Entries |
Document | Title | Date |
20080205917 | Image forming apparatus - An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit having an image carrier, a developing agent container for holding a developing agent, and a developing agent supplier for supplying the developing agent from the developing agent container to the image carrier. A controller determines the amount of use of the image forming unit. A shaking mechanism shakes the image forming unit from time to time, at intervals determined by the controller according to the amount of use of the image forming unit. The shaking loosens the developing agent so as to maintain its fluidity, thereby avoiding faint image formation. | 08-28-2008 |
20080212987 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME - An image forming apparatus and a method of controlling the same. The contamination of a transfer roller is determined based on detection results of a peripheral environment using the measured resistance and the internal temperature of the transfer roller, the contaminated transfer roller is cleaned, and then an image corresponding to printing data stored when the transfer roller is contaminated is printed on a new fed sheet. | 09-04-2008 |
20080226313 | Image forming apparatus and image forming method - An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, an intermediate transferring body and a contact type secondary transferring member transferring an image from the intermediate transferring body to a recording medium. The apparatus forms an image with respective developers for multiple colors and uses a predefined adjustment pattern to make density adjustment and position adjustment of respective color images. After execution of the density adjustment and/or the position adjustment, a stain prevention pattern is formed with a yellow developer to cover an area where the adjustment pattern is attached to the secondary transferring member. | 09-18-2008 |
20080260398 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes temperature sensors that measure temperatures at different locations in the longitudinal direction of a photosensitive drum. The image forming apparatus also includes an image processing circuit configured to change an exposure condition in the longitudinal direction of the photosensitive drum based on measured values obtained by the temperature sensors. | 10-23-2008 |
20080260399 | HEATING APPARATUS, HEATING APPARATUS CONTROL METHOD AND NONCONTACT THERMAL SENSING DEVICE - A fixing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes a non-contact temperature detecting element | 10-23-2008 |
20080273888 | DEVELOPMENT APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND DEVELOPER TRANSFER METHOD - There is provided a technique in which in a development apparatus to perform replacement of developer, the amount of developer can be stably kept irrespective of a change in a physical property of the developer. There are included a development apparatus that circulates and conveys a developer supplied at a specified timing in a specified conveying chamber and causes the developer to overflow through a discharge port provided in the conveying chamber, a fluidity judgment unit to judge a degree of fluidity of the developer in the conveying chamber, and a speed control unit to control a conveying speed of the developer in a specified range near the discharge port in the conveying chamber to become low relative to an average value of a conveying speed of the developer in a conveying passage except the specified range when the fluidity judged by the fluidity judgment unit is low. | 11-06-2008 |
20080285989 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus has a transfer belt and a plural number of image forming units. The transfer belt has a sucking/feeding surface for sucking and feeding a sheet of transfer medium, and the sucking/feeding surface faces downward slanting from a vertical direction. The plural number of image forming units face the sucking/feeding surface of the transfer belt, and are arranged side by side along the transfer belt rotating direction. The transfer members are located inside a loop of the transfer belt and are pressed against a surface of the transfer belt on the reverse of the sucking/feeding surface in positions opposite photosensitive drums via the transfer belt. The transfer members apply a charge of a polarity opposite to that of toner to the transfer medium via the transfer belt. The transfer members are made of a conductive material. | 11-20-2008 |
20080292338 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, an image forming member, a transferer, a toner image detector, and a controller. The transferer transfers the toner image from the image carrier directly or indirectly onto a recording medium transported by a surface moving member. The toner image detector detects a test toner image formed in a test toner image detection area located at an end portion of the surface moving member. The controller checks a length of the recording medium in a main scanning direction during continuous image formation, and forms the test toner image either in a space between recording media when the length of the recording medium exceeds a length of the surface moving member minus a length of the test toner image detection area in the main scanning direction or otherwise in parallel to the toner image transferred onto the recording medium. | 11-27-2008 |
20080298826 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable photosensitive drum, a charging apparatus to which a charging voltage is applied, an exposure apparatus forming an electrostatic image, a developing apparatus to which a development voltage is applied, a timer measuring an image formation time lapsed from start of rotation of the photosensitive drum and an image formation stop time lapsed from stop of the rotation of the photosensitive drum, and a temperature and humidity sensor detecting a temperature and a humidity of an atmosphere environment around the photosensitive drum. When the humidity is low, a charging voltage is controlled based on a measured result of the timer and detected results of the temperature and humidity sensor. When the humidity is high, the charging voltage is controlled based on the measured result of the timer and the temperature detected result of the temperature and humidity sensor without using humidity information. | 12-04-2008 |
20080298827 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus comprises: an image forming mechanism including a motor, and an image forming unit which operates by the motor to form an image on a recording sheet; a registration unit which registers a job; a control unit which controls the image forming mechanism to form an image corresponding to the job registered through the registration unit on a recording sheet; a number obtaining unit which obtains the number of recording sheets required for the job registered through the registration unit; and a setting unit which sets a rotation speed of the motor according to the number of recording sheets obtained by the number obtaining unit. The control unit controls the image forming mechanism to form the image corresponding to the job registered through the registration unit on the recording sheet by rotating the motor at the rotation speed set by the setting unit. | 12-04-2008 |
20090003855 | Development device and image forming apparatus provided therewith - The first direct-current bias power supply applying the first direct-current bias Vdc | 01-01-2009 |
20090010662 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus that includes: an image forming portion for forming an image in accordance with image data contained in an input command; and a controller for controlling the image forming portion, and is constructed such that the controller includes: a mode switch for switching the image forming portion from a standby mode in which image forming is instantly enabled into a power-saving mode in which power supply to the image forming portion is partially stopped when no subsequent command has been received after a predetermined period elapsed from when image forming portion was operated last; a mode restoring portion for restoring the image forming portion from power-saving mode to standby mode when a subsequent command is received; and an image quality controller for performing image quality control of the image every time a predetermined time elapsed from when the image forming portion was last operated, and the image quality controller starts execution of the image quality control before the mode restoring portion restores the image forming portion from the power-saving mode to the standby mode. | 01-08-2009 |
20090028590 | IMAGE FIXING APPARATUS - A fixing apparatus includes a control circuit which controls the electrifying to a first heater so that a temperature detected by a first temperature detection portion reaches a first target temperature and controls the electrifying to a second heater so that a temperature detected by a second temperature detection portion reaches a second target temperature, when warm-up is initiated, and, when the warm-up initiated, if an initial temperature of a rotary member is below a predetermined temperature, the control circuit sets the first target temperature to a temperature value greater than the first target temperature set when the initial temperature of the rotary member is greater than the predetermined temperature and sets the second target temperature to a temperature value greater than the second target temperature set when the initial temperature of the rotary member is greater than the predetermined temperature. In this way, hot offset and poor fixing can be prevented and a pre-heating operation time can be prevented from extending excessively. | 01-29-2009 |
20090034996 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a light source unit, an image carrier on which a latent image is formed by a light beam emitted from a light source, a developing unit configured to develop a latent image formed on the image carrier using a toner, an intermediate transfer unit on which a toner image developed by the developing unit is transferred, a heating unit configured to heat the intermediate transfer unit on which a toner image is transferred, a fixing unit configured to fix the toner image heated by the heating unit on a recording medium, a temperature detection unit configured to detect temperature of the intermediate transfer unit, and a control unit configured to control a magnification of a latent image to be formed on the image carrier according to a detection result of the temperature detection unit. | 02-05-2009 |
20090047031 | Image forming apparatus - An image forming apparatus is provided that has a developing agent holder arranged as opposed to an image holder having an electrostatic latent image formed thereon, the developing agent holder attaching the developing agent to the image holder, a developing agent supplying unit rotatably arranged in contact with the developing agent holder, the developing agent supplying unit supplying a developing agent to the developing agent holder, an adjustment unit capable of adjusting a contacting state between the developing agent holder and the developing agent supplying unit. | 02-19-2009 |
20090060539 | FIXING APPARATUS - A fixing unit adapted to fix a developing agent onto an image forming medium by way of a heat roller containing a heater and a press roller conducts a warming up operation for the optimum warming up time as determined based on the temperature and the humidity of ambient air detected by a temperature/humidity sensor. | 03-05-2009 |
20090080917 | Image Forming Appparatus - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member which bears a toner image, a transfer member which transfers the toner image on the image bearing member to a transfer material, a cleaning blade which is brought into contact with and separated from the image bearing member and which removes transfer remaining toner remaining on the image bearing member where the toner image is transferred; and executing means which executes a toner cleaning mode such that the cleaning blade is brought into contact with and separated from the image bearing member so as not to remove a part of the transfer remaining toner remaining on the image bearing member, and then the cleaning blade having been separated from the image bearing member contacts the part of the transfer remaining toner remaining on the image bearing member when the cleaning blade again is brought into contact with the image bearing member. | 03-26-2009 |
20090097871 | Image Forming Apparatus - Disclosed is an image forming apparatus which forms an image on a paper including a detection unit to detect a present temperature of one component or a plurality of components to be replaced among components constituting the image forming apparatus and a control unit to determine whether the component is replaceable or not based on the detected present temperature and to execute a replacement guide for the component which is determined to be replaceable. | 04-16-2009 |
20090110417 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus mounted with a toner cartridge having a memory unit includes a toner cartridge which stores a plurality of control data depending on toner in the memory unit, an acquisition unit which selects one of the plurality of control data in the memory unit and acquires image formation-related information and a setting unit which sets image formation parameters on the basis of the image formation-related information. | 04-30-2009 |
20090110418 | Image forming apparatus and image forming method - An image forming apparatus, such as a printer, includes an image forming unit forming a toner image on an image carrier, a transfer unit for transferring the toner image onto a recording medium, a pair of a fusing rotating body and a pressure rotating body, a fusing unit for fusing the toner image on the recording medium, a temperature detecting unit for detecting the temperature on the surface of the fusing rotating body, and a control unit. An amount of decrease in the temperature of the fusing rotating body surface is measured at a predetermined time, and the time between an image formation request and the arrival of the recording medium, with the toner image formed thereon, at a fusing/nipping portion formed between the fusing rotating body and the pressure rotating body is extended when the temperature decrease amount is greater than a threshold value. | 04-30-2009 |
20090129797 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus is provided, which prevents occurrence of conveying malfunction or image failure due to variation of conveying speed caused by endurance of a fixing unit or a conveying unit, variation of using environment, or a type of a recording material. The image forming apparatus includes: a fixing unit for heating and fixing a toner image on a recording sheet (P); a secondary transferring portion for conveying the recording sheet (P) to the fixing unit; a loop sensor for detecting a degree of a loop of the recording sheet (P) generated according to a speed difference between a conveying speed of the fixing unit and a conveying speed of the secondary transferring portion; a CPU for controlling the conveying speed of the fixing unit; a fixing deliver sensor for detecting a used amount of the fixing unit; and an EEPROM for storing information on the used amount of the fixing unit detected by the fixing deliver sensor. The CPU controls the conveying speed of the fixing unit based on the information of the used amount of the fixing unit stored in the EEPROM and a detection result of the loop sensor. | 05-21-2009 |
20090136245 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus forming an image by fixing a developer on a recording medium with heat includes a fixing member, a pressure member, a drive unit, a heat unit, a temperature detection unit, a control unit, and a temperature record storing unit. The fixing member is rotatably supported and heats the recording medium. The pressure member presses against the fixing member. The drive unit rotationally drives the fixing member. The heat unit heats the fixing member. The temperature detection unit detects temperature of the fixing member. The control unit controls the heat unit and the drive unit. The temperature record storing unit stores a temperature record of the temperature detection unit. The control unit controls, based on the temperature record of the temperature record storing unit, a rotation drive of the drive unit in a case of non-fixing. | 05-28-2009 |
20090148174 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS WITH FIXING UNIT CONTROLLING ROTATION SPEED OF DRIVING ROLLER - According to an embodiment of the invention, an image forming apparatus comprises a fixing unit including: a pair of rollers rotating with a recording sheet holding a toner image interposed therebetween; a driving motor rotating at least one of the pair of rollers; a heater being built in at least one of the pair of rollers to heat the roller; a timer measuring a period of time after starting operation; and a rotation speed control unit controlling the driving motor so that one of the rollers rotates in a speed higher than a rotation speed under normal conditions until a predetermined time measured by the timer. | 06-11-2009 |
20090185815 | Image forming device - An image forming device includes an image carrier having a surface onto which an electrostatic latent image is formed, a development station including a case made of a conductive body and one or more developer rollers, which supply toner housed in the case to the surface of the image carrier, and develop the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the image carrier as a toner image, a unit, which forms a standard concentration toner image of on the surface of the image carrier, a detector, which detects a toner adhesion amount of the standard concentration toner image formed on the surface of the image carrier by the standard concentration toner image-forming unit, and a voltage controller, which controls a bias voltage to be applied to the case according to a detected result of the toner adhesion amount of the standard concentration toner image by the detector. | 07-23-2009 |
20090190942 | Humidity Detecting Device, and Image Forming Apparatus Provided Therewith - The humidity detecting device includes a detection unit and a controller. The detection unit includes a humidity sensor for producing a humidity detection signal by detecting a humidity, a temperature sensor for producing a temperature detection signal by detecting a temperature surrounding the humidity sensor, and a common power supply line connected to the humidity sensor and the temperature sensor. The controller includes an application circuit for applying a power supply voltage to the humidity sensor and the temperature sensor through the common power supply line, a read circuit for producing a read-out humidity value corresponding to the humidity detection signal and a read-out temperature value corresponding to the temperature detection signal, and a correction circuit for correcting the read-out humidity value based on the read-out temperature value. | 07-30-2009 |
20090196637 | FUSER UNIT FOR IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An embodiment of the present invention relates to a fuser unit including first and second temperature detecting mechanisms that detect the temperature at the center in an axial direction of a first roller member in non-contact with the first roller member, a third temperature detecting mechanism that detects the temperature at an end in the axial direction of the first roller member and in an area where a developer carried by a bearing member is not present, and fourth and fifth temperature detecting mechanisms that detect the temperature at the center in an axial direction of a second roller member in non-contact with the second roller member. The detecting mechanism that detects the temperature in the area (the position) where the developer carried by the bearing member is not present may come into contact with the first roller member. | 08-06-2009 |
20090214237 | Image forming apparatus - An image forming apparatus forms images. A developer bearing body receives a first voltage and supplies developer to the electrostatic latent image formed on an image bearing body. A supplying member receives a second voltage and supplies the developer to said developer bearing body. A detector detects at least one of an environmental condition, e.g., temperature and humidity outside of an apparatus and an environmental condition e.g., temperature inside of the apparatus. A controller controls the difference between the first voltage and the second voltage in accordance the environmental conditions. The controller makes a decision to determine whether the outside temperature is not lower than a first reference, whether outside humidity is not higher than a second reference, and whether inside temperature is not lower than a third reference. If the above criteria are met, the controller decreases the absolute value of the difference. | 08-27-2009 |
20090232527 | PAPER COLORING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM - A paper coloring apparatus includes a coating apparatus which coats colored water on both faces of a paper sheet where an image has been formed by an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. | 09-17-2009 |
20090245823 | DEVELOPING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developing device includes a housing that forms a development chamber therein and a developer containing portion that forms a developer containing chamber therein and contains a one-component developer. A first transport path supplies a developer from the developer containing chamber to an upper side of the development chamber. A second transport path collects a developer from a lower side of the development chamber to the developer containing chamber. A developer carrier is disposed in the development chamber and carries a developer thereon. A developer supply member is disposed in the development chamber and supplies a developer to the developer carrier. A regulating member is in contact with the developer carrier and regulates a developer on a surface of the developer carrier. Stirring of the developer in the development chamber is performed by driving the first transport path and the second transport path to transport the developer. | 10-01-2009 |
20090245824 | IMAGE FORMING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An image forming device that includes a first moisture amount derivation component, a drying component, a storage component, and a control component is provided. The storage component stores drying information, including information representing a pre-drying moisture amount previously derived by the first moisture amount derivation component, and a drying strength of the drying component at which a recording medium was dried when the previously derived pre-drying moisture amount was derived. The control component controls the drying strength of the drying component on the basis of the pre-drying moisture amount derived by the first moisture amount derivation component and the drying information stored by the storage component. | 10-01-2009 |
20090245825 | Image Forming Apparatus - An image forming apparatus includes: a detected member of which a temperature is to be detected; a temperature sensor including a contact portion provided to contact the detected member, the temperature sensor being configured to detect the temperature of the detected member; and a condition determining unit. The condition determining unit is configured to control electric power supplied to the temperature sensor such that the temperature sensor self-heats during a heating time period, and determine a condition of the contact portion based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor after the temperature sensor starts self-heating. | 10-01-2009 |
20090245826 | Image Forming Apparatus - An image forming apparatus is provided, which includes: an image forming unit; a fixing unit having a heating part; a rotary drive unit; a driving force transmission unit including a displacement part displaceable to a transmitting position where rotation of the rotary drive unit is transmitted to the fixing unit and a non-transmitting position where the rotation of the rotary drive unit is not transmitted to the fixing unit; a cover configured to cover the heating part; a lock unit configured to selectively lock the cover; and a link unit configured to link the lock unit with the displacement part so that the lock unit locks the cover when the displacement part is displaced to the transmitting position and unlocks the cover when the displacement part is displaced to the non-transmitting position. | 10-01-2009 |
20090252508 | Image forming apparatus - An image forming apparatus includes a process including at least a developing section and an image bearing body. A calculating section calculates a number of the dots formed on the image bearing body. A rotation calculating section calculates a number of rotations of the image bearing body for forming the number of dots on the image bearing body in accordance with the print data. A controller makes a decision to determine whether the number of dots formed on the image bearing body is larger than a first reference when the number of rotations is larger than a second reference. If the answer is YES, then the controller forms a developer image formed of dots equivalent to a difference between the first reference and the number of dots. Then, the developer image is discarded. | 10-08-2009 |
20090252509 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image heating apparatus includes a coil; a rotatable image heating member capable of generating heat by a magnetic flux generated by the coil to heat an image; a temperature detecting member for detecting a temperature of the image heating member; electric power supply control means for controlling electric power supply to the coil in accordance with an output of the temperature detecting member; and an execution portion for executing a stand-by mode operation in which the image heating member is at rest, and the apparatus waits for input of an image formation signal while the electric power supply control means carries out its power supply control operation such that temperature of a part of the image heating member which is detected by the temperature detecting member is at a predetermined stand-by temperature, wherein in the stand-by mode, along no longitudinal line on said image heating member, the temperature of said image heating member exceeds Curie temperature on an entirety of the longitudinal line. | 10-08-2009 |
20090263149 | Image forming apparatus - The image forming apparatus according to the present invention transfers a toner image that is formed upon an image forming body by way of an image forming operation to a print paper P when the print paper (P) is conveyed toward a fixing device ( | 10-22-2009 |
20090274474 | ELECTROSTATIC CHARGING APPARATUS, AND IMAGE FORMING ASSEMBLY AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS WHICH EMPLOY THE SAME - An electrostatic charging apparatus, includes: an endless-shaped electrostatic charging belt having electrical conductivity, the electrostatic charging belt being arranged in a state of having a predetermined contact zone being in contact with a moving to-be-charged body and moving in the same direction as a moving direction of the to-be-charged body; and plural electrode members including at least a first electrode member and a second electrode member, the plural electrode members being provided inside the electrostatic charging belt, and the first and second electrode members being provided on both sides of the contact zone of the electrostatic charging belt in the moving direction thereof so as to press the electrostatic charging belt against the to-be-charged body and forming gaps that permit electric discharge between the to-be-charged body and the electrostatic charging belt, the gaps being adjacent to the respective sides of the contact zone of the electrostatic charging belt. | 11-05-2009 |
20090297183 | Image Forming Apparatus - An image forming apparatus includes a transfer bias set up section and a developing bias set up section. The transfer bias set up section sets a transfer bias applied to each transfer member so that the transfer bias applied to a transfer member corresponding to a photosensitive member on the most downstream side is greater than a transfer bias applied to a transfer member other than this transfer member. The developing bias set up section sets a developing bias applied to each developing member to a first developing bias in a single-side printing mode, and sets up the developing bias applied to each developing member in formation of an image on a first surface and in formation of another image on a second surface to a second developing bias lower than the first developing bias when the image formed on the second surface is a color image. | 12-03-2009 |
20090297184 | Humidity Detecting Device and Image Forming Apparatus Including the Same - A humidity detecting device includes a humidity sensor, which detects humidity using a change in an impedance by humidity, and which generates a humidity detection signal according to application of an AC voltage, a detecting unit that detects the impedance of the humidity sensor based on the humidity detection signal, a switching unit that switches a frequency of the AC voltage to at least a first frequency and a second frequency, the humidity sensor being a first impedance at the first frequency and a second impedance at the second frequency, a temperature sensor that detects ambient temperature of the humidity sensor, a calculating unit that calculates a difference and/or a change rate between the first impedance and the second impedance, a discriminating unit that discriminates the humidity sensor based on the difference and/or the change rate, and a control unit that performs processing corresponding to the discriminated humidity sensor. | 12-03-2009 |
20090297185 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus which predicts VL fluctuates of a photosensitive drum, taking a rotation speed of the photosensitive drum during image formation into consideration, and controls the image formation based on the prediction, for always obtaining an image of a stable density. The image forming apparatus performs appropriate image formation control by controlling image forming conditions based on a photosensitive member rotation time, a photosensitive member stop time, a temperature of the environment, an absolute humidity of the environment, and the rotation speed of the photosensitive member. | 12-03-2009 |
20090304402 | CLEANING METHOD FOR COMPENSATING FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS AND BLADE AGE IN A CLEANING SUBSYSTEM - A method for controlling blade interference in a single blade or multi-blade xerographic cleaner based on a look-up table for environmental conditions and blade age. Temperature and humidity sensors and a blade age counter are used to provide information to a controller, which adjusts the blade interference through a stepper motor based on the preloaded table. This allows lower blade load in most conditions over life, compared to the known method of setting the initial load high enough to cover these stress factors at worse case levels. The look-up table is empirically determined for a give blade material and xerographic system, e.g., photoreceptor, toner, etc. It takes into account the variation in blade load itself as a function of the environment and blade age. | 12-10-2009 |
20090304403 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CLEANING SECONDARY TRANSFER ROLLER USED THEREIN - To provide an image forming apparatus: in which a toner image is formed on an image carrier using a toner supplied from a developing roller to which a controlled bias voltage is applied; the toner image is primarily transferred onto an intermediate transfer member; the toner image is secondarily transferred onto a recording sheet using a transfer voltage applied to the secondary transfer roller; and the bias voltage is applied to the secondary transfer roller as a cleaning voltage necessary for cleaning the secondary transfer roller; and the toner adhered to a circumferential surface of the secondary transfer roller is reversely transferred onto the intermediate transfer member. According to the image forming apparatus, an electric path is switched such that the controlled bias voltage is applied to the secondary transfer roller; if an absolute value of the bias voltage is less than a threshold value, the absolute value is controlled so as to be no less than the threshold value; and if the absolute value is controlled so as to be no less than the threshold value, the secondary transfer roller is kept separated from the intermediate transfer member for a predetermined period, and if the absolute value is not controlled, the secondary transfer roller is kept in pressure contact with the intermediate transfer member. | 12-10-2009 |
20090304404 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - Developing bias is set as follows. An electric field intensity between a developing roller and a photoconductor is set to cause normally-charged toner to fly in an image area and not to cause the toner to fly in a background area. Thus, the normally-charged toner does not fly in the background area. The normally-charged toner caused to fly is therefore unlikely to flick low-charged toner and oppositely-charged toner. The low-charged toner and the oppositely-charged toner will not adhere to the background area and cause image fogging. Accordingly, an image forming apparatus can be provided to prevent the low-charged toner and the oppositely-charged toner from adhering to the background area of an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor and to avoid the occurrence of image fogging in the background area on a printed material. | 12-10-2009 |
20100008682 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF - An image forming apparatus and a control method thereof are provided. The image forming apparatus includes: an image carrying body which includes a surface on which a developer which corresponds to printing data is applied; a transferring unit which receives transferring electric power to form a transferring area which transfers the developer to a transferring target body; a power supply unit which applies transferring electric power to the transferring unit; and a control unit which controls the power supply unit to apply first transferring electric power or second transferring electric power based on the amount of the developer in a unit section on a surface of the image carrying body. Thus, the present general inventive concept provides an image forming apparatus and a control method thereof for improving a printing image quality. | 01-14-2010 |
20100028031 | CUSTOMER REPLACEABLE UNIT MONITOR (CRUM) UNIT, REPLACEABLE UNIT AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS COMPRISING THE CRUM UNIT, AND UNIT DRIVING METHOD THEREOF - A replaceable unit to participate in an image forming job of an image forming apparatus includes a storage unit to store therein a driving condition corresponding to an operation environment, a detecting unit to monitor the operation environment, a controlling unit to detect a corresponding driving condition from the storage unit if the detecting unit detects the driving environment, and an interface unit to provide a main body of the image forming apparatus with the detected corresponding driving condition. Accordingly, the replaceable unit can be driven under optimum driving conditions. | 02-04-2010 |
20100040386 | Apparatus and method of image forming - An image forming apparatus is provided, which forms a releasing agent absorption toner image on an in-between printed sides area of a moving surface of an image carrier in the duplex printing mode. When the in-between printed sides area of the moving surface enters a transfer position at which a toner image is transferred from the image carrier to a recording medium, the transferring operation of transferring the toner image from the image carrier to a recording medium is interrupted to keep the releasing agent absorption toner image on the in-between printed sides area of the moving surface of the image carrier. | 02-18-2010 |
20100054770 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image supporting member; a developer supporting member for attaching developer to a static latent image formed on a surface of the image supporting member; a developer layer forming member for forming a developer layer on the developer supporting member; a developer supply member for supplying developer to the developer supporting member; a developer supporting member voltage applying unit for applying a voltage to the developer supporting member; a developer supplying member voltage applying unit for applying a voltage to the developer supplying member; and a reset operation processing unit for setting a reset mode over a specific period of time, so that a bias difference in the reset mode between the voltage applied with the developer supporting member voltage applying unit and the voltage applied with the developer supplying member voltage applying unit becomes smaller than that in a printing mode. | 03-04-2010 |
20100054771 | Image Forming Apparatus - An electrophotographic image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form an image on a recording medium; a fixing unit configured to fix the image onto the recording medium by applying heat and pressure; a re-transport unit configured to re-transport the recording medium which has passed through the fixing unit, to the image forming unit along a re-transport path; a cooling unit provided between the fixing unit and the image forming unit along the re-transport path and configured to cool the recording medium transported by the re-transport unit; a parameter signal output unit configured to output a signal corresponding to a parameter for controlling the cooling unit; and a controller configured to control the cooling unit according to the signal output from the parameter signal output unit. | 03-04-2010 |
20100080584 | Transfer Print Voltage Adjustment Based on Temperature, Humidity, and Transfer Feedback Voltage - An electrographic image forming device may use a feedback loop to determine environmental conditions and accordingly set one or more operating parameters. The device may detect a resistance/capacitance characteristic of a feedback loop comprising an interface between a first component and a second component of an image forming unit. The device may detect temperature measurements and humidity measurements that can be used to calculate wet-bulb temperature or other metrics used to characterize ambient environmental conditions. The interface may be one in which a toner image is transferred during image forming device operation. A controller may adjust the resistance/capacitance characteristic in response to wet-bulb temperature in conjunction with measured transfer feedback voltage. | 04-01-2010 |
20100080585 | System and Method for Adjusting Selected Operating Parameter of Image Forming Device Based on Selected Environmental Conditions to Control White Vector - A system for adjusting a selected operating parameter of an image forming device to control white vector based on selected environmental conditions includes an image forming station having a photoconductive surface with a latent image formed by discharged areas leaving non-discharged areas different from the discharged areas, a sensor mechanism for measuring selected environmental conditions of dry-bulb temperature and relative humidity, a control mechanism for reading the sensor mechanism to adjust the voltage bias of a charging unit by an offset applied to the charging unit based on a wet-bulb temperature value so as to minimize white vector without enabling onset of development of toner background on non-discharged areas, and a memory connected to and accessible by the control mechanism and storing a lookup table of a list of wet-bulb temperature values related to measured dry-bulb temperature and relative humidity values and correlated to a list of voltage bias offsets. | 04-01-2010 |
20100080586 | Method for Adjusting Transfer Voltage Controls Based on Environmental Conditions to Improve Print Quality in a Direct Transfer Image Forming Device - The present application is directed to methods of controlling the transfer voltage in a transfer nip formed between the photoconductive member and the transfer member. The methods offset the effects of large transfer current spikes caused when a media sheet enters and exits the transfer nip and account for temperature and humidity operating parameters using wet-bulb temperature measurements to adjust the transfer voltage. The control may include either ramping up or ramping down the transfer voltage. The ramped transfer voltage may include a series of alternating positive and negative steps that generally trend to ramp up or down. The size of the steps may further be adjusted to provide a smooth transition. | 04-01-2010 |
20100080587 | System and Method for Adjusting Selected Operating Parameters of Image Forming Device Based on Selected Environmental Conditions to Improve Color Registration - A system for adjusting selected operating parameters of an image forming device to improve color registration based on selected environmental conditions includes a first image forming station to print a first registration mark on a substrate, a second image forming station to at least partially erase the first registration mark to form a registration pattern in a reverse transfer process of the color registration, and a control mechanism to adjust voltage biases of charge and developer rolls of the second image forming station based on wet-bulb temperature values determined from measured dry-bulb temperature and relative humidity values and stored in a lookup table so as to maintain a predetermined potential difference between charged and uncharged areas of a PC drum of the second image forming station that avoids Paschen breakdown and the development of toner at charged areas of the PC drum during the reverse transfer process of the color registration. | 04-01-2010 |
20100080588 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes first and second image supporting members; first and second developer supporting members for forming a first developer image in a first color and a second developer image in a second color, respectively; first and second transfer members for transferring the first developer image and the second developer image to a medium, respectively; a voltage applying unit for applying a first voltage to one of the first image supporting member and the first transfer member and a second voltage to one of the second image supporting member and the second transfer member. The voltage applying unit is arranged to apply the second voltage greater than the first voltage to one of the second image supporting member and the second transfer member when a printing operation is performed to form an image only in the first color. | 04-01-2010 |
20100086321 | DYNAMIC PHOTO RECEPTOR WEAR RATE ADJUSTMENT BASED ON ENVIRONMENTAL SENSOR FEEDBACK - A xerographic marking engine adjusts a charging actuator value, such as an AC peak-to-peak voltage or an AC peak-to-peak current, based on a determined knee value, V | 04-08-2010 |
20100104301 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: a medium transport path which a medium is transported through; an image forming unit configured to form a developer image on the medium transported through the medium transport path; a fusing unit configured to fix the developer image formed on the medium to the medium; a temperature detecting unit configured to detect temperature in the image forming apparatus; and a controller operable to temporarily stop the transport of the medium in the medium transport path when the temperature detected by the temperature detecting unit is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature. | 04-29-2010 |
20100129095 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING TEMPERATURE SENSOR EMBEDDED DEVELOPERS AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - Provided is an image forming apparatus which includes a photosensitive body on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, a developing unit including toner to develop the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive body, a temperature sensor installed in the developing unit to measure temperature around the toner, a memory unit having information regarding the toner and installed in the developing unit to receive signals from the temperature sensor, and a controller electrically connected to the memory unit to control developing operations based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor. | 05-27-2010 |
20100142981 | System for Tailoring a Transfer NIP Electric Field for Enhanced Toner Transfer in Diverse Environments - A system for tailoring a transfer nip electric field includes a transfer roll, a backup roll forming a transfer nip with the transfer roll, and a pre-nip roll positioned upstream from the transfer and backup rolls and the transfer nip such that a toner image-supporting transfer belt moving past the pre-nip, transfer and backup rolls separately makes contact with, wraps partially around, and rotates each of the rolls as a media sheet is fed into the transfer nip after first passing through a gap defined between the pre-nip and transfer rolls such that by presetting the position, geometry and charge of the pre-nip roll relative to the transfer and backup rolls and the transfer belt an electrical field at the transfer nip can be tailored for enhanced toner transfer from the transfer belt to the media sheet. | 06-10-2010 |
20100178070 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing body on which surface a solid lubricant is supplied, forming and bearing an image on the surface; a charging member to which a voltage is applied, being in contact with the image bearing body to impart a charge; a voltage applying section that applies the voltage to the charging member, capable of switching the voltage between superimposed voltage on which DC voltage and AC voltage are superimposed and non-superimposed voltage including only DC voltage; an image forming section that forms a toner image; a transfer device that transfers the formed toner image to a transferring body; a cleaning member that contacts the image bearing body to scrape unnecessary substance from the surface; and a voltage switching section that switches the voltage applied to the charging member between the superimposed voltage and the non-superimposed voltage according to an amount of the solid lubricant. | 07-15-2010 |
20100183323 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus including a target part to be cooled detachably attachable to the image forming apparatus, a cooling device including a heat receiving part provided to contact the target part to be cooled to receive heat from the target part to be cooled with a cooling medium provided within the heat receiving part, and a contact/separation mechanism to cause the heat receiving part to contact and separate from the target part to be cooled. The contact/separation mechanism includes a pressing unit to press the heat receiving part against the target part to be cooled. A reaction of a pressing force of the heat receiving part applied to the pressing unit when the heat receiving part is pressed against the target part to be cooled is directed onto a predetermined portion of the target part to be cooled. | 07-22-2010 |
20100196026 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; toner image forming means for forming a toner image on the image bearing member; a transfer member for transferring the toner image from the image bearing member onto a recording material; an executing portion for executing a first cleaning mode in which the transfer member is cleaned by being supplied with a voltage of an identical polarity to a normal charge polarity of toner during non-image formation and executing a second cleaning mode in which the transfer member is cleaned by being supplied with a voltage of an opposite polarity to the normal charge polarity of the toner during the non-image formation; and a control portion for changing a ratio between a first cleaning mode execution period and a second cleaning mode execution period depending on an operation environment of the image forming apparatus. | 08-05-2010 |
20100232818 | FIXING DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCORPORATING SAME, AND CONTROL METHOD FOR FIXING DEVICE - A fixing device includes a fixing member, a heating member to heat the fixing member, a pressing member to press against the fixing member with a predetermined pressure, forming a nip where an image is fixed on a recording medium with heat and pressure, a heating controller to cause the heating member to heat the fixing member to a predetermined temperature set in advance and to preheat the fixing member while maintaining the temperature of the fixing member, a recording-medium data receiver to acquire recording-medium data before a fixing process is started, and a preheating-time adjuster to adjust a preheating time during which the heating member preheats the fixing member based on the data acquired by the recording-medium data receiver. | 09-16-2010 |
20100239279 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A prediction table is stored in an NVM and an in-apparatus temperature is measured by a temperature sensor, a registration control adjustment based on the prediction table is carried out if an absolute value of a variation in the in-apparatus temperature is smaller than a threshold, and a registration adjusting patch is formed to actually measure a positional shift amount if the absolute value of the variation in the in-apparatus temperature is equal to or greater than the threshold. When the positional shift amount measured actually is greatly different from a value of the prediction table, the value of the prediction table is modified into the actually measured value. | 09-23-2010 |
20100239280 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMING UNIT, AND ERASE LIGHT CONTROL METHOD - Electric charge remaining on a photoreceptor after transfer causes image deterioration. According to one conventional method widely used in view of this problem, erase light is emitted onto a photoreceptor after the transfer to remove the electric charge remaining on the photoreceptor. However, such a method poses the following problem: emission of erase light leads to light-induced fatigue of the photoreceptor, and as a result, the photoreceptor which has deteriorated from the light-induced fatigue wears down due to abrasion and the like with a cleaner blade, resulting in a shorter lifetime of the photoreceptor. Thus, the thickness of the photosensitive layer is detected to acquire the amount of thickness decrease, and the amount of the erase light is reduced according to the acquired amount of thickness decrease. | 09-23-2010 |
20100239281 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a transfer member provided at a position at which the transfer member can be pressed against the image carrier, a detection device for detecting a toner attachment amount of the toner image formed on the image carrier, an avoidance judging section for judging whether or not avoidance of a pressed region should be performed when a toner image for image formation is formed on the image carrier, the pressed region serving as a region located on the image carrier and being pressed against the transfer member from the end of a previous image forming operation to the start of a present image forming operation, and an avoidance continuation judging section for judging the necessity for continuation of the avoidance by being operated when it is judged as avoidance by the avoidance judging section. | 09-23-2010 |
20100247122 | CHARGING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A charging device includes: a charging member; a charging power source that applies a charging voltage to the charging member; a temperature dependence storage unit that stores preset temperature dependence; a humidity dependence storage unit that stores preset humidity dependence; an ambient temperature detecting unit that detects an ambient temperature in the vicinity of the charging member; an ambient humidity detecting unit that detects an ambient humidity in the vicinity of the charging member; and a charging voltage control unit that applies the charging voltage to the charging member according to (i) a constant current value that is determined according to the temperature dependence as corresponding to the detected ambient temperature or (ii) a constant current value that is determined according to the humidity dependence as corresponding to the detected ambient temperature and the detected ambient humidity. | 09-30-2010 |
20100247123 | Image forming apparatus and process cartridge - An image forming apparatus including an image carrier; a charger to charge a surface of the image carrier; an irradiating device to form a latent image; a developing device to form a toner image; a transfer device to transfer the toner image onto a recording medium; a cleaning device to remove residual toner from the surface of the image carrier; a temperature and humidity detector to measure temperature and humidity within the image forming apparatus; a stop time clock to measure a period of time for which the image carrier is not driven; a removal unit to remove discharge products adhering to the surface of the image carrier; and a control unit to drive the removal unit to remove the discharge products for a period of time determined by the control unit based on measurements obtained by the temperature and humidity detector and the stop time clock. | 09-30-2010 |
20100254721 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A printer includes a fixing device that fixes a toner image formed on a sheet and a sheet delivery roller pair for delivering the sheet on which the toner image is fixed by the fixing device onto a sheet delivery tray placed outside of a printer main body. The printer includes a supporting member that supports an upstream edge portion of the sheet in a delivery direction delivered from the sheet delivery roller pair so that the upstream edge portion does not fall down on the sheet delivery tray. The printer includes a blower unit that blows air along a lower surface of the sheet supported by the supporting member from the upstream edge portion of the sheet in the delivery direction toward a downstream edge portion of the sheet in the delivery direction. | 10-07-2010 |
20100260510 | DEVELOPING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developing device includes a developer supporting member for supplying developer to an image supporting member; a developer supplying member for supplying developer to the developer supporting member; and a stirring member disposed to be freely rotatable. The stirring member includes a free end portion arranged to contact with the developer supplying member and a stirring section for stirring developer when the stirring member rotates. | 10-14-2010 |
20100303487 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMING METHOD FOR IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT - An image forming apparatus includes a first image forming unit that directly transfers an image onto a transfer sheet; an intermediate transfer member onto which an image is transferred; a secondary image forming unit that transfers an image onto the intermediate transfer member; a secondary transfer unit that transfers the image on the intermediate transfer member onto the transfer sheet; a fixing unit that fixes an image on the transfer sheet at a fixation position; and a guide member that guides the transfer sheet to the fixation position. | 12-02-2010 |
20100316398 | Electrode-Based Post Nip Field Conditioning Method and Apparatus - An image-forming device includes a media path extending through the image-forming device, and at least one image transfer nip positioned along the media path. An electrode is positioned subsequent to the nip with respect to the media path and is coupled to a voltage source. An electric field produced by the electrode and voltage source limits the degree of post-nip toner scattering by applying an electrostatic force to toner particles on media sheets passing along the media path. The image-forming device further includes a processor for monitoring a plurality of ambient conditions, for adjusting the voltage applied to the electrode, and optionally, for repositioning the electrode with respect to the media path. | 12-16-2010 |
20100329707 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable image bearing member for bearing a toner image; a transfer member constituting a transfer portion for transferring the toner image formed on said image bearing member onto a recording material; a voltage source for applying, to said transfer member, a voltage in the form of superimposed DC voltage and AC voltage; controller for controlling said voltage source such that a duty ratio, in the AC voltage, of a component increasing an absolute value of a transfer voltage is less than 50%; and an executing portion for executing an operation in an image forming mode in which the toner image is transferred from said image bearing member onto the recording material with the duty ratio controlled by said controller correspondingly to a kind of the recording material. | 12-30-2010 |
20110002702 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: a developer image carrier movably disposed; a developer image forming device configured to form a developer image; a detector configured to detect a density of the developer image formed on the developer image carrier; a controller configured to control an operation of forming of the developer image by the developer image forming device; an image forming unit configured to control the developer image forming device to form a density detection pattern including the same developer images at at least a first point and a second point with a predetermined distance therebetween; a density detector configured to obtain the density of the first point and the density of the second point of the density detection pattern via the detector; and a calculator configured to calculate a density difference between the first point and the second point based on the densities obtained by the density detector. | 01-06-2011 |
20110008064 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable drum; a charging roller, contacting the drum, for electrically charging the drum; a developing device for developing a latent image formed on the drum into a developer image; and a cleaning device for removing a developer remaining on the drum after the developer image is transferred from the drum onto a developer image receiving member. The cleaning device includes a cleaning blade contacting the drum and having a fixed end and a free end which is located upstream of the fixed end with respect to a rotational direction of the drum. The image forming apparatus further includes a control device for controlling a rotating operation of the drum. The control device is capable of performing an operation for rotating the drum, in a direction identical to the rotational direction of the drum during image formation effected by rotating the drum, after a lapse, without next instruction of image formation, of a predetermined period from a stop of rotation of the drum once made after completion of the image formation. The predetermined period is longer with a larger number of sheets subjected to the image formation in an image forming job before the rotation of the drum is stopped. | 01-13-2011 |
20110026952 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR REDUCING VELOCITY ERRORS IN A MOVABLE IMAGE CARRIER OF AN IMAGE FORMING DEVICE - Systems and methods apply active feedback via a repetitive controller to compensate for periodic disturbances applied by recording media to a movable image carrier having a controlled velocity. The compensation parameters of the repetitive controller, once the error signal of the feedback converges to zero, can be stored with one or more characteristics of the print job or the recording media used for the print job. When other print jobs are received having the same one or more characteristics, the stored, converged compensation parameters can be retrieved, reducing the time to convergence of the systems and methods. | 02-03-2011 |
20110026953 | Image forming apparatus and method for calibrating toner image detection sensor - According to an embodiment of the present invention, an image forming apparatus includes a toner image carrier that carries a toner image, a toner image detection sensor that detects a reference toner image on the toner image carrier, a temperature sensor that detects a temperature in the apparatus, and storage section for storing a correlation between each temperature and a drive value for the toner image detection sensor, in which calibration of the toner image detection sensor is performed by acquiring a corresponding drive value from the storage section based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor and driving the toner image detection sensor at the acquired drive value. | 02-03-2011 |
20110026954 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a belt member which bears a toner image, a transfer portion for forming a transfer nip portion, a changing unit for changing an advancing angle of the belt member advancing into the transfer nip portion, a guide member which is arranged at an upstream side of the transfer nip portion in a recording material conveying direction and face to a untransfered face of the recording material and guide a recording material to the transfer nip portion, and a controller for controlling the changing unit so that a belt face advancing into the transfer nip portion and conveying a recording material having a first thickness is at a position farther from the guide member than the belt face advancing into the transfer nip portion and conveying a recording material having a second thickness smaller than the first thickness. | 02-03-2011 |
20110038646 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus including a photosensitive member, a charging apparatus to charge a surface of the photosensitive member when applied with a charging voltage, and an exposure apparatus to expose the surface of the photosensitive member after being charged to form an electrostatic image. A developing apparatus attaches a developer to the electrostatic image and develop the electrostatic image as a developer image when applied with a development voltage. An environment measuring apparatus measures information regarding temperature and a time measuring apparatus measures information regarding a photosensitive member rotation time that represents a time during which the photosensitive member is rotated, and information regarding a photosensitive member stop time that represents a time during which the photosensitive member is stopped. A control apparatus controls an image formation condition based on a control mode. | 02-17-2011 |
20110052226 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, STORAGE MEDIUM AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An image forming apparatus for performing image formation by using an electrophotographic process, the image forming apparatus including: a control section for judging existence of necessity of correction of process conditions in the electrophotographic process based on environment dependence characteristic information of a resistance value of a member that is used for the electrophotographic process and constitutes the image forming apparatus and environment change information in the own apparatus, and performing the correction based on the result of the judgment. | 03-03-2011 |
20110052227 | Image forming apparatus - An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device to form an image on a sheet and a sheet feeding unit to feed the sheet to the image forming device. The sheet feeding unit includes an endless, dielectric belt disposed facing an upper surface of a sheet stack to contact and attract an uppermost sheet to the surface thereof and feed the sheet in the sheet feeding direction, and an electric potential pattern forming unit to form an electric potential pattern on the surface of the dielectric belt. The electric potential pattern has multiple potential holding sections of identical absolute values and opposite polarities disposed adjacent to each other at a uniform pitch. The electric potential pattern forming unit forms the electric potential pattern to have equal numbers of positive potential holding sections and negative potential holding sections. | 03-03-2011 |
20110064432 | DEVELOPING DEVICE, PROCESS CARTRIDGE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A disclosed developing device includes a toner carrying member having electrodes, a toner supply unit supplying the toner to the toner carrying member, and a hopping electric field generator unit generating electric field to cause the toner hopping on the toner carrying member by applying a pulse voltage to the electrodes. The hopping electric field generator unit includes a pulse voltage generator circuit generating the pulse voltage, a first direct-current power source supplying bias to the pulse voltage generator circuit for regulating a peak value of the pulse voltage, and a second direct-current power source having a same polarity with a toner charging polarity, and outputting a variable voltage level. The hopping electric field generator unit controls the peak value of the pulse voltage by changing an output of the first power source and a mean thereof by changing an output of the second power source. | 03-17-2011 |
20110069979 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member; charging device for electrically charging the photosensitive member; an exposure device for exposing to light the photosensitive member to form an electrostatic latent image; a developing device for developing the electrostatic latent image into a toner image; a transfer member for forming a transfer portion at which the toner image is to be transferred from the photosensitive member onto a transfer material; a voltage control portion for controlling a transfer voltage to be applied to the transfer member so that a current passing through the transfer member is constant; and a current setting device for setting a current value in constant current control by the voltage control portion so that the current value is decreased when a ratio of a potential difference between the transfer voltage and a light portion potential provided by the exposure device to a potential difference between the transfer voltage and a dark portion potential provided by the exposure device is decreased and so that the current value is increased when the ratio is increased. | 03-24-2011 |
20110103812 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a development device including a development roller and a driving force receiving member, a movable member configured to move the development device between a development position and a retracting position, a first driving force transmission member configured to transmit a driving force to the movable member, a second driving force transmission member configured to engage with the driving force receiving member and transmit the driving force to the driving force receiving member, and a controller configured to perform drive control for the first driving force transmission member based on a temperature detected by a sensor. If α | 05-05-2011 |
20110142460 | TEMPERATURE CONTROL IN IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a reception unit, an image forming unit, a drive unit, a detection unit, a prediction unit, and a control unit. The image forming unit forms an image based on image information received by the reception unit. The drive unit controls an imaging forming unit drive. The detection unit detects temperature within the image forming apparatus. The prediction unit predicts a transition of temperature within the image forming apparatus and an image formation time based on the image information and the temperature within the image formation unit. The control unit is responsive to detected temperature and predicted image forming time. The control unit switches between image forming modes and controls the image forming apparatus to form an image in a short image forming time. | 06-16-2011 |
20110158665 | DEVELOPING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A developing apparatus includes a developing container for accommodating a developer; a rotatable developer carrying member, provided in an opening of the developing container, for feeding the developer to a position opposing image bearing member to develop a latent image formed to the image bearing member; a first chamber, provided in the developing container, for supplying the developer to the carrying member; a second chamber, provided adjacent to the first chamber in the developing container, for accommodating the developer; a first feeding member, provided in the first chamber, for feeding the developer in the first chamber; a second feeding member, provided in the second chamber, for feeding the developer in a direction opposite to a feeding direction of the first feeding member; a partition member partitioning between the first chamber and the second chamber; an opening provided in each of opposite ends of the first chamber to form a circulation path between the first chamber and the second chamber; and detecting means, provided opposed to the opening at a position contacting the developer, for detecting a temperature or humidity for controlling an image forming condition. | 06-30-2011 |
20110176820 | DEVELOPMENT DEVICE, PROCESS CARTRIDGE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A development device includes a toner-containing chamber for containing supplied toner having an interior wall, a developer-containing chamber for containing developer including toner and carrier communicating with the toner-containing chamber; and a transport screw to transport the supplied toner from the toner-containing chamber to the developer-containing chamber, disposed in the toner-containing chamber so that there is no gap between the outer edge of the transport screw and the interior wall of the toner-containing chamber in a portion lower than a level of the supplied toner in the toner-containing chamber. | 07-21-2011 |
20110217060 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - When toner on an intermediate transfer member is picked up by a cleaning unit by transferring the toner to an image bearing member in a recovery operation, pickup conditions are controlled to be changed on the basis of the ambience detected in performing the recovery operation and such that the toner on the intermediate transfer member is picked up by the cleaning unit while being temporarily retained by a secondary transfer roller. | 09-08-2011 |
20110222878 | DEVELOPING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING DEVICE - A developing device includes: a plurality of developer retaining bodies that retain developer and rotate, and that respectively convey the developer, which is supplied to each of the developer retaining bodies from a developer supply section, to an image bearing body that rotates and bears a latent image; and a speed changing unit that is adapted to change a rotation speed of at least one of the developer retaining bodies excluding a developer retaining body that is furthest downstream side in a direction of rotation of the image bearing body. | 09-15-2011 |
20110222879 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device including a rotatable fixing member to fix a toner image on a recording medium, a pressing member to press against the fixing member to form a nip portion therebetween, through which the recording medium passes, and a nip pressure applying mechanism that movably supports the pressing member. The nip pressure applying mechanism presses the pressing member against the fixing member at a predetermined nip pressure during a fixing operation, and draws the pressing member away from the fixing member for a predetermined distance before the fixing operation. The predetermined distance is set depending on a condition for the fixing operation. | 09-15-2011 |
20110222880 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing member; a development device; a speed varying unit that can vary a speed of a developer bearing member; a sensing portion that senses an environmental temperature around the development device; and a controller that can perform a mode in which, compared with a period which an image forming region of the image bearing member passes through the developing region, the rotation speed of the developer bearing member slows down a period which a non-image forming region of the image bearing member passes through the developing region, wherein based on sensing result of the sensing portion, the controller performs the mode when the environmental temperature is higher than a predetermined value, and the controller does not perform the mode when the environmental temperature is lower than the predetermined value. | 09-15-2011 |
20110236044 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF - An image forming apparatus and a control method thereof to improve quality of an image in consideration of a change in posture of a print media. The image forming apparatus can include a transferred unit on which a visible image is formed, a transferring unit to form a transfer region through which the visible image is transferred onto a print medium, along with the transferred unit, a bias supplying unit to supply bias to the transferring unit so that a transfer electric field is produced in the transfer region, and a controller to control the bias supplying unit to supply different first to third biases to the transferring unit while at least first to third regions of the print medium pass through the transfer region, respectively. | 09-29-2011 |
20110255889 | Image Forming Apparatus - An image forming apparatus includes: photosensitive members; an endless belt facing the photosensitive members; developing rollers respectively supplying, to the photosensitive members, developer of different colors which is charged to a first polarity; cleaning rollers adjacent to the photosensitive members; a separating mechanism separating the developing roller from the photosensitive member in a single color printing. If in a multi color printing, a control unit applies a cleaning bias whose polarity is a second polarity opposite to the first polarity and which holds a first electric potential to each cleaning roller. If in the single color printing, the control unit executes a bias reduction control in which a cleaning bias applied to the cleaning roller not used in the single color printing is given the second polarity and is made to hold a second electric potential whose absolute value is smaller than that of the first electric potential. | 10-20-2011 |
20110262159 | Image Forming Device - An image forming device comprising a fixing unit for thermally fixing a developer on a recording sheet, a control unit that controls the temperature to maintain the fixing unit at one of a fixing temperature and a stand-by temperature lower than the fixing temperature, and a transport unit that transports the recording sheet to the fixing unit, wherein, when the temperature of the fixing unit has dropped from the fixing temperature to the stand-by temperature, and a printing command is received, the control unit controls the transport unit so as to set a stand-by time to wait before starting to transport the recording sheet after the printing command is received as a second time interval, which is longer than a first time interval of time required for the temperature of the fixing unit to reach the fixing temperature based on information relating to the current temperature of the fixing unit. | 10-27-2011 |
20110280598 | Device for Determining and Adjusting Transfer Voltage in an Imaging Apparatus and a Method Thereof - A device and method for determining and applying a transfer voltage in an imaging apparatus is provided. A servo voltage is determined based in part upon a change in an environmental condition. A determination is made whether or not to perform a new transfer servo operation based upon at least one of an amount of time passing since the last transfer servo operation was performed and a comparison of the determined servo voltage and a servo voltage used in a prior transfer servo operation. A transfer servo operation includes charging a photoconductive drum to a charge corresponding to a printing voltage. | 11-17-2011 |
20110280599 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A low density area is caused at a trailing edge of an image formed on a photosensitive drum. This low density area is less likely to be caused when the density of the image is higher and the humidity is lower. To prevent generation of such low density area, if a color misregistration detection toner pattern having a high density is formed, in a low humidity environment, an excessively large amount of toner is consumed unnecessarily. In response, the density of the color misregistration detection toner pattern is adjusted based on the humidity. | 11-17-2011 |
20110280600 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; a developing device for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the image bearing member; a transferring device for transferring the toner image formed on the image bearing member onto a transfer material; a first ambience detecting device for detecting a humidity inside the image forming apparatus and outside the developing device; a second ambience detector for detecting a humidity inside the developing device; and a setting device for setting a transferring current on the basis of results of detection of the first an ambience detector and the second ambience detector. | 11-17-2011 |
20110293301 | Image Forming Apparatus - An image forming apparatus for printing an image on a medium, comprising: a first image carrier; a second image carrier disposed downstream of the first image carrier in a traveling direction of the medium; a first charging member configured to charge the first image carrier; a second charging member configured to charge the second image carrier; and a control unit configured to execute a monochrome printing mode in which a monochromic image is formed on the medium using the first image carrier and the first charging member and a color printing mode in which a color image is formed on the medium using the second image carrier and the second charging member. In the monochrome printing mode, the control unit makes an absolute value of an electric surface potential of the second image carrier larger than an absolute value of the electric surface potential of the first image carrier. | 12-01-2011 |
20110305470 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - Provided is an image forming apparatus including an image forming section forming images on image forming faces of a recording medium, a condition setting section individually setting an operating condition of the image forming section for forming the image on a first image forming face of a recording medium and another operating condition of the image forming section for forming the image on a second image forming face of the recording medium opposite to the first image forming face in the manual duplex mode, and a control section controlling the image forming section on the basis of each operating condition set by the condition setting section. | 12-15-2011 |
20110311249 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an imaging unit, a fixing unit, a first thermometer, and a controller. The imaging unit forms a toner image on a recording medium conveyed along a media conveyance path. The fixing device is disposed downstream from the imaging unit along the media conveyance path to fix the toner image in place on the recording medium. The fixing device includes a fuser roller, a heat roller, an endless, fuser belt, and a pressure roller. The fuser roller has a cylindrical core of metal. The pressure roller presses against the fuser roller via the fuser belt to form a fixing nip therebetween. The first thermometer detects a first temperature at the cylindrical core of the fuser roller. The controller controls conveyance of the recording medium through the fixing nip according to the first temperature. | 12-22-2011 |
20110318027 | METHODS, APPARATUS AND SYSTEMS TO CONTROL THE DONOR ROLL TO MAG ROLL DEVELOPMENT FIELD (Vdm) ASSOCIATED WITH A PRINTING DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM - Disclosed are printing methods, apparatus and systems for developing a latent image recorded on a surface, for example, a photoreceptor with developer material. According to an exemplary embodiment, the development method applies a development field voltage between a development station donor member and a development station transport member as a function of a humidity measurement associated with the developer material, the humidity measurement providing a surrogate tribo measurement of the developer material. | 12-29-2011 |
20110318028 | Image Forming Apparatus - An image forming apparatus includes: a first photosensitive drum for a monochrome printing mode; second and third photosensitive drums for a color printing mode; a moving unit moving a medium from the first photosensitive drum via the second photosensitive drum to the third photosensitive drum; charger devices for charging the photosensitive drums; transfer devices for transferring developer images on the photosensitive drums to the medium; and a control unit configured to control charging biases of the charger devices and transfer biases of the transfer devices. The control unit executes, in the monochrome printing mode, an energy saving control in which absolute value of charging bias applied to the charger device for the third photosensitive drum is smaller than an absolute value of a charging bias applied to the charger device corresponding to the second photosensitive drum. | 12-29-2011 |
20110318029 | CUSTOMER REPLACEABLE UNIT MONITOR (CRUM) UNIT, REPLACEABLE UNIT AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS COMPRISING THE CRUM UNIT, AND UNIT DRIVING METHOD THEREOF - A replaceable unit to participate in an image forming job of an image forming apparatus includes a storage unit to store therein a driving condition corresponding to an operation environment, a detecting unit to monitor the operation environment, a controlling unit to detect a corresponding driving condition from the storage unit if the detecting unit detects the driving environment, and an interface unit to provide a main body of the image forming apparatus with the detected corresponding driving condition. Accordingly, the replaceable unit can be driven under optimum driving conditions. | 12-29-2011 |
20120002987 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD - Certain embodiments provide an image forming apparatus including: an image carrier; a latent image forming unit; a developing unit; a fixing unit; a toner cartridge; a battery in the toner cartridge; a temperature sensor in the toner cartridge driven by the battery; a first controller which causes the temperature sensor to measure an ambient temperature periodically in the toner cartridge and be supplied with power from the battery; a recording medium which is provided in the toner cartridge and records a result of measurement by the temperature sensor in timing controlled by the first controller; and a second controller which reads out information recorded in the recording medium, and changes an operating condition of the latent image forming unit, the developing unit and the fixing unit according to a state of preservation of the supply of toner, based on the information. | 01-05-2012 |
20120008967 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR STOPPING DRIVING IMAGE CARRIER - An image forming apparatus comprising: an image carrier to carry a toner image; a driving unit to drive the image carrier to rotate; a transfer unit to transfer the toner image at a transfer position; a cleaner at a cleaning position to remove toner remaining on the image carrier after transfer; an obtaining unit to obtain information indicating a likelihood of the remaining toner adhering to the image carrier; a judging unit to judge whether or not the likelihood is equal to or lower than a predetermined value; and a controller to control the driving unit (i) to stop driving the image carrier before a rear end of an area of the image carrier on which the toner remains reaches the cleaning position, when the judging unit judges affirmatively, and, (ii) to stop driving the image carrier after the cleaner removes the remaining toner, when the judging unit judges negatively. | 01-12-2012 |
20120027442 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; an image forming portion for forming a toner image on the image bearing member, the image forming portion being capable of forming an image to be formed on a recording material and forming a control image for controlling an image density at a position adjacent to the image to be formed on the recording material; an intermediary transfer member rotatable while carrying the toner image transferred from the image bearing member; a transfer member for forming a transfer portion where the toner image is to be transferred from the intermediary transfer member onto the recording material; an electrostatic cleaning member for electrostatically removing the toner deposited on the transfer member; a density detecting portion, provided upstream of the transfer member with respect to a rotational direction of the intermediary transfer member, for detecting a density of the control image transferred on the intermediary transfer member; an adjusting portion for adjusting an image forming condition of the image forming portion depending on an output of the density detecting portion; and a charge amount changing portion for adjusting a charge amount of the control image transferred onto the intermediary transfer member. | 02-02-2012 |
20120033983 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable image bearing member including an electroconductive base member and a photosensitive member formed on the electroconductive base member; a contact charging device for electrically charging the photosensitive member; a DC voltage applying device for applying a DC voltage to the contact charging device; an exposure device for exposing the charged photosensitive member to light; and a current detecting device for detecting a current passing from the contact charging device to the electroconductive base member of the image bearing member. The image forming apparatus includes a control device capable of executing an operation in a humidity detecting mode in which an area of the photosensitive member is electrically charged by applying a DC voltage to the contact charging device and the photosensitive member is rotated without exposing the area to the light by the exposure device and then the area is electrically charged again by applying the DC voltage to the contact charging device. The control device detects information on a humidity on the basis of a current detected by the current detecting device when the area is electrically charged again by applying the DC voltage to the contact charging device. | 02-09-2012 |
20120045229 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - In an image forming apparatus, when no image is being formed, an image bearing member is rotated at least one rotation, in a state in which a transfer bias is controlled such that a potential on a surface of the image bearing member on the upstream side in the rotational direction of a cleaning apparatus is a polarity opposite to that of a developer. | 02-23-2012 |
20120057887 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus, including: a fixing device configured to fix a toner image onto a sheet by heating the sheet having the toner image formed thereon; a wire-shaped guide configured to guide the sheet having the toner image fixed thereto; and a holder, configured to hold the wire-shaped guide, to which the wire-shaped guide is fixed by using elasticity of the wire-shaped guide. | 03-08-2012 |
20120063794 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, GAP CONTROL METHOD - An image forming apparatus according to the embodiments includes a photoconductor, a charging unit which charges the photoconductor and is disposed to face the photoconductor in a non-contact manner, a positioning portion which changes a gap interposed between the photoconductor and the charging unit, on the basis of at least the temperature. | 03-15-2012 |
20120063795 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - The image forming apparatus calculates a total length of a blank region in which toner is not moved with respect to the length of the recording material in a direction perpendicular to the direction of conveying the recording material P. When the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt is transferred to the recording material P in the secondary transfer unit and the total length of the blank region without the toner image is greater than a preset first reference value, a voltage supplied to a secondary transfer roller is corrected such that the voltage has the same polarity as the preset reference voltage according to the first reference value and the absolute value is greater than the absolute value of the reference voltage. | 03-15-2012 |
20120106993 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a bias controller that controls a first application unit that applies a bias to a transfer member. The bias controller applies a reverse bias to the transfer member when a first region passes through a nip part. Then, when a second region passes through the nip part, the bias controller applies a fixed first forward bias to the transfer member. When a third region passes through the nip part, in order to implement the control the bias controller applies a variable second forward bias to the transfer member. The first forward bias is set at a predetermined value or above and increases a potential of the transfer member | 05-03-2012 |
20120114344 | Image Forming Apparatus - An image forming apparatus includes: a photosensitive member that is configured to carry a developer image; a developing roller that is configured to supply developer to the photosensitive member; a transfer member that is configured to transfer the developer image carried on the photosensitive member to a transfer medium; and a control unit that is configured to execute a collection mode upon receiving a printing instruction for executing a printing operation but before initiating the printing operation, wherein the control unit in the collection mode is configured to: discharge the developer of one or more circumferences of the developing which has been carried on the developing roller, to the photosensitive member; and collect the discharged developer by the developing oiler. | 05-10-2012 |
20120114345 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCORPORATING SAME - A fixing device includes a fixing belt; a pressing rotary body disposed outside a loop formed by the fixing belt; a nip formation pad disposed inside the loop formed by the fixing belt and pressed against the pressing rotary body via the fixing belt to form a fixing nip between the pressing rotary body and the fixing belt through which a recording medium bearing a toner image is conveyed. The nip formation pad includes a protrusion disposed downstream from the fixing nip in a conveyance direction of the recording medium and protruding toward the pressing rotary body without contacting the pressing rotary body. The fixing device further includes a pressing rotary body mover to contact and move the pressing rotary body bidirectionally in the conveyance direction of the recording medium to move the fixing nip toward and away from the protrusion. | 05-10-2012 |
20120134690 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for carrying an electrostatic latent image; a developing device, containing a developer including a toner and a carrier, for developing the electrostatic latent image carried on the image bearing member into a toner image with the developer; a supplying device for supplying the toner to the developing device; a first detecting portion for detecting information on a temperature of the developing device; a second detecting portion for detecting information on a temperature of the supplying device; and a correcting portion for correcting, when detection results of the first and second detecting portions are different from each other, an image forming condition with increase of a supply amount of the supplying device. | 05-31-2012 |
20120134691 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS CAPABLE OF CONTROLLING PRINTING INTERRUPTION, METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME, AND STORAGE MEDIUM - An image forming apparatus which makes it possible to prevent interruption of printing due to shift to a temperature rise control mode and interruption of printing for execution of a cartridge replacement operation due to running-out of toner from occurring separately during execution of continuous printing. A temperature sensor detects that the internal temperature of the image forming apparatus has become equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature. The image forming apparatus also detects execution of toner cartridge replacement. When the temperature sensor detects, during execution of printing, that the internal temperature has become equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature, the image forming apparatus stops the printing being executed. Further, when execution of toner cartridge replacement is detected during suspension of the printing, the image forming apparatus resumes the printing being suspended. | 05-31-2012 |
20120134692 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS CAPABLE OF SAVING ENERGY, METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME, AND STORAGE MEDIUM - An image forming apparatus which makes it possible to save energy during the operation of a temperature rise control mode, and is capable of realizing energy saving without degrading performance by making the image forming apparatus ready for printing when returning from the temperature rise control mode. A temperature sensor detects internal temperature of the image forming apparatus. When the internal temperature of the image forming apparatus has reached a temperature at which the apparatus should shift to the temperature rise control mode during execution of printing, the printing operation is stopped. In stopping the printing operation, the image forming apparatus is shifted to an energy saving mode. | 05-31-2012 |
20120155896 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable photosensitive member; a charging member for electrically charging the photosensitive member; a power source for applying a DC voltage to the charging member; an irradiation member for irradiating with light a surface of the photosensitive member; and a controller for controlling the irradiation of the light by the irradiation member. The photosensitive member is movable at a first speed and a second speed slower than the first speed. The irradiation of the light by the irradiation member is effected when the photosensitive member is moved at the first speed to effect image formation, and is not effected when the photosensitive member is moved at the second speed to effect the image formation. | 06-21-2012 |
20120155897 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an intermediary transfer member having an elastic layer; a toner image forming portion for forming a toner image for an image to be carried on the intermediary transfer member; a transfer member, which presses the intermediary transfer member, for transferring the toner image for the image from the intermediary transfer member onto a recording material; a pressing mechanism capable of changing pressure applied from the transfer member to the intermediary transfer member; and a controller for controlling the toner image forming portion so that a length of the toner image for the image on the intermediary transfer member with respect to a rotational direction of the intermediary transfer member is decreased with an increase of the pressure. | 06-21-2012 |
20120163841 | Image Forming Apparatus - An image formation apparatus may compensate for potential printing irregularities caused by creasing of a print medium by detecting a humidity and determining whether the humidity is equal or above a specified threshold. If so, the image formation apparatus may increase a size of an area in which no image is to be formed at a trailing end of side of the print medium on which an image is to be formed. Increasing the size of the non-image area may include shifting an image formation area (e.g., where the image is to be formed) toward a leading end of the print medium and/or scaling the image and the image formation area to be smaller. | 06-28-2012 |
20120183314 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a main assembly for forming an image; a casing in which the main assembly is provided; a cooling device for cooling an inside of the casing by generating cooling air lower in temperature than air outside the casing; a liquid evaporator for receiving water generated during generation of the cooling air and for evaporating the water by circulation of air; and a heat exhausting device for supplying the air warmed by the main assembly to the liquid evaporator. | 07-19-2012 |
20120189330 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus, including: an image bearing member; a charging device which charges the image bearing member; a developing device which develops an electrostatic image formed on the image bearing member with toner; a transferring device which transfers a toner image formed on the image bearing member by the developing device onto a recording medium; a separation charge-eliminator disposed opposite to the image bearing member, for separating the medium from the image bearing member after transfer; a current detecting device which detects a separation current flowing through the charge-eliminator; and a control device which outputs a control signal regarding the charge-eliminator based on a first current value detected by the current detecting device with a charging voltage being applied to the charging device and a second current value detected by the current detecting device with a transfer voltage being applied to the transferring device. | 07-26-2012 |
20120201551 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, a developing roller which carries developer and contacts the photosensitive member, and a control device which is configured to apply, to the developing roller, a developing bias having a direct current component and an alternating current component overlapped with each other so as to supply developer from the developing roller to the photosensitive member. The control device is configured to execute either one of a first mode in which an amplitude of the alternating current component of the developing bias is set with a first set value and a second mode in which the amplitude of the alternating current component of the developing bias is set with a second set value larger than the first set value, based on whether or not a temperature of the developing roller is a first predetermined value or larger. | 08-09-2012 |
20120207495 | FIXING DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING FIXING DEVICE - In an embodiment, a fixing device includes: a fixing member that revolves in a circumferential direction in a heated state and transfers heat to a recording medium that is brought into contact with an outer circumferential face thereof; a temperature detecting unit that detects a temperature of the outer circumferential face of the fixing member; and a circumferential-direction position adjusting unit that adjusts a circumferential-direction position of the fixing member such that the recording medium is brought into contact with a high temperature portion out of the high-temperature portion of the outer circumferential face of the fixing member of which temperature detected by the temperature detecting unit is relatively high and a low-temperature portion of which temperature detected by the temperature detecting unit is relatively low. | 08-16-2012 |
20120213535 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes a first forming unit that forms a color image on a first image-carrier using a color toner, a first transfer unit that transfers the color image formed on the first image-carrier to a transfer medium at a first transfer bias, a second forming unit that, using an invisible toner absorbing infrared light or ultraviolet light, forms on a second image-carrier a code image representing information by an arrangement of dots, and a second transfer unit that transfers the code image formed on the second image-carrier to the transfer medium at a second transfer bias higher than the first transfer bias. | 08-23-2012 |
20120224870 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A novel image forming apparatus including a setting memory storing multiple voltage settings; two or more voltage applying members each contacting a voltage applied member at respective contact positions close to each other, which are simultaneously being applied with respective voltages selected from the voltage settings; two or more current detectors each detecting a current flowing in the respective contact positions; and a setting changer performing a setting changing processing in which the voltage applied to one of the voltage applying members is changed based on the current detected by the corresponding current detector while a predetermined voltage is applied to the other voltage applying members, so that an optimum current flows in the corresponding contact position. | 09-06-2012 |
20120230710 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a member (drum), a charging device, an exposure device, a developing device, a transfer device, a cleaning blade, a selecting device for selecting an execution mode from an image forming mode and a recovery mode, and a controller for controlling a peak-to-peak voltage applied to the charging device in the operation in the recovery mode. When the recovery mode is selected, the controller effects control so that a band-like toner image is formed on the drum and is supplied to the cleaning blade and so that a peak-to-peak voltage of the AC voltage larger than that of the AC voltage applied to the charging device in the operation in the image forming mode is applied to the charging device in a predetermined period after a leading end of the band-like toner image subjected to removal by the cleaning blade passes through the charging device. | 09-13-2012 |
20120230711 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier; a latent-image forming unit configured to form a latent image on the image carrier; a developing unit configured to develop the latent image on the image carrier with a developer applied onto a developer carrier; a temperature detector configured to detect an internal temperature or an ambient temperature of the developing unit, the internal temperature and ambient temperature varying depending on a temperature of the developer carrier; and a control unit configured to control restriction on number of pages on which image formation is allowed to be performed continuously and cancellation of the restriction, based on the temperature detected by the temperature detector. | 09-13-2012 |
20120251139 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus including: a photosensitive member; a charging member; a developer carrier; a transfer member; a charging control unit that applies a charging bias having the same polarity as a charged polarity of the developers to the charging member; and a transfer control unit that applies a transfer bias having a reverse polarity to the charged polarity of the developers to the transfer member, wherein when the transfer control unit sets the absolute value of the transfer bias to a first value, the charging control unit sets an absolute value of the charging bias to a third value, and wherein when the transfer control unit sets the absolute value of the transfer bias to a second value, the charging control unit sets the absolute value of the charging bias to a fourth value smaller than the third value. | 10-04-2012 |
20120251140 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND PROCESS CARTRIDGE - A developer stirring unit is rotated and driven without driving an electrophotographic photosensitive drum according to output information of a temperature detection unit of an image forming apparatus during a non-image formation period, thereby cooling a developer near a developing roller. | 10-04-2012 |
20120275805 | Powder Spray System For Printing - A powder spray system for printing | 11-01-2012 |
20120315053 | LUBRICANT SUPPLY DEVICE, PROCESS CARTRIDGE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A lubricant supply device including a solid lubricant, a lubricant supply roller, a detector, and a varying device is provided. The lubricant supply roller is adapted to supply the lubricant to a toner image bearing member and is rotatable in a predetermined direction while slidably contacting both the solid lubricant and the toner image bearing member. The detector is adapted to detect an absolute humidity around the lubricant supply device. The varying device is adapted to vary an amount of the lubricant to be supplied to the toner image bearing member based on the absolute humidity detected by the detector. | 12-13-2012 |
20130011151 | TRANSFER DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A transfer device includes a transfer device, a facing member, and a prepressing member. The transfer member transfers a toner image, which is carried on an intermediate transfer member, to a recording medium. The facing member is disposed so as to be in pressed contact with the transfer member with the intermediate transfer member therebetween. The prepressing member is disposed so as to be in pressed contact with the transfer member with the intermediate transfer member therebetween at a position that is upstream of a contact section in which the facing member is in pressed contact with the transfer member and that is immediately behind a position at which the toner image starts to come into contact with the recording medium. A pressure applied by the prepressing member is lower than a pressure with which the facing member is in pressed contact with the transfer member. | 01-10-2013 |
20130016986 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF DRIVING THE SAMEAANM KIM; Yun-suAACI Yongin-siAACO KRAAGP KIM; Yun-su Yongin-si KRAANM SHIN; Dae-limAACI Suwon-siAACO KRAAGP SHIN; Dae-lim Suwon-si KRAANM CHOI; Hong-chulAACI Suwon-siAACO KRAAGP CHOI; Hong-chul Suwon-si KR - An image forming apparatus and a method of driving the same are provided in which, if a driving environment is determined to be a low temperature environment, a driving load of an image forming unit is decreased by repeating driving and stopping a driving motor under a high load driving condition to generate a torque higher than a torque generated under a normal warm-up driving condition; and a warm-up operation is performed by driving the driving motor under the normal warm-up driving condition. | 01-17-2013 |
20130058668 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: a transfer portion that transfers a toner image from a first image forming element to a second image forming element when transfer voltage is applied; and a control portion, at time of cleaning the plurality of image forming elements, after integrally forming a cleaning toner image to be supplied to the first image forming element and the second image forming element on the surface of the photoreceptor along a revolving direction, that controls the application of the transfer voltage to the transfer portion to transfer the toner image in a manner such that the toner image is divided into at least four sections along the revolving direction, out of which at least two sections that are not adjacent to each other are transferred from the first image forming element to the second image forming element. | 03-07-2013 |
20130064559 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a transfer device to transfer a toner image formed on an image bearing member onto a recording medium, a sheet separation device to separate the recording medium from the image bearing member, a sheet separation bias application device to apply to the sheet separation device a sheet separation bias in which an alternating current (AC) component is superimposed on a direct current (DC) component, and a transfer bias application device to selectively apply to the transfer device one of a DC transfer bias having a DC component and a superimposed transfer bias in which an AC component is superimposed on a DC component. Upon application of the superimposed transfer bias to the transfer device, the sheet separation bias applied to the sheet separation device is changed from the sheet separation bias applied upon application of the DC transfer bias to the transfer device. | 03-14-2013 |
20130064560 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS HAVING STABLE IMAGE DENSITY - An image forming apparatus capable of performing both of stabilization of image density on a short-term basis and that on a long-term basis in a compatible manner. A CPU predicts an amount of electrostatic charge of toner particles in a developer container, sets a potential forming condition for image creation, and forms a toner image to be fixed on a recording medium, on a photosensitive drum according to the set potential forming condition. The CPU forms a pattern image for controlling a toner replenishment amount, on the photosensitive drum, under a potential forming condition which is set independently of the potential forming condition for image creation, and controls the amount of toner to be supplied to the developer container such that density of the pattern image, detected by an optical sensor, becomes equal to a target density. | 03-14-2013 |
20130121712 | IMAGE HEATING APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND IMAGE HEATING SYSTEM - When a heater is turned off before passing of a rear end of a sheet through a fixing device, a poor image such as a poor fixing occurs and it is difficult to reduce power consumption. A stop timing of the heater is controlled according to a temperature state of the fixing device, an installation environment of the apparatus, a kind of the sheet, or the like. | 05-16-2013 |
20130129368 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes temperature sensors that measure temperatures at different locations in the longitudinal direction of a photosensitive drum. The image forming apparatus also includes an image processing circuit configured to change an exposure condition in the longitudinal direction of the photosensitive drum based on measured values obtained by the temperature sensors. A related image forming method includes calculating a temperature at a third location between the first and second location based on the measured temperatures at the first location and the second location, and controlling an exposure condition for exposure at the third location in accordance with image information, including changing the exposure condition for the exposure at the third location based on the calculated temperature at the third location. | 05-23-2013 |
20130136468 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member to bear a toner image on a surface thereof, a transfer device to transfer the toner image onto a recording medium, and a transfer bias power source to apply to the transfer device a superimposed transfer bias in which an alternating current (AC) component is superimposed on a direct current (DC) component in a superimposed transfer mode to transfer the toner image. The superimposed transfer bias has a waveform in which a first polarity in a direction of transferring the toner image onto the recording medium and a second polarity opposite the first polarity switch alternately. The superimposed transfer bias is output such that a standard value of each of the DC component and the AC component is multiplied by a respective correction ratio, and the correction ratio of the DC component is different from that of the AC component. | 05-30-2013 |
20130136469 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes photoconductor drums, a plurality of development apparatuses, temperature-humidity sensors that detects at least temperatures or humidity of the development apparatuses, image density adjusting units that adjusts an image density of the toner image, and a control unit that adjusts the image density of the toner image by the image density adjusting units based on detection results of the temperature-humidity sensors. The control unit controls the adjusting unit based on information about color differences of detection values of the temperature-humidity sensors so that the adjusting unit adjusts an image density of the toner image or not. | 05-30-2013 |
20130156449 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a image forming unit; an image bearing member having a surface to bear a toner image and a test pattern; the surface having a first time-surface positioned identical to the test pattern, an integer multiple of revolutions upstream or downstream from the test pattern in a surface movement direction, and a second time-surface positioned different from the test pattern, shorter than one revolution upstream or downstream from the test pattern; a reflection light detector to detect the amount of light reflected from the test pattern and the first and second time-surfaces of the image bearing member; and a controller to control the image forming unit based on the detection result and determine whether to execute a first-surface control to detect at least the first time-surface or a second-surface control to detect only the second time-surface based on use condition of the image forming apparatus. | 06-20-2013 |
20130164005 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a developing device for developing a latent image formed on an image bearing member into a developer image; a transferring device for transferring the developer image from the image bearing member onto a transfer material; a temperature detecting sensor in a main assembly of the image forming apparatus, for detecting a temperature; and a controller for controlling a forced consumption operation in which toner is forcedly consumed by the developing device without transferring the developer image from the image bearing member onto the transfer material. The controller is capable of executing the forced consumption operation when toner consumption is below a predetermined threshold. The predetermined threshold is higher with higher temperature. | 06-27-2013 |
20130202320 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING SAME - A fixing device including a fixing member, an opposing member, a plurality of heat sources, and a voltage detector. The opposing member is disposed opposite the fixing member to contact the fixing member to form a nip portion at which an unfixed image on a recording medium is fixed. The plurality of heat sources heats the fixing member. The voltage detector detects an applied voltage of at least one of the plurality of heat sources. Upon detection of the applied voltage of the heat sources by the voltage detector, a voltage is applied to at least one of the heat sources. | 08-08-2013 |
20130223860 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes first and second image bearing drums; first and second developing devices for forming a toner image on the drums; an intermediary transfer member for carrying images transferred front the drums and secondary transferring the toner image onto a recording material; a heater for heating the recording material; an executing portion for executing a first mode for forming a toner image on the intermediary transfer member from both drums and a second mode for forming a toner image on the intermediary transfer member only from the second drum; a temperature detecting portion; a fan; a controller for controlling the fan based on a detected temperature; a setting portion for setting a temperature at which an air feed amount of the fan is increased in the second mode is lower than a temperature at which the all feed amount is increased in the first mode. | 08-29-2013 |
20130230333 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes a photosensitive drum, a development sleeve, and screws. The image forming apparatus further includes a development device that develops the electrostatic latent image born on the photosensitive drum using the developer and a controller that is able to execute a mode in which the screws are idly rotated before an image forming operation in association with an image formation start. The image forming apparatus further includes temperature and humidity sensors that acquire information regarding humidity of the developer at different positions inside the developing container. The controller determines the execution or non-execution of the mode or a driving condition of the screws at the time of the mode based on data acquired by the temperature and humidity sensors. | 09-05-2013 |
20130243452 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS WITH COLOR SLIPPAGE CORRECTION - Image forming apparatus corrects for color slippage in toner image of a plurality of colors that have been sequentially transferred onto moving transfer target from the plurality of respective image carriers. A temperature of an interior of image-developing device is detected by first detection part, and a temperature of an interior of exposure device is detected by second detection part. First determination part determines whether or not the correction with respect to color slippage during temperature elevation is to be carried out, on the basis of first temperature detected by first detection part and second temperature detected by first detection part earlier than first temperature. Second determination part determines whether or not the correction with respect to color slippage during temperature decrease is to be carried out, on the basis of third temperature detected by second detection part and fourth temperature detected by second detection part earlier than third temperature. | 09-19-2013 |
20130243453 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME - An image forming apparatus has an outline surrounded by a casing. The casing has an opening. The image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit configured to fix an image formed on a recording medium, and a control unit. The fixing unit includes a heating fixing member. The control unit is configured to control an opening degree of the opening based on temperature of a surface of or in the vicinity of the heating fixing member, so as to prevent emission of a substance by an air current to outside of the casing through the opening, during an image forming operation. | 09-19-2013 |
20130251385 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a housing, a detection unit provided in the housing to detect temperature or humidity, an image forming section provided in the housing and including a detected portion to be detected by the detection unit, a first air inlet provided in the housing, a suction unit that sucks air outside of the housing through the first air inlet, a substantially cylindrical duct provided at a position influenced by temperature or humidity of the detected portion and including an entrance from which air flows in and an exit from which air flows out, the duct allowing the air sucked by the suction unit to pass therethrough, and an opening provided in the housing. The detection unit is provided at a position on a path of air flowing into the housing through the opening and on a path of the air that has passed through the duct. | 09-26-2013 |
20130251386 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes image carrier carrying latent image, developer carrier supplying developer on the image carrier, transfer part transferring the developer on the image carrier, cleaning blade removing attachment that attaches to a surface of the image carrier, internal environment detection part detecting an internal environmental temperature in the apparatus, developer disposal control part controlling disposal of developer from the developer carrier to the image carrier, and voltage control part controlling an applied voltage to the transfer part. Wherein, the developer disposal control part determines an absolute value of the applied voltage larger, which is applied to the transfer part during disposing the developer, where the internal environment temperature is high, and the voltage control part controls the applied voltage to the transfer part based on the absolute value of the voltage decided by the developer disposal control part. | 09-26-2013 |
20130251387 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; a developing device, including a developer carrying member for carrying a developer, for developing a latent image formed on the image bearing member; a humidity sensor for detecting a humidity of the developer in contact with the developer in the developing device; and a controller for controlling an image forming condition on the basis of a detection result of the humidity sensor. The controller is capable of executing an operation in a mode, for correcting the image forming condition, on the basis of a history of information on the humidity detected by the humidity sensor when a drive time of the developing device from start of image formation is less than a predetermined time. | 09-26-2013 |
20130272732 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a fixing member configured to fix an image to a medium by heating the medium, a heating member configured to heat the fixing member, a pressure member pressed against the fixing member so as to presses the medium against the fixing member, a first temperature detection unit for detecting a temperature of the fixing member, a second temperature detection unit for detecting a temperature of the pressure member, and a control unit that controls a rotation speed of the fixing member. The control unit controls the rotation speed of the fixing member based on a temperature difference between the temperature detected by the first temperature detection unit and the temperature detected by the second temperature detection unit. | 10-17-2013 |
20130287415 | DEVELOPING DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND METHOD FOR CHANGING DUTY RATIO - A developing device includes a developing roller, a magnetic roller, a capacitor, a transformer, a switching section, a control section, a temperature detecting section, and a storage section. When changing the duty ratio of a control signal in multiple sequential steps, the control section determines the resonance period based on the temperature and temperature characteristic data and changes the duty ratio of the control signal to the next step during a changing time slot which is one of the first and second halves of a period of voltage fluctuation of the capacitor based on the determined resonance period, the one half in which the current flowing through the switching section is smaller than in the other half of the period. | 10-31-2013 |
20130308968 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a transfer bias output device and an information receiving device. The transfer bias output device outputs a transfer bias including a superimposed bias composed of an AC bias superimposed on a DC bias to form a transfer electric field in a transfer nip between an image bearing member bearing a toner image and a nip forming member, to transfer the toner image onto a recording medium in the transfer nip. A controller operatively connected to the information receiving device and the transfer bias output device causes the transfer bias output device to change a target output of a peak-to-peak voltage of the AC bias based on information received by the information receiving device that affects transfer of the toner image and to reduce a target output of the DC bias as the target output value of the peak-to-peak voltage of the AC bias increases. | 11-21-2013 |
20130322899 | HIGH VOLTAGE POWER SUPPLY AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A high voltage power supply includes a developer carrier, an image carrier, a developing control unit, a load detection unit, a variation detection unit, and a voltage correction unit. The developing control unit applies a developing bias voltage to the developer carrier and thereby supplies the developer to the image carrier and develops an electrostatic latent image. The variation detection unit detects the variation in capacitance between the developer carrier and the image carrier detected by the load detection unit. The voltage correction unit corrects the developing bias voltage by decreasing the developing bias voltage as the variation increases, and increasing the developing bias voltage as the variation decreases. | 12-05-2013 |
20130330094 | BIAS POWER SUPPLY DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A bias power supply device includes: a temperature detecting unit; a control signal generation unit generating and outputting an output frequency setting signal for setting a frequency of an alternating current power in accordance with a repetition frequency and a resonance frequency signal being set at a lower or higher repetition frequency according to the measured temperature; a waveform signal generation circuit generating a waveform signal for pulse-width modulation having a time constant for rising set by capacity and resistance based on the resonance frequency signal; a modulation circuit generating a pulse-width-modulated modulation signal based on the waveform signal and the output frequency setting signal; a switching circuit driven by the modulation signal; and a transformer having a first winding and a second winding, and supplying an alternating current power with a repetition frequency of the output frequency setting signal to an external load connected to the second winding. | 12-12-2013 |
20140029964 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image forming units, an endless transfer belt, and a plurality of transfer rollers. Each image forming unit includes a photosensitive drum, a charging unit, a developing unit, and a static remover. The static remover emits charge-removing light to the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum included in the image forming unit before a transfer to the circumferential surface is performed. The amount of pre-transfer charge-removing light emitted to the circumferential surface of a photosensitive drum by one static remover included in the plurality of image forming units is set to a value less than the amount of pre-transfer charge-removing light emitted to the circumferential surface of another photosensitive drum by another static remover located upstream of the one static remover in the movement direction of an intermediate transfer belt. | 01-30-2014 |
20140044445 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member on which a developer image is formed, a developer bearing member configured to develop a surface of the image bearing member, and a cleaning member configured to clean a residual developer remaining on the surface of the image bearing member, wherein, when an image forming operation is interrupted, the image forming apparatus is capable of performing a recovery operation before resuming the image forming operation, and wherein the image forming apparatus is capable of, during the recovery operation, a potential difference between a potential applied to the developer bearing member and a surface potential of a non-image area within the surface of the image bearing member greater than that during the image forming operation according to a predetermined value such that the developer on the image bearing member is moved to the developer bearing member. | 02-13-2014 |
20140056604 | Image Forming Apparatus - An image forming apparatus includes an image carrying member, a developer carrying member configured to carry developer to be supplied to the image carrying member, a transfer member configured to transfer a developer image formed on the image carrying member to a sheet passing between the image carrying member and the transfer member, a detector configured to detect a temperature, and a control device. The control device is configured to change, in response to a sheet interval, a developing bias to the applied to the developer carrying member from a first developing bias to a second developing bias at a changing rate based on a temperature detected by the detector, the changing rate being an amount of change in the developing bias per unit time based on the temperature. | 02-27-2014 |
20140064756 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD - An image forming apparatus capable of executing continuous image forming operation forming images on more than one page includes a temperature detector that detects internal or surrounding temperature of a developing device correspondingly changing to temperature of a developer bearer. A temperature information acquiring device acquires information of ambient temperature outside of the image forming apparatus. A controller switches a current operation mode to an intermittent image forming operation mode intermittently including a braking time period not to allow image formation and cancels the intermittent image forming operation mode in accordance with detection result of the temperature detector. The intermittent image forming operation mode allowed to continuously form images only on a prescribed limited number of sheets. The controller varies the braking time period in accordance with the ambient temperature detected by the temperature information acquiring device. | 03-06-2014 |
20140079418 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a power source to output a voltage having an alternating waveform to transfer a toner image from an image bearing member to a recording medium. A time-averaged value (Vave) of the voltage has a polarity in a transfer direction, in which the toner image is transferred from the image bearing member to the recording medium, and an absolute value of the time-averaged value is greater than a midpoint value (Voff) of the voltage intermediate between a maximum value and a minimum value of the voltage. As a roughness of the recording medium increases, a duty ratio (Duty) expressed by A/(A+B) is reduced, where A is an area of the waveform of the voltage in a return direction opposite the transfer direction relative to the midpoint value in one cycle and B is an area in the transfer direction relative to the midpoint value. | 03-20-2014 |
20140086603 | Image Forming Apparatus - An image forming apparatus includes: an endless belt having an outer circumferential surface for conveying a recording sheet; a photosensitive member provided to face the outer circumferential surface of the endless belt; a cleaning member provided to face the outer circumferential surface of the endless belt and configured to clean the outer circumferential surface of the endless belt; and a control device configured to control a cleaning bias to be applied to the cleaning member such that while a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the endless belt, which has contacted the recording sheet since being cleaned by the cleaning member, faces the cleaning member, a second bias, which is larger than a first bias having been applied to the cleaning member before the corresponding portion faces the cleaning member, is applied to the cleaning member. | 03-27-2014 |
20140093259 | Image Forming Apparatus - An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a transfer member and a cleaning member. The image forming apparatus: determines whether the electric resistance of a recording medium is low or high; applies a first transfer bias to the transfer member if the electric resistance is low; applies a second transfer bias to the transfer member if the electric resistance is high; applies a first cleaning bias to the cleaning member if the electric resistance is low; and applies a second cleaning bias to the cleaning member so that a potential difference between a portion of a surface of the image carrier against which the cleaning member is rubbed and the cleaning member becomes smaller than that in a case of applying the first cleaning bias if the electric resistance is high. | 04-03-2014 |
20140112674 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a photoconductor; an intermediate transfer belt to which a toner image formed on the photoconductor is transferred, the intermediate transfer belt holding the toner image transferred thereto; a first transfer roller that nips the intermediate transfer belt between the first transfer roller and the photoconductor to transfer the toner image formed on the photoconductor to the intermediate transfer belt; a second transfer roller that transfers the toner image held by the intermediate transfer belt to a recording medium; a detection unit that detects an environmental condition; and a separation position changing unit that changes a first separation position in accordance with the environmental condition, the first separation position being a position at which the intermediate transfer belt becomes separated from the first transfer roller. | 04-24-2014 |
20140119754 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus including an image bearing member; a developing device for developing with toner an electrostatic latent image formed on the image bearing member; a humidity sensor for providing information on ambient humidity of said image forming apparatus; and a controller for controlling a parameter on a density of an image to be formed on a recording material on the basis of pieces of the information provided by the humidity sensor at different times. The controller is capable of controlling the parameter so that, when a first image forming job is ended at an ending time and then a second image forming job is executed after a lapse of a predetermined time from the ending time and in a period in which a detection result of the humidity sensor changes and then is constant, a difference between a first set value which is the parameter set during formation of a final image in a first image forming job and a second set value which is the parameter set during image formation on a first sheet in the second image forming job after the lapse of the predetermined time from the ending time, increases with an increase of proportion of a time in which the developing device is driven during the lapse of the predetermined time. | 05-01-2014 |
20140140713 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a charging member, a transferring member, a first voltage applying part, a current measuring part, a fan, a cleaning member and a controlling part. | 05-22-2014 |
20140153940 | TRANSFER DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING TRANSFER DEVICE - A transfer device includes an intermediate transfer belt, a driving roller, an environment sensor, a resistance detecting sensor, and a speed ratio adjusting section. The toner images are transferred from the plurality of image carriers onto a surface of the intermediate transfer belt in a superimposed manner. The driving roller circumferentially and rotationally drives the intermediate transfer belt. The environment sensor detects a temperature or a humidity around the intermediate transfer belt. The resistance detecting section detects a change in a resistance value of the intermediate transfer belt. The speed ratio adjusting section controls a rotation speed of the driving roller according to results of detection by the environment sensor and the resistance detecting section, thereby adjusting a speed ratio Vb/Vd between a circumferential rotating speed Vb of the intermediate transfer belt and a rotation speed Vd of the image carrier. | 06-05-2014 |
20140199088 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for carrying an electrostatic latent image; a developing device, containing a developer including a toner and a carrier, for developing the electrostatic latent image carried on the image bearing member into a toner image with the developer; a supplying device for supplying the toner to the developing device; a first detecting portion for detecting information on a temperature of the developing device; a second detecting portion for detecting information on a temperature of the supplying device; and a correcting portion for correcting, when detection results of the first and second detecting portions are different from each other, an image forming condition with increase of a supply amount of the supplying device. | 07-17-2014 |
20140212158 | Image Forming Apparatus Provided with Cleaning Member Capable of Reliably Cleaning Image Bearing Member - An image forming apparatus includes: including: an image forming unit; and a controller. The image forming unit includes: an image bearing member; a charging member; a transfer member; and a cleaning member. The controller selectively applies first and second transfer biases to the transfer member. A first transfer current flows between the image bearing member and the transfer member upon application of the first transfer bias. A second transfer current flows therebetween upon application of the second transfer bias. The controller selectively applies first and second charging biases to the charging member. The image bearing member has a first surface potential upon application of the first charging bias, and a second surface potential upon application of the second charging bias. The controller applies the first charging bias when applying the first transfer bias, and applies the second charging bias when applying the second transfer bias. | 07-31-2014 |
20140233972 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus capable of continuous image formation on multiple pages includes an image bearer to bear an image, a latent image forming unit to form a latent image on the image bearer, a developing device to develop the latent image with toner, a temperature sensor to detect temperature inside the developing device or adjacent to the developing device, a controller to impose a limit on a quantity of pages in continuous image formation and cancel the limit according to a detection result generated by the temperature sensor, and a report unit to report time data indicating when the limit is imposed. | 08-21-2014 |
20140233973 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE DELETION REDUCING METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes a heating element, an interior temperature/humidity detection section, and a controller. The heating element is conducted during connection of the image forming apparatus to an external power source to heat an image bearing member. The interior temperature/humidity detection section detects temperature and humidity in the interior of the image forming apparatus. The controller performs a refresh operation when a relative humidity calculated on the basis of the temperature and humidity detected by the interior temperature/humidity detection section immediately after the image forming apparatus is connected to the external power source is higher than the preset value. The refresh operation is an operation for supply of developer from a development device to the image bearing member and for polish of the surface of the image bearing member with the use of a polishing member. | 08-21-2014 |
20140294408 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier; an intermediate transfer body that temporarily carries a color component image formed by the image carrier; a first-transfer member; a second-transfer member; a surface-positioning member that is disposed upstream of the second-transfer member in a transport direction of the intermediate transfer body, that is in contact with a back surface of the intermediate transfer body, that is movable forward and backward in a direction that intersects an in-plane direction of the intermediate transfer body, and that forms a transport path surface of the intermediate transfer body extending to a second-transfer region; and a tension adjustment member that adjusts a tension of the intermediate transfer body. | 10-02-2014 |
20140294409 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus has an image carrying body, a first electrically conductive member, a bias application device, and a controller. The first electrically conductive member makes contact with the photosensitive layer of the image carrying body The bias application device applies a bias containing an AC bias to the first electrically conductive member. The controller controls the bias application device. The image forming apparatus can execute, while no image formation is being performed, a temperature raising mode in which, with the first electrically conductive member in contact with the image carrying body outside the image formation region, an AC bias having a peak-to-peak value twice as high as the discharge start voltage between the first electrically conductive member and the image carrying body is applied to the first electrically conductive member to raise the temperature of the surface of the image carrying body. | 10-02-2014 |
20140294410 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a first conductive member, a bias application device, and a control portion, and performs image formation on a surface of the image bearing member while making the image bearing member rotate. The image forming apparatus is capable of executing a heating-up mode in which, at the time of non-image formation, in a state where the image bearing member is made to rotate at a velocity lower than that used at the time of image formation, an alternating current bias having a frequency higher than that used at the time of image formation and a peak-to-peak value twice or more as large as a discharge start voltage between the first conductive member and the image bearing member is applied to the first conductive member to cause a surface of the image bearing member to be heated up. | 10-02-2014 |
20140314430 | Image Forming Apparatus - An image forming apparatus has a photoconductive member and a cleaning member arranged to face the photoconductive member at a cleaning position and configured be applied with a cleaning bias to collect the developing agent residual on the photoconductive member after the developed image is transferred. A controller of the image forming apparatus controls a transferring bias so that a transferring current representing a current flowing between the photoconductive member and a transferring member is controlled to become a target current value. Further, the controller calculates a cleaning position potential representing a surface potential of the photoconductive member at the facing position based on the transferring current and a charge potential representing a surface potential of the photoconductive member immediately after charged by the charging device, and controls the cleaning bias based on the cleaning position potential as calculated. | 10-23-2014 |
20140321868 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A multifunction peripheral includes: an apparatus body including an intake opening through which external air is taken in; an axial flow fan configured to send air through the intake opening to an interior of the apparatus body; and a substrate including a temperature sensor placed on one surface thereof facing a first air flow path formed by activation of the blower and a humidity sensor placed on the other surface thereof facing a second air flow path along which a smaller amount of air flow flows than along the first air flow path. | 10-30-2014 |
20140348522 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a body, a cartridge, detachably mountable to the body, configured to form a toner image, an information recording portion provided in the cartridge and configured to record information, a control portion provided in the body and configured to electrically communicate with the information recording portion, and a connector provided in the body and configured to electrically connect the control portion with the information recording portion. The connector has a temperature detecting portion configured to detect temperature. | 11-27-2014 |
20140348523 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member that bears a developer image, a transfer apparatus that transfers the developer image, a charge apparatus, an exposure apparatus that exposes the surface of the image bearing member with light to form a latent image, and a developing apparatus that collects and supplies the developer to the latent image to form the developer image, in which an image formation area is divided into an image part and a non-image part where the developer image is not formed, the exposure apparatus exposes the non-image part with light at an exposure amount lower than an exposure amount with respect to the image part, and the charging apparatus charges the image bearing member and the exposure apparatus exposes the image part and the non-image part with light in a state in which the developer remains on the image bearing member. | 11-27-2014 |
20140356005 | HIGH VOLTAGE POWER SUPPLY SYSTEM AND IMAGE FORMATION APPARATUS - A high voltage power supply system includes: a high voltage power supply; a current detector; a voltage detector; a conversion section configured to obtain a converted-current value by dividing a detected-current voltage value by a predetermined resistance value; a selector configured to select one of the detected-current voltage value and the detected-voltage voltage value; a resistance variable section configured to change the predetermined resistance value; a temperature detector; a humidity detector; and a control section configured to create a voltage setting signal, a selection signal, and a resistance variable signal on the basis of the detected-voltage voltage value, the detected-temperature value, and the detected-humidity value, and to apply the voltage setting signal to the high voltage power supply, the selection signal to the selector, and the resistance variable signal to the resistance variable section. | 12-04-2014 |
20140363180 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a slidingly-rubbing roller abutting a surface of a photoconductive drum; a temperature detection section; a humidity detection section; and a heating control section. In a case when the humidity detected by the humidity detection section is equal to or higher than first threshold humidity and also when the temperature detected by the temperature detection section is equal to or higher than a threshold temperature, the heating control section heats and dries the surface of the photoconductive drum by a heat generator, while in a case when the humidity is equal to or higher than first threshold humidity and also when the temperature is less than the threshold temperature, the heating control section polishes the surface of the photoconductive drum by the slindingly-rubbing roller with a polishing agent contained in a toner and heats and dries the drum surface by friction heat generated following the polishing. | 12-11-2014 |
20140363181 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier; a transfer belt facing a surface of the image carrier, forming a nip serving as a transfer position with the image carrier, and configured to transfer a toner image formed on the surface of the image carrier to a recording paper sheet with a transfer bias of opposite polarity to the surface of the image carrier; a fixing section configured to heat the sheet having the transferred toner image thereon to fix the toner image; and a static eliminator disposed downstream of the transfer position in a direction of conveyance of the sheet and configured to expose a back surface of the sheet opposite to the surface having the transferred toner image thereon to a DC discharge having the same polarity as the transfer bias and directed toward a position where the sheet separates from the transfer belt. | 12-11-2014 |
20150023676 | IMAGE FORMATION APPARATUS - An image formation apparatus applies electrical charge to an image carrier surface of a photosensitive body during a period between light exposure scanning for successive pages, and performs a first control such that rotation distance of the photosensitive body during the period is shorter than circumferential length thereof. The image formation apparatus includes a coverage calculation unit that calculates coverage of a target page, a prediction unit that, when inter-image distance between images of the target page and a next page, in terms of a sub-scanning direction, is shorter than the circumferential length, predicts whether image noise will occur for the next page based on the coverage, and a sheet interval control unit that, upon the prediction unit predicting affirmatively, suspends the first control and performs a second control on the rotation distance such that the inter-image distance is extended to be at least as long as the circumferential length. | 01-22-2015 |
20150050037 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An information forming apparatus includes an execution unit configured to execute a setting mode which sets a voltage to be applied to the transfer member during an image formation operation and a correction mode which corrects the voltage set by the setting mode and a storage unit configured to store in advance a correction current difference based on the environment that is a difference between a current when a predetermined voltage is applied to the transfer member during the first period and a current when a predetermined voltage is applied to the transfer member during the second period. The execution unit corrects the voltage set by the setting mode in accordance with the correction current difference based on a detection result from the first detection member and a detection result from the second detection member in a case that the correction mode is executed during the first period. | 02-19-2015 |
20150104206 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A controller determines a mode at a current time point, and corrects, on the basis of the determined mode and an elapsed time from a start time of the mode clocked by a timer to a current time point, an in-apparatus temperature detected by an in-apparatus temperature sensor on the basis of correction data so that the corrected temperature is calculated as an outside-air temperature. | 04-16-2015 |
20150110508 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - According to an embodiment, provided is an image forming apparatus including a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, and a control unit. The control unit determines whether an environment of the apparatus is a dew condensation environment, based on a temperature of the apparatus detected by the temperature sensor and humidity in the apparatus detected by the humidity sensor. The control unit turns ON a dew condensation preventing heater when determining that the environment of the apparatus is the dew condensation environment in a case where a main power source of the apparatus is in an OFF state or the apparatus is in a power saving mode. | 04-23-2015 |
20150117882 | Image Forming Apparatus - An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a holding roller which holds thereon developer attached on the image carrier, a transfer member which transfers a developer image on the image carrier to a transfer medium, a collection device which collects the developer on the holding roller via the image carrier, and a control device which executes a collection control of causing the developer held on the holding roller to move to the image carrier such that the collection device collects the developer via the image carrier. The control device applies to the holding roller a first discharge bias having a polarity same as the developer after the collection control starts until a first time elapses and thereafter applies to the holding roller a second discharge bias having a polarity same as the developer and having an absolute value larger than the first discharge bias. | 04-30-2015 |
20150117883 | Image Forming Apparatus - An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier which carries thereon a developer image, a holding roller which holds thereon developer attached on the image carrier, a collection device which collects the developer on the holding roller via at least the image carrier, and a control device which executes a holding control of applying to the holding roller a holding bias having a polarity opposite to the developer such that the holding roller holds developer and a collection control of applying to the holding roller a discharge bias having a polarity same as the developer such that the developer held on the holding roller is moved to the image carrier and the collection device collects the developer via the image carrier. The control device starts the collection control at a timing after a predetermined point of time according to an estimated charge amount of the developer. | 04-30-2015 |
20150117884 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes a latent image bearing member, a charging unit, a charging power source, a latent image writing unit, a development unit, a transfer unit, a toner detector, and a controller. The controller causes a background fog pattern to be formed on a surface of the latent image bearing member. In addition to the background fog pattern, the controller causes a latent image to be developed to form a toner image used for position identification on the surface of the latent image bearing member. The controller identifies a time when the toner image used for position identification has entered a detection range of the toner detector based on a change in outputs of the toner detector to determine a time when each of sections of the background fog pattern enters the detection range based on the identified time. | 04-30-2015 |
20150346684 | IMAGE-FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE-FORMING METHOD - An image-forming apparatus include an image bearer; a cleaning device to clean a surface of the image bearer; an air-blowing device to blow outside air; a temperature/humidity detector to detect temperature and humidity outside of the image-forming apparatus; and a controller to determine absolute humidity from detected temperature and humidity. Based on the absolute humidity, a waiting time from a time when a previous image-forming operation ends until the air-blowing device stops, in a stand-by state of an image-forming operation, and an unused time from a time when the air-blowing device stops until the air-blowing device resumes, the controller determines whether or not a polishing operation of the image bearer by the cleaning device after the air-blowing device is unused is executed in starting the operation of the blowing device. | 12-03-2015 |
20150362866 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a control unit configured to control a cleaning operation of rotating an intermediate transfer member to remove an adjustment toner image, which is formed on an image bearing member and attached to the intermediate transfer member during an adjustment operation, at a cleaning portion where toner is electrostatically removed. The control unit is configured to change the number of times of rotating the intermediate transfer member to convey the adjustment toner image on the intermediate transfer member to the cleaning portion according to at least one of a density and a length in a conveyance direction of the intermediate transfer member regarding the adjustment toner image on the intermediate transfer member before being conveyed to the cleaning portion. | 12-17-2015 |
20160091860 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus, including: an exposure unit configured to expose an image bearing member to light according to image data to form an electrostatic latent image; a developing unit configured to develop the electrostatic latent image into a toner image; a transfer unit configured to transfer the toner image onto a recording medium; a fixing unit configured to fix the toner image to the recording medium by heat; a determination unit configured to determine a state of at least one of a temperature and a humidity in an inside of the image forming apparatus; a blower unit configured to generate an airflow in the inside of the image forming apparatus; and a control unit configured to reduce an airflow volume of the blower unit based on a determination result of the determination unit as a degree of occurrence of dew condensation increases. | 03-31-2016 |
20160097989 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable photosensitive member; a charger for charging the photosensitive member by being supplied with a DC voltage; an image forming station for forming an image on the photosensitive member charged by the charger to form an electrostatic image; a current detector for detecting a DC current flowing to the charger when the charger is supplied with a DC voltage from the voltage source; an executing portion for executing pre-charging operation for charging by the charger the photosensitive member a which is rotating, after production of an image formation signal prior to image forming operation by the image forming station; and a controller for controlling an amount of rotation of the photosensitive member in the pre-charging operation on the basis of a DC current detected by the current detector during the pre-charging operation. | 04-07-2016 |
20160147182 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - The image forming apparatus includes a CPU capable of executing neutralization control in which, prior to image formation, a potential difference between a voltage applied to a transfer roller by a transfer power supply and a voltage applied to a neutralization needle by a neutralization power supply is gradually increased, and a value of the potential difference when the value detected by the neutralization current meter exceeds a threshold is stored, and in which, during image formation, a value of the voltage applied by the neutralization power supply is controlled based on the stored potential difference and the value of an image formation voltage applied by the transfer power supply. | 05-26-2016 |
20160378060 | IMAGE FORMATION SYSTEM - An image forming apparatus includes an image forming apparatus capable of forming an image on a sheet; an opening for communicating between an inside and an outside; an ambient condition detector disposed adjacent to the opening to detect a temperature or humidity of a outside of the apparatus; an adjusting portion for adjusting an image forming condition on the basis of an output of the detector; a fan provided to suck through the opening and discharge the air from the inside of the apparatus; and an executing portion for controlling the fan to drive the fan at a first rotational frequency at least during a predetermined period of a period from start of the apparatus to a stand-by state in which an image forming operation is capable and to drive the fan at a second rotational frequency smaller than the first rotational frequency when the stand-by state is reached. | 12-29-2016 |