Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing belt configured to bear a toner image, a driving roller configured to rotationally drive the image bearing belt, first and second image forming units configured to form toner images on the image bearing belt. To correct color misregistration, the image forming apparatus uses a mark detecting unit including a plurality of sensors provided at different positions in a rotation direction of the image bearing belt to detect a mark on the image bearing belt, and adjusts a rotational speed of the driving roller, based on detection results of the mark detecting unit and temperature detected within the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a sheet transport apparatus comprising; sheet transport means capable of conveying sheets at a transfer speed that is the same as a transfer speed ? of sheet in an image forming position where an image is formed on the sheet, and at a transfer speed ? that is faster than the transfer speed ?, skew feeding correction means which corrects skew feeding of sheet conveyed by the sheet transport means and which feeds the sheet to the image forming position where the image is formed, and sheet interval control means for controlling a distance between a sheet and a next sheet by changing timing at which the transfer speed of the sheet is reduced from the transfer speed ? to the transfer speed ? at upstream side from the skew feeding correction means in a sheet conveying direction.

Abstract: In a method and an apparatus for forming image, digital image information is generated by conveying a document and scanning an image recorded on the document while conveying the document. When an image is scanned with a high resolution that is greater than a default resolution, a document is conveyed at a default speed at an initial stage and the document is conveyed at a speed slower than the default speed during an image scanning operation. The image forming apparatus includes a scan unit scanning the image recorded on the document, and a conveying unit which conveys the document at a default speed in an initial stage of conveying the document, and which conveys the document at a speed slower than the default speed while scanning the image in a high resolution scanning operation that has higher resolution than a default resolution.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a transfer attitude correcting section for correcting a transfer attitude of the transfer sheet to receive the toner image and for conveying the corrected transfer sheet to the transfer section with a timing to match with the movement of the toner image. The transfer attitude correcting section includes a roller unit including a base board rotatable around a center of rotation and a registration roller mounted on the base board, a detecting section for detecting a position of the transfer sheet being conveyed by the registration roller; and a control section for control the roller unit based on detection data detected by the detecting section so as to correct a skew of the transfer sheet by rotating the base board and to correct a deviation of a transfer position of the transfer sheet by shifting the registration roller on the base board.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide an image reading apparatus reading image information of an original while moving the original on an original base plate comprising: a transport rotary member provided opposite the original base plate to transport the original; a supporting member that supports the transport rotary member to be rotatable; and a gap forming section provided in the supporting member to form a gap between the transport rotary member and the original base plate, wherein the transport rotary member and the supporting member each have a high reflectance surface condition.

Abstract: An optional apparatus of an image forming device is provided for setting its own driving condition using received specification information of a main body and method thereof. The optional apparatus is additionally combined into the main body of the image forming device to expand functions of the image forming device, and includes a driving unit driven to perform an addition function required to expand the functions of the image forming device, and a control unit for receiving specification information of the main body, setting a driving condition of the driving unit based on the received specification information, and then controlling the driving unit according to the set driving condition. The optional apparatus can be implemented as a general optional apparatus that can be combined into any kind of image forming device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image supporting member; a belt; a belt drive unit for rotating the belt; an acceleration and deceleration information storage unit; and a belt speed control unit. The belt speed control unit determines a difference between a first moving amount corresponding to rotations of the image supporting member from a stationary state thereof to a specific speed and a second moving amount corresponding to rotations of the belt from a stationary state thereof to the specific speed. The belt speed control unit controls the belt drive unit, so that a third moving amount corresponding to rotations of the belt from the specific speed to the stationary state thereof becomes larger than a fourth moving amount corresponding to rotations of the image supporting member from the specific speed to the stationary state thereof according to the difference.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus carries out an image processing with respect to a sheet size and image information based on a print request to obtain a write image on a photoreceptor. On the basis of a printing ratio of the write image, the apparatus predicts occurrence of an image elongation. If the apparatus predicts that the image elongation occurs, the apparatus calculates a bending amount of a bended portion based on the difference between peripheral velocities of a photoreceptor and the idle roller, and the apparatus variably controls the peripheral velocity of an idle roller so that the bending amount is adjusted so as not to cause a slip phenomenon. It is possible to avoid the occurrence of a phenomenon of slipping of a sheet with respect to the photoreceptor without lowering image quality, and to surely secure a blank space formed at a rear edge portion of the sheet.

Abstract: A printing apparatus prints on a medium at a first transport speed or a second transport speed lower than the first transport speed. The printing apparatus includes: an image forming unit for forming a developer image on the medium according to a print job sent from a host device; a fixing unit for fixing the developer image on the medium; a discharge roller for discharging the medium; a discharged medium detection unit for detecting a trailing edge of the medium passing through the fixing unit; a last medium determining unit for determining whether the discharged medium detection unit detects a last medium of the print job; and a control unit for discharging the medium at the first transport speed or controlling the last medium determining unit to determine the last medium and discharging the last medium at a transport speed higher than the second transport speed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus feeds a paper picked up by a pickup roller directly to a photoconductive drum and controls a linear velocity of the pickup roller so that it is slower than that of the photoconductive drum. The different linear velocities of the pickup roller and the photoconductive drum produces different velocities at the transfer nip (the area of contact between the photoconductive drum and a transferring roller) and the point where paper is picked up by the pickup roller. To compensate for the different velocities, the pickup roller can be rotated faster than the photoconductive drum for an angle that corresponds to the velocity difference. Additionally, when a velocity difference occurs between two rollers for feeding the paper, one of the rollers can be further rotated to compensate for the velocity difference.

Abstract: A sheet transferring device includes a feeding roller configured to feed a sheet; a transferring roller configured to transfer the sheet to the feeding roller; a sheet sensor configured to detect the sheet at a sheet transferring part from the transferring roller to the feeding roller; a measuring part configured to measure an interval of a rear end of a prior sheet and a head end of a following sheet based on a sheet detection signal of the sheet sensor; and a transferring control part configured to adjust a sheet transferring speed of the transferring roller so that the interval between the prior sheet and the following sheet is adjusted to a set value as corresponding to the interval measured by the measuring unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention carries out an image processing with respect to image information which is to be printed. The image forming apparatus predicts the occurrence of an image elongation which may occur due to slippage of a recording material with respect to the electrostatic image drum, and specifies an image elongation occurring area on the basis of a printing ratio of the image information. If the occurrence of slippage, and thus image elongation is predicted, the amount of the image elongation occurring area to be shortened is calculated. The image information is then modified to obtain write image information that is shortened based on the calculated shortening amount. This write image information is then used to form the electrostatic latent image that is developed and transferred to a recording material. Thus, even slippage does occur, it is possible to accurately form the desired image on the recording material.

Abstract: An image printing apparatus, which can correct variation in inter-sheet distance at the time of conveyance of transfer sheets, comprising an image printing section which performs image printing by sequentially conveying a plurality of transfer sheets at predetermined intervals at a first convey velocity and performing transfer and fixing of a toner image on each transfer sheet, a timepiece section which measures a time required for the image printing section to perform image printing on the each transfer sheet, and a delivery convey section which receives each transfer sheet on which image printing is performed by the image printing section and delivers the each transfer sheets while adjusting intervals therebetween by conveying the each transfer sheets upon changing the convey velocity to a second convey velocity set on the basis of the measured time required for the image printing on the each transfer sheet.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming apparatus body and a peripheral unit operable to transport a recording medium. The image forming apparatus includes a communication device for communicating with the peripheral unit and a controller for controlling transporting the recording medium by the peripheral unit using a communication by the communication device. The controller sets a plurality of transport speeds, each of which corresponds to a predetermined identification code, to the peripheral unit and specifies the transport speed by using the predetermined identification code to the peripheral unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus prevents defective fixing of a toner image from occurring and shortens a printout time for a first sheet by determining a start timing for conveying the recording medium to a transferring position of the toner image in accordance with a warm-up state of a fixing unit, a voltage state of a power supply, and an environmental temperature.

Abstract: A system and method for registering a sheet transported along a sheet path of a printing system, including receiving a sheet at a first location, transporting the sheet along the sheet path from the first location in a downstream direction at a first speed. The speed at which the sheet is transported is decreased from the first speed to a second speed. The transported sheet is received at a second location downstream from the first location and registered at the second location, including correcting at least one of lateral position of the sheet, skew of the sheet, and timing error in a downstream direction.

Abstract: A pattern image for registration correction is formed in a reference color and an arbitrary color to be corrected. The pattern image for registration correction is formed a number or times n1 or a number of times n2. If the total number of image forming sections is S; the length of sheets is L; the sheet-to-sheet distance is d; and the belt conveying distance corresponding to one revolution of a drive roller is A, n1 satisfies ((L+d)×(S?1)/A)×n1=N1 (where n1 is an integer and N1 is an approximate integer), and n2 satisfies ((L+d)/A)×n2=N2 (where n2 is an integer, and N2 is an approximate integer).

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion that superposes images on an intermediate transfer member by rotations of the intermediate transfer member to form a color image on the intermediate transfer member, a transfer portion that transfers the image formed on the intermediate transfer member in the image forming portion to a sheet, a fixing portion that fixes the image onto the sheet, and a switchback portion that switches back the sheet so as to return the sheet to the transfer portion for forming the image on a second face of the sheet, after the image has been formed on a first face of the sheet. The sheet is returned through a return path at a return speed equal to or lower than a delivery speed of the sheet in the transfer portion, when the image for the second face of the sheet is the color image.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a belt stretched across rollers and a resist rotary member that feeds out a recording medium on the belt. A correlation between a velocity of the belt and the resist rotary member is obtained. A target velocity of the belt or the resist rotary member, at which a difference between the velocity when the recording medium is in contact with both the belt and the resist rotary member and the velocity when the recording medium is not in contact with at least either the belt or the resist rotary member is minimum, is determined based on the correlation.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus that conveys a long belt-like recording sheet on a conveyance path and forms an image on the recording sheet when the recording sheet passes through an image forming section, the image forming apparatus comprising: a recording medium drive component that is disposed downstream of the image forming section in a conveyance direction on the conveyance path and conveys the recording medium; a tension imparting component that is disposed upstream of the image forming section in the conveyance direction on the conveyance path and imparts tension to the recording medium; and a control unit which, when a printing operation for forming an image is started, drives the tension imparting component to impart tension to the recording medium between the recording medium drive component and the tension imparting component, and starts the recording medium conveyance operation.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of setting a plurality of image forming speeds includes a transfer unit configured to transfer an image formed on an image carrier onto a sheet, a paper feed unit configured to feed the sheet, and a control unit configured to control the conveyance speed of the sheet to accelerate and decelerate without stopping the sheet in a section between the paper feed unit and the transfer unit to synchronize the sheet with the image formed on the image carrier. The control unit changes paper feed timing from the paper feed unit according to the image forming speed if the image forming speed is predetermined.

Abstract: An apparatus monitors the motion of sheet, such as in a digital printer. An optical sensor is capable of recording an image in a two-dimensional array of pixels, and has acuity to recognize a terrain of a small area on a sheet that is substantially blank to a human eye. The optical sensor views a portion of a sheet moving in a process direction through a path. A detection system compares at least two recorded terrain images from the sheet, thereby directly measuring velocity and direction of the sheet.

Abstract: A conveying device that conveys a recording medium includes an aligning member into which the leading edge of a recording medium bumps and a control unit that changes conveyance speed of the recording medium moving on a conveying path to bump into the aligning member.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining the lateral position of a moving sheet in a sheet registration system. A side edge sensor is moved from a known location until the side edge of the moving sheet is detected. A signal is generated indicative of the position of the side edge when it is detected. The position of the side edge as indicated by the signal is used along with skew of the sheet to determine the lateral position of the sheet.

Abstract: A scale including equally spaced marks is attached to a belt in a direction of movement of the belt such that a gap is formed between a first end and a second end of the scale. A first sensor and a second sensor detect the marks on the scale and output first signals and second signals respectively upon detecting the marks. The first sensor and the second sensor are located at different positions along the direction. A controlling unit controls the speed based on any one of the first signals and the second signals according to a position of the gap detected by the first sensor and the second sensor.

Abstract: Parallel printing systems and methods incorporate inverter assemblies for not only inverting media during transport through the system but also to register the media or provide a velocity buffer transports with different drive velocities. The inverter assemblies can include the capability to optionally deskew the media and provide lateral registration corrections. The inverter assembly nip rollers are sufficiently spaced from process drive nip rollers to decouple a document in the inverter assembly from the highway paths. The method comprises combining the inverting function selectively with either the registering or the velocity buffering functions.

Abstract: A conveying apparatus which synchronously conveys a conveyed object includes a first conveyance roller disposed at a downstream side of a conveyance path for conveyance of the conveyed object and a second conveyance roller disposed at an upstream side of the conveyance path, a first driving unit and a second driving unit for independently driving the first conveyance roller and the second conveyance roller, respectively, and a control unit for performing feedback control of the first driving unit and the second driving unit on the basis of amounts of rotation of the first conveyance roller and the second conveyance roller, respectively. The control unit defines a setting of driving control for the second conveyance roller different from driving of the first conveyance roller.

Abstract: An image-to-sheet closed loop registration system tracking the image drum position and/or velocity and coordinating movement of the sheet into the transfer nip based on such information.

Abstract: An electrophotographic imaging device comprises generally, an image transfer station configured to transfer a toned image to a substrate, a fuser assembly configured to fuse the toned image to the substrate and a transport device configured to transfer the substrate from the image transfer station to the fuser assembly. The device further includes a controller for controlling a first process rate of the image transfer device and a second process rate of the transport device. The controller has a mode of operation wherein the first process rate is different from the second process rate when a hand off is performed to pass the substrate from the image transfer station to the transport device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit for forming an image on a medium; a medium transportation unit for transporting the medium supplied from a medium supply unit to the image forming unit; a roller rotating after contacting with the medium transported from the medium transportation unit; a medium detection unit disposed on a downstream side of the roller in a medium transportation direction for detecting the medium; and a transportation speed adjusting unit for adjusting a transportation speed of the medium from when the roller starts rotating to when the medium detection unit on the downstream side detects the medium lower than a transportation speed at the image forming unit.

Abstract: A registration system suited to use in an imaging system, such as an inkjet printer, includes a first measuring device, such as an encoder, which provides information for monitoring a speed of a moving image receiving surface of the imaging system, such as a paper web. A second measuring device, such as a second encoder or a tension measuring device, provides information for monitoring a tension in the image receiving surface. A control system determines an actuation time for one of two marking stations, based on the information from the first and second measuring devices. This enables a registration of images applied to the image receiving surface by the two marking stations to take into account both changes in speed of the web and changes in tension in the web.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a sheet feeding cassette, transport rollers, a pick-up roller, a sheet detector, and a control section. The sheet feeding cassette stores sheets for developer images to be transferred thereonto at a secondary transfer position. The transport rollers transport a sheet at variable speeds along a sheet transport path which extends from the cassette to the secondary transfer position. The pick-up roller feeds a sheet into the sheet transport path. The sheet detector detects whether a sheet is fed from the cassette. When the detector detects that a sheet is not fed, the control section controls the pick-up roller to feed the sheet again. The control section varies respective transport speeds of the pick-up roller, a sheet feed roller, and the transport rollers, according to number of attempts to feed the sheet.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a drive unit that drives a drive control unit that supplies a first drive current to the drive unit so as to acceleratingly drive an intermediate feeding roller, and supplies a current that is smaller than the first drive current so as to uniformly drive the intermediate feeding roller, and a timing determination unit that determines the timing of supplying a current smaller than the first drive current to uniformly drive the intermediate feeding roller after supplying the first drive current to the drive unit to acceleratingly drive the intermediate feeding roller, wherein in case the timing determination unit determines that the timing to acceleratingly drive the intermediate feeding roller comes to an end, the drive control unit supplies the first drive current to the drive unit for a time period prolonged by a predetermined time period.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting sheet to image registration of images being transferred from an intermediate image carrier to the sheet.

Abstract: An antijamming device for a printed ticket vending machine having an exit opening for exiting of a printed ticket and a control for controlling feeding of unprinted tickets to a printing mechanism for printing tickets, having a pathway through which printed tickets pass from the printing mechanism to the exit opening, and a sensor in the pathway for sensing when an occlusion occurs at the exit opening to prevent bunching of the printed tickets at the exit opening and stopping feeding of printed tickets to the exit opening.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for reducing transfer deletions in an electrostatographic machine. The apparatus includes a registration controller for driving a print substrate at a registration velocity and feeding the print substrate to an image-retentive member. The apparatus also includes a system controller operably associated with the registration mechanism controller. The system controller monitors at least one operating parameter of an image forming apparatus and generates a control signal in response to the monitored operating parameter(s). The registration controller is responsive to the control signal and is configured to adjust the registration velocity in accordance with the control signal as the image-retentive member is driven at a preselected velocity.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus having a registration roller that aligns the leading edge of the sheet and feeds it to the image forming section, a plurality of loop forming rollers that convey the sheet, and a loop forming space for forming a loop in the sheet are placed on the upstream side of the registration roller, and a plurality of loop amount detecting sensors that detect the amount of loop are provided, and the image forming apparatus has the feature that it is provided with a mechanism and a control device for varying the rotational speeds of said plurality of loop forming rollers individually and separately, wherein the loop amounts in a cross-section of the sheet along the sub-scanning direction are adjusted to be at a prescribed value.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus has an image bearing member for bearing a toner, a transfer device which forms a transfer area in cooperation with the image bearing member for transferring the toner on the image bearing member onto a recording material, a charge elimination device which is opposed to the recording material at an upstream side of the transfer area in a conveying direction of the recording material thereby eliminating a charge on the recording material, and a control device which controls the recording material so as to form a loop in a position opposed to the charge elimination device, wherein the recording material forms a loop by the control device thereby approaching to the charge elimination device.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an arrangement for generating positionally-accurate print images on a carrier material with the aid of an electrophotographic printer or copier. A positioning error of the position of the carrier material with respect to a toner image present on the toner image carrier is determined, which error occurs during the contacting of a carrier material to be printed. Dependent on the positioning error determined, for every subsequent contacting of the carrier material to be printed with the toner image carrier, the position of the carrier material with respect to the toner image is adapted before the contacting such that the carrier material and the toner image are arranged with respect to one another substantially free of positioning errors.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including a pick-up roller to pick up a printing medium, a printing unit to print an image on the printing medium, and a feeding roller to convey the picked up printing medium to the printing unit. A pick-up velocity, at which the pick-up roller picks up the printing medium, is smaller than a feeding velocity, at which the feeding roller conveys the picked up printing medium to the printing unit.

Abstract: Preparing substrates for one-sided or two-sided printing in an electrophotograpically operated digital printing apparatus, in which process substrates are fed out of a supply unit or several supply units onto a conveyor operation sequence and are transferred, preferably in the course of the conveyor operation sequence, onto a conveyor belt that runs through a printing unit, with the least possible space between successive substrates. An acceleration time related to the type of substrate stock, of which the substrate is composed, is selected for feeding a substrate from a supply unit or from the supply unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is disclosed that is capable of automatically acquiring thickness variation data of a transfer belt newly installed in the image forming apparatus without manual operation of setting the thickness variation data, and capable of controlling the moving speed of the newly installed transfer belt to be constant based on the acquired data so as to output images of high quality constantly. The transfer belt includes a belt information mark recorded with information used for creating rotational speed correction data, and the rotational speed control unit includes a storage unit configured to store the rotational speed correction data. A rotational speed control unit is provided that includes a belt information reading unit for reading the belt information mark to obtain the belt information, and a correction data updating unit for updating and storing the rotational speed correction data based on the obtained belt information.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus and image forming method including a low-noise mode at paper sheet reverse section to decrease a reverse convey speed of reverse conveyance by a reverse roller pair, where necessary, a reverse convey speed of reverse conveyance.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention uses sensors to detect a marker of a transfer belt, and assigns the transfer belt to detect a medium feeding position and exposure start position, whereby time or waiting time required to transfer a color toner image to an output medium at a transfer position can be reduced, and time required to obtain an output image can be reduced, while ensuring a fixing rate and color reproducibility.

Abstract: Parallel printing systems and methods incorporate inverter assemblies for not only inverting media during transport through the system but also to register the media or provide a velocity buffer transports with different drive velocities. The inverter assemblies can include the capability to optionally deskew the media and provide lateral registration corrections. The inverter assembly nip rollers are sufficiently spaced from process drive nip rollers to decouple a document in the inverter assembly from the highway paths. The method comprises combining the inverting function selectively with either the registering or the velocity buffering functions.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus comprises a transporting roller pair and resist roller pair for transporting sheets supplied from a sheet supplying device positioned relative to the image formation apparatus at a sheet supplying interval, and an image processing controller for receiving, from the sheet supplying device, information relating to the sheet supplying interval. In the event of the image formation apparatus transporting sheets supplied from the sheet supplying device, the transporting roller pair and resist roller pair transport the sheets at the sheet supplying interval, based on the information regarding the sheet supplying interval received by the image processing controller.

Abstract: A controller outputs a PRE CPF-N signal and a CPF-N signal following the PRE CPF-N signal to an electrophotographic printer. The electrophotographic printer 1 starts a predetermined preparation process in response to the PRE CPF-N signal, and starts irradiation in response to the CPF-N signal. The preparation process completes by the time of when a toner image for a first page formed on a photosensitive drum reaches a transfer point where the toner image is transferred onto a recording medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus forms a toner image on a moving member by transferring and superposing component color toner images formed on an image bearer. An image forming apparatus includes a driving device that rotates and transports a moving member, a moving value detecting device that detects one of a moving length and a moving speed of the moving member, and a deviation calculating device that calculates a deviation value of one of the moving length and the moving speed by subtracting the detected one of the moving length and the moving speed from a reference value. An adjustment value calculating device calculates an adjustment value in accordance with the calculated deviation value. A driving speed control device controls a driving speed of the driving device in accordance with the calculated adjustment value.

Abstract: Image forming methods and apparatuses capable of performing stable and fast sheet transfer operations are provided. In a continuous feed mode, a preceding sheet and a succeeding sheet are successively fed from a sheet tray through first and second transfer rollers to an image forming position. When it is determined that a trailing edge of the preceding sheet has passed the first transfer roller, the driving of the first transfer roller is stopped for a predetermined time period. As a result, the preceding sheet and the succeeding sheet are transferred with a desired sheet interval while suppressing sheet interval variations.

Abstract: A method of determining a relative speed between two separately driven members in an image forming apparatus, includes the steps of: transporting a print medium using a print media transport assembly including an exit nip, the print media transport assembly operable at a first transport speed; driving a rotatable member associated with an entrance nip using an electric motor at a second transport speed which is independent from the first transport speed; transferring the print medium from the exit nip to the entrance nip; detecting an electrical characteristic of the motor when the print medium is present in each of the exit nip and the entrance nip; and determining a relative speed between the first transport speed and the second transport speed.