Entries |
Document | Title | Date |
20080199196 | Machine Specific Transfer Bias Timing Adjustment - During a calibration procedure, a first duration between a leading edge trigger corresponding to a leading edge of the media sheet passing a known point in a media path and a feedback event indicating a media sheet in the transfer nip by changes in the transfer current caused by the impedance of the media sheet is calculated and stored. A second duration between a trailing edge trigger and a feedback event indicating no media sheet in the transfer nip may be calculated and stored. During a print operation, a controller delays by the first duration after a leading edge trigger and then increases the transfer voltage. The transfer voltage is decreased following a delay of the second duration after a trailing edge trigger. If the leading and trailing edge triggers occur at the same location along the media path, the first duration may be used for both delays, | 08-21-2008 |
20080226321 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND TANDEM IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus has a photoconductive drum or belt supporting a toner image, a transfer member transferring the toner image onto a recording medium, a transportation device transporting the recording medium to between the photoconductor and the transfer member, a charger charging a surface of the transfer member to the anti-polarity of the electric charge of the toner image, a rotation drive unit rotating the transfer member to the same direction of the recording medium transportation, a contacting /removing unit that contacts the transfer member to the image supported member for printing and removes the transfer member from the image supported member when not printing, and a drive force transferring/blocking unit that transfers the drive force from the rotation drive unit to the transfer member before print starting-up and blocking the drive force during printing. | 09-18-2008 |
20080232837 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A level determination circuit | 09-25-2008 |
20080240761 | Preconditioning Media Sheets To Reduce Transfer Voltage - Image transfer quality in an electrophotographic image forming device is improved by preconditioning a media sheet prior to transferring a toner image thereto at an image transfer station. The media sheet is preconditioned by applying a static charge to it. In a color DTM type device, the charge reduces the transfer voltages required at downstream image transfer stations to account for charge accumulated on the media sheet as a result of the image transfer process at upstream image transfer stations. The charge may be applied to the media sheet at a media sheet preconditioning element positioned upstream of an image transfer station. Alternatively, an initial charge may be applied to the media sheet at an image transfer station, without transferring a toner image to the sheet, and returning the sheet via a duplex path to positioned upstream of an image transfer station prior to an image transfer operation. | 10-02-2008 |
20080247772 | XEROGRAPHIC COPYING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING MOTOR - In a xerographic copying apparatus of the invention, a control unit to control a stepping motor to cause rotation of an image supporting body to synchronize with running of a transfer medium performs acceleration and deceleration of a rotation speed of the image supporting body while the image supporting body is rotating in a reverse rotation direction, and accordingly, paper powder or foreign matter accumulated in a cleaning mechanism to clean a developer on the image supporting body can be collected, the occurrence of abnormal noise is prevented, and a definite amount of reverse rotation of the image supporting body can be realized while avoiding damage of the image supporting body due to a speed difference between the image supporting body and the transfer medium. | 10-09-2008 |
20080260401 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus has a photo-conductor drum that bears a toner image, and a transfer roller that is rotated in contact with the photo-conductor drum. The transfer roller transfers the toner image borne on the photo-conductor drum onto a recording medium conveyed between the photo-conductor drum and the transfer roller. The image forming apparatus includes a controller for applying to the transfer roller a transfer bias voltage for transferring the toner image from the photo-conductor drum onto the recording medium. The transfer bias voltage is a convolution of DC component and AC component. | 10-23-2008 |
20080260402 | Power supply device and image forming apparatus - A power supply device is disclosed that outputs a voltage of a wider range with a single piezoelectric transformer. The power supply device includes a piezoelectric transformer | 10-23-2008 |
20080260403 | Method For Adjusting Transfer Current In An Image Transfer Machine - In a printing machine having at least one transfer device driven in response to an electrical signal and operable to transfer a medium onto a sheet, a method controls the magnitude of the electrical signal driving the transfer device. The method includes assigning a magnitude of the electrical signal for driving the transfer device to each of at least two transfer stress levels, evaluating only operating parameters of the printing machine that have a pre-determined priority value relative to a corresponding pre-determined threshold value, selecting one of the at least two transfer stress levels based on the evaluation of the at least one operating parameter, and applying the magnitude of the electrical signal corresponding to the selected stress level to the electrically-driven transfer device. | 10-23-2008 |
20080267648 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus has: an intermediate transfer member to which a primary transfer voltage having a positive polarity is applied and the toner image is primarily transferred in which a reverse voltage having a negative polarity is applied; a primary transfer device which primarily transfers the toner image by applying the primary transfer voltage; a secondary transfer device which secondarily transfers the toner image by applying a secondary transfer voltage; and a resistance adjusting device which controls at least either the primary transfer device or the secondary transfer device in such a manner that while the intermediate transfer member rotates once, a first correction voltage is applied to the area where the primary transfer voltage has been applied and a second correction voltage higher than the first voltage is applied to the area where the reverse voltage has been applied. | 10-30-2008 |
20080267649 | Image Forming Apparatus and Image Forming Method - An image forming apparatus includes: an image supporting member; a charging member charging the image supporting member; an image forming member forming a latent image on the image supporting member; a developer supporting member developing the latent image on the image supporting member; a transfer member to which the developed image is transferred; a charging bias controller applying a charging bias immediately before a position at which the image is formed on the image supporting member in a printing operation passes the charging member; and a transfer bias controller applying a transfer bias immediately before the position at which the image is formed on the image supporting member in the printing operation reaches a nip portion between the image supporting member and the transfer member. | 10-30-2008 |
20080285994 | Image forming apparatus and control device - A low cost image forming apparatus capable of detecting a moving speed or meandering of a revolving endless belt with high accuracy to thereby prevent the color shift includes: a revolving endless belt sequentially superimposing and transferring toner images formed on a plurality of photoconductive drums directly thereon or onto a recording sheet conveyed thereby; an emission part irradiating light to the endless belt; an image receiving part receiving light reflected on the endless belt to obtain successive images of the endless belt; and a control part comparing the successive images obtained by the image receiving part with one another, calculating either of a moving speed and an amount of meandering of the endless belt, and correcting either of the moving speed and the meandering of the endless belt based on a result of the calculation. | 11-20-2008 |
20080285995 | TRANSFER VOLTAGE CONTROL METHOD OF IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A transfer voltage control method of an image forming apparatus includes supplying a first measurement voltage to a first transfer member and a second transfer member, measuring a variation in resistance of the first transfer member by supplying a second measurement voltage to the first transfer member during a first period of time, and measuring a variation in resistance of the second transfer member by supplying the second measurement voltage during a second period of time. Therefore, it is capable of measuring accurately a variation in resistance of a transfer unit, such that an optimum transfer voltage may be set. Accordingly, transfer quality of an image forming apparatus is improved. | 11-20-2008 |
20090003864 | TRANSFER DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING SAME - A transfer device, which transfers an image onto a recording medium directly or indirectly and is included in an image forming apparatus, includes an endless belt member extended between a drive roller rotated and a driven roller and configured to receive the image from the image carrier part onto either a surface thereof or the recording medium carried on the surface thereof while moving according to rotations of the drive roller, and a rotation speed detector configured to detect a rotation speed of the driven roller. An image detector is provided either to the transfer device or to the image forming apparatus to detect the image formed on the endless belt member directly or the recording medium carried on the endless belt member, and disposed facing the driven roller in a circumferential direction of the endless belt member. | 01-01-2009 |
20090003865 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD PERFORMED BY THE IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus, in which an image forming method is performed, includes an image carrier, an optical writing unit, a developing unit developing a toner image including an output image and a forcible toner consumption image, a transfer unit including an endless moving member to transfer the toner image onto the endless moving member directly or a recording medium carried on the endless moving member, a first remover to remove residual toner from the image carrier after transfer, a toner recycling unit to convey the residual toner to the developing unit, a controller to form the forcible toner consumption image and transfer the forcible toner consumption image onto the surface of the endless moving member, and a second remover to remove the forcible toner consumption image from the endless moving member. | 01-01-2009 |
20090010667 | TRANSFER APPARATUS, TRANSFER METHOD, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A transfer apparatus capable of suitably measuring the amount of electric charges transferred from a transfer member to a transfer body and performing a transfer process without degrading the image quality by supplying an amount of electric charges suitable for any type of transfer body onto which an toner image is to be transferred. The transfer apparatus in an image forming apparatus employing an electrophotographic method includes the transfer member electrically charging the transfer body; a charging unit for electrically charging a surface of the transfer member; and voltage sensors for measuring the voltage at each of an upstream area and a downstream area on the transfer member with respect to a transfer nip section of the transfer member. | 01-08-2009 |
20090010668 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a black image forming unit that can be used in a black monochrome mode to form supply toner images corresponding to color patches and cause the supply toner images to be carried by an intermediate transfer belt. During the black monochrome mode, a fur brush comes into contact with the supply toner images, so that discharge products are removed from the fur brush. Thus, when the black monochrome mode ends and a full-color mode is returned, the color patches transferred to a secondary transfer roller can be sufficiently removed by single passage and no backside contamination of a recording material occurs. | 01-08-2009 |
20090028594 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image bearing members; a rotatable intermediary transfer member for carrying toner images transferred from the plurality of image bearing members in contact with the plurality of image bearing members; a transfer member for press-contacting to the intermediary transfer member to form a transfer portion, at which the toner images on the intermediary transfer member are to be transferred onto a recording material; and a control portion for controlling an image forming operation so that, during execution of a continuous image forming mode in which images are formed on a plurality of recording materials conveyed with a preset minimum interval, a recording material passes through the transfer portion and thereafter transfer of a toner image to be formed on a subsequent recording material from an image bearing member, located upstream of the transfer portion and most downstream of the plurality of image bearing members with respect to a rotational direction of the intermediary transfer member, onto the intermediary transfer member is started. | 01-29-2009 |
20090041494 | PRINTING APPARATUS WHICH REDUCES INITIAL PRINTING TIME AND PRINTING CONTROL METHOD - A printing apparatus includes a detection unit which detects a rotation period of a transfer belt, and a printing control unit which performs a printing preparation operation, and detects the rotation period if the printing preparation operation is started, and performs printing in the detected rotation period if the printing preparation operation is completed. Accordingly, a rotation period of the transfer belt is detected while performing the printing preparation operation, so that an initial printing time can be reduced. | 02-12-2009 |
20090041495 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD - The present invention provides an image forming apparatus comprising an image forming unit configured to form an image on an image carrier, a transfer unit configured to transfer the image formed on the image carrier onto a transfer medium, a voltage applying unit configured to apply a voltage to the transfer unit, a current detection unit configured to detect a current that flows through the transfer unit when the voltage applying unit applies the voltage, and a control unit configured to control the voltage applying unit based on a detection result of the current detection unit. | 02-12-2009 |
20090052919 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS HAVING TRANSFER DEVICE - An image forming apparatus which forms a toner image, includes: an image carrier which carries the toner image thereon; a transfer section which interposes a transfer member at a transfer nip between the image carrier and the transfer section thereby to transfer the toner image on the image carrier onto the transfer member; a voltage applying member provided downstream of the transfer nip in a moving direction of the transfer member; a power source section which applies a voltage to the voltage applying member; and a control section which controls the voltage applied by the power source section. The control section controls the power source section to apply a prescribed voltage to the voltage applying member so that the prescribed voltage has the same polarity as that of a toner used in the apparatus and the voltage applying member does not carry out a self-discharge to the transfer member. | 02-26-2009 |
20090052920 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE QUALITY MAINTAINING METHOD - A technique is provided that enables maintaining an appropriate level of image quality even under conditions that the quantity of residual toner increases in an image forming apparatus in which a lubricant is supplied to a cleaning target part from which a residual toner is removed by a cleaning member. In timing when a toner image carried on an image carrier reaches a predetermined transfer position, reaching failure information indicating that a sheet to which the toner image should be transferred does not reach the predetermined transfer position is acquired. In the case where the reaching failure information is acquired, an electric field that is opposite to an electric field generated when transferring the toner image on the image carrier to the sheet is generated between the image carrier and the transfer member. | 02-26-2009 |
20090052921 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, CLEANING METHOD AND CLEANING PROGRAM - There is provided a technique in which a cleaning process of a developer attached on a transfer roller can be effectively realized. There are included an instruction reception unit | 02-26-2009 |
20090052922 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus which is capable of suppressing damages to a plurality of photosensitive drums and an intermediate transfer belt, and reducing loads on drive sources of the photosensitive drums and the intermediate transfer belt, during control for making the respective rotational phases of the photosensitive drums in phase. The intermediate transfer belt is driven for rotation in a state in contact with the photosensitive drums. Sensors detect the rotational speeds of the photosensitive drums and the intermediate transfer belt. Control sections control the rotational speeds and rotational phases of the photosensitive drums based on the results of detections by the sensors. When each control section performs rotational phase control, a limiter thereof limits the speed difference between the associated photosensitive drum and the intermediate transfer belt when the speed difference exceeds a predetermined range. | 02-26-2009 |
20090052923 | Image Forming Apparatus - An image forming apparatus is configured to reduce follow-up delay in impedance fluctuation and to reduce an accuracy fall in power supply control. The image forming apparatus includes a transfer element, a supply element, a detection element, a modification element, and a switch element. The supply element supplies electricity that depends on a set value to the transfer element. The detection element detects the control object value supplied to the transfer element. Depending on a difference between the control object value detected by the detection element and a target value, the modification element operates modification of the set value. The switch element switches between a short interval mode and a long interval mode. In a short interval mode, an execution time interval for modification of the set value is shorter, while, in a long interval mode, the execution time interval for modification of the set value is longer. | 02-26-2009 |
20090060547 | Transfer Belt Charge Buildup Compensation - The present application is directed to methods and devices for compensating for transfer belt charge buildup in an image forming device. In one embodiment, the method includes determining the charge buildup on the transfer belt due to an applied transfer voltage. A first image of a multi-image print job is printed using a first transfer voltage. The transfer voltage may then be adjusted for printing one or more subsequent images of the multi-image print job. | 03-05-2009 |
20090067863 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, CONTROL METHOD THEREFOR, PROGRAM, AND STORAGE MEDIUM - An image forming apparatus equipped with an image forming unit capable of image formation using color toner and transparent toner includes, a determining unit adapted to determine whether each pixel of image data belongs to an image region or a text region; a control unit adapted to control the image forming unit by switching between transfer of a toner image to the image region and transfer of a toner image to the text region; a fixing unit adapted to fix the toner image formed on recording material; and a transport unit adapted to discharge the recording material on which the toner image is fixed or re-feed the recording material to the image forming unit. | 03-12-2009 |
20090067864 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable image bearing member and a toner image former for forming a toner image on the image bearing member, wherein the toner image former is capable of forming a toner image having a predetermined width measured in a direction of a rotational axis of the image bearing member at each of different positions, a transfer member, pressed against the image bearing member, for forming a transfer portion for transferring the toner image onto the transfer material from the image bearing member, a current detector for detecting a current flowing through the transfer member, a calculating portion for calculating a resistance difference in the transfer member with respect to the axial direction, on the basis of outputs of the current detector, for the toner images at the different positions when the toner images pass through the transfer portion, and an output portion for outputting an abnormality on the basis of an output of the calculating portion. | 03-12-2009 |
20090080922 | Apparatus and Method for Image and Print Blanket Enhancement - Apparatus and methods for improving print quality and print blanket life in liquid electrostatic printing, for example, forming a first toner image on an image surface; first transferring the first image to an intermediate transfer member; then transferring of the first image from the intermediate transfer member to a final substrate; affixing the first image on the final substrate; rotating the first image to create a second image; and, repeating the method using the second image. | 03-26-2009 |
20090080923 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - At a time for resetting a transfer voltage after a predetermined time period from the performance of ATVC in both a color mode and a monochrome mode, ATVC is performed only in a currently running mode. A transfer voltage in another mode that the ATVC has not been performed at that time is set based on results of the ATVC performed in both the color and monochrome modes and a result of the ATVC performed in the other mode at that time. | 03-26-2009 |
20090080924 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus is provided in which image forming sections are provided along an intermediate transfer member and in which a test voltage is applied to a transfer member to control a transfer voltage. In the image forming apparatus, the test voltage is applied to a region of the intermediate transfer member in an upstream image forming section. The test voltage is controlled so as to be applied at a time except when that region of the intermediate transfer member passes through a downstream image forming section. Accordingly, when the intermediate transfer member is charged by applying the test voltage to the transfer member in the upstream image forming section, the transfer voltage can be appropriately controlled in the downstream image forming section. | 03-26-2009 |
20090123168 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD CAPABLE OF GENERATING STABLE TRANSFER ELECTRIC FIELD - An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier for carrying a toner image and a transfer device. In the transfer device, a voltage applier applies a predetermined voltage to a transfer electric field generator. A potential measurement device measures a surface potential of the transfer electric field generator when a predetermined time period elapses after the voltage applier applies the predetermined voltage to the transfer electric field generator. A controller determines a transfer bias to be applied by at least one transfer member to the transfer electric field generator based on the measured surface potential of the transfer electric field generator. The at least one transfer member applies the transfer bias to the transfer electric field generator to generate a transfer electric field. The toner image is transferred from the image carrier onto a toner image receiver by the transfer electric field generated by the transfer electric field generator. | 05-14-2009 |
20090136250 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes an image carrier, an intermediate transfer part, a primary transfer part, a secondary transfer part, and a transfer area change part. The image carrier is configured to carry a visible image formed with developer. The primary transfer part is configured to transfer the visible image from the image carrier to a transfer area on the intermediate transfer part. The secondary transfer part is configured to transfer the visible image from the intermediate transfer part to a recording medium. The transfer area change part is configured to change the transfer area. | 05-28-2009 |
20090162087 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMING STRUCTURAL BODY, METHOD OF MOUNTING IMAGE FORMING STRUCTURAL BODY AND METHOD OF PULLING OUT IMAGE FORMING STRUCTURAL BODY - The present invention provides an image forming apparatus comprising: a conveyer that conveys a developer image or a transfer medium to which the developer image is transferred; an image carrier that carries the developer image transferred to the conveyer or the transfer medium which the conveyer conveys; a latent image forming unit that forms the latent image on the image carrier; a developing unit that develops the latent image formed on the image carrier and forms the a developer image; a transfer unit that transfers the developer image formed on the image carrier; and a restricting unit that restricts the movement of the image carrier and the latent image forming unit in at least two directions and a rotational direction of the image carrier. | 06-25-2009 |
20090169230 | Image Forming Apparatus - An image forming apparatus | 07-02-2009 |
20090175643 | APPARATUS FOR REDUCING FLASH FOR THERMAL TRANSFER PRINTERS - The present disclosure is directed to a printing assembly that includes an image transfer station and a blower configured to intermittently provide a cooling stream of air to a product being printed upon. The blower may include a centrifugal fan and may have a single plenum providing air to two nozzles. The nozzles may be positioned such that the air targets the edges of the product to facilitate removal of the intermediate transfer media from the targeted areas and reduce the occurrence of flash. The blower may be configured to provide air when the product is expelled from the transfer assembly or while the intermediate transfer media is peeled from the product, but not to provide air when the product is being received by the transfer assembly. The printing assembly may include sensors and control circuitry for detecting the position of the product and controlling the blower accordingly. | 07-09-2009 |
20090190946 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - In an image forming apparatus, a control portion forms a restoring toner image (restoring toner band) at a position, in which the refreshing toner image overlaps with a control image with respect to a longitudinal direction of a secondary transfer roller, during post-rotation after image formation in an image forming job is completed. The restoring toner band is formed in a length corresponding to 3 full circumferences of the secondary transfer roller for one-sheet image forming job, 2 full circumferences of the secondary transfer roller for 5-sheet image forming job, and one full circumference of the secondary transfer roller for 10-sheet image forming is job. In the case of an image forming job on 50 sheets or more, a lowering in cleaning performance of a secondary transfer member cleaning device for the secondary transfer roller is not caused to occur, so that the restoring toner band is not formed. | 07-30-2009 |
20090196640 | TRANSFER DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS USING THE SAME - A transfer device includes a transfer device controller for controlling the whole transfer device, a storage for storing various kinds of data etc. necessary for control, an intermediate transfer unit including a primary transfer power supply and its driver, a secondary transfer unit including a secondary transfer power supply and its driver, and a PTC unit. In the transfer device, a controller communicates with a main controller that controls the whole image forming apparatus, and acquires, for example, information on the total print count or the like. When PTC radiation is determined to be needed based on the above information, the controller controls to drive the PTC unit. | 08-06-2009 |
20090202265 | Image Forming Apparatus - An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier for carrying developer image, a transfer device configured to transfer the developer image to a recording media, a forward bias applying circuit configured to apply a forward bias voltage to the transfer device, and a reverse bias applying circuit configured to apply a reverse bias voltage to the transfer device. The apparatus includes a detecting circuit configured to detect inflow current flowing from the image carrier into the forward bias applying circuit, and a decision circuit configured to determine a lower limit of the reverse bias voltage based on a detected value of the inflow current when the detected value of the inflow current exceeds a first predetermined value. The reverse bias applying circuit applies the reverse bias voltage of the determined lower limit to the transfer device at least before the forward bias voltage is applied to the transfer device. | 08-13-2009 |
20090214241 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - In the case where a peripheral velocity of photosensitive drums differs from a peripheral velocity of an intermediate transfer belt, the peripheral velocity of the intermediate transfer belt or the peripheral velocity of the photosensitive drums is corrected. The velocity of the intermediate transfer belt is transiently varied in an image forming operation. Accordingly, a plurality of tonner patch patterns including toner patches are formed on the intermediate transfer belt, and the difference in peripheral velocity between the intermediate transfer belt and the photosensitive drums is estimated based on a difference between the displacements in the tonner patch patterns. | 08-27-2009 |
20090220267 | Image Forming Apparatus - An image forming apparatus can include an image carrier, a transfer device, and an applying circuit, and a controller. The image carrier carries a developer image developed by developer. The transfer device transfers the developer image to a recording media. The applying circuit has an active device and applies a transfer bias voltage to the transfer device. The controller controls the applying circuit with a predetermined control signal during a start-up mode of the applying circuit and during a normal mode of the applying circuit. The normal mode is subsequent to the start-up mode. During the start-up mode of the applying circuit, the controller controls a value (a duty ratio) of the control signal (a PWM signal) with gradual increase and with interposing an interval period (τ | 09-03-2009 |
20090238592 | Printing on Conductive Substrate Material - An electrophotographic printing control apparatus serves for transferring an image via an electrically biasable ITM drum to a conductive substrate. The electrically biasable ITM drum is in contact with the conductive substrate over a contact period during which the image is transferred to the conductive substrate. The printing control apparatus includes a bias unit which provides electrical bias to the ITM drum and with short circuit protection, and a bias switching unit controllable to cut bias from the bias unit to the ITM drum during the contact period such that the ITM drum is unbiased when in contact with the conductive substrate. | 09-24-2009 |
20090245834 | Image Forming Apparatus - The image forming apparatus includes a transfer device, an applying circuit, a computation circuit, and a controller. The applying circuit applies transfer bias voltage to the transfer device. The computation circuit derives relational expressions (a linear expression and a quadratic expression) according to control signal value calculating zones (a linear-expression and a quadratic-expression computing zones). Each relational expression shows relationship between the control signal value (PWM_Duty) for the applying circuit and the transfer current It generated by the transfer bias voltage. The control signal value calculating zones are divided by a preset control signal value (computation changing Duty). Then, the computation circuit calculates a target control signal value that corresponds to a target transfer current value using the derived expressions and according to the calculating zone. | 10-01-2009 |
20090252517 | TRANSFER DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS USING THE SAME - As a projection extending member is arranged adjacently to a projection, a sensor S | 10-08-2009 |
20090257764 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus is provided with an image bearing member for transferring an image to a transfer material using a developer, a transfer roller arranged in contact with the circumferential surface of the image bearing member for forming a transfer nip portion, and a displacing drive part for displacing a surface contact position corresponding to a position of the circumferential surface of the image bearing member where the transfer nip portion is formed by the contact of the transfer roller at least to either one of a first position and a second position different from the first position. | 10-15-2009 |
20090257765 | IMAGE FORMING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING DEVICE CONTROL METHOD - A technique capable of preventing deterioration of image quality resulting from a band-shaped toner image created on a photosensitive surface in order to prevent so-called carrier attraction is provided. An image forming method involving an abutting and separation step that allows a first image carrier (YMC) and a second image carrier (K) to abut on an intermediate transfer body to form an image and thereafter that allows only the second image carrier to abut on the intermediate transfer body by separating the first image carrier from the intermediate transfer body; and then a collecting step that collects a toner band on the first image carrier in situ to conduct new image formation. | 10-15-2009 |
20090269095 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - The speed at which transfer-material enters a transfer region is controlled to prevent a phenomenon in which a toner image on an intermediate transfer belt is scraped by the leading edge of the transfer-material when the toner image is transferred onto the transfer-material. While the conveying speed of the transfer-material in a transfer nip coincides with the speed of the intermediate transfer belt, the transfer-material is conveyed at a speed lower than the peripheral speed of the intermediate transfer belt when the leading edge of the transfer-material comes into contact with the intermediate transfer belt, and the conveying speed of the transfer-material is increased by the time when the transfer-material enters the transfer nip. | 10-29-2009 |
20090279912 | TRANSFIX ROLLER LOAD CONTROLLED BY FORCE FEEDBACK - A printing device has an image receptor adapted to have an image formed thereon. The printing device also includes a transfer roller and a motor. A transfer roller load mechanism moves the transfer roller into contact with the image receptor in response to the motor output. A controller manipulates the motor in conjunction with a feedback signal from a load detector and regulates the load of the transfer roller. | 11-12-2009 |
20090285591 | TRANSFIX FOLLER LOAD CONTROLLED BY FORCE FEEDBACK - A printing device has an image receptor adapted to have an image formed thereon. The printing device also includes a transfer roller and a motor. A transfer roller load mechanism moves the transfer roller into contact with the image receptor in response to the motor output. A controller manipulates the motor in conjunction with a feedback signal from a load detector and regulates the load of the transfer roller. | 11-19-2009 |
20090290892 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for bearing a toner image, a transfer member for forming a transfer portion for transferring the toner image onto a recording material in contact with the image bearing member, a vibration imparting portion for imparting vibration at a variable frequency to the recording material having passed through the transfer portion, and a control portion for controlling the frequency by the vibration imparting portion so that the frequency is decreased with an increasing length of the recording material having passed through the transfer portion during a process of passing the recording material through the transfer portion. | 11-26-2009 |
20090317108 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - Bias correction control of an intermediate transfer belt | 12-24-2009 |
20090317109 | Image forming apparatus and image forming method - A driving motor for a color black is shared between a photosensitive body for the color black and a driving roller that drives an intermediate transfer belt not shown. Furthermore, a driving motor for colors yellow, magenta, and cyan is shared between photosensitive bodies for the colors yellow, magenta, and cyan. Driving of the driving motor for the colors yellow, magenta, and cyan is controlled based on a first waveform as a speed fluctuation waveform of the photosensitive body for the color black obtained when the driving motor for the color black is driven at a predetermined speed and second waveforms as speed fluctuation waveforms of the photosensitive bodies for the colors yellow, magenta, and cyan obtained when the driving motor for the colors yellow, magenta, and cyan is driven at a predetermined speed. | 12-24-2009 |
20090317110 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier for carrying a toner image, a drive device for driving the image carrier at a predetermined speed, a control device for giving instruction to the drive device to perform predetermined operation, and a transfer device for nipping a recording sheet with a rotary member at the position opposed to the image carrier and for transferring the toner image on the image carrier onto the recording sheet, wherein the control device gives instruction to the drive device to generate a variation having a phase which is reverse to a phase of a variation given to the predetermined speed of the image carrier by a vibration produced at the time of passage of the recording sheet between the image carrier and the transfer device. | 12-24-2009 |
20090324270 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREFOR - An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, an exposure mechanism, a latent-image forming mechanism, at least one image forming mechanism including a development mechanism to develop the latent image, an intermediate transfer member disposed to contact the image carrier, a primary transfer mechanism to transfer a toner image on the image carrier and superimpose one toner image on another on the intermediate transfer member, a secondary transfer mechanism to transfer the toner image superimposed on the intermediate transfer member onto a transfer material, an asperity detector to detect an asperity profile of a surface of the transfer material to identify a concavity of the transfer material, and a toner adhesion control mechanism to increase an amount of the toner transferred to intermediate transfer member according to the concavities in the surface of the transfer material identified by an asperity detector, after a predetermined time elapses. | 12-31-2009 |
20100008688 | METHOD FOR ALIGNING TRANSFER POSITION OF TRANSFER SYSTEM - Performed is a process of obtaining, when a dummy wafer is transferred between a orienter and a second processing chamber through a transfer path, a coordinate system for correcting a position deviation by calculating a position deviation direction of a transfer position in the orienter corresponding to a direction along which the correction of the position deviation of a transfer position in the second processing chamber can be made; detecting a position deviation of the dummy wafer, after returning it back from the second processing chamber into the orienter through the transfer path, from a position where the dummy wafer was placed before transferring it from the orienter to the second processing chamber through a reference transfer path; correcting the transfer position in the second processing chamber by the transfer path based on the coordinate system for correcting the position deviation so as to reduce the detected position deviation. | 01-14-2010 |
20100008689 | Image forming device, photoconductor drum drive controlling method, and computer-readable recording medium - An image forming device has a full-color image formation mode to form a color image using color photoconductor drums and a monochrome image formation mode to form a monochrome image using a photoconductor drum. In the image forming device, a driving unit drives rotation of an intermediate transfer belt or a transfer transport belt. A control unit changes rotational speeds of the color photoconductors in a transition from the full-color image formation mode to the monochrome image formation mode to make a torque to the driving unit in the full-color image formation mode equal to a torque to the driving unit in the monochrome image formation mode. A separator unit separates the color photoconductors from the intermediate transfer belt or the transfer transport belt after the rotational speeds of the color photoconductors are changed by the control unit. | 01-14-2010 |
20100008690 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMING METHOD, INTERMEDIATE TRANSFER BELT, AND METHOD OF EVALUATING THE SAME - It is an object of the invention to provide an image forming apparatus in which the quality of output images is improved by defining the relation between a measured value of an adhesion of toner and a physical property value of an intermediate belt and related technologies thereof. | 01-14-2010 |
20100021192 | Image forming apparatus - An image forming apparatus including an image formation device that forms an image on a recording medium at an image formation position; a transfer path that reverses and transfers the recording medium to the image formation position; a pair of rotation rollers that nip the recording medium in the transfer path at an upstream position relative to the position where the recording medium is completely reversed; a pull-in path provided at a downstream position relative to the pair of rotation rollers situated in the transfer path, to which the recording medium is pulled in; and a transfer control device that controls pulling in the recording medium to the pull-in path after the rear end of the recording medium passes through the pair of rotation rollers when the recording medium is fed to and transferred in the transfer path, wherein no pair of rollers that impart a transfer force to the recording medium are provided in the pull-in range of the recording medium in the pull-in path. | 01-28-2010 |
20100021193 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes first and second image forming units respectively including first and second photosensitive members and first and second toner image forming devices for forming a toner image on the first and second photosensitive members respectively, and first and second transfer members configured to transfer the toner image formed on the first and second photosensitive members onto the belt member. The second image forming unit is arranged on a downstream side of the first image forming unit and is adjacent to the first image forming unit. An image forming apparatus further includes first and second photodischarging devices for discharging potential of the first and second photosensitive members respectively by irradiating thereon with light, wherein the first photodischarging device is turned off when the current is detected by applying the voltage to the second transfer member. | 01-28-2010 |
20100028033 | Image forming apparatus and method for applying transfer voltage in the image forming apparatus - An image forming apparatus is configured such that a developer image is transferred by a transfer section from an image bearing body onto a recording medium. The image forming apparatus includes a memory, an apparatus usage information obtaining section, and a transfer voltage correcting section. The memory stores correction values for a transfer voltage, the correction values corresponding to changes in an operation status of the image forming apparatus. The apparatus usage information obtaining section obtains information on the operation status. The transfer voltage correcting section corrects the transfer voltage based on the correction values and the information on the operation status. | 02-04-2010 |
20100028034 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREFOR - An image forming apparatus which is capable of correctly and accurately detecting a sheet leading edge position and carrying out image formation in appropriate image write timing, includes a detection device disposed at a reference position upstream from the transfer position and detects the recording medium being conveyed. A determining device determines image write timing for forming the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum based on a difference in position between a leading edge position of the recording medium detected by said detection device and the reference position. The detection device respectively include a plurality of light detecting pixels disposed in a recording medium conveying direction, and the leading edge position of the recording medium detected by the respective light detecting pixels. | 02-04-2010 |
20100054781 | Transfer device and image forming apparatus - A transfer roller lies opposite to a supporting roller across an image carrying belt and abuts against the outer surface of the image carrying belt to form a transfer nip. A driving force transmission unit transmits driving force from a driving source to a driving roller. A drive control unit performs drive control of the driving source. A feedforward control unit performs feedforward control on the driving source via the drive control unit. An entry detecting unit detects entry of a sheet in the transfer nip. The feedforward control unit considers an entry detection signal output by the entry sensor as a trigger for performing feedforward control after a predetermined time. | 03-04-2010 |
20100054782 | INTERMEDIATE TRANSFER MEMBER, AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS EMPLOYING THEREOF - It is an object to provide an intermediate transfer member that maintains a good second transferability and a good cleaning property even when print is repeatedly carried out and continuously obtains a high quality tonner image without the occurrence of a non-printing portion of a character image, and an image forming method and a image forming device that use the intermediate transfer member. The intermediate transfer member is used for an image forming device provided with a means which, after the tonner image carried on a surface of a photosensitive member is first transferred to the intermediate transfer member, the tonner image is second transferred to a transfer member. The intermediate transfer member is characterized in that including an inorganic layer on the most outer surface, wherein the inorganic layer defines a contact angle of 30°-60° with respect to methylene iodide and the hardness of the inorganic layer measured by a nanoindentation method is in the range of 3 GPa-10 GPa. | 03-04-2010 |
20100054783 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A color image forming apparatus includes one image bearing member, an image forming unit configured to successively form images with toners in plural different colors on the image bearing member per color, a revolving intermediate transfer member, and a transfer unit configured to successively transfer the images on the image bearing member onto the intermediate transfer member in a superimposed relation in a transfer section. Images are transferred in a superimposed relation by executing control such that, when formation of the next image is not started at a due timing of starting the formation of the next image, a timing at which transfer is started after the formation of the next image and a timing at which a leading end of the previously transferred image reaches the transfer section are matched with each other by temporarily changing the revolving speed of the intermediate transfer member or stopping it. | 03-04-2010 |
20100061752 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD FOR SAME - An image forming apparatus includes first and second belt members, at least one color image carrier, a separate image carrier, a primary transfer member, a secondary transfer mechanism, a direct transfer member, a first image detector to detect positional deviation of transferred images from reference pattern images, and a controller to transfer the reference pattern images formed on the at least one color image carrier and the separate image carrier onto the first belt member or onto the second belt member, convey the reference pattern images to the first image detector, cause the first image detector to detect the reference pattern images, and adjust one or more image forming conditions of the image forming apparatus to prevent positional deviation of the transferred images from the reference pattern images based on detection results obtained by the first image detector. | 03-11-2010 |
20100067933 | System And Method For Varying Transfer Pressure Applied By A Transfer Roller In A Printer - A printer and method have been developed that vary the force applied by the transfer roller against the imaging member to facilitate the climb of the transfer roller as the media enters the nip and then apply an appropriate force for effective transfer of an image from the imaging member to the media. The printer includes an imaging member, a transfer roller located proximate to the imaging member, a controller being configured to generate signals that control movement of the transfer roller, and a displaceable linkage coupled to the controller to receive signals from the controller that control movement of the transfer roller and coupled to the transfer roller to move the transfer roller into and out of contact with the imaging member, the displaceable linkage applying a first move of the transfer roller into contact with the imaging member to form a transfer nip at a commanded first force, the displaceable linkage applying a second move to the transfer roller at a commanded second force, and the displaceable linkage applying a third move to the transfer roller at a commanded third force. | 03-18-2010 |
20100074641 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND TRANSFER BIAS COMPENSATION METHOD OF THE SAME - An electrode pair provided upstream of a transfer section in a conveyance direction nips a recording medium and applies an AC bias. A characteristic detection section detects a characteristic of a recording medium when the AC bias is applied. A control section refers to a corresponding relation of a storage section based on a characteristic value detected by the characteristic detection section, and compensates a transfer bias value applied to the transfer section. | 03-25-2010 |
20100080596 | ADAPTIVE TRANSFER PERFORMANCE REGULATION BY FEEDBACK AND CONTROL - An adaptive approach is described that maximizes xerographic transfer efficiency, i.e. minimizes post toner image transfer residual mass, in response to changes in operational conditions, variations in material, and/or changes in other factors that may otherwise adversely affect xerographic transfer efficiency. The described approach may be used during a set up phase, or startup phase, of a xerographic system to determine an initial transfer field that provides a desired level of toner image transfer efficiency. The described approach may also be used in real time to dynamically adjust a transfer field to maintain a desired level of transfer efficiency. The described approach allows optimal toner image transfer efficiency to be achieved despite changes in the operational environments, and/or changes in the materials, e.g., paper, toner, etc., being processed. | 04-01-2010 |
20100080597 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a transfer roller that can be separated from an intermediate transfer belt. When an operational mode is switched from a multicolor mode to a mono-color mode, the image forming apparatus changes a rotational speed of the intermediate transfer belt to a level slower than a rotational speed of the intermediate transfer belt to be set in the multicolor mode to transfer a toner image to the intermediate transfer belt, then separates a first transfer member from the intermediate transfer belt, and after the first transfer member is separated from the intermediate transfer belt, the image forming apparatus increases the rotational speed of the intermediate transfer belt to a rotational speed to be set in the mono-color mode to transfer the toner image to the intermediate transfer belt. | 04-01-2010 |
20100080598 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus capable of improving the reliability of intermediate transfer belt shift control and attaining a high quality image. The image forming apparatus includes an intermediate transfer belt onto which a toner image is transferred and formed, a shift position detecting sensor that detects a shift position of the belt, a shift control roller that changes the shift position of the belt, and an angle adjustment cam and an angle adjustment arm that correct an inclination angle of the roller. An amount of correction for the inclination angle is calculated by an ASIC based on the belt shift position detected by the sensor. In a Kf multiplier and a Kr multiplier, coefficient values used for the calculation of the amount of correction for the inclination angle can variably be changed independently for respective directions of control for the roller inclination angle. | 04-01-2010 |
20100092198 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus has a control unit that outputs the state of a belt member on the basis of the result of detection by a toner image detecting unit, of a toner image formed by a developing unit in a charged region of an image bearing member charged by applying a voltage to a transfer unit without charging the image bearing member using a charging unit. | 04-15-2010 |
20100104306 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND DRIVING SPEED CONTROL METHOD THEREOF - An image forming apparatus that includes an intermediate transfer belt (ITB) that has a mark, a sensor that detects the mark, a driving unit that drives the ITB, and a control unit that controls the driving speed of the driving unit, during a certain period of time after completing a printing operation, according to the detection of the mark by the sensor. | 04-29-2010 |
20100111554 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING CORONA CHARGER - An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member; a corona charger, provided with an opening opposing the photosensitive member, for electrically charging the photosensitive member; image forming means for forming an image on the photosensitive member electrically charged by the corona charger; a sheet-like member for covering and uncovering the opening of the corona charger with respect to the photosensitive member; and control means for controlling a rotating operation of the photosensitive member so as to be started at a predetermined time in a period from start of an opening operation of the sheet-like member for starting image formation to end of the opening operation of the sheet-like member. | 05-06-2010 |
20100129103 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus, comprises an image carrying member for carrying a toner image; a drive section for driving the image carrying member at a predetermined speed; a transfer section for forming a transfer region with the image carrying member therebetween in which the transfer section nips a sheet of recording paper with the image carrying member so as to transfer the toner image on the image carrying member to the sheet of recording paper; a memory section for memorizing control data to suppress speed fluctuation which is caused on the image carrying member when the sheet of recording paper passes the transfer region; and a control section to control the drive section based on the control data memorized in the memory section such that the drive section applies torque with a phase reverse to that of the speed fluctuation onto the image carrying member. | 05-27-2010 |
20100129104 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A first mode to form a toner image of single color where a pressure contact release section T changes a primary transfer section | 05-27-2010 |
20100129105 | Image Forming Apparatus - An image forming apparatus including an image carrier; a transfer member, which is provided in a face-to-face relation to the image carrier and to which a transfer bias is applied; a first sensor that measures a resistance value of a section between the image carrier and the transfer member; and transfer bias controlling means. The transfer bias controlling means controls the transfer bias, which is applied to the transfer member based on a first resistance value measured by the first sensor before a recording sheet enters a nip between the image carrier and the transfer member and also based on a second resistance value measured by the first sensor when the recording sheet has entered the nip between the image carrier and the transfer member. | 05-27-2010 |
20100142984 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; a transfer portion that transfers a toner image; a conveying member that conveys a recording material; a conveying member position index sensing member that senses a conveying member position index fixed to the conveying member in the transfer portion; a toner image position index sensing member that senses a toner image position index fixed to the image bearing member in the transfer portion; a drive member that can control a position of the conveying member in a moving direction of the conveying member and a rotating speed of the conveying member; and a control portion that controls the drive member to position the conveying member position index with respect to the toner image position index reaching the transfer portion based on the sensing results of the conveying member position index and the toner image position index. | 06-10-2010 |
20100142985 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS WITH TRANSFER NIP ADJUSTMENT FUNCTION - A secondary transfer facing roller includes a roller part that has a through-hole penetrating in a rotary shaft line direction at a rotation center position, and a penetrating shaft member penetrating the through-hole of the roller part and spinning the roller part on a surface of the penetrating shaft member. Eccentric cams are fixed to both end regions that are not located in the roller part, so as to rotate integrally with the penetrating shaft member. A position regulating cam and an abutting roller form a gap between the intermediate transfer belt and the secondary transfer roller immediately before a transfer sheet enters a transfer nip part. While the gap is formed, current flows between the intermediate transfer belt and the secondary transfer roller via the position regulating cam and the abutting roller. | 06-10-2010 |
20100150593 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, CONTROL METHOD OF IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM - An image forming apparatus includes: an image holder that holds an image; a transfer unit that includes a transfer member being rotationally driven and forming a pressing portion between the transfer member and the image holder, and that presses a recording medium under transportation at the pressing portion so as to transfer the image held by the image holder onto the transported recording medium; and an adjustment unit that adjusts drive torque for the transfer member by changing the drive torque from a first adjustment state to a second adjustment state, either when a leading edge of the recording medium reaches the pressing portion or when a trailing edge of the recording medium leaves the pressing portion. | 06-17-2010 |
20100150594 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - The present invention provides an image forming apparatus including: an intermediate transfer member having an elastic layer, to which a toner image on an image bearing member is transferred at a primary transfer portion; a transfer device configured to transfer the toner image on the intermediate transfer member to a recording material at a secondary transfer portion; a cleaning unit configured to be in contact with the intermediate transfer member and clean the intermediate transfer member; and a detection device configured to detect the position of the recording material stopped in the image forming apparatus due to conveyance failure. In a returning operation including driving control of the intermediate transfer member performed after the stopped recording material has been removed, the driving control of the intermediate transfer member is performed according to the detection result of the detection device. | 06-17-2010 |
20100158551 | IMAGE-FORMING APPARATUS - An image-forming apparatus includes an image-bearing member configured to bear an image, a transfer belt to which the image on the image-bearing member is transferred and configured to transfer the image onto a sheet, a first drive unit configured to drive the image-bearing member to rotate, a second drive unit configured to drive the transfer belt to rotate via a speed reduction member interposed therebetween, a detection unit configured to detect a circumferential speed of the transfer belt, and a control unit configured to control the first drive unit in accordance with the circumferential speed of the transfer belt detected by the detection unit. | 06-24-2010 |
20100158552 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING SAME - A control part provides a first region in which an image is formed on an image carrier using only a dark-color toner. The control part provides a second region, which is adjacent to the first region, in which an image is formed using a dark-color toner and a light-color toner. The control part provides a third region in which an image is formed using only a light-color toner at the boundary of the first and second regions. The control part controls a latent-image forming unit, a light-color developing unit and a dark-color developing unit so as to form an image in which these regions are provided. The control part may provide a third region in which neither a light-color toner nor a dark-color toner is used at the boundary of the first and second regions. | 06-24-2010 |
20100172666 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF - Disclosed herein is an image forming apparatus and a control method thereof. According to the control method of the image forming apparatus, entry and exit of a recording medium can be sensed without a register sensor by sensing current change of a press roller used to apply a constant pressure to the recording medium and a transfer belt so as to allow the recording medium and transfer belt to come into close contact with each other. In the case of a model provided with a register sensor, the presence of malfunction of the register sensor can be recognized. | 07-08-2010 |
20100189456 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF - An image forming apparatus and a control method thereof wherein a power source having the same polarity as that of a transfer power source can be applied to a drive roller at a time at which an upper end of the recording medium is detached from the ITB, such that repulsive force against the recording medium can occur, and the detachment of the recording medium can be more easily carried out. Another power source having the opposite polarity to the transfer power source can be applied to the drive roller at another time at which the adhesive force between the back end of the recording medium and the ITB becomes weaker, such that attractive force drawing the recording medium to the ITB can occur and the recording medium can be brought into contact with the ITB with higher force. | 07-29-2010 |
20100189457 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrying unit; a charging unit; a transfer unit transferring an developed image to a recording medium in accordance with application of a transfer voltage; an application unit generating the transfer voltage and applying the transfer voltage to the transfer unit; a voltage detection unit detecting the transfer voltage; an inflow current detection unit detecting an inflow current flowing from the image carrying unit charged by the charging unit into the application unit; a transfer current detection unit detecting a transfer current flowing when the transfer voltage is applied to the transfer unit; a determination unit determining an initiating voltage which induces the inflow current; a calculation unit calculating load resistance of the application unit based on the transfer voltage, the transfer current, and the initiating voltage; and an adjustment unit that adjusts the transfer current in accordance with the load resistance. | 07-29-2010 |
20100196032 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier that carries a developed image that has been developed on a surface thereof using a developer; a transfer member that transfers the developed image from the image carrier to a belt-shaped member; an electric power supply unit that supplies electric power to the transfer member; a measurement unit that measures a combined resistance value of the image carrier, the belt-shaped member, and the transfer member; and a controller that controls the electric power supply unit. The controller controls the electric power supply unit such that the electric power supplied to the transfer member is changed from a predetermined first supply value to a second supply value, the second supply value being larger than the first supply value, when the combined resistance value measured by the measurement unit is lower than a predetermined combined resistance value. | 08-05-2010 |
20100196033 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An electric charge elimination needle for eliminating an electric charge of an intermediate transfer belt is disposed on the side more downstream than an opposite sheet metal which restricts an electric potential on the belt, in a direction of rotation of the intermediate transfer belt, thereby preventing a toner image on the intermediate transfer belt carried with tension by a plurality of tension rollers, from disorder when the intermediate transfer belt contacts and is detached from the tension roller. | 08-05-2010 |
20100209128 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - Constant current control is performed with a target current It in each delivery interval between recording materials to sample a control voltage V | 08-19-2010 |
20100221029 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - To provide an image forming apparatus capable of increasing the life of a rotating cam while preventing the occurrence of a shock jitter and transfer failure. The image forming apparatus is configured to execute a forced movement process for rotating the rotating cam to forcibly move a secondary transfer roller against a biasing force of a bias coil spring at a pre-entry timing prior to the entry of the front edge of a recording sheet into a secondary transfer position, and a pressure intensifying process for rotating the rotating cam to increase transfer pressure at a timing immediately after the entry of the front edge of the recording sheet into the secondary transfer position. As the forced movement process, the image forming apparatus executes, alternately, a first forced movement process for normally driving and rotating the rotating cam, and a second forced movement process for inversely driving and rotating the rotating cam, at a predetermined timing. | 09-02-2010 |
20100226676 | Image forming apparatus - In an image forming apparatus, a servomotor is used as a shared driving motor. A motor driver includes a gain changing unit that changes proportional gain. When a monochrome mode is selected, a driving control unit sets the proportional gain lower than a value that is set in a color mode. | 09-09-2010 |
20100226677 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus detects a plurality of times by changing velocity of a photosensitive drum, color misregistration generated when a developing roller separates from a photosensitive drum and calculates a relation between the velocity of the photosensitive drum and the color misregistration. A velocity of the photosensitive drum is changed and an arbitrary peripheral velocity difference is set between the photosensitive drum and the intermediate transfer belt based on the calculated result. | 09-09-2010 |
20100232819 | Belt Conveying device and image forming apparatus - A belt conveying device includes an endless belt stretched by a plurality of rollers; a drive unit that is connected to one of the plurality of rollers and drives the roller; a plurality of belt velocity detectors that are arranged at a plurality of locations along a belt width direction perpendicular to a moving direction of the endless belt and detect conveyance velocities of the endless belt; and a belt-inclination calculating unit that calculates an inclination of the endless belt in the moving direction from a difference between conveyance velocities of the endless belt detected by the plurality of belt velocity detectors. | 09-16-2010 |
20100232820 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREFOR - An image forming apparatus include an image carrier, an intermediate transfer member, a primary transfer member, a power supply unit to form a primary-transfer electric-field between the image carrier and the primary transfer member by applying a primary transfer current to the primary transfer member by performing constant-current control and to detect a change in a primary transfer voltage in a sub-scanning direction that is applied to the primary transfer member from the power supply unit in the sub-scanning direction, a conductive member, a secondary transfer member, a secondary-transfer electric-filed forming member to apply a secondary transfer current to the secondary transfer member or the conductive member, and a control device to control the secondary transfer current applied to the secondary transfer member or the conductive member in accordance with the change in the primary transfer voltage in the sub-scanning direction detected by the power supply unit. | 09-16-2010 |
20100239292 | Transfer-fixing device and image forming apparatus incorporating same - In a transfer-fixing device for transferring and fixing a toner image on a transfer-fixing side of a recording medium, a transfer-fixing member carries the toner image. A pressing member presses against the transfer-fixing member to form a nip between the transfer-fixing member and the pressing member through which the recording medium passes. A heat transmission member is provided upstream from the nip in a recording medium conveyance direction to heat the transfer-fixing side of the recording medium while guiding the recording medium to the nip. A heating member is connected to the heat transmission member to heat the heat transmission member. A biasing member biases the recording medium guided by the heat transmission member against the heat transmission member. | 09-23-2010 |
20100239293 | Moving body controlling device, intermediate transferring device, and image forming apparatus having the same - A disclosed moving body controlling device includes a first moving body driven by a first motor that is controlled by a first control unit, a second moving body driven by a second motor that is controlled by a second control unit and affecting movement of the first moving body, a memory unit storing a relationship between the second motor rotational speed and an indicating value for driving the first and second motors when the second control unit changes the second motor rotational speed while the first control unit controls a first motor rotational speed to cause a first rotational body surface speed to be a predetermined speed in a mode of setting a second motor target rotational speed, whereby a reference point at which the surface speed starts to exceed the predetermined speed is detected, and based on the reference point the second motor target rotational speed is set. | 09-23-2010 |
20100239294 | COLOR-IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMING METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT - A print control unit causes a secondary-transfer control unit to move a secondary transfer unit apart from an intermediate transfer member, causes a direct-transfer control unit to cause a black image forming unit to form a black image and transfer the black image onto a transfer sheet being conveyed along a conveying path, and causes a positional-alignment control unit to perform positional alignment. | 09-23-2010 |
20100247129 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming section that forms a plurality of images including an image of a low-gloss toner lower in glossiness than any other color toner and an image of a transparent toner; an intermediate transferer to which the plurality of images formed by the image forming section are transferred; and a control section that controls a position for forming the image of the transparent toner, so as to prevent the image of the transparent toner from being transferred under the image of the low-gloss toner on the intermediate transferer. | 09-30-2010 |
20100260512 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier which moves while carrying an image and a transfer roller including a roller base material which faces the image carrier and rotates. A concave portion is positioned on a peripheral surface of the roller base material. A grip unit on the concave portion grips a recording medium. An elastic layer is disposed on a peripheral surface of the roller base material. The transfer roller grips a recording medium by the grip unit when the concave portion faces the image carrier and passes the recording medium through a nip between the image carrier and the elastic layer when facing each other so that the image carried on the image carrier is transferred on the recording medium. A roller driving unit rotates the roller base material. A control unit controls the roller driving unit to adjust a timing for forming the nip. | 10-14-2010 |
20100278550 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An image forming apparatus including a latent image bearing drum on which a latent image is formed, an exposure unit that exposes the latent image bearing drum, a developer unit that develops the latent image formed on the latent image bearing drum, a transfer medium onto which the image developed by the developer unit is transferred, and a transfer roller that transfers the image from the transfer medium to the transfer material, the transfer roller having a concaved portion extending in the axial direction and a support portion disposed on the outer circumference of the roller that supports the transfer material, where the outer circumference of the transfer roller being an integral multiple or an approximate integral multiple of the circumference of the latent image bearing drum. | 11-04-2010 |
20100284705 | APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING AN IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus is provided with a controller that determines whether a first toner image to be firstly transferred to a transfer body has a portion that is not superimposed by a second toner image to be subsequently transferred to the transfer body so as to be superimposed on the first toner image to generate a determination result, and controls a transfer bias supplied to a transfer device that causes the second toner image to be transferred to the transfer body and an amount of toner to be adhered to form the second toner image, respectively, based on the determination result. | 11-11-2010 |
20100290800 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR THE SAME - To solve a problem of an increase of kinds of toner patches required for an adjustment accompanying an increase of kinds of half tones to be coped with that results from an intention of acquiring more stable image by forming the toner patches between paper sheets. It becomes possible to form more toner patches and therefore to deal with an increase of kinds of toner patches by correcting a density in a space of a line count obtained by summing up a line count corresponding to a space between paper sheets during a continuous printing operation, a rear-end blank line count of the n-th page, and a leading-end blank line count of the (n+1)th page that is enabled by comparing the size of a recording material and the size of pixel data and thereby by identifying a blank portion of the recording material. | 11-18-2010 |
20100322651 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS FOR RETRYING FEED OF TRANSFER MATERIAL - A detection unit is disposed between a feeding unit and a secondary transfer unit on a conveyance path, and detects a transfer material that is conveyed. A control unit, if the detection unit cannot detect the transfer material by a predetermined timing after a feeding operation by a feeding unit, moves the secondary transfer unit away from a intermediate transfer member, causes the intermediate transfer member to continue rotating, and causes the feeding unit to retry feeding the transfer material. | 12-23-2010 |
20100322652 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device for forming a toner image on an image conveying member on the basis of an input image signal; a transfer device for transferring the toner image from the image conveying member onto an image receiving member; a bias applying device for applying a transfer bias to the transfer device when the toner image is transferred from the image conveying member onto the image receiving member; an executing portion for executing a test mode in which a test image is formed on the image conveying member and is then transferred onto the image receiving member; a detecting device for detecting a current passing through the transfer device in the test mode; a control device for controlling an image forming condition of the image forming device on the basis of an output of the detecting device; and a setting device for setting a test bias to be applied from the bias applying device at a value larger than the transfer bias in terms of an absolute value. | 12-23-2010 |
20100322653 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS WITH ERROR CORRECTION FOR LENGTH OF TRANSFER SHEET - An image forming apparatus is configured so that a first detection position and a second detection position are set along the direction of conveying a transfer material between adjacent conveyance rollers. The image forming apparatus has four sensors, two of which are disposed in the first detection position at a predetermined interval, and the remaining two of which are disposed in a second detection position at a predetermined interval. An actual length of the transfer material can be detected with high accuracy by performing (1) cancellation of an error in detection caused by variation in a speed at which the transfer material is conveyed, (2) cancellation of an error in detection caused by a skew, and (3) cancellation of an error in detection caused by oblique passing. | 12-23-2010 |
20100329714 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus including: a photoreceptor; a charging section to charge the photoreceptor; a developing section to develop a latent image; a transfer section to transfer the developed image to a transfer sheet using a contact transfer method; a cleaning section to remove a remaining toner on the photoreceptor; a control section that performs control so that a toner image is formed in an image forming region, the toner image is transferred to the transfer sheet, and a toner image is formed which is not transferred to the transfer sheet in a region between image forming regions on the photoreceptor; and a charge elimination section provided between the transfer section and the cleaning section; wherein the control section controls polarities of electric current applied to the transfer section and the charge elimination section so that the polarities differ between the image forming region and the region between images. | 12-30-2010 |
20100329715 | TRANSFER DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A transfer device comprising: a transfer section which forms a nip portion between the transfer section and an image carrier and transfers a toner image on an image carrier onto a sheet passing through the nip portion; an application section which applies a voltage to the transfer section; a determining section which determines a timing of applying voltage from the application section to the transfer section, wherein the control section controls the application section to apply a voltage having an opposite polarity to a transfer polarity to the transfer section until the timing determined by the determination section in a period since a leading edge of the sheet in a conveyance direction advances into the nip portion until a predetermined non image area of the sheet has passed through the nip portion, and then, at a timing determined, switch to apply a voltage having the transfer polarity. | 12-30-2010 |
20110008065 | Image-Forming Device - An image-forming device includes an image-bearing member, a transfer unit, a bias applying unit, a pair of conveying rollers, a first sensor, a second sensor, a determining unit, and a controller. A developer image is formed with developer on the image-bearing member. The transfer unit transfers the developer image formed on the image bearing member onto a sheet of paper at a transfer position located between the image-bearing member and the transfer unit. The bias applying unit applies a transfer bias to the transfer unit. The pair of conveying rollers conveys the sheet of paper to the transfer position. The first sensor detects an electrical property of the pair of conveying roller. The second sensor detects an electrical property of the transfer unit. The determining unit determines an optimal bias for an ambient condition based on both of the detection results of the first sensor and the second sensor. The controller controls the bias applying unit to apply the optimal bias to the bias applying unit. | 01-13-2011 |
20110013921 | Image Forming Apparatus, Image Forming Method and Image Forming Program - An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit that forms multicolor toner images superposed on a transfer belt. A sensor is disposed in an image formation region and detects a pattern on the transfer belt. A controller determines, when image data is received, whether or not a region of a toner image based on the image data will be superposed on a region of the pattern. The controller controls the image forming unit to form the toner image based on the image data and the pattern simultaneously on the transfer belt when the controller determines that the region of the toner image based on the image data will not be superposed on the region of the pattern. | 01-20-2011 |
20110044710 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; a transfer member for transferring a toner image from the image bearing member onto a transfer material at a transfer portion; a control portion for controlling a voltage to be applied to the transfer member; a current detecting portion for detecting a value of a current passing through the transfer portion: a calculating portion for calculating a relationship between values of the voltage and the current which are obtained by applying voltages of different values at different intervals between adjacent images during execution of a continuous image forming mode in which the images are continuously formed on recording materials; a determining portion for determining the voltage value for a target current from the relationship calculated by the calculating portion; and a switching portion for switching the voltage value to the voltage value determined by the determining portion during the execution of the continuous image forming mode. | 02-24-2011 |
20110069983 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image forming section forming a charged toner image on an image holding body; a transfer accepting body moving circularly on a circulation path; a transfer section which includes a current supplied member arranged opposite to the image holding body with respect to the transfer accepting body and applied with a current with polarity opposite to that of the toner image, and transfers the toner image to the transfer accepting body by applying a current to the current applied member; an unevenness detection section detecting an unevenness portion where unevenness occurs on the transfer accepting body; and a current control section controlling the applied current to the current applied member such that the current is larger while the unevenness portion detected by the unevenness detection section passes through the position than a current applied while another portion except the unevenness portion passes through the position. | 03-24-2011 |
20110076041 | IMAGE FORMING DEVICE - An image forming device includes: image forming sections that form toner images with charged toners of respective colors on respective surfaces of image retainers; a transfer accepting body to whose surface the toner images are transferred electrostatically; transfer members that transfer the toner images to the transfer accepting body; a first charge applying section that switches, according to an instruction, between a first mode of applying the charge to all the transfer members and a second mode of applying the charge to apart of the transfer members; and a second charge applying section that applies, when the charge is applied in the second mode, a charge having the same polarity as that of the charged toners, to the transfer accepting body surface, at an applying point upstream from where the toner images are transferred to the transfer accepting body in a moving direction of the transfer accepting body. | 03-31-2011 |
20110085812 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD - The present invention provides an image forming apparatus comprising an image forming unit configured to form an image on an image carrier, a transfer unit configured to transfer the image formed on the image carrier onto a transfer medium, a voltage applying unit configured to apply a voltage to the transfer unit, a current detection unit configured to detect a current that flows through the transfer unit when the voltage applying unit applies the voltage, and a control unit configured to control the voltage applying unit based on a detection result of the current detection unit. | 04-14-2011 |
20110116821 | IMAGE FORMING METHOD AND IMAGE FORMING DEVICE - An image forming method includes rotating a transfer roller which forms a transfer nip by coming in contact with a transfer belt and has a concaved portion wider than the transfer nip in a rotation direction, such that the concaved portion comes to a position of facing the transfer belt, stopping rotation of the transfer roller at a position where the transfer belt faces the concaved portion of the transfer roller and the transfer belt and the transfer roller are spaced apart from each other, moving the transfer belt while the transfer roller is stopped and transferring an image formed on an image carrier to the transfer belt, and detecting the transferred image by a detection portion. | 05-19-2011 |
20110150514 | METHOD FOR AUTOMATICALLY CORRECTING TRANSFER PRESSURE NON-UNIFORMITY USING THE CROSS PROCESS UNIFORMITY - This invention relates to an electrophotographic marking apparatus and provides an automatic method for automatically scanning and correcting TAB pressure non-uniformity using a cross-process uniformity controller and a closed loop system. The TAB is contacted with an image on a photoreceptor surface to leave its imprint or footprint on the image. Sensing said footprint and marking indicated changes in the TAB performance and pressure. This method uses a CPUC full width array in conjunction with a software version for assessing TAB performance. This method continuously monitors the TAB performance during the running of a marking apparatus. | 06-23-2011 |
20110150515 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; a charging device for electrically charging the image bearing member; an electrostatic latent image forming device for forming an electrostatic latent image on the image bearing member; a developing device for developing the electrostatic latent image into a toner image; a transfer device for transferring the toner image from the image bearing member onto a recording material, the transfer device including a transfer member to which a transfer voltage is to be applied, a transfer voltage source capable of variably setting the transfer voltage, and a current detecting circuit for detecting a current passing between the image bearing member and the transfer member by the transfer voltage applied from the transfer voltage source; and a controller for controlling the transfer voltage source. The controller sets a value of the transfer voltage, to be applied from the transfer voltage source during a non-passing period of the recording material, so that a predetermined current is detected by the current detecting circuit, wherein the predetermined current is preset as a current not causing electric discharge between the image bearing member and the transfer member but causing the toner image to move from the transfer member to the image bearing member. | 06-23-2011 |
20110150516 | COLOR IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A color image forming apparatus includes a plurality of mark sensing devices are arranged between a plurality of photoconductors arranged on an intermediate transfer belt to sense a mark transferred to a region of the intermediate transfer belt corresponding to an interval between successive recording media. As an exposure time to form an electrostatic latent image on a photoconductor, on which a following developer image will be formed, is determined, minimized mis-registration and consequently, improved color registration correction efficiency are accomplished. Also, automatic color registration correction is performed on per printing operation basis, resulting in improvement in image quality. | 06-23-2011 |
20110150517 | Method And System For Maintaining Substantially Uniform Pressure Between Rollers Of A Printer - A method and system for maintaining a substantially uniform pressure between a pair of rollers is disclosed. | 06-23-2011 |
20110158670 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, METHOD FOR FORMING IMAGE, AND COMPUTER-READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member bearing an image; a transfer member having the image transferred thereto from the image bearing member; a correction-image-formation control unit that causes, on the transfer member, a bias correction image to be formed based on an uncorrected bias and a first parameter-correction image to be formed immediately behind the bias correction image based on the uncorrected bias and an uncorrected image-formation parameter; a bias correcting unit obtaining a corrected bias by correcting the uncorrected bias based on the bias correction image; a bias determining unit for determining whether the corrected bias is within a predetermined range defined based on the uncorrected bias; and a parameter correcting unit obtaining, if the corrected bias is within the predetermined range, a corrected image-formation parameter by correcting the uncorrected image-formation parameter based on the first parameter-correction image. | 06-30-2011 |
20110176824 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive, an intermediary transfer belt, a first charging device and a second charging device. Residual toner remaining on the intermediary transfer belt is to be electrically charged by the first and second charging devices and then is to be collected by being move from the intermediary transfer belt to the photosensitive. The first and second charging devices are successively contacted to the intermediary transfer belt from the first charging device disposed on an upstream side with timing when the first and second charging devices oppose the intermediary transfer belt, thus electrically charging the residual toner. Thereafter, the first and second charging devices are successively spaced from the intermediary transfer belt from the first charging device. | 07-21-2011 |
20110182606 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - The image forming apparatus includes a loop amount detection sensor, disposed between a secondary transfer part and a fixing part, for detecting a loop amount of a transfer material by detecting a reflection of light radiated on the transfer material, a density detection sensor for detecting a density of a toner image that is primarily transferred to the intermediate transfer belt with the primary transfer roller, and a loop control part for controlling the loop amount of the transfer material based on the density of the toner image that is detected by the density detection sensor and the loop amount that is detected by the loop amount detection sensor. Accordingly, the image forming apparatus attains higher accuracy in the deflection amount detection by performing the deflection amount detection at least with the dependency of the image formed on the transfer material mitigated. | 07-28-2011 |
20110200348 | Image forming apparatus - In an image forming apparatus, a transfer current output unit outputs a transfer current having a same value as a target value to a nip forming member to transfer a toner image on a latent image carrier to the nip forming member to determine the target value based on an algorithm representing a relationship between an image area ratio of the toner image and the target value and the image area ratio, and in an algorithm for a second transfer step in which the toner image is transferred to be superimposed on the toner image of the nip forming member to which the toner image has been transferred, a smaller target value is related to a same image area ratio compared to the algorithm for a first transfer step in which the toner image is transferred to the nip forming member to which no toner image is transferred. | 08-18-2011 |
20110211855 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - The image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member bearing a toner image; a driving roller and a tension roller movable in such a direction that the interval between the rollers changes; a transfer belt stretched by the rollers to feed a receiving material so that the toner image on the image bearing member is transferred onto the receiving material or to directly receive the toner image from the image bearing member; a detector opposed to the tension roller with the belt therebetween to optically detect a mark on the belt, wherein the detector is movably supported while biased toward the tension roller, and the moving direction of the tension roller is substantially the same as an optical axis of light emitted by the detector; and a regulator to regulate movement of the tension roller and the detector in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the tension roller. | 09-01-2011 |
20110222885 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: a cleaning blade provided on an intermediate transfer member to which a toner image formed on at least one image forming section is primary transferred and on a secondary transfer section which transfers the toner image transferred on the intermediate transfer member onto a transfer material, respectively, which cleans the toner image remained thereon, respectively; a bias power source which is electrically connected to the secondary transfer section; and a controller which causes the image forming section to form a patch toner image onto a non-image area on the image carrier corresponding to an area between adjoining two transfer materials, and causes the bias power source to conduct a power control in synchronization with a positional movement timing of the patch toner image, to supply selectively the patch toner image to the intermediate transfer member and the secondary transfer section. | 09-15-2011 |
20110229176 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus has an image carrier that carries a toner image; a transfer member that is opposed to the image carrier, a transfer voltage being applied to the transfer member so that the toner image is transferred from the image carrier to a print medium passing between the transfer member and the image carrier; a first voltage application device that applies the transfer voltage to the transfer member; a separation member to which a separation voltage is applied so that the print medium is separated from the image carrier; a second voltage application device that applies the separation voltage to the separation member; a sensing device that senses an image density of the toner image; and a control section that controls a magnitude of the separation voltage based upon the image density of the toner image. | 09-22-2011 |
20110229177 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An endless belt circularly moves to convey a recording medium placed thereon in a conveying direction. A plurality of photosensitive bodies is juxtaposed in the conveying direction with confronting the endless belt. A plurality of process units supplies developer to the plurality of photosensitive bodies to form a developer image thereon, respectively. A first collecting member contacts the endless belt to collect the developer on the endless belt. A second collecting member is capable of collecting from the first collecting member the developer collected on the first collecting member. A control unit applies a bias between the first collecting member and the second collecting member to inhibit the developer collected on the first collecting member from being transferred to the second collecting member when the first collecting member rubs the endless belt with the toner collected on the first collecting member. | 09-22-2011 |
20110255892 | Image forming apparatus capable of minimizing reverse toner transfer - In an image forming apparatus, a determiner determines a target amount of transfer current based on first and second algorithms each representing a relation between an image area rate of a latent image bearer in the vicinity of an exit of a transfer nip and a target amount of transfer current to be provided to a nip creating member. The first algorithm is utilized in a second transfer step when the image area rate falls within a typical range from the lower limit (a %) to the upper limit (b %). The first algorithm decreases the target amount as the image area rate increases within that range. | 10-20-2011 |
20110255893 | METHOD AND APPARATUS TO OPTIMIZE THE TRANSFER OF DEVELOPER FLUID IN AN ELECTROPHORETIC PRINTING APPARATUS - In a method or apparatus to optimize transfer of a developer fluid having toner embedded in a carrier fluid in an electrophoretic printing apparatus, charge images of print images are generated on an intermediate image carrier. The print images are inked into toner images by means of a developer station with the developer fluid. The toner images are transfer printed onto a printing substrate in a transfer printing zone by a transfer unit. The toner embedded in the carrier fluid is thus transported from the developer station to the intermediate image carrier in a first transport path segment and from the transfer unit to the printing substrate in a second transport path segment. A temperature acting on the carrier fluid in the first transport path segment is above a melting point of the carrier fluid, and a temperature acting on the carrier fluid in the second transport path segment is below the melting point of the carrier fluid. | 10-20-2011 |
20110262162 | IMAGE FORMING METHOD ADJUSTING APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMATION ADJUSTING METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes a recording medium supply device to supply a recording medium, an image forming part to form an image on the recording medium supplied by the recording medium supply device, a recording medium determination part that is disposed downstream of the recording medium supply device in a recording medium conveyance direction and upstream of the image forming part in the recording medium conveyance direction and includes a light-emitting device and a light-receiving device, and a control part to adjust an image forming method based on an output of the light-receiving device. | 10-27-2011 |
20110262163 | IMAGE TRANSFER POSITION ADJUSTMENT - According to one embodiment, a conveying mechanism including a visualizing agent image carrying mechanism configured to move visualizing agent image, which moves to sheet, to a moving position to sheet, a conveying mechanism configured to move sheet to the moving position where visualizing agent image moves to sheet, a visualizing agent image detector configured to detect the visualizing agent image moved by the visualizing agent image carrying mechanism, a media detector configured to detect passage of sheet to be capable of calculating moving speed of sheet, and a setting unit configured to set, if size of a shift of relative positions of visualizing agent image and sheet exceeds a tolerance, at least one of speed of the visualizing agent image carrying mechanism carries the visualizing agent image and speed of the conveying mechanism moves sheet to an optimum value. | 10-27-2011 |
20110262164 | IMAGE FORMING DEVICE AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A POWER SUPPLY FOR TRANSFER - An image forming device comprising a rotatable image carrier, a transfer member which is a rotatable transfer member for transferring a toner image on the image carrier onto a recording paper sheet and forms a pressing nip by being pressed against the image carrier, a power supply for transfer for applying a voltage for transfer for transferring the toner image on the image carrier onto the recording paper sheet to the transfer member, and a recording paper sheet feed device for feeding the recording paper sheet into the pressing nip, and the method for controlling a power supply for transfer. The power supply for transfer is turned on by a power supply ON instruction signal, turned off by a power supply OFF instruction signal, and has a voltage set by an output voltage setting signal as an output voltage when it is on. The power supply for transfer is turned on and the output voltage of the power supply for transfer is set to 0 V before the transfer member is pressed against the image carrier, and the output voltage of the power supply for transfer is switched from 0 V to a high voltage for transfer after the transfer member is pressed against the image carrier. | 10-27-2011 |
20110293306 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for bearing a toner image; a rotatable intermediary transfer member onto which the toner image is to be primary-transferred from the image bearing member; a contact member movable toward and away from the intermediary transfer member; a voltage applying unit for applying a voltage to the contact member; a current detecting circuit for detecting a current passing through the contact member to which the voltage is applied by the voltage applying unit; and a control portion for effecting control so that the contact member is contacted to or separated from the intermediary transfer member. The control portion is capable of executing an operation in a measuring mode in which a contact time required to bring the contact member into contact to the intermediary transfer member is calculated, based on a change in current detected by the current detecting circuit, when the contact member to which an initial voltage is applied by the voltage applying unit is contacted to the intermediary transfer member by being moved from a separated state so as to be contacted to the intermediary transfer member. The control portion brings, during image formation, the contact member into contact to a non-image region on the intermediary transfer member based on the contact time. | 12-01-2011 |
20110293307 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An image forming apparatus including: an image bearing member for bearing a toner image; a transfer section, which is pressed against, and is separated from, the image bearing member, for transferring a toner image on the image bearing member onto a recording medium when being pressed against the image bearing member, a transfer section drive section for driving the transfer section to rotate; and a control section configured to control the transfer section drive section to carry out constant speed control and constant torque control, to drive said transfer section to rotate at a constant speed, and at a constant torque, respectively, wherein the control section carries out the constant torque control while the transfer section is pressed against the image bearing member, in accordance with a drive torque detected when the constant speed control is carried out while the transfer section is separated from the image bearing member. | 12-01-2011 |
20110299867 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes: a first paper feeding unit; a second paper feeding unit; a fixing unit configured to fix a developer image transferred onto a sheet; a conveying path configured to convey sheets; a receiving unit configured to receive an execution instruction for duplex printing for continuously printing an image on one surface and on the other surface of a sheet; an acquiring unit configured to acquire, in the printing on one surface, information concerning presence or absence of an image on the other surface; and a processor configured to change, in the printing on one surface, if a result of the acquisition concerning the sheet fed from the first paper feeding unit indicates that an image is present, a paper feeding unit from the first paper feeding unit to the second paper feeding unit and performs control for re-executing the duplex printing. | 12-08-2011 |
20110305472 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes plural image forming sections provided along an intermediate transfer member, and a controller configured to sequentially transfer, with primary transfer members of the image forming sections, images of respective colors onto the intermediate transfer member to be superimposed one on top of another to form a color image and continue to apply, until an exposing device of the image forming section at a final stage finishes formation of a latent image, a voltage to the primary transfer member of at least one image forming section among the image forming sections other than the image forming section at the final stage. | 12-15-2011 |
20110318035 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus for forming image on a recording medium includes a photosensitive member, a motor, a belt, and a drive member to rotate the belt, the drive member including a driven coupling. The apparatus also includes a drive coupling to rotate by a driving force generated by the motor, the drive coupling being movable in an axial direction to take an engagement position at which the driving force is transmittable to the driven coupling, and a release position. The apparatus further includes a transfer member to transfer a toner image onto the recording medium or the belt, a voltage application unit to apply a voltage to the transfer member, and a control unit to cause the voltage application unit to apply the voltage to the transfer member after the drive coupling moves to the engagement position and the driving force is transmitted to the driven coupling. | 12-29-2011 |
20120008970 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND CLEANING METHOD - An image forming apparatus comprising: a first image bearing member; a second image bearing member on which a toner having at least a particle diameter or a circularity different from that of the toner supplied to the first image bearing member is supplied, coming into contact with, further upstream than a contact position between the first image bearing member and a recording medium or a transfer member; a first transfer member; a second transfer member; a printing-information acquiring section which acquires single color printing information; a printing determining section which determines, whether the executed printing in the single color exceeds a reference; a toner-image forming section which forms the toner image on the second image bearing member if the printing in the single color exceeds the reference; and a transfer-bias applying section which applies the bias to the first transfer member and the second transfer member, transfer the toner image formed on the second image bearing member, and move the toner from the toner image on the recording medium or the transfer member onto the first image bearing member. | 01-12-2012 |
20120014705 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus that prevents transfer defects such as the occurrence of white spots. includes a photoreceptor drum, a transfer roller, a transfer bias application circuit that applies a transfer bias to the transfer roller a static elimination needle that eliminates static of a recording paper, a static elimination bias application circuit that applies a static elimination bias to the static elimination needle, and a printer controller. The printer controller controls the static elimination bias application circuit so that a potential difference between the static elimination needle and the recording paper during the period from when a front end region of the recording paper passes by the static elimination needle until when a front end of the recording paper comes into contact with a conveyance guide becomes smaller than the potential difference during the period that the front end region of the recording paper passes by the static elimination needle. | 01-19-2012 |
20120045237 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a transfer bias generator including a transfer bias supply that supplies a transfer bias to a transfer nip formed between an image carrier and a first rotary body, and a controller that detects a toner adhesion amount at a predetermined region of the image carrier located immediately upstream from the transfer nip and having a predetermined length in a moving direction of the image carrier. The transfer bias generator outputs at least an alternating current component under one of constant voltage control and constant current control and changes a target output value of the alternating current component according to the toner adhesion amount detected by the controller. | 02-23-2012 |
20120057892 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - The image forming apparatus includes a discharge execution section for forcedly discharging toner from a developing device and forming a toner image on a photosensitive drum, in which a primary transfer roller transfers the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum by the discharge execution section by applying, to a predetermined area part of the toner image, a first transfer bias having a predetermined transfer efficiency with respect to an intermediate transfer belt and applying, to a part excluding the predetermined area part of the toner image, a second transfer bias whose transfer efficiency is at least smaller than the predetermined transfer efficiency of the first transfer bias. | 03-08-2012 |
20120070171 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: a conveying belt; a first photosensitive member; and a second photosensitive member; a first transfer member; a second transfer member; a first pushing member; a second pushing member; and a changing unit, wherein the first photosensitive member is disposed on the upstream side of the second photosensitive member in a conveying direction of the transfer receiving member, and the changing unit changes the pushing force of the second transfer member that is disposed on the downstream side of the first photosensitive member in a conveying direction of the transfer receiving member. | 03-22-2012 |
20120076522 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a controller capable of performing a printing control and a cleaning control. In the printing control, developer images carried on the image carriers are transferred toward the opposing surface or a recording sheet by applying a transfer current between each of the image carriers and the transfer device. In the cleaning control, developer collected by the cleaning rollers is transferred toward the image carriers and the transfer device and collected by the cleaning device by applying a transfer current between each of the image carriers and the transfer device and switching an electric field established between the image carrier and the corresponding cleaning roller. The controller is configured to control the transfer current such that an average absolute value of the transfer current in the cleaning control is smaller than that in the printing control. | 03-29-2012 |
20120082472 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - According to one embodiment, the image forming apparatus includes an image carrier the surface of which is charged at a predetermined potential, an exposure device which forms a latent image by exposing the surface of the image carrier, a developing unit which develops a toner image generated using color erasable toner on the latent image formed on the surface of the image carrier, a transfer unit which transfers the toner image to a recording medium, and a controller which controls an operation for transferring a toner image of the color erasable toner to a printed surface of the recording medium to cover a printed portion of the recording medium to which the color erasable toner has been fixed. | 04-05-2012 |
20120082473 | TRANSFER BELT UNIT FOR IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING A STEERING ROLLER TO CORRECT MEANDERING - In the transfer belt unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, rotation of a rear-side detection roller or a front-side detection roller rotated in contact with ribs of a transfer belt is transmitted to a steering roller via a lead screw to tilt the steering roller and control meandering of the transfer belt. | 04-05-2012 |
20120099880 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - The present invention is directed to realizing a suitable electrical setting of a transferring unit as well as calculating the setting earlier than a conventional method. To achieve this, an image forming apparatus performs forcible light emission at an activation of a laser beam and automatic transferring voltage control (ATVC) concurrently. Then the image forming apparatus further corrects a result obtained by the ATVC during the forcible light emission and performs suitable electrical setting of a transferring unit. | 04-26-2012 |
20120099881 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS THAT INCLUDES A TRANSFER MEMBER THAT CAN BE SEPARATED FROM AN INNER CIRCUMFERENTIAL SURFACE OF A TRANSFER BELT WHEN BELT IS ROTATING - An image forming apparatus includes a transfer roller that can be separated from an intermediate transfer belt. When an operational mode is switched from a multicolor mode to a mono-color mode, the image forming apparatus changes a rotational speed of the intermediate transfer belt to a level slower than a rotational speed of the intermediate transfer belt to be set in the multicolor mode to transfer a toner image to the intermediate transfer belt, then separates a first transfer member from the intermediate transfer belt, and after the first transfer member is separated from the intermediate transfer belt, the image forming apparatus increases the rotational speed of the intermediate transfer belt to a rotational speed to be set in the mono-color mode to transfer the toner image to the intermediate transfer belt. | 04-26-2012 |
20120114351 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an intermediate transfer belt unit and a transfer belt unit each of which has a deviation control mechanism and which are held in contact with each other at a transfer portion, wherein at least a steering roller on which a secondary transfer belt is suspended is situated such that a traction surface thereof does not constitute a transfer surface including a transfer roller. | 05-10-2012 |
20120121283 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image bearing members; an electrostatic image forming portion; a belt member; an electrostatic image transfer member for transferring an electrostatic index image, onto an electrostatic image transfer area located adjacent to an image area of a toner image with respect to a widthwise direction of the belt member, formed on the upstreammost image bearing member with respect to a rotational direction of the belt member; an antenna potential sensor for detecting an induced current of the electrostatic index image; a controller for controlling superposition of the toner images through detection of the electrostatic index image; and a setting portion on the basis of a detection result of the electrostatic index image which is formed during non image formation. | 05-17-2012 |
20120134698 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus including a transfer section for transferring a toner image formed on an image bearing member onto a sheet by pressure contact of the sheet against the image bearing member with a transfer member; a cleaning section having a cleaning blade to remove residual toner on the image bearing member; and a control section for controlling a rotation of the image bearing member so as to carry out a return action of a blade configuration which stops or reverses the rotation of the image bearing member, when the rotation amount reaches a predetermined value, wherein the control section additionally carries out the return action when the rotation amount reaches a value smaller than the predetermined value, in a case where a size of a sheet in a current job is larger than a size a sheet having been passed through in a previous job. | 05-31-2012 |
20120155902 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; a stretched rotatable belt member; a transfer device for forming a transfer portion where a toner image is transferred from the image bearing member onto a recording material carried and conveyed on the belt member; a separation roller capable of separating the recording material from the belt member; a push-up device capable of pushing up a belt surface locally with respect to a widthwise direction of the belt member to separate the recording material from the belt member; and an execution portion for executing, when an abnormality occurs during an image forming operation, an operation in a stop mode in which the belt member is, after the image forming operation is stopped, rotated in a push-up state of the push-up device and then the rotation of the belt member is stopped. | 06-21-2012 |
20120155903 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus is operable in a mode in which a speed of an intermediary transfer belt is changed after all of the toner images are primary-transferred onto the intermediary transfer belt, and the toner image primary-transferred on the intermediary transfer belt is passed through a secondary transfer position and primary transfer position in this order to reach the secondary transfer position, where the toner image is secondary transferred onto the transfer material, and a controller for making, before the image forming apparatus is operated in the mode to change the speed of the intermediary transfer belt, a potential difference between the intermediary transfer belt and the photosensitive member at the primary transfer position smaller than a potential difference between the intermediary transfer belt and the photosensitive member when the toner image is primary transferred from the photosensitive member onto the intermediary transfer belt. | 06-21-2012 |
20120155904 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - In the case where a peripheral velocity of photosensitive drums differs from a peripheral velocity of an intermediate transfer belt, the peripheral velocity of the intermediate transfer belt or the peripheral velocity of the photosensitive drums is corrected. The velocity of the intermediate transfer belt is transiently varied in an image forming operation. Accordingly, a plurality of tonner patch patterns including toner patches are formed on the intermediate transfer belt, and the difference in peripheral velocity between the intermediate transfer belt and the photosensitive drums is estimated based on a difference between the displacements in the tonner patch patterns. | 06-21-2012 |
20120163846 | Image Formation Apparatus, Driving Control Method, And Computer Program Product - An image formation apparatus includes an image carrier; a driving source generating a driving force for the image carrier; a drive transmission unit; a driving control unit controlling the driving source; an image formation unit forming an image on a surface of the image carrier; a transfer nip between a transfer member and the surface of the image carrier; a driving-force exerting unit exerting a driving force on any one of the image carrier and a first drive transmission member on a drive transmission path, and a specific drive transmission member imparting weakest spring characteristics among drive transmission members to a drive transmission system; a detecting unit detecting an estimation parameter used in estimating a driving-load-torque variation amount of the image carrier; a torque-variation-amount estimation unit; and a driving-force control unit controlling the driving force to cancel the driving-load-torque variation. | 06-28-2012 |
20120170951 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus including a latent image bearing member, a charger to evenly charge a surface of the latent image bearing member, an electrostatic latent image forming device to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the latent image bearing member, a developing device to develop the electrostatic latent image into a toner image using toner, a transfer bias application device to apply a transfer bias to an image transfer area where the latent image bearing member faces a recording medium, a pre-transfer neutralizing device to reduce an electric potential at a portion on the surface of the latent image bearing member, a surface electric potential detector to detect an electric potential at the surface of the latent image bearing member, and a radiation amount control device to control an amount of radiation from the pre-transfer neutralizing device. | 07-05-2012 |
20120177391 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING TRANSFER POWER THEREOF - An image forming apparatus including a transfer unit that transfers onto a transfer medium an image that is formed on a photosensitive medium; a power supply unit that provides a transfer power to the transfer unit; and a transfer power control unit that controls the transfer power that is provided to the transfer unit by the power supply unit. The transfer power control unit sets as a target voltage an output voltage of the power supply unit that is measured by supplying an initial transfer current to the transfer unit in a predetermined certain period before an image is transferred onto the transfer medium and controls the power supply unit to apply the set target voltage to the transfer unit while an image is being transferred onto the transfer medium. | 07-12-2012 |
20120177392 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - At a time for resetting a transfer voltage after a predetermined time period from the performance of ATVC in both a color mode and a monochrome mode, ATVC is performed only in a currently running mode. A transfer voltage in another mode that the ATVC has not been performed at that time is set based on results of the ATVC performed in both the color and monochrome modes and a result of the ATVC performed in the other mode at that time. | 07-12-2012 |
20120189335 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a transfer unit, an applying unit, a detector, an acquisition unit, and an adjusting unit. The image carrier carries a toner image obtained by developing an electrostatic latent image using toner. The transfer unit transfers the toner image from the image carrier to a recording medium. The applying unit applies a voltage to the transfer unit. The detector detects a current being made to flow in the transfer unit. The acquisition unit acquires the image density of the toner image to be transferred in the transfer unit. The adjusting unit adjusts a voltage to be applied to the applying unit on the basis of a change in the relationship between the current detected by the detector and the image density acquired by the acquisition unit. | 07-26-2012 |
20120189336 | TRANSFER DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE TRANSFER DEVICE - According to one embodiment, a transfer device includes: a transfer member configured to come into contact with an image bearing member with a predetermined pressing force and transfer a toner image onto a sheet; a supporting member configured to support the transfer member; a regulating member configured to regulate a movement amount of the supporting member; a determining section configured to determine whether a sheet is present between the image bearing member and the transfer member; and a control section configured to control the regulating member to reduce a pressing force applied when the sheet is absent between the image bearing member and the transfer member to be smaller than a pressing force applied when the sheet is present between the image bearing member and the transfer member. | 07-26-2012 |
20120213538 | IMAGE FORMATION APPARATUS - An image formation apparatus includes a toner cartridge, a toner-amount detector configured to detect a toner amount in the toner cartridge, a display unit, and an analyzer. The analyzer is configured to make the display unit display a used condition of the image formation apparatus when the image formation apparatus is in a small-amount mode where the toner amount is smaller than a threshold. | 08-23-2012 |
20120219310 | TRANSFER BELT LATERAL POSITION CONTROL APPARATUS AND METHOD - According to aspects described herein, there is disclosed an apparatus and method for controlling a position of a belt in a printing system. The apparatus including a roller assembly for engaging at least a portion of the belt. The roller assembly extending laterally across the belt. The apparatus including a pair of laterally spaced support arms each rotatably supporting opposed ends of the roller assembly. Each support arm being pivotally coupled to the printing system for movement about a pivot axis extending substantially in the lateral direction. The apparatus also including a pair of actuating assemblies each configured to pivot a different one of the support arms about the pivot axis. The pivotal movement of each of the pair of support arms by the respective actuating assemblies being independent of the other. | 08-30-2012 |
20120224873 | Image Forming Apparatus - In an image forming apparatus transferring a toner image on an intermediate transfer member onto a sheet in a transfer nip between a nip forming member and the transfer member, a resistance or environment detection device detects electrical resistance of the sheet or an environmental parameter correlated with the resistance, an output device outputs a transfer current, a storage device stores, as an algorithm for calculating a transfer current target value according to an image area ratio in the nip, algorithms corresponding to different resistances or environmental parameters, and a control device selects and uses, from the algorithms, an algorithm according to the detection result of the resistance or environment detection device as the algorithm for calculating the target value, and controls an output current value to equalize a current value based on the image area ratio in the nip with the target value based on the algorithm. | 09-06-2012 |
20120230715 | TRANSFER DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - According to an embodiment, a transfer device includes: an image carrier from which an image is transferred onto a transfer medium using electrostatic toner, the image carrier being applied with a direct current voltage superimposed with an alternating current (AC) voltage as a transfer bias. An output voltage of a power source for applying the voltage is controlled so that a current level of a direct current component output from the power source is kept at a specified current level. | 09-13-2012 |
20120230716 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS TO CHANGE IMAGE MAGNIFICATION BY CONTROLLING SHEET CONVEYANCE SPEED - Provided is an image forming apparatus which enables control to change a longitudinal magnification of an image transferred on a sheet in a sheet conveyance direction by changing a rotation speed of a second transfer section while prohibiting misalignment of transfer without requiring a changing time of the longitudinal magnification which causes the decreasing of productivity. | 09-13-2012 |
20120237239 | METHOD FOR ASSESSING TRANSFER PRESSURE UNIFORMITY - Systems and methods are described that facilitate automatically and uniformly depositing a marking material on transfer assist blade (TAB) petals to improve TAB pressure profile accuracy. A TAB liftoff timing value is adjusted in non-volatile memory (NVM) to delay TAB liftoff beyond a trailing edge of a page on which an oversized (in the process direction) image being printed. Toner deposited on a photoreceptor belt beyond the trailing edge of the page is picked up by the TAB petals once the trailing edge of the page has passed the TAB. The TAB is then disengaged and re-engaged against a backside of a next page, where the TAB petals deposit the uniformly acquired toner to generate the TAB pressure profile. | 09-20-2012 |
20120237240 | IMAGE FORMING DEVICE, NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM STORING IMAGE FORMING PROGRAM, IMAGE FORMING METHOD, AND IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM - Disclosed is an image forming device that forms toner images on corresponding photosensitive bodies, and performs primary transfers for transferring the toner images on the corresponding photosensitive bodies onto an intermediate transfer body and performs a secondary transfer for transferring the toner images from the intermediate transfer body onto a recording medium. The image forming device includes a position detection unit that detects a position of the intermediate transfer body; a position control unit that controls movement of the intermediate transfer body; a speed determination unit that determines a speed of the intermediate transfer body; and an image forming control unit. The image forming control unit causes the image forming device to form the toner images, to perform primary transfers or to perform a secondary transfer, when the intermediate transfer body is moving at a constant speed. | 09-20-2012 |
20120243892 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image carrying member to carry a toner image, a nip forming member to form a transfer nip with the image carrying member, and a transfer bias outputting unit to output a transfer bias to transfer the toner image from the image carrying member to a recording medium. The transfer bias is composed of a direct current (DC) component and an alternating current (AC) component, and a least one of the DC component and the AC component is subjected to constant voltage control. When constant current control is conducted at a timing other than when the toner image is being transferred from the image carrying member to the recording medium, a detection bias voltage at the transfer nip is detected, and the voltage of at least one of the DC component and the AC component is controlled based on the detected detection bias voltage. | 09-27-2012 |
20120251148 | VACUUM DRIVE FOR WEB CONTROL AT PHOTORECEPTOR - Systems and a method for image forming systems to skip over the non-printing photoreceptor area in order to not skip a label position on a continuous print web medium. A vacuum assembly is coupled to a controller that controls different vacuum pressures at each vacuum roller therein. The vacuum rollers provide drag and drive forces to skip a seam of the photoreceptor and a residual length based on the number and size of images on the photoreceptor. | 10-04-2012 |
20120251149 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND TRANSFER DEVICE - An image forming apparatus includes a main body portion including an image carrier, an image-carrier driving unit, a latent-image forming unit, a developing-unit attachment section, and a transfer-unit attachment section. The developing-unit attachment section receives a first developing unit having plural developing members or a second developing unit having a single developing member. The transfer-unit attachment section receives a first transfer unit, which includes a first transfer member capable of retaining a recording medium and a first transfer driving unit that rotates the first transfer member, and a second transfer unit, which includes a second transfer member that cannot retain the recording medium. When the first developing unit and the first transfer unit are attached to the developing-unit attachment section and the transfer-unit attachment section, respectively, the first transfer driving unit is mechanically connected to the first developing unit. | 10-04-2012 |
20120251150 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image formation control section sets a secondary transfer section in the pressed state in the case of execution of a main scanning correction processing as color registration correction, and sets the secondary transfer section in the separated state in the case of execution of a sub-scanning correction processing, an entire lateral magnification correction processing, a partial lateral magnification correction processing, or a skew correction processing, which is the correction of the image position for components other than the main scanning direction as color registration correction so as to prevent the situation where the correction accuracy of the image position with respect to the main scanning direction decreases and to prevent a decrease in print quality due to a residual image of a registration correction processing. | 10-04-2012 |
20120251151 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus is configured to control the timing to switch a development unit by a development rotary after forming an image, based on the size of the image to be formed. Accordingly, if the switching of the development unit is completed within a time period corresponding to a trailing edge margin of an image area, a subsequent color image can be formed without idling an intermediate transfer member, so that the image forming apparatus can suppress or reduce degradation of the throughput. | 10-04-2012 |
20120269529 | Zero Leading and Trailing Margin Printing Method and an Electrophotographic Imaging Apparatus for Performing Same - An electrophotographic imaging apparatus includes a feeding tray to feed a media sheet along a feed path in a process direction; a media sensor disposed on the feed path and triggered or changes state when a leading edge and a trailing edge of the media sheet arrives at the media sensor; an image carrying member adjacent to the media sensor and carrying a toner image thereon, and an transfer roll abuttingly coupled with the image carrying member to facilitate the transfer of the toner image from the image carrying member onto the media sheet. The electrophotographic imaging apparatus includes a controller for adjusting the setting of transfer roll voltage values based on the location of an image area on the media sheet. Further disclosed is a method for reproducing an original image on the media sheet using variable timing of transfer voltages. | 10-25-2012 |
20120269530 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS THAT FORMS COLOR IMAGES ON RECORDING SHEET BASED ON IMAGE INFORMATION - An image forming apparatus having below arrangements. A plurality of image forming units form a plurality of images which are transferred onto a transfer belt. A detection unit detects a position of the transfer belt in a belt width direction. A position adjusting unit adjusts the position of the transfer belt in the belt width direction according to a detected position. A calibration unit calibrates an adjustment amount for adjusting color registration based on a detected position of patterns formed onto the transfer belt. A registration adjusting unit adjusts image forming positions of the plurality of image forming units based on the set adjustment amount. During formation of the patterns and during detection of the formed patterns a control unit controls not to adjust the position of the transfer belt in the belt width direction according to the detected position of the transfer belt. | 10-25-2012 |
20120275808 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a control unit having a first function and a second function. The first function controls a downstream transfer current to be less than an upstream transfer current. The second function controls the downstream transfer current to be greater than the upstream transfer current. | 11-01-2012 |
20120288294 | PRINTING APPARATUS, CONTROL METHOD FOR PRINTING APPARATUS, AND STORAGE MEDIUM - A method for controlling a printing apparatus includes printing, via a printing unit, an image on a sheet according to image data to generating one copy of printed product, conveying, among one set of a plurality of index sheets, a number of index sheets designated by a user, to add the designated number of sheets to the one copy of printed product generated by the printing unit, conveying, after conveying sheets corresponding to the one copy of printed product, remaining index sheets among the set of a plurality of index sheets to discharge the remaining index sheets, and conveying the index sheets to be added to the one copy of printed product at a first conveyance speed, and conveying the remaining index sheets at a second conveyance speed that is higher than the first conveyance speed. | 11-15-2012 |
20120301166 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: a drum; a charger; a developing portion; a transfer portion; a first adjuster; a second adjuster; and a controller for controlling the first and second adjuster. A first voltage is applied to the first adjuster during a period from a time when a rear end of a region in which an electrostatic image corresponding to a final image is to be formed passes through the first adjuster until a time when the rear end passes through the charger. The first voltage is lower in absolute value than a voltage applied to the first adjuster. A second voltage is applied to the second adjuster when a front end of a region of the drum opposing the first adjuster to which the first voltage is applied reaches the second adjuster. The second voltage is higher in absolute value than the voltage applied to the second adjuster. | 11-29-2012 |
20120301167 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: a drum; a charger; a developing portion; a transfer portion; a first adjuster; a second adjuster; and a controller for controlling the first and second adjuster. A predetermined voltage is applied to the first adjuster during a period from a time when a rear end of a region in which an electrostatic image corresponding to a final image is to be formed passes through the first adjuster until the time when the rear end passes through the charger. The predetermined voltage is lower in absolute value than a voltage applied to the first adjuster. An AC voltage is applied to the developing portion when a front end of a region of the drum opposing the first adjuster to which the predetermined voltage is applied reaches the developing portion. The AC voltage is higher in peak-to-peak voltage than the voltage applied to the developing portion. | 11-29-2012 |
20120301168 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND CONTROLLING METHOD THEREFOR - An image forming apparatus includes a first station including a first photosensitive drum; a second station including a second photosensitive drum; an intermediate transfer member for receiving the first toner image from the first drum and the second toner image from the second drum sequentially; a first sensor configured to detect a first index image, on the intermediate transfer member; a second sensor for detecting a second index image on the second drum; a controller for controlling a peripheral speed of the second drum; an executing device for executing a test mode in which a first inclined test index image, and a second test inclined index image, wherein the controller controls image forming conditions for the first and second index images in accordance with outputs of the first second sensors in the test mode. | 11-29-2012 |
20120308249 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - The image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member that bears a toner image, an image forming unit, an intermediate transfer unit, a primary transfer member, a cleaning member movable between a contact position and a non-contact position, a voltage application unit, a control unit, a current detection unit, wherein the control unit moves the cleaning member at the non-contact position, determines a transfer voltage based on a current value detected by said current detection unit when a predetermined voltage is applied from said voltage application unit to said primary transfer member before an image formation and in a condition where said cleaning member is at the non-contact position, and applies the transfer voltage to the primary transfer member in the image formation. | 12-06-2012 |
20120308250 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus, includes an image bearer to bear a toner image; a transfer member to transfer the toner image; a transfer bias applicator to apply a transfer bias to the transfer member, the transfer bias applicator including a direct current voltage source to apply a direct current transfer bias constituted by a direct current voltage to the transfer member; and a superimposed voltage source to apply a superimposed transfer bias in which an alternating current voltage is superimposed on a direct current voltage to the transfer member; and a controller to switch between a direct current transfer mode during which the direct current transfer bias is applied to transfer the toner image and a superimposed transfer mode during which the superimposed transfer bias is applied to transfer the toner image while the direct current voltage source and the superimposed voltage source are off. | 12-06-2012 |
20120308251 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus having: a toner image carrier; a transfer member; a transfer voltage applying device which applies a bias voltage to the transfer member; a voltage controller which performs constant voltage control on the transfer voltage applying device; a transfer contribution current detecting device; an antistatic member for removing static electricity from the record medium after transfer of a toner image; and an antistatic voltage applying device which applies an AC voltage to the antistatic member. The transfer contribution current detecting device measures current values during a current detection time, which corresponds to an integral multiple of a period of the AC voltage applied to the antistatic member, and detects a transfer contribution current value from the measured values, and the voltage controller controls the bias voltage applied to the transfer member based on the transfer contribution current value. | 12-06-2012 |
20120315058 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier; a facing member facing the image carrier via a transfer position; a power supply to output a voltage between a first position on the image carrier side and a second position on the facing member side; a resistance detector to detect electrical resistance between the first position and the second position via the transfer position; and a controller to switch between a first transfer mode in which the power supply outputs a direct current voltage, and a second transfer mode in which the power supply outputs a superimposed voltage. When a toner image on the image carrier is transferred onto a recording medium at the transfer position, the controller selects either the first transfer mode or the second transfer mode. When the resistance detector detects the electrical resistance, the controller selects the first transfer mode. | 12-13-2012 |
20120315059 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable intermediary transfer belt; first and second rotatable photosensitive members, arranged along a rotational moving direction of the belt, for carrying toner images; first and second electroconductive transfer rollers; first and second current detectors; an executing portion for executing a detection mode operation in which a first detection voltage is applied to the first roller and a current is detected by the first detector, and a second detection voltage is applied to the second roller and a current is detected by the second detector; and a controller for applying first and second transfer voltages to the first and second rollers in an image forming operation, based on detection results. | 12-13-2012 |
20120321332 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - In an image forming apparatus, a sheet during secondary transfer is allowed to contact with and slide on a sheet stacked on a sheet stack portion, double feeding of the sheet due to electrostatic adhesion is prevented without degrading transfer capability. When the leading edge of the sheet reaches a secondary transfer nip N | 12-20-2012 |
20120328314 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus including an image forming device, a transfer device, a fixing device, an inverting device, and a processor. The transfer device includes an intermediate transfer member, a nip forming member, and an electric potential difference generator to generate an electric potential difference between the intermediate transfer member and the nip forming member. The processor causes the electric potential difference generator to generate a first electric potential difference containing only a DC component when a toner image is transferred onto a first side of a recording sheet, and to generate a second electric potential difference containing a DC component and a superimposed AC component when the toner image is transferred onto a second side of the recording sheet. The second electric potential difference has an averaged absolute value per unit of time smaller than an absolute value of the first electric potential difference. | 12-27-2012 |
20120328315 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM, AND TRANSFER METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes a transfer unit configured to transfer a toner image onto a recording medium; a power supply unit configured to output one of an alternating-current-based voltage including at least an alternating-current voltage and a direct-current voltage to the transfer unit; and a power supply control unit configured to cause the power supply unit to start switching to the alternating-current-based voltage a first time after the power supply unit stops outputting the direct-current voltage in the case that output of the power supply unit is switched to the alternating-current-based voltage, and cause the power supply unit to start switching to the direct-current voltage a second time after the power supply unit stops outputting the alternating-current-based voltage in the case that output of the power supply unit is switched to the direct-current voltage. The second time is longer than the first time. | 12-27-2012 |
20130004190 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a transfer device to transfer a toner image from an image bearing member onto a recording medium, disposed opposite the image bearing member, a transfer bias power source to apply, between the image bearing member and the transfer device, a superimposed transfer bias in which a direct current (DC) component and an alternative current (AC) component are superimposed to transfer the toner image borne on the image bearing member to the recording medium, and a controller to change the superimposed bias that the transfer bias power source applies. The controller changes the levels of the DC component and the AC component of the superimposed transfer bias in a color mode from that in a monochrome mode to secure a return electric field in the superimposed transfer bias by which the toner is returned from the recording medium to the image bearing member. | 01-03-2013 |
20130004191 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND TRANSFER CURRENT CONTROL METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes: a transfer member, a controller, a discharge electrode, a detector, and a storage section. The controller, based on an amount of change between parameter value detected by the detector after transfer by the transfer member and parameter value stored in the storage section, determines voltage necessary for the discharge electrode to take the same amount of current as an increase in transfer current of the transfer member from previously determined transfer current and applies the determined voltage to the discharge electrode. | 01-03-2013 |
20130011155 | TRANSFER DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A transfer device including an image carrier; a transfer member disposed facing the image carrier; a transfer electrical field generator including a direct-current (DC) power source to generate a DC voltage and an alternating current (AC) power source to generate an AC voltage; and a controller. The transfer electrical field generator forms the transfer electrical field between the image carrier and the transfer member using the DC voltage and the AC voltage, to transfer the toner image on the image carrier, charged to a predetermined polarity, onto the recording medium. The controller controls the AC voltage source so that, the AC voltage output from the AC voltage source when a leading edge of the recording medium is positioned in the transfer electrical field is set larger than the AC voltage when the portion of the recording medium other than the leading edge is positioned in the transfer electrical field. | 01-10-2013 |
20130058671 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes an image holding member, a transfer unit, a current detector, and a constant voltage controller. A toner image is held on the image holding member. The transfer unit transfers the toner image held on the image holding member onto a recording medium. The current detector detects a transfer current passed to the transfer unit. When images are to be successively formed on recording media, the constant voltage controller performs constant voltage control on a transfer voltage to be applied to the transfer unit when a first image is to be formed, and performs constant voltage control on a transfer voltage to be applied to the transfer unit when a second image is to be formed, using a voltage value corresponding to a current value detected by the current detector when the first image is to be formed. | 03-07-2013 |
20130077984 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS WITH MECHANISM CAPABLE OF MOVING TRANSFER DEVICE WITH RESPECT TO TONER IMAGE CARRIER AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD FOR MOVING TRANSFER DEVICE WITH RESPECT TO TONER IMAGE CARRIER - An image forming apparatus includes a transfer device separator that moves a transfer device between a contact position and a first isolation position within a shortened time. At the contact position, the transfer device contacts a toner image carrier. At the first isolation position, the transfer device is isolated from the toner image carrier with a first interval therebetween. A controller controls the transfer device separator to move the transfer device to the contact position as first to third toner images and a blank section between the first toner image and the second toner image carried by the toner image carrier pass through a transfer region and to the first isolation position as a toner patch section between the first toner image and the second toner image carried by the toner image carrier passes through the transfer region. | 03-28-2013 |
20130089347 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus comprising: a first image bearing member (drum); a second drum; a belt; a first transfer unit; a second transfer unit; a first voltage applying unit; a second voltage applying unit; a detecting unit, connected to the first transfer unit, for detecting a value of a current passing through the first voltage applying unit; and a controller for controlling the first voltage applying unit and the second voltage applying unit. The controller controls the first voltage applying unit during image formation on the basis of a detection result of the value of the current detected by the detecting unit at timing before and after the voltage applied to the second voltage applying unit is changed plural times before the image formation. | 04-11-2013 |
20130094873 | LABEL PRESS FUSER ALGORITHM FOR FEEDING A CONTINUOUS ROLL OF LABEL MATERIAL THROUGH A SHEET FED PRINTING DEVICE - According to aspects of the embodiments, there is provided an apparatus and method to use a fuser speed algorithm to engage a web print media to a rotatable image carrier (PR) during transfer of toner to paper without additional parts or tight web requirement. The fuser speed algorithm can drive the web through a sheet fed printer efficiently by only using the fuser nip as the main drive. The fuser speed algorithm leverages the advantage of fuser speed to enable the required speed and tension at transfer for proper engagement, then release tension to create slack web at transfer so the PR drives create a buckle zone prior to the fuser system. The fuser speed algorithm drives the fuser at the nominal desired speed which is slower than PR speed to maintain the buckle zone. | 04-18-2013 |
20130094874 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS PREVENTING FAILURE OF RECORDING MATERIAL DETACHMENT FROM CONVEYANCE BELT - A method controls the timing of conveying a recording material to a conveyance belt so that a leading edge position of the recording material overlaps with a separation assisting toner image transferred on the conveyance belt in advance to prevent failure of recording material detachment from the conveyance belt. | 04-18-2013 |
20130121714 | TRANSFER DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING SAME - A transfer device includes a rotatable image bearing member to bear a toner image on a surface thereof, a nip forming member to contact the surface of the image bearing member, and a bias output device to output a bias current to alternately form a transfer-direction electric field to transfer toner charged with a normal polarity in a toner image formed on the image bearing member to move therefrom to a recording medium and a return-direction electric field to return the toner from the recording medium to the image bearing member. A transition time T | 05-16-2013 |
20130121715 | Intermediate Transfer Device, Image Forming Apparatus And Secondary Transfer Method - An intermediate transfer device including an intermediate transfer body having a primary transfer portion and a secondary transfer portion which bears a secondary image formed by transferring a primary image from an image bearing member; a pair of secondary transfer rollers having a secondary transfer roller and a support roller provided in contact with each other via the intermediate transfer body at the secondary transfer portion, which transfers the secondary image to a recording medium at the secondary transfer portion; a variation detection device that detects an amount of variance occurring to a transfer rotation body when the recording medium is transferred to the secondary transfer portion; and an adjustment device that adjusts the distance between the pair of the secondary transfer rollers according to the amount of variance detected by the variation detection device. | 05-16-2013 |
20130136475 | TRANSFER UNIT WITH COMPENSATION FOR VARIATION - A transfer unit includes a rotatable static-dissipative member with a time-varying electrical property. A second member selectively transfers toner to or from the static-dissipative member. A power source selectively produces an electrostatic transfer field between the static-dissipative member and the second member, so that toner is transferred between the static-dissipative member and the second member. A charger spaced apart from the static-dissipative member selectively deposits charge thereon. A control system successively drives a plurality of different selected voltages or currents through the charger and measures a plurality of respective resulting charger currents or voltages. It uses the selected voltages or currents and the respective charger currents or voltages to automatically estimate a variation in the electrical property. It then causes the power source to produce an electric transfer field that transfers toner and compensates for the estimated variation. | 05-30-2013 |
20130136476 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - In a case of executing a marginless print mode on an image forming apparatus, a control portion controls a position changing portion configured to change a position of a toner image and a position of a recording material for image formation. Then, the position changing portion is controlled to move the position of the toner image and the position of the recording material for subsequent image formation by the same change amount toward a smaller of image data amounts corresponding to both end portions of the recording material of the toner image formed before the subsequent image formation. | 05-30-2013 |
20130136477 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a controller and a transfer device including a power source to output a superimposed bias in which an AC voltage is superimposed on a DC voltage, a first electrode, a second electrode disposed opposite the first electrode with an image bearing member interposed therebetween to form a transfer electric field to transfer a toner image on the image bearing member to a recording medium. The controller including a CPU adjusts the transfer electric field and a transfer speed. One of the first electrode and the second electrode is connected to the power source, and the other is grounded. The controller adjusts the transfer speed such that in a case in which an oscillating electric field of the transfer electric field is strong, a maximum transfer speed is slower than the maximum transfer speed in a case in which the oscillating electric field is weak. | 05-30-2013 |
20130142531 | TRANSFER DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS USING THE SAME - According to an embodiment, provided is a transfer device including: a nip forming member that abuts against a surface of an image carrier carrying a toner image; and a transfer voltage application unit that applies a transfer voltage including a DC component and an AC component. The transfer voltage is an alternating voltage in which a supply voltage having polarity in a transfer direction and a return voltage having polarity opposite. A time average value Vave of the transfer voltage is set to be at polarity in the transfer direction and is set to be closer to a peak value Vt of the supply voltage relative to a center value Voff between a maximum and minimum value. An absolute value of the peak value Vr of the return voltage is set to be larger than an absolute value of the time average value Vave. | 06-06-2013 |
20130148993 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a nip forming member and a transfer bias output device that outputs a transfer bias to form a transfer electric field in a transfer nip between the nip forming member and an intermediate transfer member. Upon transfer of a composite toner image including a particular toner image onto a recording medium in the transfer nip, the transfer bias output device outputs the transfer bias including a first superimposed bias in which a direct current (DC) component is superimposed on an alternating current (AC) component. Upon transfer of the composite toner image without the particular toner image onto the recording medium in the transfer nip, the transfer bias output device outputs one of the transfer bias including a second superimposed bias having a peak-to-peak value of the AC component smaller than that of the first superimposed bias and the transfer bias including only the DC component. | 06-13-2013 |
20130156455 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - Supply distribution of toner bands is varied in accordance with an image rate. Provided is image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit; a movable image bearing member; a movable conveying belt; a transfer member; a power supply; a first blade member; a second blade member; and an execution unit. | 06-20-2013 |
20130164010 | CONTROL APPARATUS AND METHOD, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND SYSTEM, AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM - A control apparatus includes the following elements. A page specifying unit specifies, concerning image data representing images included in plural pages, among the plural pages, plural pages including images each having a similarity which is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. A controller controls a transfer bias to be applied to a transfer device which transfers a toner image formed on an image carrier onto a medium. The controller performs control, for the plural pages specified by the page specifying unit, such that each of values of the transfer bias to be applied to the transfer device when toner images corresponding to the plural pages specified by the page specifying unit are transferred onto the medium is within a predetermined range. | 06-27-2013 |
20130164011 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a transfer member disposed facing the image bearing member to form a transfer region therebetween, a transfer bias application device to apply to the transfer region a transfer bias including a direct current (DC) component and an alternating current (AC) component to transfer the toner image onto the recording medium as the recording medium passes through the transfer region, and a controller operatively connected to the transfer bias application device to allow, during a bias change period in a sheet absent period in which the image bearing member rotates and no recording medium passes through the transfer region, the transfer bias application device to selectively apply to the transfer region one of the transfer bias without the AC component and the transfer bias with a peak-to-peak voltage of the AC component less than that applied in image formation. | 06-27-2013 |
20130177329 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier that carries an electrostatic latent image; a developing unit that develops the electrostatic latent image using a toner; an intermediate transfer body onto which toner image is transferred; a secondary transfer member that comes in contact with a surface of the intermediate transfer body; a power supply that outputs a voltage for transferring the toner image on the intermediate transfer body onto a recording member; and a protective agent supply unit that applies a protective agent including zinc stearate and boron nitride onto a surface of the image carrier. The voltage is alternatively switched in a transfer direction and an opposite direction. The voltage in the transfer direction enables transfer of the toner image from the intermediate transfer body to the recording member, and the voltage in the opposite direction has polarity opposite to polarity of the voltage in the transfer direction. | 07-11-2013 |
20130183055 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF - An image forming apparatus and a control method include a photosensitive unit having a photosensitive drum, an exposure unit to form an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum, a developing unit to form a toner image by sequentially supplying a plurality of color toners to the electrostatic latent images formed on the photosensitive drum, an intermediate transfer unit having an intermediate transfer belt to perform a first transfer of the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum in a sequential manner by color, a transfer roller configured to perform a second transfer of the toner image on a printing medium , a transfer belt cleaning unit to perform a cleaning task to remove a waste toner that remains on the intermediate transfer belt after the second transfer is performed, and a control unit to start performing idling of the intermediate transfer belt when an exposure with respect to one page toner image is completed and the first transfer is in progress, and to start the second transfer by having the transfer roller make contact with the intermediate transfer belt while the intermediate transfer belt is in an idling state. | 07-18-2013 |
20130188975 | Image Forming Apparatus With Sheet Transport Control Timing Changed According To Length Of Transported Sheet - An image forming apparatus has an image bearing member bearing a toner image, a transfer part transferring the toner image from the image bearing member onto a sheet, a separation/feeding part separating and feeding sheets stacked on a sheet stacking member, and a transport part transporting the sheet fed by the separation/feeding part to the transfer part, in which a transporting operation of the transport part is changed according to a length of the sheet to be transported in a transport direction of the sheet. A control is configured to control so that a timing to decelerate to the transfer speed by the transport part with respect to a start of image formation is changed according to a length of the transported sheet in a transport direction of the sheet. | 07-25-2013 |
20130195486 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing member; an image forming portion; an intermediary transfer member; a transfer member; an executing portion capable of executing a first mode in which a transfer voltage based on a current detected when a predetermined voltage is applied to the transfer member is applied to the transfer member and capable of executing a second mode in which a transfer voltage is applied to the transfer member to provide a predetermined constant-current; and a controller enabling transition between a stand-by state where the image formation is enabled and a sleep state less than in power consumption than the stand-by state. The controller executes the first mode in a job after main switch actuation and before the transition to the sleeve state, and executes the second mode in an initial job after the transition from the sleep state to the stand-by state. | 08-01-2013 |
20130195487 | COLOR IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - Provided is a color image forming apparatus that includes: image carriers that form toner image of black and other colors; an intermediate transfer body that makes contact with the image carriers; and transfer units that transfer the toner images on the image carriers to the intermediate transfer body. A line velocity difference is set between the image carriers and the intermediate transfer body. An accelerated cohesion degree of toner is equal to or larger than 54%. A linear velocity difference X | 08-01-2013 |
20130195488 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - The cleaning unit cleans the surface of the image carrying body after transfer of the toner image onto an image transfer object. The post-transfer neutralization unit is disposed between the transfer unit and the cleaning unit, and neutralizes electrical charge of the surface of the image carrying body after transfer. The first control unit controls neutralization light intensity of the pre-transfer neutralization unit such that a dark potential (V | 08-01-2013 |
20130209118 | ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC COLOR IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A color electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes a supporting member that supports a plurality of electrophotographic photosensitive drums and is movable between an image forming position and a retracted position, a driving unit for driving the electrophotographic photosensitive drums, an intermediary transfer belt onto which images formed by developing the electrostatic latent images formed on the electrophotographic photosensitive drums are transferred, and a controller for controlling execution of image formation. The controller controls the image formation so as to provide, on the electrophotographic photosensitive drums, areas having a lowered absolute value of surface potential, and so as to stop driving of the electrophotographic photosensitive drums by the driving unit in a state that the areas are opposed to the intermediary transfer belt. | 08-15-2013 |
20130223863 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier; a transfer body; a leading-end gripping member that grips a leading-end portion of the recording medium when the recording medium is transported and that releases the leading-end portion when the recording medium to which a final toner image starts being transferred is separated from the transfer body; and a controller that controls a peripheral velocity of the transfer body and a peripheral velocity of the image carrier to change a ratio between the peripheral velocity of the transfer body and the peripheral velocity of the image carrier from a first ratio for transferring a toner image that precedes the final toner image to the recording medium to a second ratio for transferring the final toner image to the recording medium by making the peripheral velocity of the transfer body higher than the peripheral velocity of the image carrier. | 08-29-2013 |
20130243462 | TRANSFER DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A transfer device includes a transfer roller that has a characteristic in which an electrical resistance is changed in accordance with a rotation speed, contacts a transferred body that moves in synchronization with movement of an image holding body holding a toner image, and transfers the toner image held by the image holding body on the transferred body by applying a transfer voltage to the transferred body; and a regulator that regulates the rotation speed of the transfer roller independently from the movement of the image holding body and the transferred body. | 09-19-2013 |
20130259505 | PRINTING SYSTEM WITH RECEIVER CAPACITANCE ESTIMATION - A printing system includes a rotatable transport member that transports a receiver on its obverse. A tackdown unit includes an electrode arranged facing the reverse of the transport member. A source responsive to the control system produces a tackdown current, and a charger spaced apart from the transport member facing the obverse thereof selectively deposits charge on the receiver in response to the tackdown current. A non-contact voltmeter arranged facing the receiver on the obverse after the charger measures a resulting voltage. A control system drives a selected voltage or current through the charger using the source and measures a resulting voltage using the non-contact voltmeter. The selected voltage or current and the measured resulting voltage are used to automatically estimate a capacitance of the receiver. | 10-03-2013 |
20130259506 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A voltage maintenance element is connected to a contact member that contacts a primary transfer surface area of an intermediate transfer belt to which toner images are transferred from a plurality of image carriers between stretch members, in such a way as to prevent the electric potential of the intermediate transfer belt from varying between respective stations. | 10-03-2013 |
20130266332 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An image forming apparatus including a latent image bearing member, a charger, a latent image forming device, a developing device, and a transfer device is provided. The transfer device is adapted to transfer a toner image formed on the latent image bearing member onto an intermediate transfer member or a recording medium by action of a transfer elected field in a transfer position where the latent image bearing member faces the transfer device. When a non-charged portion of the latent image bearing member that has not been charged to a predetermined potential by the charger passes through the transfer position, a strength of the transfer electric field is lowered than that in transferring the toner image. | 10-10-2013 |
20130272735 | CLOSED-LOOP CONTROL OF NIP WIDTH AND TRANSFER FIELD UNIFORMITY IN CONFORMABLE BIASED TRANSFER SYSTEMS - Disclosed is a closed-loop control method and system to control the nip width and transfer field uniformity associated with an image marking apparatus. According to an exemplary embodiment, a closed-loop control system senses the uniformity of the image transfer field and applies forces to a transfer nip based on the sensed field to provide a more uniform field. | 10-17-2013 |
20130279931 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - In an image forming apparatus that separates a thin recording material by pushing up a transfer belt, if a position where a thick recording material separates from the transfer belt is far from a leading end of a recording-material guide, conveyability of the separated thick recording material after separation becomes stable. A stretching member is provided downstream of a push-up means and upstream of the recording-material guide in a recording-material conveying direction, and the stretching member separates a thick recording material from the transfer belt. | 10-24-2013 |
20130287420 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a first detection portion at a first guide provided in an image forming unit and a second detection portion at a second guide provided in a unit drawable to the exterior of the image forming apparatus. Since there are many parts in this apparatus, an error in the relative positions of the first and the second detection portions is large. The image forming apparatus includes a lock member configured to lock the unit to an image forming apparatus main body, and a pressure member configured to, when the unit is locked to the image forming apparatus main body, press the first guide and the second guide to each other. As a result, adjustment of the relative positions of the first and the second detection portions is not required at the time of replacement of the unit or the detection portions. | 10-31-2013 |
20130287421 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing member; a transfer portion; a first electrostatic cleaning portion including a first electroconductive member; a second electrostatic cleaning portion including a second electroconductive member; a first detecting portion for outputting first information corresponding to a first current passing through the first electroconductive member; a second detecting portion for outputting second information corresponding to a second current passing through the second electroconductive member; and a controller for controlling, based on the first information and the second information, a transfer voltage so that the voltage is decreased when a decrease amount of the first current is larger than that of the second current and so that the voltage is increased when the decrease amount of the second current is larger than that of the first current. | 10-31-2013 |
20130294791 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD CAPABLE OF REDUCING DENSITY IRREGULARITY IN TONER IMAGES - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer to bear a latent image formed thereon, a developing device to render visible the latent image borne on the image bearer as a toner image, and a transfer device to transfer the toner image onto a recording medium either directly or via an intermediate transfer member. A granularity detector is provided to detect granularity of the toner image transferred onto the recording medium. A controller is provided to control a transfer rate of toner in the toner image transferred onto the recording medium to reduce the image degradation when the granularity detected by the granularity detector exceeds a prescribed threshold. | 11-07-2013 |
20130294792 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus having: an image support that supports a toner image; a transfer member adapted to sandwich with the transfer member and the image support; a voltage application unit that applies a transfer bias voltage to the transfer member; a current detecting unit that detects transfer current flowing from the voltage application unit to the transfer material after transfer processing on the transfer material starts; and a control unit that sets an upper limit of transfer current on the basis of a value of the transfer current detected by the current detecting unit, and thereafter further acquires a transfer current value from the current detecting unit to control a transfer bias voltage generated by the voltage application unit, such that the transfer current value during transfer does not exceed the upper limit. | 11-07-2013 |
20130294793 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS THAT ENABLES REDUCING TIME REQUIRED FOR ADJUSTMENT OPERATION - An image forming apparatus is disclosed that can reduce the time required for adjustment operations when a first adjustment operation that requires speed change and a second adjustment operation that does not require speed change overlap. When first adjustment operation that can be performed at a first speed is to be performed during operation at a second speed lower than the first speed, the image formation speed is changed from the second speed to the first speed. When second adjustment operation that can be performed at a plurality of image formation speeds is to be performed during operation at the second speed, the second adjustment operation is performed while maintaining the second speed. When both the first and second adjustment operations are to be performed during operation at the second speed, the image formation speed is changed from the second speed to the first speed. | 11-07-2013 |
20130322904 | Image Forming Apparatus Forming Marks for Correcting Deviation in Printing Position - An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device, a print object moving device configured to move a print object in a moving direction relatively to the image forming device, a detector configured to detect images formed on the print object, and a control device configured to control the image forming device to form a first plurality of marks and a second plurality of marks on the print object. The first marks are along the moving direction and the second marks are along the moving direction and to be away from the first marks in a width direction that is perpendicular to the moving direction and the second marks are smaller in number than the first marks. The control device is further configured to control the detector to detect the first marks and the second marks on the print object for detecting deviation in image forming positions. | 12-05-2013 |
20130322905 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive drum, a charging section, an exposure section, a developing section, an ion-conductive transfer roller, a transfer bias applying section configured to apply a transfer bias of reverse polarity to charge of toner to the transfer roller, a conveyance section, and a control section. The control section is configured to, during double-sided printing, cause the transfer bias applying section to apply a reverse bias of the same polarity as the charge of the toner to the transfer roller while a recording medium is reversed and conveyed again to a toner image transfer position. | 12-05-2013 |
20130330096 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing member; a toner image forming portion; a transfer member; a power source configured to apply a voltage to the transfer member so that a level of the voltage in a non-sheet-passing period in which a recording material is not in a transfer position is the same as that in a preceding sheet-passing period in which the recording material is in the transfer position; a current detecting member configured to detect a current flowing through the transfer member; and a controller configured to correct the voltage applied by the power source for the subsequent sheet-passing period on the basis of the detected current by the current detecting member in the non-sheet-passing period so that a predetermined current flows through the transfer member in the sheet-passing period. | 12-12-2013 |
20130336669 | Image Forming Apparatus - An image forming apparatus includes: a first image forming unit including a first transfer unit forming a first nip with a first photosensitive drum for black; a second image forming unit including a second transfer unit forming a second nip with a second photosensitive drum for a color; and a control device which, when a first sheet and a second sheet are continuously conveyed in corresponding order by the conveyance belt at the monochrome mode, is configured to supply a first transfer current for a first time period during which the first sheet or the second sheet pass through the second nip and supply a second transfer current, which is smaller than the first transfer current, for a second time period that is a sheet interval between the first sheet and the second sheet. | 12-19-2013 |
20130336670 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus, including: a rotatable image bearing member; a developing unit configured to supply a developer onto the image bearing member; a transfer unit configured to transfer the developer on the image bearing member to a recording medium by a transfer voltage being applied to the transfer unit by a voltage applying unit; and a cleaning unit configured to remove the developer on the image bearing member, wherein when the apparatus stops an image forming operation halfway, the apparatus executes a recovery operation in which the image bearing member is rotated while the voltage applying unit applies a voltage to the transfer unit so that a part of the developer remaining on the image bearing member is once transferred from the image bearing member to the transfer unit, transferred again from the transfer unit to the image bearing member, and then removed by the cleaning unit. | 12-19-2013 |
20140010562 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes a transfer member configured to abut against an image carrier for carrying a toner image to form a transfer nip; and a power supply configured to output a bias voltage for transferring the toner image on the image carrier onto a recording medium nipped in the transfer nip. The bias voltage includes a first voltage for transferring the toner image from the image carrier onto the recording medium in a transfer direction and a second voltage having an opposite polarity of the first voltage, the first and the second voltages being alternately output. A time-averaged value of the bias voltage is set to a polarity in the transfer direction and is set in the transfer direction side with respect to a median between a maximum and a minimum of the bias voltage. | 01-09-2014 |
20140016956 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, BIAS POWER SUPPLY DEVICE, AND BIAS POWER SUPPLY METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a charging unit, an exposure unit, a developing unit, and a transfer unit. The transfer unit includes a bias power supply and transfers a developed image onto a transfer body. The bias power supply includes a first power supply unit, a second power supply unit, a threshold setting unit, a detector, and an output controller. The first power supply unit generates a transfer electric field. The second power supply unit generates a non-transfer electric field. The threshold setting unit has a first threshold and a second threshold, and performs a change from the first threshold to the second threshold when switching from the non-transfer electric field to the transfer electric field is performed. The detector detects the current which is caused to flow by the first power supply unit. The output controller controls the first power supply unit. | 01-16-2014 |
20140023387 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus including: a transfer belt; a rotational body; a transfer roller that forms a transfer nip part between the transfer roller and the rotational body with the transfer belt therebetween; a pressing section that presses one of the rotational body and the transfer roller against the other of the rotational body and the transfer roller; and a controlling section that controls the pressing section so as to change the pressing direction of the rotational body or the transfer roller in accordance with a predetermined image formation condition. | 01-23-2014 |
20140023388 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier; a transfer member arranged so as to face the image carrier; and a non-transferred toner adhesion unit that causes a non-transferred toner to adhere to an inter-sheet area present on the image carrier during a period of continuous image formation in which images are continuously formed on the image carrier. The transfer member is a foam roller. The image forming apparatus further includes a contacting and separating unit that causes the foam roller and the image carrier to come into contact with and be separated from each other. The contacting and separating unit separates the image carrier and the transfer member when the inter-sheet area present on the image carrier passes through a transfer area in which the image carrier and the transfer member face each other in association with rotation of the image carrier. | 01-23-2014 |
20140064760 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus has an image forming section having a photoreceptor on which a toner image is formed, an endless belt that revolves with its outer surface facing the photoreceptor, a steering roller adapted to provide a tension to the belt and adjust the position of the belt in the width direction, a transfer roller that presses the belt toward the photoreceptor so as to form a transfer nip where the toner image is transferred, a transfer pressure adjusting mechanism adapted to adjust pressing force when the transfer roller presses the belt toward the photoreceptor, and a controller adapted to control the pressing force adjusted by the transfer pressure adjusting mechanism, according to the adjustment state of the steering roller. | 03-06-2014 |
20140064761 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A transfer bias voltage supplier supplies, to a transfer member, a transfer bias voltage of a polarity opposite to the polarity of toner. The absolute value of transfer bias voltage to be supplied to the transfer member when a leading/trailing end of the sheet is passed through the nip portion is set smaller than when a toner image transfer region of the sheet is passed through the nip portion. A separation bias voltage supplier supplies, to a discharging electrode member, a separation bias voltage of a polarity opposite to the polarity of transfer bias voltage. The absolute value of separation bias voltage to be supplied to the discharging electrode member when the leading/trailing end of the sheet is passed through a discharging gap is set smaller than when the transfer region is passed through the discharging gap. | 03-06-2014 |
20140079421 | TRANSFER DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND POWER SUPPLY CONTROL METHOD - A transfer device includes a power supply control unit, a direct-current (DC) power supply, an alternating-current (AC) power supply, and a transfer unit. The power supply control unit controls a first control signal for controlling a DC voltage and a second control signal for controlling an AC voltage based on a condition relating to image formation. The DC power supply outputs the DC voltage based on the first control signal. The AC power supply selectively outputs, with a particular waveform, either of the DC voltage output from the DC power supply or a superimposed voltage obtained by superimposing the AC voltage determined based on the second control signal on the DC voltage output from the DC power supply. The transfer unit transfers a developer onto a sheet using a voltage output from the AC power supply. | 03-20-2014 |
20140079422 | TRANSFER DEVICE, METHOD FOR PERFORMING THE SAME AND IMAGE FORMING DEVICE - A transfer device comprising: a load including a transferring unit, the transferring unit being configured to transfer an image on a transferable material; a direct current source connected to the load and configured to apply a direct voltage to the load; and an alternating current source connected between the load and the direct current source in attachable and detachable manner, the alternating current source being configured to selectively apply to the load an overlapping voltage that is formed by overlapping an alternating voltage and the direct voltage. | 03-20-2014 |
20140079423 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMING METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR CAUSING A COMPUTER TO EXECUTE THE METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier; a toner image forming unit that forms a toner image on the image carrier; a transfer unit that transfers the toner image on the image carrier to a transfer target having ridges and valleys on a surface thereof; an adjusting unit that adjusts a ratio of A/B, where A is a transfer ratio [%] from the image carrier to a valley portion of the transfer target while B is a transfer ratio [%] from the image carrier to a ridge portion of the transfer target, based on an adjustment input by a user; and a control unit that controls a transfer condition of the transfer unit based on the ratio of A/B adjusted by the adjusting unit. | 03-20-2014 |
20140093265 | Image Forming Apparatus - An image forming apparatus including: an intermediate transfer member configured to transfer the developer images on the plurality of photosensitive members; a secondary transfer member configured to transfer the developer images transferred onto the intermediate transfer member onto a recording sheet; a plurality of primary holding rollers provided to each of the plurality of photosensitive members, respectively; a collecting unit configured to collect developer remaining on the intermediate transfer member; and a control device configured to control biases applied to the secondary transfer member and the plurality of primary holding rollers, wherein, after printing control terminates, the control device is configured to perform cleaning control in which biases having opposite polarities to biases during the printing control are applied to the plurality of primary holding rollers and the secondary transfer member. | 04-03-2014 |
20140099135 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS THAT TRANSFERS TONER IMAGE ONTO SHEET - An image forming apparatus capable of accurately forming an image in a predetermined position on a sheet. An image forming unit forms a toner image on a drum. The toner image is transferred onto a belt. A motor drives the belt to convey the toner image to a transfer position where the toner image is transferred onto a sheet. An image position-detecting section detects that a patch image indicating the position of the toner image on the belt has reached a detection position upstream of the transfer position in an image conveying direction. A sheet position-detecting section detects that the leading edge of the sheet has reached a detection position upstream of the transfer position in a sheet conveying direction. An image speed-setting section controls the conveying speed of the belt based on timings of detection by the respective image position-detecting and sheet position-detecting sections. | 04-10-2014 |
20140105626 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A control unit is provided which controls at least one of a first power supply unit (a secondary transfer power supply connected to a secondary transfer roller) and a second power supply unit (high-voltage power supplies connected to a conductive brush and a conductive roller) so that a current supplied to a primary transfer region from a beginning of primary transfer until a beginning of secondary transfer has a magnitude larger than a magnitude of a current supplied to the primary transfer region from a beginning of image formation until the beginning of the primary transfer. | 04-17-2014 |
20140112677 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a toner image forming unit that forms and continuously transfers a toner image based on image data onto a transported sheet from the front to the rear in a sheet transport direction as the sheet is transported, a fixing unit positioned downstream of the toner image forming unit in the transport direction and that fixes the transferred toner image onto the sheet, an image determining unit that determines whether the formed toner image is a scattering toner image that causes toner scattering during the transfer, and a speed controlling unit that controls, when it is determined that the toner image is a scattering toner image, a transport speed of the sheet and a transfer speed of the toner image to the sheet such that the speeds are slower than those when it is determined that the toner image is not a scattering toner image. | 04-24-2014 |
20140119759 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member that bears a toner image; a transfer member that faces the image bearing member, nips a recording medium together with the image bearing member, and allows the recording medium to pass therebetween; a transfer-bias applying unit that applies transfer bias voltage to generate an electric field between the transfer member and the image bearing member; a cleaning member that is disposed in contact with the transfer member and removes toner from the transfer member; a cleaning-bias applying unit that applies cleaning bias voltage between the cleaning member and the transfer member; a transfer-toner-amount estimating unit that estimates an amount of toner to be transferred from the image bearing member to the transfer member when the recording medium does not pass therebetween; and a cleaning-bias controller that controls the cleaning bias voltage in correspondence with the estimated amount of toner. | 05-01-2014 |
20140119760 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF - Disclosed herein are an image forming apparatus and a control method thereof. The image forming apparatus includes a plurality of photoconductors, a transfer belt, a plurality of transfer rollers arranged in parallel with the plurality of photoconductors, and a controller rotating the transfer belt under the condition that at least one of the plurality of transfer rollers presses the transfer belt toward at least one of the plurality of photoconductors, interrupting power transmitted to the transfer belt to cause at least another of the plurality of transfer rollers to press the transfer belt toward at least another of the plurality of photoconductors, standing by until rotation of the transfer belt is stopped, after interruption of the power, and controlling the at least another of the plurality of transfer rollers so as to press the transfer belt toward the at least another of the plurality of photoconductors. | 05-01-2014 |
20140119761 | TRANSFER DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS PROVIDED WITH SAME - A transfer device includes image bearing members, an intermediate transfer belt, transfer members, a transfer bias applying unit and a bias control unit. The transfer bias applying unit applies a transfer bias to the transfer. The bias control unit causes a transfer bias having a polarity opposite to that of the toner to be applied to a first transfer member during the transfer process in the first transfer nip and during an adjacent transfer process which is the non-transfer process in the first transfer nip and the transfer process in a second transfer nip adjacent to the first transfer nip. Further, the bias control unit causes a transfer bias having the same polarity as that of the toner to be applied to the first transfer member during an adjacent non-transfer process which is the non-transfer process in the first transfer nip and the non-transfer process in the second transfer nip. | 05-01-2014 |
20140147145 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes plural image carriers, an intermediate transfer body, plural first transfer devices, a second transfer device, and an adjustment device. Each image carrier carries a color component image formed thereon. The intermediate transfer body is rotated while facing the image carriers, is disposed so as to be in contact with at least one or more image carriers used for image formation, and temporarily carries one or more images formed on the one or more image carriers. Each first transfer device forms a transfer electric field in a first transfer region to transfer a color component image onto the intermediate transfer body. The second transfer device forms a transfer electric field in a second transfer region to transfer color component images onto a recording material. The adjustment device adjusts first transfer conditions for the plural first transfer devices. | 05-29-2014 |
20140147146 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - The image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, an endless and rotatable intermediate transfer member including a primary transfer portion and a secondary transfer portion, a first current supplying member to which voltage is applied, the first current supplying member being held in contact with the intermediate transfer member to supply current in a peripheral direction of the intermediate transfer member; and a second current supplying member to which voltage is applied, the second current supplying member being held in contact with the intermediate transfer member to supply current in the peripheral direction of the intermediate transfer member. By providing one common power supply for the primary transfer and the secondary transfer power, it achieves to clean the intermediate transfer member and the second current supplying member stably and efficiently. | 05-29-2014 |
20140147147 | TRANSFER DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME - A transfer device includes a plurality of transfer members and a switch section. The switch section, in a first state, causes the transfer members to be pressed against a plurality of image bearing members. The switch section, in a second state, causes a transfer member opposed to a first image bearing member to be pressed against the first image bearing member, and causes a transfer member opposed to a second image bearing member to be separated from the second image bearing member. In the first state, toner images of different colors are transferred from the image bearing members to an intermediate transfer belt and superimposed together. In the second state, a single-color toner image is transferred from the first image bearing member to the intermediate transfer belt. The switch section changes a pressing force of the transfer member to the first image bearing member between the first and second states. | 05-29-2014 |
20140153945 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes plural image carriers, an intermediate transfer body, a contact and separation mechanism, a selection member, plural first transfer units, a second transfer unit, and an adjustment member. Each image carrier carries a toner image. The intermediate transfer body is disposed so as to be in contact with one or more image carriers. The contact and separation mechanism causes the intermediate transfer body to be in contact with or separated from the image carriers. The selection member selects a first contact state or a second contact state. Each first transfer unit forms a transfer electric field in a first transfer region to transfer a toner image onto the intermediate transfer body. The second transfer unit forms a transfer electric field in a second transfer region to transfer toner images onto a recording material. The adjustment member adjusts first transfer conditions. | 06-05-2014 |
20140153946 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - The image forming apparatus includes the control unit controls the potential at a transfer portion of a rotary to be a potential of the same polarity as the charged polarity of the toner at development, when an image forming apparatus starts rotating a photosensitive member, after the start of output by a common power supply and before a charge area on the photosensitive member reaches the transfer portion. | 06-05-2014 |
20140169817 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier to carry a toner image, a transfer member to form a transfer nip by contacting the image carrier surface, and a power supply to output a voltage to the recording material captured in the transfer nip so as to transfer the toner image formed on the image carrier surface. The voltage is switching alternately between a voltage in the transfer direction and a voltage opposite to the voltage in the transfer direction, and a time average value (Vave) of the voltage is set to have a polarity of the transfer direction, and is set to a value in the transfer voltage side, and a change mode to change a cycle of the voltage output from the power supply can be changed based on the toner deterioration information which determines the deterioration status of the toner. | 06-19-2014 |
20140193167 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - According to an embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, an image erasing unit, and a control unit. The image forming unit performs an image forming process of forming an image on an image bearing body by a toner and transferring the toner image from the image bearing body onto a recording medium, and a refresh process of forming an image on the image bearing body by a toner and removing the toner image from the image bearing body. The control unit controls the image forming unit such that the image forming unit performs the refresh process together with the erasing process performed by the erasing unit. | 07-10-2014 |
20140219671 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a controller executing a setting mode for setting a voltage to be applied to an image transfer member when a toner image is transferred onto a transfer medium, so that a predetermined current flows through a charging member when such an area of an image bearing drum as has carried the toner image transferred onto a transfer medium at a transfer portion then passes through a charge portion, the setting being executed on the basis of a current detected by a first detecting member when such a region of the drum as has been charged by the charging member and has been passed through the transfer portion in a state that a test voltage is applied to the transfer member then passes through the charge portion in a period in which no toner image passes through the transfer portion. | 08-07-2014 |
20140233974 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING IMAGE - A method and apparatus for forming an image determine if printing paper is properly picked up, and printing data is transferred to an intermediate transfer belt (ITB). When it is sensed that the printing paper is not properly picked up, picking up the printing paper is retried considering a revolution cycle of the ITB. Thus, the frequency of errors can be decreased, and a user's convenience can be increased because picking up the printing paper is automatically retried whenever mis-pick up occurs instead of displaying an error. Further, wasting of toner is decreased. | 08-21-2014 |
20140233975 | IMAGE FORMATION APPARATUS - An image formation apparatus includes an image carrier on which a developer image is to be formed, an image transfer device configured to transfer the developer image formed on the image carrier to a medium at an image transfer position, a controller configured to control drive of the image carrier and the image transfer device, a first medium feeder configured to feed the medium to the image transfer position along a medium conveyance path extending from the first medium feeder to the image transfer position, and a medium detector provided between the first medium feeder and the image transfer position in the medium conveyance path. The controller is configured to control the drive of the image carrier on the basis of a medium-detection result by the medium detector. | 08-21-2014 |
20140241744 | TRANSFER DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING SAME - A transfer device includes a nip forming member to contact a surface of an image bearing member to form a transfer nip therebetween, a pressing device, and a nip pressure changing device. The pressing device includes a plurality of elastic members, to produce a contact pressure between the nip forming member and the image bearing member according to a restoring force of at least one of the elastic members upon deformation of the elastic member. The nip pressure changing device changes an amount of elastic deformation of the elastic member between at least two stages to change a nip pressure of the transfer nip. While the contact pressure is produced by one of the elastic members, the nip pressure changing device changes the amount of elastic deformation of a different elastic member, different from the one that produces the contact pressure, to change the nip pressure of the transfer nip. | 08-28-2014 |
20140248064 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable image bearing member, a nip forming member, and a power source. The rotatable image bearing member bears a toner image on a surface thereof and rotates. The nip forming member contacts the surface of the image bearing member to form a transfer nip therebetween. The power source applies a transfer bias to the transfer nip to transfer the toner image from the image bearing member onto a recording medium interposed in the transfer nip. The transfer bias includes a superimposed transfer bias in which an alternating current (AC) component is superimposed on a direct current (DC) component and a polarity of the superimposed transfer bias changes with time. A phase difference between an AC voltage and an AC current output from the power source is equal to or less than 0.47 cycles. | 09-04-2014 |
20140270829 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETECTING BIAS TRANSFER ROLL POSITIONS USING RESISTANCE DETECTION - A system and method is provided for determining the location of one or more biased transfer rolls relative to associated photoreceptors in a printer. The one or more biased transfer rolls can be moved into contact with an intermediate transfer surface bringing the surface into contact with associated photoreceptors to form a closed biased transfer roll image transfer nip for transferring an image from the photoreceptor to the intermediate transfer surface. The open or closed condition of the biased transfer roll image transfer nip is determined by applying a constant current to the biased transfer roll and evaluating a voltage at the biased transfer roll. The open or closed condition of different image transfer nips can be determined in a similar manner. A plurality of biased transfer rolls can be ganged together for simultaneous movement with respect to associated photoreceptors to form a plurality of image transfer nips, the open and closed condition which can also be determined. | 09-18-2014 |
20140270830 | 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. | 09-18-2014 |
20140286660 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUSES AND METHODS THEREOF - Image forming apparatus and methods are disclosed which include an intermediate transfer member to transfer images to media, an impression roller including a gripping device to receive the media, and a determination module to determine the length of the media held by the at least one gripper unit based on respective detections by first and second set of sensors. | 09-25-2014 |
20140286661 | Image Forming Apparatus - An image forming apparatus is provided, which includes photoconductive drums arranged along a sheet conveyance direction, transfer bodies each disposed to face a corresponding one of the photoconductive drums, a fuser unit disposed downstream relative to a most downstream photoconductive drum in the sheet conveyance direction and configured to feed a sheet at a feeding speed lower than a feeding speed of the most downstream photoconductive drum, and a controller configured to, when the sheet is not in contact with any photoconductive drum but the most downstream photoconductive drum, perform a specific voltage applying mode to apply, to a most downstream transfer body in the sheet conveyance direction, a higher voltage than when the sheet is in contact with two or more photoconductive drums. | 09-25-2014 |
20140286662 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: a rotatable image bearing member; a transferring member that forms a transfer nip portion with the image bearing member; a voltage application section that applies a voltage to the transferring member in such a manner that a certain amount of current flows through the transferring member; and a control section that sets a front-end current to a current that flows through the transferring member when a voltage having a polarity opposite to a transfer polarity and an absolute value substantially the same as or greater than an absolute value of a surface potential of the image bearing member is applied to the transferring member, the control section controlling the voltage application section in such a manner that the set front-end current flows through the transferring member when a front-end portion of a recording sheet in a conveyance direction passes through the transfer nip portion. | 09-25-2014 |
20140294414 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing member; an electrostatic image forming unit; a developing device; an intermediary transfer member; a rotatable transfer member; a constant-voltage element; a power source; a cleaning device; an executing portion capable of executing a toner image collecting mode after jam clearance; and a controller for controlling said power source in the operation in the collecting mode so that a voltage of an identical polarity to a charge polarity of the toner is applied to the rotatable transfer member to transfer, onto the intermediary transfer member, the toner in an upstream-side end region of the toner image carried on the image bearing member with respect to the rotational direction of the image bearing member, and then a voltage of an opposite polarity to the charge polarity of the toner is applied to the rotatable transfer member. | 10-02-2014 |
20140314435 | TRANSFER DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCORPORATING SAME - A transfer device includes a transfer member and a bias applicator. The transfer member contacts a surface, on which a toner image is borne, of an image bearing body, to form a transfer nip. The bias applicator applies a DC voltage and an AC voltage as transfer bias to transfer the toner image on the image bearing body to a recording sheet in the transfer nip. The bias applicator applies a DC voltage having a same polarity as the DC voltage of the transfer bias and an AC voltage having an amplitude smaller than the AC voltage of the transfer bias or applies the DC voltage having the same polarity as the DC voltage of the transfer bias without applying an AC voltage, when an inter-sheet area that exists on the image bearing body passes through the transfer nip during a continuous image formation period. | 10-23-2014 |
20140328604 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier that carries a toner image; a transfer member that forms a transfer nip between the transfer member and the image carrier; and a power supply capable of outputting a superimposed transfer bias in which an alternating current component is superimposed onto a direct current component. The toner image on the image carrier is transferred onto a recording medium in the transfer nip by the superimposed transfer bias or a direct current bias consisting of the direct current component output by the power supply. The apparatus also includes a controller that controls the power supply so that an output target value of the direct current component when the direct current component rises up is larger than an output target value of the direct current component when the toner image is transferred onto the recording medium. | 11-06-2014 |
20140369706 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: a first image bearing member (drum); a second drum; a transfer belt; a first transfer member provided correspondingly to the first drum via the transfer belt; a second transfer member provided correspondingly to the second drum via the transfer belt; a high-voltage power source; and a controller. After an image is continuously formed on transfer materials by applying, to the first transfer member, a voltage of a predetermined polarity from the power source in a state that the first transfer member contacts the transfer belt and the second transfer member is spaced from the transfer belt, the controller executes an adjusting operation in which a voltage of a polarity opposite to the predetermined polarity is applied from the power source to the first transfer member in a state that the second transfer member is spaced from the transfer belt. | 12-18-2014 |
20140376937 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes image carriers that carry toner images; an intermediate transfer body that is brought into contact with the image carriers to carry the images before transferring them to a recording material; first transfer devices that include first transfer members and form first-transfer electric fields for transferring the images on the image carriers to the intermediate transfer body; a second transfer device that includes a second transfer member and forms a second-transfer electric field for transferring the images transferred to the intermediate transfer body to the recording material; and an adjusting device that adjusts an electric field to be formed in a second transfer area to a cleaning electric field, which is of the same polarity as and a lower intensity than the second-transfer electric field, when the images on the intermediate transfer body passes through the second transfer area without a recording material passing therethrough. | 12-25-2014 |
20150016833 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - In a constitution of primary-transfer-high-voltage-less in which a power source dedicated to primary-transfer, in the case where voltage applications for determining primary-transfer and secondary-transfer voltages are carried out concurrently, there is a possibility of improper primary-transfer. The possibility is decreased by controlling a power source so that a voltage drop of a Zener diode maintains a Zener breakdown voltage. | 01-15-2015 |
20150023678 | IMAGE FORMING DEVICE - An image forming device has multiple image forming units that form developing agent images, an intermediate transfer member to which developing agent images are transferred from selected image forming units, and a transfer member for transferring the developing agent images from the intermediate transfer member to a recording medium, using a voltage supplied from a voltage supply unit. The voltage supply unit varies the voltage supplied to the transfer member, either before or after or both before and after the developing agent images are transferred from the intermediate transfer member to the recording medium, according to the number of selected image forming units or their disposition. | 01-22-2015 |
20150023679 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - In a constitution in which a power source exclusively for primary-transfer is omitted and a predetermined voltage is generated in an intermediary transfer member, in a test mode in which a test voltage is applied to a secondary-transfer member in advance in order to obtain a proper secondary transfer voltage, in the case where the test voltage is low, a proper secondary-transfer voltage cannot be obtained in some cases. In a period of the test mode, the power source is controlled in order to maintain a Zener breakdown voltage, so that the proper secondary-transfer voltage can be obtained. | 01-22-2015 |
20150023680 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - In a constitution in which a power source exclusively for primary transfer is omitted and a predetermined voltage is generated in an intermediary transfer member by a constant-voltage element, a high power source voltage more than necessary is applied in order to avoid primary transfer defect, so that a transfer member is deteriorated by energization in some cases. By detecting a current flowing into the constant-voltage element, it becomes possible to obtain a minimum power source voltage at which the intermediary transfer member is capable of maintaining a predetermined voltage, so that it is possible to avoid the energization deterioration of the transfer member. | 01-22-2015 |
20150023681 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A controller controls a voltage to be applied to the transfer member when there is a recording material having a predetermined largest width at a secondary-transfer position, so that a constant-voltage element maintains a predetermined voltage, whereby it is possible to prevent transfer defect due to short of a primary-transfer electric field at a primary-transfer portion when a toner image is secondary-transferred onto the recording material. | 01-22-2015 |
20150030342 | TRANSFER DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A transfer device includes a first-transfer power supply that includes a direct-current power supply and an alternating-current power supply, and a first-transfer member that transfers a toner image formed on an outer peripheral surface of an image carrier to a receiving member from which the toner image is transferred to a medium. The first-transfer member transfers the toner image by receiving a voltage from the first-transfer power supply. | 01-29-2015 |
20150078775 | Image Forming Apparatus Ensuring Calibration of Transfer Unit - An image forming apparatus includes: a transfer unit, a reflectance sensor, a time-series data acquiring unit, and a transfer-unit rotation-time calculating unit. The time-series data acquiring unit is configured to acquire time-series data with respect to the image carrier background-portion reflectance, measured by the reflectance sensor, as reference data over a time period twice longer than a time period that by design the image carrier requires for one cycle, and as advance/delay data over a time period twice longer than a time period longer or shorter in multiples of a predetermined time interval than the by-design time period. The transfer-unit rotation-time calculating unit is configured to calculate a one-cycle-time calculation value that is the time actually required for one cycle of the image carrier, based on the reference data and the advance/delay data acquired by the time-series data acquiring unit. | 03-19-2015 |
20150093133 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - In an image forming apparatus including a power source for forming a secondary-transfer electric field at a secondary-transfer position and for forming a primary-transfer electric field at a primary-transfer position by applying a voltage to a transfer member to pass a current through a constant-voltage element, a potential of an image portion is controlled depending on a detection result of a detecting member. | 04-02-2015 |
20150110510 | TRANSFER DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - Provided is a transfer device including a transfer roll that interposes a sheet transported to a transfer unit to transfer the toner image to the sheet, a power supply that generates a voltage between the transfer roll and the image holding member, and a control unit that causes the power supply to generate a transfer voltage, a resistance detection voltage having a same polarity as a polarity of the transfer voltage, and a cleaning voltage having a polarity reverse to the polarity of the transfer voltage, wherein the control unit causes the power supply to generate the transfer voltage in a transfer interval, in a continuous traveling mode, and generates the resistance detection voltage and the cleaning voltage in a non-arriving interval while switching a single interval ratio which is a generation time ratio in the non-arriving interval between the resistance detection voltage and the cleaning voltage. | 04-23-2015 |
20150110511 | Image Forming Apparatus Having Conveying Body and Transfer Units - An image forming apparatus includes a second transfer unit, and a control device. If a prescribed condition is satisfied, the control device sets a transfer current value for the second transfer unit so that an absolute value of a difference between the first current value and a second current value is greater than an absolute value of a difference between a third current value and a fourth current value. The first current value is set in a black-white mode, in which an image is formed by using black toner only, under the prescribed condition; the second current value is set if the prescribed condition is unsatisfied in the black-white mode; the third current value is set in a multi color mode, in which an multi-color image is formed, under the prescribed condition; and the fourth current value is set if the prescribe condition is unsatisfied in the multi color mode. | 04-23-2015 |
20150309444 | Method and System for Adjusting a Gap between Rollers of a Printer in Accordance with a Media or Image Length - The invention relates to a method for adjusting a gap in a printing system in which a first roller and a second roller are provided, wherein at least one of said first roller and said second roller comprises a seam, said seam corresponding to a variation of the diameter of said first roller and said second roller, respectively, along a circumference thereof. An interaction zone is provided, wherein said second roller is in rolling contact with said first roller under pressure, said interaction zone defining a gap for inserting a media to be printed. A size of said gap is controlled by varying a relative position of said first roller and said second roller when said at least one seam passes through said interaction zone, and said gap is adjusted in accordance with a length of said media to be printed and/or in accordance with a length of an image to be printed. | 10-29-2015 |
20150309446 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, TRANSFER CURRENT CONTROL METHOD AND STORAGE MEDIUM - An image forming apparatus comprises a transfer belt that is stretched over a plurality of rollers to be circumferentially moved, a transfer roller, a transfer power supply, etc., and transfers a toner image formed on an image carrying member to a recording medium using the transfer belt. The image forming apparatus comprises a transfer current control unit that measures a use situation of the transfer belt and controls a transfer current to be supplied to the transfer roller based on the use situation. Since re-transfer of a toner is prevented by controlling the transfer current that flows into the transfer roller based on the use situation of the transfer belt, it is possible to prevent, without extending preliminary operation time of the transfer belt, a poor image due to a contact trace that occurs on the transfer belt. | 10-29-2015 |
20150338791 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a control portion that controls, before performing continuous image formation on a plurality of transfer materials, a voltage to be applied to a primary transfer member for primary transfer during the continuous image formation, and a correction unit that corrects the primary transfer voltage during the continuous image formation. The correction unit can perform a first mode for controlling the primary transfer voltage according to a target value determined by the control portion, and a second mode for changing the target value and controlling the primary transfer voltage according to the changed value. The control portion performs the first mode if a detected electric resistance is a first value or lower, or a second value, greater than the first value, or higher, and performs the second mode if the resistance is higher than the first value and lower than the second value. | 11-26-2015 |
20150338792 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer to bear a toner image, a toner image forming device to form the toner image on the image bearer, a nip forming device to contact the image bearer to form a transfer nip between the image bearer and the nip forming device, a transfer bias output device to output a transfer bias including a DC component and an AC component to transfer the toner image from the image bearer onto a recording medium interposed in the transfer nip, and a controller operatively connected to the transfer bias output device to adjust a frequency f of the AC component of the transfer bias in accordance with an image area ratio A such that the frequency f is at its minimum with a predetermined image area ratio Amin %, where Amin % is greater than 0 but lower than an image area ratio of a solid image. | 11-26-2015 |
20150346623 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD FOR FORMING A TRANSPARENT TONER IMAGE AND A COLOR IMAGE - An image forming apparatus according to an embodiment Includes a first image forming unit that forms a transparent toner image and a second, image footing unit that forms a color toner image. The transparent toner image and the color toner image are transferred onto an intermediate transfer belt. A secondary transfer unit transfers the toner images from the intermediate transfer belt to a recording sodium. A control unit controls the first image forming unit and. the second image forming unit so that the transparent toner image is formed before the color toner image is formed when the recording medium is a specialty paper having an adhesive. | 12-03-2015 |
20150346647 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a toner receiving member, and a toner receiver driving section. The toner receiving member supplements toner of a correction patch that falls from and spatters from an intermediate transfer belt. A toner receiver driving section movably supports the toner receiving member. A control section inserts the toner receiving member between a sheet-side transfer roller and the intermediate transfer belt when the sheet-side transfer roller is spaced apart from the intermediate transfer belt. | 12-03-2015 |
20150346649 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image carriers, an intermediate transfer belt, a plurality of transfer rollers, a print control portion, and a contact pressure control portion. The plurality of transfer rollers are provided in such a way as to be in contact with the intermediate transfer belt at positions respectively corresponding to the image carriers. The print control portion executes a print process in a first print mode or a second print mode that are set in advance. The contact pressure control portion, when the print process is executed in the first print mode, reduces a contact pressure of one or more transfer rollers that are, among the plurality of transfer rollers, disposed on a downstream side in a conveyance direction of the intermediate transfer belt, to be lower than a contact pressure in the second print mode. | 12-03-2015 |
20150346650 | TRANSFER DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCLUDING SAME - A transfer device includes an image bearer to bear a toner image, a nip forming device to contact the image bearer to form a transfer nip, a transfer bias power source including a direct current (DC) power source and an alternating current (AC) power source electrically connected to each other to output a transfer bias including at least one of a DC bias and a superimposed bias to transfer the toner image from the image bearer onto a recording medium interposed in the transfer nip, a contact-and-separation device to cause the image bearer and the nip forming device to contact and separate from each other, and a controller to control the contact-and-separation device to increase a size of a space between the image bearer and the nip forming device upon transfer using the superimposed bias such that the space is larger than the space upon transfer using the DC bias. | 12-03-2015 |
20150346652 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer; a transfer rotator to contact the image bearer to form a transfer nip therebetween; a bias application device to apply, to the transfer rotator, a transfer bias, a cleaning bias to remove toner adhering to the transfer rotator, and a non-image area bias smaller in absolute value than the cleaning bias; and a controller to control the bias application device and set a sheet feeding interval according to a predetermined condition. When the sheet feeding interval exceeds a predetermined threshold, the controller causes the bias application device to apply, to the transfer rotator, the non-image area bias for an application time Z and the cleaning bias for a time X−Z within the sheet feeding interval when X represents the sheet feeding interval, and the application time Z is increased as the sheet feeding interval is increased. | 12-03-2015 |
20150362867 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A CPU for controlling a first motor for rotating and driving a photoconductive drum and a second motor for rotating and driving an intermediate transfer belt determines the rotation speed of the photoconductive drum at the time of image formation on the basis of information on a load torque of the second motor detected when the second motor is driven at a predetermined rotation speed and the rotation speed of the first motor is gradually changed in a state where no high voltage is applied to a primary transfer roller and information on a load torque of the second motor detected when the second motor is driven at a predetermined rotation speed and the rotation speed of the first motor is gradually changed in a state where a high voltage is applied to the primary transfer roller. | 12-17-2015 |
20150362870 | IMAGE FORMING DEVICE - An image forming device capable of performing both-side printing, statically transferring, by application of a transfer voltage, an unfixed image formed on an image carrier to a recording sheet when passing through a transfer position, and then thermally fixing the unfixed image when the recording sheet passes through a fixing position where a heating rotating body is disposed. The image forming device acquires an index value of a water content at each of a plurality of sheet-passing-direction positions of the recording sheet having undergone thermal fixing of an unfixed image statically transferred onto a first side thereof, and controls, for each of the positions, a transfer voltage applied for statically transferring an unfixed image onto a second side of the recording sheet, so that the lower the water content indexed by the index value of the position, the greater an absolute value of the transfer voltage. | 12-17-2015 |
20150362871 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME - An image forming apparatus includes: a photosensitive roller on which surface is formed an electrostatic latent image that is developed using a developer; a transfer roller for transferring the image developed on the surface of the photosensitive roller to a medium; an applying unit that applies voltage to the transfer roller; a current detecting unit that detects current flowing from the applying unit via the transfer roller and photosensitive roller; and a control unit that causes the applying unit to apply voltages of a first and a second voltage value, and determines a voltage value to be applied by the applying unit to transfer the image to the medium, using a difference between a first current value and a second current value which are current values obtained by the current detecting unit which are based on the first and second voltage values, respectively. | 12-17-2015 |
20150370200 | IMAGE FORMATION DEVICE - An image formation device comprises: a first image carrier for a first developer image; a second image carrier for a second developer image; an intermediate transfer body opposed to the first image carrier and the second image carrier; a first transfer unit to transfer the first developer image to the intermediate transfer body; a second transfer unit to transfer the second developer image onto the first developer image transferred onto the intermediate transfer body; a third transfer unit to transfer, to a recording medium, the first and second developer images transferred onto the intermediate transfer body; and a control unit to control a value of a voltage to be applied to each of the first and second transfer units, according to a type of the recording medium. | 12-24-2015 |
20150378284 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a transfer device to transfer a toner image onto a recording medium with a transfer bias applied thereto, a recording medium conveyor to deliver the recording medium to a transfer region while controlling an alignment of the recording medium having entered the transfer region in alignment control, and a transfer bias controller to obtain a toner adhesion amount information on a post-alignment-control toner image that passes through the transfer region after the recording medium is free from the alignment control, and to reduce, when the toner adhesion amount per unit area is less than a predetermined amount, the transfer bias after the alignment control is released to a level less than that of a transfer bias that is applied when the toner image having a same toner adhesion amount passes through the transfer region before the recording medium is free from the alignment control. | 12-31-2015 |
20150378298 | ITERATIVE LEARNING CONTROL FOR MOTION ERROR REDUCTION - An apparatus for reducing registration errors in a media handling device. The apparatus including an image-bearing member having sheets individually pass across the image-bearing member. Each sheet pass corresponds to one of a series of iterations between the image-bearing member and the sheets. The image-bearing member is operatively coupled to a controller for regulation motion of the image-bearing member. The controller receives input signals representing at least one measured disturbance. Each disturbance being defined by a pattern of image-bearing member movement away from and substantially returning to a reference state of motion. A repetition of the pattern being coincident with at least one of the iterations, wherein based on the measured disturbance, the reference state and an indication associated with when the pattern will repeat, a modified signal is generated for the actuator to adjust the image-bearing member motion in coordination with the indication. | 12-31-2015 |
20160018763 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM - An image forming apparatus includes a first toner image forming unit including a rotatable photosensitive drum and a charger and configured to form a first toner image on the drum, the charger being supplied with a DC voltage to charge; a movable intermediary transfer member supplied with a transferring current for transferring the first image from the drum onto the transfer member, the transfer member carrying a second toner image at a position upstream of the transfer portion; and a switching portion for switching a mode from a first mode in which a maximum toner deposition amount of the second image fed to the transfer portion and a transfer current supplied to the transfer member are set at respective standard levels to a second mode in which the toner deposition amount and the transferring current are set at respective predetermined levels which are different from the standard levels. | 01-21-2016 |
20160033917 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a development device, an electrostatic transfer device, a stopping period measuring part, a driving period measuring part, a toner consumption amount measuring part, an environment measuring part and a transferring bias adjusting part. The driving period measuring part measures a driving period in which the development device is driven in order to form the toner image. The transferring bias adjusting part adjusts the transferring bias on the basis of the stopping period measured by the stopping period measuring part, the driving period measured by the driving period measuring part, the toner consumption amount measured by the toner consumption amount measuring part and the condition of the surrounding environment measured by the environment measuring part. | 02-04-2016 |
20160041509 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus is provided in which, during a continuous sheet passing, in the case where a between-sheets time is short, none of a cleaning mode and a drive OFF mode is performed; in the case where the between-sheets time is of a medium length of time, the cleaning mode is performed but the drive OFF mode is not performed; and in the case where the between-sheets time is long, both the cleaning mode and the drive OFF mode are performed. As a result, degradation of an image bearer due to the cleaning bias is alleviated, decreased productivity due to the cleaning mode is alleviated, a problem is alleviated in which a back surface of a recording medium gets dirty due to toner adhered to a transfer rotation body, and another problem is alleviated in which the service life of a driven member is shortened. | 02-11-2016 |
20160041510 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing member; a voltage source; a fixing device including a rotatable member; an executing portion for executing an operation in a both-side mode; and a setting portion. The setting portion sets a transfer voltage in the operation for a second surface so that an absolute value of the transfer voltage when a recording material region which starts from a downstreammost end position and which passed through a fixing portion through first one full circumference of the rotatable member when the toner image is fixed on a first surface passes through the transfer portion is larger than an absolute value of the transfer voltage when a recording material region passed through the fixing portion through second one full circumference of the rotatable member when the toner image is fixed on the first surface passes through the transfer portion. | 02-11-2016 |
20160048096 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - In an image forming apparatus that performs primary transfer by allowing a current to flow to an intermediate transfer belt in the circumferential direction of the belt, the image forming apparatus has a control unit that can execute a second mode in which a second current amount which is larger than a first current amount is supplied from a current supply unit to an intermediate transfer belt and a toner image is primarily transferred only from a first photosensitive body to the intermediate transfer belt. The control unit can adjust surface potentials of the first photosensitive body and a second photosensitive body, and makes the absolute value of the surface potential of the second photosensitive body less than the absolute value of the surface potential of the first photosensitive body when the second mode is executed. | 02-18-2016 |
20160077468 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing member; a toner image forming unit; a belt member; a transfer member; a transfer voltage source for generating a voltage applied to the transfer member; an obtaining portion for obtaining information on an electric resistance of the belt member; a detecting member for optically detecting a test toner image formed on the image bearing member and transferred on the belt member; and an executing portion for executing, on the basis of a detection result of the test toner image by the detecting member, an adjusting operation for adjusting an image forming condition of the toner image forming unit. The executing portion sets, on the basis of the information, a voltage applied to the transfer member when the test toner image is transferred onto the belt member in the adjusting operation. | 03-17-2016 |
20160077469 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a transfer section, a transfer bias applying section, a conveyance section, an element, a current measurement section, and a control section. The transfer section forms, in conjunction with the image bearing member, a pressing part where a recording medium is pressed. The transfer bias applying section supplies transfer current to the transfer section to apply a transfer bias to the transfer section. The element conducts when a voltage equal to or greater than a prescribed value is applied thereto. The current measurement section measures a value of leak current. The leak current is a current flowing through the element. The control section controls a value of the transfer current. The control section changes the absolute value of the transfer current based on the absolute value of the leak current. | 03-17-2016 |
20160077470 | Image Forming Apparatus - An image forming apparatus has an image carrier that carries a toner image; a transfer member that is opposed to the image carrier, a transfer voltage being applied to the transfer member so that the toner image is transferred from the image carrier to a print medium passing between the transfer member and the image carrier; a first voltage application device that applies the transfer voltage to the transfer member; a separation member to which a separation voltage is applied so that the print medium is separated from the image carrier; a second voltage application device that applies the separation voltage to the separation member; a sensing device that senses an image density of the toner image; and a control section that controls a magnitude of the separation voltage based upon the image density of the toner image. | 03-17-2016 |
20160091816 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image forming station, an intermediate transfer body, a transfer device, a transfer pressure applicator, and a controller. The image forming station forms a toner image. The toner image formed by the image forming station is transferred onto the intermediate transfer body. The transfer device transfers the toner image from the intermediate transfer body onto a recording medium. The transfer pressure applicator applies a secondary transfer pressure to the recording medium upon transfer of the toner image and to apply a lower secondary transfer pressure upon transfer of a toner image including a special color toner than that upon transfer of a toner image without the special color toner. The controller is operatively connected to the transfer pressure applicator to control the transfer pressure applicator. | 03-31-2016 |
20160091834 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A controller measures a stop duration time when an intermediate transfer belt and a secondary transfer belt are stopped, and based on a measurement result, rotates and stops the intermediate transfer belt such that the stretched position by stretch rollers of the intermediate transfer belt is changed. At the same time, the controller rotates and stops the secondary transfer belt such that a stretched position by stretch rollers of the secondary transfer belt is changed. A time from starting to stopping the rotation of the intermediate transfer belt and a time from starting to stopping the rotation of the secondary transfer belt are overlapped with the other. | 03-31-2016 |
20160109831 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer to bear a toner image on a surface thereof, a transfer device to contact the image bearer to form a transfer nip, and a power source to output a voltage to transfer the toner image from the image bearer onto a recording medium interposed at the transfer nip. The voltage including a first voltage in a transfer direction in which the toner image is transferred from the image bearer to the recording medium and a second voltage having a polarity opposite that of the first voltage. The first voltage and the second voltage alternate upon transfer of the toner image from the image bearer to the recording medium. The power source is configured to output the voltage that is superimposed a plurality of the alternating current voltage having a basic waveform, and a waveform of the voltage is biased in the transferring direction. | 04-21-2016 |
20160116866 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - In a constitution of primary-transfer-high-voltage-less in which a power source dedicated to primary-transfer, in the case where voltage applications for determining primary-transfer and secondary-transfer voltages are carried out concurrently, there is a possibility of improper primary-transfer. The possibility is decreased by controlling a power source so that a voltage drop of a Zener diode maintains a Zener breakdown voltage. | 04-28-2016 |
20160124353 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, a charging member for electrically charging the photosensitive member to a first polarity, an intermediary transfer belt, a transfer member, a constant-voltage element, a voltage source, and a controller for executing an adjusting operation for applying at least a voltage of a second polarity, opposite to the first polarity from the voltage source to the transfer member during non-image formation in which both of primary transfer and secondary transfer are not effected. When the voltage of the second polarity is applied from the voltage source to the transfer member in the adjusting operation, the controller continuously applies the voltage for a time corresponding to a substantially integer multiple of a time required for one full turn of the photosensitive member. | 05-05-2016 |
20160124354 | Image Forming Apparatus - An image forming apparatus includes a belt, a plurality of image forming devices including a photosensitive member, a developing device, a transfer device and a blade, and a control device configured to form a pattern image on a first photosensitive member, when an image to be printed on a sheet is not formed, by applying a developing voltage to a first developing device, an absolute value thereof is greater than that when an image to be printed on a sheet is formed, transfer the pattern image onto the belt and apply a transfer voltage or transfer current having the same polarity as that applied to a second transfer device when an image to be printed on a sheet is formed to the second transfer device when the pattern image to be conveyed by the belt passes the second transfer device. | 05-05-2016 |
20160124355 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive drum; a charger; an intermediary transfer belt; a transfer member; a constant voltage element; a switch for selectively providing a first state using the constant voltage element and a second state not using the constant voltage element; a voltage source for applying a current to the constant voltage element by applying a voltage of a second polarity opposite the first polarity to the transfer member to form a secondary electric field in the secondary-transfer position and a primary electric field in the primary transfer position; and a controller for executing an adjustment applying the second polarity voltage to the transfer member when neither the primary-transfer operation nor the secondary-transfer is carried out, wherein the controller provides the second state using the switching portion in a period in which the second polarity voltage is applied to the transfer member. | 05-05-2016 |
20160147183 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A control unit changes the polarity of a potential of an intermediate transfer member in a primary transfer portion by changing the polarity of voltage to be applied to a secondary transfer member, and applies first voltage in a first step of forming an image on a recording material by transferring a toner image. A detection device detects the presence/absence of the recording material at a timing when a rear end of the toner image reaches a second position which is upstream of a secondary transfer portion on a conveyance path of the toner image. The control unit determines a timing to switch the voltage to be applied to the secondary transfer member from the first voltage to second voltage having polarity opposite to that of the first voltage, based on the detection result by the detection device. | 05-26-2016 |
20160154334 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS WITH PHOTOCONDUCTOR DRUM PRESERVATION | 06-02-2016 |
20160154347 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS | 06-02-2016 |
20160161887 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer, a toner image forming device, a nip forming device, a power source, a controller, and a temperature-and-humidity detector. The toner image forming device forms a toner image on the image bearer. The nip forming device contacts the image bearer to form a transfer nip. The power source outputs a transfer bias, in which an alternating current component is superimposed on a direct current component, to transfer the toner image onto a recording medium interposed in the transfer nip. The temperature-and-humidity detector detects a temperature and humidity. The controller controls the power source to output the transfer bias including the direct current component with a smaller absolute value as at least one of the detected temperature and humidity increases. | 06-09-2016 |
20160161888 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a belt-shaped image bearer; a transfer device disposed opposing to the image bearer; an opposed device disposed opposing to the transfer device; and a transfer bias power source. The image bearer is disposed along an outer circumferential surface of the transfer device at at least one of an upstream side and a downstream side of the transfer portion in a direction of conveyance of the recording medium. The transfer bias power source cyclically alternates the transfer bias applied to the transfer portion, between a transfer directional bias in a transfer direction to transfer the toner image from the image bearer onto the recording medium and a reverse directional bias in a reverse direction of the transfer direction. The transfer bias power source applies the reverse directional bias during a time period longer than | 06-09-2016 |
20160179037 | IMAGE FORMATION APPARATUS | 06-23-2016 |
20160187845 | Image Forming Apparatus and Control Method - An image forming apparatus includes a transfer device configured to transfer a developer image carried on an image carrier to a recording sheet, a humidity obtaining device configured to obtain a humidity, and a controller configured to apply a transfer voltage to the transfer device and change the transfer voltage on the basis of a transfer impedance and the humidity, the transfer impedance being obtained from the transfer voltage and a transfer current flowing through the transfer device while the recording sheet passes the transfer device. | 06-30-2016 |
20160195837 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS | 07-07-2016 |
20160202641 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS | 07-14-2016 |
20160202642 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS | 07-14-2016 |
20160202652 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS | 07-14-2016 |
20160252851 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS | 09-01-2016 |
20160252861 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS | 09-01-2016 |
20160378024 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image carriers, an intermediate transfer body, a plurality of primary transfer members, a secondary transfer member, a first guide member, and a controller. The first guide member guides a recording medium along a conveying direction. The controller controls a primary transfer bias and a secondary transfer bias. A plurality of the primary transfer members include an upstream side primary transfer member and a downstream side primary transfer member. The controller makes an absolute value of the primary transfer bias applied to the downstream side primary transfer member larger than an absolute value of the primary transfer bias applied to the upstream side primary transfer member. The controller lowers an absolute value of the secondary transfer bias when the recording medium separates from the first guide member. | 12-29-2016 |
20160378026 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - Provided is an image forming apparatus, wherein when it is predicted that a surface potential of at least one of a plurality of photosensitive drums becomes less than the predetermined potential, whenever transfer of toner images corresponding to a predetermined number of sheets is completed by a plurality of transfer rollers, continuous print is interrupted for a predetermined time, a voltage with a polarity equal to a polarity of toner is applied to the plurality of transfer rollers by a power supply or the application of the voltage to the plurality of transfer rollers is stopped during the predetermined time. | 12-29-2016 |
20170235256 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM AND IMAGE FORMING CONDITION CONTROLLING METHOD | 08-17-2017 |
20170235258 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD | 08-17-2017 |
20180024474 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND TRANSFER DEVICE | 01-25-2018 |
20180024496 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING TRANSFER POWER THEREOF | 01-25-2018 |