Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090232530 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An apparatus includes an image bearing member for carrying an image; an intermediary transfer member for receiving the image; a primary transfer member for transfer of the image onto the intermediary transfer member in a primary transfer station; a secondary transfer member for transfer of the image onto a transfer material in a secondary transfer station; a first charging member for charging toner remaining in a region upstream of the primary transfer station and downstream of the secondary transfer station; and a second charging member for charging the toner remaining in a region upstream of the primary transfer station and downstream of the first charging member. The first charging member rubs a surface of, and the second charging member moves in contact with, the intermediary transfer member, to transfer the toner remaining on the intermediary transfer member to the image bearing member simultaneously with the primary transfer. | 09-17-2009 |
20090257779 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus for forming image on a recording medium includes a photosensitive member, a motor, a belt, and a drive member to rotate the belt, the drive member including a driven coupling. The apparatus also includes a drive coupling to rotate by a driving force generated by the motor, the drive coupling being movable in an axial direction to take an engagement position at which the driving force is transmittable to the driven coupling, and a release position. The apparatus further includes a transfer member to transfer a toner image onto the recording medium or the belt, a voltage application unit to apply a voltage to the transfer member, and a control unit to cause the voltage application unit to apply the voltage to the transfer member after the drive coupling moves to the engagement position and the driving force is transmitted to the driven coupling. | 10-15-2009 |
20100278567 | Image Forming Apparatus - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for bearing a toner image; a rotatable intermediary transfer member; and a transfer unit, configured and positioned to form a transfer nip between the intermediary transfer member and the image bearing member, for transferring the toner image from the image bearing member onto a surface of the intermediary transfer member. The transfer unit includes a sheet member on which the intermediary transfer member is slidable, and includes an elastic member for urging the sheet member toward the intermediary transfer member at a position of the transfer nip. The sheet member is provided with a reinforcing portion, having a linear expansion coefficient different from that of the sheet member, in an area in which the elastic member urges the sheet member. | 11-04-2010 |
20110150532 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A charging member that charges residual toner on an intermediate transfer belt is a charging brush constituted by conductive fibers including an electric insulating portion and an electric conductive portion. Part of the outer circumferential surface of each conductive fiber is the conductive portion. | 06-23-2011 |
20110188902 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for bearing a toner image; an endless rotatable intermediary transfer belt onto which the toner image is to be transferred from the image bearing member; a transfer device disposed at a position in which the transfer device opposes the image bearing member through the intermediary transfer belt, the transfer device including a sheet member surface-contacted to an inner surface of the intermediary transfer belt and including an urging member for urging the sheet member toward the intermediary transfer belt; and a primary transfer voltage source for applying a voltage to the sheet member. With respect a rotational direction of the intermediary transfer belt, an upstream end portion of a contact area formed between the intermediary transfer belt and the sheet member and an upstream end fportion of a contact area formed between the sheet member and the urging member are within a range of a contact area formed between the intermediary transfer belt and the image bearing member. The upstream end portion of the contact area formed between the intermediary transfer belt and the sheet member is located upstream of the upstream end portion of the contact area formed between the sheet member and the urging member. | 08-04-2011 |
20120147119 | COLOR IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A controller which causes a light emitting element to continuously perform minute emission for a plurality of dots in a level in which toner is not attached to a non-image section on an image bearing member is provided. The controller controls a first driving current for an image section and controls a second driving current used to perform the minute emission by the light emitting element in the non-image section several times in one job. In the image section, a driving current obtained by adding the first driving current to the second driving current is supplied so that the light emitting element emits light. | 06-14-2012 |
20120230705 | COLOR IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - In a color image forming apparatus, the amount of light of an exposure unit for a weak exposure is changed according to a remaining service life of a photosensitive drum when the weak exposure is performed for the background area of a corresponding photosensitive drum by using the exposure unit. | 09-13-2012 |
20120300009 | COLOR IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - Provided is a color image forming apparatus which has photosensitive members and a light irradiation unit irradiating at least one of the photosensitive members, the color image forming apparatus including: a laser driving unit causing the light irradiation unit to emit light of a light amount at a first emission level for printing when exposing an image portion and to emit light of a light amount at a second emission level for weak emission when exposing a non-image portion; an acquiring unit acquiring information of remaining lifetime of each of the photosensitive members; a first light intensity adjusting unit adjusting a first drive current to emit light at the first emission level; and a second light intensity adjusting unit adjusting a second drive current to emit light at the second emission level, the second light intensity adjusting unit changing the second drive current in accordance with the information. | 11-29-2012 |
20130136509 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - In an image forming apparatus, one of a plurality of support members supporting an intermediate transfer belt is a guide member configured to regulate the rotational direction of the intermediate transfer belt while being held in sliding contact with the intermediate transfer belt at a position opposite the secondary transfer member across the intermediate transfer belt. This guide member is equipped with a first resistor portion in sliding contact with the intermediate transfer belt and a second resistor portion of a higher electrical resistance than the first resistor portion, with the second resistor portion provided upstream of the first resistor portion in the rotational direction of the intermediate transfer belt. | 05-30-2013 |
20130141511 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, a charging unit configured to charge the photosensitive member, an exposure unit configured to expose the charged photosensitive member with first laser power to generate a non-image portion potential in a non-image portion of the photosensitive member and with second laser power different from the first laser power to generate an image portion potential in an image portion of the photosensitive member, a development unit configured to form a developer image by applying a developer to a portion of the image portion potential, a control unit configured to control the laser power of the exposure unit, and a storage unit configured to store information about the photosensitive member obtained when the photosensitive member is brand-new. The control unit changes an output of the first laser power according to the information about the photosensitive member stored in the storage unit. | 06-06-2013 |
20130164049 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member unit including a toner image carrying member; a transfer unit including a movable endless belt for transferring the toner image from the carrying member onto a transfer material, a plurality of stretching members for stretching the endless belt, and a supporting portion, provided at a end portion with respect to a widthwise direction, for supporting the stretching members; and a main assembly frame provided at a position opposing the supporting portion and including a positioning portion for determining a positions of the plurality of stretching members, wherein the supporting portion is movable relative to the main assembly frame. | 06-27-2013 |
20130235142 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - The image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive drum and a light emitting device. In the rotational axis direction of the photosensitive drum, the width of the weak light exposure region on the photosensitive drum in which an exposing device emits weak light is larger than the width of a region corresponding to the width of a recording medium on which an image is formed, but smaller than the width of a region on the photosensitive drum charged by a charging roller. | 09-12-2013 |
20130259506 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A voltage maintenance element is connected to a contact member that contacts a primary transfer surface area of an intermediate transfer belt to which toner images are transferred from a plurality of image carriers between stretch members, in such a way as to prevent the electric potential of the intermediate transfer belt from varying between respective stations. | 10-03-2013 |
20140334835 | COLOR IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - Provided is a color image forming apparatus which has photosensitive members and a light irradiation unit irradiating at least one of the photosensitive members, the color image forming apparatus including: a laser driving unit causing the light irradiation unit to emit light of a light amount at a first emission level for printing when exposing an image portion and to emit light of a light amount at a second emission level for weak emission when exposing a non-image portion; an acquiring unit acquiring information of remaining lifetime of each of the photosensitive members; a first light intensity adjusting unit adjusting a first drive current to emit light at the first emission level; and a second light intensity adjusting unit adjusting a second drive current to emit light at the second emission level, the second light intensity adjusting unit changing the second drive current in accordance with the information. | 11-13-2014 |
20140341596 | COLOR IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - In a color image forming apparatus, the amount of light of an exposure unit for a weak exposure is changed according to a remaining service life of a photosensitive drum when the weak exposure is performed for the background area of a corresponding photosensitive drum by using the exposure unit. | 11-20-2014 |