| Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
|---|
| 399026000 | Photoconductive member | 33 |
| 20080267640 | Image Forming Apparatus - An image forming apparatus, according to the present invention can include, an image carrier, a charger configured to charge the image carrier, an exposure unit configured to form an electrostatic latent image by exposing the image carrier, a developing unit configured to develop the electrostatic latent image, a detection unit configured to detect the density of a developer adherent to the image carrier, and a controller configured to determine a deteriorated state of the image carrier, by charging the image carrier and then conducting a development, in a condition where a potential difference between the charger and the developing unit is set to be smaller than that at the time of image formation, before detecting a density of a developer on an unirradiated portion on the image carrier, so that a detection result to be used for its decision of the deteriorated state of the image carrier is obtained. | 10-30-2008 |
| 20080310864 | MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A disclosed maintenance management system includes an upper-limit information storage unit configured to store an upper limit of usage for each component identifier of a component, which upper limit is expressed by using an accumulated number of revolutions of a photoconductive drum in an image forming apparatus; a revolution number information acquiring unit configured to acquire a number of revolutions of the photoconductive drum used in the image forming apparatus; and an alarm output unit configured to calculate the accumulated number of revolutions of the used photoconductive drum, calculate a component service life predictive value by using the upper limit stored in the upper-limit information storage unit for each component identifier, and output an alarm including component information pertaining to the corresponding component identifier in the event that the component service life predictive value is less than or equal to a remainder day reference value. | 12-18-2008 |
| 20090129791 | Image forming apparatus - A main control section | 05-21-2009 |
| 20100215385 | IMAGE FORMING DEVICE, COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM AND PHOTORECEPTOR DETERIORATION CONDITION ESTIMATION METHOD - An image forming device includes an image holding member and a charging unit. In a case in which an AC current, while being increased, is supplied to the charging unit in a state in which a DC voltage value and an AC voltage value applied to the charging unit are maintained, or a case in which a DC voltage, while being increased, is supplied to the charging unit in a state in which the AC voltage value applied to the charging unit is maintained, a current detection unit detects DC current values. An inflection point derivation unit derives an inflection point of a correlation line representing an correlation between the detected DC current values and the supply amounts. An execution unit executes pre-specified processing when a characteristic value of the derived inflection point reaches a pre-specified value. | 08-26-2010 |
| 20100303480 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRINTING - Aspects of the disclosure can provide a method for replacing a customer replaceable unit (CRU) in a printing system. The method can include determining a historic usage pattern for a CRU during a usage of the CRU, calculating a remaining time for the CRU based on the historic usage pattern, and signaling a user for ordering a new CRC when the remaining time for the CRU is substantially equivalent to a pre-determined value. | 12-02-2010 |
| 20100329701 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SENSING PHOTORECEPTOR FAILURE IN A XEROGRAPHIC PRINTING APPARATUS - An apparatus ( | 12-30-2010 |
| 20110135328 | Apparatus and method for supplying charge voltage to organic photoconductor drum - Provided is an apparatus and method for supplying a charge voltage to an organic photoconductor (OPC) drum. The apparatus includes a storage unit for storing first service life information of the OPC drum according to a first supplying method, and second service life information of the OPC drum according to a second supplying method, a sensor unit for measuring information about conditions surrounding the apparatus, a control unit for selecting one of the first and second supplying methods according to the measured information and determining a charge voltage corresponding to the service life information according to the selected method, and a voltage supplying unit using the selected method to supply the determined charge voltage to the OPC drum. | 06-09-2011 |
| 20110158661 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING PHOTORECEPTOR CHARGE TRANSPORT LAYER THICKNESS OF APPARATUS USING A SCOROTRON CHARGE DEVICE - A photoreceptor charge transport layer thickness determining apparatus for a photoreceptor including a scorotron charge device having coronode wires and a scorotron grid positioned between the corona wires and the photoreceptor charge transport layer, the scorotron charge device being configured to charge the photoreceptor layer using corona discharge to generate ions directed to a surface of the photoreceptor charge transport layer. A first current measuring device measures a current supplied to the coronode wires and outputs a first current value, a second current measuring device measures a current being delivered to the scorotron grid and outputs a second current value, and a processor receives the first and second current values and determines a current delivered to the photoreceptor charge transport layer by subtracting the second current value from the first current value, and determines a thickness of the photoreceptor charge transport layer using the current value. | 06-30-2011 |
| 20110170884 | Image carrier deterioration degree evaluating device, image carrier failure predicting device, and image forming apparatus - An image carrier deterioration degree evaluating apparatus for evaluating a degree of deterioration of an image carrier of an image forming apparatus, the image carrier deterioration degree evaluating apparatus including: an image deletion detecting unit that detects image deletion by obtaining latent image information written on the image carrier; an image deletion reducing unit that performs a process of reducing image deletion when the image deletion detecting unit detects image deletion, and an image carrier deterioration degree evaluating unit that drives the image deletion detecting unit and the image deletion reducing unit alternately one or more times each, and evaluates a degree of deterioration of the image carrier by using the latent image information obtained one or more times by the image deletion detecting unit. | 07-14-2011 |
| 20110255884 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier configured to carry an electrostatic latent image, a toner carrier configured to carry a toner and develop the electrostatic latent image, a switching member configured to perform a switching operation between a contact state where the toner carrier contacts the image carrier and a separation state where the toner carrier is separated from the image carrier, a first electrode member, a second electrode member arranged such that the electrostatic capacity between the first and second electrode members in the contact state is different from the electrostatic capacity therebetween in the separation state, a detection device configured to detect the electrostatic capacity between the first and second electrode members, and a measurement unit configured to measure the time during which the image carrier contacts the toner carrier, wherein the measurement unit starts the measurement when the electrostatic capacity changes exceeding a predetermined value along with the switching operation from the separation state to the contact state, thereafter, the measurement unit stops the measurement when the electrostatic capacity changes exceeding a predetermined value along with the switching operation from the contact state to the separation state. | 10-20-2011 |
| 20110286753 | PHOTORECEPTOR DIAGNOSTIC METHOD BASED ON DETECTION OF CHARGE DEFICIENT SPOTS - Systems and methods of diagnosing a photoreceptor associated with an imaging device. The photoreceptor is configured to enter into a diagnostic cycle to complete a set number of cycles. A sensor or array is configured to a scan a component associated with the imaging device during each of the set of cycles to establish defect data. The defect data is analyzed to filter one or more charge deficient spots (CDS) from background noise in the defect data. The systems and methods determine whether the photoreceptor needs replacement based on the determined one or more CDS. The systems and methods are further configured to output a report of the determination. The determination is conducted at fixed or variable intervals throughout the life of the photoreceptor and/or imaging device. | 11-24-2011 |
| 20120008965 | CURRENT MONITORING TO DEFECT PHOTORECEPTOR SCRATCHES - A method monitors an electric current supplied to an electrostatic brush within a printing device. The electrostatic brush contacts and cleans a photoreceptor surface within the printing device. The method records a current spike pattern of when the electric current exceeds a first current threshold during the monitoring; however, the method will stop operations of the printing device if the electric current exceeds a second current threshold that is greater than the first current threshold. Further, the method can determine whether a scratch is present on the photoreceptor surface based on the current spike pattern. | 01-12-2012 |
| 20120099877 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a consumable supply detachably attached to an apparatus main body; a detection unit for detecting that the consumable supply is exchanged; a display unit for displaying the consumable supply detected with the detection unit; and an input unit for receiving an input operation for confirming whether the consumable supply detected with the detection unit is correctly exchanged. | 04-26-2012 |
| 20120128378 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - Disclosed is an image forming apparatus, which makes it possible to reduce the frequency of image defect occurrences to a level as lower as possible by detecting abnormalities generated with age on the photoreceptor member and/or in the cleaning section, so as to suppress an amount of spoiled paper sheets and material. The image forming apparatus includes: a light source that is disposed at a position located between a cleaning section and a charging section, to emit an inspection light, which is to be irradiated onto a photoreceptor member over a main-scanning direction thereof; a tight-contact type image sensor that has a line image sensor to receive the inspection light reflected from a surface of the photoreceptor member; and a control section to determine a status of a surface of the photoreceptor member, based on a result of analyzing the inspection light receive by the line image sensor. | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120177387 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for bearing a developer image; a driving portion for rotationally driving the image bearing member; a developing device for developing an electrostatic latent image on the image bearing member into the developer image; a cleaning blade, slidably contacting the image bearing member which is rotated, for removing from the image bearing member a developer remaining on the image bearing member after transfer of the developer image; a controller capable of executing a stop operation of the image bearing member in which the image bearing member is, after being temporarily stopped at the time of an end of an image forming operation, rotated in the same direction as that during the image forming operation and then is rotated in a direction opposite to that during the image forming operation; and a predicting portion for predicting a remaining usable lifetime of the image bearing member. In the stop operation of the image bearing member after the remaining usable lifetime is below a threshold, the controller controls an amount of rotation in the direction opposite to that during the image forming operation so as to be smaller than the amount of rotation before the remaining usable lifetime is below the threshold. | 07-12-2012 |
| 20120183310 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus having an image bearing member, a charger to charge the surface of the image bearing member, an irradiator to irradiate the image bearing member to form the latent image, a developing device to develop the latent electrostatic image with toner to obtain a visible image, a transfer device to transfer the visible image to a transfer medium by a transfer bias applied to a transfer area between the image bearing member and the transfer member, and a voltage detector to measure a first surface voltage and a second surface voltage under different conditions, and a life expectancy identification device to identify whether or when the expected working life of the image bearing member has come to the end based on a comparison of the first surface voltage and the second surface voltage. | 07-19-2012 |
| 20120195604 | PRINT APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME, AND STORAGE MEDIUM AND CARTRIDGE - A print apparatus having a photosensitive drum used for color printing. In the apparatus, the number of sheets on which color printing has been performed and the number of sheets on which monochrome printing has been performed are obtained. It is determined whether or not the lifetime of the photosensitive drum used for color printing has expired based on a threshold value determined based on the ratio between the number of sheets on which color printing has been performed and the number of sheets on which monochrome printing has been performed and the sum of the number of sheets on which the color printing has been performed and the number of sheets on which the monochrome printing has been performed. | 08-02-2012 |
| 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 |
| 20130011147 | DEGRADATION LEVEL ESTIMATING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A degradation level estimating device for estimating degradation level of a photoreceptor of an image forming apparatus performing at least a charging process, an optical image writing process, a developing process, and a transferring process in which a toner image on the photoreceptor is transferred onto a receiver while applying a charge to the photoreceptor. The degradation level estimating device includes a charge dependence detector to detect charge quantity dependence of a charge property of the photoreceptor in the charging process on the quantity of the charge applied to the photoreceptor in the last transferring process by subjecting the photoreceptor to the processes plural times without performing the optical image writing process, followed by the charging process, while changing the quantity of the charge and measuring the charge property of the photoreceptor. The degradation level estimating device estimates the degradation level of the photoreceptor based on the charge quantity dependence. | 01-10-2013 |
| 20130195475 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive drum; a charging rotatable member for charging the drum by applying a voltage comprising a DC voltage component and an AC voltage component; a current detector for detecting a current flowing when a predetermined inspecting voltage is applied to the charging rotatable member; a storing portion for storing information corresponding to a reference current; a supplying portion for supplying a signal for notifying information corresponding to a lifetime of the drum on the basis of information stored in the storing portion and an output of the current detector; and a renewing portion for renewing information stored in the storing portion in accordance with the output of the current detector. | 08-01-2013 |
| 20130251383 | IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM AND LATENT IMAGE CARRIER REPLACEMENT TIME DETECTION METHOD - An image forming system includes an image forming apparatus, a physical property detector, a data storage device, and a latent image carrier replacement time detector. The image forming apparatus includes a replaceable latent image carrier, forms a latent image on a surface of the latent image carrier, develops the latent image into a visible image, and transfers the visible image onto a recording medium. The physical property detector detects predetermined physical properties of the image forming apparatus in a continuous manner or an intermittent manner. The data storage device stores, as a specific physical property, data on at least one of the detected physical properties, which changes before and after replacement of the latent image carrier. The latent image carrier replacement time detector detects, on the basis of changes over time of the stored specific physical property, a latent image carrier replacement time. | 09-26-2013 |
| 20130308964 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: a rotatable photosensitive member; an exposure unit for exposing a surface of the photosensitive member to light; and a detecting portion for detecting a lifetime of the photosensitive member on the basis of first information on a thickness of a charge transporting layer of the photosensitive member and second information on an amount of the light received by the charge transporting layer of the photosensitive member. | 11-21-2013 |
| 20140016951 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit including a latent image carrier, a charging device, a latent image writing device, and a development device; a cumulative value calculation device that calculates, for each of regions of a surface of the image carrier, a cumulative value of the area of a latent image formed in the region; a surface potential detector that detects the surface potential of the image carrier in one of the regions as a detection region; and a determination device that determines the deterioration degree of the detection region on the basis of the detected potential, and determines the deterioration degree of a region other than the detection region on the basis of the detected potential, the cumulative value for the detection region, and the cumulative value for the region other than the detection region. | 01-16-2014 |
| 20140016952 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - Based on a photosensitive drum life threshold value when each of the plurality of image formation execution modes is independently used, and a photosensitive drum life threshold value according to a usage rate of each of the image formation execution modes, the image forming apparatus having a plurality of image formation execution modes calculates a photosensitive drum life threshold value according to the usage rate. Then, the image forming apparatus compares the calculated photosensitive drum life threshold value with a remaining CT film thickness prediction value for the photosensitive drum to determine the life of the photosensitive drum. | 01-16-2014 |
| 20140016953 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive drum life estimation mechanism which estimates wear amounts of a charge transfer layer in both of a toner bearing area and an end portion of a toner non-bearing area of a developing roller and informs a user that the photosensitive drum has reached the end of its life if, out of total wear amounts of the areas corresponding to predetermined life threshold values of the toner bearing and non-bearing areas, either of the total wear amounts reaches the threshold value. | 01-16-2014 |
| 20140105621 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a charging member, a voltage applying part, a current measuring part and a controlling part. The image carrier carries a toner image. The charging member electrically charges the image carrier. The voltage applying part applies voltage to the charging member. The current measuring part measures current flowing into the charging member. The controlling part controls applied voltage of the voltage applying part. The controlling part decides, when a predetermined voltage is applied to the charging member for a predetermined time by the voltage applying part, if an increase quantity of the current measured by the current measuring part exceeds a predetermined threshold value, that at least one of the image carrier and the charging member is in an abnormal state. | 04-17-2014 |
| 20140169804 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS HAVING IMAGE CARRIER AND BELT MEMBER - An image forming apparatus which is capable of reducing downtime while preventing generation of friction between an image carrier and a belt member when the image carrier or the belt member is replaced. Whether or not a photosensitive drum should be replaced is determined based on usage conditions of the photosensitive drum, and when it is determined that the photosensitive drum should be replaced, a separating operation of separating an intermediate transfer belt from the photosensitive drum is carried out after an image formed on the intermediate transfer belt is transferred to a recording medium. When it is not determined that the photosensitive drum should be replaced, the separating operation is not carried out after the image formed on the intermediate transfer belt is transferred to the recording medium. | 06-19-2014 |
| 20140286653 | METHOD FOR MEASURING LUBRICANT-INDUCED SURFACE ROUGHNESS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A method applicable to an image forming apparatus with a lubricant to be applied to a surface of a photoreceptor for measuring surface roughness of the surface of the photoreceptor after lubricant application, the method including: a first step of measuring a surface profile of the photoreceptor and obtaining first data indicating the surface profile; a second step of generating second data on the basis of the first data, the second data indicating arithmetic mean roughness Ra within a predetermined range; and a third step of calculating a difference value ΔRa between second data before lubricant application and second data after lubricant application obtained by performing the first and second steps both before and after the lubricant is applied to the photoreceptor. | 09-25-2014 |
| 20140321865 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes a deterioration determining device to determine a deterioration degree of a latent image bearer based on a potential detected by a surface potential detector. The deterioration determining device calculates a relative value indicating the deterioration degree based on the aggregated number of pixels and a time value for each of virtually divided regions. The deterioration determining device determines a deterioration degree of a detecting target region of the virtually divided region based on a potential detected by the surface potential detector. The deterioration determining device further determines deterioration degrees of non-detecting target respective regions of the virtually divided regions based on the relative values of the non-detecting target respective regions, the relative value of the detecting target region, and the deterioration degree of the detecting target region. | 10-30-2014 |
| 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 |
| 20150063837 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS ENSURING REDUCTION OF WASTEFUL CONSUMPTION OF EXCELLENT TONER WHEN POLISHING PHOTORECEPTOR DRUM - An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of photoreceptor drums, a plurality of developing devices, a plurality of polishing members, an endless intermediate transfer component, a primary transfer unit, a secondary transfer unit, a secondary transfer unit, a development refresh unit, and a photoreceptor refresh unit. The photoreceptor refresh unit is configured such that, in executing the photoreceptor-refresh control process, if the development refresh unit detects a toner-deteriorated developing device, the circumferential surface of the deteriorated photoreceptor drum is polished, by the polishing member provided for the deteriorated photoreceptor drum, using the polishing-agent contained in the toner discharged from the toner-deteriorated developing device by the development refresh unit executing the development-refresh control process. | 03-05-2015 |
| 20150147075 | DEVICE FOR UNIFORM LIGHT INTENSITY GENERATION - Described herein is a device that generates a beam of light with uniform intensity. The device includes an array of light sources. The light generated passes through a beam splitter. One beam is used for feedback to maintain uniform intensity. The other beam passes through a barrel which is used to mold the beam with uniform intensity into the desired shape and to reduce divergence. The device can be used as part of a quality control system for testing a photoreceptor drum. | 05-28-2015 |
| 20160195842 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS THAT ADJUSTS MAXIMUM DENSITY | 07-07-2016 |
