POWDER DETECTION DEVICE, METHOD FOR CONTROLLING POWDER DETECTION DEVICE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

摘要

To detect, with a simple configuration, a timing at which a diaphragm is periodically flipped to be vibrated, the diaphragm in which the vibration is changed according to the amount of toner in a container.SOLUTION: A stirring member that is rotated by a motor drive-controlled by a control unit to stir a powder inside a container, and a diaphragm that is arranged to be flipped to be vibrated by the stirring member for every one revolution of the stirring member, are provided inside the container. An estimation unit estimates the amount of powder inside the container on the basis of a result of detection of the vibration of the diaphragm performed by a detection unit. The control unit drives the motor with the angle of rotation of the motor when the detection unit detects the vibration as a starting point, so as to move the stirring member to a predetermined stopping position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 15