CARTRIDGE FOR ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC MACHINE AND METHOD OF DECIDING QUANTITY OF TONER IN THE CARTRIDGE

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a machine with information on a cartridge and to quicken an accurate and efficient mechanical operation by providing a coder attached to the first end part of a stirrer, including a coding means for displaying cartridge characteristic information in the coder and imparting an index for the quantity of toner remaining in a sump with the coding means. SOLUTION: The cartridge 30 includes an encoder wheel 31 cooperating with an encoder wheel sensor or a reader 31a, which is for transmitting or transferring the cartridge characteristic information including consecutive data on the quantity of the toner remaining in the cartridge to the machine 10, when the cartridge 30 is set in the reference position of the machine 10, therein. The encoder wheel 31 is attached to the end of a shaft and this shaft is coaxially fitted to rotate in a toner supplying sump. A toner stirrer or a paddle 34 is fitted to the shaft, to be rotated in synchronization with the encoder wheel 31.