Exposure Or Charging (e.g., Fatigue Treatment) Patents (Class 399/128)
  • Patent number: 11720047
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transfer belt and a plurality of image forming units. The image forming unit includes a photosensitive drum and a charge elimination part. The charge elimination part of a predetermined image forming unit irradiates a downstream area of the primary transfer position on the photosensitive drum of the predetermined image forming unit with post-transfer charge elimination light and irradiates an upstream area of a primary transfer position on the photosensitive drum of the other image forming unit disposed on a downstream side of the predetermined image forming unit in the conveyance direction. A slit part is provided between the predetermined image forming unit and the other image forming unit for narrowing an irradiation width of the pre-transfer charge elimination light in a circumferential direction of the photosensitive drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Riku Minamoto, Takashi Kusukawa
  • Patent number: 11630412
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive drum, a charging roller, a development device, a transfer roller, a first electricity eliminator and a controller. The photosensitive drum is provided on a conveyance path along which a sheet is conveyed. The charging roller charges the photosensitive drum. The development device develops an electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum charged by the charging roller. The transfer roller faces the photosensitive drum across the conveyance path and generates a transfer bias. The first electricity eliminator irradiates the photosensitive drum with light on a downstream side of the development device in a rotational direction of the photosensitive drum and on an upstream side of the transfer roller in the rotational direction. The controller which controls the first electricity eliminator so as to irradiate only a non-sheet passing area of the photosensitive drum with the light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Kiyotaka Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 11537060
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier that carries an image developed by a developer; an exposure part that has plural light-emitting parts that are shifted from one another so as to face the image carrier and in each of which plural light-emitting elements are aligned and forms an electrostatic latent image on the image carrier by exposing the image carrier to light; and plural density detection parts that are disposed at positions corresponding to substantially central positions of the plural light-emitting parts and at positions corresponding to end portions closer to end portions of the image carrier among end portions of two light-emitting parts disposed close to the end portions of the image carrier among the plural light-emitting parts and detect a density of an image obtained by developing the electrostatic latent image on the image carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Kenji Hara, Yuma Motegi
  • Patent number: 11397401
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image holding section that includes a photoconductor having a surface protection layer; a charging section that charges a surface of the image holding section with a direct current potential; an exposure section that exposes the surface of the image holding section charged by the charging section to form an electrostatic latent image; a developing section that develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the image holding section; a transfer section that electrostatically transfers a visible image formed on the image holding section to a transfer medium; an exposure static elimination section that eliminates a residual charge of the image holding section by using the exposure section when image formation on the image holding section is stopped; a transfer static elimination section that eliminates the residual charge of the image holding section by using at least the transfer section when the image formation on the image holding section is stopped; and a switching
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventor: Kazunari Yamagishi
  • Patent number: 11314194
    Abstract: A lighting device includes a light source, a light guide, a light guide cover, and a unit frame. The light guide is in a bar form and, while guiding light that has entered from the light source along the axial direction, sends forth the light. The light guide cover holds the light guide. The light guide cover is attached to a unit frame. The light guide cover includes a main body portion and a plurality of light guide holding portions provided along the longitudinal direction of the main body portion and holding the light guide at a plurality of places, and a plurality of guide engaging portions provided along the longitudinal direction of the main body portion. The unit frame has a cover fitting face to which the light guide cover is fitted and a plurality of cover guides with which a plurality of guide engaging portions engage respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventors: Masahiro Ueno, Hiroaki Ohashi, Hirofumi Tsuji, Hiroaki Takai, Yasutaka Hashimoto, Tomoyasu Yamada
  • Patent number: 11163260
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, a light source, a light guiding unit including a light guiding member, a casing portion provided with a first through-hole, and a sheet-like elastic member provided with a second through-hole. The light guiding unit penetrates the first through-hole and the second through-hole, and one end portion of the light guiding unit opposes the light source and is positioned inside the casing portion. At a flat surface of the light guiding unit perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the light guiding unit, an area of the second through-hole is smaller than an area of the light guiding unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Go Katsumata
  • Patent number: 10809657
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit composed with a photosensitive body, a cleaning part, a charging part, and a development part, an exposure part, a control part, a sensor, a voltage application part and an exposure control part. Wherein in a state where the exposure part is suspended in order not to form an electrostatic latent image, the control part applies a charging voltage, a development voltage, and a transfer voltage, and afterwards executes a light exposure detection process using the sensor, and if a developer image of threshold, which indicates that a light exposure occurred, is detected, the control part executes a cleaning sequence of the photosensitive body using the cleaning part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Bing Han
  • Patent number: 10728970
    Abstract: A driving circuit apparatus, including: a power converter, a reference light source, a light shield member, a luminance detection element, a comparison circuit, and a controller. The power converter outputs a driving voltage to drive a light string to emit light. The driving voltage continuously increases toward a maximum value. One end of the reference light source is electrically connected to the light string, and the other end is electrically grounded. The light shield member has an opaque chamber, and the reference light source and luminance detection element are disposed in the chamber. The comparison circuit receives a luminance signal from the detection element and determines whether the luminance signal strength is greater than a reference signal strength. When the luminance signal strength is greater than the reference signal strength, the controller sends an interrupt signal to the power converter to set an output value of the driving voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: Blooming International Limited
    Inventor: Shu-Fa Shao
  • Patent number: 10656548
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a photoreceptor; a charging member that charges the photoreceptor; a charging power supply that outputs an AC bias as a charging bias to be applied to the charging member during image formation, and outputs a DC bias as the charging bias during a non-image forming operation, the AC bias being obtained by superimposing an alternating current voltage and a direct current voltage, the image formation forming a latent image, the DC bias being a direct current voltage, the non-image forming operation rotating and driving the photoreceptor; a processor that performs predetermined processing on the photoreceptor; and a controller that controls the charging power supply and the processor such that a value of a potential difference of the photoreceptor before and after being charged by the DC bias is a value equal to or less than a setting value during the non-image forming operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Tsugihito Yoshiyama, Masayasu Haga, Sayaka Morita, Kunitomo Sasaki
  • Patent number: 10627730
    Abstract: An image forming method forms an image by performing charging, exposing, developing, and transferring in a rotation direction of a rotationally driven photoreceptor, wherein the charging is performed by a roller charging method, exposing a surface of the photoreceptor to light and eliminating charges on the surface of the photoreceptor are included between the developing and the transferring, the photoreceptor includes at least a charge transporting layer and a protective layer laminated on the charge transporting layer on a conductive support, and energy of light for irradiation in the exposing the surface of the photoreceptor to light is in a range of 0.0001 to 500 ?W/mm2 on the surface of the photoreceptor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Kuramochi
  • Patent number: 10459395
    Abstract: A third contact portion contacts a first contact portion when a drum cartridge moves from first to second guide position. A fourth contact portion contacts a second contact portion when the drum cartridge moves from second to third guide position. When the drum cartridge moves from the first guide position to the second guide position, due to contact of the first contact portion with the third contact portion, the first cover located at the first position rotationally moves in a same rotational direction as the particular rotational direction to be located at the second position. When the drum cartridge moves from the second guide position to the third guide position, due to contact of the second contact portion with the fourth contact portion, the drum cartridge moves from the second guide position to the third guide position in a state where the first cover is kept at the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shougo Sato, Yasuo Fukamachi
  • Patent number: 10331062
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device that includes a heater to heat a fixing rotator, an opposed rotator to press against the fixing rotator to form a fixing nip therebetween, and at least one rotary body to convey a recording medium to the fixing nip. A controller rotates the fixing rotator in a forward direction to fix a toner image on the recording medium. The controller stops the heater and rotates the fixing rotator in a predetermined rotation direction when a failure occurs while the fixing device is activated. The controller determines that the predetermined rotation direction is the forward direction or a backward direction according to the at least one rotary body that sandwiches the recording medium, if the fixing nip and the at least one rotary body sandwich the recording medium simultaneously when the failure occurs while the fixing device is activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Kenji Ishii, Hiroyuki Shimada, Ippei Fujimoto, Takashi Seto, Takayuki Seki, Kazunari Sawada
  • Patent number: 10248044
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transfer belt rotating in a rotational direction, photosensitive drums, primary transferring parts, static eliminating parts and cleaning parts. The static eliminating part is arranged between the primary transferring part and the cleaning part, and includes a light guide body and a light source arranged at one end side of the light guide body. The static eliminating part irradiates upstream and downstream sides from the light guide body in the rotational direction with the static eliminating light. The image forming apparatus comprises a first light shading part and/or a second light shading part. The first/second light shading part is arranged between the photosensitive drum at a downstream/upstream side from the light guide body in the rotational direction and the light guide body to adjust pre-transfer/post-transfer static eliminating light quantity from the light guide body to the downstream/upstream side photosensitive drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Hironobu Oi, Teruhiko Nagashima
  • Patent number: 10191407
    Abstract: In one example, a method is described that includes a processor detecting a voltage of a photoconductor layer (103) of a printing device, comparing the voltage of the photoconductor layer (103) to a threshold voltage, and applying a corrective voltage to a charging unit (110) or to a transfer member (104) when the voltage of the photoconductor layer (103) exceeds the threshold voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: HP Indigo B.V.
    Inventors: Sasi Moalem, Shmuel Borenstain, Amit Levi, Ronen Friedman, Moshe Issic
  • Patent number: 10168636
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a charging member; a light source that includes light source elements and that radiates charge-eliminating light toward the charging member; a processing member that performs a process on the charging member; a function member provided to enable the process of the processing member and disposed between the light source and the charging member, the function member facing a radiation path of the charge-eliminating light and extending in an arrangement direction of the light source elements; and an adjusting portion formed on a surface of the function member that faces the radiation path, the adjusting portion adjusting an amount of irradiation of the charging member by the charge-eliminating light so as to reduce a difference in the amount of irradiation between regions corresponding to arrangement positions of the light source elements and regions between the light source elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kazuyasu Ohazama
  • Patent number: 10048640
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a temperature/humidity sensor 112 for detecting temperature/humidity information and a controller 101 for executing, on the basis of information detected by this detecting means, an operation in a control mode in which charging by a corona charger 2 and discharging by a discharging means 9 are carried out while rotating a photosensitive member after end of cleaning by the cleaning means and before image formation is started.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masami Hano
  • Patent number: 9989880
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a charging member, a light source, and a light quantity lowering member. The light quantity lowering member is provided so that a lowering amount of a quantity of a part of light reflected by a surface of a member at each of end portions of a charging region where the surface of the image bearing member is charged by the charging member is larger than that at a portion inside an associated end portion with respect to a rotational axis direction of the image bearing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koichiro Masui, Nobuyoshi Yoshida
  • Patent number: 9927730
    Abstract: The length of a developer bearing portion of a developing device is longer than the length of a transfer roller in the rotation axis direction of a photosensitive drum. The width of a light irradiation opening of a charge eliminating device is shorter than the length of the transfer roller in the rotation axis direction of the photosensitive drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Makoto Tokudome, Satoshi Sunahara
  • Patent number: 9798266
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a first exposing unit exposing a surface of a charged photosensitive member to form a latent image; a second exposing unit exposing the surface of the photosensitive member after the surface of the photosensitive member passes a transfer position at which a toner image obtained by causing toner to adhere to the latent image is transferred to a transferred body and before the surface of the photosensitive member reaches a charging position; and a control unit varying a length of a period from a timing at which a portion of the photosensitive member exposed by the second exposing unit is initially charged by the charging member to a timing at which the first exposing unit starts formation of the latent image when performing image formation based on a print signal, based on information related to a photosensitive layer thickness of the photosensitive member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinichi Agata, Kosuke Ikada
  • Patent number: 9753395
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an acquiring portion that acquires a duration of an overcharged state occurring in an area of an image bearing body charged by a charging member after the image bearing body is exposed by a preliminary exposing portion. Adjustment is made to an interval between a first timing when the preliminary exposing portion starts exposing the image bearing body before execution of an adjustment operation for setting a transfer voltage value and a second timing when a voltage applying portion starts, during the subsequent adjustment operation, applying a voltage with an adjustment voltage value to a transfer member such that the second timing is later than a third timing when the duration acquired by the acquiring portion ends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kosuke Ikada, Shinichi Agata
  • Patent number: 9733608
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a charging member, a developing member, a transfer unit, a pre-charging exposure unit, a voltage receiving member, a measuring portion, and a controller for determining a light quantity of the pre-charging exposure unit during image formation. The controller includes, a light quantity controller for controlling the light quantity so that the image bearing member charged by applying a first potential to the charging member is exposed to light at a first light quantity by the pre-charging exposure unit, and an acquiring portion for acquiring an output of the measuring portion when the image bearing member exposed to light at the first light quantity is charged by applying a second potential of an opposite polarity to a polarity of the first potential to the voltage receiving member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yusuke Jota, Hisashi Taniguchi, Yoshihiro Mitsui
  • Patent number: 9665032
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of suppressing a charging lateral stripe liable to generate at a last stage of a lifetime of a photosensitive member while suppressing a density fluctuation is provided. A constitution which includes a photosensitive member 1, a charging portion 2, a charging voltage source S1, an exposure portion 3, a developing portion 4, an obtaining portion 120 for obtaining information relating to a cumulative operating amount and a controller 110 for effecting control so that a discharging operation for discharging the photosensitive member 1 by exposing the photosensitive member 1 to light by the exposure portion 3 is executed is used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kenichi Shibuya
  • Patent number: 9612567
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of photosensitive bodies, a plurality of illumination units respectively opposed to the plurality of photosensitive bodies, and each configured to emit static eliminating light onto a surface of the corresponding photosensitive body, a light emitter that serves as light source, a light guide unit that guides light from the light emitter toward the plurality of illumination units, a driving mechanism that switches between allowing the illumination unit to emit light and restricting the illumination unit from emitting light, to the photosensitive body, and a control unit that causes the driving mechanism to allow the illumination unit opposed to the photosensitive body being used for image forming to emit light to the photosensitive body, and restrict the illumination unit opposed to the photosensitive body not being used for the image forming from emitting light to the photosensitive body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Hironobu Oi, Hisayuki Tachibana
  • Patent number: 9594326
    Abstract: In one implementation, an image forming apparatus may include a photoconductive unit and a refresh unit. The photoconductive unit may include a photoconductive layer. The photoconductive layer may have a first polarity during a print routine. The refresh unit may apply a voltage to the photoconductive layer to electrically bias the photoconductive layer to have a second polarity during a refresh routine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD INDIGO, B.V.
    Inventors: Amir Ofir, Sasi Moalem, Dmitry Maister, Seongsik Chang
  • Patent number: 9535356
    Abstract: In the case where development is performed by a two-component developing method, a previous charge removal light-emitting portion applies charge removal light to a first charge removal target region of an effective outer circumferential surface of a photosensitive member on which effective outer circumferential surface an electrostatic latent image can be formed. The first charge removal target region includes a part of a magnetic brush contact region of the effective outer circumferential surface and a region of the effective outer circumferential surface between the magnetic brush contact region and a transfer position of a toner image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Shinji Otani, Norio Kubo, Masashi Fujishima, Koji Suenami, Yoshimi Shimizu, Kenichi Tamaki
  • Patent number: 9477171
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a controller configured to apply a charging bias to a charger during image formation on a photoconductive body, an absolute value of the charging bias being a first absolute value. The controller applies a development bias to a development roller during the image formation, places the development roller in a development position during the image formation, after the image formation, reduces the absolute value of the charging bias to a second absolute value less than the first absolute value, after reducing the absolute value of the charging bias, separates the development roller away from the photoconductive body and places the development roller in a non-development position, and after placing the development roller in the non-development position, stops applying the development bias to the development roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shunsuke Ishii, Toshio Furukawa, Hiroshige Hiramatsu, Yuichi Matsushita
  • Patent number: 9471026
    Abstract: A light guide member has a transmitting/reflecting portion transmitting and reflecting light that is emitted from a light source, to enter one end of the light guide member in a longitudinal direction, and be guided to the other end of the light guide member so that the light is applied to: a position between the developing roller and the transfer roller on the image carrier on a downstream side in the traveling direction of the transfer target member; and a position between the transfer roller and the cleaning portion on the image carrier on an upstream side in the traveling direction of the transfer target member. Furthermore, the light guide member has a convex portion having an arc-shaped cross section and being formed outward at a position opposing the transmitting/reflecting portion in a part of a predetermined specific region at one end or both ends in the longitudinal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Yosuke Saito, Hironobu Oi, Jun Nakai, Yoshinori Nakamura
  • Patent number: 9405262
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image forming units that charge a surface of a photoconductor to form an image, a static eliminator that outputs static elimination light to eliminate a charge remaining on the photoconductor after image formation by the image forming unit, and a controller that controls the image forming unit and the static eliminator. The static eliminator includes a light source that emits the static elimination light, a light guide unit that guides the static elimination light from the light source to the photoconductors, and outputs the guided static elimination light to surface of the photoconductors, and a light shield unit provided inside the light guide unit, or between the light guide unit and the photoconductors in an optical path between the light source and the surface of each of the photoconductors, and configured to transmit or block the static elimination light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Hironobu Oi, Hisayuki Tachibana
  • Patent number: 9383501
    Abstract: A scanner module and an image scanning apparatus employing the same include a light source to generate light, a light guide member to guide the light toward an object, a sensor configured to detect the light reflected by the object, at least one reflecting mirror to reflect the light reflected by the object to the sensor, and a focusing lens to focus the reflected light redirected by the at least one reflecting mirror on the sensor. The light guiding member includes an incident surface to receive the light, a reflective surface to reflect the light received through the incident surface, a plurality of guide surfaces to guide the light received through the incident surface, and an exit surface to allow light reflected by the reflective surface to exit. An interval between reflective linear elements increases from a center of the light guide member towards the incident surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kyung Rok Kim, Jung Hyuck Cho
  • Patent number: 9366985
    Abstract: An electric charging-diselectrifying device includes an electric charging member that contacts an image bearer to form an electric charging nip between the electric charging member and the image bear. The electric charging member electrically charges multiple electric charge regions in the image bearer located both upstream and downstream of the electric charging nip in a direction of rotation of the image bearer. An electric charge removing device is provided to remove electric charge borne on the image bearer by irradiating the multiple electric charging regions of the image bearer with light. The electric charging member is made of a material that allows the light emitted from the electric charge removing device to penetrate the electric charging member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideyasu Seki, Satoshi Hatori, Takeshi Fukao, Yuta Kawashima
  • Patent number: 9354561
    Abstract: In a light guide member included in an image forming apparatus, a transmitting/reflecting portion transmits and reflects light that is emitted from a light source to enter one end of the light guide member in a longitudinal direction and be guided to the other end thereof in the longitudinal direction. The light reflected by the transmitting/reflecting portion is emitted from a first optical surface. The light transmitted through the transmitting/reflecting portion is emitted from a second optical surface. At a cross section orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, a first outer peripheral surface has an arc shape including the first optical surface. Second outer peripheral surfaces expand from both ends of the first outer peripheral surface toward the second optical surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Hironobu Oi, Jun Nakai, Yosuke Saito, Yoshinori Nakamura
  • Patent number: 9329518
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes image forming units, static eliminating sections, a mode switching section, and an exposure switching section. The static eliminating sections outputs first and second light. The mode switching section switches a state a between a first mode in which all of the image forming units are operated and a second mode in which only a first image forming unit is operated. In a second image forming unit located upstream next to the first image forming unit, the exposure switching section causes the image bearing member of the second image forming unit not to be irradiated with the first light and causes the image bearing member of the first image forming unit to be irradiated with the second light in the second mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Yosuke Saito, Nobuyuki Hayashi, Takahiko Murata
  • Patent number: 9268292
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first image forming device, a plurality of second image forming devices, a first bias voltage supply device, and a second bias voltage supply device. The first image forming device and the second image forming device form a toner image. The first bias voltage supply device applies a bias voltage to a first component of the first image forming device. The second bias voltage supply device applies a bias voltage to a second component of each of the plurality of second image forming devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Kojima, Hirotaka Hatta, Toshiya Satoh, Akira Asaoka, Hiroyuki Uenishi, Yusuke Ishizuka
  • Patent number: 9250556
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus having; an electrostatic latent image support; a charger for charging the electrostatic latent image support; an exposure unit for exposing the electrostatic latent image support with a light beam to form an electrostatic latent image; a development unit for developing the electrostatic latent image into a toner image; a sheet feeding unit for feeding a recording sheet in an image forming operation; a transfer member for transferring the toner image to the recording sheet; a fuser for fusing the toner image onto the recording sheet; and a high-voltage power supply circuit for, in an image forming operation, applying a plurality of bias voltages at least to the charger and to the development unit, wherein the high-voltage power supply circuit supplies a high voltage only to the charger in an operation in an ion generation mode so as to cause the charger to generate ions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Munehiro Natsume, Teruhiko Toyoizumi, Nobuhiro Matsuo, Kouei Cho
  • Patent number: 9225866
    Abstract: A scanner module comprises an illuminator configured to illuminate a document by emitting light onto the document. The illuminator comprises a light source configured to emit the light and a light guide unit configured to guide the light emitted from the light source to illuminate at least two areas on the document, the center positions of the at least two areas on the document being spaced apart from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kyung-Rok Kim
  • Patent number: 9201381
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a light source, a cleaning portion, and a light guide member. The light source irradiates an image carrying member with light to remove electricity from a surface of the image carrying member after formation of an electrostatic latent image thereon. The cleaning portion cleans the surface of the image carrying member. The light guide member is disposed on an upstream side of the cleaning portion in a rotation direction of the image carrying member, forms a light guide path for guiding the light irradiated from the light source to the image carrying member, and includes at least one reflection surface, wherein an area of the reflection surface on the image carrying member side is lower in reflection ratio than an area of the reflection surface on the light source side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Jun Nakai
  • Patent number: 9201380
    Abstract: A static eliminating device includes a light emitting part and an optical path providing part. The light emitting part emits a static eliminating light to a surface of an image carrier. The optical path providing part includes a reflecting face reflecting the static eliminating light and a radiation end from which the static eliminating light is radiated to the surface of the image carrier. The reflecting face is a matted face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Kei Wakayama
  • Patent number: 9075338
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a control unit. The control unit is capable of executing a first mode for forming a toner image on the photosensitive member that rotates at a first speed and a second mode for forming a toner image on the photosensitive member that rotates at a second speed slower than the first speed, and the control unit causes the light illumination unit to perform the weak exposure in the first mode without thinning the scanning surface of the deflection scanning unit and perform the weak exposure in the second mode while thinning the scanning surface of the deflection scanning unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryuhei Shoji, Hirotaka Shiomichi, Jun Haruna
  • Patent number: 9042782
    Abstract: The light emitting portions 140 are mounted on the substrate 120, and emit neutralization light. The first end engagement portion 115 is engaged with the first end portion 121 of the substrate 120 opposite to the image carrier 2. The partitioning member 130 is connected to the housing 110, so as to form an opened portion that is opened to face the surface of the image carrier 2. The plurality of restriction protrusions 150 are arranged along an axial direction of the image carrier 2. The first end engagement portion 115 is disposed in the central portion of the plurality of restriction protrusions 150 in the arrangement direction. The arrangement direction of the plurality of restriction protrusions 150 curves, such that a central portion of the restriction protrusions in the axial direction is closer to the image carrier than end portions of the restriction protrusions in the axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventors: Jun Nakai, Takeshi Watanabe, Katsuya Ota
  • Publication number: 20150132025
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a light source, a cleaning portion, and a light guide member. The light source irradiates an image carrying member with light to remove electricity from a surface of the image carrying member after formation of an electrostatic latent image thereon. The cleaning portion cleans the surface of the image carrying member. The light guide member is disposed on an upstream side of the cleaning portion in a rotation direction of the image carrying member, forms a light guide path for guiding the light irradiated from the light source to the image carrying member, and includes at least one reflection surface, wherein an area of the reflection surface on the image carrying member side is lower in reflection ratio than an area of the reflection surface on the light source side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2014
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Inventor: Jun Nakai
  • Patent number: 9020391
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit; exposure members; and a cover. The image forming unit includes a cartridge support member for supporting cartridges. The cartridge support member is movable relative to a main casing in a moving direction from an inside position inside the main casing to an outside position outside the main casing. The cover is movable from a first position to a second position such that the cover allows movement of the image forming unit from the inside position to the outside position. The cover includes a first wall and a second wall integral with the first wall. The first wall covers a top side of the image forming unit at the inside position when the cover is at the first position and supports the plurality of exposure members. The second wall covers a downstream side in the moving direction of the image forming unit at the inside position when the cover is at the first position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Junichi Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 8971743
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takafumi Miyazaki, Naoki Nakatake, Yuji Nagatomo, Yasuhide Matsuno, Takahiro Sanada, Yasuhiro Fujiwara, Kyoko Abe, Takeshi Yamashita, Tomoya Adachi
  • Publication number: 20150030352
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a development device, a transferring device, a static eliminating device, a cleaning device, a separating claw and a static elimination assisting device. On the image carrier, an electrostatic latent image is formed. The development device develops the electrostatic latent image by a toner. The transferring device transfers the toner on the image carrier to a recording sheet. The static eliminating device irradiates the image carrier with a light to eliminate a remained static charge. The cleaning device removes the toner remained on the image carrier. The separating claw is arranged between the static eliminating device and image carrier to separate the recording sheet from the image carrier. The static elimination assisting device radiates a light to a light obstruction area where is not irradiated with the light emitted from the static eliminating device on the image carrier due to the separating claw.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2014
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Kenichi HAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20150030351
    Abstract: A static eliminating device includes a light emitting part and an optical path providing part. The light emitting part emits a static eliminating light to a surface of an image carrier. The optical path providing part includes a reflecting face reflecting the static eliminating light and a radiation end from which the static eliminating light is radiated to the surface of the image carrier. The reflecting face is a matted face.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2014
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Applicant: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventor: Kei WAKAYAMA
  • Publication number: 20150023676
    Abstract: An image formation apparatus applies electrical charge to an image carrier surface of a photosensitive body during a period between light exposure scanning for successive pages, and performs a first control such that rotation distance of the photosensitive body during the period is shorter than circumferential length thereof. The image formation apparatus includes a coverage calculation unit that calculates coverage of a target page, a prediction unit that, when inter-image distance between images of the target page and a next page, in terms of a sub-scanning direction, is shorter than the circumferential length, predicts whether image noise will occur for the next page based on the coverage, and a sheet interval control unit that, upon the prediction unit predicting affirmatively, suspends the first control and performs a second control on the rotation distance such that the inter-image distance is extended to be at least as long as the circumferential length.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2014
    Publication date: January 22, 2015
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.,
    Inventor: Hirofumi ISHIDA
  • Publication number: 20150023696
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a development device, a transferring device, a static eliminating device, a cleaning device, a light concentrating member and a separating claw. On the image carrier, an electrostatic latent image is formed. The development device develops and visualizes the electrostatic latent image by a toner. The transferring device transfers the toner on the image carrier to a recording sheet. The static eliminating device irradiates the image carrier with a light to eliminate a remained static charge. The cleaning device removes the toner remained on the image carrier. The light concentrating member is arranged between the static eliminating device and image carrier to concentrate the light emitted from the static eliminating device and to irradiate the image carrier with the concentrated light. The separating claw is supported by the light concentrating member to separate the recording sheet from the image carrier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2014
    Publication date: January 22, 2015
    Applicant: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Kenichi HAYASHI
  • Patent number: 8938190
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a process unit arranged in the vicinity of the circumference of each photosensitive member and the process unit is configured to act on the photosensitive member in forming a toner image thereon. The image forming apparatus detects a time period since a laser beam emission unit emits a laser beam to the photosensitive member to form an electrostatic latent image for detection until the formed electrostatic latent image for detection or a toner image based on the electrostatic latent image for detection reaches the process unit, and performs color misregistration correction control based on the result of detection. In this case, a control unit at least decreases the light amount of a pre-exposure LED when the electrostatic latent image for detection passes through a position facing the pre-exposure LED.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Hagiwara, Takamitsu Soda, Akinobu Hirayama, Hiromitsu Kumada, Yoshiko Kubo, Takateru Ohkubo
  • Patent number: 8929759
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a density detection unit that detects densities of an image developed by a developing unit at a plurality of positions in a main-scanning direction; a processing unit that obtains at least one of an amplitude and a phase of a first periodical density change of the image, of which cycle is a rotation cycle of a photosensitive drum, at the plurality of positions in the main-scanning direction on the basis of an output signal of the density detection unit, and corrects a drive signal for the light source so as to suppress the first periodical density change of the image at each position in the main-scanning direction on the basis of the rotation cycle of the photosensitive drum and at least one of the amplitude and the phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Muneaki Iwata, Kazuhiro Akatsu, Masaaki Ishida, Atsufumi Omori, Hayato Fujita
  • Patent number: 8913923
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image bearing member, a charger, an irradiator, a developing device, a transfer device, a neutralizer, and a varying device is provided. The neutralizer is adapted to neutralize the image bearing member by emitting neutralization light thereto, after a toner image formed on the image bearing member is transferred therefrom. The varying device is adapted to vary an amount of the neutralization light to be emitted to the image bearing member by pulse-width modulation of a voltage to be supplied to the neutralizer. The image forming apparatus satisfies the following formula: f/V>5 wherein f (Hz) represents a frequency of the pulse-width modulation and V (mm/s) represents a linear speed of the image bearing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akio Kosuge, Shinichi Kawahara, Nobuo Kuwabara, Takeshi Shintani, Norio Kudo, Daisuke Tomita
  • Patent number: 8903285
    Abstract: 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 (V0 potential) of a non-image region on the image carrying body after pre-transfer neutralization is higher by 50 to 150 V than a bright potential (VL potential) of a solid image region. The first setting operating unit allows for an increase and decrease in the neutralization light intensity of the pre-transfer neutralization unit based on a status of an output image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Masaru Hatano