Deterioration Or Developability Of Toner Patents (Class 399/29)
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Patent number: 12021686Abstract: Some embodiments of a system comprise a plurality of sensor arrays, wherein each sensor array of the plurality of sensors arrays includes multiple sensors, includes a wireless transceiver, includes one or more processors, and is configured to generate sensed data, according to sensor settings, while moving along a path; while moving along the path, transmit data to, and receive data from, other sensor arrays of the plurality of sensor arrays that are also moving along the path; and, while moving along the path, change one or more of the sensor settings based on the received data.Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 2023Date of Patent: June 25, 2024Assignee: Canon Solutions America, Inc.Inventor: Jeffrey David Kane
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Patent number: 11722370Abstract: Some embodiments of a system comprise a plurality of sensor arrays, wherein each sensor array of the plurality of sensors arrays includes multiple sensors, includes a wireless transceiver, includes one or more processors, and is configured to generate sensed data, according to sensor settings, while moving along a path; while moving along the path, transmit data to, and receive data from, other sensor arrays of the plurality of sensor arrays that are also moving along the path; and, while moving along the path, change one or more of the sensor settings based on the received data.Type: GrantFiled: July 14, 2022Date of Patent: August 8, 2023Assignee: Canon Solutions America, Inc.Inventor: Jeffrey David Kane
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Patent number: 10866553Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developing device, a developer container, and a controller. The developing device contains developer including toner and a carrier and includes a stirrer for stirring the developer. The developer container contains the developer to be supplied to the developing device. The controller acquires a deterioration index indicating a degree of deterioration of the developer in the developing device based on stirring cumulative information which is information relating to a cumulative value of time for which the stirrer stirs the developer in the developing device and supply cumulative information indicating information relating to a cumulative value of the developer supplied from the developer container to the developing device, and determines a timing at which the developer needs to be replaced based on information on history of the deterioration index.Type: GrantFiled: March 10, 2020Date of Patent: December 15, 2020Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Takao Izumi
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Patent number: 10754283Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, an exposing apparatus, a developing device, a transfer device, a fixing device, a history acquisition unit, an estimation unit, and an output unit. The exposing device exposes the image carrier to form an electrostatic latent image on the image carrier. The developing device includes a layer forming member to form a toner layer on a developing roller and forms a toner image by developing the electrostatic latent image. The transfer device transfers the toner image to a sheet. The fixing device fixes the toner image to the sheet. The history acquisition unit acquires a history regarding a temperature around the developing device. The estimation unit estimates a possibility that an image defect caused by the layer formation may occur on the basis of the history. The output unit outputs estimation results of the estimation.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 2019Date of Patent: August 25, 2020Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Takao Izumi
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Patent number: 10691054Abstract: According to an embodiment, an information processing apparatus includes a communication device and a processor. The processor collects information from a plurality of apparatuses via the communication device. The processor derives a formula on a basis of the collected information, the formula defining a relationship between a value about use of the component or the consumable item and a value about physical property of the component or the consumable item.Type: GrantFiled: September 11, 2019Date of Patent: June 23, 2020Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Sunao Takenaka
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Patent number: 10289023Abstract: According to one embodiment, a developing device includes a casing for accommodating a developer, the casing extending in a first direction and including a first insertion portion and a first through-hole that extends from the first insertion portion in a second direction, a first sealing member inside the first insertion portion, and a first rotating body extending in the first direction through the first insertion portion and configured to transport and agitate the developer in the casing. The first sealing member is in contact with an outer surface of the first rotating body and configured to slide along the outer surface of the first rotating body.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2018Date of Patent: May 14, 2019Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Masayuki Kasukawa
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Patent number: 10139763Abstract: Provided is an image formation device including a photoreceptor configured to carry a toner image and a developer configured to form the toner image on a surface of the photoreceptor and configured such that the developer is a replaceable development unit, the image formation device including: a development bias application section configured to apply a development bias to between the photoreceptor and the developer; a stabilization control section configured to perform image stabilization control of determining a development bias value to be used in future by changing the development bias while measuring a density of the toner image formed by the developer, thereby obtaining the toner image with a target density; and a life determination section configured to determine expiration of use of the development unit when the development bias value determined by the stabilization control falls outside a preset acceptable range.Type: GrantFiled: June 12, 2017Date of Patent: November 27, 2018Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.Inventors: Tatsutoshi Yamada, Kazuya Kitamura
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Patent number: 9989876Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a toner pattern bearer to bear a first toner pattern having a first image area and a second toner pattern having a second image area different from the first image area. A toner adhesion amount detector detects a toner adhesion amount of toner of each of the first toner pattern and the second toner pattern. A toner degradation rate calculator calculates a first deviation in the toner adhesion amount of the first toner pattern and a second deviation in the toner adhesion amount of the second toner pattern based on the toner adhesion amount detected by the toner adhesion amount detector. The toner degradation rate calculator compares the first deviation with the second deviation and calculates a toner degradation rate based on a comparison result.Type: GrantFiled: October 18, 2016Date of Patent: June 5, 2018Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Mutsuki Morinaga, Tadashi Kasai, Jun Hitosugi, Takamasa Ozeki, Makoto Yasuda, Kunio Hasegawa, Emiko Shiraishi, Hitoshi Yamamoto, Masahiko Shakuto, Tetsuya Muto, Keiko Kajimura, Tomoya Ohsugi
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Patent number: 9280137Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a development device which contains developer and develops a latent image on the image bearing member as a toner image, and an acquisition portion that acquires information about a residual amount of developer contained in the development device. In addition, a main body humidity sensor detects information about atmosphere humidity of a main body of the image forming apparatus, and a main body temperature sensor detects information about temperature of a main body of the image forming apparatus. A controlling portion controls development contrast as a potential difference between a DC bias applied to the development device and an image potential on the image bearing member, according to detection results of the main body humidity sensor and the main body temperature sensor, and information obtained by the acquisition portion.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2013Date of Patent: March 8, 2016Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Shigeru Tanaka
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Patent number: 9188937Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of photoreceptor drums, a plurality of developing devices, a plurality of polishing members, an endless intermediate transfer component, a primary transfer unit, a secondary transfer unit, a secondary transfer unit, a development refresh unit, and a photoreceptor refresh unit. The photoreceptor refresh unit is configured such that, in executing the photoreceptor-refresh control process, if the development refresh unit detects a toner-deteriorated developing device, the circumferential surface of the deteriorated photoreceptor drum is polished, by the polishing member provided for the deteriorated photoreceptor drum, using the polishing-agent contained in the toner discharged from the toner-deteriorated developing device by the development refresh unit executing the development-refresh control process.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 2014Date of Patent: November 17, 2015Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.Inventor: Mitsuji Tsujita
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Patent number: 9164431Abstract: A developing device includes an agitating member agitating and rotating a developer, a developer amount detecting part detecting the developer amount, and a cleaning member being attached to the agitating member to have has an attachment part, a first cleaning part and a second cleaning part and to clean a detecting surface of the developer amount detecting part. The attachment part is formed by an end part of a wire and attached to the agitating member. The first cleaning part is formed by an intermediate part of the wire, and extends from an end part of the attachment part to reach the detecting surface. The second cleaning part is formed by an another end part of the wire, and is constructed by closely winding the wire, protruded to a location in front of the detecting surface and has a greater width than the detecting surface.Type: GrantFiled: January 14, 2014Date of Patent: October 20, 2015Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.Inventor: Tatsuya Yamanaka
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Patent number: 9152085Abstract: A developing device includes a first agitating member and a second agitating member. Each of the first and second agitating members includes a screw having a helical portion formed helically so as to define a hollow portion, and a plurality of ribs formed on the helical portion in the longitudinal direction of the screw. On at least one of the first and second agitating members, there is disposed a paddle opposed to the communicating portion on a downstream side in a transport direction of the developing powder. The paddle has a flat surface in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and a width of a distal end of the paddle is smaller than a width of a proximal end of the paddle disposed to the agitating member in a plan view.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 2012Date of Patent: October 6, 2015Assignee: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.Inventors: Masaki Hayashi, Yoshihiro Yamagishi, Hiroshi Yamazaki, Koji Kuramashi, Eiji Nimura
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Patent number: 9063442Abstract: A developing device includes a developer container, a developing unit, a developer outlet and a replenishment developer inlet. The developer container contains a developer composed of a toner and a first carrier. The developing unit develops an electrostatic latent image on an image carrier using the developer. The developer outlet discharges the developer. The replenishment developer inlet supplies a replenishment developer to the developer container. The replenishment developer includes a second carrier. A ratio of a poured bulk density of the second carrier to a poured bulk density of the first carrier ranges from 0.60 to 0.95.Type: GrantFiled: January 15, 2014Date of Patent: June 23, 2015Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.Inventors: Kosuke Nakamura, Hiroyuki Kozuru, Yoshiyasu Matsumoto
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Patent number: 9031469Abstract: A tandem-type electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes multiple color image forming units using a dry toner, a first black image forming unit using the dry toner, and a second black image forming unit using a wet toner and performs an image formation with the dry toner in a first printing mode and an image formation with the wet toner in a second printing mode. The image formed in the second printing mode with the wet toner is fixed to a recording medium at a temperature lower than the image formed in the first printing mode with the dry toner. Each of the image forming units corresponds to a process cartridge that is removably installable in the tandem-type electrophotographic image forming apparatus and including an image carrier and other image forming components integrally therein.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2011Date of Patent: May 12, 2015Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Takuma Iwasaki, Ken Amemiya, Michiya Okamoto, Shinya Karasawa
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Patent number: 9020376Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of making image quality more stable than in the prior art. An electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of a photosensitive member based on an image signal. A developing device develops the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive member by toner to thereby form a patch image. An optical sensor detects the density of the patch image. A toner charge amount is calculated from the density detected by the optical sensor, and a change in the toner charge amount is predicted based on a plurality of results of the calculation of the toner charge amount. The image forming apparatus generates a ?LUT for use in correcting the relationship between the image signal and the density based on the predicted change in the toner charge amount.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 2011Date of Patent: April 28, 2015Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Megumi Ito, Jun Hirabayashi
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Patent number: 8953956Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive drum; a charging rotatable member for charging the drum by applying a voltage comprising a DC voltage component and an AC voltage component; a current detector for detecting a current flowing when a predetermined inspecting voltage is applied to the charging rotatable member; a storing portion for storing information corresponding to a reference current; a supplying portion for supplying a signal for notifying information corresponding to a lifetime of the drum on the basis of information stored in the storing portion and an output of the current detector; and a renewing portion for renewing information stored in the storing portion in accordance with the output of the current detector.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2013Date of Patent: February 10, 2015Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Norihiko Kubo
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Patent number: 8917408Abstract: A system and method are provided to implement an automated scheme by which a vendor can advantageously employ remotely-monitored information on a status of non-managed office devices, gathered as part of the vendor's customer support effort regarding the office devices that the vendor manages for a customer organization under a managed service agreement or the like, to the benefit of the customer organization and the vendor. The vendor remotely monitors a status of non-managed office devices, including a status of consumables in the non-managed devices, at a customer organization's site, and upon being made aware of a change in status on one of the non-managed devices, including pending exhaustion of one or more consumables on a non-managed device, immediately offers assistance in correcting a problem with the non-managed device to include replenishment service of the nearly-exhausted consumable in the non-managed device.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 2012Date of Patent: December 23, 2014Assignee: Xerox CorporationInventor: Lawrence J Bovenzi
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Patent number: 8879928Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a control device configured to control an information signal that notifies a user of a coming shortage of the developer in a developer storage portion or a usage limit of the developing device. The control device can transmit the information signal in such a way that the amount of the developer remaining in the developer storage portion at the transmission timing of the information signal is variable according to a developer consumption amount per unit number of recording material sheets.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2012Date of Patent: November 4, 2014Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Yasunari Watanabe
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Publication number: 20140270819Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a primary transfer bias adjuster to adjust, in a second mode, a primary transfer bias by a correction amount in accordance with a degree of deterioration of a developing agent detected by a first developing agent condition detector so as to reduce a primary transfer current of the primary transfer bias upon transferring a toner image from a first image bearing member onto an intermediate transfer member, and to adjust, in a first mode, the primary transfer bias by a correction amount less than the correction amount in the second mode or not to adjust the primary transfer bias in accordance with the degree of deterioration of the developing agent detected by the first developing agent condition detector upon primarily transferring the toner image from the first image bearing member onto the intermediate transfer member.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 13, 2014Publication date: September 18, 2014Inventors: Yuuji WADA, Atsushi NAGATA
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Patent number: 8818219Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developer containing part, a developer mixer, a mixer drive motor, a magnetic sleeve, a sleeve drive motor, a mixer rotation speed determination part and a motor drive controller. The developer containing part contains a two-component developer including a toner and a carrier. The developer mixer is provided in the developer containing part, agitates the two-component developer, and charges the toner and the carrier. The mixer rotation speed determination part determines the mixer rotation speed of the mixer drive motor according to a supply amount of the toner supplied to the developer containing part from a toner cartridge by driving of a toner supply motor. The motor drive controller independently performs rotation control of the sleeve drive motor and the mixer drive motor, and rotates and controls the mixer drive motor at the mixer rotation speed determined by the mixer rotation speed determination part.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2011Date of Patent: August 26, 2014Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Hiromichi Mitamura
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Patent number: 8805215Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion that forms an image on a first image bearing member, a transfer member that transfers the image on the first image bearing member to a second image bearing member, a power supply, a detecting portion that detects a voltage value and a current value, a velocity changing portion, an environment detecting portion, and a controller that determines a transfer voltage value in transferring an image based on a result detected at the detecting portion. An image can be formed at the plurality of velocities. The controller determines a transfer voltage value at a velocity other than the plurality of velocities based on a result detected at the detecting portion and a result detected at the environment detecting portion when the first image bearing member is operated at a predetermined velocity.Type: GrantFiled: August 10, 2012Date of Patent: August 12, 2014Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Yusuke Ishida
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Patent number: 8792795Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, developer remaining on a photosensitive member as transfer residual developer is caught temporarily by a catching portion. In a collecting process, the transfer residual developer caught by the catching portion is returned to the photosensitive member, the transfer residual developer then is transferred onto a conveyor member, and the transfer residual developer is collected by a collecting portion. In the collecting process, the presence or absence or an amount of the transfer residual developer transferred onto the conveyor member is measured.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2011Date of Patent: July 29, 2014Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Kentaro Murayama
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Patent number: 8768184Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a developing device for developing an electrostatic latent image including a developer and a developer carrying member, a sensor for detecting information related to a toner charge amount of the developer, and a controller. An image forming period has a first period and a second period, during which different modes are executed by the controller to provide for a lower speed of the developer carrying member in the first period than in the second period. The controller is capable of executing an operation that lowers the potential difference between a non-image-forming portion of the image bearing member and the developing bias applied to the developer carrying member based on detection results of the sensor.Type: GrantFiled: December 8, 2011Date of Patent: July 1, 2014Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Yusuke Ishida
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Patent number: 8725013Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of forming an image with a color toner and a transparent toner does not always form an image using the transparent toner. Under the circumstance where the image in which the transparent toner is more easily deteriorated than the color toner is output, if the deteriorated transparent toner is frequently discharged, the productivity may be lowered. Thus, when an amount of the transparent toner applied to the recording material that is acquired by an acquisition device is less than a predetermined amount, the transparent toner in the amount more than that acquired by the acquisition device is applied to the recording material.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2012Date of Patent: May 13, 2014Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Katsuya Nose
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Patent number: 8725012Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a control device obtains an amount of toner in a first area and an amount of toner in a second area. The first area is defined on a conveying member that is in contact with a photosensitive member. The transfer of toner is assured in the first area of the conveying member, but is not assured in the second area. The control device determines a toner condition based on a difference in the amount of toner between the first area and the second area. When the difference in the amount of toner is larger, the control device determines that the toner is in a deteriorated condition. When the difference in the amount of toner is smaller, the control device determines that the toner is not in the deteriorated condition.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 2012Date of Patent: May 13, 2014Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Kentaro Murayama
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Patent number: 8705132Abstract: A printing apparatus and method for processing data in the printing apparatus includes estimating a printing time by adding an intermediate data generation time and a rendering time, determining whether the estimated printing time of each page keeps up with a timing at which an image needs to be formed on a conveyed sheet for each page. If it is determined that the estimated printing time does not keep up with the timing at which the image needs to be formed, further determining whether an idle time is present by comparing the intermediate data generation time and the rendering time. If it is discriminated that the idle time is present, the changing an optimization level for determining whether to perform processing on a particular object in the document image data during rendering, or to perform the processing during intermediate data generation.Type: GrantFiled: May 8, 2012Date of Patent: April 22, 2014Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Katsutoshi Sonogi
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Patent number: 8649692Abstract: A toner replenishing device includes a toner container that stores toner, a toner replenishing device that supplies toner from the toner container to a developing device, and a toner condition detector that detects an aggregated condition of the toner stored in the toner container. A toner softening device is provided to soften toner stored in the toner container. A controller is also provided to drive the toner softening device for a prescribed time period in accordance with a detection result obtained by the toner condition detector.Type: GrantFiled: October 3, 2011Date of Patent: February 11, 2014Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Masaki Sukesako, Tokuya Ohjimi
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Patent number: 8610950Abstract: An image processing apparatus is disclosed that includes a printing procedure request portion configured to request printing of color tone image data in a state where a patch row is arranged in a direction almost parallel with a main scanning direction; an image data obtaining portion configured to obtain scanned color tone data, showing scanned value of the patch row, from a scanning portion configured to optically scan the patch row; and a parameter generating portion configured to generate a color tone correction parameter for correcting color tone value of photoconductive image data by comparing the scanned color tone data and the color tone image data.Type: GrantFiled: May 18, 2010Date of Patent: December 17, 2013Assignee: Ricoh Company, LimitedInventor: Hiroshi Ishii
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Patent number: 8594519Abstract: A toner supplying method for supplying toner from a toner container to a developing part that causes toner to adhere to a latent image formed on a latent image carrying member and develops the latent image, includes detecting a toner amount in the developing part as being equal to or less than a predetermined toner amount value; forming a fog detecting image in a case where the toner amount in the developing part is equal to or less than the predetermined toner amount value, and detecting fog; and determining based on the detected fog whether to execute a toner ejecting process of ejecting the toner remaining in the developing part toward the latent image carrying member before supplying the toner to the developing part from the toner container.Type: GrantFiled: February 3, 2011Date of Patent: November 26, 2013Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Naoki Nakatake, Atsushi Takehara, Tetsumaru Fujita, Tomohiro Kubota, Kohta Sakaya
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Patent number: 8571426Abstract: A toner supply method includes detecting whether a remaining toner amount in the development device is equal to or greater than a first remaining amount, supplying a first supply amount of toner to the development device in a first supply mode when the remaining toner amount is not greater than the first remaining amount, detecting whether the remaining toner amount in the development device is equal to or greater than a second remaining amount smaller than the first remaining amount, and supplying a second supply amount, smaller than the first supply amount, of toner to the development device in a second supply mode when the remaining toner amount is reduced to or below the second remaining amount.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 2011Date of Patent: October 29, 2013Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Tomohiro Kubota, Naoki Nakatake, Atsushi Takehara, Tomofumi Yoshida, Sho Tsuritani
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Patent number: 8565625Abstract: An image fanning apparatus includes: an image carrier, on which an electrostatic latent image is formed; a developing device, which accommodates a developer for developing the electrostatic latent image into a developer image, and which includes a developer carrier that carries the developer and supplies the developer to the image carrier; a remaining quantity calculation part that calculates a remaining quantity of the developer in the developing housing; a deterioration degree storage part that stores a relationship between the remaining quantity of the developer in the developing housing and a deterioration degree of the developer caused by the developing operation; and a life determination part that determines whether the developing device has reached an end of its life based on the remaining quantity calculated by the remaining quantity calculation part and the relationship stored in the deterioration degree storage part.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 2009Date of Patent: October 22, 2013Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Yoh Nishimura
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Patent number: 8521041Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; a plurality of developing cartridges including respective toner accommodating portions for accommodating toners for forming an image on the image bearing member; a discriminating portion for discriminating color of the toner accommodated in each of the plurality of developing cartridges; a controller capable of controlling an image forming operation in a state in which the developing cartridges, of the plurality of developing cartridges, accommodating the toners of the same color are mounted; and a storing portion for storing lifetime information of the plurality of developing cartridges, respectively. When the developing cartridges accommodating the toners of the same color are mounted, the controller determines the developing cartridge, of the developing cartridges accommodating the toners of the same color, to be used for performing the image forming operation, on the basis of the lifetime information.Type: GrantFiled: January 27, 2011Date of Patent: August 27, 2013Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Katsuhiro Kojima, Kenji Matsuda, Masaki Ojima, Minoru Matsuguma
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Patent number: 8515296Abstract: The developer supplying device supplies a supplementary developer including a toner and a carrier in a predetermined weight ratio. The developer supplying device includes a supplementary developer container containing the supplementary developer, and a supplementary developer feeding passage configured to feed the supplementary developer from the supplementary developer container to a developing device. The supplementary developer container is replaced when the supplementary developer is substantially exhausted. The developer supplying device further includes a carrier concentration determining device provided on the supplementary developer feeding passage to determine the concentration of the carrier in the supplementary developer fed through the supplementary developer feeding passage, and a residual supplementary developer amount estimating device configured to estimate the amount of the supplementary developer remaining in the supplementary developer container.Type: GrantFiled: July 6, 2010Date of Patent: August 20, 2013Assignee: Ricoh Company, LimitedInventor: Yasufumi Takahashi
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Patent number: 8483583Abstract: Toner is supplied from a toner container to a developing part that causes the toner to adhere to a latent image formed on a latent image carrying member and develops the latent image, a pre-toner-supply operation of supplying a predetermined amount of toner to the developing part is carried out, a fog detecting image is formed and fog is detected in the fog detecting image, a toner supply amount to be supplied to the developing part is determined based on the fog detected in the detecting and an operational status of the developing part since the toner was supplied to the developing part the last time, and the toner supply amount of the toner determined in the determining is supplied to the developing part.Type: GrantFiled: February 11, 2011Date of Patent: July 9, 2013Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Atsushi Takehara, Naoki Nakatake, Tetsumaru Fujita, Tomohiro Kubota, Kohta Sakaya
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Patent number: 8457508Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier; a developing housing that accommodates a developer for developing an electrostatic latent image into a developer image; a developer carrier, which carries the developer in the developing housing, and which supplies the developer to the image carrier; a developing bias supply part that supplies a developing bias to the developer carrier; a remaining quantity calculation part that calculates a remaining quantity of the developer in the developing housing; a deterioration grade storage part that stores a relationship between the remaining quantity of the developer in the developing housing and a deterioration degree of the developer caused by the developing operation; and a developing bias setting part that sets a value of the developing bias in accordance with the remaining quantity calculated by the remaining quantity calculation part and the relationship stored in the deterioration grade storage part.Type: GrantFiled: December 24, 2009Date of Patent: June 4, 2013Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Yoh Nishimura
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Publication number: 20130058665Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing member; a development device that includes a developer bearing member in a development position opposite to the image bearing member to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on the image bearing member, the developer bearing member bearing and conveying a developer; a bias applying portion that applies a development bias to the developer bearing member; a recording-material sensing portion that senses a type of a recording material to which a toner image developed by the development device is transferred; and a controller that controls the bias applying portion to apply the development bias that degrades a development characteristic when the recording material has low smoothness, compared to high smoothness, from a sensing result of the recording-material sensing portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 10, 2012Publication date: March 7, 2013Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Yusuke Ishida
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Publication number: 20130058664Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming portion that forms an image on a first image bearing member; a transfer member that transfers the image on the first image bearing member to a second image bearing member; a power supply; a detecting portion that detects a voltage value and a current value; a velocity changing portion; an environment detecting portion; and a controller that determines a transfer voltage value in transferring an image based on a result detected at the detecting portion. An image can be formed at the plurality of velocities. The controller determines a transfer voltage value at a velocity other than the plurality of velocities based on a result detected at the detecting portion and a result detected at the environment detecting portion when the first image bearing member is operated at a predetermined velocity.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 10, 2012Publication date: March 7, 2013Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Yusuke Ishida
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Publication number: 20130051822Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of forming an image with a color toner and a transparent toner does not always form an image using the transparent toner. Under the circumstance where the image in which the transparent toner is more easily deteriorated than the color toner is output, if the deteriorated transparent toner is frequently discharged, the productivity may be lowered. Thus, when an amount of the transparent toner applied to the recording material that is acquired by an acquisition device is less than a predetermined amount, the transparent toner in the amount more than that acquired by the acquisition device is applied to the recording material.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 28, 2012Publication date: February 28, 2013Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Katsuya Nose
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Patent number: 8379237Abstract: Confidentiality of a job that requires authentication processing prior to printing is maintained as much as possible. A method for controlling a printing system is provided that is capable of receiving a plurality of types of print jobs including a first type print job that requires authentication processing prior to printing and a second type print job that does not require authentication processing prior to printing, comprising the steps of allowing the printing system to execute a specific operation for allowing the printing system to start printing of a target job in case where resources required to complete printing of the target job are present in the printing system and causing the printing system to execute the specific operation in case where the target job is the first type job.Type: GrantFiled: February 3, 2012Date of Patent: February 19, 2013Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Masahiko Tominaga
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Publication number: 20130004187Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a control device configured to control an information signal that notifies a user of a coming shortage of the developer in a developer storage portion or a usage limit of the developing device. The control device can transmit the information signal in such a way that the amount of the developer remaining in the developer storage portion at the transmission timing of the information signal is variable according to a developer consumption amount per unit number of recording material sheets.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 25, 2012Publication date: January 3, 2013Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Yasunari Watanabe
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Patent number: 8340537Abstract: A method of compensating for printing quality of an image forming apparatus includes determining a pattern to be printed as a first pattern which is a default pattern and a second pattern obtained by changing the first pattern according to a toner stress index that represents a deteriorated degree of remaining toner, and printing the determined pattern with the remaining toner.Type: GrantFiled: June 17, 2010Date of Patent: December 25, 2012Assignee: SAMSUNG Electronics Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hyo-joon Bae, Yun-su Kim
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Patent number: 8311436Abstract: An image-forming apparatus includes: a forming unit that forms an image on an image holder that is a rotating body holding an image; a measuring unit that measures a rotation amount of the image holder with reference to a certain position on the image holder; a determining unit that: identifies a position on the image holder from which an image is to be formed by the forming unit, according to the rotation amount measured by the measuring unit; if, while a plurality of images are successively formed on the image holder, an image for density correction is to be formed, postpones forming of the image for density correction until a timing arrives at which one image of the plurality of images is to be formed from a predetermined position on the image holder, and when the timing arrives at which the one image of the plurality of images is to be formed from the predetermined position on the image holder, determines to start forming of the image for density correction from the predetermined position, instead of formType: GrantFiled: December 10, 2009Date of Patent: November 13, 2012Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hiroyuki Funayama, Naoki Hirako, Hideo Kimura, Keita Kumokiri, Shun Kuwahara, Izumi Suda
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Patent number: 8294917Abstract: An image forming apparatus is supplied capable of lowering cost of exchange part. In the image forming apparatus, the exchange part is furnished being attachable and removable, an identification information obtaining process section to obtain identification information of the exchange part from the exchange part, and an operation allowing process section to allow image formation in the case that the identification information obtaining process section can not obtain the identification information, are comprised, so that it is unnecessary to provide an identification information storing portion for storing the identification information to the exchange part of shipment stage.Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 2007Date of Patent: October 23, 2012Assignee: Oki Data CorporationInventor: Hideki Shinyama
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Patent number: 8295717Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a toner-image forming unit, a photosensor, an information obtaining unit, and a toner-amount calculating unit. The toner-image forming unit forms a toner image on the image carrier with toner. The photosensor detects a toner area where the toner is sticking to the image carrier. The information obtaining unit obtains particle-size-change information about how particle size distribution of the toner changes over time. The toner-amount calculating unit calculates a toner amount of the toner image based on the toner area and the particle-size-change information.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 2009Date of Patent: October 23, 2012Assignee: Ricoh Company, LimitedInventors: Rumi Miyazaki, Atsushi Takehara, Keiji Kunimi
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Patent number: 8285156Abstract: An apparatus and method that determines toner age in a printing apparatus. The method can include placing an imaging surface cleaner in contact with an imaging surface. The method can include placing a toner patch on the imaging surface. The method can include rotating the imaging surface in a process direction. The method can include measuring a frictional interaction between the imaging surface cleaner and the imaging surface as the toner patch passes the imaging surface cleaner. The method can include determining whether toner should be purged based on the measured frictional interaction. The method can include purging the toner if the toner should be purged.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 2010Date of Patent: October 9, 2012Assignee: Xerox CorporationInventors: Bruce Earl Thayer, Aaron Michael Burry
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Patent number: 8280265Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided with a developing unit for attaching developer to a static latent image formed through charging and exposing to form a developer image; an image supporting member for supporting the developer image formed with the developing unit; a removing member disposed to abut against the image supporting member for removing developer; a drive unit for driving the image supporting member; a drive control unit for controlling the drive unit; and a fixing unit for fixing the developer image to a medium. It is configured such that the drive control unit controls the drive unit to temporarily stop before developer is discharged.Type: GrantFiled: April 9, 2009Date of Patent: October 2, 2012Assignee: Oki Data CorporationInventor: Masahiro Haruyama
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Patent number: 8274678Abstract: Methods and systems for facilitating remote access and customization of internally generated printing node status reports. In some embodiments, the methods and systems advantageously facilitate remote access and customization of internally generated printing node status reports by adapting preexisting features that generate local hard copies of printing node status reports in response to locally initiated commands. Such adaptation enables a printing node to receive, process and respond to remotely initiated requests for printing node status reports in a manner that permits remote customization of the style of printing node status reports.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 2007Date of Patent: September 25, 2012Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.Inventors: Andrew Rodney Ferlitsch, Joseph Bert Murdock
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Patent number: 8265493Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a toner cartridge within a housing having a rotatable shaft, a cam rotatably mounted on the shaft, an optical sensor mounted on the housing having an emitter and a receiver forming an optical path therebetween, and a flag mounted on the housing having a first arm and a second arm. The optical sensor has an output that changes when the optical path changes from blocked to unblocked and from unblocked to blocked. The flag has a home position where the first arm is disposed in the rotational path of the cam and the second arm either blocks the optical path or unblocks the optical path. Rotation of the rotatable shaft causes the cam to engage and disengage the first arm causing the second arm to change from blocking the optical path to unblocking the optical path or vice versa.Type: GrantFiled: May 28, 2010Date of Patent: September 11, 2012Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.Inventors: Mark William Amann, David Lee Merrifield
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Patent number: 8254796Abstract: An image forming apparatus controls a sheet to be conveyed to a fixing unit with a first conveyance speed in case a charged amount of a recording agent in a developing unit is larger than a predetermined charged amount, and controls the sheet to be conveyed to the fixing unit with a second conveyance speed, which is slower than the first conveyance speed, when the charged amount of the recording agent in the developing unit is smaller than the predetermined charged amount.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 2009Date of Patent: August 28, 2012Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Kazuhiro Oyoshi
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Patent number: 8249469Abstract: A supply control apparatus includes: a specifying unit that specifies a total amount of toner held in a holding chamber of a toner holding unit; and a supply control unit that controls supply of toner held in the holding chamber to a development unit that develops a latent image using the toner, in a case that the specified total amount is a first amount, such that an amount of the toner supplied per unit of time is smaller than the amount supplied in a case that the total amount is a second amount, which is smaller than the first amount.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 2009Date of Patent: August 21, 2012Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.Inventors: Takashi Sakamoto, Naoya Yamasaki