DEVELOPER REPLENISHMENT CONTROL SYSTEM, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND DEVELOPER REPLENISHMENT CONTROL METHOD

To provide a developer replenishment control system capable of suppressing occurrence of ground stains or longitudinal band streaks caused by replacement of a storage part with a new one when detecting shortage of developer.SOLUTION: In a developer replenishment control system applied to an image forming apparatus, a control device which has received a detection result by a residual amount detection sensor as residual amount detection means in a developing device 4 adjusts a driving amount of a driving mechanism on the basis of a residual toner amount, and controls a toner replenishment amount from a toner cartridge 7 to the developing device 4. The control device controls a new toner replenishment amount on the basis of a count value of a counter while an old residual toner amount is ranging from a residual amount lower limit value to a residual amount upper limit value when replenishing new toner to the developing device 4 by replacement of the toner cartridge 7, and makes an instruction to warn and display the replacement of the toner cartridge 7 with a new one by using a display part as warning means when the residual amount lower limit value is continued predetermined times.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1 【課題】現像剤切れ検出時の新品貯蔵部交換に起因する地肌汚れや縦帯スジの発生を抑制できる現像剤補給制御システムを提供する。【解決手段】この画像形成装置に適用される現像剤補給制御システムでは、現像装置４内の残量検知手段である残量検知センサによる検知結果を受けた制御装置がトナーの残量に基づいて駆動機構の駆動量を調節し、トナーカートリッジ７から現像装置４へのトナー補給量を制御する。制御装置は、トナーカートリッジ７の交換により新たなトナーを現像装置４へ補給する際、古いトナーの残量が残量下限値から残量上限値までの間に新たなトナーの補給量をカウンタのカウント値に基づいて制御し、残量下限値が所定の回数続いたときには表示部を警告手段としてトナーカートリッジ７の新品交換を警告表示する指示を行う。【選択図】図１