Of Plural Processes Patents (Class 399/46)
  • Patent number: 11874612
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a detection unit configured to detect an amount of developer stored in a developing container and to output remaining amount information; and a control unit configured to perform control, during a replenishment of the developer to the developing container using a replenishment container, to cause a display unit to display a message related to the replenishment. When the replenishment is instructed, the control unit is further configured to perform a first control during the replenishment in a case where the remaining amount information indicates a first remaining amount, and configured to perform a second control different from the first control during the replenishment in a case where the remaining amount information indicates a second remaining amount greater than the first remaining amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Kobayashi, Kenichi Iida, Masahiro Hayakawa, Masaaki Sato, Haruyuki Hotta
  • Patent number: 11573521
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a developer container to and from which a replenishment container is attachable and detachable, the developer container including an accommodating portion, and a supporting portion, wherein the developer container includes a projection portion that is provided at one end portion thereof in the rotation axis direction of the developer bearing member and projects toward the supporting portion more than a center portion of the developer container in a crossing direction crossing the rotation axis direction, the projection portion communicates with the accommodating portion and includes, at a distal end portion thereof, an attachment portion configured such that the replenishment container is attachable thereto in a state of being exposed to the outside of the apparatus, and a replenishment port for replenishing the accommodating portion with developer from the replenishment container is defined in the attachment portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koji Wada, Tsuyoshi Ogawa, Hiroshi Takarada, Kenji Matsuzaka, Takao Sameshima, Tomio Noguchi, Yuichiro Inaba, Kenichi Iida, Masaaki Sato
  • Patent number: 11506991
    Abstract: An example operation method of an image forming apparatus includes determining a state of a toner refill operation of injecting toner from a toner reload kit (TRK) into a cartridge in the image forming apparatus, based on completion of injecting toner from the TRK into the cartridge, controlling the TRK to store information indicating a toner refill completion in a memory of the TRK and updating information of an amount of remaining toner of the cartridge based on an amount of the toner injected into the cartridge from the TRK.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Hong-Chul Choi, Yun-Su Kim, Seong-ho Jin, Jinwoo Noh
  • Patent number: 11435675
    Abstract: During non-image formation, an exposure unit exposes an image formable region on the image bearing member surface charged by a charging member to light, and, in a state where toner is able to be supplied from a developing member to the image bearing member, during a period from when a developing voltage starts to be changed from a first developing voltage to a second developing voltage smaller than the first developing voltage until the developing voltage is completed to be changed to the second developing voltage. A controller controls the exposure unit so that, after the image bearing member surface exposed to light with a first exposure amount by the exposure unit passes through a development portion, the image bearing member surface exposed to light with a second exposure amount smaller than the first exposure amount by the exposure unit passes through the development portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryosuke Kanai, Makoto Fukatsu
  • Patent number: 11397880
    Abstract: A conveyance device includes a conveyance roller pair to convey a recording medium to an image reading position of an image reading unit. The conveyance roller pair includes a drive roller and a driven roller. The driven roller contacts the drive roller and rotates following the drive roller. The drive roller has a diameter satisfying a relation in which a detection mark on the recording medium is on a position away from a leading end of the recording medium by an integral multiple of a circumference of the drive roller in a conveyance direction of the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kimiharu Yamazaki, Hideyo Makino, Susumu Mikajiri, Satoshi Nakayama, Kohta Aoyagi, Hiroki Yamamura
  • Patent number: 11328174
    Abstract: A cluster classification device includes an environmental condition acquisition unit, a classification unit, and a storage unit. The environmental condition acquisition unit acquires an environmental condition in order to generate a specific environment in a target space. The classification unit generates a cluster from a plurality of environmental conditions acquired by the environmental condition acquisition unit, based on features of the environmental conditions. The storage unit stores the cluster and a feature of the cluster in association with each other. An environment generation device generates, using an environmental condition classified by the cluster classification device, a predetermined environment in the target space. An environment generation system includes the cluster classification device and a control device that controls an environment generation device that generates a specific environment in the target space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoko Nakayama, Sanae Kagawa, Kazuyuki Satou, Ryuta Ueda, Hideyuki Takahashi, Hiroshi Ishiguro, Midori Takama, Yuichiro Yoshikawa, Yutaka Nakamura
  • Patent number: 10816924
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image holding body that rotates, an image forming unit, and a return operation controller. The image forming unit includes a charger, an exposure unit, a developing unit, a transfer unit, and a cleaning unit. The return operation controller causes a clean-up step to be executed in which the image holding body is cleaned while rotating the image holding body when returning from an emergency stop. In the clean-up step, the return operation controller reduces or zeroes out a pressing force between the transfer unit and the image holding body at least until a developing operation area on a surface of the image holding body that is stopped upon the emergency stop facing toward a direction in which the developing unit operates passes through a pressing area pressed by the transfer unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yuji Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 10795282
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive drum, a developing section, a voltage applicator, a detector, a calculating section, and an evaluating section. The detector detects values of first and second currents. The first current flows between the photosensitive drum and the developing section during formation of an electrostatic latent image. The second current flows between the photosensitive drum and the developing section when the electrostatic latent image is not being formed. The calculating section calculates a toner charge-to-mass ratio. The evaluating section evaluates reliability of a calculation result of the toner charge-to-mass ratio by comparing the second current value to a reference value. The reference value is of a reference current flowing between the photosensitive drum and the developing section when the electrostatic latent image is not being formed, and indicates a current value detected after adjustment to at least one of the photosensitive drum and the developing section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Satoshi Sunayama, Shizuya Uemura, Takashi Inoue
  • Patent number: 10627747
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a hardware processor that performs feedforward control on a motor; a driving roller that drives an intermediate transfer belt for transferring a toner image; a drive transmission system that transmits a driving force of the motor; a first detector that detects a speed of a driving shaft of the motor; a second detector that detects a speed of a driving shaft of the drive transmission system; and a storage that stores a plurality of sets of control data having different conformity states, wherein the plurality of sets of control data include pairs of a feedforward operation pattern and a drive transmission system deformation pattern, the drive transmission system deformation pattern corresponds to a fluctuation pattern of difference values, and the hardware processor compares the fluctuation pattern of difference values with the plurality of sets of control data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Jun Onishi, Masahito Takano, Takashi Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 10520852
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member on which an electrostatic latent image is formable, and a developing device including a developer carrying member, a container, and a supply roller. When the developing device including the developer carrying member, to which a lubricant different from the developer is applied, is used for the first time, a first initial operation of transferring the lubricant from the developer carrying member to the image bearing member together with the developer is performed. The image forming apparatus further includes a storage unit configured to store a suspension state when suspension is detected before the initial operation completes, and a controller configured to execute a second initial operation as an operation of resuming the suspended first initial operation on the basis of the stored suspension state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masataka Mochizuki, Hisashi Yamauchi, Norihito Naito
  • Patent number: 10331060
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of preventing unnecessary replacement of a toner cartridge when a drum part is replaced. The toner cartridge supplies toner. The drum part uses the toner supplied from the toner cartridge as lubricant when the drum part performs a first time operation after it has been mounted. The toner cartridge and the drum part are removably mounted. The image forming apparatus detects a value indicative of the remaining amount of toner stored in the toner cartridge and a value indicative of the remaining lifetime of the drum part. When the value indicative of the remaining lifetime is not larger than a predetermined threshold value, replacement of the drum part is notified. Contents of the notification are changed according to the value indicative of the remaining amount of toner stored in the toner cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kensuke Kawajiri
  • Patent number: 10133206
    Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus, including a photosensitive member, a latent image forming unit configured to form an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive member, a developing unit configured to store developer containing toner and to develop the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive member using the developer, a detector configured to detect an amount of the toner stored in the developing unit, and a supplying unit configured to supply toner to the developing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Sumito Tanaka
  • Patent number: 10036977
    Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including an image bearing member, a developing device, a bias applying portion, a driving portion, a transfer device, and a controller. In a case where the length of the recording material is a second length larger than a first length, the controller controls the speed ratio of the driving speed of the developer bearing member to the image bearing member to be a second speed ratio larger than a first speed ratio and controls the residual developer amount born per unit area of the developer bearing member after the developing of the electrostatic image becomes a second developer amount larger than a first developer amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kazuaki Ono
  • Patent number: 10036974
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photoconductor, a charger that charges the photoconductor, a transfer unit that transfers a toner image formed on the photoconductor to a transfer device, a charging power supply that outputs AC voltage for applying a charging bias to the charger, a transfer power supply that outputs DC voltage or DC current for applying a transfer bias to the transfer unit, an output detector that detects an output value of the DC voltage or the DC current, and a controller that calculates load impedance of the photoconductor based on the detected output value of the DC voltage or DC current detected by the output detector while modifying the output of the AC voltage by the charging power supply and sets the output of the AC voltage that the load impedance starts converging into a predetermined value as an adjusted AC output to the charging power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Shinji Minami
  • Patent number: 10013225
    Abstract: An image forming method of a GDI image forming apparatus includes forming an image density pattern for tone compensation, measuring an image density of the formed image density pattern for tone compensation, and transmitting measured image density data of the image density pattern for tone compensation to a host apparatus communicating with the image forming apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: S-PRINTING SOLUTION CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Han-sang Oh
  • Patent number: 9971275
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, a charging member, an exposure member, a rotatable developer carrying member, a voltage source, and a controller configured to control the voltage source so that when a thickness of the surface layer of the photosensitive member is a first thickness, a developing bias voltage including an oscillating portion having an oscillating voltage and a rest portion having a substantially constant voltage alternately repeated is outputted. When the thickness of the surface layer of the photosensitive member is a second thickness smaller than the first thickness, a developing bias voltage in which the rest portion is not included or is shorter than the rest portion when the thickness of the surface layer is the first thickness is outputted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Kidaka
  • Patent number: 9910395
    Abstract: A method of controlling toner development during a life of an imaging unit in an image forming device by determining whether an end of life of the imaging unit has been reached and upon a positive determination, performing at least one of incrementally lowering a target toner mass to be measured by a toner patch sensor and incrementally reducing the magnitude of voltage biases applied to at least one of the magnetic roll and the charging roll of the imaging forming device. Performing the acts of incrementally lowering and reducing are repeated until the imaging unit is replaced. The method reduces the risk of damage to the image forming device due to carrier bead development while allowing for printing to occur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: LEXMARK INTERNATIONAL, INC.
    Inventors: Marc Cousoulis, Courtney Harrison Soale
  • Patent number: 9841708
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus has an image carrier carrying a toner image; a transfer member made with an ion conductive material and forming a transfer nip by being pressed by the image carrier; and a power supply continuously applying a transfer bias voltage to the transfer member as a plurality of print media pass through the transfer nip. The transfer bias voltage has a predetermined polarity. A control section determines whether the resistance of a nip-margin area has exceeded a predetermined resistance threshold, the nip-margin area being a marginal portion of the transfer nip through which no print medium passes. When the determination of the control section is affirmative, the power supply applies a reverse-bias voltage to the transfer member, the reverse-bias voltage having an opposite polarity to the transfer bias voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Hirofumi Ishida
  • Patent number: 9411264
    Abstract: Provided is a toner adjusting mechanism, including a storage section in which a liquid developer is stored, a supply section that causes the liquid developer which is stored in the storage section to flow at a predetermined flow velocity to supply the liquid developer to a developer tank, a circulating section that causes the liquid developer which is discharged from the storage section to flow and circulate at a flow velocity faster than the flow velocity of the liquid developer which flows in the supply section, a detecting section that detects a toner concentration of the liquid developer which flows in the circulating section, and an addition section that adds an adjustment agent which adjusts the toner concentration of the liquid developer to the liquid developer which is stored in the storage section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Taichi Yamada, Kazutoshi Yatsuda, Kazunari Komatsuzaki
  • Patent number: 9389534
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, a charging unit, an image exposure unit configured to form image portion potential by exposing the photosensitive member to light, a weak exposure unit configured to form non-image portion potential by exposing the photosensitive member to weak light having a lower exposure amount than the light for forming the image portion potential, and a developer bearing member configured to carry developer, wherein a relationship of Ldev<Lvd<Lbg is satisfied, where the photosensitive member exposed to the weak light by the weak exposure unit has a weak exposure area having a length of Lbg in a photosensitive member longitudinal direction, a length of the developer carried by the developer bearing member in the photosensitive member longitudinal direction is Ldev, and the photosensitive member charged by the charging unit has a charging area having a length of Lvd.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasunari Watanabe, Hideaki Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 9348294
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus that forms an image to which a plurality of various surface gloss effects are given by overlaying clear toner to be fixed for a plurality of times on a recording material on which color toner has been transferred, the image processing apparatus comprises a determining unit that determines number of times of fixing clear toner onto the recording material for each image region, according to a surface gloss effect of an image region that is indicated by input image data; and a clear-image forming unit that generates a clear toner plane for each image region having been determined that the number of times of fixing clear toner is same by the determining unit, and forms a clear image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Naoya Awamura, Hiroaki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9335675
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit that forms an image with toner, an image carrier, a transfer unit that transfers an image from the image carrier to a medium, and a power supply control unit that applies a transfer bias generated by superimposing an AC bias and a DC bias to the transfer unit. Multiple first images are transferred to a medium, the first images being formed by setting one of an amplitude value of the AC bias, and a DC bias value representing a value of the DC bias to a fixed value and changing the other one at a preset interval. Multiple second images are transferred to a medium, the second images being formed by setting the one of the amplitude value and the DC bias value to a fixed value different from the fixed value, and changing the other one at a preset interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Shimada, Masaaki Yamaura
  • Patent number: 9268255
    Abstract: An image formation system includes: a first image forming apparatus; a sheet inversion section; a second image forming apparatus; an image density detection section configured to detect a density of a first pattern image for a highest density adjustment and a density of a second pattern image for a half-tone density adjustment, each of the first and second pattern images being formed on a sheet in each of the first image forming apparatus and the second image forming apparatus; and an inter-apparatus density adjusting section. The inter-apparatus density adjusting section corrects a density control point and a light exposure energy on a basis of detection results of the first and second pattern images of the image density detection section, respectively. The first and second density control sections correct the density control point or the light exposure energy in accordance with a coverage rate of an image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Takenobu Kimura
  • Patent number: 9237252
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of processing signals from a large-format scanner comprising a first and a second image sensor that provide respective image signals recorded at respective areas of a scanned medium, where a portion of the respective areas is recorded also by the other of the respective image sensors, whereby image data from overlapping and non-overlapping areas are present in the respective signals; the method comprising: determining a first and a second level of intensity from image signals from the first and the second image sensor at the overlapping area, respectively; determining a compensation value by processing the first level of intensity and the second level of intensity to determine a discrepancy between the level of intensities; applying compensation values to image data from overlapping and non-overlapping areas to provide compensated image data to compensate for a discrepancy between levels of intensity from the first and the second image sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: Contex A/S
    Inventor: Gerard Verhaegh
  • Patent number: 9182720
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a processor generates a first density variation data based on the surface potential of the pattern in relation to the rotational position of the image bearer and a second density variation data based on the first density variation data and the density of the toner pattern, stores the first density variation data and the second density variation data in a memory, makes a pattern in a predetermined timing, decides whether the first density variation data is changed or not, change the first density variation data based on the decision, controls the toner image forming condition of the toner image forming device based on the first density variation data and the second density variation data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Kaneko, Shinji Kato, Hitoshi Ishibashi, Shuji Hirai, Jun Yamane, Koichi Kudo, Shingo Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9164415
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming section including a light exposure section configured to expose an image bearing member to light to form an electrostatic latent image, the image forming section being configured to form a toner image on the image bearing member, and to form an image on a recording sheet by transferring the toner image onto the recording sheet; an estimation section configured to estimate a density lowering position on the basis of image data of an image formed by the image forming section, the density lowering position being a position where decrease in image density relative to a predetermined image density is caused in the image; and a control section configured to increase a light exposure amount at the density lowering position estimated by the estimation section on the image bearing member to an amount greater than a predetermined light exposure amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Natsuko Minegishi, Hideaki Tanaka, Tetsuya Ishikawa, Ryoei Ikari, Shintaro Sone
  • Patent number: 9065952
    Abstract: A power-supply control device includes a power-supply control section, a first detection section that detects whether or not a body capable of movement is moving, a second detection section that detects whether or not the body capable of movement exists, and an instruction section. The power-supply control section receives supply of power from a mains power source section, and selectively sets a power supply mode, in which power is supplied to a processing section, and a power saving mode, in which supply of power to the processing section is stopped. The first and second detection sections and the instruction section are caused to operate at least in the power saving mode. The instruction section provides, for the power-supply control section, an instruction for switching between the power supply mode and the power saving mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsunobu Mamiya, Kazuhiko Narushima, Kouichi Azuma, Hidenori Horie, Masafumi Ono, Motofumi Baba, Masato Ishiyama, Keiko Shiraishi, Kenta Ogata, Kenji Kuroishi
  • Patent number: 9042752
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus performs first control, while rotating an image bearing member at a first speed during non-image-formation, to apply a plurality of alternating-current voltages differing in peak-to-peak voltage to a charging device and to detect the value of each alternating current flowing through the image bearing member. When rotating the image bearing member at a second speed during image formation, the image forming apparatus performs second control, while rotating the image bearing member at the second sped before the start of image formation, to apply an alternating-current voltage determined based on the first control to the charging device. In the second control, the image forming apparatus detects the value of the alternating current flowing through the image bearing member, and determines a peak-to-peak voltage of the alternating-current voltage applied to the charging device at the time of image formation based on the detected alternating current value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Bunro Noguchi
  • Publication number: 20150098717
    Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus including a photoreceptor on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, a developing roller for forming a visual toner image by supplying toner onto the electrostatic latent image, a transfer unit for transferring the visual toner image onto a recording medium, and a cleaning member for removing residual toner remaining on the photoreceptor after the transfer of the visual toner image from the photoreceptor is described. The image forming apparatus operates in a printing mode, and a collecting mode in which the residual toner on the cleaning member is collected on the developing roller via the photoreceptor. A linear velocity of the developing roller in the collecting mode is faster than in the printing mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2014
    Publication date: April 9, 2015
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung-min PARK, Dong-uk Kim, Ki-hyun Yoo
  • Publication number: 20150093130
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus main body, a power supply switch, a photoreceptor drum, a charging device, an exposure device, a developing device, a transfer roller, a cleaning device, and a toner-layer formation unit. The transfer roller contacts the circumferential surface of the photoreceptor drum at a downstream side with respect to the developing device in the rotation direction and is configured to transfer the toner image to a sheet. The cleaning device is cleaning device arranged opposed to the photoreceptor drum, downstream. The cleaning device is configured to clean the photoreceptor drum. The toner-layer formation unit is configured to form a toner layer on a surface of the transfer roller in an initial operation started after the apparatus main body is installed in a predetermined installation location and the power supply switch is switched on.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Inventor: Einosuke Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 8948643
    Abstract: A method for printer stability enhancement in a multiple printer printing system includes determining a first printer stress state of a first printer in a printing system, wherein the first printer is assigned a first printing role. A second printer stress state of a second printer in the printing system is also determined, wherein the second printer is assigned a second printing role that is different from the first printing role. The first printer stress state is compared to the second printer stress state, and the first printing role is reassigned to the second printer and the second printing role is reassigned to the first printer if the first printer stress state is different than the second printer stress state. A printing system implementing the method is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: James A. Winters
  • Publication number: 20150003852
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, a charging device, an exposure device, a development device, a transfer device, a first driving device, a voltage application device, and a controller. The first driving device rotatably drives one of the photosensitive member and a combination of the photosensitive member and an intermediate transfer member. The voltage application device supplies a respective predetermined voltage to the charging device, the development device, and the transfer device. The controller controls the first driving device and the voltage application device. When the photosensitive member is stopped, both illumination from the exposure device and the transfer electrical field electrically discharge the surface of the photosensitive member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2014
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Takeshi YAMASHITA, Yasuhiro FUJIWARA
  • Patent number: 8923713
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus and method that compute a total amount of toner to be deposited per unit area of a target image in which a first unit area is computed to form a first toner image using a highest total amount of toner, and a second unit area is computed to form a second toner image using a lowest total amount of toner. When the highest total amount of toner computed by a computing unit exceeds a given level, a transfer bias determination unit identifies a transfer bias to transfer a toner image of the target image from an overlapping portion that can effectively transfer the first toner image, and the second toner image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masakazu Terao, Shinya Kobayashi, Tadashi Kasai, Yoshihiro Sonohara, Yoichi Sakurai
  • Patent number: 8879936
    Abstract: One aspect of the present invention provides an information processing apparatus for determining a height of a toner image formed on a carrier, the apparatus comprising: a control unit configured to control an amount of irradiation light based on whether laser light irradiated by an irradiation unit is irradiated onto the toner image; an acquisition unit configured to acquire an image obtained by capturing reflected light of the laser light irradiated by the irradiation unit; and a determination unit configured to determine the height of the toner image based on the acquired image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kunitoshi Aoki
  • Publication number: 20140314431
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image bearing members; a belt for receiving toner images from the image bearing members and for transferring the toner image onto a transfer material; a controller for driving the image bearing members; and wherein the image forming apparatus is operable in a monochromatic mode in which the toner image is formed only on a predetermined one of the image bearing members, and no image is formed on the other image bearing member, wherein in a operation in the monochromatic mode, the controller starts to drive the plurality of image bearing members in synchronism with each other in a state that the other image bearing member is spaced from the belt, and the predetermined image bearing member is in contact with the belt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2014
    Publication date: October 23, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ryo Morihara, Takao Kume, Toshihiko Takayama
  • Publication number: 20140255050
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a charging bias output device, a developing bias output device, a transfer bias output device, and a controller. The controller controls the transfer bias output device to supply a transfer bias from a time at which a first position of a photosensitive member arrives at a transfer position after the charging bias output device starts supplying a charging bias. An initial value of the transfer bias is controlled to be smaller than a normal set value for a predetermined time period (Tc) which is a time after the transfer bias starts to be supplied and within a time corresponding to a rise time (Ta) during which a surface potential of the photosensitive member reaches a predetermined potential after the charging bias starts to be output. The first position of the photosensitive member is a position at which the charging device start charging the photosensitive member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2014
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Inventors: Ryuji YOSHIDA, Hideki Zemba, Yusuke Mitani, Shotaro Hoshi, Masahiko Shakuto, Hiroaki Maeda
  • Patent number: 8824906
    Abstract: In the case of a standard sized sheet, a first controller sets a linear velocity D of an image bearing member at a first velocity and sets a linear velocity S of a toner bearing member so that S/D, which is a ratio of the linear velocity S to the linear velocity D, has a first value and a second controller sets the thickness of the toner layer carried on the toner bearing member at a first layer thickness. In the case of a long sheet, the first controller sets the linear velocity D at a second velocity slower than the first velocity and sets the linear velocity S so that the S/D has a second value larger than the first value and the second controller sets the thickness of the toner layer at a second layer thickness smaller than the first layer thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Chikara Ishihara, Masashi Fujishima
  • Patent number: 8780367
    Abstract: A detecting device includes a detecting unit that detects an image on a medium transported in a transport path. The detecting unit includes a light emitter, a light receiver, and a light adjusting portion. The light emitter emits light toward the transport path in which the medium is transported. The light receiver receives reflected light of the light emitted from the light emitter. The light adjusting portion adjusts a quantity of light received by the light receiver according to a quantity of light emitted from the light emitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shusaku Yokota, Masao Ito, Fumio Furusawa, Katsuhiko Nakaie, Junichi Morooka, Kota Ninomiya
  • Patent number: 8774655
    Abstract: An apparatus includes: an image carrier; a charger to uniformly charge a surface of the image carrier; an exposing unit to perform write scanning on the image carrier; a developing unit that includes a developer carrier carrying a developer including a toner and that is configured to perform a visible image process on an electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier; and a transferor to transfer a toner image that has been subjected to the process onto a material. If length Lg of a non-image part directly before an image part in an image carrier moving direction has the relation of Lg??·Ds/(Vs/Vp), where Vp and Vs are circumferential velocities of the image carrier and the developer carrier and Ds is a diameter of the developer carrier, suppression of toner attachment on the material is controlled in a predetermined length from an image front end in the direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Motohiro Usami, Takahiro Seki, Masashi Nagayama, Shinji Aoki, Jun Hitosugi
  • Publication number: 20140178086
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: a photosensitive member; a charging device; an exposure device; and a developer carrying member, wherein, when it is assumed that an image forming area, a printing portion and a non-printing portion are an area on the photosensitive member on which an image to be transferred onto a recording material is formed, an area in the image forming area to which the developer adhere and an area in the image forming area to which the developer does not adhere, respectively, the exposure device exposes the printing portion at a first laser power, exposes the non-printing portion at a second laser power smaller than the first laser power, and exposes a non-image forming area on the photosensitive member between two adjacent image forming areas at no laser power or a third laser power smaller than the second laser power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2013
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takuya Kitamura, Hideaki Hasegawa, Shuichi Tetsuno
  • Patent number: 8749843
    Abstract: The present disclosure is generally related to the field of printing, and other processes based on the continuous deposition of material, including industrial molding or extrusion processes, and more particularly to techniques for grouping object quality anomalies in a specified region of an object based on context-specific characterization and shared descriptive profile features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignees: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated, Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Juan Liu, Robert Price, Eric S. Hamby
  • Patent number: 8711431
    Abstract: An apparatus includes: a transfer unit configured to transfer recording agent onto a transfer sheet to print input data; an acquisition unit configured to acquire, when the transfer unit transfers and when it is detected that processing is to be performed due to which time is extended that is taken from ending processing on the transfer sheet to starting the processing on a following transfer sheet, the time generated due to performance of the detected processing; a generation unit configured to generate, when the acquired time is longer than a previously set time, a patch pattern on the transfer sheet; and a correction unit configured to correct output image density using the generated patch pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshihisa Nomura
  • Patent number: 8670683
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: a photoreceptor for bearing a toner image; a transfer body onto which the toner image borne by the photoreceptor is transferred; a drive section for driving the photoreceptor and transfer body respectively, and a control section for controlling the drive section so as to drive the photoreceptor and transfer body at a predetermined driving speed, wherein the control section, under a state in which the control section controls to drive the transfer body at the predetermined driving speed, controls to: a) drive the photoreceptor while changing the driving speed of the photoreceptor within a range of driving speeds between low speed and high speed, including the predetermined driving speed, b) extract torque characteristics under the control which includes the change of driving speed of the photoreceptor, and c) determine the driving speed of the photoreceptor based on the extracted torque characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Katsunori Takahashi, Masashi Sugano, Akinori Kimata, Akifumi Isobe, Jun Onishi, Masahito Takano, Kenji Tamaki
  • Patent number: 8655229
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided, which includes a controller configured to switch a circumferential velocity of a development roller from a second circumferential velocity to a first circumferential velocity no later than when development of a photoconductive drum is started and to switch the circumferential velocity of the development roller from the first circumferential velocity to the second circumferential velocity after the development of the photoconductive drum is completed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomitake Aratachi, Yoshiteru Hattori
  • Publication number: 20140044445
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member on which a developer image is formed, a developer bearing member configured to develop a surface of the image bearing member, and a cleaning member configured to clean a residual developer remaining on the surface of the image bearing member, wherein, when an image forming operation is interrupted, the image forming apparatus is capable of performing a recovery operation before resuming the image forming operation, and wherein the image forming apparatus is capable of, during the recovery operation, a potential difference between a potential applied to the developer bearing member and a surface potential of a non-image area within the surface of the image bearing member greater than that during the image forming operation according to a predetermined value such that the developer on the image bearing member is moved to the developer bearing member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2013
    Publication date: February 13, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hideo Kihara, Takuya Kitamura, Kouki Yano
  • Publication number: 20140037311
    Abstract: An image forming device includes each of developing devices including an image carrying part, a charging part that charges the image carrying part, a developing part on which a developing voltage is applied and which attaches developer to the image carrying part to develop the electrostatic latent image, and a control part that controls each of the developing devices. The developers are a white developer and other color developers, one of the developing devices using the white developer being defined the white developing device, the others using the other color developers being defined the non-white developing devices, and a developing potential difference of the white developing device is smaller than other developing potential differences of the non-white developing devices, the developing potential difference being defined between the developing voltage and potential of the image carrying part of the each developing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2013
    Publication date: February 6, 2014
    Applicant: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Hidetaka MITSUNOBU
  • Patent number: 8620170
    Abstract: In a RAM are stored a first deflection information table representing the relationship between the rotation amount and the deflection amount of a photosensitive element, a second deflection information table representing the relationship between the rotation amount and the deflection amount of a developing sleeve, a writing sensitivity information table representing the relationship between the rotation amount of the photosensitive element and latent image writing sensitivity, and an image forming condition information table representing the relationship between the rotation amount and laser power. An information input unit is provided to input the respective tables. During a print job, laser power is changed on the basis of the image forming condition information table, and laser power which causes deviation in an opposing direction is calculated on the basis of information input in a standby state to update the image forming condition information table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Tomohide Takenaka
  • Patent number: 8611768
    Abstract: This invention is to provide a technique of always obtaining a stable output image in image formation using toner. A supplier (1217) supplies toner in a decided toner supply amount. A developing device (1206) agitates the supplied toner and supplies the agitated toner to an electrostatic latent image formed on a photosensitive drum (1203), thereby developing a toner image on the photosensitive drum (1203). A correction amount calculation unit (1106) estimates the toner charge amount by calculating a function model that approximates the variation characteristic of the toner charge amount using the toner consumption necessary for printing a print target image, the toner supply amount necessary for printing the print target image, and the toner agitation time. At least one of an image processing condition and a process condition is controlled using the estimated toner charge amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideki Kubo, Jun Hirabayashi, Megumi Ito, Sumito Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8588633
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a color toner image forming portion, a transparent toner image forming portion, a heating portion, an obtaining portion that obtains information on an area where a gloss level should partly be increased and an area where the gloss level should partly be decreased in an image, and a controller controls the color toner image forming portion and the transparent toner image forming portion to form the color toner images and a first partial transparent toner image on a recording material, controls the heating portion to heat the color toner images and the first partial transparent toner image on the recording material, controls the transparent toner image forming portion to form a second partial transparent toner image on the recording material, and controls the heating portion to heat the second partial transparent toner image on the recording material based on information obtained by the obtaining portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Taichi Takemura
  • Publication number: 20130287416
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a first image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet using a first colorant to be heat-fixed on the sheet; a second image forming unit configured to form an image on the sheet using a second colorant that is erasable by heating; and a fixing device arranged further on a downstream side in a sheet conveying direction than the first image forming unit and further on an upstream side in the sheet conveying direction than the second image forming unit and capable of executing fixing processing for heat-fixing the image, which is formed on the sheet by the first image forming unit, on the sheet and executing erasing processing for heating the sheet, on which the image is formed with the second colorant, to erasing temperature to thereby erase the second colorant on the sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2013
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Inventors: KEN IGUCHI, Hiroyuki Taguchi, Minoru Yoshida, Osamu Takagi, Takahito Kabai, Yoshiaki Kaneko