Responsive To Number Of Copies Or Passage Of Time Patents (Class 399/43)
  • Patent number: 7991309
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus which is free from occurrence of image noise due to the bleed phenomenon even without providing any contact-and-separation mechanism for the transfer member includes a control device which counts stop time elapsing from a stop to a restart of the image carrier, calculates an avoidance sheet count corresponding to the stop time at a restart of the image carrier, and makes a toner image carried on only part of the image carrier that has been out of the nip against the transfer member during the stop of the image carrier until the avoidance sheet count is reached after the restart of the image carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Toshiaki Hiroi
  • Patent number: 7986895
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a printing unit configured to perform printing by a short edge feed mode or a long edge feed mode, an inputting unit configured to input a print job, a setting unit configured to set an upper-limit value of a number of sheets to be used for a job, and a control unit configured to control the printing unit to perform printing by the short edge feed mode if the number of sheets to be used for the print job is less than the upper-limit value, and to perform printing by the long edge feed mode if the number of sheets to be used for the print job is equal to or greater than the upper-limit value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kosuke Tsujita
  • Patent number: 7979018
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes: an image carrier on whose surface is formed a latent image; a developing unit that forms a developer image with a developer including toner, carrier and additive; a transfer unit that transfers the developer image onto a recording medium; a recovery member that recovers the developer remaining on the surface of the image carrier after the developer image is transferred; a supply member that supplies, to the image carrier, a recovery promoter; and a voltage application unit that applies, to the supply member, an alternating-current voltage whose amplitude is changed in accordance with a change in the percentages of the amount of toner and the amount of carrier per unit area of a developer image forming portion of the developing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masaya Nakatsuhara
  • Patent number: 7978992
    Abstract: In an MFP, when a count of printed sheets of paper exceeds a predetermined count, a controller reads, from internal counters, a frequency of a stabilization process executed in return, a frequency of a stabilization process executed automatically in printing, a frequency of a stabilization process executed manually based on a user's instruction, and a frequency of return, respectively. When the frequency of the stabilization process executed automatically is small while the frequency of the stabilization process executed manually is large, the controller raises a frequency level of execution of the stabilization process. When the frequency of the stabilization process executed manually is small, the controller lowers the frequency level of execution of the stabilization process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Kazuo Okunishi, Atsushi Kawai, Yoshihiko Yoshizaki, Kohei Hayashi, Hideaki Komiyama, Yasufumi Naitou
  • Publication number: 20110164890
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a fuser including, a heating unit configured to heat a toner to be fixed on a sheet medium and the sheet medium and including at least three heat sources that can be independently driven, a temperature detecting unit configured to detect temperature of the heating unit in at least two positions spaced apart in a longitudinal direction of the heating unit, and a control unit configured to change power supply to the heat sources of the heating unit according to elapse time from the power supply to the heat sources, a number of sheet media to be continuously processed, and a type of the sheet media.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2010
    Publication date: July 7, 2011
    Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroshi Ota
  • Patent number: 7974568
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided with: an image forming unit that forms an image on a medium according an image forming condition; a speed changing unit that changes an image forming speed of the image forming unit between a plurality of image forming speeds including a first image forming speed; an adjusting unit that adjusts the image forming condition set in the image forming unit; a measuring unit that measures an elapsed state after the image forming condition is adjusted for the last time at the first image forming speed in the image forming unit, and outputs a measured value indicative of the elapsed state; and a determination unit that determines, according to the elapsed state, whether or not to adjust the image forming condition before the image forming unit starts forming an image at the first image forming speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoya Yamasaki, Matsuyuki Aoki, Shunichiro Shishikura, Yasunori Unagida, Satoshi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 7974549
    Abstract: A developing device includes: a developing roller on the surface of which intersecting inclined grooves are formed by rolling working; and a seal member which comes into contact with the developing roller, wherein ridge portions of a convex portion surrounded by the inclined grooves of the surface of the developing roller are formed such that rotational resistance due to the contact of the seal member on the downstream side of a rotation direction opposite to a rotation direction of the developing roller at the time of development is larger than rotational resistance due to the contact of the seal member on the downstream side of a rotation direction of the developing roller at the time of development, and at the time of refreshing of the seal member, the developing roller is rotated in the opposite direction to a direction at the time of development.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Aoki, Katsumi Okamoto, Takatomo Fukumoto
  • Publication number: 20110158664
    Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus capable of performing stable charging and thus stable image formation over a long term by changing a charge control method based on various environments. An engine control section serves as a first applied voltage determining unit, obtains a relationship between an applied voltage and a discharge current amount to a charging roller, and determines a voltage value of an applied voltage corresponding to a predetermined discharge current amount. The engine control section serves as a second applied voltage determining unit and determines a voltage value of a voltage to be applied to the charging roller based on the environment information detected by the environmental sensor. The engine control section selects, as the voltage to be applied to the charging roller, any one of the voltage values determined by the first and the second applied voltage determining units based oh the environment information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Publication date: June 30, 2011
    Applicant: CANON FINETECH INC.
    Inventors: Daigo HOTOMI, Akihiro MAEDA, Motohiro OGURA
  • Patent number: 7969614
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus outputting a color image and a monochrome image obtains data for output image by RIP-convert of accepted image data, and extracts feature of the data for output image. When the data for output image is determined to correspond to a color image, the image forming apparatus outputs a color image corresponding to the data for output image, on condition that the feature satisfies a determination reference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Shigetaka Kato, Masahiro Kamiya, Hitoshi Asano, Takeshi Nomura
  • Patent number: 7970298
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for bearing a toner image; toner image forming means for forming a toner image on the image bearing member; a detecting member for directing light to an object and for detecting the light reflected by the object; a controller for controlling a toner image forming condition of the toner image forming means in accordance with an output of the detecting member with respect to the toner image formed on the image bearing member and an output of the detecting member with respect to the image bearing member; a cleaning member, in contact to the image bearing member, for cleaning the image bearing member; an executing portion for executing, when the output with respect to the image bearing member reaches a reference level, an operation in a cleaning mode in which the cleaning member cleans the image bearing member; and a change portion for changing the reference level in accordance with a use amount of the image bearing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akihiro Nishikawa
  • Patent number: 7961338
    Abstract: When a sheet P is jammed after start of a print job, it is determined whether an automatic resumption mode for automatically resuming the print job is set. When a determination result of this determination is affirmative, the print job is resumed after the jam is released. When the determination result is negative, the print job is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masayoshi Karasawa
  • Patent number: 7949280
    Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes a heating rotary member, which heats an image on a recording material at a nip portion, an air blowing device for blowing air toward an air blowing port to cool a predetermined area of the heating rotary member, a shutter, which opens and closes the air blowing port, and a determination device. The determination device determines an execution of an operation of the air blowing device with the shutter opened after a first job is completed, in accordance with a size of a recording material in a width direction perpendicular to a recording material transport direction in a second job for supplying a recording material, between an execution termination of the first job for continuously supplying recording materials having a size smaller than a predetermined size in the width direction, while operating the air blowing device, and a start of a recording material supply of the second job, in a case that the second job is executed subsequent to the termination of the first job.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kota Arimoto, Taisuke Matsuura, Ryo Hanashi, Jun Tomine
  • Patent number: 7944579
    Abstract: A method and a multi-function machine are provided for scanning and counting documents, generating a summary report thereof, and dispatching the summary report to at least one destination. The summary report contains a count of the number of documents scanned or, additionally or alternatively, the number of document sides which contain an image; thumbnail representations of at least one of the scanned pages; and/or metadata.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Thomas W. Connors
  • Patent number: 7941063
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided, which prevents occurrence of conveying malfunction or image failure due to variation of conveying speed caused by endurance of a fixing unit or a conveying unit, variation of using environment, or a type of a recording material. The image forming apparatus includes: a fixing unit for heating and fixing a toner image on a recording sheet (P); a secondary transferring portion for conveying the recording sheet (P) to the fixing unit; a loop sensor for detecting a degree of a loop of the recording sheet (P) generated according to a speed difference between a conveying speed of the fixing unit and a conveying speed of the secondary transferring portion; a CPU for controlling the conveying speed of the fixing unit; a fixing deliver sensor for detecting a used amount of the fixing unit; and an EEPROM for storing information on the used amount of the fixing unit detected by the fixing deliver sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akimichi Suzuki, Hideo Nanataki, Kenji Watanabe, Kenji Takagi
  • Patent number: 7920801
    Abstract: Related is an image forming apparatus by electrophotography having a function of performing adjustment of image quality when performing image formation. The image forming apparatus includes a detection portion for detecting a fixing temperature of a fixing apparatus; a storage portion for storing an application history of a development bias; a count portion for counting a reposed time from a point when an operation of image formation is ended; a determination portion for determining a change range of the development bias immediately before the end of the operation of image formation; and an execution portion for executing adjustment of image quality by setting the development bias based on a determination result from the determination portion when the reposed time or the fixing temperature exceeds a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masayuki Otsuka, Katsuhiro Nagayama, Takashi Kitagawa
  • Patent number: 7912396
    Abstract: A printer, including a printing unit to print print data on print medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Young-kook Park
  • Publication number: 20110052225
    Abstract: An image forming device includes: a collecting container that collects a waste toner; a rotation member that rotates and spreads a waste toner inside the collecting container; a torque detection unit that detects torque applied to the rotation member by a waste toner inside the collecting container; and a rotation direction switching unit that switches a rotation direction of the rotation member. When a torque value detected by the torque detection unit is more than a first threshold, the rotation direction of the rotation member is switched by the rotation direction switching unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2010
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Inventors: Kenji Honjoh, Fumihito Itoh, Masahiko Shakuto, Kaoru Yoshino, Takuma Iwasaki
  • Patent number: 7889380
    Abstract: When the time period is night, processing advances to step S13 to set the initialization speed of a line feed motor to the first speed (v1), and to step S15 to execute initialization operation of the line feed motor at the first speed (v1). When the time period is morning or daytime, the processing advances to step S12 to detect a cover open/closed state. When the cover is open, the processing advances to step S13 to set the initialization speed of the line feed motor to the first speed (v1). When the cover is closed, the processing advances to step S14 to set the initialization speed of the line feed motor to the second speed (v2) which is higher than the first speed (v1). The processing advances to step S15 to execute initialization operation of the line feed motor at the second speed (v2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsushi Kohno, Masaya Kikuta, Norio Shimura, Takeaki Nakano, Hirokazu Kameda, Masaaki Endo, Shigehi Abe, Manabu Kuchiki, Masanori Echigo, Munetaka Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 7890003
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit having an image carrier, a developing agent container for holding a developing agent, and a developing agent supplier for supplying the developing agent from the developing agent container to the image carrier. A controller determines the amount of use of the image forming unit. A shaking mechanism shakes the image forming unit from time to time, at intervals determined by the controller according to the amount of use of the image forming unit. The shaking loosens the developing agent so as to maintain its fluidity, thereby avoiding faint image formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Junichi Ito
  • Patent number: 7885560
    Abstract: A patch mark-forming unit forms a first patch mark at a first density on a surface. A light emitting unit emits an incident light onto the surface moving. The incident light reflected by the surface is divided into a mirror-reflected light and a diffusion-reflected light on the surface. A first detecting unit detects an amount of the diffusion-reflected light. The patch mark forming unit reforms a second patch mark at a second density weaker than the first density if the amount detected by the first detecting unit is larger than a threshold. A second detecting unit detects an amount of the mirror-reflected light reflected by the surface on which the second patch mark has been reformed. A position calculating unit calculates, based on the amount detected by the second detecting unit, a position at which an image should be formed. An image-forming unit forms an image at the position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kentaro Murayama
  • Patent number: 7880941
    Abstract: An image forming device, which is capable of double-side printing to form an image on each of first and second sides of a recording medium, includes a calibration unit configured to perform calibration for modifying quality of the image to be formed, a first judging unit configured to judge, for each page to be printed, whether the calibration is to be performed, a second judging unit configured to judge whether a page to be printed is one of a first side in one-side printing and a first side in the double-side printing, and a control unit configured to control the calibration unit to perform the calibration when the first judging unit judges that the calibration is to be performed, and the second judging unit judges that the page to be printed is one of the first side in the one-side printing and the first side in the double-side printing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takashi Ohmiya
  • Patent number: 7877027
    Abstract: A sheet temperature sensor which detects temperature of a recording medium that is fed is provided downstream in a sheet feeding direction from a fixing device. A controller counts the number of sheets on which an image is continuously formed, and controls the number of sheets discharged by the fixing device per unit time in accordance with the counted number of sheets and the temperature detected by the sheet temperature sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Noboru Furuyama
  • Patent number: 7873289
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus and a method to control a velocity ratio thereof. The image forming apparatus includes a developing device to rotate opposite a photoconductive medium and to supply the photoconductive medium with a developer, and a controller to control a velocity ratio of the developing device to the photoconductive medium according to an accumulated number of printed copies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Joong-gwang Shin
  • Publication number: 20100316397
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a charging unit, an image carrier, an exposing unit, a developing unit, a transfer belt on which the transfer material is placed, a fixing unit that fixes the toner image transferred onto the transfer material, a cleaning unit that cleans up toner attached to the fixing unit, and a control unit that controls printing of the image on the transfer material. The control unit causes the exposing unit to expose a latent image of a first image having an image-area ratio equal to or larger than a predetermined ratio, causes the developing unit to form a toner image of the latent image and to transfer the toner image to the transfer material, and causes the fixing unit to fix the toner image transferred by the transfer belt to the transfer material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2010
    Publication date: December 16, 2010
    Inventors: Kenta KUDOU, Kenji Nozawa, Naoto Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7853179
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus provided with a rotary type image developing apparatus, during monochrome print job processing, it is judged whether the amount of toner remaining in the developing chamber of the black developer unit is equal to or less than a predetermined amount M. If the judgement is affirmative, (i) the monochrome print job is suspended, (ii) the rotary rack is rotated to stop the black developer unit at the toner supply position temporarily, and is moved to the developing position again, and (iii) the monochrome print job is resumed. With the stated structure, the toner can be steadily supplied even when the amount of toner remaining in the developing chamber gets low during executing monochrome print jobs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Masayuki Nishi
  • Publication number: 20100303486
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a toner carrying member for supplying toner to the image bearing member to visualize the latent image; a rotatable toner supply member, contacted to the toner carrying member, for supplying the toner to the toner carrying member, the toner supply member including a surface foam layer; a voltage applying device for applying voltages to the toner carrying member and the toner supply member; a controller for controlling the voltage application apparatus such that A and B have a polarity which is the same as a regular charging polarity of the toner, where A=Vs2?Vd2; B=(Vs2?Vd2)?(Vs1?Vd1); Vd1 is a voltage applied to the toner carrying member during a period in which the latent image is visualized; Vs1 is a voltage applied to the toner supplying member during the period; vd2 is a voltage applied to the toner carrying member during at least a part of a period which is after the visualization of the latent image and before stoppage of rotation of the toner supplying member; and Vs
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2010
    Publication date: December 2, 2010
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahiro Shibata, Masahiro Yoshida, Kazunori Hashimoto, Kazuhiro Okubo, Hisashi Yamauchi
  • Publication number: 20100303485
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a receiver to receive image information from an external device, a movable intermediate transfer member, a plurality of latent image bearing members on which a latent image is formed based on the image information, a plurality of developing devices, each of which disposed in proximity to the latent image baring member, to develop the latent image on the latent image bearing member with toner to form a toner image thereon, a transfer bias application mechanism to apply a transfer bias to the intermediate transfer member and halt temporarily and periodically application of the transfer bias in a continuous output mode in which a plurality of images are continuously formed on different recording media sheets based on the image information of the plurality of images received continuously by the receiver, and a secondary transfer member to transfer the superimposed toner image onto a recording medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2010
    Publication date: December 2, 2010
    Inventor: Yoshihisa Watanabe
  • Patent number: 7843610
    Abstract: A document reading apparatus is disclosed. The document reading apparatus includes a scanner; an energy-saving power supply unit; an energy-saving control unit; a clock IC; an output compensation unit for updating digital conversion parameters including image signal amplification gain such that image data of a reference white board read by a CCD of the scanner are made into a proper value; and an output compensation controlling unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazunori Hoshi
  • Publication number: 20100296826
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is formed; a developer carrier being in contact with the image carrier and configured to develop the electrostatic latent image on the image carrier with a developer; a temperature humidity measurement unit configured to measure the temperature and humidity around the developer carrier; a pressure changing mechanism configured to change a pressure of a contact between the image carrier and the developer carrier; and a pressure controller operable to change, based on the temperature and humidity measured by the temperature humidity measurement unit, the pressure by controlling the pressure changing mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2010
    Publication date: November 25, 2010
    Applicant: OKI DATA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tsutomu YAMANE
  • Publication number: 20100296824
    Abstract: An image forming device includes an image carrier, an exposing part, a developing member; a developer reserving part; a detection part to detect a developer remaining amount; a first count part to count a rotation number of the image carrier; a second count part to count an exposing dot number; a first calculation part to calculate a print duty for a print sheet based on the rotation number of the image carrier and the exposing dot number; and a discarding part in which when the developer remaining amount is equal to or less than a standard remaining amount, and when the print duty is less than a standard duty, developer is to discard more than the case in which the developer remaining amount is more than the standard remaining amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2010
    Publication date: November 25, 2010
    Applicant: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshio Niijima
  • Patent number: 7826755
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of performing monochrome printing and color printing in which all the developing units share a single development transformer is constructed such that at the time of monochrome printing the photoreceptor drums for colors are stopped rotating while all the developing units are constantly applied with a high voltage. Further, the cumulative operation time in which the black photoreceptor drum has been operated for monochrome printing is calculated so that the color-printing photoreceptor drums which are stopped during monochrome printing are rotationally driven by a predetermined angle when the cumulative operation time exceeds predetermined fixed time. Thus, the surface of each color-printing photoreceptor drum that is being worn is restored by making the fresh surface of the drum oppose the associated color developing unit, whereby it is possible to prevent occurrence of defects on the surface of each photoreceptor drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroo Naoi, Kohichi Takenouchi, Mitsuru Tokuyama, Kiyofumi Morimoto, Kazuma Hinoue, Tomoki Minamikawa
  • Publication number: 20100272455
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier that carries an electrostatic latent image; a development device that includes a toner carrier which is disposed opposite to the image carrier, carries and supplies toner to the image carrier, and develops the electrostatic latent image formed on a surface of the image carrier; and a control means that performs a refresh process in which toner is ejected from the toner carrier to the image carrier in a time an image is not formed, and a toner ejection pattern which is formed by ejecting a line image a plurality of times that has an acute angle to a main scan direction at predetermined intervals in a circumferential direction of the image carrier over a total width of a development region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2010
    Publication date: October 28, 2010
    Applicant: KYOCERA MITA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hideya MURAMOTO, Hirohisa Endou, Eiji Nimura, Ikuo Makie, Masaki Hayashi, Yoshihiro Yamagishi
  • Publication number: 20100266296
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a photoconductive drum which carries an electrostatic latent image, a developer supply unit which supplies a developer to the photoconductive drum, an image carrier which carries a developer image, and a density sensor which measures a density of a test print on the image carrier. The image forming apparatus carries out a second image quality maintenance operation for lowering a contrast potential when the density of the test print is higher than a predetermined value. When the test print is still dense even if the contrast potential reaches a lower limit value, the image forming apparatus carries out a first image quality maintenance operation for discharging the developer, then supplying a fresh developer to the developer supply unit, and causing the developer to be stirred and thus charged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2010
    Publication date: October 21, 2010
    Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Norikazu Ochiai
  • Publication number: 20100266301
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier; a developer carrier configured to supply developer to the image carrier; a power supply unit configured to apply a voltage to the developer carrier; a drive unit configured to rotationally drive the image carrier and developer carrier; a rotation amount determiner configured to determine the amount of rotation of the image carrier or the developer carrier in a predetermined time period; and a drive control unit configured to instruct the drive unit to rotate the image carrier and the developer carrier in a non-printing state, when it is determined that the rotation amount in a printing operation in the predetermined time period was equal to or greater than a threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2010
    Publication date: October 21, 2010
    Applicant: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Hirotaka OHSHIKA
  • Patent number: 7813660
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus forms a toner image onto sheets at the first feeding interval on a photoconductor or intermediate transfer member and, if the temperature of a fixing unit falls outside a set temperature range, the sheet layout is changed to a feeding interval wider than the first feeding interval. Adjustment processing is performed based on the image forming condition so that the feeding interval is changed to a wider one in the feeding interval changing step during image formation and it is determined in the determination step to perform adjustment processing, toner patch images are formed in an area where no toner image is formed on the photoconductor or intermediate transfer member . The adjustment processing is performed based on reading toner patch images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsumi Takahashi, Yuichiro Maeda, Yushi Oka, Kenji Kuroki, Yuzo Matsumoto, Kazunori Togashi, Takuya Kawamura
  • Patent number: 7809299
    Abstract: The present invention provides an image forming apparatus which, when switching operation from color image forming operation to monochromatic image forming operation, forms a monochromatic image on each of a prescribed number of sheets by stopping a part of the functions of yellow, magenta and cyan image forming sections of the color image forming operation, and thereafter, forms a monochromatic image only with a black-only image forming section, thereby permitting extension of service life of the image forming sections, while improving the productivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoru Yamamoto, Eiichi Motoyama, Shokyo Koh, Mitsuhiko Sato, Takashi Fujimori, Hidenori Sunada
  • Publication number: 20100247121
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is configured to control the timing to switch a development unit by a development rotary after forming an image, based on the size of the image to be formed. Accordingly, if the switching of the development unit is completed within a time period corresponding to a trailing edge margin of an image area, a subsequent color image can be formed without idling an intermediate transfer member, so that the image forming apparatus can suppress or reduce degradation of the throughput.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2010
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takeshi Shimba
  • Publication number: 20100247120
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device, a time detection unit, a humidity measurement unit and a controller. The image forming device includes a photoconductive body, a developing device and a transfer device. The time detection unit detects information concerning a stop time period of the developing device. The humidity measurement unit is provided in a casing in which the image forming device is provided and measures a humidity. The controller controls a developer supply member in the developing device based on the information concerning the stop time period detected by the time detection unit and information concerning the humidity measured by the humidity measurement unit, so as to rotate at a lower speed than a rotation speed at a normal time before the developing device starts a first developing operation after the developing device stopped.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2009
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Inventors: Shigemi Murata, Makoto Kanno
  • Publication number: 20100239277
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member driving part that drives a photosensitive member, a counting part that carries out an adding operation when the photosensitive member driving part drives the photosensitive member, and carries out a subtracting operation when the photosensitive member driving part stops the photosensitive member; and a control part that interrupts, when a count value of the counting part becomes equal to or more than a first predetermined value, a printing operation of driving the photosensitive member, forming an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive member, and fixing a toner adhering to the photosensitive member onto a recording sheet, and causes the counting part to start the subtracting operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2010
    Publication date: September 23, 2010
    Inventors: Kazuo MOHRI, Yuuya Ozaki
  • Publication number: 20100239278
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming section attached on an apparatus main body, having a forming and writing section that forms and writes an electrostatic latent image on an image carrier based on image information, and a transfer section which transfers a developed image after the electrostatic latent image has been developed, onto a sheet; a sheet conveyance section detachably attached on the apparatus main body, which conveys the sheet to the image forming section; a sheet detection section attached on the apparatus main body, which detects a sheet position conveyed to the image forming section by the sheet conveyance section; and a position correction section which corrects an image writing position for an image in the image forming section based on information of the detected sheet position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2010
    Publication date: September 23, 2010
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Hiroshi SENDO, Yuichi OMORI
  • Publication number: 20100239276
    Abstract: An image forming device includes an image support object, a charging unit, an exposure unit, and a developing unit. The image forming device further includes a monitoring unit that sequentially updates a count value to a new count value according to a rotation state and a stop state of the image support object, and an intermittent driving unit that intermittently rotates the image support object according to the new count value generated by the monitoring unit after an image formation operation to form the toner image on the image support object surface is completed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2010
    Publication date: September 23, 2010
    Inventor: Shingo NAGATSUKA
  • Publication number: 20100226666
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes: an image carrier on whose surface is formed a latent image; a developing unit that forms a developer image with a developer including toner, carrier and additive; a transfer unit that transfers the developer image onto a recording medium; a recovery member that recovers the developer remaining on the surface of the image carrier after the developer image is transferred; a supply member that supplies, to the image carrier, a recovery promoter; and a voltage application unit that applies, to the supply member, an alternating-current voltage whose amplitude is changed in accordance with a change in the percentages of the amount of toner and the amount of carrier per unit area of a developer image forming portion of the developing unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2009
    Publication date: September 9, 2010
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masaya Nakatsuhara
  • Patent number: 7792439
    Abstract: An image formation unit detached to an image forming apparatus integrally mounts at least one replacement member, and a nonvolatile memory. The nonvolatile memory stores recycle information related to the replacement member to be used when the image formation unit is recycled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
    Inventor: Hideo Kikuchi
  • Publication number: 20100215381
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatically adjusting nip width based on a scanned nip print image on ultraviolet (UV)-sensitive media in an image production device is disclosed. The method may include receiving a signal to generate a nip print, automatically inserting a sheet of UV-sensitive media into a fuser nip in the image production device, pausing the sheet of UV-sensitive media in the fuser nip for a predetermined time period, illuminating the UV-sensitive media with ultraviolet light to generate a nip print, scanning the generated nip print, determining if a nip width adjustment is required based on the scanned nip print, and if it is determined that a nip width adjustment is required based on the scanned nip print, adjusting the nip width using a nip width adjustment device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2009
    Publication date: August 26, 2010
    Applicant: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Faming LI, Eric Scott Hamby, Eric M. Gross, Eric J. Shrader
  • Patent number: 7783209
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrying member, a development unit, a first driving unit, a second driving unit, and a cleaning blade. The image carrying member forms a latent image thereon. The development unit develops the latent image formed on the image carrying member. The first driving unit drives the image carrying member. The second driving unit drives the development unit. The cleaning blade, contactable against the image carrying member, removes materials including toner remaining on the image carrying member. When an agent-empty development unit is filled with a developing agent, the second driving unit is activated to start a driving of the development unit, and the first driving unit is activated to start a driving of the image carrying member after starting a developing agent filling operation to the development unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Mugijirou Uno, Sadayuki Iwai, Yuki Oshikawa
  • Publication number: 20100209126
    Abstract: A developing device includes: a developing roller on the surface of which intersecting inclined grooves are formed by rolling working; and a seal member which comes into contact with the developing roller, wherein ridge portions of a convex portion surrounded by the inclined grooves of the surface of the developing roller are formed such that rotational resistance due to the contact of the seal member on the downstream side of a rotation direction opposite to a rotation direction of the developing roller at the time of development is larger than rotational resistance due to the contact of the seal member on the downstream side of a rotation direction of the developing roller at the time of development, and at the time of refreshing of the seal member, the developing roller is rotated in the opposite direction to a direction at the time of development.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2010
    Publication date: August 19, 2010
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takeshi AOKI, Katsumi OKAMOTO, Takatomo FUKUMOTO
  • Patent number: 7778563
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described that facilitate reducing temperature droop during an initial portion of a print job by reducing fuser speed to increase fuser-to-paper interaction while fuser heat is absorbed by the paper during a temperature transient. For instance, during a first N pages of a print job, where N is an integer, the paper acts as a heat sink and exerts a thermal load on the fuser roll. To compensate, fuser speed is reduced initially to ensure that a given amount of heat is applied to toner on the pages. Fuser speed is increased until fuser temperature reaches steady state. Acceleration of the fuser is also adjustable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Yongsoon Eun, Eric Scott Hamby
  • Publication number: 20100196025
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a receiving part for receiving an image forming request, a conveyor belt for rotating and conveying a recording paper, a charging part for applying charges to the conveyor belt, and an image forming part for forming an image on the recording paper is disclosed. The image forming apparatus includes a cleaning part configured to clean a surface of the conveyor belt by rotating the conveyor belt and setting a contacting member in contact with the surface of the conveyor belt when a bias voltage of the charges is reduced. The cleaning part is configured to clean the surface of conveyor belt when a printing process and a post-printing process are completed by the image forming part and no subsequent image forming request is received by the receiving part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2010
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Inventor: Yoshimitsu OGURA
  • Publication number: 20100183322
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a rotation detector detects an angular velocity or an angular displacement of a shared drive motor, or an angular velocity or an angular displacement of a photosensitive element. A drive control unit executes a process for controlling a drive speed of a drive source of the photosensitive element based on a result of detection by the rotation detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2009
    Publication date: July 22, 2010
    Inventors: Noriaki Funamoto, Yasuhisa Ehara, Tetsuji Nishikawa, Yasuhiro Maehata, Jun Yasuda
  • Patent number: 7747183
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of appropriately cleaning an image carrier is provided. An image forming apparatus 1 including toner cartridges 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K, a developing section which forms toner images, an image carrier 4 which carries the toner images formed by the developing section, a transfer member 5 which transfers toner images from the image carrier 4 to a recording sheet S, and a cleaner 14 which is operable for press and release operation to/from the image carrier 4 and which is pressed to the image carrier 4 to scrape off the toner remaining on the image carrier 4 is provided with a control means 23 which decreases the number of press and release operations of the cleaner 14 when the cumulated value of the number of images formed since the first use of the brand-new toner cartridges 11Y, 11M, 11C, and 11K is large.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Hideo Yamaki