. The main body includes a drive device configured to rotate the rotational body, a detector configured to detect a movement of the movable member in response to the rotation of the rotational body, and a determiner configured to determine whether the developer cartridge is a new one in accordance with the presence or absence of the movement of the movable member detected by the detector and determine a type of the developer cartridge in accordance with a time required between when the driving of the drive device starts and when the detector detects the movement of the movable member.

Image Forming Apparatus and Developer Cartridge

An improved electrophotographic (EP) printer is provided having a detachable process cartridge that contains a non-volatile memory device, which is an EPROM that cannot be erased after a bit is burned. A "toner wheel" mounted to the exterior of the toner reservoir of the process cartridge provides, in conjunction with an optoelectronic sensor, an electrical signal that the printer receives and uses to determine toner usage. A toner "gas-gauge" is created which uses "bucket levels" as discrete steps to indicate how much of the measured physical toner material actually remains within the toner reservoir. After a given amount of toner material has been dispensed through the developer unit, one of the bits of the EPROM memory device is irreversibly burned, thereby providing a permanent record on the process cartridge of a certain amount of toner usage. As with a normal automobile gas gauge, the toner gas-gauge reading should never increase unless the amount of toner material inside the toner reservoir has increased. Once the bucket level transitions begin to occur for the toner gas-gauge, the printer becomes aware that a majority of the toner material has been expended from inside the toner reservoir. If the number of bucket gradation levels then increases by more than the hysteresis amount, then the printer will "lock out" the operation of a non-reusable process cartridge. When the lock-out mode occurs, a particular bit is burned on the EPROM mounted to the cleaner housing of the process cartridge. This ensures that this particular process cartridge cannot be removed, then simply placed back into the same (or a different) printer, and then begin supplying toner to a printer. Certain important "machine data" also can be stored in the EPROM memory device on the process cartridge of the present invention. The present invention is also able to declare the "end-of-life" of a process cartridge when the gas-gauge toner sensor is not functional (such as when it has been tampered with).

Method and apparatus for storing data in a non-volatile memory circuit mounted on a printer's process cartridge

An improved printer is provided that predicts how many pages can be printed before the toner or ink cartridge becomes empty, and also predicts how much time remains before this toner or ink cartridge becomes empty. This prediction is based upon the previous printing history of the printer while using this particular toner cartridge. After measuring the quantity of toner left in the toner cartridge, the printer of the present invention will display the approximate quantity of toner remaining in the cartridge on a screen of a host computer that is connected to the printer, either directly or through a network. The monitor screen of the host computer can also display the predicted number of pages remaining, based on the printer's previous usage history as described above. The toner measuring device provides a "level change" output signal when the remaining toner passes through a predetermined gradation threshold, and depending upon the size of the toner cartridge and upon the time and date at which the level change was detected, the predicted number of pages remaining and the actual amount of toner remaining are more accurately updated upon reaching one of these predetermined gradation thresholds. As each gradation level transition occurs, the printer calculates a new value for the "pages per gradation" variable, and also calculates the number of pages that have been printed since the latest cartridge was installed in the printer, the number of pages printed since the last level or gradation change, and the number of pages or sheets printed between the last two level changes. The printer also can approximate the amount of toner used in printing a particular page of print media to create a Toner Tally for each printed page, which can be used to judge the amount of toner used for one print job and compare that to the amount of toner used for a second print job. The Toner Tally uses a combination hardware/software counter to count the number of "active" pels of each page for a print job.

Method and apparatus for predicting and displaying toner usage of a printer

Disclosed is a cartridge (30) having an encoder wheel (31) thereon for encoding EP supply cartridge characteristic information for an electrophotographic machine, the cartridge comprising a sump (33) for carrying an initial amount of toner (35). A shaft (32) is mounted for rotation in said sump, and an agitator or paddle (34) is mounted thereon in such a manner that when the shaft (32) rotates, the paddle (34) rotates into, through and out of engagement with toner (35) carried by the sump. A single encoder wheel (31) is mounted on the shaft (32), external of the sump (33), the encoder wheel positioned for proximate mating coaction with a coded wheel reader when the cartridge (30) is mounted in position in the electrophotographic machine. A variable torque flexible coupling connects the drive means of the electrophotographic machine to the shaft (32) to effect rotation thereof. The encoder wheel (31) is configured for indicating, in conjunction with said coded wheel reader, a component of resistance to paddle (34) movement through the portion of said sump (33) having toner (35) therein to give an indication of the amount of toner remaining in said sump. Other portions of the wheel (31), in a portion thereof which confronts the reader during a substantially constant velocity of rotation thereof, carry additional characteristic information of the cartridge (30) to permit proper operation of the machine as well as increased efficiency of operation thereof.

Multiple function encoder wheel for cartridges utilized in an electrophotographic output device

A silicone copolymer for use in an electrophotographic process is disclosed. This composition includes a specifically-defined heat-stable silicone oil-silicone wax copolymer. The copolymer has a melting point such that it is liquid on the hot fuser roll, but solidifies at room temperature on the printed page. A random silicone copolymer, in the form of a paste or pliable caulk, which is useful for sealing leaks in toner cartridges is also disclosed. Finally, the method for preparing these copolymers is disclosed.

Sealant materials for toner cartridges

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printer capable of predicting how many pages can be printed and how many hours are left before a toner or ink cartridge runs out. SOLUTION: In prediction, after the amount of toner left in a toner cartridge 90 is measured, a printer 10 displays the approximate amount of toner left in the cartridge on the screen of a host computer which is connected directly or via a network to the printer. On the screen of the host computer, the remaining number of pages as predicted is also displayed in accordance with the preceding consumption history of the printer.

Printer and toner consumption statistics determining method

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a random silicone copolymer capable of exhibiting effect as a sealant of toner cartridge by including a component containing an alkylmethylsiloxane and dimethylsiloxane SOLUTION: This copolymer is a random silicone copolymer of the formula [(x) is contained in an amount of about 09888- about 0995 based on the copolymer; (y) is contained in an amount of about 0005- about 012 based on the copolymer; R contains about 70-100% 15-60C alkyl and about 0-30% 2-14C alkyl] and has preferably about 80,000-250,000 weight average molecular weight In the formula, (x) part of the molecule represgnts silicone oil component and (y) part of the molecule represents silicone wax part It is preferable that the copolymer has the shape of paste or caulking material and has about 3,000-7,000 cps viscosity at about 93 degC The copolymer can be used as a releasing agent composition and is preferably contained at a ratio of about 50% to 97%

Earl Dawson Ii Ward

Papers

Method and apparatus for predicting and displaying toner usage of a printer

Multiple function encoder wheel for cartridges utilized in an electrophotographic output device

Sealant materials for toner cartridges

Printer and toner consumption statistics determining method

Sealant material for toner cartridge